You Have to Know
the Rules
Constitution And By-Laws
We the devotees of the great Saint SREE NARAYANA GURU believe that “all human beings are created equal” and we should nurture peace, love, brotherhood, unity and values of truth.
We also up-hold that the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru such as:
"One in kind, one in faith, one in God is man, of one same womb, one same form, difference none there is at all."
Preamble
We the devotees of the great Saint SREE NARAYANA GURU believe that “all human beings are created equal” and we should nurture peace, love, brotherhood, unity and values of truth.
We also up-hold that the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru such as:
- One in kind, one in faith, one in God is man, of one same womb, one same form, difference none there is at all.
- Which ever be the religion, it suffices if it makes a better human.
- Acts that one performs for one’s own sake should also aim at the good of other humans.
We hope to ease the suffering of humanity with the message of compassion, trust and tranquility So with the desire to propagate the great teachings of the world-renowned Saint Sree Narayana Guru, we hereby organize our selves in to an association, which shall be known as Sree Narayana Guru Mission USA
Mission
We are a team of Guru’s Devotees, committed to bring out the teachings of Guru in its true form, imbibe Guru’s teachings in personal, family and social life.Our goal is to achieve all-round development of a person, family and the world
Address of the Mission.
2126 VENEZIA DR PEARLAND, TX- 77581.
Vision
Our Vision is to have a world with peace , love and prosperity. We visualize a world devoid of the dividing walls of caste, race regional discrimination and religious rivalries. We all live in brotherhood. We look for a world with the unitive culture which integrates the non-violence of Budha, the love of Christ, the brotherhood of Nabi, the wisdom of Adi Sankara, and the spirituality of ancient Indian Gurus. We wish to create a human being with a meditative life, loving everybody around him.
Article I
Name
The name of this non-political, non-for profit, spiritual organization shall be Sree Narayana Guru Mission USA.INC. Herein after it shall be referred to as “The Mission.”
Address
The address of this association will be the address of the President until a permanent center for The Mission is secured.
Article II
- The aims and objectives of The Mission are as follows:
- To introduce the devotees of Sree Narayana to each other and create a common platform for their coordinated work to uplift the quality of human life. Based on the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru, The Mission will organize meetings, lectures and classes.
- Give economic assistance for education.
- Work in cooperation with major religions, social and cultural organizations to improve the conditions of humanity.
- Make arrangements to acquire more knowledge about other beliefs. To accomplish this, the teachers of different beliefs will be invited during Missions session.
- Start and operate a library in the name of Sree Narayana Guru. Books regarding the life and teachings of Sree Narayana Guru shall be given preference
- Give financial assistance to the victims of flood, famine, drought, accidents and other natural calamities.
- Work in cooperation with other organizations, which are working for similar aims.
- Start and operate an institution for teaching Sree Narayana Guru philosophy. To promote the knowledge of Upanishads, other Vedic literature, Bhagavat Gita, and other relevant literature,and to conduct various social, spiritual, philosophical, and educational programs such as seminars, symposiums, lectures, and classes to achieve the above objectives, and to conduct open discussions and discourses to encourage better understanding between philosophy of the East and West including Jesus Christ, Prophet Muhammed Nabi, along with the literature of Sree Narayana Guru,Sree Buddha,Sree Sankara and other Indian philosophers and spiritual teachers.
- To represent the cultural and spiritual interests of the members of The Mission.
- To assist members in efforts, which are, designed to improve educational and cultural programs.
- To encourage the active participation of all members in cultural functions and other activities concerning the general purpose of this association.
- To raise, solicit, manage and receive funds to carry out the above objective.
- To maintain close cooperation between members and other fraternal organizations and foster friendship through enriching activities.
- To assist members in need by arranging family and marriage counseling, child guidance and aging services.
- To render all possible assistance to members in cases of sorrow and sufferings and provide community aid.
- To coordinate and present programs designed to the advancement of culture, spirituality, economic wellbeing of the members.
- The long term objective of this association is to do good in the world by improving the spiritual and ethical conditions of all mankind. All ought to be treated with love, justice, and due regard .
