World Sikh News: A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT World Sikh Organization: CONSTITUTION & BY LAWS

PREAMBLE

BY THE GRACE OF THE AKAL PURKH (God Almighty) we, the Sikhs of the world,

Abiding by the principles of the Sikh religion as ordained by the ten Gurus, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee to Sri Guru Gobind Singh jee, enshrined in the eternal Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee and enunciated by the Guru Panth;

RESOLVE,

To constitute a religious, cultural, social, educational, economic and charitable organization, herein to be known as the World Sikh Organization;

AND

To preserve, promote and uphold the doctrines and principles of the Sikh religion and commit to conduct our business in a manner in keeping with the Sikh practices and tradition, with SEVA (service) as our motto so that all of humanity may benefit;

Do hereby,

Adopt, enact, give and deliver to ourselves this CONSTITUTION

At Los Angeles, California, United States of America on the 13th day of January, 1985.

CONSTITUTION

NAME

The name of the organization shall be” WORLD SIKH ORGANIZATION” herein abbreviated as WSO.
OBJECTIVES

2.0.1. To promote and follow the teachings of the Ten Gurus and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee.

2.0.2. To strive through peaceful means, for the establishment of a Sikh Nation, KHALISTAN, in order to protect the Sikh identity and faith as ordained by the Guru Panth in the daily prayer ‘RAJ KAREGA KHALSA’.

2.0.3. To promote and facilitate an active line of communication amongst the Sikhs, of the World.

2.0.4. To work for the promotion of the ideals of universal brotherhood, peace, justice, freedom of worship and speech, respect for cultural diversity and human dignity for all, without any distinction as per the instruments and covenants of the United Nations’ Organization.

2.0.5. To promote and| protect Sikh interests all over the world by participating in the formulation and implementation of the policies of the Sikh Nation.

BY – LAWS

ADMNISTRATIVE OFFICES

The World Sikh Organization shall have national offices in Canada, United Kingdom, and United States of America and elsewhere as considered appropriate by the General Assembly to serve the Sikh Nation. The Head Office shall be located in Washington, D.C. (U.S.A.)

MEMBERSHIP

There shall be two types of membership i.e. Individual and Sikh Organizations.

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS There shall be four classes of individual members namely:

Founding
Life
Annual
Associated (non-voting)

4.0.2. ELIGIBILITY

Every Sikh who is 18 years of age or over and who believes in the teachings of the Ten Gurus, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jee and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee and does not practice any other religion may apply for membership of the WSO.

The application shall not be accepted from a person: 1. who is undischarged bankrupt; 2. who has been excommunicated by the ‘Panth’;

Who has been declared “Tankhayia’ by the ‘Panth’ and has not been cleared to the date of application; and
Who has betrayed the Panth in anyway.

4.0.3. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

4.0.3.0. SUBMISSION

To become a member of the WSO, an individual is required to:

Make an application on the prescribed form (Appendix ‘A’) ;
Enclose the applicable founder, life, annual or associate (nonvoting) fee (Appendix ‘B’); and
Pledge to abide by the WSO Constitution and bylaws, and work towards achieving the objectives outlined in Chapter 2.0. Hereof.

4.0.3.1. PROCESS

Upon receipt, an application will be processed by the Membership Committee at the Regional level to ensure that the eligibility criteria are met, and the outcome of the committee’s findings will lead to one of the two alternatives, acceptance or rejection.

4.0.3.1.1. ACCEPTANCE

On being accepted, a complete membership kit will be dispatched to the applicant.
The applicant will be added in the membership register of the WSO.

4.0.3.1.2. REJECTION

The applicant whose membership application has been rejected will be informed in writing, explaining reasons for not allowing him to join the WSO.
The applicant may appeal the decision and, on demand, a copy of appeal procedures will be for Warded to him.

3, The Governing Council will have the final authority co accept or reject the appeal, and their decision cannot be challenged.

4.0.3.2. TIME LIMIT

Except in the case of unforeseen or extraordinary circumstances (the reasons for which will be conveyed to the applicant), the processing procedures will be completed within GO (sixty) days from the date the application is received by the Membership Committee.

4.0.3.3. CANCELLATION OF MEMBERSHIP BY WSO

The membership of an individual may be terminated by the WSO during the term of membership, if, in the opinion of the National Council the member no longer “satisfies the eligibility criteria.

