4
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION
FOR
VOLUNTEERS FOR DEVELOPMENT
ASSOCIATION IN UGANDA
(VODA Uganda)
PREAMBLE:
WHEREAS WE, the founder members of Volunteers for Development Association in Uganda, VODA Uganda, have agreed this day and time to join hands and form a basis for implementation of the objectives herein below mentioned:
AWARE of the urgency, need and potential within our selves as a team to contribute positively to the empowerment of the needy
DESIROUS to utilize fully, the advantage of the prevailing peace and tranquility in the region to engage in the massive conscientisation of people on viable economic activities:
DETERMINED to realize the hereafter set objectives under the organized team that shall have legal entity.
DO HEREBY RESOLVE TODAY, on behalf of all members hereto and hereinafter, to unite through the organization hereby constituted to which we pledge our ultimate dedication and spirit, working within the framework and tenets of the present.
Names / Postal Addresses and Occupations of subscribers / Signature of subscribersMR. LUMALA DAVID / CHAIRPERSON
P.O. BOX 14297 MENGO KAMPALA UGANDA
MS. DAMALLIE M. KIBIRIGE / TREASURER
P.O. BOX 5305 KAMPALA UGANDA
MS. NAKALEMA SARAH / MEMBER
MR. MUSOKE NOAH / SECRETARY
P.O. BOX 30692 NAKIVUBO KAMPALA UGANDA
Dated the ……………………. Day of ……..…………………… 2005
ARTICLE I: “THE ORGANIZATION”
a) A voluntary, non-governmental, not-for-profit, non-religious based organization: is hereby formed and styled, VOLUNTEERS FOR DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION IN UGANDA, (VODA Uganda), herein referred to as the organization.
b) The organization shall have its registered offices in Kampala District with powers to establish branches and/or liaison offices in any part of the Republic of Uganda.
c) English shall remain the language of communication, with any other native dialect as the working language.
ARTICLE II: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
1. To empower target communities at the grassroots with skills and knowledge to address their problems especially, AIDS, Poverty and other social barriers.
2. To facilitate the creation of an enabling environment for the holistic growth and development of orphans, vulnerable children, widows, People with AIDS, and the disadvantaged.
3. To mobilize the communities and the target groups towards self help initiatives for them to gain their dignity.
4. To initiate and develop educational, health and economic development projects where the target group actively participate in their design and successful implementation.
5. To mobilize material, financial and technical support in form of grants, gifts, and technical expertise within and outside Uganda for the advancement of the organizational programs and projects.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP, RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
Section I: Membership
a) The organization shall be made up of all those persons, who have agreed to promote and or foster the aims and objectives of the organization whether from within or without region(s) of operation in Uganda
b) The organization shall be constituted by three (3) main cadre of membership:
i. Ordinary membership: -
Shall be open to any Ugandan citizen, whether or not such a citizen is a resident in the organization’s area of operation but who undertakes to respect and or abide by the objectives of the organization.
ii. Associate membership:-
Shall compose of any kind of institution(s) and/or firm(s); international organization, professional organization, particularly interested and/or sympathetic to the objectives of the organization and are specifically desirous in participating in any of the said objectives either singly or jointly with the organization and have shown interest in operating in Uganda.
iii. Honorary membership: -
Shall be comprised of individuals, institutions or bodies corporate who by their own activities have shown themselves to be promoting the organization’s objectives and have so been acknowledged by the Executive Committee of this organization.
Section II: Rights and Obligations
Ordinary membership shall:
a) Participate fully in the proceedings and activities of the organization
b) Elect or be elected to an organ or committees of the organization.
c) To avail ones self to the organization’s facilitation as may be prescribed at the meetings of the organization as shall be held from time to time
d) To meet any such agreed subscriptions as may be prescribed by relevant body of the organization as shall be held from time to time
e) To abide by the letter and spirit of this constitution that shall be the supreme ‘law’ of the organization.
f) Be registered in the register of members of this organization.