- To provide the members and their families an environment to establish network among the families and collect, create and maintain a directory of all Guru’s devotes and their roots in Kerala.
- Create and promote women and youth activities to develop and promote leadership qualities.
- To carry out any other activities necessary for the construction, operation and preservation of the properties and other facilities in order to meet the above stated objectives.
Article III
Membership
Section 1
All memberships shall be annual memberships based on the calendar year satisfying the following provision;-
- Up to date payment of membership dues and completion of membership application,
- A commitment to abide by the constitution shall exist.
- Individual and family members shall be followers of Sree Narayana Guru and of good moral and ethical character.
Category of Membership
- Regular Member: A person above the age of 18, and who is a devotee of Sree Narayana Guru is eligible for membership and may be admitted for membership in the Mission. Regular membership shall be of two types.
- Single membership for individuals.
- Family membership. Families comprising of husband, wife and their minor children.
- Student Membership. Students who are 18 years of age and above and depending on their parents/guardians.
- Honorary Members (see Section 5) shall be individuals , families or organizations who have made significant contributions to the success of the Mission either through service or cash donation .Honorary members do not hold any voting privileges.
A Regular Member may attend general body meetings, and are allowed to present proposals and suggestions for review by the general body. Such proposals and suggestions may not be binding until approved by the executive committee and general body. A Regular Member in good standing has the right to vote and contest the elections of the office the executive committee.
Section 2: Application
Application for membership shall be made in writing to the governing committee here in called “committee”. The secretary on request shall make application forms available to the intending members. (A specimen of the application form is given as appendix 1 of this constitution)
Section 3: Acceptance
A simple majority of the governing committee shall be required to accept any application for the membership.
The committee reserves the right to deny membership to anyone. However, the individual so denied membership may appeal against the decision to the General Body in writing. The appeal shall be sent to the secretary and this shall be discussed in the next scheduled General Body meeting. A decision will be taken after discussion.
Section 4: Membership fees
- The fee for the family membership shall be paid yearly and the amount will be decided by the General Body.
- For the purpose of membership, the family means and include husband, wife and their children, who are minor.
- Those who are eligible for family membership as defined above may not opt for individual membership.
- The fee for an individual member shall be paid yearly and the amount will be decided in the General Body meeting..
- Student membership fee shall be paid yearly and the amount will be decided in the General Body.
Upon acceptance of the application the applicant has to pay the respective membership fees. The membership fee is due and payable on the first day of every calendar year.
The members who default the membership fees for more than 3 (Three) months shall lose their privileges enumerated in Article V section 1 and those members who default their membership fees for more than 6 (six) months shall lose their membership in the organization. Membership may be reinstalled on the payment of all arrears along with a penalty of ten dollars ($10).
Section 5: Honorary Members
Members of other social, cultural, religious, and charitable organizations and prominent citizens who believe in the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru may be made honorary members of The Association.
Narayana Guru may be made honorary members of The Association. Any member who wishes to recommend names of such honorary member shall do so in writing to the committee and the committee after studying all aspects shall take a decision. If required the member may be invited for the committee meeting and heard his reason for proposing the name. The committee’s decision should be notified to the person who proposed the name. If the decision made by the committee supports the proposition, honorary and regular members must be informed of it. The committee should vote a simple majority to elect an honorary member. After informing all members of The Mission, the selected individual should be formally invited by a written letter to be an honorary member of The Mission. If this invitation is accepted, he/she shall be a honorary member of The Mission. Honorary members may have all the rights and privileges received by a regular member except the ability to vote in the meetings or hold positions in the governing body.
Honorary members are not obliged to pay fees or dues.
Article IV
Finance
Section 1: Fees
Membership fees and fine, if any, are included in this category.
Section 2: Donations
Any member, Honorary, or Regular member may donate any amount to The Mission. This does not entitle them for any special treatment whatsoever.
Section 3: Donations from Third parties
The Mission may accept any donation from anyone who wishes to help to fulfill the aims and objectives of The Mission. Provided the acceptance of such donations do not endanger any interest of The Mission and its aims.
Section 4: Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of The Mission shall be from Jan 1 through Dec 31 of the year.
