Constitution

Title:This constitution shall be known and cited as the Constitution of Delta Careers College, Warri Alumni, 2000.

Name:This Association shall be addressed, called and known as Delta Careers College, Warri Alumni, 2000 (DCC2000 ALUMNI).

Aims & Objectives:

• To foster unity and love among members.
• To create social environment for interaction and integration.
• To identify with the needs of members at all times; including Delta Careers College, Warri.
• To seek the progress and development of our alma mater, Delta Careers College, Warri.

Membership

• Membership shall be open to any person who was admitted and spent at least one academic session in our set at Delta Careers College, upon the screening of such person(s) by the Executives.

MEMBERSHIP DUES AND LEVIES

• All members shall be required to pay a monthly membership dues and levies as may be imposed, which shall be fixed from time to time by the general house.
• No one shall be exempted from paying dues for any reason. However, if any member feels he or she should be exempted from paying dues, he/ she has to apply to the welfare committee, stating why he or she should be exempted and for how long (Exemption is subject to approval of the committee and the Executives, after due investigation).

TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall be terminated by any of the following:-

• Death of member.
• Through expulsion of a member.
• Through withdrawal of membership, which shall be entertained only after 3 meetings of the Association; provided no refunds shall be made on levies already paid.

SANCTION OF MEMBERS

Members shall be sanctioned by way of fines, suspension and expulsion for any of the following offences:-

• Repeated failure to attend meetings or contribute in the discussions via WhatsApp Group for Two (2) consecutive times without notice.
• Failure to pay prescribed dues/levies for one year, after a review by the executives.
• If found guilty of consistent gross misconduct on more than two occasions.

WELFARE OF MEMBERS

• Subject to the provisions of sections 1.3 of Article 1 & 4.0 of Article 4 of this constitution, a member shall:
  • Be honoured with a delegation and the presentation of a purse by the Association at the burial ceremony of any of his/her parents; provided a purse shall not be presented on more than one occasion.
  • Be honoured with a delegation and the presentation of a purse by the Association when getting married, celebrating marriage anniversary or any social event nominated by the member, provided a purse shall be presented in not more than one occasion.
  • In both cases, notice of a reasonable time is given to the Association.
• In the event of the death of a member not in default of provisions of section 1.4 of Article 1 of this constitution shall be entitled to a fully participated burial/funeral ceremony by all members.
• The dependants of a departed member shall be presented a purse in the presence of the family during a condolence visit prior to the burial, of an amount to be determined by the Association.
• Any member who fails to attend the burial/funeral ceremony of a member without an excuse, shall be liable to a fine of an amount to be determined by the house.

Administrative Structure

The administrative structure shall consist of the following organs:

• National Executive Council
• Board of Trustees
• Standing Committees

National Executive Council

• There shall be a National Executive Council elected by members every two (2) years to see to the day to day administration of the Association.
• For a member to be qualified for an election into any of the offices, he/she shall be:

• Regular at meetings and activities of the Association
• Up to date payment of dues and levies

• The offices are:

• The President.
• The Vice President
• The General Secretary
• Assistant Secretary
• Treasurer
• Financial Secretary
• Welfare Officer/Event Manager
• Legal Adviser
• Internal Auditor
• Publicity Relation Officer
• Assistant Public Relation Officer

Powers And Duties Of The National Executive

• To meet from time to time to manage the affairs of the Association.
• To summon meetings as and when due or required
• To present to the general meeting, an annual report of the Association and the statement of account.
• To organize ceremonies to mark the founders day of the alma mater on a bi-annual basis.
• To appoint an adhoc committee as may deemed necessary with terms of reference.
• To take such other steps as it may be considered necessary to fulfill the objectives of the Association.
• Membership shall comprise of all elected members of the Association.
• It shall formulate policies for the Association. All policy decisions of the executive committee shall be ratified by (2/3) two third majorities of the members.

