By-Laws/Values

ARTICLE 1  

(i)  Name
The name of the group shall be known and called Catholic Students Union (CASU)

(II)  Motto
The motto of the group shall be CASU - All For Christ.

ARTICLE 2  

Aims and Objectives
To promote unity understanding and love among members and to co-operate  with other youth groups in the church.
 To arouse interest of members to get involved in activities of the church during liturgical gatherings and other functions.
To help members in their education to enable them achieve their goals in life.

ARTICLE 3  

(I)  Membership
Any catholic students from JSS to the Tertiary Institution and any person who has completed but still has interest in the group can apply in writing or contact the executive personally for membership. If the application is approved, the new member shall pay a registration fee, which shall not be refundable under any circumstance. He or she shall be given a membership form, which he or she shall fill and return to the Secretary.

(II)  Probation Period
This period covers six months. The new member hitherto known as Prospective member is placed “on the watch”.  He or she shall attend meetings and functions continuously for or within the period without a break, or break with acceptable permission. The executive has the right to expel a prospective member for unsatisfactory conduct. The prospective member shall be accorded full  membership after having served the probation period.

ARTICLE 4

Greeting / Sign of Recognition
In order to promote unity and love in the group,  members shall recognise one another with the statement “CASU” and the response shall be “All for Christ”.

ARTICLE 5

(I)  The Executive
Policy making and management / administration of the union shall be vested in the Executive, consisting of
1.   Chairman
2.  Vice Chairman
3.  Secretary
4.   Asst. Secretary
5.  Financial Secretary
6.  Treasurer
7.  Organiser
8.  Ass Organiser
9.  Chief Porter
10.  Lady Porter

(II)  Elections
Candidate for elections shall be a member with proven ability; they must be literate, of good conduct and unquestionable character.
He or she should be a member.
Candidate should have been with the union for more than 2 years.
Candidate should not owe dues or any money to the union.
Conduct of Election: The manner an election shall be conducted shall be the sole responsibility of the commissioner or whoever is appointed by the pastoral council to do so. He alone shall have authority to conduct the election in a manner he or she believes it shall be free and fair.
Term of Office: Period to be served by and executive shall be two(2) years; members of the executive shall be eligible to stand for election for a second term of office but they shall NOT BE qualified to stand for a third consecutive term of the SAME OFFICE.

(III)  By-election 
There shall be by-election in the incidence of incompetence, death or resignation of an executive

ARTICLE 6

Duties of the Executive Members

(a)  Chairman
The president shall be responsible for the control of affairs and activities of the union
He/she shall preside over all meetings.
He shall vet and sign minutes adopted from previous meetings.
He/she shall have power to authorise the secretary to summon emergency meetings.

(b)  Vice Chairman
 He or she shall assist the president in every way possible. He or she shall perform duties which has been assigned to him or her by the president.
He or she shall act in absence of the president.

(c)  Secretary
The secretary shall be directly responsible to the president.
Record minutes of all meetings
Deal with correspondence in consultation with the executives.
Keep accurate records of all events and other business transactions of the union
Summon meetings as may be directed by the president.
Mark the register at all meetings.

(d)  Assistant Secretary  
The assistant secretary shall assist the secretary and act in his or her absence.

(e)  Financial Secretary
The financial secretary shall collect union monies, that is, monthly dues, donations, fines, levies, etc and pay to the treasurer.
Keep correct records of all financial transactions for the union
Ensure prompt discharge of all financial commitments by individual members of the union.

(f) Treasurer
The treasurer shall keep accurate records of all monies paid to him by the financial secretary.
He or she has no authority to receive or collect monies directly from individual member of the union.
Pay out monies on the directives of the executive duly authorised by the president.

(g)  Organiser
He or she shall organise programmes for the union.
He or she shall always arrange place for meetings.
He or she shall organise means of transport for the union whenever the group is going out for functions.

(h)  Assistant Organiser
He or she shall assist and  act in the absence of the  organiser.

(i)  Porters
They shall
Consult the president for any directive at meeting.
Ensure the availability of chairs at meeting.
Organise the seating arrangement at functions.
Porter shall be responsible for collection of fines from late comers, to meetings and functions and account to the financial secretary.

ARTICLE 7

General meetings shall be held every two weeks. Executive meetings shall in all cases precede general meetings to enable the executive to draw agenda for general meetings. 

The President shall summon EMERGENCY MEETINGS when the need arises.

ARTICLE 8

The following offences shall attract penalties as decided by the executive and agreed upon by the members at a general meeting:
Lateness  to meetings
Absence without permission
Failure, to attend functions engagements, invitations, Sunday mass/ day of obligation without permission. The charge may also include transport cost.

(All these fines are liable for change from time to time).

