Constitution

ARTICLE I – NAME

Section 1: The name of the Association shall be the “New Amsterdam Technical Institute Alumni Association” herein after referred to as “The Association”.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The Association is established to support the students and staff of the New Amsterdam Technical Institute [hereinafter referred to as “the Institute”] located in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Guyana by:

Being a trusted source for alumni information;
Identifying and cultivating alumni projects;
Increasing alumni stewardship, participation, volunteerism and advocacy;
Improving teachers’ skills through scholarships or bursaries, thereby providing a better level of education to the students. Enabling qualified students to make a better contribution to the community through scholarships or bursaries to further their education at the university/college level;
Improving the teaching or administrative skills of the staff through seminars or workshops;
Providing financial support to promising students, identified by the Principal of the Institute, whose financial situation could cause them to drop out;
Providing funds for the repair and maintenance of the school and grounds, thereby enabling students to work in a clean and safe environment; and
Providing students with computers, books, laboratory and other supplies and equipment to enable them to have all the necessary resources for a good education.

Section 2: The Association shall be carried on without purpose of gain for its members. Any profits or other accretions to the Association shall be used solely to promote its objectives as defined in Section 1 of Article II.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: Membership in the Association is open to all alumni, former members of the academic and non-academic staff and friends of the Institute.

Section 2: Admission of alumni, former members of the academic and non-academic staff and friends of the Institute to membership of the Association shall be by payment of the annual membership fee at the time of admission.

Section 3: The membership categories of the Association are Full Member, Honorary Member, Associate Member and Ex-Officio Member. The rights and privileges of each membership category are as follows:

FULL MEMBER: All privileges of membership in the Association are available to alumni, academic, non-academic staff, including eligibility to cast one (1) vote at all meetings of members of the Association, to be a member of any committee of the Association and to hold office in the Association.

HONORARY MEMBER: Honorary membership may be conferred upon a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the Association. All privileges of membership in the Association are available including eligibility to cast one (1) vote at all meetings https://chiefessays.net/ of the members of the Association and to be a member of any committee of the Association. Honorary members shall not have the right to hold office or vote in the Association and shall be exempt from payment of membership fees.

ASSOCIATE MEMBER: Associate membership may be conferred on a friend of the Association with the approval of the Executive Committee. All privileges of membership in the Association are available including membership on any sub-committee.

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS: The principal and the presidents of New Amsterdam Technical Institute Alumni Association shall be ex-officio members of the Association and shall be exempt from the payment of dues, and shall not be eligible to vote at any meetings of the members of the Association or to hold office in the Association.

ARTICLE IV – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND OTHER COMMITTEES

Section 1: The Executive Committee shall consist of six officers: the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Assistant Secretary/Treasurer.

Section 2: The Executive Committee is the highest governing body of the Association. Its decisions whether rendered by ballot or in session, shall be the final governing decision of the Association and shall be binding on the Officers and the members, both active and inactive.

Section 3: The President or in the President’s absence the Vice-President shall preside over all meetings of the Executive Committee and shall be responsible for drafting the agenda of planned meetings.

Section 4: The term of office of a member of the Executive shall be two (2) years. Executive Officers shall not serve continuously for more than two terms in any one office.

Section 5: Four (4) members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.

Section 6: The Executive Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and its term shall expire at the next Annual General Meeting. Previous membership on the Executive Committee shall not preclude subsequent election whether in a similar capacity or not, except as outlined in Article IV, Section 3.

Section 7: The election may be by ballot or by “show of hands” as the Executive Committee shall decide.

Section 8: In the event of a vacancy on the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee shall appoint a member from among the Full Members to that office until a successor is elected at the next General Meeting.

Section 9: Subject to applicable laws, the Executive Committee shall be vested with full powers to oversee and approve the conduct of all day-to-day business of the Association.

Section 10: The Executive Committee shall hold regular meetings but in no event shall there be fewer than four (4) meetings each year. Notice of the meetings shall be communicated to each member of the Executive Committee at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting date.

Section 11: All decisions of the Executive Committee shall be by simple majority of those present and voting, except as specifically required by the Constitution. In the event of a tie, the president may cast the deciding vote.

Section 12: The President or his/her nominee being a member of the Executive Committee, shall execute any contract or deed required to be executed by or on behalf of the Association when it has been approved by the Executive Committee, provided that in the event that the President is incapacitated by illness or other cause, the First or Second Vice-President shall act in his or her place.

Section 13: All cheques and bank drafts, etc. shall be co-signed by the Treasurer and either the President or the Secretary. In the event of the illness or other incapacity of the Treasurer, the President or the Secretary shall sign in his/her place. No person may sign a cheque or draft made out to them.

