BURNT OAK NEPALESE COMMUNITY LONDON CONSTITUTION (Amended December 2017)

INTRODUCTION:

BURNT OAK NEPALESE COMMUNITY LONDON(BONC LDN) was established in January 2004 with the aim of preserving the Nepalese culture, language and tradition as well as promoting unity, cohesion, foster relationship & integration amongst the Nepalese and other people living within and outside the London Borough of Barnet Council. The community was registered with the Community Barnet formerly Barnet Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) in 2004 and National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). SECTION 1: FULL NAME, COMMENCEMENT & PRACTICE: 1. The name of the organisation is: Burnt Oak Nepalese Community London (BONC LDN). 2. The rules are applicable to all members of the community. 3. The rules have been in place since the organisation was registered in 2004.

SECTION 2: AIM: 1. To resolve any emergencies that may arise within the community mainly related with welfare of the members & their immediate dependents. 2. To preserve Nepalese culture, tradition and language. 3. To promote unity, cohesion, foster relationship & integration within and other communities.

SECTION 3: DEFINITION: 1. The word Community means the Burnt Oak Nepalese Community London. 2. The management Committee means those members mentioned in section 4. 3. The word members mean all active members of the Burnt Oak Nepalese Community London. 4. The term Office bearers means those mentioned in section 4.

SECTION 4: MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: In order to run the community in an appropriate and effective manner a 14 member plus advisors and other committee members as necessary have been formed/elected/appointed with the following appointments. If more than one person wishes to run for a post, a proper process of election will be held.

1. Chairman or Chairperson.

2. Vice Chairman or Vice Chairperson/Youth coordinator.

3. General Secretary/Public Relations Secretary/Spokesperson.

4. Secretary.

5. Treasurer.

6. Assistant Treasurer.

7. Culture Secretary.

8. Assistant Culture Secretary.

9. Sports Coordinator.

10. Media Representative.

11. Senior Members Coordinator.

12. Women’s coordinator/Women’s Chairperson (Aamasamuha ).

13. Assistant Women’s coordinator/women’s vice chairperson (Aamasamuha). 14. Youth coordinator/Leader, Youth committee.

15. Committee members.

16. Advisors.

SECTION 5:

DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWER: CHAIRMAN OR CHAIRPERSON:

1. To represent the community as a figurehead.

2. To summon meetings as and when necessary.

3. To chair the meeting and cast decisive vote.

4. To ensure effective operation of the committee and the community.

VICE CHAIRMAN OR VICE CHAIRPERSON/YOUTH COORDINATOR: 1. To cover the duties of the Chairman in his/her absence.

2. To assist the Chairman in running the committee and the community smoothly.

GENERAL SECRETARY/PUBLIC RELATIONS SECRETARY/SPOKES PERSON:

1. To deal with all correspondences, press and publicity,

2. To record decisions and policy in the minutes.

3. To make arrangements for the meetings.

4. To prepare the agenda with the Chairman.

5. To produce, keep copy and distribute the minutes of the meeting.

6. To ensure the members are informed of all the meetings, and all the events that the community are holding and taking part.

7. To keep up-to-date record of the members.

8. To keep the copy of the original constitution, and record amendments supported by the decisions passed on the Annual General Meeting.

9. To keep public relations.

10. To speak on behalf of the Community.

SECRETARY:

1. To cover the duties of the General Secretary in his/her absence.

2. To assist the General Secretary in his/her duties.

TREASURER:

1. To ensure proper systems for financial control and reporting.

2. To keep the members properly informed about the state of the communities’ finances.

3. To ensure financial reports to members are comprehensible.

4. To keep the communities’ financial record properly.

ASSISTANT TREASURER:

1. To cover the duties of the Treasurer on his/her absence.

2. To assist treasurer on his duties.

CULTURE SECRETARY:

1. To represent the community on culture/cultural matters.

2. To prepare cultural programme as & when necessary.

ASSISTANT CULTURE SECRETARY:

1. To cover the duties of the culture secretary in his/her absence.

2. To assist culture secretary.

SPORTS COORDINATOR:

1. To coordinate sporting events within the community.

2. To mobilise the youth group as & when necessary in sports activities.

MEDIA REPRESENTIVE:

1. To promote the community in all aspects of the community affairs.

2. To promote & publicise all community activities on media.

3. To publish a community newsletter if required.

SENIOR MEMBERS COORDINATOR:

1. To coordinate senior members in all community affairs.

2. To mobilise senior members as & when necessary.

WOMEN’S COORDINATOR/WOMEN’S CHAIRPERSON (AAMA SAMUHA):

1. To act as a figurehead of women and lead them on all community activities and matters.

2. To organise and coordinate compassionate (wedding bheties and death relief (dukkha saatne) as well as new born) visits.

