Professional Services Sector

Definitions
Name
Mission Statement
POWERS OF WECBOF Professional Services Sector
Membership
Admissions of new Members
Suspension of Members
Annual General Meetings
Board of Trustees
Quorum
Powers and Duties of Specific Trustees Chairperson

1. DEFINITIONS

The terms referred to in this constitution shall have the meaning assigned to them:

Domicilium citandi et executandi shall be such place which the Board of Trustees may from time to time decide.
Area of Interest - the Black (African, Coloured and Indian) Business Community of the Western Cape which specialises in the Manufacturing, Engineering and Construction Industries and any related Professional Services.
Board - shall mean the Board of Trustees.

2. NAME

The name of the Voluntary Association shall be "The Western Cape Business Opportunities Forum – Professional Services Sector", hereinafter referred to as WECBOF Professional Services Sector.

3. MISSION STATEMENT

WECBOF Professional Services Sector’s mission is to contribute effectively to the economic and social development of the region in its area of interest by,

Co-ordinating business relationships among its members and members of other Wecbof Sectors, identifying business opportunities, facilitating the development of local capital and promoting the development of technology in the region;
Serving as an association affiliated to the Wecbof Section 21 Company and sharing its aims and objectives, inter alia,
to effect changes beneficial to Black business people and striving for the development of the disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape
assisting people with professional skills desiring the establishment of their own business;
Seeking contacts and investment opportunities from abroad and establishing relationships with prospective business associates abroad; and
Developing and propagating a strong code of business conduct which will be guided by the principles of non-racialism, non sexism and democracy, and a sustained sense of social responsibility.

4. POWERS OF WECBOF Professional Services Sector

The WECBOF Professional Services Sector, may, to achieve its objectives:

open accounts with banking or other financial institutions;
conduct regular and normal financial proceedings;
iaise with other persons or bodies;
represent its members in negotiations;
host conferences and seminars; and
generally do anything deemed necessary, expedient and legal to achieve the objectives of WECBOF Professional Services Sector.

5. MEMBERSHIP

There shall be the following categories of membership of the Association;
- Regular members
- associate members
- honorary members
- corporate members
- emerging corporate members
A person will be admitted as a regular member if he / she is a director / principal / partner of or occupies an executive management position in a company whose function and focus is related to a type of business referred to in the Area of Interest.
Special allowance will be made for regular membership of a person with specialised skills identified by WECBOF Professional Services Sector.
A person who is aspiring to operate within our Area of Interest or any other business, would be eligible for associate membership.
A person who has distinguished himself / herself in any matter related to the aims and objectives of WECBOF Professional Services Sector would be eligible for nomination as honorary member.
A person shall become a member on admission by the Board and endorsement of the acceptance by the Executive Director of the Wecbof Section 21 Company and payment of the full membership fees, and
The membership fees shall be payable annually and may be reviewed annually by the AGM.
Companies and corporations where the majority of members or shareholders are from the historically disadvantaged communities and who subscribe to the WECBOF Computer Technology, IT and Communications Sector mission statement shall be eligible for Emerging Corporate membership.

6. ADMISSIONS OF NEW MEMBERS

Applications for membership to the WECBOF Professional Services Sector will only be considered by the Board on recommendation by an existing member. The Board may for good reason and without explanation accept or refuse an application for membership of the Association whereafter;
The Executive Director of Wecbof Section 21 Company shall at his/her sole discretion endorse or veto the decision of the Board. Membership and refusal of membership shall be ratified at the subsequent AGM of the Association.

7. SUSPENSION OF MEMBERS

The Board may for good reason exclude a member from the Association or suspend membership from the Association, whereafter;
The Director of Wecbof Section 21 Company shall at his/her discretion endorse or veto any such disciplinary action
Any such decision shall be ratified at the subsequent AGM of the Association.
Any such decision will come into immediate effect and will be provisional until ratified at an AGM.

