Constitution For

MALAYALEE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

At YORK UNIVERSITY
[REVISED AND RATIFIED: June 25th, 2009]
Table of Contents
Preamble
Article I. NAME & OBJECTIVES
Article II. INTERPRETATION
Article III. MEMBERSHIP
Article IV. MEETING PROCEDURES
Article V. QUORUM
Article VI. OFFICERS, QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES
Article VII. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Article IX. PROCEDURES REGARDING ALLEGATIONS OF
WRONGDOING AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION
Article X. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Article XI. DUES
Article XII. EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS
Article XIII. COMMITTEES
Article XIV. ADISORY/MANAGEMENT BOARDS
Article XV. EXTERNAL AFFILIATIONS
Article XVI. BY-LAWS AND AMENDMENTS
Article XVII. RATIFICATION
Constitution For
MALAYALEE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
AT YORK UNIVERSITY
[REVISED AND RATIFIED: June 25th, 2009]
PREAMBLE

The purpose of “Malayalee Students Association at York University” is to

promote and inform the York community about the Malayalee/Keralite
culture of India. We also want to bring together all people who want to
share in and enjoy the culture of Kerala. This includes both people of
Keralite heritage (Malayalee) and those from outside the Keralite heritage.

Article I. NAME & OBJECTIVES

The name of this club/organization shall be “Malayalee Students Association at

York University”. The name of this club/organization shall not be changed unless
it conflicts with university’s policies, and/or federal, provincial and municipal laws.

The club/organization, “Malayalee Students Association at York University”,

hereafter referred to as YUMSA:

• Promotes awareness of and represents the academic and political

concerns of Malayalees at York University
• Celebrates the culture of Kerala
• Serves as a forum for the open discussion of issues relevant to its
members and to Kerala
• Exists to build a sense of community among its members and to build
relations between its members and student groups on and off campus

Article II. INTERPRETATION

The Secretary will interpret all the laws/rules that will be passed in the future.
He/She will explain all the laws/rules during meetings. The method of
interpretation shall be by presentations to the members of this organization. Any
aids (such as power point presentation or overheads etc) can be used only for
the enhancement of the clarity of the law(s) being presented. The Secretary is
subject to answer any concern regarding laws that are passed or to be passed.

Article III. MEMBERSHIP

Membership is open to all students, staff and faculty members. There are two
types of membership.

Member: Members, who are registered, will be able to attend and help out in
events hosted by Malayalee Students Association at York University,
and they are allowed to vote.

Executives: Members who are elected to hold a position in the committee. They
are able to vote along with their duties.

ALL MEMBERS MUST REGISTER FOR MEMBERSHIP EVERY YEAR

Article IV. MEETING PROCEDURES

There will be a meeting every two months of the school year (September – April).
The dates of these meeting will be decided by the President and Vice-President.
If any concerns or regards which affect the club as a whole, a meeting will be
called within 2 weeks of the day the issue was brought up. If any members want
to setup a meeting, they must contact the secretary first through email. The main
medium of communication and notifications of upcoming meeting will be through
email to the members. During the meeting, everyone has equal speaking
privileges, however, the Secretary and any other member(s) who brought up the
issue, if any, will guide the discussion of that particular issue. If any emergency
issues regarding the club arise, you may contact the President or Vice-President
directly through any medium available, which then the President or Vice
President will set up the emergency meeting. Members and Executives have the
privilege to vote on (an) issue(s). If there is a tie vote, the President, Vice-
President and the Treasurer will vote on that particular issue and the result will
be used.

Article V. QUORUM

In order for the voting procedure to place during a meeting, there must be at least
55% of the Members and Executives combined.
Article VI. OFFICERS, QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES

Section A. The officers of the organization shall be the following: President, Vice-
President, Treasurer and Secretary.