Functions Of The Officers

President

• He shall be the head of the Association
• He shall preside at both general meetings of the Association and shall not vote except there is a tie
• He shall be a signatory to all cheques and other financial transactions of the Association.
• The President, the Publicity Secretary, and the Secretary shall design the external press releases of the Association.
• He/she shall approve the expenditure of the Association as provided for in this constitution.
• He/she shall give an annual report of the state of affairs of the Association.

Vice President

• He/she shall deputize for the President in his absence.
• He/she shall perform all other duties as may be assigned by the President or the Association from time to time.
• He/she shall take over as the president upon the president’s removal, suspension, or death, pending a bye election which shall be conducted within 30 days except otherwise agreed by the Board of Trustees.

General Secretary

• He/she shall run the secretariat of the Association and on the order of the President, issue circulars, notices, letters and generally perform all other secretarial duties in accordance with the constitution.
• He/she shall take the minutes of both the general and the executive meetings of the Association.
• He/she shall keep an up to date attendance register and the register of the Association.
• He/she shall compile the annual reports of the Association which shall be presented on the last general meeting of the Association of every service year.
• He/she shall be a co-signatory of the Association’s bank account.

Assistant Secretary

• Shall assist the General Secretary in the day to day running of the Association’s Secretariat.
• He/she shall perform the duties of the General Secretary in his/her absence.

Treasurer

• He/she shall receive all the monies of the Association and pay same promptly into the Association’s Account not later than the next three banking days.
• He/she shall be a co-signatory with the President and the General Secretary to the Association Account and other financial Transactions.
• He/she shall assist the Welfare Officer/Event Manager in ensuring that all welfare and other activities of the Association are carried out promptly and smoothly.
• He/she shall be in custody of cheque books, tellers and other financial records of the Association
• He/she shall ensure that all dues and fines are collected from members promptly.
• He/she shall work with the Financial Secretary for proper record of account.
• He/she shall give the statement of Account of the Association whenever he is required to do so especially at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.

Financial Secretary

• He/she shall keep the financial records of the Association in terms of income and expenditure.
• He/she shall collect all contributions and issue receipts for same, and hand over the same to the Treasurer within 24 hours.
• He/she shall check from time to time the financial records of the Association with the Treasurer in order to keep the two accounts/records in agreement and up to date.
• He shall be a member of any committee instituted for the purpose of raising or expending fund on behalf of the Association.
• He/she shall at the request of the Internal Auditor of the Association, release the financial books in his possession for auditing.

Welfare Officer/Event Manager

• He/she shall see to the welfare of members of the Association on any occasion the Association organizes or to which the Association is in attendance.
• He/she shall be the chairman of the welfare committee of the Association.
• He/she shall perform such other functions that may be assigned to him by the President or the Association.
• He/shall present a list of welfare package proposal of members (who are not in default of dues or members that are exempted from paying dues) to the general meeting from time to time for deliberation and approval.
• He/she shall visit members who are sick, bereaved, etc on behalf of the Association and report back for necessary action.
• He/she shall NOT present welfare package proposal for a member more than once in a year.

Legal Adviser

• He/she shall be a practicing legal practitioner.
• He/she shall be a practicing legal practitioner He/she shall advise and represent the Association on all legal matters.

Internal Auditor

• He/she shall be an officer with reasonable knowledge on Accounting
• He/she shall audit all the financial records of the Association on bi-annual basis and present such report to the Association for discussion.

Public Relation Officer

• He/she shall be the image maker of the Association.
• He/she shall, with the President and Secretary, sign all public notices of the Association.
• He shall ensure that notices of meetings and invitation cards/letters are properly dispatched.

Assistant Public Relation Officer

• Shall assist the Public Relation Officer in the day-to-day running of the Association’s Publicity office.
• He/she shall perform the duties of the Public Relation Officer in his/her absence.