Honorary members shall:
a) Participate in the proceedings and activities of the Annual General Meeting and shall have no voting rights.
b) Not be eligible for any organ or committee of the organization
c) Make use of the facilities of the organization as shall be agreed upon by the Executive Committee.
d) Meet their financial obligations to the organization as shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting from time to time.
e) Be nominated or selected as representatives in any of the under-taking of the organization.
f) Be registered in the register of members of this organization.
Section III: Withdrawal of Membership
a) The organization may by resolution of the General Assembly require a member to withdraw temporarily or permanently from the membership if the conduct of such a member damages the reputation of the organization and is deemed adverse to the smooth running and objectives of the organization.
b) Any organization which fails to meet its financial obligations one year after its due shall have its membership terminated and its name struck off the executive of the organization.
c) A member organization may resign upon giving two (2) month’s notice to the Executive Committee
d) Save as otherwise stated in this constitution all members whose membership is terminated shall have a right to appeal in the next annual general meeting.
ARTICLE IV: THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
a) The organization shall be run by Executive Committee, which shall comprise of the following officials: -
I. Chairperson
II. Vice Chairperson
III. Director (Secretary to the Committee)
IV. Treasurer
V. Other 3 VODA members
b) Functions and powers of the Executive Committee:
The Executive Committee shall: -
I. Be the policy-making body of the organization
II. Be responsible for the monthly running of the organization through regular meetings
III. Set up strategies for financing the organization
IV. Have powers to co-opt any person that may be needed for specific purposes
V. Have powers to call emergency meetings of all members.
VI. Be responsible for recruitment and dismissal of the Director and established staff.
VII. Determine sub-committee to be set up for specific purposes.
c) Chairperson: functions and powers:
It shall be the duty of the chairperson to: -
I. Preside over all meetings of the organization
II. Head the Executive Committee and shall be the leader of the organization
III. Be signatory to the organization’s books of accounts and operative signatory to the organization’s bank accounts.
IV. Be an ex-officio member of each and every sub-committee as shall from time be created by a legally binding organ of the organization.
d) Vice chairperson:
I. Deputize the chairperson, act and perform the functions of the Chairperson in the latter’s absence.
II. Perform all and/or any other such duties as may from time to time be delegated to him/her in conformity with the organization’s objective
e) Treasurer
It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to:-
I. Receive and keep monies belonging to the organization and thereafter ensure proper inventories are kept.
II. Present a full and fair financial statement to the Annual General Meeting or such any meeting convened specifically to deliberate financial issues.
III. Perform any such other transactions as will from time to time be delegated to him/her by any of the organs of the organization.
IV. Be a co-signatory to the organization’s bank account(s)
f) Director (Secretary to the Executive Committee)
The Director shall:-
I. Be chief executive of the organization
II. Implement the decisions of the Executive Committee
III. Receive all correspondence of the organization and offer an appropriate reply.
IV. Be co-signatory to all financial transactions of the organization.
V. Be the chief custodian of all properties and establishments of the organization.
VI. Carry out and/or receive all correspondence of the organization whether internally or with third parties and endorse the same.
VII. Keep appropriate minutes of every meeting of the organization as may be convened from time to time.
VIII. Draw and publish agenda for all meetings of the Executive Committee and annual general meetings.
IX. Keep up to date register of all members of the organization.
X. Carry out any other duties as may be assigned to his/her by the Executive Committee.
g) Specialized committee:
The Executive Committee shall institute specialized committees for technical purposes as it deems fit. This may be adhoc or standing in nature.
ARTICLE V: ELECTIONS
Section I: Executive Committee Elections
a) Save as otherwise provided in this constitution, all Executive Committee elections shall be carried out by the General Assembly.
b) Nomination shall be by one proposer and two seconders. Voting shall be by show of hands or any other method as may be decided by the majority at the General Assembly.
c) The tenure of office of the Executive Committee shall be for three years.
d) A member may be re-elected after her term of office has expired provided no members shall serve for more than three (3) consecutive terms on the Executive Committee.
