IAKC BY-LAWS

India Association of Kansas City By-Laws

Article I – Purpose

The India Association of Kansas City will be a non-profit and   charitable organization with the primary goal of promoting the cultural, educational, and social heritage of the people of Asian Indian origin in the greater Kansas City area.  The Corporation shall have all such powers as are now or as may hereafter be granted by the state of Kansas.  The organization shall not organize and participate in any political and/or religious activities.

Article II – Name, Seal and Offices

SECTION 1. NAME:   The name of this corporation shall be India Association of Kansas City, Inc.  Hereinafter it shall be referred to as the Corporation.

SECTION 2. SEAL:   The Board of Trustees shall provide a corporate seal, which shall be in the form of a circle and shall be inscribed thereon the name of the Corporation and the words “Corporate Seal”.

SECTION 3. OFFICES:   IAKC does not hold a physical office as of yet, however a separate mailing address / PO BOX number may be maintained at the discretion of the Board of Trustees.

Article III – Members

SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY:   Membership shall be open to all individuals seeking to promote Indian culture or heritage.

SECTION 2. CLASS OF MEMBERSHIPS:     This Corporation shall have the following classes of memberships.  Each adult member, over the age of 21, shall have the right to vote in any annual meeting.  The designation of such classes and the qualifications of the members of each class shall be as follows:

Family Memberships: Family membership is an annual membership that extends to a family of two adults with minor children or children of the same household enrolled fulltime in school.

Individual/Student Membership: Individual/Student membership is an annual membership that extends to any adult not included in either the family or life membership and is above the age of 18.

Life Membership: Life membership extends to any member (and their family – two adults with minor children or children of the same household enrolled fulltime in high school) who has paid, a onetime life membership dues as in the amount set by the Board of Trustee.

SECTION 3. DUES AND PRIVILEGES:

Dues: The dues shall be established annually by the Board of Trustees and be paid anytime during a calendar year. Dues shall be valid for the calendar year that those are paid for. Participants in “India Night” or any other event that IAKC decides is open for IAKC members only – must activate their membership prior to their application for participation being accepted to that event.        Life membership dues shall be at least twelve (12) times the amount of the annual dues.

Privileges: All members shall have the privilege of participating in any IAKC event (subject to the rules established for those specific events); shall be eligible for discounted ticket prices; and shall be allowed to vote.  Life members shall be given preferential seating at events and/or additional discounted ticket prices.

SECTION 4. DEFAULT AND TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP: The name of the member shall be removed from the membership rolls of the Corporation if the membership dues remain unpaid for a period of two (2) months after the beginning of the membership year.

ARTICLE IV – Meeting

SECTION 1. ANNUAL MEETING: An annual meeting of the members shall be held no later than the second Saturday of December in each year. The incoming Board of Trustees and Executive Committee shall be presented and approved by the voting members. The outgoing Treasurer shall present the financial records of the Organization for review and verification.  Any grievances by a member raised at the annual meeting shall be addressed as outlined in Article VII, Section 2.

SECTION 2. SPECIAL MEETING: Special meeting of the members may be called by the President, Board of Trustees, or upon Petition by one-third (1/3) of the members.

SECTION 3. PLACE OF MEETING: The Board of Trustees may designate any place for the annual or special meeting.  Should a Petition by one third of the voting members be delivered to any member of the Board of Trustees, the Chairman of the Board shall direct that a meeting venue be established and a meeting be scheduled within 30 days of such delivery.

SECTION 4. NOTICE OF MEETINGS: Written or printed notice stating the place, date and hour of any meeting of members shall be delivered either personally, by mail or email, to each member not less than (10) nor more than thirty (30) days before the date of such meeting, by or at the direction of the President, the Secretary, or the officers or persons calling the meeting.

SECTION 5. QUORUM.  Quorum is satisfied upon the presence of at least 10 people at the meeting.  If a quorum is not present at any meeting of members, a simple majority of the members present may declare a quorum present, or may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice.

SECTION 6. ACTION BY MEMBERS: If a quorum is present the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes which may be cast of any meeting shall be the act of the members, unless the vote of a greater or lesser number is required by law, the Articles of Incorporation or these By-Laws.

SECTION 7. PROXIES: At any meeting of members, a member entitled to vote may vote either in person or by proxy executed in writing by the member or his or her duly authorized attorney-in-fact.  No proxy shall be valid after fifteen (15) days from the date of its execution unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

SECTION 8. INFORMAL ACTION BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: In exigent circumstances, the Board or Executive Committee may undertake any action necessary to preserve the Organization or its interests, upon written notice and simple majority vote.

ARTICLE V – Board of Trustees

SECTION 1. COMPOSITION AND TERM: The Board of Trustees shall have a minimum of five (5) and a maximum of fifteen (15) members. The Corporate Status and affairs of the corporation shall be vested in the Board of Trustees.  The Board of Trustees shall have a Chairman, Vice Chairman and a Secretary.  These offices shall be filled by written/Voice ballot by the total Board at their first convened meeting.

A. Composition

  1. The immediate Past President of IAKC
  2. Where possible, the Chairman or their designee of any regional organization with a membership of 100 families or more.
  3. Minimum Three (3) members at large.