Section 5: Budget
The Mission have an Annual budget usually passed in the annual General Body Meeting.. Budget should contain the proposals for the coming year/years and the ways and means for the same .If no budget is available in the beginning of the year , Board of Directors can prepare a Budget and seek the approval in the next General Body meeting.
Privileges And Duties
Section 1: Privileges enumerated
Members in good standing based on their categories shall enjoy the following privileges:
- To hear and to be heard of at all meetings of The Mission if it is in accordance with the rules.
- To have a right to vote in all meetings in which he is present.
- To have a vote in the election of officers of the committee at the annual elections.
- To be eligible to become an officer of The Mission after six months of membership
- To be eligible to participate in all activities of The Mission.
Section 2: “Good standing” defined
Members in good standing are members who met all their financial obligations and who are not otherwise disqualified by the committee or the general body.
Section 3: Binding Agreement
All members shall be bound by this constitution and the by-laws of The Mission and such other rules and regulations, which may be established from time to time, and amendments made to this constitution.
Section 4: Matters of concern
Any member in good standing has the right to bring any matter concerning The Mission to the attention of the committee in writing. The committee shall act and give a reply to the member within 30 days of receipt of it. If such an action cannot be completed within the stipulated time, the reason and an interim reply shall be given to the concerned member accordingly. Any member of good standing has the right to bring any matter concerning The Mission, its aims and objectives and conduct of work in the general body meetings. A prior notice showing the subject to be discussed must be given in writing to the secretary at least 30 days before the meeting in which it is to be discussed.
Section 5: Disqualification
Any officer elected to any office in the committee shall stand automatically disqualified and removed from the post if he/she is absent for three consecutive meetings of any kind without giving satisfactory explanation in writing. However, the committee should pass a resolution removing the officer and this should be notified to the person concerned.
Section 6: Expulsion
Any member who acts against The Mission and or against this constitution shall be expelled from The Mission. Also any member who performs any act that may bring disgrace to Sree Narayana Guru or this association shall also be expelled from The Mission. A member whose act that is aimed to endanger the stability and interest of The Mission shall also be expelled. However a show of cause notice to this effect shall be given to the member and his/her explanation if received within the stipulated time should be examined before reconsidering the decision. The committee will take the action in the form of a resolution. Any member of The Mission may initiate the expulsion by giving a written complaint to the secretary. The committee then should take an action after discussing and asking for an explanation and considering it, if received in time. The whole actions will be completed within 60 days from the date of receipt of the complaint and the member be informed of the action taken.
Section 7: Expulsion of honorary members
The honorary members cannot be expelled. The invitation to them can be withdrawn at any time for a reason equal to the one of expulsion of a Regular member. In that case, the honorary member shall be informed of it.
Section 8: Appeals
The member expelled from The Mission has the right to appeal to the general body. Any such appeal should be given in writing to the secretary and he should place it before the next scheduled general body meeting. If the decision of the committee is reversed, the expelled member will be taken back into The Mission.
Article VI
Meetings
Section 1: Annual meeting
The annual meeting of The Mission will be held in every year. At this meeting the election of all office bearers shall be made if it is due. The annual report including financial report, budget shall be presented, discussed and passed in the meeting with changes if any. Any points given notice by any member, as prescribed elsewhere in this constitution shall be discussed and decision taken. The secretary or the authorized person should inform all members the date, time, place and agenda of annual meetings at least 30 days in advance.
Section 2: Special General Body Meetings
Special general body meetings can be called if the committee decides to do so, for discussing and deciding any important matter, which is out of the jurisdiction of the committee, for this, a single majority of the committee is enough..
25% (1/4) or 25 members of the good standing of the total membership, whichever is less , can also call special general body meetings. If such a request is received with the reason for calling such meeting, the secretary/authorized person must convene a meeting of the general body within 30 days of the receipt of such request. Notice of the time, place, and the purpose of the meeting must be sent to all members at least 15 days before the meeting.
Section 3: Regular Committee meeting
Regular meetings of The Committee shall be held at least once in three months, other than the month in which annual meetings or special general body meetings is held. Place, time and date of this meeting shall be decided in the preceding meetings or as per the general rules and shall be informed at least 7 days in advance.
