NAME

The name of the organisation.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

• The organisation’s immediate goals
• The organisation’s broader political or social aims

MEMBERSHIP

• Who may join
• The duties and privileges of members
• What the membership fees are

Some organisations like an advice centre may not be membership-based organisations. so they will not include a membership section.

STRUCTURES AND DECISION-MAKING

• What structures exist
• How they are formed/elected/employed/appointed
• What powers and duties each structure has
• To whom they are accountable

Structures could be:

• General meetings, including an Annual General Meeting (AGM)
• Executive Committee and/or Management Committee
• What office bearers certain structures have, for example the Executive Committee may have positions of Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer
• Sub-committees
• Employees
• A staff committee
• National structures
• Regional structures
• Branch structures
• Local structures

Decision-making includes:

• What powers and duties each structure or portfolio has
• The notice period required for certain meetings
• What quorum is needed to make meetings constitutional
  (‘Quorum’ means that a certain number of members must be present at a meeting if any decisions are to be made. For example, a constitution may say that at least two-thirds of the committee must be present at any committee meeting. Here a quorum will be two-thirds of the total number of the committee.)

MEETING PROCEDURE

• Who will chair meetings
• What type of things will be on the agenda
• How voting will take place
• How minutes are recorded, read and approved

ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS

• At which structure or level office bearers are elected
• How office bearers are elected, for example by verbal nomination and show of hands, or by nomination forms and ballot papers
• How the results of the voting procedure are announced
• How vacancies are filled

STAFF

• How staff are appointed
• What positions they hold
• What their duties are
• To whom they are accountable and how they report on their tasks and activities

DISCIPLINE

• What kind of behaviour is expected of members, office bearers or staff
• What kind of behaviour is unacceptable
• When an investigation or disciplinary hearing will be held
• How people may be disciplined

FINANCIAL CONTROL

• Who is responsible for keeping records of all financial income and expenditure
• To whom is that person accountable, for example to an executive committee
• Who can sign cheques
• How often money has to be banked and by whom
• Who has to approve withdrawals from the bank account
• Who must draw up financial statements
• How often these have to be submitted to a controlling structure
• When the organisation’s financial year will begin and end
• When and to whom audited statements are submitted, for example to the AGM

AFFILIATION

• To whom is the organisation affiliated
• What responsibilities or duties this carries

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

• What percentage of the membership is needed to vote in favour of amending the constitution
• How a member or members wishing to propose an amendment go about this

DISSOLUTION

• What percentage of members is needed to vote in favour of ending the organisation
• What decisions must be taken with regard to the organisation’s assets
• The appointment and duties of a liquidator (the person who administers the dissolving of an organisation)

A constitution with all these parts would be very long and involved. On the opposite page is an example of a very simple constitution. You must draw up your constitution to suit the needs of your organisation.