Articles and By-Laws

ARTICLE I - NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS PURPOSE

1.1 The Colorado Marathi Mandal ("COMarathi") is established to promote communication, unity, understanding and cultural activities among people of origin from Maharashtra, India, living in the state of Colorado and nearby Rocky Mountain region. COMarathi will promote awareness of Maharashtrian culture, as well as literary, educational and charitable activities related to preserving and promoting the heritage of Maharashtra in particular and India in general.

1.2 The COMarathi is a non-profit organization registered in the state of Colorado and its operation shall meet regulatory requirements applicable to such organizations.

1.3 The COMarathi is a secular and non-political organization.

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ARTICLE II - ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP TO THIS ORGANIZATION

2.1 Any person with roots in Maharashtra and/or interest in Marathi culture is eligible to become a member and participate in COMarathi activities.

2.2 Membership dues: Membership fee will be charged annually. The annual membership fee will be determined by the Executive Committee and shall be charged to members on a family unit basis. Only upon payment of annual membership fee, the family/individual will become active members of the COMarathi.

2.3 Annual membership fee will be due at the beginning of each fiscal year.

2.4 The fiscal year starts on Ganesh Chaturthy and ends before subsequent year's Diwali function, according to Hindu Calendar.

 

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP: DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES

3.1 The executive committee of the CoMarathi will be elected only by and from the active members of the COMarathi.

3.2 All active members will have the right to vote on any item presented by the executive committee for a vote.

3.3 Any active member may call a general body meeting provided he/she has the written support of 1/3rd of all the active members. The request shall be submitted, in writing, to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall have 45 days to act on the said request.

ARTICLE IV - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND ITS DUTIES

4.1 The executive committee shall consist of President, Secretary, and Treasurer as elected members. The Executive committee will select Event Coordinator, Cultural Secretary, Marketing Coordinator, Web Developer, and Advisor as non-elected members from the active members. "Executive Committee" shall organize the activities of the COMarathi.
  4.1.a. The Executive committee has the right to increase or decrease the number of committee members once a fiscal year except for the positions of President, Secretary, and Treasurer
  4.1.b. One-half (1/2) of the committee including non-elected members shall constitute a quorum for making business decisions for COMarathi.

4.2 The President shall:
  a) Function as head of the Executive Committee
  b) Preside over executive committee and, general body meetings of the COMarathi
  c) Lead the COMarathi with conviction and fairness to promote the well being of its members
  d) Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees created for effective functioning of COMarathi.
  e) Serve as a liaison with the other associations in the state and at national level (BMM) and      working with them to keep lines of communication with Maharashtrians open for members of the COMarathi
  f) All decisions concerning COMarathi; taken by the President, shall only be taken after consultation with the Executive Committee AND after obtaining a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

4.3 The secretary shall be responsible for:
  a) Keeping records of the COMarathi activities
  b) Informing the Executive Committee members about meetings
  c) Informing the members about dates, times and agendas of general body meetings
  d) Keeping and distributing, as appropriate, minutes of all meetings
  e) Preparing and submitting an annual report of COMarathi active

4.4 The treasurer will be responsible for handling finances/accounts and keeping records of financial matters. He/she shall:
  a) Keep records of monies received and expenditures incurred
  b) Present a financial report to the Executive Committee as needed
  c) Present an annual financial report at the annual general body meeting
  d) Deposit COMarathi funds in a plan decided by the Executive Committee
  e) Both the President and the Treasurer shall countersign any check exceeding $500.00.

4.5 The functions of Event Coordinator, Marketing Coordinator, Cultural Secretary, Web Developer, and Advisor are not incorporated in the By-Laws, but can be used as a reference. These positions can be varied depending on the choice of elected members of the Executive Committee every year.

ARTICLE V - ELECTION PROCEDURES

5.1 The active members of COMarathi, who have paid their membership fee for the election year, shall elect the Executive Committee members. The Election Committee for the election will set a deadline. The executive committee shall be elected before the beginning of each fiscal year and shall be responsible for the fiscal year.

5.2 An Election Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee, from members not seeking an office. All active members will be allowed to send nominations for the Executive Committee positions before a deadline predetermined by the Election Committee.

