CONSTITUTION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN HEALTH CARE ORGANISATION (SAHECO)

Transcription

1 CONSTITUTION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN HEALTH CARE ORGANISATION (SAHECO) 1. NAME The Organisation will be called the South African Health Care Organisation (hereinafter referred to as SAHECO) 1.1 The Organisation shall:? Exist in its own right, separately from its members? Continue to exist even when its membership changes and there are different office bearers? Be able to own property and other possessions? Be able to sue and be sued in its own name 2. MISSION STATEMENT SAHECO intends to bridge the gap between poor people living in rural areas and those living in urban areas regarding the availability of health resources. The organisation intends to build capacity of its members as well as that of the members of the community. This would include conceptual, technical as well as social capacity. The organisation also intends to empower the disadvantaged communities so that they can effectively fight poverty and diseases. Job creation for the disadvantaged communities will assist in the eradication of poverty. 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 3.1 The primary objectives of SAHECO shall be as follows: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) To assist communities to identify their health needs To make health services accessible to the people living in rural areas To educate communities about communicable diseases with special emphasis on HIV/AIDS and STD? S To assist communities to create job opportunities for themselves To facilitate the implementation of primary health care To facilitate the implementation of the district health system

2 3.2 SAHECO shall have the following secondary objectives: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) To encourage community members to participate in participatory research To identify and recruit community members through communication with the key figures and train them so that they can train other community members To run community workshops so as to disseminate health information To encourage communities to do small scale farming To encourage community participation through partnership To encourage inter-sectorial collaboration by working with various community service providers 4. INCOME AND PROPERTY 4.1 The organisation will keep a record of everything it owns 4.2 The organisation may not give any of its money or property to its members or office bearers. The only time it can do this is when it pays for work that a member or office bearer has done for the organisation. The payment must be a reasonable amount for the work that has been done. 4.3 A member of the organisation can only get money back from the organisation for expenses that he or she has paid for on behalf of the organisation 4.4 Members or office bearers of the organisation do not have rights over things that belong to the organisation 5. MEMBERSHIP 5.1 Any person may make application to become a member of SAHECO. In order to become a member application must be made to the Management Committee 5.2 Members of the organisation must attend its Annual General Meeting. At the Annual General Meeting:? members will elect the Management Committee of the next term of office. Those elected will become SAHECO? s Office Bearers.? The Financial Statements and the Chairperson? s annual report will be discussed? The Budget for the next year will be approved 5.3 All members of the organisation who are over the age of eighteen (18) years will be allowed to vote at the Annual General Meeting 5.4 SAHECO must take a decision as to whether to allow other organisations or institutions that are interested in helping to achieve its objectives to become members. SAHECO must decide whether outside organisations or institutions have to pay membership fees 5.5 Each member organisations must appoint someone to represent it. That person will vote on its behalf at SAHECO meetings.. It may send someone else called an alternate to replace its appointed representative at any meeting if the appointed representatives cannot attend 5.6 Each member organisation must tell the SAHECO secretary who its representative and alternate will be. If the representative or alternate resign from or leave the member organisation he/she cannot carry on as the member organisation? s representative. 5.7 Political Parties/Organisations will not be allowed to become members.

