African Heritage Association of Vancouver Island Constitution & Bylaws

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I NAME

The name of the association is African Heritage Association of Vancouver Island hereinafter refer to as the Association.

ARTICLE II PURPOSE

To build a united and strong community by cooperatively organizing and supporting events and activities to meet the needs of Africans, people of African descent, and friends of Africa on Vancouver Island.

The objectives of African Heritage Association of Vancouver Island are to:

a) Foster a sense of community among Africans, people of African descent, and friends of Africa on Vancouver Island. b) Promote the provision of the best possible services for Africans, people of African descent, and friends of Africa on Vancouver Island. c) Promote the cultural development of its Members and African awareness on Vancouver Island. d) Facilitate communication among its Members and between its Members and organizations and other communities on Vancouver Island. e) Promote the interests of its Members.

BYLAWS

ARTICLE I MEMBERSHIP

1. The term “Member” in Association’s Constitution and Bylaws shall refer to Members who have satisfied the requirements for Membership in the Association.
2. There shall be three categories for Membership in the Association: a) Regular Member: All Africans, people of African descent, and friends of Africa who register as a Member, pay annual Membership dues, and live on Vancouver Island. b) Associate Member: All Africans, people of African descent, and friends of Africa who register as a Member, pay annual Membership dues, and live off of Vancouver Island. c) Honorary Member: Honorary Membership is awarded to someone who has made significant contributions to Association. An Honorary Membership is awarded by the passing of a Special Resolution. An Honorary Member is unable to vote or hold Office.

ARTICLE II RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERS

The responsibilities of the Members of the Association shall include:

1. Adhering to Association’s policies established by the passing of a resolution(s) at a meeting.
2. Observing the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association.
3. Maintaining confidentiality in accordance with specific processes and matters related to the Association business.
4. No misappropriation or misuse of Association monies.
5. Respecting diversity and considering other’s feelings and keeping personal issues from Association business thus creating a warm and safe environment for all.
6. Accomplishing the tasks one has volunteered or has been assigned to do.
7. Taking an active and positive role in Association.
8. Building bridges between others Members in the community.
9. Promoting the Association and its interest to the Vancouver Island community.

ARTICLE III DISCIPLINE OF MEMBERS

1. The Association shall have the right to discipline any Member found to be in violation of the Article II - Responsibilities of Members. The Executive Council, in consultation with the Governing Council, shall determine the level of discipline and may impose measures that may include “Reprimand and Restitution”.
2. Before any disciplinary action is taken there shall be a hearing before the Executive Council and Governing Council in which the accused Member may make a presentation, hear testimony against her/him, and question witnesses.
3. The Member accused of a violation shall be notified in writing two weeks before a hearing is to take place.
4. The decision of the Executive Council may be appealed by the accused Member to an Appeal Committee which shall consist of two Members chosen by the accused, two Members chosen by the Executive Council, and a fifth Member chosen by the four Members who shall act as Chair of the Appeal Committee. The findings of the Appeal Committee shall be binding on all parties.
5. Motion involving disciplinary action must pass by a vote of two-thirds or more majority of registered Members voting in a General Meeting.

ARTICLE IV TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

A Member shall cease to be a Member of the Association when one of the following conditions occurs: a) Member ceases to qualify under Article I – Membership. b) Member gives notice of termination of Membership in writing to the Association. c) Resolution passed by Membership at a Meeting.

ARTICLE V MEMBERSHIP DUES

1. Regular and Associate Members of the Association shall pay dues of not less than five dollar per year, the actual amount to be determined from time to time by a Special Resolution.
2. Membership dues are non-refundable.
3. Honorary Members shall be exempted from dues.

ARTICLE VI EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

The affairs of the Association shall be managed by an Executive Council, in consultation with the Governing Board, composed of four elected Members, as follows: a) President b) Vice-President c) Secretary d) Treasurer

ARTICLE VII DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

It shall be the duty of the Executive Council to:

1. Implement the decisions made at Regular and Annual General Meetings of the Association.
2. Conduct the business of the Association between meetings.
3. Investigate and report on matters of interest to the Association.
4. Appoint ad-hoc committees and representatives as required from among the Members to study important matters and prepare reports for the Association.
5. Present budgets for approval at the first Regular General Meeting of the fiscal year.
6. Publish a schedule of Regular General Meetings within the first month of the fiscal year.
7. B responsible for their conduct to the Membership.
8. Ensure a smooth transition of information and duties to the incoming Executive Council.

ARTICLE VIII DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

1. It shall be the duty of the President to: a) Call and chair meetings of the Association and of the Executive Council. b) Be an ex-officio Member of all Association committees. c) Cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie at any meeting that he/she is chairing. d) Represent and act on behalf of Association in the Vancouver Island community. e) Carry out the daily business of Association.

