CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF PAKISTAN-AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SOUTH JERSEY

Note: Because this is a legally binding document, typographical and spelling errors have been left intact during transcription.

  1. NAME

    1. The name of the organization is PAKISTAN-AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SOUTH JERSEY.
    2. The status of the organization shall be Non-Profit.

  2. OBJECTIVES

    1. To organize and conduct activities to form a close-knit Pakistani-American community in the Delaware Valley that fosters friendship and unity amongst members.
    2. To establish a platform to provide support for Pakistani art, literature and heritage.
    3. To educate and familiarize local communities with social and cultural activities of Pakistan.
    4. To conduct charitable activities for the benefit of local communities and other distressed communities of interest to the Pakistani-American community.
    5. To organize forums to educate local and national leaders on issues affecting Pakistani-Americans.

  3. MEMBERSHIP

    1. Pakistani-Americans, eighteen (18) years or older, regardless of their religion, race, cast and gender who accept the objectives of the Society, as stated in the Constitution and By-laws, are eligible to register and be members of the Society.
    2. The Executive Committee shall have the right to accept or reject an application for membership, if it believes that acceptance of such an application is against the interest of the Constitution and By-laws of the Society.
    3. There shall be three membership classes, as defined below:
      1. Member: An individual who meets the requirements of Article III(a) and has paid the annual membership dues to the Society for the current year. All legal dependents of a Member shall be considered a Member and they shall have voting rights if they are 18 years old or older.
      2. Associate Member: Those members, other than Pakistani-Americans, who agree to abide by the By-Laws of the Society. Associate Members shall have no voting rights. Associate Members are required to pay the membership dues. All legal dependents of Associate Members shall be considered Associate Members.
      3. Honorary Member:
    4. The Society is authorized to award honorary membership to individuals for their exemplary community service. Honorary Members shall have no voting rights and are not obligated to pay membership dues. All legal dependents of Honorary Members shall be considered Associate Members. The annual membership dues shall be based on a single family.
    5. The Board of Trustees of (BOT) of the Society shall determine the amount of annual membership dues for any given year.
    6. Annual membership dues run for one calendar year. In order to be eligible to vote, Voting Members are required to pay their annual membership by the date communicated to them by the Executive Committee.
    7. A Pakistani-American is defined as a person or Pakistani descent or married to a person of Pakistani descent.

  4. GENERAL BODY

    1. All Voting Members shall constitute the General Body.

  5. MANAGEMENT

    1. The Society shall be managed by an Executive Committee consisting of the following officers:
      1. President
        1. The President shall have the responsibilities of overall management of the Society.
        2. The President shall convene and preside over all meetings of the Executive Committee and the General Body.
        3. The President shall setup and appoint all Committees and Sub-Committees.
        4. In case of a tie vote in the Executive Committee, the President shall have one additional vote.
        5. The President shall have the authority to accept resignations of other members of the Executive Committee.
        6. The President shall nominate candidate(s), from among the Voting Members, for vacant Executive Committee position(s) in consultation with the Executive Committee. A simple majority vote of the BOT shall be required to approve the nomination(s).
      2. Vice President
        1. The Vice President shall act to assist the President in his/her duties.
        2. The Vice President shall assume the functions of the President in his/her absence.
        3. The Vice President shall co-sign all checks and withdrawals for amounts of $500 or above from the accounts of the Society.
        4. The Vice President shall perform other duties as assigned by the President.
      3. General Secretary
        1. The General Secretary shall maintain minutes of all Executive Committee meetings.
        2. The General Secretary shall maintain a list of all members of the Society.
        3. The General Secretary shall call the Annual General Body meeting in accordance with Article IX.
        4. The General Secretary shall assume the role of the Vice President in his/her absence.
        5. The General Secretary shall perform other duties as assigned by the President.
      4. Joint Secretary
        1. The Joint Secretary shall act to assist the General Secretary in his/her duties.
        2. The Joint Secretary shall assume the role of the General Secretary in his/her absence.
        3. The Joint Secretary shall perform other duties as assigned by the President.
      5. Treasurer
        1. The Treasurer shall maintain all financial books and accounts of the Society.
        2. The Treasurer shall collect, receive and deposit all funds of the Society in Society's bank accounts in accordance with Article XIII.
        3. The Treasurer shall sign and co-sign all checks and withdrawals from the accounts of the Society.
        4. The Treasurer shall prepare the annual financial report and present the annual financial report in the annual General Body meeting.
      6. Executive Member
        1. There shall be two Executive Members of the Society.
        2. Executive Member shall participate in the meetings of the Executive Committee.
        3. Executive Member shall serve on sub-committees, if requested.
        4. Executive Member shall assist in the overall operation of the Society in accordance with its constitution and by-laws.
        5. Executive Member shall assist the other Officers of the Society in the performance of their duties.
    2. The above positions shall be elected for a two (2) year term by the General Body of the Society. No individual can hold the same office for more than two consecutive terms.
    3. c) No individual who is in the Board of Trustees shall hold any office in the Executive Committee.
    4. The Executive Committee shall meet on an as needed basis, but at least once every three months at an agreed date, time and location. As needed, the meetings may also be held via teleconference. The quorum requirement for the meeting shall be 50 percent attendance from the Executive Committee. The meeting minutes shall be captured and distributed within a week.