4.0.3.4. RESIGNATION FROM WSO MEMBERSHIP BY AN INDIVIDUAL

Any member may submit his resignation from the membership of the WSO in writing; stating contributory factors that lead him to make this decision.

4.0.3.5. RENEWALS

Subject to eligibility and payment of requisite fees, the membership may be renewed or upgraded annually.

41.0. MEMBERSHIP OF SIKH ORGANIZATIONS

Every bonafide Sikh Organization (herein called “the Organization”) shall be eligible for membership of the WSO ‘subject.to the following requirements:

The Organization must be a registered body with at least fifty (50) members, except where the total Sikh Population of a designated area is less than 50.
The Constitution and Bylaws of the Organization are approved in writing by the National Council to ensure that the Organization is democratic
The President of the Organization certifies to the National Council that the Organization has all its assets owned and/or vested in the Organization.

The Organization must have a geographically defined area.
The Organization must have been in existence for at least one year.
The Organization must recognize explicitly the Guruship of the Ten Gurus (Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee to Sri Guru Gobind Singh’ Jee), Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee and the Guru Panth; and shall nor accord

This sacred status to any person or group under any circumstances.

4.1.1. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

To become a member, the Organization shall:

1, write a letter to the WSO on the Organization’s letter head.

Submit a copy of its Constitution and Bylaws, duly approved by its membership, and proof of registration (if required by local legislation of the area of the Organization).
Forward a certified and up-to-date list of its members, and office bearers.
Enclose the prescribed membership fee as per Appendix ‘B’.

4.1.2. PROCESS

When the application with the supporting documents is received by the WSO, it shall be handed over to the Membership Committee. This committee shall scrutinize the membership application and make appropriate recommendations to the WSO. This process will lead to one of two alternatives; Acceptance or Rejection.

4.1.2.1. ACCEPTANCE

If the application is recommended for acceptance, the membership shall be formalized and the Organization duly informed in writing by the WSO.

REJECTION

4.1.2.2. If the Membership Committee, after seeking additional information or clarification as required, is unable to recommend acceptance of the application, the National Council will communicate the decision to the Organization concerned.

4.1.2.3. APPEAL PROCEDURE

The Organization whose application has been rejected may appeal the decision to the General Assembly. The decision of the General Assembly will be final and binding.

If the General Assembly has rejected the application, the applicant Organization can not re submit its application for at least one year. At that time, the application would be considered as a new application and treated accordingly.

4.1.2.4. CANCELLATION OF MEMBERSHIP BY WSO

If an Organization does not conduct the election, as per its Constitution and Bylaws, the Governing Council may withdraw recognition of the member status of the Organization. The Membership may be reinstated on reapplying but it will be treated as a new application. A period of one year must lapse before readmission of the Organization.

A member Organization defaulting in its payment of dues or assessments shall be disqualified from participation in the General Assembly deliberations and shall not be entitled to vote until all dues are paid in full.

4.1.2.5. RESIGNATION FROM WSO MEMBERSHIP BY THE ORGANIZATION

An Organization may resign its membership by submitting its intent in writing to the WSO Regional, National or Head Office. This will be signed by a majority of the members of the executive. The Organization must also indicate the desire of its general body by having a resolution passed at a general meeting (special or annual), to withdraw. The President of the WSO shall present this to the General Assembly and thus formalize withdrawal of membership.

4.1.2.6. RENEWALS

At the time of renewal of membership, a complete and up-to-date list of membership and any changes or amendments to the constitution and bylaws, will be submitted by the Organization to the National Council within 30 days of the Organizations’ Annual

General Meeting. A new list of office bearers may also be submitted.

The Organization shall not be entitled to send delegates to the National Assembly until the Organizations’ application has been accepted.

5.0. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

The organization structure of WSO shall be such that it involves all members at al] levels and weaves each one of them into a close knit family. The following levels shall be created for efficient functioning of the WSO;

Individual Members
Local Chapters
Regional Committees
National Councils
General Assembly
Governing Council
Secretariat
Committees

5.0.1. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

Any person who meets all the requirements of a general member as specified in article 4.0.2., of these bylaws and fills an application for membership to the WSO, either directly or through a local chapter, and his application has been accepted, shall be deemed a member of the WSO. Only individual members (other than associate members) are eligible to vote, stand for election to any office, or participate in the decision-making process of the WSO.

