Constitution

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
OF
BUNYORO-KITARA NORTH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION
(BUKINAA)

ARTICLE ONE: NAME

1.1 The Name of the association shall be: BUNYORO-KITARA NORTH AMERICA ASSOCIATION (BUKINAA)

 

ARTICLE TWO: DEFINITIONS

In these By-laws, North America includes Canada, Mexico and the United States of America.

By an act of determination, members have adopted these by-laws thus recognizing the existence of an organization called BUNYORO-KITARA NORTH AMERICA ASSOCIATION with its headquarters located in the United States of America.

The address: under these by-laws, provision is made TBD

 

ARTICLE THREE: LANGUAGE

  • BUKINAA’s official languages shall be Runyoro and English. This means that all communication and transactions between fellow organizations and all levels of government entities shall be done in Runyoro and/or English.
  • Room is to be provided to those who do not fluently speak Runyoro to speak in Englis

A translator shall be made available to help our guests during our events and meetings when the need arises.

 

ARTICLE FOUR: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

  • Encourage all Banyoro to help each other deal with the challenges of living abroad.
  • Interact, network, and forge partnerships for economic advancement of BUKINAA members in North Ameri
  • Promote the advancement of the social, cultural, educational, healthcare, and economic development of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdo
  • Provide a platform for getting together to celebrate our culture in North America
  • Find ways to empower youths in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom
  • To work with other community organizations to fully integrate new Banyoro into our newly adopted countries and to act as a vehicle for civic participation for people in our respective communit
  • To work towards acquiring property in terms of land and buildings, all necessary equipments for community purposes (offices, meeting rooms, resource and social function centers and others as may be needed) and be able to manage, dispose or sell otherwise as community property as necessary
  • To support the king of Bunyoro-Kitara in his efforts to develop our kingdom

 

ARTICLE FIVE: RULES AND PROCEDURES:

  • The rules and regulations of procedures for administering the affairs of the association and its governing committees, not herein defined, shall be published in the rules and regulations handboo References shall be made to agreed bylaws and agreed ethics handbooks related to community associations.
  • BUKINAA is not liable for any injuries incurred during any of the association’s activities. For example, if a member of the public is accidentally injured physically or emotionally during the event, the association is not liable.
  • Any member of BUKINAA shall not hold an executive position, be board member, and be a trustee of another cultural Ugandan organization while he/she holds the same or any position in BUKIN
  • Any mismanagement of BUKINAA’s funds, property, abuse of power, or use of BUKINAA’s name without members’ consent will be handed over to law enforcement for prosecutio
  • BUKINAA will press charges against any member who deliberately threatens the interests of the association.

 

ARTICLE SIX: MEMBERSHIP

Definition of membership:

  • Membership with BUKINAA is a social contract with fellow Banyoro and friends of Bunyoro as a shared agreem Membership refers to a person who is committed to BUKINAA’s goals and objectives. Membership also means honoring BUKINA’s social contracts and commitments and paying a non-refundable annual membership fee of $100 United States per year. A person who meets all the above criteria in this definition will be considered a member in good standing.
  • Membership shall be open to all Banyoro and friends of Bunyoro residing in North Ameri
  • Currently, there is only one membership catego The association will from time to time, as determined by the executive, consider revising and/or introducing new membership categories. Membership categories for future consideration include, but are not limited to:

 

  1. Student member: Students over the age of 18 years who are currently enrolled as full time students in educational institutions in North Ameri
  2. Adult membership: For Banyoro leaving in North America and who are above 18 years of age
  3. Youth membership: For Banyoro youth leaving in North America and who are between the ages of 15 to 25 years of age
  4. Family membership: his/her spouse and child dependants under the age of 18 years.
  5. Associate members: This is for Banyoro leaving outside north America and willing to uphold and foster the goals, aims, and objectives of BUKINAA.
  6. Corporate members: corporations as well as non-governmental organizations willing to uphold and foster the goals, aims, and objectives of BUKINAA.
  7. Honorary members: Banyoro or friends of Bunyoro who have made outstanding contributions to Bunyoro and reside anywhere, including North America.