  6. ELECTION PROCESS

    1. The BOT shall appoint an Election Committee consisting of three (3) Voting Members who shall conduct the election of the Executive Committee.
    2. A maximum of one Trustee can be a member of the Election Committee
    3. The term of the Election Committee will expire at the end of the election.
    4. No member of the Election Committee or their immediate family shall be a candidate for any office in the Executive Committee or the BOT.
    5. All Voting Members will vote to elect the Executive Committee or the BOT. The voting shall occur on the following criteria:
      1. Each Voting Member shall have a single vote.
      2. Proxy Voting is allowed for immediate family members. Determining validity of a presented proxy is in the sole discretion of the Election Committee.
    6. Elections shall be held on the announced date with or without a General Body meeting.
    7. Elections do not require a quorum.
    8. The term of the newly elected Executive Committee shall begin after one month after the election.

  7. SUB-COMMITTEES

    1. The Executive Committee shall establish Sub-Committees to support the different activities of the Society and shall establish the goals, objectives, and guidelines.
    2. All Sub-Committees and their members shall conduct their affairs in accordance with the by-laws of the Society and shall be answerable to the Executive Committee.

  8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

    1. Annual General Body meeting shall be called by the General Secretary each year in the last quarter of the year at a date, time and location agreed to by the Executive Committee with a notice of a minimum of four (4) weeks to all Voting Members.
    2. An extra/emergency General Body meeting, if needed, may be called with a notice of two (2) weeks to all Voting Members.
    3. Reports on finances, activities during the preceding year, and other related matters of interest are to be read out by the members of the Executive Committee during the General Body meeting.

  9. AMENDMENTS/ADDITIONS/DELECTIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

    1. The BOT shall constitute a Constitution and By-Laws Review Committee, from among the Voting Members, by a majority vote.
    2. The Constitution and By-Laws Review Committee shall review the existing Constitution and By-Laws and propose amendments to the BOT for approval.
    3. The BOT shall make available any proposal/suggestions for amendments/alterations/deletions in the by-laws of the Society to all the registered members four (4) weeks in advance and be presented for discussion in the General Body meeting for approval.
    4. The General Body quorum requirement to approve any amendments/alterations/deletions to the Constitution and By-Laws shall be one-half (1/2). If the quorum requirement is not met, the General Body meeting shall be postponed for another time. The time and place of the second General Body meeting shall be conveyed to all the registered members within one (1) week of the first General Body meeting and shall be held within four (4) weeks. The quorum requirement for the second General Body meeting will be one-fourth (1/4th). If the quorum requirement for the second meeting is not met, the proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws shall be deemed approved.

  10. BOARD OF TRUSTEES

    1. There shall be three (3) or more to a maximum of five (5) Trustees elected for four (4) years by the Voting Members.
    2. The term of the incumbent Trustees shall expire in 2016 elections.
    3. No Trustee can contest more than two consecutive elections.
    4. A Trustee may be removed for violation of the By-Laws of the Society by a simple majority vote of the assembled General Body meeting that meets requirements of Article X(f). An extra/emergency General Body meeting may be called for the dismissal of a Trustee.
    5. The quorum requirement for the General Body meeting called for the dismissal of a Trustee shall be one-half (1/2). If the quorum requirement is not met, the General Body meeting shall be postponed for another time within four (4) weeks of initial General Body meeting. The time and place of the second General Body meeting shall be conveyed to all the registered members within one (1) week of the first General Body meeting. The quorum requirement for the second General Body meeting shall be one-fourth (1/4th). If the quorum requirement for the second meeting is not met, the dismissal motion shall be deemed not approved.
    6. A three (3) member Election Committee, constituted by the BOT, shall conduct the elections of the Board of Trustees. Members of the Election Committee shall be from among the Voting Members.
    7. No member of the Election Committee or their immediate family shall be a candidate for any Trustee position.
    8. The election process for electing Trustees shall conform to Article VI.
    9. A Trustee may resign by submitting a letter of resignation to the remaining Trustees with a copy to the President of the Executive Committee.

