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Canadian Newa Guthi By Laws

1. NAME The corporation shall be called the Canadian Newa Guthi, hereafter referred to as CNG.
2. IDENTITY CNG is a non-profit Newa Canadian organization without religious, political or governmental affiliation. Empowering Nepalese immigrants and Newar-Canadians to perform well in Canada is the basic foundation of the organization.
3. VISION CNG's Vision is of a place in which all Newar Canadians realize their full potential in Canadian society while respecting people's rights and dignity. CNG is committed to facilitating the full participation of all persons of Newar origin in the social, cultural and civic life of Canada, and to the preservation and promotion of their rich and diverse cultural heritage.
4. MISSION STATEMENT The main objective of CNG is to promote and give continuation of Newari culture, art and rituals in Canada. CNG strives to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of Newar living in Canada through a process that unites Newar across Canada and adds meaning and value to their lives by:
4.1 Promoting their rights and interests.
4.2 Enabling individuals, families and their communities to participate and increase their own well- being.
4.3 Increasing understanding and unity among Newar of different culture including all Nepalese.
5. COMMITMENT CNG is committed to achieving excellence in meeting the needs of the Newar Canadian people it serves by continuous improvement of its programs, processes and services. CNG is committed in putting all effort on the transparency of communication about working practices, organization structure and financial policy. CNG is also committed in maintaining healthy relations with other Newar and community organizations not only in Canada but all over the world.
6. OBJECTIVES
6.1 Main To facilitate the integration of Newar in Ontario, in Canadian society and to foster the retention and development of their cultural heritage within the framework of multiculturalism.
6.2 Settlement To facilitate and assist in the resettlement of newly arriving Newar and the adaptation of those residing in Ontario and the surrounding areas by:
6.2.1 Assist new immigrants in their initial settlement by providing orientation services and information on housing, education, health care, job and business opportunities, legal aid and other services.
6.2.2 Maintaining liaison with relevant public and private agencies, Local, Provincial and Federal organizations to promote the flow of information and services.
6.2.3 Encouraging and promoting individual and community development initiatives by providing support in terms of facilitation with private and public institutions and giving technical advice.
6.2.4 Educate to the young generation about their native language (Nepal Bhasa)
6.3 Communication To act as a medium of communication between all residents of Newar origin by:
6.3.1 Maintaining and yearly upgrade a data bank containing names, postal addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of Newar living in Canada.
6.3.2 Create a hard copy of item (2) and mail to all relevant addresses in the beginning of each year.
6.3.3 Distribute a monthly newsletter and quarterly publications to circulate Newar community news.
6.4. Emergency Render help to Newar living in Canada in times of emergency.
6.5 Promotion of Aims to promote encourages and undertakes projects and activities which will further the aims and activities of CNG.
7. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP Any origin Newar community could be a general member, other than origin newar community could be a ordinary member.
7.1 Membership Criteria Any person of Newar or Newar-Canadian origin who supports the objectives and positions of CNG may become a member. Members must additionally be in good standing with CNG in order to serve as representatives on the Steering Committee. In Good Standing means their dues are not in arrears, and their conduct is not such that the CNG would fall into disrepute.
7.2 Membership Role The Board of Directors, staff, and chairs of Working Committees will update the general membership on the progress of the CNG through various means of communication. The general membership may be consulted on substantive issues relevant to the CNG. The general membership will be encouraged to participate through focus groups, working groups, ad hoc committees and other initiatives.
7.3 Membership Fees The Board of Directors may set membership dues, with the power to waive them if and when necessary.
7.4 Renewal of Membership Membership should be renewed annually prior to or at the Annual General Meeting. All members in good standing may vote on any issue at the AGM.
7.5 Resignation of Members A member must give written notice of resignation to the Board of Directors. A resignation is effective upon tender.
7.6 Meetings The Board of Directors will call one mandatory general membership meeting in a year and then as required.
8. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
8.1 Membership The affairs of CNG shall be managed by the Board of Directors, hereafter referred to as "the board". The board shall be composed of 11 members in total including minimum of one female member:
(a) Each member elected from the General Membership
(b) All elected members must be general members of CNG in Good Standing
8.2 Responsibilities The Board is made up of representatives from the general membership in a manner that will ensure that CNG fulfills its stated objectives. The representatives on the Board will consist of those showing a strong commitment towards the integration of Newar in all aspects Canadian society. Board members must also serve on Working Committees, and act as liaison between the Board and Working Committees.
8.3 Executive Committee The Executive of the Board shall be comprised of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Joint Secretary, Public Relation Secretary and Treasurer. These positions will be elected by the Board at the next Board meeting following the Annual General Meeting. The Executive will serve a two-year term. They must be general members of CNG in Good Standing. Any general member of CNG shall not serve a minimum of Four year (Two elected term) as a President.