Tenure Of Officers

• Elected officers of the Association shall enjoy tenure of two (2) years at the first instance but with a renewable one additional term.
• The executive council shall be dissolved at the meeting marking the end of the tenure, and election shall hold same day; while the most senior old student shall be nominated to preside over the election provided he is not contesting for any of the offices.
• The new officers shall be sworn in immediately by the most senior old student who presided over the election.
• Notwithstanding the provision of Article 2 sub 2.4 (a) & (b), where there are no members to fill vacant position(s), the existing member(s) whose tenure has/have expired can be allowed extension of tenure IF he or she is so willing to serve.

Committees

There shall be various committees which will be ad-hoc bodies with the exception of the executive committee. Such committees with specific mandate shall be constituted by the Association from time to time as the need arises.

Board Of Trustees

There shall be a Board of Trustees for the Association which shall be inaugurated not earlier than two (2) weeks after the coming into effect of this constitution.

• Membership/Tenure
  • The Board of Trustees shall have a membership of nine members elected from among the senior members of the Association with due regard to the year of graduation from Delta Careers College, Warri and capability.
  • There shall be a chairman and secretary elected from among themselves.
  • The tenure of the Board of Trustees shall be three (3) years from the date of first election/inauguration.
• Eligibility Criteria for Nomination to the Board of Trustees

  To be eligible for nomination and election into the Board of Trustees, a member must:

  • Have completed at least two (2) tenures in any leadership position within the Association.
  • Be a financial member of the Association.
  • Have demonstrated serious commitment to the Association, including:
    • At least 70% attendance at general meetings (physical or online).
    • Participation may include virtual attendance for members residing outside the country
• Automatic Qualification Of Past Presidents

  Notwithstanding the provisions in Article 2.6 (c), past Presidents of the Association who have completed their full tenure(s) shall automatically qualify for membership on the Board of Trustees.

  Provided:

  • No more than four (4) past Presidents may serve on the Board at any given time.
  • Where a fifth past President becomes eligible, the oldest past President on the Board (by year of service) shall retire to maintain the maximum number of four.
• Duties

  The Board of Trustees shall:

  • Act as arbiter in any dispute in the Association.
  • Be the custodian of the heritage of the Association and shall see to the promotion and adherence to its aims and objectives.
  • Ensure that the Association contributes to the growth and infrastructural development of our alma mater.
  • Undertake any other functions that may be referred to it by the Association from time to time.

Meetings

• There shall be a general meeting which shall be held three (3) times in a year at Delta Careers College, Warri, or a designated venue. Date and time to be fixed by the president provided in the event of failure of the president to call such meetings, 2/3 of executive members can direct the general secretary to call meeting.
• In the event of either the president or the executive members failing to call a general meeting within a stipulated time, 1/3 of members can direct any responsible member in writing to convene a general meeting. Such notice of meeting shall be accompanied by the authorization given by 1/3 of the members.
• Emergency meeting could be convened on the directive of the president upon circular issued to that effect by the General Secretary to address specific and compelling issues confronting the Association as the need arises.
• Recognized branches/chapters are at liberty to arrange their meetings subject to their convenience
• All meetings shall be conducted in simple and correct English.
• The national executive committee shall hold its meeting as and when due on the directive of the president.
• The Association shall hold an end of year party at a venue, date and time to be determined by the general house of the Association.
• Members at the General Meeting shall be 8 registered/financial members of the Association.
• All decisions taken when a quorum is formed bind all members of the Association.
• The quorum for emergency meeting shall be 8 registered/financial members of the association.

Nomination Procedure Rules

• Any person desirous of contesting for any elective office must have good records of attendance at meetings and social events of the Association and must have paid his/her dues and levies preferably up to date.
• Any Member of the Association desirous of contesting for any office shall be nominated by a member and seconded by another.
• Such nominee must have paid all his/her dues and other such levies as at the time of his nomination save where such person is exempted as provided in Article 1 sub 1.4 (b) of this Constitution.
• He/she must have been a member of the Association up to a year. This condition does not affect the first election of the Association.
• He/she must not have been previously found wanting in the form of any gross misconduct, embezzlement of funds, usurping of authority, leading to but not limited to expulsion or impeachment from any position.

