(i) Distinguished individuals who have supported and or shown considerable interest in the growth and progress of the school may be accepted as honorary members. Such individuals shall be nominated by the Executive Council or any member in good standing and approved by consensus by members at an Annual General Meeting.

(ii) Current and former teachers, non-teaching staff, and headmasters/headmistresses of the school who are not old students, but who voluntarily register to be members.

(iii) Family members and friends of members who have the interest of Dormass at heart and desire to register as members of DOSA.

(i) A member may resign from DOSA with or without a reason, but a resignation must be communicated in writing through the secretary to the Executive Council.

(ii) Membership status of a member shall be terminated by the Council, upon a recommendation from the Disciplinary Committee that the member’s behavior is inconsistent with the tenets of this constitution and/ any rule or regulation of DOSA.

(iii) Before a decision in (ii), a complaint concerning the conduct of the member, signed by at least 5 members must be submitted to the Disciplinary Committee. The Disciplinary Committee shall conduct a hearing through any mode deemed appropriate; whether in-person (where possible), virtually, or by written communications. By whatever means, the accused member must be given full opportunity to defend himself or herself.

(iv) The affected member is entitled to appeal the decision of the Disciplinary Committee within 14 days of the recommendation by the Disciplinary Committee to the Executive Council, for a review of the Disciplinary Committee’s decision on its merits. The decision of the Executive Council shall be final.

(vi) Any decision taken in the case of (ii) and (iv) shall be communicated to all members and chapters within 30 days of such decision, or so soon thereafter as the circumstances would permit.

(vii) Any officer elected or appointed by the Association may relinquish his/her position by submitting a letter of resignation to the Council.

(viii) A simple majority of members in good standing may vote to recall an officer they do not want to continue in office.

5.1. DOSA shall be incorporated as a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) with capacity to sue and be sued.

5.2. The highest decision-making body shall be the Congress, which comprises the Executive Council (WORLDWIDE) and representatives of all Local and Country (Diasporian) Chapters.

5.3. There shall be an Executive Council of the Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Council’’), which shall be responsible to Congress and shall ran the day-to-day activities of the Association. Members of the Council shall be elected by Congress by a simple majority of members present and voting. They shall serve a term of two years with eligibility for re-election.

5.4. The Council may approve the establishment of Chapters comprising of regional/geographical and diasporian chapters within DOSA.

5.5. The criteria and conditions for establishing such Chapters shall be determined by the Council.

5.6. To establish a Chapter, an application signed by not less than ten members in the locality, region or country intending to form the Chapter, must be submitted to the Council for approval.

5.7. The Chapters may make and adopt their own constitutions, rules and regulations provided it is not inconsistent with this mother constitution.

5.8. All Chapters in existence before the adoption of this constitution are deemed ratified and established under this constitution.

6. 1. The governance of DOSA shall be vested in the Executive Council, which shall be responsible for the day-to-day running of the Association. Council members have a term of three (3), with eligibility for re-election. The Council shall consist of the following officers elected by Congress.

i. President

(ii) Vice President

(iii) General Secretary

(iv) Deputy General Secretary

(v) Director of Operations

(vi) Deputy Director of Operations

(ix) Director of Finance

(x) Deputy Director of Finance

(xi) Director of Communications

(xii) Deputy Director of Communications

(ix) Women Commissioner

(x)Deputy Women Commissioner

(xi)Commissioner for Diasporian Affairs

(xii)Electoral Commissioner

(xiii)Deputy Electoral Commissioner

PRESIDENT

i. Shall convene and preside over all meetings of the Association.

ii. Shall represent the Association at all official programs of the school or any other event to which the Association is invited.

iii. Shall be a signatory to the Association’s bank account(s)

iii. Shall be responsible for the general administration of the Association.

iv. Shall present a report at the Annual Congress of the Association.

v. Shall, in consultation with the Executive Council, establish ad hoc committees consisting of members of the Association.

vi. Shall be the chief enforcer of all provisions of this constitution.

VICE PRESIDENT

i. Shall assist the president in the discharge of his/her duties.

Ii. Shall perform the duties of the President in his/her absence.

iii. Shall carry out duties as directed by the President.

iv. Shall be the Officer in charge of the welfare of members.