5.0.2. LOCAL CHAPTERS

Individual WSO members from a geographically defined area shall join together to form a local WSO Chapter. In order to be recognized as local Chapter, the Chapter must have at least 50 (fifty) paid WSO members. The Chapter shall carry out the WSO policies, at the local level and promote WSO aims, objectives and membership.

5.0.3. REGIONAL COMMITTEES

Depending upon the physical size of the country and the distribution of the Sikh population within the country, each country may be divided into different regions not exceeding five (5) in number. Each region will have a regional committee for the purpose of coordinating WSO activities of all members and chapters in their respective areas. (Ref. Appendix “E”)

5.0.3.1COMPOSITION OF REGIONAL COMMITTEE(S)

Each local chapter and a member Sikh organization or society shall elect or select or nominate one member as a Chapter coordinator, and, if required to serve on the Regional Committee. Additional members from each chapter/society may be appointed on various local/regional subcommittees for smooth functioning of the WSO.

5.0.3.2. FUNCTIONS OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEES

The functions of the Regional Committees are:

To promote WSO membership,
To carry out WSO policies and objectives at the regional level, as set out by the National Office;
To coordinate the local chapter activities;
To arrange an annual regional meeting;
To communicate membership concerns to the General Assembly through National Councils.

5.0.3.3. TERM OF OFFICE

The term of office for members of the Regional Committees shall be two (2) years.

5.0.4. NATIONAL COUNCILS

The National Executive Council (herein called “National Council”) shall be established in Canada, United Kingdom, United States of America, or elsewhere as considered necessary by the Governing Council for coordinating the policies of the WSO. The size of a National Council may vary depending upon the Sikh population in each country. Please refer to Appendix “D’ and ‘E’ for organization structure.

5.0.4.1COMPOSITION OF NATIONAL COUNCILS

Each region shall be represented on the National Council based upon the membership. The proportionate distribution of members in each country shall be determined by the National! Council.

5.0.4.2. FUNCTIONS OF NATIONAL COUNCILS

The functions of the National Council are:

To register a national body in their respective country;
To ensure that the laws of their respective countries are strictly adhered to by all WSO members;
To coordinate WSO activities for the whole country through regional committees or offices as considered convenient;
To carry out WSO policies and objectives at the National level;
To establish National policies as considered appropriate for smooth functioning of the WSO;
To arrange national elections of delegates for National Council and the General Assembly; (see also clause 5.0.5.6.)
To nationally represent the WSO;
To liaise with Government and Nongovernment Agencies for achieving WSO objectives;
To represent Sikhs at all levels as considered necessary.

5.0.4.3. TERM OF OFFICE

The term of office for members of the National Council shall be two (2) years.

5.0.5. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

A General Assembly of fifty one (51) delegates shall be established to guide the activities of the WSO.

5.0.5.1. COMPOSITION OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Each country shall be represented in the General Assembly based upon its membership. The proportionate distribution of delegates from member countries is as follows; (this proportion is subject to change by Governing Council depending upon the number of members from each country).

Country No. of Delegates

United States of America…………………..10

Canada…………………………………………………10

United Kingdom……………………………………10

India…………………………………………….………..11

Europe………………………………………..…………03

Far East………………………………………….………03

Africa………………………………………………………02

Australia & New Zealand…………….………….01

Others……………………………………………………..01

Members from India will represent various political, religious, social, cultural, educational and intellectual organizations as determined by the General Assembly.
No represented parts of the world or non-Sikh intellectuals.

5.0.5.2. FUNCTIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The ultimate authority of the WSO shall be vested in the General Assembly. The General Assembly shall be empowered:

1, to make official WSO policies;

To approve budgets, other than authorized in these bylaws;
To approve and ratify agreements, resolutions, and treaties contracts, etc., negotiated by the other organs of the WSO,

4 to guide the secretariat for carrying out various policy matters;

To amend these bylaws, if required, to meet future needs;
to ratify or reject any action of the Governing Council or Secretary General, provided that such ratification or rejection is approved by a resolution supported by not less than 75% of the delegates of the General Assembly present; and
To be responsible for all transactions involving physical or real estate ‘and changes in the financial components of the assets and liabilities of the WSO.

