Who can become member of SKM?

• Any legal resident within the German Borders.
• Should have interest and affection towards Kannada language / culture / literature, agrees to the organisation’s vision / aim and is able to make positive contribution to this effect.
• Is above the age of 18 at the time of registration (for persons below 18 years of age, parental approval is necessary).
• Shall not be a member of any organisation / organisations deemed illegal / banned either by Gov. of India / The European Union / The German federal or regional governments.
• Shall not have criminal background or not have any ongoing criminal proceedings.

How does one become a member?

• Each interested individual / Family needs to fill up the membership registration form on SKM website and submit the same.
• Upon submission, the board and / or a committee will review the application and provide a confirmation of membership.
• Upon receipt of confirmation of membership, the member is obliged to pay the requisite membership fee to the bank account provided within three months from the receipt of confirmation.

How much is the membership fee and what is the period of membership?

• Membership is always for one calendar year (exception being 2022-2023), January – December
• An annual membership fee of €35 for family, €20 for Single adult and €12 for students has been fixed
  • Membership fee will be reviewed each year and if necessary, changes will be discussed and communicated in the Annual General body Meeting as per the provisions in the SKM statutes.
• Membership automatically gets extended to the next calendar year, if not cancelled explicitly according to terms of cancellation mentioned below. Membership payment request will be sent at the beginning of the calendar year and payments must be made according to the points mentioned above.
• Membership benefits can be availed only after membership fee has been paid.
• Students registering for membership need to upload their valid student ID card during membership registration.
• Membership fee is non-refundable / non-transferrable

How does a membership end?

• Membership ends due to death, cancellation, or expulsion.
• Cancellation must be sent in written form to one of the board members and three months before the end of the calendar year. Cancellation within a calendar year is not possible.
• A membership can be cancelled if membership fee payment is delayed by more than three months from the time of registration / payment request at the beginning of a calendar year and after a month following a notification of delayed payment.
• Membership registration shall be rejected / cancelled by the review committee, if false or invalid information are provided (invalid – address, DoB, Name, E-mail address, telephone number etc.).
• Through expulsion from the organisation.

How is expulsion of membership handled and reason for expulsion?

In exceptional circumstances, through a 100% acceptance of the board members, a membership may be cancelled with immediate effect if a member through his / her activities is working against the interest of the organisation.

Appeals

Rejection of membership application or expulsion of a member can be appealed by the individual during the following Annual General body Meeting (AGM).

What are the benefits of becoming a member?

• Subscription to SKM’s events and activities.
• Subscription to SKM quarterly newsletter.
• Special discounts on event tickets organized by the SKM.
• Priority for attending the events when there are limited seats.
• Possibilities of dedicated events for members only.
• Priority to take part in Cultural and other activities.
• Integration support: Seminars, info-sessions and workshops provided by experts on various topics of life in Germany (e.g.: Kindergarten & School system, Insurances, Health Care, Driving Licenses, etc.).
• Members may be eligible to avail special offers and discounts at various business entities (e.g.: Grocery stores, travel agencies, online services etc.) as and when such facilities are made available.
• A platform to retain a link to Kannada Culture and Heritage through participation in relevant educational, cultural and leisure activities and most importantly play a role in developing the organisation and its future.

Membership Rights

• Rights to elect the Office Bearers for the board during the elections that will be held every two years.
• Eligibility to contest in SKM elections (according to the stipulations mentioned in the Statutes).
• To submit proposals for events and activities.
• Can also be part of the Executive Committees.
• You reserve the right to call for an extraordinary Annual General body Meetings (according to the stipulations mentioned in the Statutes).