B. Term

  1. The term of service for the Past IAKC President shall be for one year.
  2. The term of service for all remaining trustees shall be limited to a three-year consecutive term.
  3. Any trustee may be eligible for re-appointment after twelve (12) consecutive months of non-service as a trustee.
  4. Should any trustee be removed or resign during the fiscal year, the position shall remain open until the next selection process.

SECTION 2. Qualifications

  1. Life member or have been a member in good standing of IAKC for a period of not less than 2 years.
  2. Must reside within the Kansas City Metropolitan area
  3. Preferably has served on an executive committee of IAKC or a regional Indian association committee or has shown active involvement in social activities.
  4. Should be of general good moral character, to wit: shall not have been convicted of any criminal offenses.

SECTION 3. Authorities AND DUTIES

A.Authority

  1. Oversee the continuing establishment of the Corporation’s not-for-profit status.
  2. Ensure the orderly continuation of the Corporate status and the Corporation’s status with the Internal Revenue Service.
  3. Ensure that the Corporation’s charitable status if available under the pertinent sections of the Internal Revenue Code is maintained pursuant to that code.
  4. Insure orderly transfer of the administration of this Corporation from the retiring to the incoming Trustees and Officers; and
  5. Formulate long-range plans of this Corporation.

B. Duties

  1. Attend not less than fifty percent (50%) of the Trustee Committee Meetings in any given year.
  2. Attend and volunteer at no less than two (2) IAKC events.
  3. Review, recommend and approve Corporation policies
  4. Maintain the organization’s year to year records of the programs and financial reports.
  5. By the First of October, form a nominating committee for the selection and installation of the Executive committee and any open position on the Board of Trustees. The nominating committee:

          (a). Be comprised of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Board  (or their assigned nominees) and one (1) other Board member (outgoing) along with two (2) general members – one of those preferably a life member of IAKC

          (b) Shall seek out nominations for open positions with the Board and the new Executive Committee.

          (c)Shall review and interview nominees regarding their qualifications to serve.

          (d) Shall propose a slate of candidates to the Board of Trustees for comment and approval.

          (e) Upon approval by the Board, shall notify selected members of their position.

  1. Serve as an ambassador for the organization

C. Removal

Any member of the Board of Trustees may be removed for cause by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Board of Trustees.

SECTION 4.  MEETINGS:

  1. Board meetings shall occur by agreement of no less than three (3) members with at least seven days’ notice, unless notice is waived by appearance. There shall be a minimum of four (4) meetings per fiscal year.
  2. Quorum. One-third (1/3) of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Trustees; provided that if less than a majority of the Trustees are present at said meetings, a majority of the Trustees present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice.
  3. Action of the Trustees. The act of a majority of the Trustees present at a meeting at which a quorum if present shall be the act of the Board of Trustees, except where otherwise provided by law, the Articles of Incorporation or these By-Laws.  In the event of a tie the chairman or his designee shall have an additional tie-breaker vote.
  4. Informal Action. Any action required to be taken at a meeting may be taken without a meeting if a majority of the Trustees agree.

SECTION 5. COMPENSATION: Trustees as such shall not receive any stated salaries for their services.

SECTION 6. VETO POWER: The Board of Trustees having ultimate responsibility to insure the continuing not-for-profit and charitable status of the Corporation will have the power to veto any action of the Officers or membership of the Corporation that would in any way jeopardize the not-for-profit status or charitable status of the Corporation.

ARTICLE VI – Officers

SECTION 1. COMPOSITION AND TERM: The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the general affairs of the Corporation.  It shall have a minimum of seven (7) members.

A.Composition

  1. The Executive Committee shall be comprised of at least the following offices:

a). President

b). Vice President

c). Secretary

d). Treasurer

e). Program Chair

f). Community Outreach/Academic Liaison

g).Sports Coordinator

h). Ethic Commission Representative

i). Media & Promotion

j). And any others that the executive committee deem fit for the proper functioning of the organization’s annual events and activities. At no time shall the overall executive committee team consist of more than twenty-five (25) members which would include no more than five (5) members at large.¹

  1. The President elect should have been a current or past member of a prior Executive Committee or the Executive Committee of a regional organization
  2. The Vice-President elect should have been a current or past member of a prior Executive Committee or Board of Trustees member of IAKC in the past 2 of 5 years.  In the event such a person cannot be identified, the incoming President shall be granted an additional 60 days to search and appoint such a person in collaboration and with approval of the Board of Trustees.¹

B. Term

  1. The term for the lead roles mentioned above in Article VI, section 1, shall be for a minimum of two (2) years but for a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms of two (2) years each, for a ceiling of 6 years of service. Once a gap year occurs after this 6 year time period, a person may apply for an executive committee position again.¹
  2. Specifically as to the President of IAKC, once appointed, the term limit shall be one (1) year with a two (2) year maximum service period. Once that initial 1 year term expires, they are allowed to continue to a second year so long as they are confirmed through the nomination process already established in the IAKC operating rules. Upon the expiration of the maximum 2 year term, the position would then open up again for other nominees through the nomination committee which would select and provide their recommendation to the board of trustees.¹
  3. Should any committee member be removed or resign during the fiscal year, the position shall remain open until the next selection process or it may be filled upon a majority vote of the executive committee.