5.0.5.3. MEETINGS AND MANNER OF ACTION

The General Assembly shall meet once a year. The annual meeting shall be held during the last month of the fiscal year.
All members of the General Assembly shall be notified in writing of the time, place and agenda at least thirty (30) days in advance.
All meetings shall be chaired by the President of the Governing Council and in his absence; one of the Vice Presidents (in alphabetical order by Countries) shall preside over the meeting.
All meetings of the General Assembly shall be held at a convenient place chosen by the Secretary General.
Special meetings of the general assembly shall be convened by the President or Secretary General, or at the written request of at least 25% of the delegates or 10% of the members. Again, a minimum of 30 days’ notice shall be given to the delegates or the members, as the case may be, indicating de, time, place and purpose of the meeting. The special meetings can only be held at either ‘WSO headquarters or at the Regional/National Offices, as deemed convenient by the Secretary General.
No proxies shall be allowed in any of the meetings of the General Assembly.

5.0.5.4. QUORUM

The quorum for the General Assembly is 51% of the elected delegates of at least three (3) member countries.

5.0.5.5. TERM OF OFFICE

The term of office for members of the General Assembly will be two (2) years.

5.0:5.6. SELECTION OF DELEGATES TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The delegates to General Assembly shall be selected/elected at the annual conventions of the National Councils of WSO.
The number of the delegates to General Assembly from each region of a country shall be proportionate to the percentage of the WSO members from the region to the total WSO membership in the country.
Until normal conditions are restored in India, the SG, with the consent of the President, shall nominate the delegates for India to the General Assembly

5.0.6. GOVERNING COUNCIL

A Governing Council of 19 members shall be established to govern the affairs of the WSO.

5.0.6.1. COMPOSITION OF GOVERNING COUNCIL

The Governing Council shall consist of:

President

Vice President (5)

Secretary

Treasurer

Directors (10)

Secretary General as the exofficio member.

ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY AND TREASURER

The President, Secretary and the Treasurer shall

Be elected by the General Assembly from amongst the delegates.

VICE PRESIDENTS

The National Presidents of the WSO’s as elected by members in their respective countries shall sit as Vice-presidents in the’ Governing Council. If no national WSO body exists in a country, the national delegates shall appoint a Vice-president.

DIRECTORS

Two persons, from each of Canada, U. K., US.A. India and a total of two from all other countries shall be selected / elected as directors of the Governing Council.

5.0.6.2. THE FUNCTIONS OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

The Governing Council shall: 1b set internal and external policies for the smooth running of the WSO;

Give direction to the Secretariat;
Review committee appointments;
Review programs of the Secretariat, Committees, Projects, budgets and other activities of the WSO;

Determine the time and place of meetings and conferences in consultation with the SG, and
Appoint the Secretary General and Auditors.

5.0.6.3. MEETINGS

The meetings of the Governing Council may be called at any time by the President, or at the request of one Vice-president and two other members of the Governing Council. A meeting called at the request of one Vice-president and two other members of the Governing Council shall be convened by the President within 45 days after the date of request. 5.0.6.4. QUORUM

The quorum for the meetings of the Governing Council shall be President, 2 Vice-president and 6 other members. In case of unavoidable circumstances, the President

May delegate his powers to one of the Vice-presidents. 5.0.6.5. TERM OF OFFICE

The term of office of all elected members of the Governing Council shall be two (2) years.

5.0.6.6. DUTIES AND POWERS

The duties, powers and the qualifications of the Governing Council members will be:

PRESIDENT

The President shall be the Chief spokesperson and executive representative of the WSO. He shall preside at all meetings of the Governing Council and shall be the Chairperson of all Committees if appointed to serve on them. He shall have the responsibility to carry out and affect all resolutions of the General Assembly and is answerable to the General Assembly at all times and all WSO matters,

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PRESIDENT

He must be an eminent Person with recognized Service record to the community and to the Sikh Nation overall.

He must be well versed in Sikh history, religion, and both the Punjabi and English languages.

He must maintain good health and character and must be an Amritdhari (baptized) and Practising Sikh.

WICEPRESIDENTS

He shall be the chief Executive Officer and head of the National Council of the WSO in his country.

The Vice-president shall conduct and perform the duties and exercise powers of the President on a rotational basis (alphabetically by the official name of the country), in the absence of or in the case whereby the President cannot discharge his duties, He can also be appointed to serve in other capacities in addition to being Vice President.

