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CONSTITUTION OF THE RETIRED AIR FORCE OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION
RETIRED AIR FORCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (RAFOA)
Preface:
This new constitution, effecting changes and adjustments, in content and lay out, to replace, the initial (first) constitution of the Retired Air Force Officers Association adopted at the Inaugural General Meeting held on 17th June 2001, is hereby adopted at the Annual General Me
eting held on 24th July 2022. An Association by the name of Retired Air Force Officers’ Association hereinafter referred to as RAFOA, is hereby established. The office of the Association shall be located at Sri Lanka Air Force Head Quarters, Sir Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawatha, P. Box 594, Colombo or any other location. Members of the RAFOA will be notified of any change to this address via email and press notification. The objective of the Association will be social & welfare activities primarily to;
(a) Give retired air force officers a collective identity. (b) Foster continued fellowship between RAFOA members and serving Officers. (c) Promote social & welfare activities for retired officers and their spouses. (d) Having a centre/s with club facilities for use of members.
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Membership
3. Membership of the Association will be in three categories as follows. (a) Member:
All officers who have served in the Royal Ceylon Air Force, Sri Lanka Air Force, Royal Ceylon Air Force Volunteer Force and Sri Lanka Air force Volunteer Force and who are listed as ''Retired Officers'' in the current Sri Lanka Air Force Regular & Volunteer Force Air Force List. (b) Associate Member:
(i) Spouses of members, or of deceased officers who would otherwise have been eligible for membership of the RAFOA. On the death of a RAFOA member, the spouse on submitting an application will be eligible for Associate membership without payment of any membership related fee. Spouses of the deceased officers who are not members of the RAFOA at the time of their demise are also not required to pay any membership related fee to join as Associate members. (ii) Associate members will not have voting rights nor eligible to hold any posts in the Executive Committee. (c) Honorary Life Member:
All retired Commanders of the Air Force.
4. The activities of the Association will be managed by an Executive Committee (Exco) elected at the Annual General Meetings (AGMs)
Executive Committee
5. The Executive Committee hereinafter referred to as the Exco shall consist of the following Office Bearers:
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(a) President
(b) Immediate Past President
(c) Vice President
(d) Hony. Treasurer
(f) Hony. Asst. Secretary
(g) Hony. Treasurer
(h) Six other committee members
Founder President may be invited to attend RAFOA Exco meetings.
6. The quorum for an Exco meeting shall be Seven (7)
7. The Exco may form sub - committees and co-opt non Exco members to serve in such sub-committees.
8. The Exco and / or sub-committees will meet as and when necessary to organize activities of the association.
9. The names of those desiring to be elected must be proposed and seconded by members eligible to vote. In the event of any post being unfilled at the AGM, the Exco shall fill such vacancy or vacancies from members who have voting rights. Applying for membership
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4. Applications for membership will be on the prescribed application form. Approval or rejection will be decided by the Executive Committee (Exco) of the Association whose decision is final. Serving officers who are making monetary contributions towards RAFOA still need to apply for membership after their retirement to receive membership status.
5. An enrolment fee of Rupees One Thousand (Rs.1,500) and life membership fee of Rupees One Thousand (Rs.1,000) will be payable for membership under Clause 3 (a)
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6. Membership fees [excluding life] will be revised and determined by the Exco to suit contemporary economic standards of the country, with a percentage increment in every two years if deemed necessary.
