UZ e-Club constitution

DRAFT CONSTITUTION

uzeclub@yo.co.zw, uzeclub@yahoo.com,
http://uzeclub.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/University-of-Zimbabwe-E-Club/

ARTICLE ONE

SECTION 1

NAME
The name of the Club shall be the University of Zimbabwe Young Entrepreneurs Club or E-Club.

The Club may be used to refer to the members, the activities, and or its representative(s).

SECTION TWO

PURPOSE
The major purpose of the Club shall be the creation, nurturing, networking, and mentoring of student entrepreneurs through the creation of a conducive platform for young people business skills development. This shall be achieved through the following activities and projects among other things –:
• Conducting of seminars where successful entrepreneurs, success coaches, motivational speakers etc will be imparting entrepreneurial knowledge to Club members.
• Conducting of entrepreneurship discussion forums.
• Holding annual Business Plan Competitions.
• Publishing an E-Club magazine/news letter.
• Holding Business Incubation Camps and Retreats.
• Etc.


ARTICLE TWO

SECTION ONE

MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the E-Club shall be open to all current UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE students and other identified interested persons.

SECTION TWO

MEMBERSHIP TYPES
There shall be at least two membership types namely the student members and none student members or E-Club stakeholders. To this end there shall be two kinds of E-Club leadership structures i.e. -:
1. The Executive Committee – whose duty would be the executive running of the Club’s activities and programmes accountable to the Skills Development Unit and made up of UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE current students. This shall be chaired by the E-Club president.
2. The Advisory Board – shall act as the advisory council made up of some members of the E-Club Executive Committee (as stipulated in Article Two; Section Three), the Club Advisor, and identified members of the corporate world (business community), Civil Society, Academics, and government officials/departments. The major function of this committee shall be facilitating viable partnerships between the club/university and the outside world, giving strategic advice to the Executive Committee, helping in conducting E-Club activities, helping in identifying and courting of sponsors, adjudicating Business plan competitions or identifying appropriate adjudicators, etc etc as permissible in terms of University regulations. This committee shall not have any power over E-Club activities other than given to it by the Executive Committee in consultation with the Skills Development Unit of the UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE.

SECTION THREE

OFFICERS
The E-Club shall have the following officers who make up the Executive Committee.
NB – Any other committees and/or appointments may be created or made for the purpose of achieving a specific goal and will be subject to approval by the Club Advisor, Executive Committee and University Skills Development Unit.

E-Club Patron –
The duties shall be guided but not limited to the provisions of the LSC Club Advisors’ guidelines.

President –

• Shall chair all Executive Committee meetings.
• Shall be responsible ensuring the general execution of duties by all other Committee Members.
• Shall represent the E-Club in all outside meetings.
• Shall be a signatory in all Financial Transactions.
• Shall write annual reports for/to all stakeholders
• Shall be responsible for international correspondences.
• Shall be responsible for designing the E-Club strategic plan
• Shall oversee the establishment of the Zimbabwe Entrepreneurs Institute and Consultancy Organization.
• Shall sit in the Executive Board.

Vice –President –
• shall take all official presidential functions in the absence of the President.
• Shall act as the major link between E-Club and government departments.
• Shall oversee the establishment of the Young Entrepreneurs Grant/Loans Fund for projects funding.
• Shall sit in the Executive Board.
• Shall be the de facto chair of other committees created by the Executive Committee


Secretary Marketing and Corporate Affairs
• Shall be responsible for all corporate affairs.
• Shall be responsible for identifying and liaising with sponsors
• Shall maintain correspondence with the corporate world.
• Shall oversee the establishment of the E-Club Magazine/News Latter
• Shall facilitate partnerships with other Clubs which share our vision e.g. Shape Zimbabwe, SIFE etc
• Shall oversee all publicity issues
• Shall sit in the Executive Board and Committee

Secretary Membership –
• Shall be responsible for membership renewals and recruitments.
• Shall keep membership profiles and database.
• Shall write Membership annual reports
• Shall sit in the Executive Committee


Organizing Secretary
• Will be responsible for the organization of all club activities.
• Shall be responsible for designing the E-Club members training manual.
• Shall be responsible of ensuring quality programmes
• Shall book venues for club meetings
• Shall make sure invited guests come for meetings.
• Shall sit in the Executive Committee

Secretary Legal Affairs
• Shall act as the Club’s legal officer.
• Shall handle all disputes and conflicts that require some interpretation of the constitution or the law.
• Shall preside over the disciplinary committee
• Shall ensure the protection of members’ projects, innovations and inventions against internal or external intellectual fraud/theft.
• Shall ensure viable partnerships with copywriting and patenting organizations.