Section II: Suspension and Dismissal of Board Members: -
I. The Executive Committee at any level shall have the power to suspend a member at any level provided the decision is approved by 2/3 majority of members present and voting.
II. The matter shall be put before the next immediate higher organ of the organization. If the higher organ votes in favor of the decision of the Executive Committee, the suspended member shall immediately resign her office and refusal to do so shall lead to dismissal.
III. The Executive Committee may call an extra-ordinary General Meeting to report on such suspended members, for consideration and ultimate decision.
Section III: Termination of Office
a) A member of the Executive Committee at any level wishing to resign shall tender his/her resignation in writing to the Executive Committee.
b) In the event of a member tendering his/her resignation, the Executive Committee shall sit and consider the circumstances and take an appropriate decision.
c) The Executive Committee at any level wishing to resign shall tender his/her resignation; the Executive Committee shall sit and consider the circumstances and take appropriate decision
d) In case of an occasion for the resignation of the whole executive at any level, the Chairperson shall collectively tender their resignation to an extra-ordinary General Meeting.
Section IV: Vote of No Confidence
Save as otherwise provided in this constitution:-
a) A motion of vote of no confidence in the Executive shall be signed by at least ½ of the total number of members
b) The movers of the motion shall give at least one month’s notice to the responsible organ of the organization.
c) The motion shall only be carried by the approval of 2/3 of members present and voting in which case the entire Executive Committee shall resign.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
Section I: General Assembly:
a) The General Assembly shall be held every (3) years.
b) An extra-ordinary General Meeting shall be convened on receipt of a petition signed by ½ of fully paid up members of the organization
c) Notice of all meetings of the General Assembly shall duly be signed, dated and members shall be given at least:-
I. One month’s notice for the General Assembly
II. The notice for the meeting shall contain the agenda for the organization, chairperson’s report and any other document.
Section II: Annual General Meetings (AGM)
1) Shall be held within the first four months of every calendar year, and shall be supreme policy making organ of the organization.
2) The business of this Meeting shall be to:-
I. Receive and deliberate on the Chairperson’s report of activities of the proceeding year and matters arising there from.
II. Consider and adopt minutes for the preceding year together with both the Treasurer and auditors report on the financial position of the year.
III. This meeting shall be called by the Secretary in close consultation with the Chairperson, after 21 days notice specifying such date, time and venue.
Section III: Extra Ordinary General Meeting:
May be convened at any time upon either requisition setting up the proposed agenda in the prescribed manner
Section IV: Executive Meeting:
1. Shall be called by the Chairperson, to deliberate on policy implementation agreed and adopted at the Annual General Meeting and General Assembly
2. This meeting shall have the power to constitute adhoc sub-committees to carry out specific duties and functions of beneficial interest to the organization.
Section V: Quorum
The quorum of all members of the organization should be at least 2/3 of the total expected members/delegates
ARTICLE VII: FINANCE:
Section I: Fundraising
The organization shall have powers to obtain, raise and receive its finance from:-
a) Membership fees and subscriptions as shall be determined from time to time by General Assembly.
b) Donations, grants and gifts from local and international sources
c) Publications, lottery and any other relevant avenues
d) Interests and profits accruing from property and investments of the organization
e) Borrowing from banking institutions, companies or any financial institution as may be agreed upon.
f) Any other means of fundraising approved by the Executive Committee.
Section II: Supervision of Funds
Save otherwise provided in this constitution:-
a) The Executive Committee shall appoint and report to the General Assembly the organization’s bankers.
b) The Treasurer shall receive and deposit all monies and cheques with the aforesaid bank and shall not keep more than shillings 100,000 for more than seven days without depositing it in the bank.
c) The Treasurer shall issue receipts in the name of the organization
d) Insurers of the organization shall be appointed by the Executive Committee