8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

The Association shall hold an AGM at such place and at such time as the Board may decide from time to time provided that the time elapsed from one AGM to another shall not be greater than 18 months.
At each AGM;The chairperson on behalf of the Board of Trustees shall present:
- their annual report from their term of office;
- the financial statement of the Forum for the preceding year.
There shall be a fair and democratic election of Trustees who will constitute the Board of Trustees.
Only those members who have paid their annual subscription fee shall be eligible to participate in the election and to vote thereat.
he members in exercising their vote shall endeavour to return a Board of Trustees representative of the membership of the Association in gender and otherwise.

9. BOARD OF TRUSTEES

There shall be a Board of Trustees that shall serve for a period of one year and be elected at the AGM.
Any Trustee who without a reasonable excuse (acceptable to the Board) absents him/herself from the executive meetings shall be summarily dismissed. Such Trustee shall not be eligible to hold the office of Trustee for the remaining period of the year for which he/she was elected.
The Board shall consist of:
- Chairperson
- The Vice Chairperson
- The Secretary
- The Treasurer

The elected Trustees shall after taking into consideration the Guidelines for the Appointment of Trustees, as developed by the said Trustees be entitled to appoint and co-opt four further persons to serve as Trustees on the Board of Trustees.

The Executive Officer of the Wecbof Section 21 Company shall be entitled to attend meetings of the Board of Trustees and shall be entitled to speak thereat.
The Executive Officer of the Wecbof Section 21 Company shall not have a vote.
The functions of the Board shall be:
- To convene regular and extra-ordinary meetings of the Association
- to deal with matters of urgency
- to co-opt any member of the association to the Board for a special purpose
- to conduct, and take responsibility for the management of the affairs of the Association
- to recommend the annual subscription of the Association subject to the ratification of the AGM
- to exclude or suspend any member for good cause subject to the decision of the Executive Officer of the Wecbof Section 21 and subsequent ratification of the AGM
- to recommend to the Association persons for nomination as honorary members.
The Board of Trustees may, if in the discretion of three-quarters of the number of Trustees, it is deemed appropriate, expel any Trustee.

10. QUORUM

Three members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum

11. POWERS AND DUTIES OF SPECIFIC TRUSTEES

CHAIRPERSON
- shall preside at all executive meetings. The vice-chairperson shall preside in his/her absence.
- Will have a casting vote in all matters.
- Will be the official representative of the WECBOF Professional Services Sector.
- Will be a member of all Task Groups
VICE - CHAIRPERSON
- In the absence of the Chairperson a nominated Vice-Chairperson will have the same powers and duties as Chairperson.
- Shall be responsible for a specific Task Group.
- Shall constitute his/her own Task Group to be ratified by the executive.
- Shall constitute his/her own Task Group to be ratified by the executive.
SECRETARY
- Shall be responsible for keeping of all records and shall attend to all correspondence.
- Shall be responsible for all property of the WECBOF Professional Services Sector.
- Shall notify members of all meetings unless the date, time and venue of the next meeting was finalised at the previous meeting.
- Shall keep minutes at all meetings.
- Shall have a copy of this Constitution available at all meetings.
TREASURER
- Shall keep such books to enable him/her to report on the finances of the month and to enable the Executive Director of Wecbof Section 21 Company to prepare financial statements.
- Shall provide an annual report to the AGM on the financial activities of the WECBOF Computer Technology, IT and Communications Sector
VOTING
- All members shall be entitled to one vote only.
- Voting for new Board members shall be done at the AGM.
- Voting shall be by secret ballot.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
- Any amendment to the constitution shall only be considered at an AGM subject to and if the Board had been notified of such an amendment 30 days in advance.
- An amendment to the constitution may only be approved if more than two-thirds of the members present at the AGM vote in favour thereof.
- After approval of the amendment the secretary shall enter it in the constitution, a copy of which is to be kept in the official minute book.
DISSOLUTION
- WECBOF Professional Services Sector will cease to exist if two-thirds of its members vote in favour of dissolution, or if membership falls below 10.
- In the event of the dissolution of WECBOF Professional Services Sector the accumulated funds and assets will be donated to the Wecbof Section 21 Company.