Zoroastrian Youth of British Columbia

October 2009
Contents
Name ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
Purpose ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Membership............................................................................................................................................ 3
Automatic Membership ....................................................................................................................... 3
Honorary Membership ........................................................................................................................ 3
Organisation............................................................................................................................................ 3
Officers................................................................................................................................................ 3
The Executive ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Signing Officers ................................................................................................................................ 5
Meetings ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Frequency ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Record Keeping ................................................................................................................................... 6
Convening Procedures for General Meetings ....................................................................................... 6
Notice .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Format of Notice.............................................................................................................................. 6
Quorum ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Voting.................................................................................................................................................. 6
Elections.................................................................................................................................................. 7
Eligibility .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Bi-Annual positions .............................................................................................................................. 7
Yearly positions ................................................................................................................................... 7
Recall................................................................................................................................................... 8
Standing Orders....................................................................................................................................... 8
Amendments........................................................................................................................................... 8
Dissolution .............................................................................................................................................. 8
A Standing Orders of the Zoroastrian Youth of British Columbia .............................................................. 9
ZYBC Website .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Organisational Documentation .............................................................................................................. 10
Name
The name of this organisation shall be “Zoroastrian Youth of British Columbia " (From here on referred
to as the ZYBC (Zoroastrian Youth of British Columbia).

Purpose
The society exists for the furtherance of the following objectives:

• Promoting teaching of Zartosht and discussing them in open and welcoming environment
• The organisation of activities, of educational, and entertainment nature, for members of the
ZYBC.
• The promotion of the ZYBC and the interests of its members within the community at large.
• The aims of the ZYBC shall be consistent with the ZSBC constitution and by-laws.

Membership

Automatic Membership
Automatic membership shall be extended to:

• All member of ZSBC between ages of 16 and 40 who are in good standing1.

Honorary Membership
Honorary, non-voting membership shall be extended:

• For a period of one year, by 2/3 majority vote at a general meeting, to individuals that have
provided substantial service to the ZYBC.

Organisation
Officers

The Executive
The executive shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Social Representative, Treasurer,
Communication Representative and Secretary. The President, Vice-President, and Treasurer shall have a
two year term of office. Social Representative, Communication Representative and secretary shall have
a one year term at office.

1
Has paid ZSBC membership fees for the year.
• President
The President shall:

o Carry out the business of ZYBC as directed by decisions of the membership, and in
accordance with this constitution, by delegation of duties to other members of the
Society as necessary in order to ensure well being of the Society.
o Be responsible for calling regular and special general meetings.
o Assume ex office membership on all committees within and to which the ZYBC appoints
representatives.
o Act as official spokesperson and representative for the ZYBC.
o Be the official contact with the ZYBC and its representatives.
o Be the official contact with the Zoroastrian Society of British Columbia and its
representatives.
o Be a signing officer of the Society, including the Society's Bank Account.
o Be responsible for monitoring all projects funded through the society.
o Write a continuity report at the end of their term for the next executive member who
will fill this position.

• Vice-President:
The Vice-President shall:
o Chair all meetings or shall share or delegate this task on direction from a general
meeting.
o Perform public relations tasks on behalf of the ZYBC in order to promote the ZYBC and
expand its membership.
o Co-ordinate volunteers for the continued operation of the ZYBC.
o Provide a line of communication between the ZYBC and other Zoroastrian society across
North America and world.
o Assume the duties of the President in the event that the President is unable or
unavailable to carry them out, or that the position of President becomes vacant.
o Be a signing officer of the Society, including the Society's Bank Account.

• Social Representative
The Social Representative shall:
o Chair the activities committee.
o Plan, organise, and execute all ZYBC sponsored events or delegate such responsibilities
as necessary.
o Write a report containing procedures and contacts for each class of event for future
ZYBC members.
 • Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:
o Maintain all financial records of the ZYBC.
o Be a signing officer of the Society, including the Society's Bank Account.
o Make regular reports to the membership.