3 6. ENDING MEMBERSHIP 6.1 If a member has not been active in SAHECO for six (6) months or has failed to attend three (3) consecutive meetings without acceptable reasons, the Management Committee may decide to terminate the membership of that person If the Management Committee makes a decision to terminate a persons membership with good cause, it cannot do so until the member has been heard by the Committee. The member may bring a representative to the hearing if he/she should so wish. The hearing must take place before the Management Committee can take the final decision to terminate membership. 6.3 A member of the Management Committee may resign before the term of office is complete but this can only be done if there are at least three (3) Management Committee members remaining 6.4 The Management Committee has the right to co-opt a member to serve on the Committee should a member need to resign and there are not sufficient members remaining 6.5 A member may resign if he/she can no longer continue to serve efficiently due to illness, mental disorder, or if by being active in SAHECO he/she is unable to give suffienct attention to needs at home or work 7. COMMITMENT 7.1 Members of SAHECO are expected to make the following commitment to the organisation: attend meetings and participate actively in realising the aims of SAHECO to appoint representatives to SAHECO who will regularly report back to their respective members to be motivated and have the interest of the community at heart to devote time to SAHECO to use their skills to further the aims of SAHECO or to exhibit a willingness to learn skills which will further the aims of SAHECO 8. THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 8.1 The Management Committee shall be elected annually at the AGM and shall consist of eleven (11) people as follows: CHAIRPERSON; VICE-CHAIRPERSON; SECRETARY; ASSISTANT SECRETARY; TREASURER and FIVE (5) ADDITIONAL MEMBERS 8.1 The term of office for the members of the Management Committee shall be one (1) year but they may be eligible for re-election

4 9. FUNCTIONS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 9.1 General management of SAHECO 9.2 Appointment of Project Co-ordinators and relevant co-workers 9.3 Appointment of staff 9.4 Administration of finance - a Finance Committee may be established if necessary 9.5 Supervision of the financial transactions of Project co-ordinators and Fund raisers 9.6 The Management Committee shall have the power to appoint any person to serve on any committee as an advisor or consultant 9.7 A Membership Register shall be kept 9.8 Books of Account shall be kept 9.9 The Management Committee will supervise/oversee working Task Teams 9.10 The Management Committee must meet at least once a month 10. DUTIES OF OFFICE BEARERS 10.1 The Chairperson, as Leader of the organisation, chairs all the organisation? s meetings that he/she attends. He/she must: see that members abide by the rules and guidelines in the constitution keep good order sign the Minutes of meetings after they have been approved by the members present check that the Accounts are correct and approve use of the organisations finances and agree to the payment of accounts sign cheques on the organisations banking accounts sign all funding agreements generally supervise and keep track of the affairs of the organisation carry out other duties as expected by the organisation of its Chairperson ensure that all Officials and Committees complete the tasks assigned and agreed upon within the time allocated to the task ensure that all meetings take place regularly as set out in the Constitution make use of his/her authority, where necessary, to ensure that other officials and members of the organisation and its committees carry out tasks and duties where necessary ensure the every member understands the concept of team work and he/she must lead with the team spirit required for all members to work together serve as ex-officio on all sub-committees. Being ex-officio means he/she can attend all the meetings and take part in the discussions but may not vote on issues in the sub-committees chair/run the Annual General Meeting ensure that the Annual Report is completed

5 11. VICE-CHAIRPERSON 11.1 The Vice Chairperson takes on the tasks and duties of the Chairperson when he/she is unable to do so. The Vice Chairperson and Chairperson must liaise closely at all times If both the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson are unable to attend a meeting then the members of that meeting elect a chairperson from among themselves to carry out the task of the Chair. 12. TREASURER 12.1 The Treasurer keeps a record of all the money that comes directly into the organisation. This will include : membership fees, donations and funds raised.. The Treasurer also keeps records of al the money that is spend by the organisation The Treasurer supervises the income and expenditure af Projects which have appointed their own Project Fund Raiser and Treasurer. He/she ensures that the Project Co-ordinator is keeping the correct records required legally 12.3 The Treasurer must: keep proper records of all income and expenditure keep up-to-date records of members keep up-to-date records of donors ensure that all money received is receipted in the legal manner, signing all receipts ensure that all accounts are paid timeously be responsible for collecting and receipting membership fees ensure that the organisation does not overspend but keeps within budget prepare the annual Financial Statements of the organisation and present to the Annual General Meeting 13. SECRETARY 13.1 The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that the administration work of the organisation runs efficiently. He/she works closely with the Chairperson; Vice Chairperson and the Treasurer 13.2 The Secretary must: keep accurate records and Minutes of all meetings deal with all correspondence - incoming and outgoing - efficiently and timeously prepare and send out notices of all meetings carry out any other duties as reasonably requested by the Management Committee Ensure that the venue for meetings is arranged and set up for the number of persons expected

