CONSTITUTION

 

1.             NAME

 

1.1          The name of the Ministry shall be “EMERGENCY SERVICES CHAPLAINCY

(SOUTHERN AFRICA)”

 

1.2          The shortened name shall be “ESC (SA)”.

 

 2.             STATEMENT OF FAITH

        We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God – breathed: the creation of man by the direct act of God; and the incarnation and virgin birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ; His identification as the Son of God: His vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of His blood on the cross; the resurrection of His body from the tomb: His power to save men from sin; the new birth through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit; and the gift of eternal life by the grace of God.

 

 3.      OBJECTIVES

 

3.1     The Ministry recognizes the Lord Jesus Christ as its supreme head and undertakes to manage its affairs according to New Testament teaching and to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

3.2          The Ministry is founded for the purpose of providing an holistic Christian Ministry to officers, personnel and families of Emergency Services Departments throughout Southern Africa, and to victims and families these departments serve during moments and events of crisis.

 

3.3     The Ministry shall function through a cooperative and affiliate relationship between Emergency Services Departments and local teams of Chaplains and Assistant Chaplains      recruited by and for the ongoing ministry through an established network of programs and        training designed to better meet the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual needs of the men and woman who regularly work with individuals who become the victims of crisis – the       Emergency Services personnel themselves and secondary victims.

 

 

4.             STATUS OF THE CHAPLAINCY 

4.1          The Chaplaincy shall exist in its own right, separately from its members.

 

4.2          The Chaplaincy will continue to exist notwithstanding changes in membership or in Office-bearers.

 

4.3          The Chaplaincy shall be able to sign contracts and enter into other relationships. The Chaplaincy can sue and be sued in its own name.

 

4.4          The Chaplaincy shall be able to own property and other possessions in its own right.

 

5.             EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

5.1        The Executive Committee shall consist of a President, a Past President, a Vice President, a Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Training Officer, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. They will have the power to appoint other members, but such co-opted members will not have a vote at Executive Committee meetings. 

 

5.2      The Executive Committee shall hold office for two (2) years and the Office-bearers shall be appointed by the ESC (SA) members present at an Annual General Meeting. The Vice-President shall be nominated and appointed for the standard two (2) year term. On completion of the President’s term, the incumbent Vice-President will assume the office of President for two (2) years. After the President’s term of office concludes, he or she then takes the position of Past President for two years. The Past President will also assume the role of Confidential Consultant during this two-year term.  After that term of office concludes, he or she may be nominated again for any office.

 

5.3    The Chief Training Officer will be appointed by the Executive Office Bearers from all the current Training Officers.

 

5.4    All duly elected Regional Chief Chaplains will be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee and will be entitled to attend, but will not have a vote at Executive Committee meetings.

 

 5.5    ESC (SA) members can only serve on the Executive Committee after two (2) years membership of ESC (SA).

 

 5.6  The Executive Committee may take on the power and authority that it believes it needs to be able to achieve the objectives that are stated in point number 3 of this constitution. This power and authority includes raising funds; buying, hiring or exchanging any property that it needs to achieve its objectives, providing that all activities must abide by the law.

 

 5.7  Should an Executive Committee Office-bearer resign, the Executive Committee has the authority to appoint a person in that position until the next Annual General Meeting.

 

 

6.             MEETINGS AND PROCEDURES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

6.1          The Executive Committee shall hold at least two Executive meetings each year.

 

6.2          The President, or two members of the Executive Committee, may call a special Executive meeting if so required. Ten (10) days notice to all Executive members shall be given of the intention to hold such meeting.

 

6.3          If the President does not attend a meeting, then the Vice President will assume the chairmanship.

 

6.4          There shall be a quorum whenever such a meeting is held. The quorum for Executive meetings shall be not less than three members of the Executive committee.

 

6.5          Minutes shall be taken of all meetings and held on record.

 

6.6     When necessary, the Executive Committee will vote on issues.

If the votes are equal on an issue, then the President has a second vote.

 

  

7.             CHAPLAINS 

7.1     CHAPLAINS shall be persons who have a definite call upon their lives to serve the Lord   Jesus Christ in this ministry, AND are in good standing with their local church, AND have completed the ESC (SA) Training Course.

 

7.2          The minimum age of being a Chaplain shall be 18 years.

 

7.3          All applicants for ESC (SA) shall submit proof of the above requirements, AND shall be interviewed by at least two (2) members of ESC (SA), one of which must be an Executive Committee member or the applicant’s Regional Chief Chaplain or the latter’s duly appointed representative, AND complete the prescribed application form, AND shall adhere to the Code of Conduct as reflected in the ESC (SA) by-laws.

 

7.4          The membership roll of the Chaplaincy shall consist of only those people who do qualify under point 7.1 or 7.2, and having paid their annual membership fees.

 

7.5          Those members of the Chaplaincy who have not paid their annual membership fees as at the Annual General Meeting, and their name(s) will be removed from the membership roll.

