AID - Bylaws

The functional details of these meetings are described below:

Community Service Hours (CSH): Every chapter shall have a CSH at least once a month, preferably every week. The CSH is the place where AID volunteers of a chapter meet and set the agenda for the weekly/monthly activities of the chapter. Every volunteer should be given a chance to speak and the CSH should also have certain work items on the agenda, like making posters, writing to projects or donors, exchanging/viewing informative videos. Important decisions like project review and support, fund-raising activities of the chapter etc. will be discussed and made/initiated at the CSH. Projects can be passed at the CSH by a majority vote afterthe volunteers get a chance to ask questions and seek modifications and clarifications. The CSH can also empower smaller project committes and coordinators to make decisions on projects. It can also serve as a forum to introduce and train new volunteers and to keep the vision of making a difference in the world alive.
- Quorum for making decisions in the CSH : Each chapter can set its CSH's quorum requirements or modify any quorum requirements set by it previously at the CSH (meeting the current quorum requirements) by an absolute majority. Until such a time that the chapter sets its first quorum requirements, the quorum for a chapter shall be defined as attendance of at least 6 active AID volunteers. Any quorum requirements set by the CSH of the chapter shall not fall below the attendance of a minimum of six active AID-Volunteers. The term 'active-volunteer' is defined in Section 4.5.
- Voting in the CSH : All active AID volunteers can vote on a decision in the CSH.
Executive Committee Meeting: The primary function of these meetings shall be to implement resolutions passed in the CSH and GBM and to set direction for future and ongoing projects. The detailed structure of the executive committee is given in section 3.1. Any member who is not a member of the executive committee can attend this meeting only with invitation or prior approval from any of the members of the executive committee. The executive committee has the authority to allot contingency funds up to 10% of the annual budget of the respective AID-Chapter, for emergency project support.
General Body Meeting (GBM): This meeting is open to all members of AID. The secretary is responsible to set agenda and inform all members in advance and keep the minutes of the meeting. Any issues not directly related to the set agenda can be raised for discussion by any member with approval from the secretaryof the AID-Chapter. The GBM would be presided over by the president of the AID-Chapter. The quorum for GBM shall be the same as the quorum of the previous CSH meeting. Further at least one-third of the executive commitee members should be be present in the GBM, for quorum requirements to be met. The meeting shall fail to be a GBM if the quorum requirements are not met. A GBM shall be held at least once every quarter (three months) for the headquarters and regional head quarters, and at least once a year for all other chapters. Some of the important functions of the GBM are as follows: (i) to make a special effort to reach out to more people of diverse qualities and aptitudes by inviting those who have shown interest but never attended, or who have attended occasionally in the past and offered interesting ideas, (ii) to give update to the members on the on-going projects, (iii) to discuss the budget, progress and targets for the next period, (iv) to discuss new ideas for awareness of AID, (v) to hear and respond to a periodic report by every executive committee member, (vi) to hold elections every two years and select members of the executive committee by majority vote, and (vii) to resolve special issues such as, amending the constitution, or approving no-confidence motion against any member of the executive committee of the AID-Chapter. These special motions shall require absolute majority vote (see section 4.5) to be approved.

4.2 Directors Meeting

The Board of Directors will have a Directors meeting atleast once every two months. The quorum shall be presence of at least 3 directors. The purpose of the meetings is to expand and make changes to the membership of the Executive Board, empower different members of the Executive Board to make decisions and take-up responsibilities in different areas, and to determine the usage of the funds of AID, including giving consent through the Executive Board to an AID-Chapter to use a portion of the funds raised by the AID-Chapter, as specified in Section 2.2.3.1. All decisions of the Board of Directors should be made by an absolute majority of the Directors present.

The Board of Directors should strive to seek the inputs and recommendations from every other decision making body, while arriving at their decisions.

The primary function of these meetings will be to implement the resolutions passed in the Directors Meeting, such as reaching various targets in the overall projects and fund-raising, awareness and publicity activities of AID. Guidelines for the executive committees of various chapters especially in the areas of treasury, projects, and long-term plans of AID, can be discussed at the Executive Board Meetings, and recommendations can be given to the Board of Directors for their approval.

AID Special Meeting will called by the Board of Directors and all voting volunteers of all chapters will be invited with sufficient notice. Quorum for the AID Special Meeting is the presence of 25 voting-volunteers.

Any AID-Volunteer who has attended at least three of the last six or two of the last three CSHs in an AID-Chapter is an active-volunteer (or voting volunteer) of AID and has a right to vote. AID Volunteers who have attended 20% of the CSHs and GBMs held in any AID-Chapter in the last one, two or three years are also active-volunteers (or voting volunteers) and enjoy this same right.

Motions in the meetings described in section 4 shall be subjected to open (or voice) vote, provided the motion is related to the topic under discussion (according to the set agenda). The chair-person has the right to allocate time duration for discussion before the motion is subjected to vote.

Every decision of AID or its chapters, made in any of the meetings, should be made available to every other chapter, executive board and board of directors. The minutes of the meeting, available to any AID volunteer on request will suffice to satisfy this requirement. If the Board of Directors receive a petition by ten or more AID-members within one week from the date of any decision made by any decision-making body of AID or AID-Chapters, they can suspend or revoke the decision within another week. For such an action, the petition should have compelling reasons that demonstrate for example, that it is entirely out-of -character of previous decisions made by AID. The Board of Directors will then work with the decsion-making body whose decision has been revoked/suspended and try to come up with a solution suitable to it and the petitioners. The decision of the Board of Directors will be final in such circumstances.

General elections for the president, vice-president, secretary, treasurers and any other officers of the AID-Chapter, shall be held on a suitable date in the last 6-month period before the expiration of the 2-year term of the current executive committee of the respective AID-chapter. The elections shall be conducted by the current president of the AID-Chapter or an electoral officer appointed him/her. In case of the resignation of the president of the AID-Chapter before the elections, the Board of Directors will appoint an electoral officer. Any volunteer of the AID-Chapter can be nominated for any seat on the executive committee of the AID-Chapter.

All volunteers of AID-Chapter and the Board of Directors must be informed of the date and time of elections at least two CSHs in advance. This would give prospective candidates sufficient time to form a manifesto. Candidates will be given 10 minutes before the election to state their views. The actual electoral process, including the order of the election, shall be formulated by the electoral officer. The person securing the highest number of votes in his or her favour for any post would be declared elected to that post. Transfer of power to the newly elected body will be 2 weeks after the elections, provided there is no question on the fairness with which the election was conducted. If there is a doubt then the transfer of power will be delayed and will require the Board of Directors' recommendation. The Board of Directors could in the event of serious doubt order a re-election.

If an office-bearer resigns from his/her post or is removed from the post by a vote of no-confidence against the person, then the vacant position shall be filled by an election in the next GBM/CSH. This election shall be held by a majority vote for that position only and the selected candidate shall complete the remaining term of the previous office-bearer.

If necessary, AID-Chapters can make By-Laws appropriate for the running of their Chapter, within the framework of these AID By-Laws. The AID-Chapter By-Laws will have to obey every condition of the AID By-Laws and need to be approved by the Board of Directors of AID before they can come into effect. Any amendments to the AID-Chapter By-Laws need to be similarly approved. In the event of amendment of these AID By-Laws, all AID-Chapters' By-Laws have to be reapproved by the Board of Directors. In the event of a conflict between the By-Law of an AID-Chapter and the AID By-Laws, the AID By-Laws will apply. AID-Chapters may get help from the Executive Board to make the By-Laws.