CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
ARTICLE 1: NAME
1. The name of the organization shall be ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN WOMEN SCHOLARS, abbreviated to 'AAWS' and shall hereinafter be referred to as 'the organization.'
ARTICLE II: AIMS & OBJECTIVES
1. The aims of the organization shall be :
a. To promote and encourage scholarship on AFRICAN WOMEN in African Studies as initiated by Obioma Nnaemeka and inaugurated in Orlando, Florida, on November 3, 1995.
b. To forge intellectual links and network with scholars, activists and policy makers inside and outside Africa.
c. To participate actively in continental and global debate on issues specifically relevant or related to African women.
ARTICLE III: FUNCTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION
1. In pursuance of the aims and objectives enumerated in ARTICLE II (a—c) above, the organization will perform the following functions:a. Arrange and sponsor conferences and other forms of scholarly interchange.
b. Encourage and undertake consortial/collaborative projects.
c. Institute a refereed journal—Journal of African Women’s Studies (JAWS)—to promote and disseminate scholarly research on African women.d. Facilitate faculty and student exchanges.
e. Create a communications network via cyberspace for the pooling and dissemination of resource information, including but not limited to works in progress, dissertations, new studies, research updates, and pedagogy.
f. Create, establish and/or carry out any other functions and activities which may from time to time arise and are considered to be incidental and conducive to the realization of the above objectives.
g. Establish a Research and Documentation Unit which will produce an African Women's Bibliography Series on a biennial basis.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP & DUES
a. Membership of the organization is open to African women and men everywhere committed toengendering and promoting scholarship in all disciplines in African Women's Studies. Individuals who are not of African descent can join the organization as associate members. Dues at the associate membership level will be assessed at a reduced rate.b. Although there is no exclusion on the basis of gender, in light of the exigencies that prompted the creation of the organization, men will not hold elective offices in the organization except as members of the Executive Committee.
c. The differentiated levels of registration fees due and payable by members of the organization as determined by general consensus.
d. Registration fees shall be paid annually by all members of the organization.
e. Failure of any member to pay dues and/or registration fees when payable will result in ineligibility of such a member to hold elective office.
ARTICLE V: STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE
a. The officers of the organization shall be: The President, Vice President, the Immediate Past President, the Secretary, Publicity Secretary and Treasurer.b. The organization shall be governed by a nine-member Executive Committee comprising of all the officers enumerated in Article V (Section i) above, and three other members of the organization, two of whom shall be male members.
c. The office of the first President shall be for a two-term tenure of two years each.
d. All other members of the executive committee shall be elected to a term of two years and be eligible for re-election in another office a year later.
e. The Vice President shall have automatic succession to the office of president if the President has completed her term in office and will have one two-year term of office.
f. Only active members may nominate or be nominated for election to any office in the organization.
g. No member shall hold more than one office at a time.
h. The President, Secretary and Treasurer will be signatories to disbursements from the organization’s account.
i. The election of members of the executive committee shall be conducted at the annual General meeting of the organization or by mail ballot when properly authorized.
j. The erstwhile President, upon completion of tenure, shall become an honorary member of the executive committee in an advisory capacity.
ARTICLE VI: POWERS & DUTIES OF ELECTED OFFICERS
The President shall be vested with the following functions:
a. Head the executive committee.b. Conduct proceedings at the annual general meetings
c. Form ad hoc committees within the organization to carry out specific functions.
d. Preside over elections excluding elections for the post of president.
e. Any and other functions which members agreed in a properly constituted meeting to bestow on the office of the president.
The Vice President shall be vested with the following functions:
a. Complement the office of the president.b. Head the Executive Committee in the absence of the president.
c. Carry out any other duties which members in a properly constituted meeting bestow on the office of the Vice President.
The Secretary shall be vested with the following functions:
a. Arrange for meetings.b. Send out notices of meetings to members.
c. Keep a register and contact/e-mail address of members of the organization.
d. Arrange for meetings on the instructions of the president and Executive Board.
The Publicity Secretary shall be vested with the following functions:
a. Disseminating information about the organization to the public by advertising in appropriate journals, magazines, newspapers, including but not limited to the use of the Internet and relevant journals of African Studies.b. Make contact with other organizations with a view to widening the organization's scope of activities and interactions.
The Treasurer shall be vested with the following functions:
a. Collecting fees/dues when payable.b. Keeping proper accounting of the revenue income including income and expenditure of the organization.
c. Investing funds of the organization in interest yielding accounts until required.
All members of the organization are vested with the responsibility of campaigning and fund raising for the organization.
ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS AND PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS
1. Annual General Meeting:
The Annual general meeting of the organization shall be held within twelve calendar months and no later than fourteen months from the date the last annual general meeting was held.2. Quorum at Meetings
a. One third of the registered members can commence a meeting.
b. A quorum shall be formed if 1/3 of the registered members of the organization are present in person or by proxy.3. Voting
a. Each registered member is entitled to one vote.
b. The president shall be entitled to a tie-breaker vote.4. Conduct at Meetings
a. Meetings will be presided over by the President, or the Vice President in the absence of the President.b. In the absence of both the President and the Vice President, any other member of the organization can be elected by 1/3 of the members present and voting at the time of the meeting.
c. Decisions on issues at meetings can either be accepted unanimously or decided by vote.
d. Voting at meetings can be in person of by proxy, provided that any member who is standing as proxy for another member for purposes of a particular meeting shall notify the Secretary of the organization at least two hours before the voting exercise.
e. Voting for ordinary decisions shall be by show of hands excluding voting for elective office which shall be by secret ballot or by mail if properly authorized by a majority of the registered members.
f. Meetings shall be held at the headquarters of the organization, the venue of the ASA annual conference, or any other agreed upon location.
5. Notice of Meeting
a. Members must be notified of a meeting by the Secretary of the organization before the meeting. Such notice could be by post, verbal, electronic mail or phone.b. Information included in a notice of meeting should include but not limited to venue, date, and time. The notice of meeting for an annual general meeting will include an agenda to be discussed at the said meeting.
c. Actual notice of a meeting is deemed to be given to a member if the member is informed of the meeting by any of the modes enumerated in ARTICLE V (Section 5b.) above.
ARTICLE VIII: SUSPENSION AND MODIFICATION
a. A motion to amend or modify this constitution or any part thereof may be moved by any active member in written form at the general meeting.
b. No discussions of the amendment shall take place at the meeting in which the motion to amend the constitution was moved. However, a written copy of the amendment shall be made available to members prior to the next meeting so that the said amendment can be discussed and accepted or rejected.
c. An amendment so proposed shall be adopted of at least 3/4 of the members present and voting vote in favor of the amendment.
d. A motion to suspend the constitution or any part thereof shall be upheld when at least 3/4 of the members present and voting vote in favor of the suspension.
e. That portion of the constitution which has been suspended may be reinstated when at least 3/4 members present and voting vote in favor of the reinstatement.
ARTICLE IX: ADOPTION AND FORCE
a. This constitution shall be adopted by a majority of vote of at least 3/4 of the voting members present at the meeting of the organization convened for the purpose of approving and adopting same.
b. Upon adoption, this constitution shall come into force and be binding on all members of the organization.
ARTICLE X: INTERPRETATION
a. Properly constituted meeting means meeting convened by 1/3 majority of registered members.b. Registered member means a member who has paid all outstanding dues of the organization including but not limited to the registration fees.
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Page Title: Constitution and Bylaws
Last Update: September 14, 2011
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