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Constitution of Sri Lankan Association @ MSU

 CONSTITUTION OF THE SRI LANKAN ASSOCIATION OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

ARTICLE I Section A. Name and address of the Association:

 

  1. The name of the association shall be "the Sri Lankan Association of Mississippi State University, hereafter referred to as the "Association".

  2. The permanent address of the association shall be: Sri Lankan Association, P. O. Box 3263, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762.

  

ARTICLE II

Section A. Aims and Objectives:

The association is a non-profit, non-political, social organization having the following objectives:

  1. To bring together Sri Lankan nationals and persons of Sri Lankan origin; to provide them with a forum for discussion, and to promote their interests.

  2. To create a better understanding between Sri Lanka and the USA.

  3. To promote awareness and interest of Sri Lankan culture.

  4. To help Sri Lankan students and nationals as appropriate.

 

ARTICLE III Section A. Affiliation

  1. The Association shall be affiliated as a student, faculty, and staff organization of Mississippi State University.

  2. The association shall abide by the rules and regulations of Mississippi State University, and the constitution of the Association.

 

 ARTICLE IV

Membership

Section A. Membership Categories

  1. Membership in the Association shall be governed by the rules and regulations specified for the staff and student associations at Mississippi State University.

  2. Full members: Faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students at Mississippi State University. All dues-paid full members shall have voting rights.

  3. Associate members: All persons not eligible to become members under Article IV, Section A, (2), who are in agreement with the aims and objectives of the Association shall be eligible for associate membership. Associate members shall not have voting rights.

 

Section B. Qualification for Membership

 

  1. All persons under Article IV, section A, (2 and 3) shall submit the membership request form to the executive committee.

  

ARTICLE V

Section A. general Body:

  1. The general body shall consist of all members and associate members.

  2. As the policy-making and legislative body of the Association, the General Body shall make all decisions in respect of the policy. It shall adopt rules for the conduct of its business in harmony with the constitution, and shall elect an Executive Committee to conduct the day to day business of the Association.

  3. Any member of the General Body may make proposals in respect of policy, but voting rights shall be restricted to the members defined under Article IV, Section A, (2).

  4. The General Body shall meet at least twice during an academic year.

  5. A quorum shall consist one-third of the voting members.

  6. All decisions shall be by a simple majority; however, to pass any motion dealing with the conduct or discipline of any or all officers of the Association shall require at least two-thirds of the votes of the members.

  7. The president, duly elected, shall have a casting vote only in the event of a tie.

  8. Membership shall be notified of General Body meetings at least seven days in advance of such meetings.

 

  1. The Executive Committee may invite the Advisor of the Association and other persons, at its discretion, to attend any meeting of the General Body or the Executive Committee.

 

  1. General Body may in the interest of the Association, consider affiliation of the association to other organizations.

  

ARTICLE VI

 Section A. Advisor:

  1. A faculty or a staff member of the MSU shall be the Advisor of the Association. The appointment of the Advisor shall be decided solely by the Executive Committee.

 

Section B. Executive Committee:

 

  1. Only full members are elected to the Executive Committee.

  2. Executive Committee shall consist of President, Vice-President, a General Secretary, and a Treasurer shall be elected as provided in Article VI.

  3. The Executive Committee shall, at its discretion, appoint members of the Association to serve on a Support Committee to assist the Executive Committee in its business activities.

  4. The Executive Committee shall meet at least two times during the Fall and Spring semesters.

  5. The Executive Committee has the power to deny or to cancel the membership of any individual who can harm the scope of the Association by engaging in illegal activities or by not complying with the rules and regulations of the Association.

 

Section C. Duties of the Office Bearers:

 

  1. The President shall be the Presiding Officer at all meetings and shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Association.

  2. The Vice-President, apart from the normal operational work assigned by the Executive Committee, shall assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President, and shall have all the responsibilities of the President.

 

   3. The General Secretary shall act as the Coordinator of the various activities of the association shall be responsible for issuing calls or notices of all meetings, shall keep a record of all meetings, and shall maintain a membership list.

 

   4. The treasurer shall be responsible for the financial records of the Association.

 

   5. The Executive Committee, at its discretion, may re-assign among themselves some of the duties and responsibilities stated in Article V, Section C, (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) for the operational efficiency.

 

   6. The executive committee is authorized to appoint a subcommittee to organize/conduct a specific task or project.

 

 

Section D. Financial Powers:

 

  1. The President, in the interest of the Association, may spend up to a sum of $ 50.00 without the prior approval of the Executive Committee, which will be reported at the next meeting of the Executive Committee.

  2. The General Secretary, in the interest of the Association, may spend up to a sum of $20.00 without the prior approval of the Executive Committee, which will be reported at the next meeting of the Executive Committee.

 

Section E. Term of the Executive Committee:

 

  1. The Executive Committee for the Association shall be elected within 30 calendar days from the first class day of the Fall semester.

  2. The term of Executive Committee shall be for a period of one year.

 

 

ARTICLE VII

Section A. Election of Executive Committee:

.

  1. Only full members who have paid dues prior to the General body meeting called for the election purposes shall be eligible to contest for any of the offices.

  2. Nominations for each of the offices may be made before or during the General Body meeting and shall be duly proposed and seconded by two members and accepted by the candidate.

  3. The President may appoint two or more non-contesting members to form an Electoral

 

committee to assist the President in the Election Process.

 

  1. Nominees shall be elected by secret ballot based on the information to be provided by the Executive Committee.

  2. If there are no nominations for an office/offices, the Executive committee shall nominate a member to the vacant office/offices

  3. During the term of an Executive Committee, except for the position of Vice-president, the Executive Committee may appoint a member to a vacant Executive Committee position. Should the Vice-President position become vacant during the term, a new Vice-President shall be elected through a General Body meeting as provided an Article VI, Section A, (1,2,3,4,5).

  4. No person shall hold more than one office during the same term.

  5. The quorum for the Executive Committee shall be four.

  6. The Executive Committee may invite other members to attend its meetings, but such persons shall not vote.

 

ARTICLE VIII Section A. Fiances:

 

  1. The money of the Association shall be kept in a commercial bank at Starkville or at any other bank agreed upon the Executive Committee.

  2. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of all receipts and disbursements.

  3. The outgoing Executive Committee shall maintain a financial record covering the entire period of the Committee's operations and report to the General body at the first meeting of the academic year.

  4. The checks for payments or withdrawal of money from the bank shall be signed by the Advisor and either the Treasure or the President.

  5. Purchases less than $250.00 must be approved by the executive committee while purchases more than $250.00 must be approved by the majority vote of the organization. Major purchases should have bids taken from a minimum of three businesses.

 

 

ARTICLE IX

Section A. Dues:

  1. The Executive Committee shall decide the Annual membership fees for the year, for the membership categories described in Article IV, and shall inform this to the members at the first general meeting of the year.

 

   2. Annual membership fees should be paid before commencement of the fall semester.

 

ARTICLE X Section A. Special meetings:

 

1. Special meetings for the General Body may be called by the President, or upon a written request of at least one-third of the voting members of the Association to the General Secretary, provided that the members have been given ten days advance notice of such a meeting over the phone or by email or by a letter.

 

ARTICLE XI

 

1. Amendments to the constitution of the Association shall be made by the General Body by at least a two-thirds majority of the voting members present.

 

ARTICLE XII Section A. Non-Discrimination Policy:

 

  1. The Association shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, handicap/disability, or veteran status.

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