Section 14: Any member of the Executive Committee may be removed from office for cause by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of members voting at any regular meeting. However, in no case, shall a member of the Executive Committee be removed from office without first having been given the opportunity to be heard. Any member so removed shall have the right to appeal the decision at an Extraordinary General Meeting which by two-thirds (2/3) majority shall have the power to vary or rescind the decision of the Executive Committee.

Section 15: Special Committees shall be established by the Executive Committee for carrying out the objectives of the Association. The Committees shall include at least one member of the Executive Committee and shall submit a report at each meeting of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V – POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1: The Executive Committee shall be empowered to make rules for the running of the Association and shall set the level of membership subscriptions, provided that such measures are subsequently ratified by the membership through a simple majority vote either at a General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting.

Section 2: The Executive Committee shall appoint such standing and ad-hoc committees, as may be required from time to time comprising Full Members and Associate members.

Section 3: The Executive Committee shall devise strategies and execute such projects or programs in consultation or collaboration with other interested parties as would advance the education and welfare of the students of the Institute and are consistent with the purposes of the Association.

Section 4: The Executive Committee shall plan, organize and direct such activities as are consistent with the purposes of the Association.

Section 5: The Executive Committee may review the conduct of any member of the Association to determine whether their behavior is injurious to the interests or reputation of the Association. Where a majority of the Executive Committee believes that such conduct could injure the Associations’ interests or reputation, they may revoke that person’s membership.

Section 6: The Executive Committee shall seek to have the Association officially recognized as a charity in accordance with existing applicable legislation. They may initiate, constitute and administer a fund whose monies are to be held in trust for the Association.

Section 7: The Executive Committee shall be responsible for interpreting the Constitution and any Bylaws and such interpretation shall govern the Association in the conduct of its business and affairs.

Section 8: The Executive Committee may also manage the affairs of the Association in areas not specifically mentioned or defined above as long as they are not repugnant to the purposes of the Association, as defined in Article II.

ARTICLE VI – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Section 1: The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the month of September each year.

Section 2: Notice of the Annual General meeting shall be sent to members at least fourteen (14) calendar days before the meeting.

Section 3: A quorum of the Annual General Meeting shall not be less than ten (10) members in good standing or one-third of the members in good standing. In the event of a tie vote at any meeting of the members, the president shall cast the deciding vote.

Section 4: All Full and Associate members in good standing may vote on any issue where a vote is required either in person or by proxy duly authorized in writing.

Section 5: No member of the Association not in good standing shall be entitled to vote or to be elected to the Executive Committee.

Section 6: The Annual General Meeting shall be presided over by the President or in his/her absence, by the First or Second Vice-President.

Section 7: The business of the Annual General Meeting shall include but shall not be limited to:

a. Adoption of the Minutes of the previous General Meeting and any intervening Extraordinary General Meetings;

Receiving reports of activities;
Appointment of an auditor who shall not be a member of the Association;
Adoption of the Statements of Accounts of the Association and report thereon submitted by the Association’s auditor;
Election of officers;
Consideration of “notices of motion”; motions must reach the Secretary twenty- four (24) hours before the time appointed for the meeting.

Section 8: Where at a Meeting intended to be a General Meeting of any type, the prescribed number of members required to form a quorum is not present, the meeting shall be adjourned and reconvened within fourteen (14) days at a time and place to be communicated to the membership by the Secretary.

Section 9: Notice of the revised date, location and time shall be sent to members at least five (5) clear days before the adjourned meeting. At this time the business and agenda shall be transacted not-withstanding the failure to assemble the stipulated quorum.

ARTICLE VII – EXTRAORDINARY MEETING

Section 1: By decision of the Executive Committee or upon receipt of a written request, which shall state the purpose (s) for which the request is made, signed by at least twelve members, the Secretary shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting

Section 2: The rules governing the issuance of notices of an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be as in Article VI, Section 2, except that the period of notice shall be forty-eight (48)hours.

The Secretary must convene an Extraordinary General Meeting within ten (10) days of receipt of a valid request for the same, but is under no obligation to summon an Extraordinary General Meeting if a General Meeting is scheduled to take place within 10 days of the time the request is received.

Section 3: A quorum at an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be the same as for an Annual General Meeting.

Section 4: No business other than that for which the Extraordinary General Meeting has been called shall be transacted at that meeting.

ARTICLE VIII – MEMBERSHIP DUES

Section 1: The annual dues to be paid by each member shall be as determined from time to time by the Executive Committee, then approved by the members at a general membership meeting.

