| 1. PRESIDENT
The president of Havyaka Association of Americas (HAA) will make sure
that there is proper communication among the members of the Governing Body
(GB). The Governing Body consists of President, Vice President, Secretary,
Treasurer, Communications Director (CD), and elected Executive Committee
members (ECM).
The President will conduct the ECM meetings at least 4 times a year or
more as per constitution (Via telephone, if necessary). President will
implement the decision of the ECM, while not violating the HAA
constitution. The President will make efforts to communicate with the
members of the local chapters (any means deemed necessary such as e-mail,
telephone etc.) during at least once in two years so that there is direct
contact between the HAA member and the President.
2. VICE PRESIDENT (VP) OF THE LOCAL CHAPTER:
A LOCAL Chapter and a VP will be appointed if there are more than two
Havyaka Life Memberes living with in a 200 square mile area or as per the
convenience of the life membrs. The ECM will approve the formation of the
local chapter and initiallly a vp will be appointed for the first two year
period. Then after two years the VP will be elected by the Election
Committee (EC) as per constitution. The VP will organize at least three
meetings per year (Ugadi, Ganesh Chaturti, Deepavali, Nararathri) and a
picnic/camp. The VP will collect membership dues and mail the dues with
the signed application forms of the membership to the treasurer. The VP
will plan budget of the local chapter for two years and mail them to the
treasurer by the 1st week of February. Typically the postage and mailing
expenses will be reimbursed by the HAA. The picnic/camp or other expenses
should be paid by the local chapter through the member
contribution/donation etc. The VP will plan the yearly events by February
of every year and inform CD to publish via email.
3. SECRETARY
The Secetary will be responsible for updating HAA directory at least
once a year or more. Secretary is responsible for implementing the ECM
decision, while not violating the HAA constitution, with the help of
Governing Body. The Secretary will prepare the annual reports for the
preceding year and get it approved by the President and Treasurer by the
1st week January next year. The Secretary will send the application forms
for membership with the annual reports by February 28th of each year. The
Secretary will make arrangements for the annual audit for HAA program by
an independent member (Audit checklist attached).
4. TREASURER
The Treasurer will receive all the HAA funds from the local chapters of
the HAA and deposit them within a month after the receipt. The Treasurer
will also reimburse the bills submitted bby the GB within a month. Any
check (s) more than $1000 will need to signed by the Tresurer and
President of the HAA and will be delivered to the respective party with in
45 days. The Treasurer will update the membership list quarterly and
publish it through the CD via email, if possible. The treasurer will get
the HAA financial acounts audited between November and December of each
year. The audit report will be presented to the President/Secretary within
the end of the year.
5. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS (ECM):
As per Constitution of the HAA, the ECM consists of the President, the
Secretary, the Treasurer and the East, Midwest and West Coast VPs along
with two members nominated by the GB and elected by the members.
The ECM will have overall knowledge and history of the HAA. The ECM
will advice the President in Policy matters. There should be at least Four
or more meetings per year (preferably 1st Sunday of February, May, August
and November of the year). The highlights of the ECM meetings will be
published by the Secretary (via email or by Post) to the members. This
will become part of the permanent record, of there are no objections by
the GB. The ECM should read the draft of the minutes before the aforesaid
publication and should bring any discrepancies to the attention of
Secretary who shall own correcting the minutes abd getting approved by the
President before the aforesaid publication.
6. ELECTION COMMITTEE (EC):
The president shall set up the Election Committee (EC) by the October
of the even calender year (e.g. 1996) as per constitution. The EC should
not have any present office-bearers of the HAA. Then EC will elect a
Election Committee Chair (ECC) with the help of the President by the end
of November of the current year (e.g., Nov 96). The ECC will nominate the
new office bearers ((The President Elect, VPs, Secretary and Treasurer)
for the next two years (e.g., 1998-1999), if possible by voluntary basis
or by nominations. The nomination of the candidates should meet the
qualifications as per the constitution Article ii, Section 2. The
provisions shall also be made in the final ballot to all HAA members of
record. The ballots should be returned to the ECC by the end of May (e.g.,
May 1997) The ECC will count the ballots (with two additional members as
recommended by the President) and will ensure that the voting has been
proper (Only one vote per member). The election results will be announced
by the second week of June (e.g., June 1997) and also in the GB meeting
during the July 4th weekend in the Convention (E.g., July 1997). The
President Elect will assume the role of the President after two years
(e.g., 2000 & 2001).