2. It shall be the duty of the Vice-President to: a) Assist the President in all Association matters. b) Assume all duties of the President during the absence of the President. c) Assume all duties of the Secretary during the absence of the Secretary at a Meeting.

3. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to: a) Maintain the records, documents, and correspondence of the Association. b) Custodian of the files, records, and documents of the Association. c) Record, document, and distribute all minutes of Meetings. d) Handle all correspondence as directed by the President or the Executive. e) Work with the Treasurer to maintain a current and up-to-date register of Members. f) Ensure that the Association is in good standing and information is up-to-date and accurate with the Registrar of Societies for the Province of British Columbia.

4. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to: a) Receive all monies paid to the Association and deposit it in such banking institutions as the Executive Council shall direct. b) Ensure signing privileges at such banking institutions are accurate and up-to-date. c) Pay all bills authorized by the Executive Council. d) Work with the Secretary to maintain a current and up-to-date register of Members. e) Be a Member of the Finance Committee. f) Maintain an accurate and up-to-date accounting of all monies handled by the Association. g) Custodian of all financial records and books of Association. h) Ensure security and privacy of all financial information of the Association and its Members.

ARTICLE IX GOVERNING BOARD

1. The Governing Board’s main function is to provide input to facilitate the work of the Executive Council.
2. The Governing Board is to be composed of two elders (one woman and one man) from the African community of Vancouver Island determined by the passing of a Resolution at the Annual General Meeting, and one representative from each Standing Committee of the Association.
3. Each Standing Committee will decide on their representative and inform the Executive Council of their decision.

ARTICLE X COMMITTEES

1. There shall be two categories of Committees: a) a) Standing b) b) Ad-hoc
2. A Committee can be formed and dissolved by the passing of a Resolution at a Meeting.
3. Any proposal or plan of a Committee must be approved by the passing of a Resolution at Meeting before budgeted monetary funds from the Association are received.
4. Each Committee is to prepare a budget for any monies to be received from Association for proposals or plans.
5. Each Standing Committee will vote on and send a representative to the Governing Council.

ARTICLE XI STANDING COMMITTEES

There shall be seven standing committees:

1. Events & Activities

2. Youth

3. Family

4. Finance & Fundraising

5. Education & Recruiting

6. Employment

7. Communications & Media

8. It shall be the duty of the Events & Activities Committee to: a) Propose and plan events and activities that meet the needs of the Association as a whole. b) Submit events/activities proposals and plans to the Executive Council for feedback. c) Submit copies of events/activities proposals and plans that have been vetted by the Executive Council to the general Membership through email for feedback. d) Organize or support events and activities approved by Association.

9. It shall be the duty of the Youth Committee to: a) Propose and plan youth oriented events and activities for the youth of the Association. b) Submit events/activities proposals and plans to the Executive Council for feedback. c) Submit copies of events/activities proposals and plans that have been vetted by the Executive Council to the general Membership through email for feedback. d) Organize or support youth events and activities approved by Association.

10. It shall be the duty of the Family Committee to: a) Propose and plan family oriented events and activities to meet the marriage and parenting needs of Members of the Association. b) Submit events/activities proposals and plans to the Executive Council for feedback. c) Submit copies of events/activities proposals and plans that have been vetted by the Executive Council to the general Membership through email for feedback. d) Organize or support family events and activities approved by the Association.

11. It shall be the duty of the Finance & Fundraising Committee to: a) Prepare financial statements for all regular meetings of the Association as well as an annual report for the Annual General Meeting. b) Ensure that all monies of the Association are accounted and documented for. c) Coordinate and prepare the annual budget. d) Work with committees to assist with preparation of their budgets. e) Explore and propose new avenues for raising funds for the Association. f) Ensure that financial records are audited annually.

12. It shall be the duty of the Education & Recruiting Committee to: a) Propose and plan celebration of student achievements, educational mentorship, tutorial services, and Membership recruitment programs for the Association. b) Submit program proposals and plans to the Executive Council for feedback. c) Submit copies of program proposals and plans that have been vetted by the Executive Council to the general Membership through email for feedback. d) Organize or support programs approved by the Association.

13. It shall be the duty of the Employment Committee to: a) Propose and plan employment oriented programs that facilitate access to employment related resources for Members of the Association looking for work. b) Submit program proposals and plans to the Executive Council for feedback. c) Submit copies of program proposals and plans that have been vetted by the Executive Council to the general Membership through email for feedback. d) Organize or support employment oriented programs approved by the Association.

