Constitution

EXCERPTS OF THE CONSTITUTION

MEMBERSHIP AND FEES

1. Additional classes of membership may be instituted by agreement at an AGM of SAHIA
2. The monetary value of each unit (currently R40.00 for 1 unit) shall be determined by council and, at discretion of council, be reviewed from time to time.
3. If members do not pay there fees within one year of due date there privelages shall automatically lapse.
4. If members do not pay their subscriptions within 2 years there membership will lapse
5. Council Members must pay full subscriptions for the year in which they are elected.

COUNCIL

a) The council shall consist of :

• Six Elected Members
• Nominated Members as per by laws F.2. Each institution being an institutional member in good standing shall be entitled to nominate one person to serve on council in an advisory capacity. Such a person shall be designated a nominated member. The names of the nominated members shall reach the honorary secretary not less than 2 weeks before the AGM
• Co Opted Members as per by laws F.3. Council is empowered at its discretion to co opt from among corporate members a maximum of three additional council members who shall be designated Co-opted chairs. Co-Opted members must be full members of council
• Extraordinary members of council as per by laws F.4. One elected representative to each international organization to which SAHIA is affiliated provided that no such representative is already a member of council. Chairpersons of regional groups or their nominated category. These members will not have any council voting rights.

b) The officers of Council shall consist of:

• The President
• The Vice President
• The Immediate Past President
• The Honourary secretary
• The Honourary Treasurer
• The IMIA representative

c) Election and nomination of Officers and ordinary members of Council shall be in accordance with F5 of the by laws.

i.    The President

• The President will be nominated by council among its members at its first meeting after  the Annual Election.
• The President must be a corporate member of SAHIA.
• No member shall be elected to the office of President unless he has served on council for at least one year.
• The President shall hold office for one year and be eligible for re election.

ii.    The Vice President

• The Vice President will be nominated by council among its members at its first meeting after the Annual Election.
• The Vice President must be a corporate member of SAHIA.
• No member shall be elected to the office of President unless he has served on council for at least one year.

iii.    The Immediate Past President

• THIS IS A NON ELECTIVE APPOINTMENT AS IT IS AUTOMATIC. The Appointment shall apply until a new president is elected, at which time the retiring president shall become the immediate past president.

iv.    The Honourary secretary

• The honorary secretary will be nominated by council at its first meeting after the Annual Election, but not necessarily form among its members.
• The Honorary Secretary must be a corporate member of SAHIA.
• The honorary secretary shall hold office for one year and be eligible for re election.

v.    The Honourary Treasurer

• The honorary Treasurer will be nominated by council at its first meeting after the Annual Election, but not necessarily form among its members.
• The Honorary treasurer must be a corporate member of SAHIA.
• The honorary treasurer shall hold office for one year and be eligible for re election.

vi.    The IMIA representative

• The IMIA representative will be nominated by council at its first meeting after the Annual Election, but not necessarily form among its members.
• The IMIA representative must be a corporate member of SAHIA.
• The IMIA representative shall hold office for three years and be eligible for re election.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

• 10% of the corporate membership shall constitute a quorum
• Should the quorum not be realized the meeting shall be adjourned for a period at the discretion of the chairperson. when the meeting is reconvened those corporate members who are present, provided they do not number less than 10, shall be regarded as a quorum.
• Motions may be proposed and seconded by any member, and with exception to changes of the constitution and by laws, shall be adopted on the basis of a majority vote.
• The President or in his absence, the Vice President shall preside over all meetings.
• In the absence of the President and Vice President, the meeting shall elect it’s own chairperson
• The chairperson shall have a deliberative vote and in the event of a tie the casting vote.

DUTIES OF COUNCIL

1) Council shall:

• Promote the objects of SAHIA
• Ensure that resolutions taken at general meetings are carried out.
• Attend to the day to day business of SAHIA
• Undertake liaisons with international organsations with which SAHIA adhere to or have close ties with.
• Lay down any entrance fees and annual subscriptions

2) The Honorary Secretary shall:

• Conduct all correspondence in consultation with the President, or if he/she is absent with the Vice President
• Call all meetings of SAHIA
• Attend to the formalities of the general meetings and elections
• Call for motions and nominations from members not less than 6 weeks prior to the annual general meeting
• Circularise to members the notices convening the meeting, the ballot and proxy forms, statements of motions and names , before of nominees to council not less than 4 weeks prior to the AGM
• Call for the names of nominated members of Council not less than 4 weeks prior to the date decided on for the meeting
• Circularise to members the final agenda for general meetings not less than 2 weeks prior to the date decided upon for the meeting.
• Call all council meetings
• Immediately after the result of the ballot pertaining to council elections notify all members of the new council.

3) The Honorary Treasurer shall:

• Receive, and arrange for the disbursement of all monies pertaining to SAHIA, and maintain the financial affairs in order by keeping appropriate books.
• In conjunction with the auditors, prepare an annual financial report for presentation to the annual general meeting.
• Dispatch to all members, accounts pertaining to annual subscriptions to date.

FINANCE

• Council is empowered to levy, fix and amend entrance fees and/or annual subscriptions. evidence supporting the necessity to make these changes will be presented at the Annual General Meeting.
• The financial affairs of SAHIA shall be under the control of council through the honourary treasurer.
• Council is empowered to open such bank accounts as it deems suitable for the lodgment of funds belonging to or controlled by SAHIA.
• Separate accounts may be opened for the lodgment of funds by SAHIA for special purposes.
• All withdrawals from the bank account shall require 2 signatories:
  1. That of the honorary treasurer  AND
  2. that of another authorized signatory

CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION

• Changes to the constitution, by way of addition, alteration or repeal, may only be made at the Annual General Meeting called for this purpose.
• Proposed changes may be submitted by:
  1. Council
  2. A corporate member with the supporting signatures of not less than two additional corporate members, such submission to reach the honorary secretary not less than six weeks prior to the meeting in question.
• The Honorary Secretary shall circularize such proposed changes together with the notice for convening the meeting.
• The meeting may accept any proposed change, may accept it after amendment, or may reject it.
• Any proposed change shall be deemed carried by a minimum vote of 75% in it’s favour counted out of voting members present, postal votes and proxy votes.
• A proposed change which is carried becomes effective immediately.
• When proposed change is carried, the Honorary Secretary shall notify all members of such change within 2 weeks.

INTERPRETATION

• In the event of any ambiguity in the interpretation of the Constitution and by Laws, the interpretation of Council shall be binding upon all members.