5.3 If only one nomination is received for each post, the nominee will be considered elected. If more than one nomination is received for any post, an election will be held by sending e-mail to all active members by E-vite or similar process. Family members can have 2 votes and singles/students are allowed 1 vote each. Winners will be announced before the end of the fiscal year.

5.4 Any vacancies created by resignation or unforeseen departure by a member of the Executive Committee will be filled in by simple selection and majority vote by the remaining members of the committee.

5.5 At least 20% of the active members shall be required to vote and elect the Executive Committee.

5.6 Persons nominated for the position of President should have served on the Executive Committee for at least one term. The person outside of the Executive Committee is nominated for the President in the event no person from the existing Executive Committee is available and is willing to take up that position.

ARTICLE VI - VALIDITY & AMENDMENTS Of BY-LAWS

6.1 These by-laws shall be deemed valid and binding to all members of the COMarathi after they are passed by a two-thirds majority of the General Body (active members) attending its annual meeting. The annual General Body meeting of the COMarathi will coincide with the Ganesh Utsav. A 20% of the active members' attendance for the meeting shall constitute the quorum.

6.2 Amendments to these by-laws may be proposed by any member, provided he/she has written support of one-thirds of the members on record. The amendment should be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee.

6.3 The Executive Committee shall first discuss any proposed amendment to the by-laws and suggest modifications, if it deems fit.

6.4 After considering the proposed amendment, within four weeks from the date of its receipt, the Executive Committee shall authorize the President to arrange a general body meeting to discuss/modify/adopt the proposed amendment. Such amendments shall deemed to have passed and adopted if two-thirds of the members present, vote in favor.

6.5 A copy of the by-laws shall be included in the COMarathi Web Page.

ARTICLE VII - FINANCIAL PROCEDURES

7.1 Funds shall be received through membership dues, private donations and such fund raising methods that are legally authorized for non-profit organizations under the US Internal Revenue Code and State and Local laws.

7.2 Funds shall be held in a commercial bank or other public financial institutions in an interest bearing or checking account. Funds shall not be invested in a speculative investment.

7.3 Funds shall be spent exclusively at the direction and approval of the Executive committee.

7.4 Funds shall be used exclusively for fulfilling the goals of the COMarathi as defined in the Article I.

7.5 No member of the Executive Committee or any COMarathi member, appointed by the Executive Committee to perform any task assigned by the committee, shall promise or cause the COMarathi to spend any amount of money, in fulfillment of the assigned task, without approval from the President and/or Treasurer.

7.6 No monies from the COMarathi funds can be spent for donations to charities or to individuals or organizations, without the majority consent of the Executive Committee members.

7.7 All expenses that may be incurred for functions and activities organized by the COMarathi, shall be done with the majority consent of the Executive Committee.

7.8 The outgoing Executive Committee shall prepare audited financial statements of their fiscal year no later than 60 days of the following fiscal year. A copy of these statements shall be published in the COMarathi letter within 30 days and distributed to all active members.

ADDENDUM (Not part of the By-Laws) - Functions of the non-elected Committee Members

A.1 Cultural Secretary
The Cultural Secretary is responsible for arranging the COMarathi events. The Cultural Secretary shall prepare draft plans for arranging cultural programs and other events and submit them to the Executive Committee for discussion and approval. The Cultural Secretary also screens the programs from artists and brings forth quality programs for audience.

A.2 Event Coordinator:
Events Coordinator is responsible for making arrangements for the stage, venue, sound system, food that is to be served at the program (either through a caterer or potluck), rental furniture, baby-sitting arrangements etc. for the successful execution of the entire event.

A.3 Web Developer
Web Developer is responsible for developing and maintaining the COMarathi web site. He/she also is responsible for maintaining active members database, preparing updated directory of the members and help Secretary in the communication of pictures, graphics and related matters.

A.4 Marketing Coordinator
Marketing Coordinator is responsible for bringing new memberships and maintaining old memberships to the COMarathi. He/she also is responsible to get sponsorships from the local businesses, prominent community members and individuals.

A.5 Advisor
Advisor is included in the executive committee from an active member who would participate in the committee meetings and share his/her expertise/opinion for all the activities of the COMarathi.