14. It shall be the duty of Communications & Media Committee to: a) Propose and plan the website, advertisements, announcements, and media releases of the Association. b) Submit communication and media proposals and plans to the Executive Council for feedback. c) Submit copies of communication and media proposals and plans that have been vetted by the Executive Council to the general Membership through email for feedback. d) Organize or support communication and media programs approved by the Association.

ARTICLE XII ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

1. All Executive Office positions shall become vacant and open at the end of their term.
2. Election of Executive Officers shall take place at the Annual General Meeting.
3. All terms of office shall be for two years commencing July 1st following the Annual General Meeting.
4. Current Executive Officers can be re-nominated for current positions.
5. An ad-hoc Nominations Committee of three to be appointed by the Executive Council three months before the Annual General Meeting. Nomination Committee shall call for written nominations for each position on the Executive Council. A list of nominations shall be circulated to the Membership at least one week prior to the Annual General Meeting. Further nominations may come from the floor.
6. The Nomination Committee will determine from the Membership the Chair for the Election Process and two Counters for the ballots. The Chair for the Election Process and the Counters can not be a nominated Member.
7. A nominated person must be a Member of the Association in good standing.
8. A nominated person must approve of their nomination.
9. A nominated person must be present at the Meeting unless apologies are sent in writing to the Nominations Committee.
10. Election shall be by secret ballot for all Executive Council positions.
11. Absentee or proxy votes shall not be permitted.
12. Candidates must receive a majority of votes cast to be elected. If no candidate receives a majority vote on the first ballot the candidate with the least votes shall be dropped from the next ballot, and so on, until one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast.

ARTICLE XIII VACANCIES ON THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

1. If at any time the office of the President shall become vacant: a) The Vice President shall become President of Association until the next Annual General Meeting. b) Should the Vice President not be able to assume the position of President, the Executive shall appoint a Regular Member of Association as Acting President the next Annual General Meeting. c) Any such appointment shall be subject to ratification by the Membership at the next Regular Meeting. d) An election for a new President shall occur at the next Annual General Meeting.

2. If a position on the Executive Council, other than that of the President, shall become vacant: a) The Executive Council shall appoint a Regular Member of the Association to serve until the next Annual General Meeting. b) An appointment under Section 1 (b) or 2 (a), above, must be made within thirty days from the time the position becomes vacant. c) Any such appointment shall be subject to ratification by the Membership at the next Regular Meeting.

ARTICLE XIV REMOVAL OF OFFICERS

The Association’s Membership or Governing Council may remove an Officer by Special Resolution.

ARTICLE XV FINANCES

1. The signing Officers shall be the President and Treasurer together, or, the Vice-President or Treasurer.
2. Once an Officer’s is finished with their Office signing privileges are to be revoked.
3. The Association shall have no power to borrow money.
4. The accounts of the Association shall be audited annually by such persons as are appointed by the Membership at the Annual General Meeting.
5. Members may inspect the financial records and books of the Association at any time convenient both to the Members and to those Members of the Executive Council responsible for keeping them. Such a time must be arranged within fourteen days of the request being made. Any member of the public who is not a Member of the Association can view the books for a $10 fee. Photocopies of the financial records are available to Members for a fee of $0.25 a page upon written request to the Treasurer or Finance Committee.
6. The fiscal year of the Association shall be from July 1 to June 30.
7. A provisional, balanced budget of anticipated revenues and proposed expenditures for the fiscal year will be presented for approval by the Standing Committee responsible for Finance at the Annual General Meeting.
8. Any revisions to the provisional budget shall be presented to the Membership for approval at the first Regular General Meeting of the fiscal year, which shall be held in September of each year.
9. Budgeted funds shall not be used for any purpose other than that specified in the approved budget unless approved by Special Resolution.

ARTICLE XVI MEETINGS

1. Notice of Meetings a) Notice and proposed agenda of all meetings shall be circulated at least five full working days prior to the meeting in such a manner as to ensure all Members have access to the notice. b) A meeting shall be valid notwithstanding the fact that one or more Members fails to receive notice of the meeting, provided that such notice was posted and/or distributed in such a fashion that the Member would normally have seen and/or received such notice. c) Minutes of the Meeting shall be sent out to the Members within two weeks after the Meeting.

2. Annual General Meeting a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held in June of each year. b) At least two weeks written notice shall be given of the Annual General Meeting by the Secretary to the Membership.

3. Regular General Meeting a) The Executive Council shall schedule at least two Regular General Meetings.

4. Special Meeting a) A Special Meeting on matters requiring the immediate attention of Members of the Association may be called by the Executive Council or by not less than fifteen percent of the Membership. b) No additions to the agenda of a Special Meeting shall be allowed.