6 14. VICE SECRETARY 14.1 The Vice Secretary takes on all tasks and duties of the Secretary when he/she is unavailable 15. MEETING AND PROCEDURES OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 15.1 The Management must hold at least two Ordinary Meetings each year 15.2 The Chairperson, or two Members of the Committee, may call a Special Meeting if necessary. The other Members of the Management Committee must be informed of the Special Meeting not less that seven (7) days prior to the date of the meeting. An Agenda must be made available at the time of informing the other members. Should however, the matter to be discussed is the appointment of a new Management Member, then notice must be given not less that fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting with the appropriate Agenda The Chairperson shall facilitate the meeting. Should the Chairperson be unable to attend then the members at the meeting will choose a chairperson among themselves to lead the meeting The Management Committee is enabled to vote on issues when necessary. Should the vote be even the Chairperson may cast the deciding vote 15.5 Minutes of all meetings must be kept safely and be available for members to consult if required 15.6 Should the Management Committee deem it necessary, they can decide to set up one or more sub-committees. This may assist in quick and efficient handling of certain tasks. A sub-committee may also be set up for the task of handling an enquiry. There must be at least four (4) members on a sub-committee and the sub-committee is bound to report back to the Management Committee on its activities on a regular basis as decided at the outset. 16. FINANCE 16.1 An Accounting Officer shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting, His/her duty is to check on the finances of the organisation 16.2 The Treasurer? s task is to control the finances of the organisation along with two other people from the organisation. These three (3) people arrange for all funds to be placed in a bank account in the name of the organisation Whenever funds are removed from the bank account the Chairperson and at least two other members of the organisation sign the withdrawal 16.3 In the case of separate banking arrangements made for a specific project, the Treasurer must have copies of all transactions and the Chairman must be one of the three signatories to all checks/withdrawals 16.4 The Financial year of the organisation is 1 April to 31 March The financial year for specific projects must fit in as best possible with the year of the organisation 16.6 The accounting records of the organisation (including those of the specific projects) must be handed to the Director of Non-Profit Organisation within six (6) months of the end of the financial year

7 17. CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION 17.1 The Constitution may be changed by a resolution. This resolution has to be agreed upon and signed by not less than two-thirds ( 2/3 ) of the members at the meeting where the resolution is discussed. Members must vote at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special Meeting which has been called to discuss the changes The change in the Constitution will only be accepted if at lease seventy-five (75%) percent of the members at the meeting vote for the change. Members who vote must be active members in the organisation A written notice must go out not less than twenty-eight (28) days prior to the meeting in which the changes will be proposed. The notice must contain the proposed changes to the Constitution in order that members come to the meeting prepared for the discussion. 18. ARBITRATION 18.1 In the event of a dispute arising among the members of the Management Committee, or in the event that consensus cannot be reached the matter must be referred for arbitration 18.2 All parties must agree on the person to be arbitrator 18.3 The decision of the arbitrator is binding on the parties to the dispute and shall not be made the subject of any legal proceedings by any party 19. DISSOLUTION/WINDING UP 19.1 The organisation may close down if at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members present and voting at the meeting convened for the purpose of considering such a matter, are in favour of closing down Prior to the dissolution of the organisation it must settle all outstanding debts and any money or property remaining must be given to another non-profit organisation with similar objectives to SAHECO. The members at the meeting must decide the recipient organisation. 20. ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION This Constitution was approved and accepted by Members of SOUTH AFRICAN HEALTH CARE ORGANISATION at a Special General Meeting held at on (day) (month) - (year) CHAIRPERSON SECRETARY