7. Only a member under category 3 (a) will have voting rights at meetings and also be eligible to hold any posts in the Executive Committee. Meetings
16. General Meetings of the membership shall be conducted subject to the following conditions. (a) An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be convened each year, for the tabling of the minutes of the previous AGM and of any other General or Special General Meeting held since; Annual accounts, Annual report, and the election of office bearers for the ensuing year. At least fourteen days’ notice of an AGM is to be given, together with the Agenda. The quorum for an Annual General Meeting shall be not less than Twenty-Five (25) members who have voting rights. (b) General Meetings (GM) may be convened, as required, by the Exco. At least 14 Fourteen Calendar days’ notice of such General meeting is to be given with the Agenda. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be not less than Twenty-Five (25) members who have voting rights. (c) Special General Meetings (SGM) will be convened by the Secretary on a written request made by not less than one third of the members who have voting rights or as requested by the President of the Exco with the concurrence of a simple majority of the members of the Exco. Such request should specify the business to be transacted and giving the text of the proposed resolution/s. Thereafter within 28 days of receiving such request and giving at least fourteen Calendar days’ notice to members, together with information of the business to be transacted, the special general meeting is to be convened. The quorum for a Special General Meeting shall be not less than Twenty-Five (25) members who have voting rights. (d) Meetings of the Exco will be held on monthly basis and as deemed necessary. Minimum of 11 Ex Co meetings has to be conducted during each current year. The quorum for an Exco meeting shall be not less than seven (7)
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Accounting of Funds
16. Accounting of funds of the Association shall be subject to the following conditions. (a) The Accounting year will be from 1st April of one year to the 31st March of the following year with monthly financial statements being tabled at Ex Co meetings and the Annual final accounts being tabled at AGM’s. (b) There will be a Current Account and any other account (s) as required for RAFOA operations, opened in a reputed Commercial Bank. The signatures of two members, namely the Hony. Treasurer / Hony Assistant Treasurer and the President / Hony Secretary / one other Exco member whose specimen signatures are lodged with the Bank, are authorised to draw funds from the RAFOA accounts. (c) The Association may receive donations and shall maintain records as specified in schedule I and account for such donations. (d) The members present at the AGM will elect an Auditor. (e) All fixed deposit certificates, any deeds of property and any other document pertaining to the fixed assets of the Association shall be lodged in the bank (vault), for safe custody, where the Association funds are. No Exco member or other person is permitted to retain such document/s personally. Disciplinary Inquiries
17. The Executive Committee shall refer to the Disciplinary Committee to inquire into complains received on breach of discipline or any matter that warrants an inquiry against a member(s). The Disciplinary Committee shall conduct the inquiry and submit its report to the Executive committee within One (1) Calendar Month.
18. The Disciplinary Committee consisting of not less than Three Members (3) and not more than Five Members (5) shall be convened, as and when the need arises, by the Executive Committee from members who have been in the Association for Ten (10) years or more and the most senior member among the members of such a Committee will be nominated as Chairman.
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19. The Executive Committee based on the report of the Disciplinary Committee may at any time suspend the membership of any member by a simple majority vote if it is of the opinion that such member should be removed from the membership of the Association. Such decision shall be conveyed to the member in writing within Seven (07) working days of receiving the Disciplinary Committee report. The Member may appeal to the Executive Committee against such decision within one (01) Calendar Month of the decision been conveyed to him/her.
20. The Executive Committee shall then refer such appeal to the Disciplinary Committee to convey its recommendations within one (01) Calendar Month. The Executive Committee shall take appropriate action as recommended and inform the member in writing. The decision of the Executive Committee shall be final.
21. The Executive Committee will have the right to suspend a member for a period not exceeding three (3) months who has been reported by the AFHQ that he / she has acted against the air force or filed a case against the air force. At the end of the three (3) months, the Disciplinary Committee to study the reason for suspension and recommend to the Executive Committee whether suspension period is to be extended or membership is to be cancelled. In such a case the decision of the Executive Committee shall be final. Rules
17. This Constitution shall be subject to the following two conditions:
(a) The Exco may make rules amplifying any of the provisions in this Constitution or for dealing with any procedural matters. (b) Resolving any matter arising which is not provided for by this constitution will be as decided upon by the Exco. Amendments to Constitution
18. Any provision or all of this constitution may be amended by the general membership subject to the following conditions:
(a) At least 28 days clear notice of any proposed amendment (s) should be forwarded to the Hony Secretary together with the text of the proposed amendment (s). Such proposed amendment (s) shall be communicated to
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the members together with the notice of any AGM/SGM, giving Fourteen (14) Calendar days’ notice. (b) The proposed amendment (s) must be adopted by at least a not less than two-thirds majority of the votes cast by of the membership present in person and eligible to vote at the SGM or AGM, conforming to quorums specified clause15 (a) & (c) at the AGM or SGM and who have voting rights. (c) Any decisions made or acts carried out under the provisions of the earlier (initial) Constitution, and the circumstances of which have changed shall continue to be valid and operating under this constitution until specifically agreed. Handing / Taking Over of Duties of Office Bearers
19. The duties of office bearers are described at schedule I. All office bearers who cease to hold office shall hand over their duties to the new office bearers. A certificate as to the proper hand/take-over of duties shall be furnished to the Exco by the Hony Secretary within fourteen (14) days of the changeover. Repeal & Promulgation
20. (a) The new constitution adopted on the 17th of June 2001, is hereby repealed. (b) The new constitution adopted at the Annual General Meeting held on 24th July 2022 as provided in the preface to this Constitution, will take effect from such adoption. THE END