Induction to office
The executive shall be inducted into office by the parish priest.
The PYC president shall induct the executive into office in absence of the priest.
Any member who through one reason or the other could  not take the induction to office shall do so at a meeting and the PYC president the house can do the induction.

ARTICLE 9

The union shall operate banking account with any bank accessible for the convenience of the union.
Signatories to account;
President, the financial secretary, an active executive member (any two).

IMPREST ACCOUNT
The union shall keep on hand an imprest amount of ……………… with a petty cashier. The imprest shall be replaced immediately after expenses have been made from it.

ARTICLE 10

(I) Auditing
The executive shall appoint four or more qualified members of the union to examine and audit the union's account very half year - every 6 months.

(II) Committees
The president shall form committee(s) at his/her discretion which shall be approved by the house.

ARTICLE 11

(I)  Suspension / Expulsion
Suspension shall be imposed on a member/executive on the following grounds as following;
Failure, to attend meeting for three (3) continuous months without permission.
Misconduct, insolence, disrespect, etc. shall be sufficient grounds for suspension for a period, at the discretion of the executive.
Continuous refusal to attend meeting for extra three (3) continuous three (3) months after expiry of suspension period shall result in expulsion of the culprit.
Expulsion shall also be imposed on a member / executive if his / her financial position with the union is “too bad” i.e. if he or she fails to fulfil his / her financial obligations for a year.

(II) Re-instatement
A suspended member shall be re-instated if:
He or she has rendered sincere apology accepted by the executive for an offence committed.
He or she has settled his or her total arrears plus fines.

ARTICLE 12

The union shall pay to its active members benefits / gifts as follows:
In case of benefits each member shall be considered an individual, NEVER as couples or group of people. Benefit shall be enjoyed on merit.

(I)  Marriage
A member who has his / her marriage blessed in the church and he or she has informed the union, shall be entitled to a sum of money determined by the executive and approved by the house at the commencement of each year or a parcel not exceeding the determined amount ( A voluntary contribution shall be added when the union is in attendance). Benefit shall be enjoyed only once.

(II)   Birth Benefit:
A member shall receive an amount of money determined by the executive and approved by the house at the commencement of each year. ( A voluntary contribution shall be added when the union is in attendance at the adoring ceremony). This shall be limited to two children.

(III)  Sick Benefit:
A member in serious ill health hospitalised or otherwise shall receive a cash donation not exceeding an amount determined and approved by the house at the beginning of each year. The donation shall be repeated after every three months if the sickness is continuous.

(IV) Ordination
Member(s) who attains the Sacrament of Holy Orders shall receive a donation determined by the house.

(V)  Bereavement
A member bereaved if a parent (father or mother) husband or wife and a child up to seventeen (17) or yet under eighteen (18) years shall be entitled to a cash donation not exceeding the amount approved by the house at the commencement of the year. In the event of a parent outside Accra, the union shall send a delegation of two (2) persons.

ARTICLE 13
  
(I)   Death of a member
In the event of the death of a member, the union shall all assist to the bereaved family.
There shall be provision of wreath (either in cash to the family, wreath to be laid on the d tomb of the deceased).

(II)   Wake - keeping / burial of a member
It shall be compulsory for all members to attend the wake keeping and burial of a deceased member. A member who could not fulfil this obligation due to circumstances beyond his or her control, shall pay all monies paid by members in connection with the said death and burial including transport fares.
The head of the family or the next of kin shall be presented with cash donations not exceeding the amount determine by the executive and approved by the house at the beginning of the year.

ARTICLE 14

Transfer / Resignation
A member leaving Accra or the parish temporarily or for good shall notify the union and depending on the activiness of the member, a fair well party shall be organised in his or her honour.

A donation at the discretion of the executive shall be presented to him or her.

ARTICLE 15

Annual get-together
The union shall organise a get-together party or dinner to crown its activities for the year, annually, the form of the party shall be determined by the executives.
ARTICLE 16

Disputes
The only procedure for settlements of disputes among members shall strictly be through the executives of the union.
Where the executives failed to settle a dispute between the two parties the case shall be referred to the patrons.
The case shall further be referred to the parish priest, should the patrons also fail to settle the case.
On  no account shall the offended member resort to court action against the defending member.

ARTICLE 17
   
Amendments
This constitution and bylaws shall only BE AMENDED by a motion carried by 3/5 majority of members present voting at a general meeting.

Approved and adopted

This constitution was drafted in 2005 under the leadership of Franklin Christoh Kludze and was approved and adopted at a general meeting held at meeting grounds Abeka Sunday 14th May, 2006.

…………………………….    (Chairman)  

………………………………(Secretary)

………………………….   (Member)

  
…………………………….(Member)

…………………………….(Parish Priest)