VICE WOMEN’S COORDINATOR/VICE WOMEN’S CHAIRPERSON (AAMA SAMUHA):

1. To cover the duties of Women’s Coordinator/Chair person in her absence.

2. To assist the Women’s Coordinator/Chairperson in all community activities.

YOUTH COORDINATOR/LEADER:

1. To lead, coordinate and mobilise youths in all community activities. YOUTH COMMITTEE: A group of youth committee will be formed to assist youth coordinator/Leader in all community activities. COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Committee members will be elected/appointed by the annual General Meeting (AGM) to assist the management committee to help run all the community events. ADVISORS: The Advisors will be appointed consisting mainly of former office bearers (Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Gen Secretaries) and other academics/dignitaries, whose task will be to advise the management committee and the community in all aspects.

SECTION 6:

COMMUNITY ADDRESS AND CONTACT PERSON: Address: General Secretary BONC LDN. Contact: General Secretary BONC LDN. SECTION 7: GENERAL RULES:

1. There will be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the members of the community once a year.

2. An emergency meeting can be called in by the Management committee if and when necessary.

3. The tenure for the Management Committee will be three years.

4. A membership covers for only his/her immediate dependents (sons, daughters) living under the same roof. It will not cover for a member’s parents. Once a child gets married he/she will no longer be covered by the parent’s membership, so he/she will have to become a member in order to be eligible for any community benefits.

5. This Community will remain purely a social & charitable organisation. The fund raised by the community will be solely used for the social, welfare & other good causes.

6. If a member is found to be acting against the rules & regulations of the community, an appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against the individual by the committee and if necessary he/she will be fined or expelled from the community.

7. No member will try to divert the community towards political, religious, racial & business activities.

8. Birth: If any baby is born within the community, the community will send a congratulations card on behalf of the community and the women’s group plus other available members will visit the member’s house and offer them a bunch of flower.

9. Marriages: If there is a wedding ceremony/reception within our community, all members are to:

a. Provide requested help and support.

b. Attend the party on invitation.

c. Wedding gift is personal.

d. Community representative/women’s group will offer the couple a bunch of flower on behalf of the community.

10. Death:

a. If a member or his dependent as described on para 7:4 dies anywhere as long as the annual subscription and other shares have been maintained regularly, an immediate sum of the payment depending on the length of membership will be made to the bereaved family from the community fund. The sum will then be recovered from the members through compulsory share/donation.

b. If accepted upon approach all necessary funeral arrangements will be carried out by the community.

c. If the death occurs outside the United Kingdom the community representative and other available members will visit the family and offer them the condolences and necessary help.

d. During the condolence visit a bottle of whiskey and ruba (depending on the family tradition of the bereaved family) will be offered on behalf of the community.

11. The following rules will apply to the death relief amount: Length of membership: Up to 6 months - £ 500.00 7 – 12 months - £1000.00 13 – 24 months - £1500.00 25 and over - £2000.00 11. COMMUNITY SUBSCRIPTION (Subject to review from time to time): Individuals of Nepalese origin residing in the United Kingdom have the opportunity to attain Life Membership by fulfilling the membership criteria, which includes a payment of £200.00. NOTE: Members who formerly registered as ordinary members and honorary members underwent an automatic conversion to life membership during the past Annual General Meeting (AGM), and these two memberships classifications have now been discontinued.

13. Grant for Major Community Events: Certain amount will be set aside for the Major Community events from the Community Fund. The exact amount will be decided during the pre meeting for the particular event.

14. Limitation of amount to help other organisations and communities: The Chairman and the management committee can only utilise up to £200 at a time to help other organisations and communities. Anything above that amount will have to be decided by convening an extraordinary meeting or by fund raising among the members.

15. Change of rules: Any rules & regulations can be changed when the majority of the members present during the Annual General Meeting decide to do so.

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