8.4 The Elected Board of CNG shall form a advisory committee of maximum five member.
8.5 Any person/organization who support the objective of CNG, shall be awarded honorary member of the CNG.
8.3.1 Responsibilities The Chair shall uphold the CNG Terms of Reference to the best of her/his ability. He/She will be primarily responsible for leading CNG and the Board. The Chair will lead both Board and General Membership meetings. S/he will also be responsible for reporting to the general membership on a regular basis on the activities of the Steering Committee. The Vice Chair will be available to act in the full capacity of Chair in the Chair's absence. Other members of the Board may be appointed to speak on behalf of CNG, by the President or Vice President, or by agreement of the Board.
8.4 Board Quorum The quorum of the board is 51% of the current board membership. Quorum shall be required for formal resolutions of the board. In the case where there is not quorum physically present at a meeting, a board member may participate and vote on the resolution by telephone and thereby fulfill the quorum requirement. Or, resolutions agreed without quorum may be reviewed and adopted by vote at the next board meeting that has quorum.
8.5 Annual General Meeting and Board Meetings There shall be minimum of one Annual General Meeting of CNG that shall be on the day of establishment of CNG (Indra Jatra) .The Board will meet monthly when possible, with no less than 6 meetings annually. When the association is staffed, the staff Coordinator will set meeting times and locations and set the agenda in consultation with the President, and will be responsible for taking and distributing minutes. When the association is not staffed, the secretary of the Board will be responsible for these duties.
8.5.1 Attendance In order to perform the duties of the Board to a satisfactory level, an attendance policy for Board meetings will be applicable to all members. Any member missing more than 3 consecutive Board meetings in a year will be deemed to have resigned from the Board.
8.5.2 Decision Making Decision making at Board meetings should be by consensus, whenever possible. In the event of a vote, there shall be one vote per member.
9. WORKING COMMITTEES The Board of Directors in response to issues, concerns, and priorities raised by the general membership may establish working and ad-hoc committees as deemed necessary.
9.1 Membership The Board members and general membership will be encouraged to participate on such committees. Each committee will consist of 2 to 5 members drawn from the general membership, including at least 1 member from the Board of Directors who will serve as a liaison with the Board.
9.2 Responsibilities The members of each Working Committee will select a Chair for their particular committee. The Chair will be responsible for reporting back to the general membership on the progress of their particular Working Committee. The Board liaison will be responsible for reporting on the progress of the committee at Board meetings.
9.3 Meetings The Working Committees will meet as often as needed. Setting the agenda and distributing the minutes will be the responsibility of the individual committee.
9.4 Decision Making Decision making should be by consensus, whenever possible. In the event of a vote, there shall be one vote per member.
10. ELECTION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
10.1 Vacancies Members shall be notified of vacancies on the Board, at least three (3) months prior to the Annual General Meeting and invited to nominate potential Board members.
10.2 Nominations To be elected, a member must be nominated by an individual among the general membership. Another member must then second this nomination. Each member must be in good standing with the CNG.
10.3 Election Election of Board members shall take place every two year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Nominating Committee will present the general membership with the recommended slate of candidates for approval at the AGM. The slate will be approved by a show of hands.
10.4 Interim Vacancies When vacancies become available throughout the year, such vacancies will be communicated to the general membership who will be invited to forward letters of interest. At the next Board meeting, letters of interest will be reviewed and interim candidates will be selected.
10.5 Term The term of office for elected members of the Board is two (2) years. Members of the Board are eligible for re-election, for a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms.
11. CONFLICT OF INTEREST Every member of the Board of Directors has a duty to disclose any situation in which the individual has a substantial interest in an issue or decision that would benefit him/her in a personal or professional way, other than with respect to any benefit resulting from the pursuit and/or attainment of the general purposes of the organization.
12. FINANCIAL YEAR The financial year of the corporation begins on 1 April and ends on 31 March of each year unless the Board changes it by resolution.
13. AMENDING FORMULA These By-laws can be amended if at least 66% of the general membership votes in favour of the amendment. Amendments may be proposed by any member, but must be announced before any general membership meeting via formal inclusion in the agenda.
14. DISSOLUTION Upon the dissolution of the corporation, and after payment of all debts and liabilities, its remaining property, if any, shall be distributed or disposed of to a charity or charities as identified by the Board.
15. SEAL The seal, an impression whereof is stamped below, shall be the corporate seal of CNG. Passed by the Canadian Newa Guthi on the 29th of April, 2006 at 95 Charloies Street, Suite 907, Brampton, Ontario