Qualification For Election And Franchise

Eligible candidates for any office must be one who has met the provisions of Article 5.1 as stated above in this Constitution.

Election Procedure And Rules

• All elections shall be by open ballot.
• An Election Committee shall conduct all the elections within a period to be fixed by the House.
• Candidate with a simple majority in an election shall be declared winner.
• A candidate is returned unopposed when no other candidate is listed to contest with him for the office of interest to him.
• A fresh election shall be conducted if two (2) candidates have equal votes in an election until a winner emerges.
• An officer who wishes to contest for a new office shall have to resign his post twenty-four (24) hours prior to the day of the election.
• An officer of the Association may seek re-election into the same office for a maximum of an additional term of three (3) years.
• An election shall be held every year except a bye-election which shall be held whenever a vacancy exists.
• The tenure of any officer elected through a bye-election shall terminate with the existing executive committee.

Bye Election

Bye election shall be held under the following conditions:-

• If an office holder resigns.
• If an office holder dies.
• If an office holder is removed from office.

Finance

The source of founding of the Association shall be:

• Monthly subscription fee.
• Donations from members and non members including organizations.
• Levies and fines on members.

Budgetary Allocation Of Alumni Funds

For effective management of the Alumni funds at all times. The usage of the Alumni funds has been allocated as follows:

• 25% of Alumni funds will be allocated for giving back to our alma mater, Delta Careers College.
• 25% of Alumni funds will be allocated for Alumni members in urgent financial needs as stated in Article 7.3 (b) below of this Constitution.
• 25% of Alumni funds will be allocated for Alumni programs and events which include but not limited to Annual General Meetings (AGM), Reunion, etc.
• 25% of Alumni funds will be left in the Alumni treasury reserves.

Welfare Reforms

In the bid to foster togetherness, unity and love within members of the DCC 2000 set Alumni, The Alumni have recommended the following:

• The Alumni welfare committee, through the assistance of the leadership and the entire member of the Alumni, may come to the aid of any member with Financial Emergency (as defined by the committee)
• Financial Emergency as stated in this context is a situation where someone has a need for financial expense that he or she didn’t plan for and the situation may result to threat to health, life, security, freedom.
• To facilitate prompt response to (a) above, Alumni members are enjoined to donate to the welfare account from time to time on a freewill basis.
• When an Alumni member finds himself in a situation as indicated on (a) above, he/ she is required to reach out to any of the welfare committee member or any member of the executive committee he/ she is comfortable to confide in as soon as possible for prompt action.
• The welfare committee will need the approval of the leadership (Excos and BoTs) before funds can be dispensed to a member in dire financial emergency.
• Only dues paying members and those exempted in line with Article 1.4 (b) are entitled to the sum of Twenty-thousand-naira (subject to periodic review) on any of the following occasions:
  • Wedding/ marriage of an Alumnus.
  • Childbirth of an Alumnus.
  • The death/ burial of the parent of an Alumnus.
• To encourage payment of dues and financial commitment of members, dues paying members are to enjoy so form of benefits from their dues payments yearly.
• Free will donations will only be organized by the Alumni for members who pay their dues at least 3 months before an incident that warrants the call for free will donation occurs. However, members can individually, as they feel, donate to the course of helping member when the need arises.

Withdrawal From Association Account

All withdrawals from Association account shall be guided by the following approvals:

• All withdrawals below one hundred thousand naira (N100, 000.00) should be approved by the President.
• The executive committee shall have power to approve not more than two hundred thousand naira (N200,000.00) withdrawals.
• All withdrawal above two hundred thousand naira (N200, 000.00) shall be by approval of the house.
• In case of serious emergency or urgency where it is impracticable to convene meetings of the house, the executive shall be entitled to make withdrawal above two hundred thousand naira (N200,000.00) and thereafter seek retrospective approval from the general house.

Imprest Account

The treasurer shall keep an imprest account of ten thousand naira (N10,000.00) at a time.