 

The Board of directors shall approve nominations for this membership category.

  • The rights of members in article 2 shall be determined by BUKINAA members with voting rights and in good standing.
  • Membership shall run for a period of 12 months running from January 01 to December
  • Failure to pay membership dues will result in instant suspension, loss of membership privileges or rights until reinstated. Membership reinstatement shall be done at the discretion of the executive committee
  • When membership is suspended, reinstatement of membership will require that all outstanding membership fees be paid to the current ye
  • Withdrawal of Membership:
  1. If a member of the association wishes to resign he/she shall submit this/her resignation in writing to the secretar In this event, the secretary shall notify the executive committee upon receipt of this notification.
  2. No member of the association shall be suspended or expelled without prior notification of charge or complaint against him/h At least 7 days of notice shall be given by the executive committee prior to a hearing and reprimand.
  3. Members shall be liable for the payment of any assessment that becomes payable prior to accepting resignation

 

  • Youth: anybody between the age of 16 (sixteen) and 24 (twenty-four) years by this definition is considered a yo

 

6.11 Dual Membership: A member of BUKINAA cannot hold an executive or trustee position in any other organization of similar status as BUKINAA. Similarly, any member of any organization of similar status cannot hold an executive position and trustee position in BUKINAA.

 

ARTICLE SEVEN: CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS

  • All members of the association are expected to conduct themselves in good faith and in a professional manner when dealing with fellow members, other associations, and more importantly, when performing delegated duties on behalf of the associatio
  • Any member of the association in dispute with another member/s shall do their best to resolve the problem or at the very least come to a compromise If this fails he/she can file a complaint in writing to the executive committee through the secretary.
  • Under no circumstance shall members of the association be involved in physical, written and verbal abus
  • If a member of the executive committee is in conflict with any other member of the association that may prevent him/her from performing their duties ethically; they shall step down until that matter is resolve They may resume office depending on the outcome of the resolution.
  • Any member who wants to stand for elections in both the executive committee or as a trustee shall be a member in good standing in BUKINAA and shall have no criminal reco Candidates will be asked to sign a statement testifying that they have no felony convictions and that they are law-abiding members of the community. Deceptions will result in disciplinary action, including expulsion from the Association.

 

ARTICLE EIGHT: DISCIPLINE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

  • The executive committee will do its best to mediate and resolve conflicts between members before involving other authorities.
  • An executive committee meeting shall be called promptly to settle an issue in the event that a complaint has been

 

  1. If a member is in contravention of Article 2, the executive committee shall within one week of receiving a complaint, call the parties involved to discuss the issue with the intent of reaching a solution.
  2. In case of violation of Article 3, if in the presence of another member or an executive member, the victim/s shall immediately report to the Public Relations Officer or the President/chairperson who will call other executive members to meet with the parties involved with the intent of achieving a solution within a reasonable time.
  • Under the above section (1), if the executive committee fails to resolve the problem, the injured party shall be assisted to notify the appropriate legal authorities.
  • If a member misrepresents the association, acts against the interest of the association and or is involved in any misconduct, the executive committee shall immediately investigate and take appropriate actions. This may include expulsion of the member from the organization

 

 

ARTICLE NINE: THE ORGANIZATION

  • The King of Bunyoro-Kitara shall be the Patron of BUKINAA The patron will be consulted from time to time, which will serve to keep open communication with the kingdom. However, the patron will not participate in active management of BUKINAA.
  • The business and operations of the BUKINAA shall be the responsibility of the Board of Directors subject to the by-laws and directed as needed, by the members resolutio
  • The Board of Directors shall consist of:

 