Section 4: Additional Meetings
The Committee can also hold additional meeting as required, with a short notice.. The Secretary should convene the committee meeting in consultation with the president.
Section 5: Major Celebrations
The Mission shall celebrate the Birthday (Gurudev Jayanthi) and observe the Death anniversary (Mahasamadhi) of Sree Narayana Guru in each year. The Mission will also celebrate Birth and Death anniversaries of Various Gurus and important personalities, celebrations of national and international events and occasions, festivals etc with the approval by the executive committee and /or general body of the Mission.
Section 6: Subject matter
Only the subjects given notice of and subjects mentioned here in shall be transacted at the given general body or/and annual meetings. Any subject to be discussed in the general body meeting must be given notice as mentioned in Article V, Section 4 of this constitution.
Section 7: Quorum
25% (¼) or 25 members of the total members of good standing whichever is less, shall constitute quorum of the general body.
Simple majority of the total members of the governing committee shall constitute the quorum of the committee.
Section 8: Voting
Decisions at all meetings shall be by a simple majority if not otherwise specified herein.
Article VII
Officers And Their Duties
Section 1:Officers
The Mission has the following 11 (Eleven) member Board of Directors and they shall be known as the governing committee as follows.
- President
- Vice President
- Secretary
- Joint Secretary
- Treasurer
- Joint-Treasurer
- 5 Governing Committee members
In addition to these officers, The Mission will have two (2) Auditors.
Section 2: Term Limit
The term of office for all officers shall be two years. The committee can also conduct the elections prior the 2 year term.
Section 3: Duties
All officers shall assume their duties on or before tenth day (10th) of their election to the office
Section 4: Holding of Multiple posts
None of the Officers are eligible to hold more than one post of the Board at a time.
Section 5: Line of succession, President
In the event of resignation, disqualification or inability to discharge his/her duties by the President in any ways, the Vice President shall become President and the committee shall appoint another member of The Mission as Vice President.
Section 6: Line of succession, Vice President
In the event of resignation, disqualification or inability to discharge his/her duties by the Vice President in any way, the committee shall appoint a member of The Mission to the office of Vice President.
Section 7: Line of succession, Secretary
In the event of resignation, disqualification or inability to discharge his/her duties by the Secretary, the Joint Secretary shall become Secretary and the committee shall appoint another member of The Mission as Joint Secretary. In case of absence of Secretary for any meeting, the Joint Secretary shall function as Secretary for that time.
Section 8: Line of succession, Joint Secretary
The member expelled from The Mission has the right to appeal to the general body. Any such appeal should be given in writing to the secretary and he should place it before the next scheduled general body meeting. If the decision of the committee is reversed, the expelled member will be taken back into The Mission.
Section 9: Line of succession, Treasurer
If the Treasurer is unable to discharge his/her duties because of resignation, disqualification or inability to discharge his/her duties, the Joint Treasurer shall become the treasurer and the committee shall appoint a member of the Mission to function as Joint Treasurer.
Section 10: Line of Succession, Joint Treasurer
In the event of resignation, disqualification or inability to discharge his/her duties as Joint Treasurer, the committee shall appoint a member of the Mission as the new Joint Treasurer.
Section 11: Duties enumerated, President
The President shall preside all the meetings of The Mission and call the meeting to order. He shall sign all the resolutions passed by all meetings along with the Secretary. He shall sign the program of the meetings. He along with Secretary shall sign all agreements and contracts. He shall after discussing with Secretary and other officers appointed any standing committee and its chairman for fulfilling any work of The Mission President along with the Secretary shall represent The Mission whenever required. If he or/and the Secretary is unable to attend, they may nominate a committee member for this job. The President along with the Secretary and Treasurer open and operate the Bank Account for The Mission and counter-sign all the checks. He shall check all the accounts and sign them every month.
Section 12: Duties enumerated, Vice President
The Vice President shall assist the President in discharging his duties. The Vice President shall succeed the President in case the President is unable to perform his duties as explained in ARTICLE VII, Section 5 above. The Vice President shall chair the meetings if the President is absent.