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE VICEPRESIDENT

He must possess similar qualifications as outlined for the President in

5.0.6.6.2. Above.

SECRETARY

The Secretary shall attend all meetings and conventions of the Governing Council and general assembly sessions of the WSO. He will work with the SG and will be responsible for recording minutes of all meetings and maintaining major documents of the WSO.

If the Secretary is unable to attend, then the President shall delegate a person to take his place during his absence.

TREASURER

The Treasurer shall attend all meetings, general assembly sessions and conventions of the Governing Council and shall maintain all accounts, fiscal transactions and debts and financial obligations of the WSO in conjunction with the Secretary General.

If the Treasurer is unable to attend, then the President shall delegate a person to take his place during his absence.

The Treasurer shall present a projected budget and update of expenditures on annual basis at all annual meetings.

The Treasurer shall work with the appointed auditors. He shall be one of the three signing authorities for the Secretariat accounts, the other two being the President, or his designate, and the Secretary General. It is understood that no cheques or financial transactions shall be deemed acceptable without the countersignature of the President or Secretary General. This requirement shall not apply to the Nations WSO accounts, which will be operated by the National Councils in each country.

DIRECTORS

Each Director may be assigned a function as Head of a Standing Committee by the President. He may also be assigned other duties/responsibilities as considered necessary, from time to time.

5.0.6.7. HONORARIUM

All members of the Governing Council will act in honorary capacity and will, therefore, not be eligible for any honorarium.

If it is considered that the President, or his designate, is required to spend more time for WSO business than his personal affairs, he may then be compensated accordingly. The ultimate authority shall stay with the General Assembly to approve or disapprove such compensation.

5.0.7. SECRETARIATE

The Secretariat shall be headed by a full time salaried Secretary General. The SG shall be the Chief Executive

Officer of the WSO, and will appoint the other Secretariat staff as required, from time to time. Authorization to appoint additional staff must be obtained From the President.

5.0.7.1 FUNCTIONS OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL

The functions of the SG are:

To act as the Chief Administrative Officer of the WSO;
To maintain and run the Secretariat office to portray Excellency in administrative functions;
To represent the WSO on International matters keeping in mind the objectives outlined in this Constitution (Chapter 2.0.)
To guide and work with the national offices in Canada, U.K., US.A. And other countries with such facilities:
To issue policies and major statements based upon the guidelines established by the Governing Council;
To be responsible and accountable for all funds collected or disbursed at the international level. The National accounts shall be operated by the National Councils and the SG cannot be held accountable for them.
To prepare the budget for the Secretariat office and other major projects as considered Necessary from time to time;
To operate and be accountable for all bank accounts operated by the Secretariat office;
To liaise with all International Governments to apprise them of the requirements of the Sikh Nation;
To investigate all cases of miseries or inhuman treatment of Sikhs in India or elsewhere and recommend appropriate action;
To constantly stay in touch with the UNO, Amnesty International, International Red Cross etc., co fully utilize their expertise in solving problems;
To work for unity amongst Sikhs all over the world and guide them through difficult times.

5.0.7.2. TERM OF OFFICE

The Secretary General shall be appointed for a three (3) year cerm.

5.0.7.3. APPOINTMENT AND QUALIFICATIONS

OF SG the Secretary General shall be appointed by the Governing Council and must possess the following qualifications:

He must be an eminent person with distinguished service record to the community and to the Sikh ‘Nation as a whole,
He must be well versed in Sikh history, religion, and both the Punjabi and English languages;
He must have organizational and administrative experience, in order to run an international organization such as the WSO; and

He must maintain good health and character and must be a practicing Sikh.

5.0.7.4. REMOVAL OF SECRETARY GENERAL

The Secretary General may be removed from his office by a 2/3 majority members present in a specially called General Assembly meeting. The reasons for his dismissal must be communicated to him in writing within 15 days after the date of dismissal.

5.0.7.5. REMUNERATION OF SG

The Governing Council shall fix the salary for the SG, keeping in mind the prominence and status of the position.

5.0.7.6. REMUNERATIONS OF THE SECRETARITE STAFF

The remunerations for the Secretariat staff hired by the SG shall be fixed by him in consultation with the president.

