How do you start a new student association in Ås?
Reader: Radosław Dworak (Radek)
Translator: Eva Weston Szemes
Illustrator: Linnea Santi Moe
Illustrator: Silje Pedersen
Are you a first year student who is learning the ropes of the social life at The Agrarian Metropole? Maybe an old timer who has yet to find the last puzzle piece for your social muscle? Or maybe you feel that a niche is missing from the pool of existing associations at NMBU? When I started my own association last year, I had to figure it out on my own. So I hope this letter to the editor can encourage you to start your own association, and lower the bar for doing so!
The University of Ås has a long history of student associations, almost as old as the institution itself. Back in the 1860s, when the university was not yet seen as a university, “Elevforeningen ved den Høiere landbrugsskole paa Aas” was established. This humble organisation would grow into our dear giant of volunteer work, Studentsamfunnet i Ås. “Elevforeningen” was probably reserved for the few (around 30 people graduated each year) students studying at the agricultural college. When the number of students increased at the start of the next century and The Norwegian College of Agriculture was established, there was an increase in the number of associations. A few of the very first associations still exist today. Hankattforeningen st. 1902 is famous for being the oldest student association in Norway, and Trøndernes Fagforening and Skogbrukerforeningen were established 1 and 9 years later respectively. Other associations were responsible for happy memories for their members for a short period of time. One of Studentsamfunnet’s history books “Ås-studenter i hundre år” contains some examples of these: Stavanger Amts Patriotiske Selskap, Molokmenigheten or Knivstikkerforeningen. They have all contributed to give their members and fellow students the legendary “happy student life”.
The practicalities
But you are not here for a history lesson! You are here to establish Buskerudsforeningen Bukserusk – the association for everyone who knows their way around the county of Buskerud! What do you need to make this happen?
Here, you need to make a choice:
1. You can do it as easy as possible: Gather your friends, give the group a name et voilà! You have an association just like the many temporary associations that have passed through The Agrarian Metropole. Probably in the same category as “Molokmenigheten” was, and more recent examples include Ås Campingstol (rip) and Kongeklubbendeilig. This is mainly about having fun together, in your own way, with a wacky concept and a healthy dose of distinctive aesthetics. No responsibilities, but you are relying fully on your own resources.
2. Do you want to make something more long-lasting that needs more materials, or do you simply wish to get some financial support? Then there is no way around registering in Brønnøysundsregistrene. Brreg. is government agency responsible for, among other things, keeping track of all Norwegian establishments. They are all registered in Brreg, from the big firms like Equinor to the tiny ones like Egersund Speidergruppe (and most associations at NMBU), and they all have an organisation number from Brreg.
To register at Brreg, you need an article of association and a memorandum of organisation. To create these, you need an annual meeting. So book a room at Samfunnet (samfunnetiaas.no/rombooking) or on campus (nmbu.no/bestill-rom-pa-campus), gather the already mentioned group of friends and write an article of association. I beg your pardon? You don’t know what is needed in an article of association? Not to worry! Brreg. has an example for each of the needed documents. Please remember that the most important part is including the paragraphs mentioned by Brreg, the contents of them can be different. So tweak them as much as you want! The worst thing that can happen is that Brreg. sends them back to you with information about adjustments that must be made before the registration is valid, and you get your org. number two weeks later. They are usually quite lenient about this. Apart from writing the article of association, you need elect a board and a contact person. In associations with a board, this is usually the leader of the association.
When you have an organisation number, you can start applying for financial support! Nice! But before that, you need a bank account. Contact your favourite bank and tell them you want a business account. This usually takes some time, so contact them as quickly as possible! When that is done, you can start applying! The welfare funds from The Student Parliament are the most relevant, and open to all associations at NMBU. You can also apply for basic funding and starting support, but to be eligible, you need a code of conduct (there is a template at studentdemokratiet.no). You can also apply for funding for activities or meetings. The distribution of this starts right after New Year’s and the criteria for the application are quite specific and strict. The Student Board always organises a course in application writing before the deadline, so you can get some help writing an application that will be approved. There are other places out there where you can also apply for financial support, like Frifond and Sparebankstiftelsen. Do not be afraid to explore the internet for support schemes that fit your association.
While dealing with all the paperwork, do not forget the cool concept and aesthetics you have planned for the association. And above all, remember that an association survives by its members being friends having a good time together, that is the main goal of association life here in Ås.
Good luck starting your own association!
Radosław Dworak