• Secretary
The Secretary shall:
o Ensure that proper notice of general and special general meetings is given, as specified
by this constitution.
o Keep and reproduce minutes of ZYBC meetings and written records of all decisions
made at properly constituted meeting of the society.
o Maintain records of all correspondence between the society and other organisations.
o Make the minutes of all meetings available to the public.
o Compile semester executive, representative, and committee membership lists.
o Distribute electronic versions of the minutes to mailing lists.
o Maintain the records of the ZYBC, including but not limited to the minutes archive, and
financial records.

• Communication Representative
The Communication Representative shall:
o Promote ZYBC including but not limited in the following ways: through website, mailing
list, contacting people, sending text messages etc.
o Update ZYBC website to show current and future events planned by society
o Try to reply incoming questions/suggestions/comments to best of his/her knowledge
including but not limited to emails/comments (on website)/phone calls/text messages
etc
o Report on his/her communication to other executives regularly (each meeting).
o Try to find an answer to a question/suggestion/comment etc in the condition that
she/he might not be knowledgeable enough or it is a matter of none one person
decision

Signing Officers
The signing officers of the ZYBC, including the ZYBC bank account shall be:

• The President
• The Vice-President Operations
• The Treasurer
Meetings

Frequency
There shall be at least two (2) general meetings in calendar year, the first of which shall be within the
first 3 weeks of January. There shall also be a minimum of one general meeting every six months.

Record Keeping
All meetings of the ZYBC, including but not limited to General Meetings, Special General Meetings,
Emergency General Meetings, Executive Meetings, Activities Committee Meetings, and Event Planning
Meetings, shall have minutes produced and supplied to the Secretary for public distribution and filing.

Convening Procedures for General Meetings

• General meeting shall be called by the President or any other executive should the president be
unable or unwilling.
• If, at any time, no executive is able or willing to call a general meeting to meet frequency
requirement [at the request of the membership], any member may do so providing proper
notice is given.

Notice
General meetings shall be advertised at least one month in advance. Such advertisement must consist at
the least of the following:

• Announcements placed in or on at least one of the following:

o The ZYBC website
o The ZYBC mailing list
• An electronic mail sent to the mailing lists announce@zyouth.org, or should this not be possible.

Format of Notice
Any notice of meeting must contain the following information:

• The time and place of the meeting.

• The main points of business of the meeting.
• A listing of any constitutional amendments to be adopted or elections to be conducted.

Quorum
• Quorum shall be set at seven members of the ZYBC. First of which shall be within the first 3
weeks of January. There shall also be a minimum of one general meeting every six months.

Voting
• Each member of the ZYBC is entitled to one vote per motion at any meeting at which they are in
attendance.
• The acceptance of motions shall be determined by a simple majority of those members present
and voting at any meeting, notwithstanding those exceptions explicitly defined within this
constitution.
 • By default, voting shall be by show of hands. However, any member in attendance may object to
a show of hands, and voting will proceed by secret ballot.
• All votes which concern the holding of positions within the society shall be by secret ballot.
• No proxy voting shall be allowed, including electronic voting.

Elections

Eligibility
• The ZYBC President, Vice-President, and Treasurer must be active member of society for period
of one year in three years prior of election.
• Any member of the Society shall be eligible for election to any executive office or committee of
the Society.
• In the event that any executive position cannot be filled by a member fulfilling these criteria,
then any member of the Society shall be eligible for election to that office.

Bi-Annual positions
• The terms of office for the positions offices of President, Vice-President and Treasurer shall be
two years beginning at first meeting of year in January.
• Elections shall take place during December.
• Nominations shall remain open until 48 hours before the beginning of the election period.
• Nominations shall be accepted in writing by the President and Vice-President.
• Voting shall be by secret ballot with the person receiving the largest number of votes being
elected.
• Should a person holding a bi-annual position be unable to perform their duties for a period
exceeding two months, they may request leave and an interim replacement may be elected, in
accordance with the procedures that apply if the position were to become unfilled, to serve for
the duration of the leave.
• In the event that any of the bi-annual positions remain or become unfilled, an election for this
position shall take place at the next scheduled general meeting and notice of the election will be
included with notice of the meeting.
• No proxy voting shall be allowed, including electronic voting.