C. Qualifications

  1. Member of IAKC for the year to be in the Executive Committee
  2. Should be of general good moral character, to wit: shall not have been convicted of any criminal offenses.

SECTION 2: Authorities

The President or the Treasurer are the only persons from the Executive Committee who are authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of the organization as necessary to ensure the success of any planned program.

SECTION 3:  DUTIES

A. PRESIDENT: The president shall be the principal executive officer of this Corporation. He or she shall:

(1) Plan and supervise the affairs of this Corporation including the expenditure of funds up to two thousand ($2000) without the need for further approval by the Board;

(2) preside at the meetings of officers;

(3) be the organization’s chief representative vis-à-vis the public, other organizations, and individuals and

(4) The President shall, before scheduling any new event, inform the board for approval.

(5) The President shall, after each scheduled program has been completed, provide the Board of Trustees with a report regarding the attendance, finances, and any other matter that is relevant to the program that was completed;

(6)The president shall advise the board of any situation that may have a significant impact on the financial outcome of an event as soon as possible.

(7)At the conclusion of the service year, the President shall present to the Board of Trustees a written Summary Document which includes a summary of the programs, along with a critic of each program presented during the year, the annual financial report and an overall evaluation with recommendations for the following year and

(8) The President shall monitor the emails/messages directed to IAKC and ensure timely response in accordance with IAKC objectives and mission;

(9) The president acts as the main point of contact for communication with the board and keeps the board apprised regularly.

(10) The president serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for one (1) year

B. VICE PRESIDENT: The vice president shall fulfill the duties of President when the President is unable or unwilling.

C. SECRETARY: The secretary shall be responsible for the recordkeeping of the minutes of the executive committee. The secretary shall preserve the minutes of the meetings for the service year and shall transfer them to the new secretary upon installation.  The secretary is also responsible to make reservations for the library or any facility needed to conduct meetings. Any Executive Committee member or Board of Trustee including the Chairman and Vice-Chairman should approach the Secretary to make any facility reservations needed for any meetings.

D.Treasurer: The treasurer shall be responsible for obtaining the seed money for the service year on behalf of the Executive Committee.  He or she shall be responsible for maintaining the integrity of programming accounting and records and shall present to the Executive committee a detailed account after each event.  At the end of the service year, and prior to the new treasurer being installed, the outgoing treasure shall present a closing account statement to the Board and the General Assembly.  All monetary gifts or donations shall be deposited in the bank account of the Corporation within 7 days of receipt.

E. PROGRAM CHAIR: The program chair shall be primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of any planned cultural event. In conjunction with the rest of the Executive Committee, this would include the planning and execution of the scheduled program.  With the consent of the President, the Program Chair is authorized to establish subcommittees as needed for the successful planning and execution of any planned event.

Removal: Any member of the Executive Committee may be removed for cause by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 4. MEETINGS:

The executive committee must plan on meeting at least once every month or as and when needed.

  1. The Executive Committee meetings shall occur by agreement of no less than three (3) members with at least seven days’ notice, unless notice is waived by appearance.
  2. Quorum. One-third (1/3) of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting; if less than a majority of the Executive Committee is present at said meetings, a majority of the Committee present may adjourn the meeting without further notice.
  3. Action of the Executive Committee. The act of the majority of the Committee shall be binding on the Committee as a whole.
  4. Informal Action. Any action required to be taken at a meeting may be taken without a meeting if the majority of the Committee Members agree.

SECTION 5. COMPENSATION: The Executive Committee as such shall not receive any stated salaries or other compensation for their services.

ARTICLE VII– Open Records and Grievances

SECTION 1: OPEN RECORDS

At the Annual meeting, the Summary Document shall be open for review by any member.

SECTION 2: GRIEVANCES

Any member in good standing may raise a grievance, in writing, with either the President of the Executive Committee or the Chairman of the Board.

Upon receipt of such grievance, the President must notify the Chairman of the Board, who must in turn notify the full Board of Trustees.  The Board shall convene to determine the materiality of the grievance, address the grievance and decide on a resolution. Upon determination of the resolution, the Chairman shall notify the party presenting the grievance in writing.

ARTICLE VIII CONFLICT OF INTEREST

  1. In the spirit of ensuring focus and dedication to the aims and objectives of the IAKC organization, no members of the IAKC executive committee may hold executive positions in other non-profit organizations simultaneously.¹
  2. Further, no immediate family members of any current executive committee person shall serve in the executive committee or board of trustees at the simultaneous time.¹

ARTICLE IX – Amendments to By-Laws

These By-Laws may be altered, amended, or repealed, from time to time, by majority vote of the general membership at the Annual meeting.  Prior to presentment of the amended By-laws at the annual meeting, the Board of Trustees must approve them by a two-thirds vote.

¹ Amendments approved in AGM 2023 and updated to by-laws on 15th February 2024