A. Preamble
I. Initial situation
The „International Working Group Gaminger Initiative“ is the alliance of Central Euro-pean Officers Associations and Reserve Officers Associations. It was founded on May 28th, 1995 and has its origin in the „Gaming Talks“, named after the medieval Carthusian monastery in Gaming, Austria, where they were held. The “Gaming Talks” were started, after a first founding meeting in 1989 between Austria, Switzerland and Germany, by the Austrian Officers Association in 1990, shortly before the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. Their original goal was to bring together the military and reserve officers associations of Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland with the Central European military and reservists associations, which were formed after the political change (the so called „Wende“). In close cooperation with politicians and active sol-diers, the “Gaming Talks” aimed to establish a trustworthy base for mutual information and cooperation. This goal has been achieved.
II. Reorientation
On July 27th, 2004, the country delegates of GAMINGER INITIATIVE decided in fa-vour of a reorientation. The original principles are thus no longer the ultimate goal of the association.
The GAMINGER INITIATIVE is focussed on important issues of European security policy and military affairs. It is a regional, Middle-European platform of their officers- and reservists associations, which are accepted from policy and armed forces in their countries. The GAMINGER INITIATIVE is at work on a level under policy and armed forces in the sense of national and European defence capability. Main emphasis is the role of reservists in more and more professionalized armed forces and the role of armed forces in Europe. The GAMINGER INITIATIVE makes a contribution, that the very reduced armed forces can hold the contact to the society and that the required specialists and reservists are educated well.
Important subjects to focus on, are chosen by the presidency every year.
III. Meetings of the GAMINGER INITIATIVE
The delegations of the GAMINGER INITIATIVE have two meetings a year, held as a rule: a spring meeting (GAMING I) and an autumn meeting (GAMING II) held in one of the member countries. Country reports are issued only once a year, usually at GAMING I.
The official language is German. English is permitted.
B. Members
Member of the GAMINGER INITIATIAVE are Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.
Additional countries can be considered for future membership.
Admissions are decided during the council meetings and require the absolute majority of votes of members.
Members are national officers- and reservist associations. The associations activities should be officially recognized by the national government or Ministry of Defence.
Delegations can consist of reserve officers, militia officers and/or professional officers. The only condition is a membership in a national officers- or reservist association.
C. Foreign relations
I. General information
The GAMINGER INITIATIVE can exchange information and share common in-terests with other associations and organisations with similar fields of activity or situated in geographically near countries.
II. CIOR
The GAMINGER INITIATIVE is an independent organization. Member coun-tries of the GAMINGER INITIATIVE can be at the same time members of CIOR or every other multinational officers- or reservist association. The coop-eration between CIOR and GAMINGER INITIATIVE is laid down in the “Memorandum of Understanding” issued on February 8th, 2002.
D. Organs of management
I. Presidency
The presidency of the GAMINGER INITIATIVE lasts two years and rotates among the member countries. The current Presidency has to assure selection of the new president.
Members of the Presidency are the President, the Vicepresident, the acting Past-president and the acting General Secretary.
It is advisable that the Vice-President should be at the same time the incoming President.
One of the presidents is always one of the three founding nations.
II. General Secretary
1. Tasks
The President is assisted by a General Secretary. The main tasks of the General Secretary are supporting the hosting nation by preparing and organizing GAMING I and II, sending out invitations, writing meeting minutes, preparing documents for the meeting, updating membership lists and managing the archives.
2. Election
The incoming President (Vicepresident) nominates the incoming General Secretary for his time as president.
3. Qualification
The General Secretary must be able, to communicate in German and in English.
4. Membership
The General Secretary must be member of one of the countries of the GAMINGER INITIATIVE.
5. Ratification
The proposal of the incoming General Secretary has to be ratified by the council.
III. Council
During the meetings of the GAMINGER INITIATIVE will be organized a council, which is prepared by the presidency to discuss actual issues in the frame of an agenda.
The Council is composed by the Presidency and the Head of Delegations.
Of every session minutes will be drawn up.
IV. Former Presidents
Former Presidents will be invited to every meeting of the GAMINGER INITIATIVE. They have a seat in the council, but no vote.
E. Finances
The GAMINGER INITIATIVE does not charge membership fees.
Expenses for the meetings are covered by registration fees.
The travelcosts of the General Secretary to the meetings of the GAMINGER INI-TIATIVE are covered by the registration fees.
The GAMINGER INITIATIVE should aim to break even and not to profit.
F. Concluding Remark
The new version of the constitution was passed unanimously by the council in Bad Reichenhall, September 26th 2009.
Responsible for content:
Peter Eitze
Past President
Colonel ( R)