GENERAL SECRETARY

i. Shall be responsible for handling all correspondence of the Association.

ii. Shall be responsible for the taking of minutes at meetings of the Association..

iii. Shall, in consultation with the President, convene meetings of the Council and any other meeting as directed by the President.

iv. Shall assist the President and the Council prepare reports of the Association to be presented at the Annual Congress of DOSA.

v. Shall compile and read minutes and notices at each meeting.

vi. Shall maintain accurate records of all activities of the Association.

vii. Shall be a signatory to the bank accounts of the Association.

DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY

i. Shall assist the General Secretary in the execution of his/her duties.

ii. Shall perform any duties assigned to him/her by the Council.

iii. In the absence of the General Secretary, The Assistant General Secretary shall perform his/her duties.

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

i. Shall be responsible for the keeping of financial records and other assets belonging to the Association.

ii. Shall be responsible for preparing, overseeing, and maintaining the Association’s budget.

iii. Shall be responsible for the physical collection of monies for the association and lodge same in the bank account of the Association.

iv. Shall make all financial transactions on behalf of DOSA as directed by the Council, and keep bookkeeping records of all expenditures and deposits, including audited accounts of the Association.

v. Shall be the chief financial adviser for the Association.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

i. Shall assist the Director of Finance in the performance of his/her work.

ii. Shall perform the functions of the Director of Finance in his/her absence.

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

i. Shall ensure the proper execution of all activities of the group.

ii. Shall see to effective coordination of the various chapters.

iii. Shall be responsible for the organization of Congress and other gatherings of the Association.

iv. Shall perform other duties as assigned by the Council.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

i. Shall assist the Director of Operations in the discharge of his/her duties.

ii. Shall perform other duties of the Director of Operations in his/her absence.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

i. Shall be the official mouthpiece of the Council and the Association responsible for communicating decisions to members and the public.

ii. Shall set up, operate, and maintain social media channels and networks for the Association.

iii. Shall set up electronic systems for meetings of the Association.

iv. Shall perform any other duties assigned by the Council.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

i. Shall assist the Director of Communications in the performance of his/her duties.

ii. Shall perform the duties of the Director of Communications in his/her absence.

WOMEN COMMISSIONER

i. Shall organize all the women to be active participants in the affairs of Association.

ii. Shall embark on programs towards the provision of girl child education in the School and the Dormaa community at large.

DEPUTY WOMEN COMMISSIONER

i. Shall assist the Women Commissioner in the performance of her duties.

ii. Shall perform the functions of the Women Commissioner in her absence.

ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER

i. Shall oversee all elections in the Association.

ii. Shall, in consultation with the Council, provide guidelines and issue notices for elections.

iii. Shall declare the results of elections.

DEPUTY ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER

i. Shall assist the Electoral Commissioner in the performance of his/her work.

ii. Shall perform the duties of the Electoral Commissioner in his/her absence.

The Council shall establish a Welfare Committee, Projects Committee, Disciplinary Committee, Finance Committee, or any other committee(s) as it considers necessary for any particular purpose, provided it serves the interest of DOSA and DORMASS. The Council in conjunction with each committee, shall set out the rules, regulations, or guidelines for the smooth running of each committee.

8.1. There shall be a Congress meeting held at least once every year at a location(s) to be determined by the Council. For the avoidance of doubt, Congress meetings may be held in person or virtually, through Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, Webox (by Cisco) or any other electronic means the Council deems appropriate, to guarantee the highest participation possible.

8.2. DOSA Members in good standing are entitled to attend and vote at Congress.

8.3. The notice for Congress, including the agenda, shall be communicated by the General Secretary to all members in good standing, at least 30 days prior to the Congress.

8.4. Quorum for Congress shall be 100 members, or at least one-third of registered members in good standing, of which at least 10 members shall be official representatives of the Chapters. Notwithstanding the above, a vote for adjournment may be conducted without a quorum.