5.0.8. COMMITTEES

The Directors of the Governing Council shall head the following standing committees and be accountable for efficient functioning of their departments to the

Religious, Cultural and Educational affairs.
Public and Economic Affairs.
International Affairs (Political & UN Mission).
Youth Wing.
Legal and Constitutional Affairs.
Relief, Refugee and Rehabilitation.
Internal Affairs.
Publications and Sikh Library.
Founder members (Expertise and Think Tank).

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PRESIDENT

He must be an eminent Person with recognized Service record to the community and to the Sikh Nation overall.

He must be well versed in Sikh history, religion, and both the Punjabi and English languages.

He must maintain good health and character and must be an Amritdhari (baptized) and Practising Sikh.

WICEPRESIDENTS

He shall be the chief Executive Officer and head of the National Council of the WSO in his country.

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE VICEPRESIDENT

He must possess similar qualifications as outlined for the President in

5.0.6.6.2. Above.

SECRETARY

If the Secretary is unable to attend, then the President shall delegate a person to take his place during his absence.

TREASURER

If the Treasurer is unable to attend, then the President shall delegate a person to take his place during his absence.

The Treasurer shall present a projected budget and update of expenditures on annual basis at all annual meetings.

DIRECTORS

Each Director may be assigned a function as Head of a Standing Committee by the President. He may also be assigned other duties/responsibilities as considered necessary, from time to time.

5.0.6.7. HONORARIUM

All members of the Governing Council will act in honorary capacity and will, therefore, not be eligible for any honorarium.

5.0.7. SECRETARIATE

The Secretariat shall be headed by a full time salaried Secretary General. The SG shall be the Chief Executive

Officer of the WSO, and will appoint the other Secretariat staff as required, from time to time. Authorization to appoint additional staff must be obtained From the President.

5.0.7.1 FUNCTIONS OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL

The functions of the SG are:

To act as the Chief Administrative Officer of the WSO;
To maintain and run the Secretariat office to portray Excellency in administrative functions;
To represent the WSO on International matters keeping in mind the objectives outlined in this Constitution (Chapter 2.0.)
To guide and work with the national offices in Canada, U.K., US.A. And other countries with such facilities:
To issue policies and major statements based upon the guidelines established by the Governing Council;
To be responsible and accountable for all funds collected or disbursed at the international level. The National accounts shall be operated by the National Councils and the SG cannot be held accountable for them.
To prepare the budget for the Secretariat office and other major projects as considered Necessary from time to time;
To operate and be accountable for all bank accounts operated by the Secretariat office;
To liaise with all International Governments to apprise them of the requirements of the Sikh Nation;
To investigate all cases of miseries or inhuman treatment of Sikhs in India or elsewhere and recommend appropriate action;
To constantly stay in touch with the UNO, Amnesty International, International Red Cross etc., co fully utilize their expertise in solving problems;
To work for unity amongst Sikhs all over the world and guide them through difficult times.

5.0.7.2. TERM OF OFFICE

The Secretary General shall be appointed for a three (3) year cerm.

5.0.7.3. APPOINTMENT AND QUALIFICATIONS

OF SG the Secretary General shall be appointed by the Governing Council and must possess the following qualifications:

He must be an eminent person with distinguished service record to the community and to the Sikh ‘Nation as a whole,
He must be well versed in Sikh history, religion, and both the Punjabi and English languages;
He must have organizational and administrative experience, in order to run an international organization such as the WSO; and

He must maintain good health and character and must be a practicing Sikh.

5.0.7.4. REMOVAL OF SECRETARY GENERAL

5.0.7.5. REMUNERATION OF SG

The Governing Council shall fix the salary for the SG, keeping in mind the prominence and status of the position.

5.0.7.6. REMUNERATIONS OF THE SECRETARITE STAFF

The remunerations for the Secretariat staff hired by the SG shall be fixed by him in consultation with the president.

5.0.8. COMMITTEES

The Directors of the Governing Council shall head the following standing committees and be accountable for efficient functioning of their departments to the

Religious, Cultural and Educational affairs.
Public and Economic Affairs.
International Affairs (Political & UN Mission).
Youth Wing.
Legal and Constitutional Affairs.
Relief, Refugee and Rehabilitation.
Internal Affairs.
Publications and Sikh Library.
Founder members (Expertise and Think Tank).

for international delegation and Regional/National Council executives, must be a delegate to the National Assembly; and
Must fulfill other requirements for membership as listed under their respective sections.