Section B. The duties and qualifications of the officers shall be as follows:

• President: In order to be a President one must have attended at least half

the official club events in the previous year. He/She will approve or reject
events, call the elections, ensures that events take place and approves all
financial transactions/deals. He/She is the Primary Signing officer. The
President shall work primarily to coordinate and administrate the efforts of
the Executive Council, appointed officers, and members of the
association. The President must be able to respond to issues of
importance to Malayalees, and will speak and represent the association in
both off campus and on campus affairs. In this effort, the President must
follow with the sentiments and concerns of the association and welcome
any input that members have on YUMSA, its events, and its functions. The
President will be responsible for the YUMSA Debit Card, which can be
used for purchases made for the organization upon authorization from the
Treasurer.
• Vice-President: In order to be a Vice-President one must have attended
at least half the official club event in the previous year. He/she ensures
that the location of events and safety of the event is maintained, is in
charge of provisions for all meetings. The Vice-President must assume the
responsibilities of the President in his/her absences. Further, the Vice-
President is responsible for assisting the President in the dealings with the
University administration and to assist the President in any capacity
necessary. It is the role of the Vice-President to oversee the operations of
the Events, Marketing and Public Relations Coordinators.
• Treasurer: In order to be a Treasurer one must have attended at least
one event in the previous year. He/She is in charge of collecting money for
events and for fees, and maintains that the money is safe. He/She is a
signing officer. The Treasurer is in charge of all monetary transactions
involving the organization. The Treasurer is responsible for publishing
regular financial statements, as well as creating a budget report at the
beginning of each year and a financial summary at the end of each year.
In addition, the Treasurer is responsible for ticket sales at all events and
will be responsible for securing funding and/or applying for grants for all of
the organization’s activities. The Treasurer should be available to answer
any questions regarding YUMSA’s financial situation. The Treasurer and
President(s) will solely retain signing power for YUMSA financial accounts.
• Secretary: In order to be a secretary one must be a member. He/She is in
charge sending the emails to all members and bringing any concerns to
the attention of the president and vice-president. The Secretary is
responsible for creating and maintaining membership lists and the YUMSA
email account, keeping minutes at meetings, and publicizing all events on
e-mail. The Secretary will oversee and coordinate changes in the
webpage, in conjunction with the webmaster, for the purpose of
announcements, meetings, and general information.

Section C. The associates of the organization shall be the following: Events

Coordinator, Events Associate, Marketing Coordinator and Public
Relations Coordinator.

Section D. The duties of associates shall be as follows:

• Events Coordinator: In order to be an Events Coordinator, one must be

a Member. He/She organizes events and maintains provisions for that
event, and is in charge of notifying the secretary of the event so that all
members will know about it. The Events Coordinator is responsible for
coordinating the various social events that YUMSA holds throughout the
year, including, but not limited to, catered dinners, mixers and informal
social events. As liaison, the Events Coordinator is responsible for
coordinating efforts to hold joint social events with other colleges and
other students and community members within the Ontario area. The
Events Coordinator should also work specifically toward intercultural
communication and affiliation through the arrangement of social
functions between YUMSA and other cultural groups.
• Events Associate: Help the Events Coordinator with planning,
organizing and maintaining provisions for events and whatever
assistance the Events Coordinator requires. The Events Associate must
assume all the responsibilities of the Events Coordinator in the event of
his/her absence.
• Marketing Coordinator: The Marketing Coordinator is responsible for
conducting publicity campaigns for all events sponsored or co-sponsored
by YUMSA. The Marketing Coordinator shall coordinate postering drives,
send invitations to faculty and visiting dignitaries, and serve as liaisons
between YUMSA and the media. Publicity campaigns may include, but
are not limited to: electronic publicity, such as e-flyers and web
announcements, as well as conventional publicity, such as posters,
banners, programs, and press releases. The Marketing Coordinator will
work closely with the Secretary to ensure that events are adequately
publicized. The Marketing Coordinator is responsible for designing and
creating all materials used for publicity.
• Public Relations Coordinator: The role of Public Relations is to
coordinate communication with and seek out resources from individuals
and groups within and beyond York University for YUMSA. The Public
Relations Coordinator will seek ways to increase the interaction of
YUMSA with the surrounding community through community service
events. Moreover, the Public Relations Coordinator will maintain
relationships and contact with other Malayalee groups in Canada and
Abroad. The Public Relations Coordinator is responsible for responding
to requests for, and to promote any activities and events that are
deemed to be culturally and socially enriching to YUMSA. He/She is also
responsible for maintaining contact and creating relations with the larger
South Asian community within Toronto to promote a sentiment of unity.

