Article 1. Association name and status.
1.1. The full name of the association is Association for the Study of Esotericism and Mysticism.
1.2. Abbreviated name: ASEM.
1.3. ASEM is a nonprofit international scholarly organization which should unite researchers and scholars who are engaged in study in the academic study of esotericism and mysticism.
1.4. ASEM shall unite in the first place scholars who work on the territory of the former Soviet Union. The official international languages for communication are Russian and English.
1.5. ASEM does not affiliate with any esoteric teaching and does not participate in the practical activities of esoteric communities.

Article 2. Objective and tasks.
2.1. The objective of ASEM is a scholarly and theoretical study of the various phenomena of esotericism and mysticism, which have been forming in all world regions, throughout their historic development and up until present day.
2.2. ASEM tasks are as follows:
2.2.1. the organization of conferences and other scholarly and research events;
2.2.2. development of scholarly contacts with other organizations with similar aims;
2.2.3. accumulation of scholarly experience and its exchange between scholars;
2.2.4. publication of various scholarly materials dedicated to mystical and esoteric topics under ASEM aegis;
2.2.5. participation in expert activities in connection with current or historic problems of esotericism and mysticism;
2.2.6. participation in cultural programs that offer an impartial study and an adequate demonstration of various mystical and esoteric traditions;
2.2.7. support of scholars who study these topics.

Article 3. ASEM membership.
3.1. ASEM is a convention of full and associated members.
3.2. Full members of the ASEM may be persons who are engaged in appropriate scholarly study in educational or research institutions, who have scholarly publications of the topic in Russian and/or in English[1], or the most deserving individuals from outside academia, who have great scholarly merit, are well-connected internationally, and are exceptionally experienced in scholarly research in this field.
3.3. All other researchers of esotericism may become associated members, including beginners – students and graduate students.
3.4. Both individuals and groups may be full and associated ASEM members.
3.5. The assignment of a candidate into either full or associated membership, as well as his or her transfer from one category to another, is carried out by the ASEM Board.
3.6. All ASEM members must pay yearly dues, the size, time, and mechanism of payment are all decided by the Board.
3.7. If a candidate becomes an ASEM member in the first half of the calendar year, he pays the full sum of the yearly due. If he becomes an ASEM member in the second half year, he pays half of the yearly due. The yearly dues are paid by each member separately.
3.8. The application request to become an ASEM member is submitted through E-mail to the ASEM Board. The application must include: the full name of the applicant, his birth date, scholastic degree and academic title (if applicable), residential address, place of work and\or study (if applicable), contact phone and E-mail. Also, the application must list the main scholarly publications on according topics. If the applicant is accepted into ASEM, this information is updated once per year.
3.9. The Board reviews the application and informs the applicant of its decision within the space of 1 month after the application is received. The applicant becomes an ASEM member right after being informed of the fact by the ASEM Board and paying the yearly dues.
3.10. Membership in ASEM may be terminated in the following circumstances:
3.10.1. death of the member;
3.10.2. a written resignation stating the desire to withdraw from ASEM, sent by e-mail to the ASEM Board. The resignation is reviewed in a set amount of time (1 month), and is immediately fulfilled;
3.10.3. with the end of the membership term in connection with payment of the yearly dues; however, when dues are paid for the next accounting period, ASEM membership is automatically resumed;
3.10.4. expulsion. The Board has the right to expel an ASEM member from the organization should he neglect ASEM rules, including payment of dues, threaten ASEM in any way, compromise ASEM by his behavior, or be in a state of conflict with the law. The Board notifies such a member of its decision, which comes into effect immediately.
3.11. Former ASEM members may not demand any kind of compensation for dues paid in the past or for any voluntary donations they may have made.

Article 4. ASEM Board.
4.1. The Board is the executive and coordinating ASEM body.
4.2. The Board decides upon the main vectors of ASEM activity; organizes scientific events; publishes texts and electronic ASEM materials; manages ASEM property; regulates the acceptance or expulsion of ASEM members and maintains correspondence with them; contacts other organizations and private persons in the name of ASEM.
4.3. Only full ASEM members may become members of the Board.
4.4. The Board is elected by a vote of full ASEM members by an electronic correspondence vote from proposed lists once in 3 years. The lists, in turn, are composed from suggestions given by full ASEM members 3 months before the vote. The Board is elected by a simple majority vote.
4.5. Should a Board member leave the Board for any reason, the remaining members of the Board may invite a full ASEM member to serve on the Board during the remaining period before the new Board is elected.
4.6. All decisions of the Board are made on a collective basis.
4.7. All members of the Board may make definite statements on behalf of ASEM.
4.8. The Board currently numbers four members. The number of Board members and the division of responsibilities between them is decided upon by the acting members of the Board during the current accounting period. If necessary, the number of Board members may be changed.
4.9. The Board is led by the Chairman, who speaks on behalf of the Board and all of ASEM in various organizational and representative questions.
4.10. The immediate aide to the Chairman is the Vice-Chairman, who replaces the former in necessity.
4.11. The third representative of the Board coordinates ASEM contacts with other structures.
4.12. The fourth representative of the Board, the Treasurer, controls the income of dues and voluntary donations, which cover the organizational expenses for current ASEM activities and events.
4.13. All record management, including correspondence on behalf of the Board, is done by the ASEM secretary, appointed by the Board from among ASEM members.

Article 5. Miscellanea.
5.1. Modifications into these Articles may be made every year at the end of the calendar year, with the approval of ASEM members. The effective version of the Charter is the one published on the ASEM website currently.
5.2. ASEM has the right to voluntary dissolution, on which a special decree must be issued. The decision to dissolve the organization voluntarily is made through a vote that the ASEM Board takes from the ASEM members over the course of one month. The vote is decided by a simple majority.
5.3. The ASEM founders are independent scholars from Russia (S.V. Pakhomov, V.V. Zhdanov) and Ukraine (Y.Y. Zavhorodniy, S.V. Kapranov).
5.4. ASEM was officially founded on December 5, 2009, in the city of Vladimir (Russia).

[1] As representatives of both Russia and Ukraine are ASEM cofounders, in exceptional cases, specially reviewed by the ASEM Board, it is possible to become a full ASEM member with publications exclusively in Ukrainian.