7.0.1.2. BALLOT PROCEDURES

To remove partisan attitude and friction at every level amongst the voters and the candidates, the following ballot procedures shall be applied:

The ballots for each position shall contain the Names of the candidates in alphabetical order:
the eligible voters shall indicate their first, second, third, fourth, etc., choice of all the candidates on the ballots, by marking the number one (1) beside the voters first choice, the number two (2) besides the voters second choice and mutatis mutandis thereafter;
A ballot shall be spoiled if it does not set forth a preference for each of the candidates on the ballot form;

4.to determine a winner, one point shall be given for a candidate who is the first choice on the ballot, two points for the candidate who is shown on the ballot as 2nd choice, three points for 3rd choice and mutatis mutandis thereafter;

The candidate(s) with less number of points calculated as above set forth shall be elected.

7.0.1.3. EXAMPLE FOR A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT

SINGH 1213312333123233 B.
SINGH 3331133211331321
SINGH 2122221122212112

In the above example, 16 ballots were casted and the score for each candidate is:

SINGH 36
SINGH :, 34
SINGH : 26

The best score could have been 16 and the worst 48.

However, since the minimum score is the best, C. SINGH will be declared elected.

7.0.1.4. TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF SERVICE

The term of office for each position is set forth in the appropriate Chapter of these bylaws.

The election of Regional or National Councils and General Assembly delegates shall be conducted at the national delegate level.

The National branches of WSO of Electoral Colleges where such branches do not exist shall be responsible for conducting the elections referred to in Chapter 7.0.

No one shall be eligible to serve for more than two consecutive terms at any level of WSO.

7.0.1.5. AGE

No person shall be elected/appointed to the National Councils or Governing Council unless he is at least 25 years of age at the time of such election or appointment.

7.0.1.6. DELEGATES TO CONVENTION

LOCAL CHAPTER

Each local chapter shall send one delegate to the convention for every 50 paid voting members.

SIKH ORGANIZATIONS

Each member Sikh organization with 50 or less society members will send one delegate and an organization with 50 or more members will send up to a maximum of 2 (two) delegates to the annual convention. Delegate must be a paid WSO member individually.

7.0.1.7. For the purpose of nominating or electing of delegates, the principles of Gurmat Maryada (Sikh Religion) shall be adhered to.

8.0. AMENDMENTS

The following procedures shall be followed in case of any amendments to this charter:

1.any proposed amendments to the bylaws of this charter, bearing the signatures of at least twenty (20) percent of the delegates of the General Assembly and three member countries, must be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least three months prior to the next regularly scheduled General Assembly meeting;

The proposed amendment. Shall be circulated to all delegates and their Sponsoring chapters or organizations by the Secretary of the WSO and shall form part of the agenda;

3.the presence of a minimum of three quarters (3/4) of delegates and representatives of at least 3 (three) countries shall be required to Pass an amendment to this Charter in the General Assembly meeting;

When an amendment has been passed by the General Assembly, it shall be sent to all members for information and addition to their copies of this Charter: and
If an amendment is defeated, the same amendment or an amendment with similar intent may not be presented again for at least two years.

9.0. NO CONFIDENCE MOTION

A no confidence motion can be made against the President, Secretary, Treasurer or any director of the Governing Council. To make such a motion there should be a written and signed endorsement of at least 20% of the delegates of the General Assembly and three (3) countries. The motion shall require at least two third (2/3) majority in General Assembly to be accepted. 2. A no confidence motion against the National or Regional Council members shall be decided in their respective countries’ constitution and bylaws.

10.0. ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

All assets and liabilities of the WSO at the international level shall be administered by the General Assembly.
All assets and liabilities of the WSO at the National level shall be administered by the National Councils.

11.0. DISSOLUTION

If for any reason, the WSO is dissolved, the WSO shall fulfill all obligations, .and if any assets are left over, they shall be distributed to the National arms of WSO, if they exist. If no such branches exist, then the assets are transferred to a recognized Sikh International Charity. This clause is unalterable and not subject to amendment.

12.0. FUNDS

The funds may be raised by appeals, solicitation or other manners congenial to Sikh ethics.

The membership dues shall be fixed by the General Assembly, from time to time. The current fees are given in Appendix ‘B’. The amounts shown in the Appendix are the recommended amounts in each country’s currency.