  1. The Executive Committee
  2. The immediate past president/chairperson
  3. Three trustees
  • The Board of Directors shall meet once every (3) months and the president/chairperson of the association shall assume the position of chairperso
  • Members of the Board of Directors (except Article 2b) are elected by the members of the association—best described as the general assembly.
  • The Board of Directors shall set policies and directions of the association in the interest and will of its membership.
  • The president has the authority to call for an emergency meeting as nee

 

The Executive Committee

  1. The executive, hereafter referred to as the “The executive committee” shall manage the affairs and daily operations of the Association in line with the policies set by the Board of Directors.
  2. The executive committee shall consist of the following:

 

  1. The President
  2. The Vice President
  3. The Treasurer
  4. The Secretary
  5. The Public Relations Officer/Resource Generation
  6. The Youth Leader

 

  1. The executive committee members shall vow confidentiality of matters that come to their knowledge by virtue of their office.
  2. The executive may invite to its meetings members in good standing who shall have voice but no vote except for the chairperson of the related committee under discussion
  3. All minutes of the executive committee/s shall be recorded. Any committee/s sitting on the executive meetings shall have their minutes summarized to the executive
  4. Members of the executive, who may have something to add to the agenda prior to the meeting, shall inform the Secretary to include it on the ag
  5. At every meeting of the executive, minutes of the previous meeting shall be approved and any motion raised concerning the minutes shall be addressed.

 

ARTICLE TEN: ELECTIONS AND TERM OF OFFICE:

  • The term of office for members of the executive committee shall be 2 years of Leadership will be rotational every 2 years, the next president/chairperson will be the vice-president, unless if incapacitated, not approved by BOT or voluntarily rescinds.
  • In case the vice-president does not qualify, the Secretary will have to be the next president in that order of precedent, if Secretary rescinds then the Treasurer
  • The term for Trustees shall be 3 years o Trustees shall be elected at the annual general meeting and their tenure shall be staggered, to ensure continuity of institutional memory.
  • An absent member shall be considered for nomination (with letter of consent sent through the secretary)
  • Association members wishing to be part of office shall submit in writing their intent (through the secretary) 30 days prior to annual general meeting.
  • Every 2 years there will be a vacant post in the Executive and the Board of Directors will screen candidates who have been active members to fill the positions

 

ARTICLE ELEVEN: DUTIES OF ELECTED EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

The President shall:

  1. Be the chief executive officer of the Association
  2. Call and preside at all meeting of the executive, the board, and the general meeting.
  3. Prepare and present an annual report of the association
  4. Sign all resolutions and membership certificates, checks and important documents with other appointed officers for that purpose, However, BUKINANs checks must bear two signatures, one of the president, and other of the treasurer.
  5. Delegate responsibilities as appropriated to the vice president or other official and members of the association
  6. Implement the board’s directives and work hand in hand with the board for innovative achievements

 

The Vice President/chairperson shall:

  1. Be responsible for the day-to-day running of divisions of the association as assigned to him/her by the president
  2. Shall act in the absence of the pres
  3. Co-sign checks with other officials in the event that either the president or treasurer is not available

 

The Secretary shall:

  1. Maintain and keep record of the board, executive committee, and general assembly meetings of the association
  2. Provide upon request by member, copies of minutes of the executive committee and minutes of the general assembly meeting; .and receive copies of motions, agenda and distribution of the s
  3. Keep all accounts and correspondence; perform all duties incidental to the office of secretary and related duties as assigned by the executive co
  4. Keep an up to date directory of members of the association and all associate membership.
  5. Co-sign, as required, all resolutions and correspondence along with the president/chairperson
  6. Shall keep custody of the association seal and control its

 

The Treasurer shall:

  1. Maintain petty cash and custody of, and be responsible for all funds of the association, All such funds shall be deposited in the name of the association in such bank as may be selected by the executive.
  2. Keep accurate records of all receipts, disbursements and such information relative to the financial position of the association and avail it at the request of the executive committee
  3. Shall present a written annual financial report at the annual general meeting or make available interim reports whenever requested throughout the year, and/or at periodical auditing by Trustees or independent auditors.
  4. Shall chair the financial committee and co-ordinate all programs within this aspect.
  5. Co-sign checks with the president/chairperson or vice president

 

The Public Relations Officer/ Resource Generation shall:

  1. Be responsible and accountable for promoting the association in order to recruit new members and issuing press release, notices and other information to the appropriate media group and use of materials involved in carrying out his/her duties.
  2. Promotes the association to the general public and other organizations for the purpose of networking and fundraising.
  3. Provide in writing a report of his/her activities at the annual general meeting and other meetings as necessary
  4. Chair the public relations committee that will include dispute and dispute resolution
  5. Be responsible for planning and leading social programs and activities within BUKINNA members and any other well-wishers

 

The Youth Leader

The Youth leader shall:

  1. Produce programs of activities for the youth
  2. Provide educational material to young people about Bunyor-Kitara
  3. Bridge the gap between varying generations of the association’s members

 

The Trustees shall:

  1. Be responsible for insuring the integrity of the conduct and performance of the executiv In doing so they may at any time notify the president with a forty-eight (48) hours notice to examine the records, minutes and correspondence related to the association. It requires at least two (2) trustees in presence of the president and treasurer of the association to do a complete audit of accounts once a year.
  2. Ensure they receive a complete budget forecast for a one year period and regular financial/fiscal statement of the association during their term in off The fiscal year of the association shall run from January 1 to December 31.
  3. Plan and delegate for the future and supervise the association’s activities

 

ARTICLE TWELVE: EVALUATION AND REMOVAL OF OFFICE BEARER

  • On a biannual basis, members of the association shall be responsible for the task of evaluating the performance of their leadership to ensure and ascertain that elected officers are performing their duties as well as meeting goals and expectations of the association, i. aims and objectives.
  • The members may as a result of Article 1 duly by a majority vote of at least two thirds (2/3) majority remove any member of the executive committee.
  • All evaluation and removal of executive shall be closely monitored by the trustees in respect of Article 6 (a) and defray if any, abuse of this article.

 

ARTICLE THIRTEEN: COMMITTEES (Elected and Non-elected)

The executive committee shall act under the authority of the Board of Directors to form the following committees to realize effective and efficient running of the association:

  1. Programs and planning committee
  2. Public relations committee/Resource Generation
  3. Finance committee
  4. Resource generation committee
  5. Sports and culture committee
  6. Health committee
  7. Education committee

 

Each of the committees shall be lead by an appointed chairperson. The chairperson shall appoint members of their respective subcommittees. Each committee will be composed of 3-5 members, including the chairperson.

Programs and Planning Committee:

Plan and coordinate programs for the purpose of fundraising, educational,awareness activities. Provide leadership and oversee all activities in this committee and report to the executive committee. Activities of this committee will involve:

  1. plan fundraising and networking activities
  2. developing and organizing social events
  3. coordinate informative and educational forums
  4. Liaising participation and development with other associations within North America

 

Public Relations Committee/ Resource Generation Committee shall

The Public Relations Officer/Resource Generation Committee, who reports to the executive committee, shall provide leadership and oversee the following:

  1. establishing communications and network (with emphasis on community participation)
  2. Create awareness with aims of securing long-term financial support
  3. developing educational and informative programs
  4. Plan and execute procedures to measures to fundraise
  5. Promoting the association and thus enhancing good opportunity and exposure in all avenues that they can possibly
  6. Develop mechanism to networking with other individuals as well as organizations
  7. Bring to the attention of the executive committee situations requiring special or immediate attention such as marriage, birth/birthdays, graduations, serious illness and deaths.
  8. Coordinate events that raise funds and networking

 

Finance Committee:

The Treasurer, who will report to the executive committee, shall provide leadership and oversee the following:

  1. Planning, controlling and organizing budget matters.
  2. Collect revenue, including dues
  3. Support fund raising as determined by the programs and planning co
  4. Provide financial report to the Trustees and members as required.
  5. Ensure transparency, legitimacy, and accountability in every aspect of their deliberations

 

Sports and Culture Committee shall:

  1. Identify and sponsor with sports activities for youths in Bunyoro
  2. Work in conjunction with local leaders in Bunyoro to sponsor sports events for youths in Bunyoro
  3. Solicit and fundraise for sports trophies in conjunction with the Programs and Planning Committee
  4. Work with business leaders in Uganda and North America to sponsor sports and cultural activities in Bunyoro
  5. Work with cultural leaders, local leaders, and business leaders in Bunyoro and Uganda at large to sponsor cultural competitions/events in Bunyoro. Such events include traditional dances, amakondere, and contemporary music by Banyoro artists,
  6. Develop and coordinate youth learning tours/trips to Bunyoro

 

Health Committee shall:

  1. Develop programs to promote healthcare for our people in Bunyoro
  2. Identify and coordinate programs that lead to trips in Bunyoro to teach, for example, water filtering systems, sanitation, and local business development
  3. Coordinate field trips for members and non-members to various places in Bunyoro

 

Education Committee shall

  1. Develop programs to promote education for our people in Bunyoro
  2. Create and make available historical and current information on Bunyoro-Kitara
  3. Hold educational and informative sessions on Bunyoro-Kitara

 

ARTICLE FOURTEEN: MEETINGS

  • An annual general meeting shall be held at locations as determined by the Executive Committee in North America and as agreed to by the general meeting around the July 4t” holiday each At this meeting, members shall come together to celebrate their culture, network, and conduct official business activities such as election of office bearers. Notices of the meetings shall be provided by mail, phone, e-mail, faxes and other means of communication fourteen days (14) prior to meeting. Given the availability of the internet and other technologies, other general meetings could be held through e.g. tele-conferences, from time to time as determined by the Executive Committee.
  • Executive committee and special other general meetings shall be held as decided by the executive committee
  • For the meeting to go ahead, the following quorum shall be met:
  1. Four of the executive committee and two of the trustee members shall be present during any executive meeting.
  2. For committee meetings to take place, at least two thirds (2/3) of the members and two executive committee members must be present or call
  3. For the general assembly meeting, there must be present (1/3) of the membership in good standing.

 

Executive meetings:

  1. Meetings to be held at least once a month
  2. Notice of meetings to be communicated seven (7) days prior
  3. In order to vote on a transaction of business all five members of the executive should be present; resolutions shall be passed in writing and signed by all five members.
  4. An emergency meeting can be held without formal notice if a quorum of three executives has been fo

 

ARTICLE FIFTEEN: POWER AND LIMITATIONS

  • The by-laws herein empower the executive committee to make decisions on matters that affect the activities of the association
  • If an executive member feels that his/her opinion has not been taken into consideration; he/she has the right to notify the Board of Directors within 48 hours to review the decision
  • A follow up system to be in place to assist the executive committee and the entire membership measuring the performance of the association (TBD)
  • The by-laws herein empower the executive committee to plan and execute appropriately means to acquire financial resources

 

ARTICLE SIXTEEN: DISSOLUTION

  • If the association remains inactive for a period of two consecutive years, it shall result in instant dissolution
  • Upon dissolution the association shall pay off all its liabilities and assets will be distributed or disposed to one or more charitable organizations.

 

ARTICLE SEVENTEEN: BY-LAWS AMENDMENTS

The by-laws of BUKINAA like any other association shall be amended (rescinded, altered or added) at an annual general meeting, by majority votes (2/3 or better) of the members of the association following the procedures of submission in writing by members in good standing, through passing of the motion.

Copyright 2017 Xevent. All rights reserved