Secretary Information Communication and Technology
• Shall ensure the capture and safe keep of all club events and activities.
• Shall be responsible for taking minutes in all meetings.
• Shall be responsible for developing and maintaining a vibrant E-Club website.
• Shall insure information dissemination to and or among all E-Club members.
• Shall be responsible for all Club ICT equipment and material.
• Shall design the Club brochures, Business Cards, Membership Cards etc
• Shall assist all members in ICT related issues.

Secretary Treasury and Finance
• Shall oversee all Club monetary transactions and be a signatory thereof.
• Shall help in all fundraising activities and initiatives.
• Shall help in the setting up of Young Entrepreneurs Projects Grants Facility and or partnerships.
• Shall design and present annual and quarterly E-Club budgets
• Shall write annual financial reports.
• Shall help in liaising for sponsorship.
• Shall sit in the Executive Board.

Executive Committee Members (×2)
• Shall help in the organization of all club activities.
• Shall represent any Secretary in their absence.
• Shall take over Secretaries duties in the event of their leaving college before elections
• Shall act as Club Ambassadors.
• Will take up any other responsibilities as may be required to do so.

SECTION THREE

ELECTIONS
Elections shall be held on the first month of every academic year or any other date decided by the Executive Committee and communicated to the General Membership within reasonable time.
Elections shall be held through the secret ballot system.
All E-Club UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE students members are eligible for election into any office.

All elected officers shall be subject to approval by the Club Advisor and Skills Development Unit.

ARTICLE THREE

IMPEACHMENT
Any Club member may file for the deposition of any Executive Committee member on any reasonable grounds.
The aggrieved member will file a formal written petition to the Executive Committee and a formal hearing will be conducted the following meeting after the accused has been given the chance to respond to the accusations.
The Disciplinary Committee presided over by the Secretary Legal Affairs shall hear all such issues and its decision shall be communicated to the General Membership.
The communicated decision shall be put to the vote by the General Membership and a simple majority will be the deciding factor.
Accused persons can challenge impeachment through the Club Advisor, Skills Development Unit, or Executive Board but the General Membership’s decision will not be overruled.

Reasonable grounds in terms of disciplinary hearing and or impeachment shall include but not limited to -:
• deliberate public misrepresentation of the Club.
• Financial fraud or theft against the E-Club.
• Unethical behavior in or during conducting E-Club business.
• Absenteeism exceeding three meetings without prior notice and reasonable grounds
• Using the E-Club’s name for personal business without prior notice and approval by the responsible committee.
• Any other behavior that may be deemed a sufficient threat to the interests of the E-Club by the Executive Committee and communicated to the General Membership.

ARTICLE FOUR

VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE
A vote of no confidence may be passed by the General Membership against the whole Executive Committee should their actions and conduct of Club business be deemed tangential to the interest of E-Club members and in conflict with the rules and regulations of the Club, the Country and or the UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE.
A super majority vote will be required for a successful vote of no confidence and the decision shall be irrevocable.
An interim Committee will be set and elections will be decided upon.

SECTION TWO

CLUB DESOLUTION
In the event that the E-Club decides or is forced to stop activities and operations, all financial and material resources shall, after full payment of all dues and debts, be either given back to the original sponsors or providers thereof or distributed to other UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE clubs that have synonymous goals with the E-Club.

ARTICLE FIVE

AMENDMENTS
The amendment of the constitution may be suggested (in written form) by any E-Club member, submitted to the Secretary Legal Affairs and communicated to the General Membership.
The amendment suggestion shall be put to vote by the General Membership and shall be passed by a simple majority.
All amendments shall be submitted to the Club Advisor for approval and the Skills Development Unit for ratification.



Signed by Signature Date

Club Advisor …………………… ……………………..

Secretary Legal Affairs ………………………. ……………………


Club President ……………………… …………………….