13.0. ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING

The officers of the WSO, members of the committees or other persons on WSO business may receive appropriate compensations for each of their out of pocket expenses on travel, boarding, lodging and other incidental expenses incurred in connection with the activities of the WSO.

All members of the Governing, National or Regional Councils will act in honorary capacity, and will therefore, not be eligible for any honorarium.

The President or his designate may be compensated as authorized in Chapter 5.0.6.7. of these bylaws.

All accounts of the WSO shall be audited by independent and approved auditors at least once a year and presented at the annual meeting of the General Assembly.

The auditors shall be appointed by the Governing Council and approved by the General Assembly at the annual general meeting.

14.0. FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the WSO shall be January Ist to December 31st (both days inclusive). The General Assembly may, by ordinary resolution, alter the fiscal year.

15.0. ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION

All persons holding an office or serving on any committee will agree to abide by the Constitution and Bylaws of the WSO in discharging their respective duties and execution of their assignment(s) and that, above all, the interests of the Panth will always be upper most in their hearts.

16.0. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE 1,

GOVERNING COUNCIL

Where the President has reasonable grounds to believe chat a member of the Governing Council has grossly neglected or knowingly abuses his office or position, the President may suspend such member pending investigation of the allegation by the Governing Council,

Where, the Governing Council in its sole discretion passed by majority vote concludes that a member of the Governing Council is guilty of the allegations, and then it may suspend or terminate such a person from office or from membership, or both.

Simultaneously, the President, with the consultation of the Governing Council, may nominate another person to fill in the vacant position or office within thirty (30) days. Such a nomination will subsequently be subject to ratification at the next annual meeting of the WSO.

NATIONAL/REGIONAL COUNCILS

The National President shall have similar powers over the National and Regional Council members as mentioned in Chapter 16.0.1.

17.0. VACANCIES

When a vacancy occurs due to death or other reasons, the President shall have powers to temporarily fill that vacancy with the Governing or National Council’s approval, as the case may be.

In case of the President’s position falling vacant, one of the Vice President shall be appointed to temporarily fill that position by the Governing Council, until ratification or election by the General Assembly.

18.0: SEAL OF THE WSOCUSTODY AND USE

The seal of the WSO shall be kept in the custody of the President or the Secretary of the WSO.

The seal shall be affixed on all the instruments and or documents by the President or the Secretary on the authority of a resolution of the Governing Council.

19.0. NON SIKH MEMBERS

The Non Sikh intellectuals, who believe in the aims and objectives of the WSO and are willing to help attain these objectives, may be accepted as members.

Such members shall not be entitled to vote or stand for elections and will be classified as associate members.

20.0. LANGUAGE

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

The official language of the WSO shall be Panjabi in Gurmukhi script, and as such, would welcome all communications in that language. An authentic translation in Panjabi of this Charter and any other similar document(s) of importance, which may be prepared subsequently, will be issued as soon as possible.

WORKING LANGUAGI

The working language of the WSO will be English, and hence it will be used for all purposes. The Consultation, Bylaws and other essential documents, in addition to a Panjabi version, will also be available in English

21.0. USE OF GENDER ETC.

In the Constitution and these Bylaws (together referred to as the Charter) and in all other bylaws hereafter passed, unless the context otherwise requires words importing the singular number or the masculine gender, shall include the plural number of the feminine or neater gender ac the cake may be and vice versa.

22.0. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS

In the conduct of any and all meetings “ROBERTS RULE OF ORDER’ (current edition), shall stay in effect.

23.0. NATIONALCHARTERS

The National arms of the WSO shall use this Charter as guide, and may develop a Constitution or Bylaws to meet their country’s laws.

24.0. ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Where a National Council does not exist in a particular country, then the other Organizations or Chapters that are recognized and approved by the W/SO, may meet and choose delegates to the General Assembly. The number of delegates chosen at such a meeting shall be determined by the Governing Council. For the purpose of these bylaws such delegates be deemed to be chosen by the “Electrol College’.

25.0. MISCELLANEOUS

For achieving the objectives of WSO, the methods adopted by all officials at all levels shall be peaceful and the laws of the land must be strictly adhered to. The interpretation of the WSO Charter shall rest with the general Assembly.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 5, 1985

World Sikh News: A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT World Sikh Organization: CONSTITUTION & BY LAWS