THE CONSTITUTION OF THE

          UNITED STATES-AFRICAN LITERARY FOUNDATION

(US-ALF)

-GHANA CHAPTER

Preface

        This document shall be the Constitution of US-ALF (Ghana Chapter). Every clause in this Constitution shall be subject to the dictates of the Constitution of the Parent Organization, unless otherwise stated by this Constitution or the Constitution of the Parent Organization.

The Organization

         This Non-Governmental Organization shall be called the UNITED STATES-AFRICAN LITERARY FOUNDATION (GHANA CHAPTER) or simply put US-ALF (Ghana Chapter) or US-ALF (GH). It shall be the Ghana Chapter of the Parent Organization based in the United States. It shall be a non-profit making organization.

 The Main Aim

       The main aim of the Organization is to develop and promote African literature.

The Logo

       The Organization shall use the logo of the Parent Organization.

The Executive Committee

       There shall be an Executive Committee, which shall be the governing body of the Organization. The Executive Committee members shall consist of;

-          A Patron/s

-         A National Co-ordinator/President

-         A General Secretary

-         A Financial Secretary/ Treasurer

-         An Organizing Secretary

-         A Project Co-ordinator 

The President/ National Co-ordinator

1. The President shall be appointed or dismissed by the Executive Director of the Parent Organization on the recommendation of the existing Executive Committee, unless otherwise determined by the appointing body.

2.     He/she shall be the link between the organization and the Parent Organization

3.     The President shall be the official spokesperson of the Organization.

4.     The President shall represent the Organization in any forum. 

5.     The President shall preside over every Executive Committee meeting.

6.     The President shall make available a biannual report on the finances and activities of the Organization to the Parent Organization.

7.     He/she shall be directly responsible first to the Executive Director of the Parent Organization, the Executive Committee members and the entire members of the Organization as a whole.

The General secretary

1.     The individual who shall occupy this position must be appointed by the President with the approval of the majority of the members of the Executive Committee, unless stated otherwise.

2.     He/she shall only be removed from the position by the President with of the support of majority of the members of the Executive Committee.

3.     He/she shall directly assist the President in decision making and implementation.

4.     He/she shall act as the President with all its privileges when the President is incapable of performing his/her assigned duties, which may be due to illness, resignation or any other justifiable reason.

5.     He/she shall be directly responsible first to the President, the Executive Committee members and the entire members of the Organization as a whole.

The Financial Secretary/ Treasurer

1.    The individual who shall occupy this position must be appointed by the President with the approval of the majority of the members of the Executive Committee, unless stated otherwise.

2.    The Financial Secretary/ Treasurer shall see to the efficient and accurate account and the finances of the Organization.

3.     He/she shall be responsible for drawing the budget of the Organization, which must be subject to the scrutiny of the Executive Committee before implementation.

4.     He/she must occasionally make the financial status of the Organization known to the members of the Executive Committee.

5.     He/she must play the role of the General Secretary when the General Secretary is incapable of performing his/her assigned duties, which may be due to illness, resignation or any other justifiable reason.

6.     He/she shall be directly responsible first to the President, the Executive Committee members and the entire members of the Organization as a whole.

The Organizing Secretary

1.    The individual who shall occupy this position must be appointed by the President with the approval of the majority of the members of the Executive Committee, unless stated otherwise.

2.     He/she shall be responsible for keeping the membership confidence.

3.     He/she shall complement the work of the Project Manager.

4.     He/she with the help of the Project Manager shall be responsible for the effective organization of the Organization’s activities.

5.     He/she shall be directly responsible first to the President, the Executive Committee members and the entire members of the Organization as a whole.

6.     He/she shall play the role of the Financial Secretary when the Financial Secretary is incapable of performing his/her assigned duties, which may be due to illness, resignation or any other justifiable reason.

The Project Manager

1.     The individual who shall occupy this position must be appointed by the President with the approval of the majority of the members of the Executive Committee, unless stated otherwise.

2.     He/she shall be directly responsible for co-ordinating and maintaining the activities and agenda of the Organization on the field of work.

3.     He/she shall be directly responsible first to the President, the Executive Committee members and the entire members of the Organization as a whole.

4.     He/she shall play the role of the Organizing Secretary when the Organizing Secretary is incapable of performing his/her assigned duties, which may be due to illness, resignation or any other justifiable reason.

The Patron/s

1.     The Patron/s shall be an ex-officio member/s of the Executive Committee. The Patron/s shall be a body of individual/s who shall serve as an advisory body to the Executive Committee and the Organization as a whole.

2.     The Patron/s shall have no voting rights in any Executive Committee meeting.

3.     The Patron/s advises are not binding to the Executive Committee and the Organization as a whole. The Executive Committee can reject or accept the advises of the Patron/s.

Personal Secretary

1.     The President may have a personal Secretary who shall assist the President and the Executive Committee in the performance of secretarial duties.

2.     The individual who shall occupy this position must be appointed by the President with the approval of the majority of the members of the Executive Committee, unless otherwise stated.

3.     The personal Secretary may be placed on salary, which may be determined by the same process of the determination of allowances.

4.     The personal Secretary may be present at every Executive Committee meetings to take minutes of the meeting proceedings.

 Membership

1.     Membership shall be opened to all individuals. There shall be no age, race or gender barrier in the admission of members.

2.     Eligible members shall be asked to fill and sign a membership application form.

3.     All members are equal in their membership status, unless otherwise stated in this document.

4.     Students and workers may be asked to pay separate membership fees.

5.     Members shall be encouraged to contribute a commitment or membership fee to the Organization.

6.     Members shall be asked to contribute annual dues as a means of renewing their membership status. (Executive Committee members may be exempted from this particular obligation).

7.     Every member shall be eligible for the appointment as a member of the Executive Committee when any of the positions becomes vacant.

8.     Members shall be encouraged to form cell groups of the Organization in their various communities.

9.     The activities of the various cell groups of the Organization in the various communities shall be subject to this Constitution and the directions of the Executive Committee.

10. Members shall have the right to question the activities of the Organization. 

Decision Making

1.     The President may have the right to decide or act in the good interest of the Organization. Afterwards, the President must inform and justify his/her reasons for arriving at such actions or decisions. (This right must be used as and when it becomes necessary).

2.     Decisions shall be arrived at meetings by the support and approval of majority of the Executive Committee members present at the meeting.

3.     A meeting shall form a quorum with the President and any other two members of the Executive Committee present.

Allowances/Wages

The allowance/wage structure for the organization shall be determined by the Parent Organization or whomever they give the power to determine.

 Amendments

This Constitution is a flexible one, and it shall be subject to critical and constructive amendment as the Organization progresses and as and when it becomes necessary. Amendments shall be made with the same procedure and under the same conditions of decision making.