Section 13: Duties enumerated, Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for the up keeping of all the files and documents of The Mission. He shall receive all communications and give a reply to them. He, along with the President shall sign all agreements and contracts for and on behalf of The Mission, pursuant to appropriate resolutions by The Mission. He should convene the entire meeting, including committee meetings in consultation with the President. He along with the President shall appoint all standing committees to fulfill the aims of The Mission. He shall maintain a membership register, which should show the names of all the members- honorary members and Regular members. He shall keep all the membership applications, resolutions and all other requests, complaints, petitions and take appropriate action as per this constitution.
Any finances received by him should immediately be given to the Treasurer under receipt. He/She shall prepare and present the annual report, budget and minutes in all meetings, and he/she shall keep custody of all stationery, forms, constitutions and all other papers, except the finance papers. He/she shall give a copy of the constitution to all intending members if they ask for it.
He/she should keep all rules and regulations and any amendments made to the constitution. The amendments made to the constitution shall be entered in the constitution at the space provided for that.
In case any matters come up which do not have a reference in the constitution, he/she shall immediately bring this to the notice of the committee and the committee should take a decision immediately.
In all meetings, he/she shall be seated next to the President. In case the President and the Vice President are absent at any meeting, he/she shall call the meeting to order and appoint a member of The Mission to preside over the meeting.
Section 14: Duties enumerated, Joint Secretary
The Joint Secretary shall assist the Secretary in all his works, and if Secretary is unable to discharge his duties as explained in ARTICLE VII, Section 7 or the Secretary is absent at any meeting, the Joint Secretary shall perform the Secretary’s duties.
Section 15: Duties enumerated, Treasurer
The Treasurer shall keep all the finance accounts of The Mission. He/she shall hold and operate the Bank Account of The Mission and sign all the checks along with the President & Secretary. He/she shall submit the accounts to the President once in every calendar month for his/her perusal and signature. He/she shall pay all the bills and receive all payments for The Mission. He/she must issue receipts for all the amounts received by him/her, either by check or by cash. The copies of receipts issued and the originals of the vouchers should be kept in file.
Section 16: Duties enumerated, Joint Treasurer.
The Joint Treasurer shall assist the Treasurer in all his works, and if the Treasurer is unable to discharge his duties as explained in Article VII section 9 or the Treasurer is absent at any meeting, the Joint Treasurer shall perform the Treasurers’ duties.
Section 17:
All amounts received for The Mission should be deposited in the bank account immediately. Every effort shall be made to follow the budget provisions before making decisions and payments. Before paying bills over the amount of $200.00, without the budget ,he /she should consult the governing committee and obtain its permission. The Treasurer is allowed to keep $200.00 in hand to meet petty expenses of The Mission.
Section 18: Obligations of the Committee
Even though the President, Secretary and committee possess powers to discharge their duties, they should always keep in mind the wishes and opinions of the members while taking major decisions. But this may not be a binding rule in discharging their duties. They are by all means, have the power to discharge their duties as per this constitution.
Section 19:- Resignations.
Any officer, except the President, described in Article VII Section I, and any member should submit their resignations to the president, in writing and duly signed . The President should hand over his resignation to the Vice-President. The resignation will be in effect with the approval of the committee and the Officer/Member resigned, have the right to withdraw his/her resignation before its approval.
If any of the Officer/Officers resigned on personal grounds, he/she will not be eligible to contest or hold any of the post in the Governing committee for a period of three (3) years from the date of approval of the resignation. However if the resignation comes as a part of reorganization or the member sought the permission for resignation and the committee approved it, there is no bar to contest or hold any of the post in BOD.
The President, Secretary and Treasurer should submit all the documents and valuables of the Mission along with their resignations. The Committee can fill the vacancy from the eligible members.. If the quorum of the committee is not available for meeting, the president or any Officer of BOD in hierarchy shall call the general body and new committee can be selected.
If all the Board of Directors resigned for some reasons, 25% or 25 members of the eligible members whichever is less, can call the general body meeting and select a new Board of Directors and take other necessary decisions.
Standing Committee And Regional Sub-committees.
Standing Committees.