Section 2: Annual dues shall be paid by all members in advance, on or before the 1^st day of January of each year. A new member admitted to the Association between January 1 and June 30 of any fiscal year shall pay the full amount of the annual dues for such year. A new member admitted to the Association after July 1 of any year, shall be for the period up to and including December 31, pay a prorated amount of the annual dues for such year plus the full amount of the annual dues for the following year.

Section 3: The failure by a member to pay dues within sixty (60) days of the date that such monies are due shall be sufficient cause for the Executive Committee to declare that the member is not in good standing.

ARTICLE IX – FUNDS

Section 1: All funds received by the Association shall be kept in a bank or other financial institution.

Section 2: The Treasurer shall maintain complete and accurate detailed records of the financial activity of the Association.

Section 3: A certified accountant who is not a member of the Association shall examine the accounts of the Association annually.

ARTICLE X – PROTECTION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Section 1: No Executive Committee Member of the Association shall be liable for the acts, receipts, neglects or defaults of any other Executive Committee Member or for the joining in any receipt or other act for conformity or for any loss, damage or expense happening to the Association through the insufficiency or deficiency of any security in, or upon which any of the monies of the Association shall be invested or for any loss or damage arising from the bankruptcy, insolvency or tortious act of any person with whom any of the monies securities or effects example of compare and contrast essay of the Association shall be deposited or for any loss, damage or misfortune which shall happen in the execution of the duties of his/her office or in relation thereto unless the same are occasioned by his/her own fault, willful neglect or default, provided that nothing herein shall relieve any Executive Member of any liability imposed upon him by law.

Section 2: To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Association shall indemnify and save harmless every Executive Member of the Association who acts or has acted at the Association’s request as an executive member of a body corporate of which this Association is or was a creditor and their respective heirs and legal representations against all costs, charges and expenses including any amount paid to settle an action to satisfy a judgment reasonably incurred by him/her in respect of any civil, criminal or administrative action or proceeding to which he/she is made a party by reason of being or having been an executive member of such body corporate.

ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS

Section 1: This Constitution may be amended only at an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting specifically called for that purpose. Amendments may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by members of the Association.

Section 2: An amendment shall be deemed to be carried at which a quorum is present by affirmative vote of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members present in person and voting, provided that the Executive Committee has previously considered the merits of the amendments.

Section 3: No amendment shall be put to the vote unless written notice thereof stating the proposed amendment sent to each member of the Association, thirty (30) days prior to the meeting at which the vote of the proposed amendment is to be taken.

ARTICLE XII – PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICES

Section 1: Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Constitution, all questions of order or procedure with respect to any meeting or action of this Association, its Executive Committee or any Committee appointed shall be determined in accordance with “Robert’s Rules of Orders” as revised from time to time.

ARTICLE XIII – PROHIBITION OF ACTIVITIES

Section 1: The Association is prohibited from engaging in any activity designed to influence or assist in the election to public office of any person and is also prohibited from supporting the campaigns or other political activities of any person or group.

ARTICLE XIV – BY-LAWS

Section 1: The Association has the power to make and adopt by-laws to achieve the purposes outlined in Article II – Purpose, including but not limited to the levying of membership dues and establishing the dues, powers and responsibilities of the members. This power is vested in the executives.

ARTICLE XV – DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

Section 1: The Association may be dissolved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of members in good standing.

Section 2: Upon dissolution of the Association, all the indebtedness shall be paid from the assets and funds of the Association and the remaining assets of the Association shall be transferred to a charitable institution with similar purposes as selected by the majority of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE XVI – TERMS USED

Section 1: Feminine or neuter pronouns shall be substituted for those of masculine form and the plural shall be substituted for the singular number in any place wherein the context may require such substitution or substitutions.

ARTICLE XVII – EFFECTIVE DATE

Section 1: This constitution shall come into force and take effect in accordance with applicable law. All Executive Committee members shall continue to act as if elected or appointed under the above provisions.

ARTICLE XIII – PRINCIPAL OFFICE OF THE ASSOCIATION

The Principal Office of the Association is:

21 Olivia Marie Road

Brampton, Ontario

Canada L6Y 0M5

APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON April 18, 2016

Louis Adams Kenneth Quintyn

President Vice-President

Richard Pearson Joy Gordon-Adams

Treasurer Secretary

Revised: March 12, 2016

Approved: April 18, 2016

Chairman: Richard Pearson

Constitution Committee: Louis Adams, Randolph Kelman, Joy Gordon-Adams