At an annual general meeting, Congress shall:

9.1. Debate and approve the report of the Council for the preceding year.

9.2. Approve the audited accounts of DOSA.

9.3. Elect the Executive Council of DOSA (in an election year).

9.4. Consider any matter of or affecting the interests of DOSA.

9.5. Appoint auditors to audit the accounts of DOSA for the following year.

9.6. Transact such other business as may be determined by the Council, or Congress.

10.1. Decisions at Congress shall be by Resolutions, supported by a simple majority of members present and voting.

10.2. resolution intended for consideration at Congress shall be in writing and signed by the proponent (s) and seconded by at least five other DOSA members in good standing.

10.3. The resolution shall be submitted to the General Secretary at least 14 days before the date of the Congress at which it is intended to be moved.

10.4. The Council may decline a proposal, notwithstanding that it was submitted on time, if it is divisive, insulting, or unethical, or accept it after the time limit, if same is on a matter of interest to the Association.

10.5. Any resolution passed at Congress shall be binding on all members of DOSA.

11.1. Dues and any levies to be paid by all Members shall be proposed by the Council and determined at an Annual General Meeting or Congress.

11. 2. In addition to the dues and levies determined at the Annual general Meeting or by Congress, all Chapters shall have the right to impose such other dues or levies on their members as the Chapter deems necessary.

11.3. Chapters may collect dues and levies on behalf of the Council and transfer same, together with the list of paid members, to the Council within 30 days of collection.

11.4. The Council shall ensure that proper accounts are maintained of all monies received or expenses incurred by the Association.

11.5. The accounts of DOSA shall be audited by qualified and reputable auditor(s) chosen by Congress every year and shall be submitted together with the auditor’s report to Congress for consideration and approval.

11.6. The financial year of DOSA shall be twelve calendar months beginning from January each year.

11.7. The Council shall exercise the power to allocate special funds for specific projects and determine the conditions for withdrawal from the said funds but should report on it to Congress.

11.8. DOSA shall operate a bank account in any reputable commercial bank(s) as may be determined by the Council.

11.9 The signatories to the bank account(s) of DOSA shall be the President, the General Secretary, and the Financial Controller, any two of whom shall be of sufficient mandate to effect a transaction.

12.1. Any conduct by a member that brings the name of this Association or Dormaa Senior High School into disrepute shall amount to misconduct, for which the member may be subjected to disciplinary procedures and action.

12.2. A Disciplinary Committee appointed by the Council, shall adjudicate all complaints of misconduct against members and recommend to the Council, the appropriate sanctions against the offending members, which may include a caution, fine, suspension or expulsion from DOSA.

12.3. No disciplinary action shall be taken against a member unless that member has been given a hearing.

13.1. An Electoral Commissioner and an Assistant Electoral Commissioner, appointed by Congress for a term of three years, shall oversee all elections of the Association.

13.2. The Electoral Commissioner shall inform all active members of vacant positions at least 30 days before the annual general meeting. He shall, in conjunction with the Council, promulgate rules for conduct of elections of the Association.

13.3. Members who are interested in contesting for any of the vacant positions would be required to file their nominating papers with the Electoral Commissioner. Interested candidates would be required to submit a not more than three-pages document stating their biography, a brief history of the period they were at Dormass, the reasons for contesting for the positions, and their plans to move the Association forward.

13.4. Members of the Association, by a simple majority vote of members present at the Biennial General Meeting, shall elect the officers of the Dormass. Terms of office shall commence immediately after the annual general meeting.

13.5. The results of the election shall be announced to members at the Annual General Meeting. Results of the elections shall be communicated to all members through emails and the Association’s social media sites.

14.1. A provision of this constitution may be amended only at an annual Congress or at an extraordinary congress conveyed for that purpose by the Council.

14.2. A proposal for amendment of any provision may be made by a member in writing to the General Secretary at least sixty days before Congress where the said amendment is to be moved. Where the proposal for amendment is from the Council and tabled for an extraordinary general meeting, members must be given at least 30 days’ notice.

14.3. The General Secretary shall communicate to members in good standing, such proposed for amendment at least thirty days before the Congress where the amendment is to be moved.

14.4. A decision on the proposal shall be made by secret ballot and shall be adopted when at least two-thirds of votes are cast in favor of the amendment.

14.5. The amendment shall come into force on such date as Congress shall determine.