Women's Association of Memorial University of Newfoundland

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Constitution (27 April, 2013)

Women’s Association of Memorial University of Newfoundland

Article I – Name and Purposes of the Association

  1. The name of the Association shall be the Women’s Association of Memorial University of Newfoundland.
  2. The purposes of the Association shall be:
    1. To welcome all women associated with the University family, and to assist them to participate in University and community life.
    2. To provide social and cultural activities for the members of the Association.
    3. To raise funds for scholarships and awards for academic achievement.

Article II – Membership

            Membership shall be open to any woman who supports the aims of the Association.

Article III – Meetings

  1. Meetings
    1. There shall be a minimum of two general meetings called at the discretion of the Executive.
    2. The quorum for meetings, including the Annual General Meeting, shall be eighteen members.
    3. The election of officers shall take place at the AGM, which shall be held by the end of each academic year.
    4. Executive meetings shall be held regularly at the call of the President.

Article IV – Fees

There shall be an annual membership fee for members payable in such an amount as the Executive may from time to time deem necessary.

Article V – Executive Officers and Duties

  1. The Executive Officers of the Association shall be:

Immediate Past President

President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Social Convenors (2)
Membership Chair
Newsletter Editor

 2,  The duties of the Executive Officers shall be:

Immediate Past President – Advisory

President – The President shall preside over all meetings and shall, together with the Executive and the Chairs of the Standing Committees, oversee and coordinate all activities of the Association. She shall be a member, ex-offico, of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

Vice-President – The Vice-President shall assist the President, shall assume the duties of the President in her absence and shall consider becoming President the following year.

Secretary – The Secretary shall record the proceedings of all general and executive meetings and the AGM and shall look after all necessary correspondence.

Treasurer – The Treasurer shall maintain all financial records.  She shall present a preliminary financial report at the AGM.  The Treasurer shall arrange for the report to be approved by a competent external individual and to be published in the Fall Newsletter.  A motion shall be made for the adoption of the approved report at the Fall Reception.  The fiscal year of the Association shall be May 1st to April 30th.

Social Convenors – The Social Convenors shall make the necessary arrangements for any social events.

Membership Chair – The Membership Chair shall be responsible for membership renewal and recruitment and shall organize the membership list and arrange for its distribution to members.  She shall also liaise with the Interest Group Convenors.

Newsletter Editor – The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for compiling and distributing at least two newsletters per year.

Article VI – Powers of the Executive Committee

1.  The Executive Committee is charged with the responsibility of supervising the activities of the Association.

2.  The Executive Committee is authorized to approve payment of all internal operating expenses of the Association.

3.  The Executive Committee shall recommend the expenditure of Association funds for purposes other than internal operating expenses.  Such expenditure must be authorized by a majority vote at a general meeting.

Article VII – Term of Office and Election of Executive Officers

1.  Term of Executive Offices

a.  The Executive Officers shall assume office following the election at the AGM.

b.  Should a vacancy occur, the remaining Executive shall appoint a member to complete the term.

c.  No elected officer shall hold the same office for more than two consecutive years unless agreed to by a majority vote of members at the AGM.

 2.  Election

The election of the Executive Officers shall be conducted by a Past President of the Association.

Article VIII – Nominating Committee

1.  The Executive shall appoint a Convenor of the Nominating Committee and two other members.  All three committee members must be members of the Association.

2.  The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of officers for presentation at the AGM as contained in Article V, Section 1.

3.  Nominations shall be accepted from the floor with the consent of the nominee.

Article IX – Standing Committees, Other Offices and Interest Groups

1.  The Chair of the Scholarship shall be chosen by the Executive immediately following the AGM. A Scholarship Committee shall be established as a Standing Committee of the Executive.  The Committee shall consist of a Chair and at least two other members to a maximum of six members, one of whom shall be the Treasurer of the Association.  The term of office of the Chair shall be two consecutive years unless an extension is agreed to by the Executive.  The Chair will continue to serve as a regular member on the Committee for one (1) year following completion of her term of office as Chair.  The Committee shall meet at least twice a year.  The duties of the Scholarship Committee shall be to consult with the University, to publicize the scholarships, to review the scholarship program regularly, to report regularly to the Executive, to report annually to the members of the Association on the financial status of the scholarship fund, and to make annual recommendations on the scholarship program.

2.  The Archives of the Association shall be maintained by an Archivist and by at least one other member.  The Archivist shall be approved by the Executive.  She shall prepare an annual report.

3.  The Webmaster of the Association shall be approved by the Executive.  The duties of the Webmaster of the Association shall be to maintain the web page of the Association.

4.  Various Interest Groups may operate within the Association.  Each Interest Group Convenor shall prepare an annual report.  Additional Interest Groups may be formed depending on members’ interests.

5.  The Executive has the power to appoint other committees as required.

Article X – Amendment

This constitution may be amended at any AGM of the Association by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present, provided that the amendments have been circulated in writing one month prior to the AGM.

 

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Last updated: 2013-09-06 | dbr