Section E. The appointed associates of the organization shall be the following:

Webmaster and First Year Rep.
Section F. The duties of associates shall be as follows:

• Webmaster: The webmaster will be responsible for regularly

updating the webpage and maintaining various components of the
website including but not limited to an up-to-date calendar of events, an
online collection of pictures from events, a guestbook, relevant links, and
contact information. The webmaster shall be appointed by the Executive
Council in June preceding the academic year in which they serve.
• First Year Representative: The first year representative will be
responsible for meeting with and introducing the club to all first year
students. He/She will also be responsible for representing the needs of
first year students within the executive council. The first year rep must be
an outgoing individual committed to maintaining relations between new
students and the executive council.

Article VII. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section A. The term of office for each executive council member is for one year
beginning on May 1st and will end one year later on April 30th.

Section B. Nominations of positions will take place during the first week in
March, and Elections will be held during the third week of March.

Section C. The senior most outgoing executive takes the role of Chief returning
Officer for the Elections. The second most senior outgoing officer will
be the Deputy Returning Officer. The CRO/DRO does not vote and
will count votes with both present.

Section D. Installation of new officers shall take place the first day of May

Section E. Special elections shall be held if a vacancy occurs, in which the

members of the club will be notified by the secretary with the
approval of the President and Vice-President. The election will occur
2 weeks within the day of vacancy is stated.

Any Member is able to vote in these elections. All advertising shall be done
through email, and doesn’t need the approval of the President and Vice-
President. Note that the expense of advertising, if any, will be at the nominee’s
own cost and NOT of the club’s finance. If a tie is the result, another vote will
take place immediately, and if it is a tie again, then the Executives will only vote
and the majority result will be the official result.

Article VIII. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A conflict of interest exists when a member’s personal or financial interest

conflicts with the duties and responsibilities of their position and the obligation
they owe to the organization

Should any dispute/conflict arise, all the Executives shall come together to
decide and vote on a resolution that would benefit the club.

Article IX. PROCEDURES REGARDING ALLEGATIONS OF WRONGDOING

AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Any member involved in wrongdoing will be dealt with by the President and Vice-
President, unless they are the ones at wrong in which the executive council will
decide on a resolution. The accused will be given a chance to defend his/her
case before suspension.

Article X. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The President(s) and Treasurer are the sole signing authorities for any and all
financial aspects and they are responsible for maintaining financial records and
reports. The budget for any event is decided by the Executive Council with the
approval from the Treasurer and/or President.

Article XI. DUES

No dues are linked with this club/organization.

Article XII. EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

There will be no employees hired at this club/organization. However, volunteers

are welcome. The hours served will be dealt with by the discretion of the Events
Coordinator.

Article XIII. COMMITTEES

This does not apply to this club/organization.

Article XIV. ADISORY/MANAGEMENT BOARDS

This club/organization will not own and/or operate any small business. An
advisory board may be instituted at the discretion of the Executive Council to
promote the goals of YUMSA. The role of such a board is limited to advising the
Executive Council on issues and is for one (1) year terms.

Article XV. EXTERNAL AFFILIATIONS

No external affiliation or jurisdictional relationships are present, but is subject to

revision.

Article XVI. BY-LAWS AND AMENDMENTS

The President, Vice-President can review the constitution at any point in time.
The passing of the amendments are subject to the popular preference through a
voting in which 2/3rds of the executive council should vote on that amendment.

Article XVII. RATIFICATION

The Executive council shall ratify any amendments through votes. 2/3rds majority
is required.

The Primary Signing Officer and the Secretary will be in charge of holding onto
the most updated constitution for the year. The Constitution and Amendment
Meeting Minutes will be available in .pdf form online on the website with a date
stamp, and will be updated every time an amendment is made within a week of
approval.