Section 1: Appointments
The Board of Directors shall appoint any number of standing committees for doing any work contained in the aims of The Mission.
Section 2: Committee numbers.
The standing committee members shall not exceed five in number. The chairman of the standing committee shall be a member of the governing committee.
Section 3: Reports.
The standing committee shall inform the progress of the work to the governing committee or the President whenever called upon to do so.
Section 4: Duties.
The standing committee shall be appointed to fulfill each of the aims of The Mission. They shall be:
- Spiritual committee.-They shall take action to fulfill the aims numbered 1,3, 4, 8,9 16 and17.
- Charity committee. They shall take action to fulfill the aims numbered 2, 6,7,12 and 15.
- Public relations committee. They shall take action to fulfill the aims numbered 3,7,13,14 and 18.
- Education committee. They shall take action to fulfill aims numbered 5,8, 10 and 14.
- Cultural & Arts committee. They shall do all the work in this field especially aims numbered 3,10,11 16,
- Women’s Forum. To fulfill aim 9,11,and 19.
- Youth Wing. To fulfill aim 19.
Section 5: Authorization
The governing committee shall have powers to authorize the President, Secretary and Treasurer to appoint any standing committee if it feels that such a committee is necessary.
Section 6:
The standing committee shall make enquiries, studies and make recommendations to the governing committee the ways and means for achieving the aims of TheMission. The recommendation shall be non-binding. If a clash of opinion occurs, the governing committee’s decision shall be final.
Section 7:
The chairman of the standing committee must be a member of the governing committee. More than one member of the governing committee cannot be in any one standing committee.
Section 8:
No member can be in more than one standing committee.
Section 9:
Until a standing committee is appointed, the governing committee shall do the work of standing committee .
Regional Sub-committees.chapters.
If the Board of Directors convinced that the members living far away from the Head-Quarters need to organize various activities listed in the objectives of the Mission, a separate regional sub-committee/ sub-committees can be formed. The sub-committee may include 11(eleven) members including a Chairman, Vice-Chairman , a secretary and 5 regional members. The President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Mission shall be the ex-officio members of such committees .They can organize separate programs with the approval of the BOD. If there is dispute between the BOD and the sub-committee the decision of the BOD is final. The Mission will issue receipt books and other registers necessary to the sub-committees and the income and expenditure of the sub-committees should be included in Missions financial statements .The auditors of the Mission will audit the accounts of the sub-committees.
BOD have the full authority to suspend, re-constitute or dissolve the sub-committee.
Article IX
Elections
Section 1:
The elections to the governing committee shall be held in every 2 year.
Section 2:
The election may be by open vote./secret ballot as the committee decide.
Section 3:
All voting rights are not transferable and no proxy vote shall be considered as valid vote.
Section 4:
The candidate receiving the maximum number of votes shall be declared elected.
Section 5:
An Election Officer may be appointed by the governing committee for the conduction of election
Section 6:
With the declaration of an election , a voters list may be published and any anomalies may be corrected and signed by the president and handed over the Election officer. Members can have a copy of this with a fee.
Section 7:
The Election Officer has to declare the results of an election in the general body meeting and the same may be approved by the general body. With this approval the newly elected president is assumed to have the charge.
Article X
Dissolution
Upon the dissolution of this association, assets shall be distributed for one or more organizations, organized and operated exclusively with the objectives described in Article 11(two), within the meaning of sections 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) 1954 of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the Federal Government, or to a state or local government for a public purpose.
Article XI
Rule Of Order
The standard for parliamentary procedure in Sree Narayana Guru Mission Inc. Shall be determined by Robert’s Rule of order (latest revised edition) in the absence of any other rule or law governing the procedure in a particular situation.
Article XII
Section 1: Reversal of committee decision
Any decision of the committee except for approvals of contacts can be reversed by the General body provided a general body meeting is called as mentioned in ARTICLE VI herein and it is voted by simple majority of the total member present, if the execution has not been started.
Article XIII
Amendments
Section 1:
The committee may propose amendments of this constitution and bylaws. This should be presented to the General Body meeting.
Section 2:
Members can also propose amendments. This should be given to the Secretary in writing and must be signed at least by three members of good standing. This must reach the Secretary 30 days before the annual meeting. He/she should present this in the general body meeting.