Yearly positions
• The terms of office for the positions of Social Representative, Communication Representative,
Executive at large, Secretary shall be from the first two general meeting of a year until the first
two general meeting of the next year.
• Elections shall take place at the first two general meeting of every year.
• Nominations shall be accepted in writing and from the floor at the general meeting.
• Voting shall be by secret ballot with the person receiving the largest number of votes being
elected.
 • In the event that any yearly position becomes unfilled, an election for this position shall take
place at the next scheduled general meeting and notice of the election will be included with
notice of the meeting.
• No proxy voting shall be allowed, including electronic voting.

Recall
• Officers of the society may be recalled by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members present and
voting at a general meeting.
• Notice of the proposed recall must be given in the notice of the general meeting at which the
proposed recalls are to be considered.

Standing Orders

• Standing orders designed to regularise the business of the ZYBC, or amendments to the same, shall
require approval of the membership by a 2/3 majority vote of those present and voting at a quorum
general meeting called for the purpose.
• Proposals for standing orders or amendments must be made readily available prior to the meeting
for a period equivalent to regular meeting notice requirements.
• Standing orders shall be appended to the constitution.
• Standing orders shall be considered equal in power to the Constitution, except when a standing
order violates the rules and regulations set forth in either this Constitution, or the ZSBC
Constitution, it shall be struck down and considered invalid.

Amendments

• This constitution may be amended only by a motion of the ZYBC requiring at least a 2/3 majority of
those present and voting at any meeting considering such amendments.
• Motions to amend this constitution must be announced at a general meeting at least 6 weeks prior
to the general meeting at which they are to be voted upon.
• The text of the proposed amendment(s) shall be sent to ZYBC e-mail lists.

Dissolution
• In the event that this Society becomes inactive, all assets of the Society become the property of the
Zoroastrian Society of British Columbia to be held in trust for a minimum of two years.
• If, during this period, a new Zoroastrian Youth of British Columbia is formed to represent the
interests of Zoroastrian youth or if this Society becomes active, the trust shall be dissolved and all
assets shall become the property of the new Zoroastrian Youth of British Columbia.
• After two years, if the trust has not been dissolved, the Zoroastrian Society of British Columbia may
dispose of the assets as it sees t
• For the purpose of this Article, the Society shall have become inactive if, for two consecutive years,
the membership does not hold the minimum number of two general meetings.
• This constitution owes much to the efforts of Sepand Gojgini, Shahin Sheidaei, Khashayar
Khosraviany, and constitution of Computing Science Student Society of Simon Fraser University.

A Standing Orders of the Zoroastrian Youth of British Columbia

Sept 2009.

1. Without the approval of the membership, the executive may decide to expend funding on items
which:
a. cost less than fifty (50) dollars and
b. are part of the day to day running of the society

2. All votes which concern the holding of positions within the society shall be by secret ballot.
3. The zsbc-exec mailing list shall exist for the discussion of matters pertaining to the running of
the Society.
a. The membership of the zsbc-exec@zyouth.org list shall be maintained by the Secretary,
and it shall include, but not be limited to:
i. all members of the executive.
ii. any member of the Society who is sponsored by a member of the executive.
b. Any individual may be removed from the list by a majority vote of the executive.
4. Standing Orders
a. An executive shall not sign a cheque made out to him/her self.
b. A signing officer will not sign a cheque without first filling out the proper stub or
allocation field.

ZYBC Website
• Domain and webhosting for zyouth.org will be paid by ZYBC
Organisational Documentation
For the purposes of continuity, the executive shall maintain a repository of organisational documents
including, but not limited to:

• Budgets
• Venue planning
• Promotional materials that were produced digitally
• Other planning documentation