The ECC shall send the list of the elected new office bearers to the GB
(e.g., 1998-99) office bearers to the present 1997 office bearers), New
Jersey State Registration Office ( where HAA is registered) and to the HAA
bank(s).
ECC should follow-up wit the Bank to ensure that the newly elected
office bearers are authorized as per the Banks request to operate the HAA
funds. If ECC does not get the required authorization from the Bank by the
end of October ( e.g, October 1997(, then ECC will contact the president
to take further action so as to have smooth transaction by the first of
the year (e.g., Jan 1, 1998). The ECC with the help of the outgoing GB and
the President will ensure that the transition is smooth and all required
documents are made available to the newly elected GB members along with
archiving the necessary documents.
7. BIANNUAL CONVENTION:
HAA holds a biannual convention during the first weekend (July 4th) of
the Odd years (such as 1997, 1999, 2001 etc). The President of the HAA
shall decide the place (Chapter) of the convention along with the ECM
decided the place by July of the even year. Then the VP (or the President)
of the local chapter where the convention will be held will elect or
nominate a Chair of the convention Committee. The Chair Person will be
responsible for setting up different committees for the convention, as
needed.
Typically the convention will be held for two days. The first day will
be picnic, sports activity, cultural or variety programs by the members
and their children (outdoor activity) . Next day there will be a GB
meeting , administrative meeting, seminar, lectures, entertainment
programs, awards ceremony, recognition of young havyakas etc. (indoor
activity). The convention committee should raise enough fubds to cover all
expenses of the convention. However, HAA will provide the necessary funds
to cover the convention hall depositw, etc. as a loan to be paid to the
HAA after the convention.
The convention announcements and details of the accommodations for
those planning to attend should be distributed along with the annual
reports, etc. by the end of February of the odd year. The convention
committee chair person will update the preparation of the convention on a
monthly basis or as needed to the President and the VP of the local
chapter where the convention is going to be held.
The convention committee chair person will provide all receipts
(anything more than $25) to the treasurer who will reimburse the expenses
with in a month. In the absence of the receipts, convention committee
chair will provide written statement duly signed before the notary public
so as to facilitate proper auditing.
8. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR (CD):
The CD is responsible for the publication of email once a month and
maintaining the email directory of HAA members. All VP's will mail the
meting notes notices, meeting minutes, picnic announcements directly to
the CD. Other announcements such as fund raising activities for schools,
temples or hostels in India should be directed through the President to
the CD. The President shall consult the EC, if needed, then take a
decision to publish such announcements in the email.
The CD will publish the annual reports, audit reportds, etc. forwarded
by the President in the email. All meeting announcements should reach the
CD sufficiently in advance to be published in the email. Matrimonial/Job
announcements/advertisements, which carry a fee, will be cleared through
Business Manager/the Treasurer and the President to the CD for publishing
in the email.
9. BUSINESS MANAGER (BM):
The BM will be nominated by the President and will be elected by the
General Membership. The BM will be responsible for the Matrimonial Data
Bank (MDB)/Job announcements and advertisements.
The BM will draft the format, fix the fee to be collected for the
services and the business procedures for different activities and submit
to the EC for approval. The BM will receive all the MDB details, job
announcements and advertisement draft from the members along with the
checks for service charges. The BM will be responsible for mailing the
checks (service charges) to the Treasurer and the copy of the draft to be
published to the CD for email/US post within two weeks after the receipt.
10. LOCAL CHAPTER MEETINGS:
Conducting the local chapter meetings are the responsibility of the VP
and can be held in any of the HAA members residence. Strict Vegetarian and
non-alcoholic beverages are served during the meetings and is usually a
pot luck lunch or dinner. Before the meeting a 15-20 minutes prayer or
pooja could be conducted by an experienced member. The kid coordinator
makes arrangements for kids to participate in the pooja. The members
conversant in English and sanskrit can explain the meanings of the pooja
in English/Kannada. After the meals there is a business meeting and the VP
of local chapter conducts the meeting, starting with the introduction. The
kids coordinators conduct entertainment program from children and parents.
Finally a vote of thanks by the VP and the host.
11. KID'S COORDINATORS:
These positions are created so that the children get involved in
Havyaka activities and develop leadership and communication skills. They
help in conducting pooja, picnic logistics, entertainment programs at the
meetings. They help gather articles from the kids for the publication in
the Havyaka net. The kid's coordinators are elected or nominated at the
local chapter meetings. Typically the coordinators are from six to 21
years of age.
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