  11. FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES

    1. The Board of Trustees (BOT) shall:
      1. Serve as custodian of all capital assets of the Society and shall maintain, use and liquidate them in accordance with the By-Laws of the Society.
      2. Be responsible for creating a vision and long-term planning for the Society in accordance with the By-Laws of the Society.
      3. Oversee and advise the Executive Committee and any other Committees/Sub-Committees that may be established. In case any activities of the Executive Committee or activities of any officer(s) of the Executive Committee are found to be not in accordance with the By-Laws of the Society, the BOT shall advise the Executive Committee or the officer(s) of the Executive Committee to correct the discrepancies within a specified time period of no less than ten (10) days. In case of non-compliance by the Executive Committee or the officer(s) of the Executive Committee, the BOT shall have the right to dismiss the Executive Committee by at least a two-third (2/3rd) majority vote and hold elections of the Executive Committee within forty five (45) calendar days of its dismissal in accordance with the By-Laws. During that time, when the full Executive Committee stands dismissed, the BOT shall assume the duties of the Executive Committee until the election of a new Executive Committee.
      4. Provide interpretation on any constitutional matters to any member of the Society or the Executive Committee.
      5. Act as the final decision-making authority on any unresolved disputes and disagreements arising in the Executive Committee or any other committees/sub-committees.
      6. Establish Election Committee to conduct elections of the Executive Committee and Trustees.

  12. SOCIETY FUNDS

    1. The BOT may establish one or more FDIC insured bank accounts in the name of the Society. Funds collected by the Society shall be deposited in these bank accounts only. All funds maintained by the Society shall be in US Dollars.
    2. The Treasurer shall maintain all records of transactions for all Bank accounts of the Society.
    3. Two signatures shall be required to withdraw funds from the bank accounts of the Society that are over the amount of $499.
    4. Treasurer's signature is required on all checks.
    5. Any expenses above $100 shall require written consent of the President.
    6. Any expense above $2,000 shall require additional written consent of the majority of the Executive Committee.
    7. Any expense above $5,000 shall require written consent of the majority of the BOT in addition to (e) and (f) above.
    8. For recurring expenses, the Executive Committee may, at its discretion, authorize automatic withdrawals from the Society's bank accounts.
    9. The Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining all financial records of the Society, including but not limited to income, expenses, expense receipts, bank statements, account balances, and asset records in balance sheet. At the end of each year, in the month of December, or as required by the Executive Committee, all the books shall be balanced and shall be presented before the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees for approval.

  13. CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

    1. Whenever a Trustee, an Executive Committee member, or a member of a Committee/Sub-Committee, including Election Committee, has a financial or personal interest in any matter coming before the BOT or the Executive Committee, the affected person shall:
      1. Fully disclose the nature of the interest and
      2. Withdraw from discussion, lobbying, and voting on the matter.
    2. Any transaction or vote involving a potential conflict of interest shall be approved only when a majority of disinterested Trustees or Executive Committee members determine that it is in the best interest of the Society to do so. The minutes of meetings at which such votes are taken shall record such disclosure, abstention and rationale for approval.
    3. Conflict of Interest shall not prevent multiple family members from holding offices in the Society.

  14. DISSOLUTION

    1. Criteria for dissolution: A majority of the Board of Trustees can propose the dissolution of the Society. The proposal shall be presented for approval to the General Body in a meeting specifically called for this purpose. The minimum quorum requirement for the General Body meeting called for dissolution shall be one-half (1/2). A majority vote of the assembled General Body in favor of the dissolution is needed to approve the dissolution decree. If the quorum requirement is not met, the General Body meeting shall be postponed for another time within four (4) weeks of initial General Body meeting. The time and place of the second General Body meeting shall be conveyed to all the registered members within one (1) week of the first General Body meeting. The quorum requirement for the second General Body meeting shall be one-fourth (1/4th). If the quorum requirement for the second meeting is not met, the dissolution motion shall be deemed approved.
    2. Method of dissolution: Board of Trustees shall be responsible for carrying out the dissolution process in a manner satisfactory with State and Federal laws. Upon dissolution of the Society, the Board of Trustees shall, after paying or making provisions of the payment of all the liabilities of the Society, dispose of all assets in accordance with State and Federal regulations governing non-profit organizations.
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