Section 3:
A special general body meeting can also be called for amendment of the constitution, if the committee decides to do so.
Section 4:
An affirmative voting by two-third (2/3) majority of the members of good standing present, shall constitute an acceptance of the proposed amendment. For bylaw amendments, the voting shall be done in person.
Section 5:
The approved amendment shall be implemented immediately unless a specified date of implementation is voted upon, before the vote is taken to approve the amendments.
Section 6:
A proposal for the amendment rejected cannot be reintroduced or resubmitted for consideration before completing 12 months from the date of rejection of the amendments.
Article XIV
Contributions
Section 1:
The Mission will accept donations, however, the committee has the right to reject the donation if it feels that accepting it may endanger the interest of TheMission.
Section 2:
The Mission shall make donations to any organization or Governments who are engaged in charity work for the uplift of the poor and the suffering, improve the lives of the people in economic, spiritual or cultural aspects, try to implement the aims of this Mission etc.
Article XV
Jurisdiction
Section 1:
The courts in Texas have exclusive jurisdiction on all matters pertaining to this association.
Article XVI
Remuneration
Section 1:
An officer of committee member shall receive no remuneration for his service, but shall be entitled to reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred by her in connection with The Mission business. All transportation and food expenses to attend the meeting shall be considered voluntary and shall not be reimbursed on individual basis except those incurred in carrying out special assignments with prior understanding and approval of the committee.
Article XVII
Deposits, Books And Records
Section 1: (a) Deposits
All funds of TheMission shall be deposited within two weeks of the receipt to the credit of The Mission in its name and tax id number in such banks, trust, companies, or other depositories as the committee may select.
Section 1 (b): Operation of Bank Accounts
The President, Secretary and Treasurer are allowed to operate the bank account jointly. Any two of the above officers have the right to sign a check to make it valid if the amount is less than $ 250 . The Checks above $250 (Two fifty dollars Only) should have the signature of the President.
Section 2: Official Records and Seal
The Mission shall keep correct and complete books and records of accounts and shall also keep updated minutes of all the proceedings of its meetings. The Mission also shall keep copies of all its correspondence and an updated voters list. Any member or his/her attorney may inspect all books and records of The Mission for any purpose at a mutually accepted time and place. The Mission may charge for reasonable expenses incurred for such inspection(s).
Section 3: Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of The Mission begins on the first day of January and end on the last day of December in each year.
Section 4: Financial Records
The Treasurer shall maintain true and accurate financial records with full and correct entries made with respect to all financial transactions, including all cash receipts and cash disbursements, in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures. The above accounts shall be kept in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code section 501 (c) (3) organizations. All required tax and information returns must be filed in a timely manner stated in the above IRS section. Financial and all other records must be kept for a minimum of 7 years or for a period consistent with IRS regulations whichever is greater. The corporation must not engage in any activity outside the scope of 501 (c) (3) of internal revenue code. The Committee shall assume the responsibility to file the necessary paperwork with the state and federal authorities.
Section 5: Annual Report
The committee shall prepare and approve a report of the financial activity of The Mission for the preceding two years. This report shall conform to accounting standards as promulgated by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and must include a statement of support, revenue, expenses, charges in fund balances, a statement of functional expenses, and balance sheet of all funds.
Section 6: Public Inspection.
All financial records and books, and annual report of the financial activity of The Mission shall be kept at the registered office of The Mission, for a period consistent with the IRS requirements or any other laws, and shall be available to members for inspection by appointment.
Section 7: Audits and Books
Audit of books and records shall be the responsibility of the governing committee.
The Mission shall audit the books by independent auditors appointed by the committee/General Body Meeting and the audit shall be completed before 31st of March of every fiscal year. . The auditors are responsible to audit the books of account of the Mission once in a year and submit their findings to the general body.
Article XVIII
Enabling Clause
This constitution and bylaws as of the date of adoption by the general body shall govern Sree Narayana Guru Mission USA Inc. All existing resolutions not in conflict with this constitution and bylaws shall be deemed valid and in force and effect until changed by the general body as stated herein.