Constitution

This is the Constitution for DVMMM. This is where you'll find all of the rules of DVMMM.

Preamble

Desirous of preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Maharashtra, and of uniting into a cohesive group, we the Marathi loving people of the Greater Delaware Valley and surrounding states do hereby constitute the Delaware Valley Marathi Mitra Mandal and bequeath to ourselves this Constitution and Bylaws.

This organization shall be known as the Delaware Valley Marathi Mitra Mandal (hereinafter called DVMMM or the Association).

An Executive Committee (EC) duly elected by DVMMM members as described in Article 7 shall manage all the business and affairs of DVMMM as per the Constitution and Bylaws.

Principles and Objectives

3.1

The objectives of DVMMM shall be:

3.1.1

To promote literary, educational, cultural and charitable activities related to preserving and promoting the heritage of Maharashtra in particular and India in general.

3.1.2

To create an opportunities for and nurture inter-cultural exchange.

3.1.3

To individually and collectively help and be of service to members of DVMMM and of the local community.

3.2

DVMMM shall be a non-political organization.

3.3

Any member wishing to participate in the activities of DVMMM shall not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, age, race, national origin, color, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, or the state of handicap.

Membership

4.1

Any person who subscribes to the objectives of the Association and pays the annual dues, as decided by the EC, is entitled to be a member of DVMMM. Every such member shall have an obligation to uphold the constitution and the bylaws of DVMMM.

4.2

The membership of DVMMM shall consist of the following categories:

Family membership - Individual, his/her spouse, and minor children under 18. This membership shall entitle all members qualified in the foregoing list to participate in the Associations activities and enjoy all privileges except voting rights. Voting rights shall be limited to the individual and his/her spouse each having one vote.

Individual Membership - This membership shall entitle the individual to participate in the Associations activities and enjoy all privileges including one voting right. Two discount categories of individual membership shall be allowed:

Student members - full time student attending an accredited educational institution.

Senior Citizens - Individuals aged 60 or more.

4.3

Annual dues for each membership category shall be decided by the EC.

Executive Committee

5.1

The EC shall be comprised of the following elected office bearers:

a) President

b) Vice President

c) Cultural Secretary

d) Secretary

e) Treasurer

f) 2 General Office Bearers

5.2

These EC positions shall be elected by the members of DVMMM, in an election with a secret ballot, at an Annual General Body Meeting (AGBM) of DVMMM for a one-year term of office. The EC may also contain up to two additional members at large as outlined in Article 5.3. Any voting member of DVMMM is eligible to run for any office except as limited by Article 5.4.

5.3

Members at Large: The elected EC members by majority vote may appoint up to two additional members to serve on the EC for a one-year term of office. These appointed members should be full voting members of the EC.

5.4

Term Limits: All EC members (elected or appointed) shall be allowed to hold a particular office/position for one term only. However, they shall be allowed to hold another position on the EC for one more consecutive term. No member (elected or appointed) can serve more than two consecutive terms on the EC. An exception to these limits will be allowed in a situation where not enough candidates stand for election to fill all the elected EC positions.

5.5

All 7 members of first, founding EC shall have terms that run to Sankrant 2004. The term of office for members of all subsequent ECs shall begin on ‘Sankrant’ day each year and end on the day before ‘Sankrant’ the following year.

5.6

If any vacancy arises on the EC through any cause, the EC may appoint any current member of DVMMM to fill that vacancy by majority vote. This appointment should be communicated to all DVMMM members within 30 days.

5.7

Any EC member may be dismissed from the EC by a minimum of two-thirds of the EC members voting for dismissal. Twenty-one day’s notice shall be given to the EC member being considered for dismissal.

5.8

Each year in August or during Ganapati celebrations, the EC by majority vote shall appoint two Election Offices according to the provisions of the Bylaws. These officers will help conduct annual elections during the AGBM held per Article 7. The term of these Election Officers will end after the AGBM.

Finance / Asset Management

6.1

DVMMM shall be a non-profit organization. No dividends or monetary profits shall be declared or paid to the EC or DVMMM members thereof.

6.2

The association's income shall be derived from membership dues, fees for functions and events, and charitable donations and grants.

6.3

No monetary or physical assets of DVMMM shall be distributable to DVMMM members or other private persons. If the association is dissolved per Article 8, any remaining assets will be donated per Article 8.2.

6.4

All DVMMM members including EC members work as volunteers and cannot be compensated in any form for their time and effort for services rendered to, or duties performed on behalf of the association.

6.5

A non EC member shall be appointed by the EC for auditing the DVMMM accounts of the fiscal year and the results of this audit shall be published to all members by Sankrant day in the following year.

General Body

7.1

The General Body of the Association shall consist of all dues paying members, and will have power over the EC or any other Committee of the Association.

7.2

An Annual General Body Meeting of the Association will be held coincident with Diwali celebrations, or during October or November each year.

7.3

The following activities shall take place during the AGBM

7.3.1

The Election Officers shall conduct an election for the EC.

7.3.2

The President will present a ‘State of the Association’ report.

7.3.3

The Treasurer will report on the fiscal status of the Association.

7.3.4

Any other special motions, such as motions to amend the constitution, shall be considered.

7.4

A special General Body meeting may be called by a majority vote of the EC or by a written petition signed by 1/3rd of the dues paying members. In the either case, the President shall inform the General body of the matter and call a General Body meeting within 30 days of receiving such notice.

If the Association ceases to function or the EC decides that the Association is no longer able to fulfill the objectives outlined in this constitution, then the association may be dissolved as follows in Section 8.1

8.1

The EC shall circulate a notice of intent of dissolution to all members and call a Special General Body Meeting no earlier than 30 days from circulating such notice. At this meeting, the motion to dissolve can be considered only if enough members are present to cast the greater of 25 votes or votes equal to 25% of all dues paying members. The motion to dissolve must pass by a two-thirds majority of all votes cast.

8.2

Upon dissolution of the Association, the Executive Committee shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the Association, donate of all of the assets for charitable purposes to non-profit organizations.

This constitution may be amended as follows:

Any DVMMM member, including EC members, may circulate a notice of intent to amend and a description of the proposed amendment to all members at least 30 days prior to the Annual General Body Meeting. At this meeting, the motion to amend can be considered only if enough members are present to cast the lesser of 25 votes or votes equal to 25% of all dues paying members. The motion to amend must pass by a two-thirds majority of all votes cast.