 

7.6          If the Executive Committee has a good reason to do so, and if the majority of the Executive Committee Members agree, it can review the status of any individual membership and act according to the by-laws and within the spirit of Matthew 18. The individual has the right to be heard by the Executive Committee and must take place before the Executive Committee makes a final decision.

 

7.7          Any member may resign from the Chaplaincy for whatever reason.

 

 

BADGES OF APPOINTMENT


Text Box: PURPLE                                                

 

 

8.             REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS 

The Executive Committee has authority to form regional associations with terms of reference. Such associations will in future represent paid-up members in their area at all special, general and Annual General Meetings of ESC (SA).

 

9.             A.G.M. SPECIAL AND GENERAL MEMBERS MEETINGS

 

9.1          An Annual General Meeting of members shall be called once per year, and shall be held before the end of August. Regional associations will have voting rights at such meetings on the basis of one (1) per ten (10) or part thereof, fully paid-up members.

National Executive members will have full voting rights in their personal capacity.

 

9.2           All paid-up members may participate in all discussions at the meetings but voting rights will be restricted as in 9.1.

 

9.3     Nomination forms for the appointment of office bearers shall be sent to all Regional Chief Chaplains at least TEN (10) weeks before the A.G.M. Nominations, together with written acceptance from the nominee, must be in the hands of the Secretary at least SIX (6) weeks before the A.G.M. The Secretary must circulate all names of nominees to all Regional Chief Chaplains at least FIVE (5) weeks before the A.G.M. All Regional Chief Chaplains must arrange at least ONE (1) regional meeting at least TWO (2) weeks before the A.G.M. At this meeting each region shall appoint representatives from that region who will vote for the region at the A.G.M. The meeting will decide, by vote, which nominee must be voted for. The voting representatives shall be bound to vote at the A.G.M. according to their region’s decision.  (Discretion can be given.)

 

9.4     The date for the following A.G.M. will be decided at the current A.G.M.

 

9.5     Written changes to the Constitution and By-laws must be received by the Secretary at least SIX (6) weeks before the A.G.M. and forwarded out to the Regions by the Secretary FIVE (5) weeks prior to the A.G.M. All Regional Chief Chaplains must arrange at least ONE (1) regional meeting at least TWO (2) weeks before the A.G.M. At this meeting each region shall decide, by vote, how to vote for each change. The voting representatives shall be bound to vote at the A.G.M. according to their region’s decision.  (Discretion can be given.)

 

9.6     Special and general meetings to be called by the Executive Committee only. Voting rights as in 9.1 will apply.

 

9.7          Quorum for all meetings shall be 20% of all official voting members as per 9.1 and at least three (3) members of the Executive Committee.

 

 

10     INDEMNITY 

10.1   Members or Office-bearers of the Chaplaincy will not become liable for any of the obligations and liabilities of the Chaplaincy solely by virtue of their status as members of Office-bearers of the Chaplaincy.

 

10.2       Office-bearers and members of the Chaplaincy will not personally be liable for any loss suffered by any person as a result of an act of omission which occurs in good faith while the Office-bearers or member is performing functions for or on behalf of the Chaplaincy.

 


11     FINANCE 

11.1   The ministry shall be funded by donations, Chaplain membership fees (as set by the Executive Committee), and by any other method approved by the Executive Committee. Annual membership fees shall become due on the first of January each year.

 

11.2   Finances shall be kept in a bank account which shall require minuted pre-approval by the  Executive Committee and two (2) authorized signatures from the Office-bearers of the  Executive Committee to withdraw the money.

 

11.3   The financial year shall be from the first of May to the end of April of the following year. The  financial statements shall be audited annually. The Auditor shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.

 

11.4   Office-bearers and members shall be entitled to claim reimbursement of expenses  approved by the Executive Committee, incurred on behalf of the Chaplaincy.

 

11.5   Office-bearers shall be entitled to receive reasonable compensation for services rendered,  and members or Office-bearers shall have no further entitlement to any distribution of  income or property of the Chaplaincy.

 

 

12     CLOSING THE CHAPLAINCY DOWN 

12.1   The Chaplaincy may close down if at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members present and  voting at a Special General Meeting of members convened for the purpose of considering such matter are in favour of closing down.

 

12.2   Quorum of the meeting shall be 20% of all paid-up ESC (SA) members, and at least three (3) Office-bearers must be present.

 

12.3   When the Chaplaincy closes down it has to pay off all its debts. Any assets remaining after all the Chaplaincy’s liabilities have been met, shall be transferred to another non-profit organization having similar objectives, such organization must also be exempt from paying income tax.

 

 

13     CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION 

13.1   Alterations to the constitution can only be made at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting, with two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of ESC (SA) VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT, AS PER 9.1, VOTING IN FAVOUR OF THE CHANGES.

 

13.2   Quorum of the meeting shall be 20% of all OFFICIAL VOTING MEMBERS AS PER 9.1, and at least three (3) Office-bearers must be present.

 

This constitution, with amendments, has been accepted at the Annual General Meeting held on the 16th August 2008.