About Us

South Florida Tamil Sangam, Inc.

A Florida  Non profit cultural organization

Suggested Bylaws

Article I- Name

1.1       The name ofthe organization shall be South Florida Tamil Sangam, Inc. herein after called the Tamil Sangam.

Article II- Objectives

2.1       To cultivate, promote, foster and develop the advancement ofthe knowledge of Tamil language , literature, and culture among Tamil speaking families especially children.

2.2       To promote fellowship among all Tamil speaking people and promote harmony and unity in the preservation of Tamil culture, language and literature.

2.3      To preserve and protect the interest and integrity of Tamil culture, and foster the exchange of ideas and understanding between the peoples ofTamil culture and other cultures.

2.4       To organize and participate in Tamil educational, cultural, social and charitable activities.

2.5        To be a non partisan, secular and non political organization

Article III- Office

3.1        The office ofthe Tamil Sangam shall be located at 11201 NW 46" Drive, Coral Springs, FL- 33076. or at any other place as may be decided by the Board ofDirectors.

Article IV- Membership

4.1       The membership of the Tamil Sangam will be open to every one who is desirous of promoting and following its objectives and is residing in South Florida.

4.2       The Board Directors may disapprove the membership of any individual whose objectives are opposed to or not in harmony with the objectives ofthe Tamil Sangam.  Such disapproval shall be ratified by the General body either at a special meeting called for that purpose or the next annual general body meeting where the matter will be included in the Agenda for said meeting.

4.3      The membership will be classified as single, family and student .    The family membership will consist ofhusband and/or wife and their dependant children under the age oftwenty three.  A student member must be a full time student and working towards a degree or

Associate degree or diploma.

4.5        Any member whose activities are not considered to be consistent with the objectives of the Tamil Sangam and are harmfu l or likely to be harmfu l to the best interest and welfare of the Tamil Sangam, may be expelled, on the recommendations of the Board of Directors, by a two-thirds majority of members of Tamil Sangam present and voting in a general body meeting where the matter is included in the Agenda and its inclusion is notified to all the members.

4.6        The annual dues of the Tamil Sangam is $25 per year for family membership, $15 for Single member, and $10 for student member,unless the same are revised by the general body at the recomm endation of the board of directors.  A person or a family paying a lumpsum of $250 shall be deemed as life member/s and he/she need not pay any further annual membership fees in his/her life time. The annual dues shall be payable by January

31  of each fiscal year or by any other date as extended by the board of directors. Two reminders in writing with an interval of 15  days between them will be mailed to those who have not paid the annual dues by Jan 31  of the fiscal year.  If the dues are not paid within

15 days ofthe second reminder the person concerned shall forfeit his/her membership till

such time all outstanding dues are fully paid. The fiscal year ofthe Tamil Sangam will be

JanuaryI  to December 31 of each calendar year.

5.1        The officers ofthe Tamil Sangam shall be the President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Joint Secretary and a Treasurer.

Article 6 - Board of Directors

6.1        The Board ofDirectors ofthe Tamil Sangam for any fiscal year shall consist ofthe Officers and six other directors no more than two from each County ofDade, Broward and Palm Beach to be elected by the General body.

6.2       The President shall act as the Chairman ofthe Board ofDirector.

6.3       The Board ofdirectors shall lay down policies and manage the Tamil Sangam within the frame work of the articles and by laws ofthe Tamil Sangam.

Article 7 - Election and Term of Office

/71        Each member who is more than eighteen years of age and has been a member for at least three months, or as ofApril 8, 2000, and is in good standing, is eligible to vote.

7.2       Three Returning officers shall be elected by the Board ofDirectors and lay down the procedure and conduct elections to the officers and directors with approval ofthe Board.

7.3        The officers and the six directors shall be elected by the General membership ofthe Tamil

Sangam.

7.4       The term of officers and directors  shall be for a period of one year.

7.5       No officer shall be eligible for election to any office for more than two consecutive  one year terms.

7.6.       In case of retirement,  resignation  or permanent  absence of any Officer or Director,   the Board of Directors shall fill in the vacancy for the unexpired portion of the term by appointing any eligible member.  Such appointments  shall be notified to all Tamil Sangam members in an appropriate manner to be decided by the Board of Directors.

7.7       An Officer or Director  may be removed by the Board of Directors  if he/she is absent from three consecutive  meetings of the Board  or functions organized by the Tamil Sangam.

.7.8        Nomination  for the officers and the six directors  shall be received by the Returning Officers prior to election  meeting.  Nominations  shall also be received from the floor at the meeting.

,1.9     Nominees  for the Office of President  and Vice President  shall be members of the Tamil

Sangam at least for two years preceding the date of election,  or as of April 8, 2000.

7.10     A family shall have two votes one for each spouse to be cast in person on any matter to be decided at any meeting, including election of officers and directors of the Tamil Sangam. No postal or proxy ballot is permissible.

7.11      The voting may be by a show of hands or a secret ballot as may be decided by the

Returning  officers.

7.12     The election of the officers shall be declared first and thereafter  the remaining six directors of the Board.

7.13     Only one member of a family shall be eligible to hold any office for a given term.

7.14     Any member shall be eligible to contest for only one office/director  for a given term.

8.1         President

Article 8 - Duties of officers

8.1.1     The President  shall call and preside at all meetings of the General body and the Board of

Directors  of the Tamil Sangam.

8.1.2    He/she shall present  a  report  of Tamil Sangam's activities during the year at the annual general body meeting.

8.1.3   He/she shall appoint, with prior approval  of the Board, the members of all the Committees

of the Board.

8.1.4    He/she shall execute all documents in the name of and on behalf of the Tamil Sangam.

8.1.5    He/she shall ensure that all accounts, reports,  statements, minutes and other papers are properly kept and filed in accordance with these bylaws and any  State and Federal laws.

8.1.6    He/she shall make arrangements to carry out the duties of the Vice President, Secretary, Joint Secretary and/or Treasurer during their  absence.

8.1. 7    He/she shall enforce the bylaws, perform all duties incidental to his office and such other duties as  may be imposed on him by the Board ofDirectors as deemed necessary under these bylaws.

8.2 Vice President

8.2.1    The Vice President shall perform all of the duties ofthe President during his/her absence

, and any other duties that may assigned to him/her by the Board ofDirectors.

8.3 Secretary

8.3.1    The Secretary shall carry out his/her duties under the direction ofthe Board.

8.3.2   He/she shall be responsible for recording and maintaining of minutes of all meetings ofthe

Board of Directors and the General Body.

8.3.3   He/she shall sign and receive all correspondence on behalf ofthe Board ofDirectors and report them to the Board at its next meeting unless it requires emergency action.

8.3.4   He/she shall send notices of all general and special meetings ofthe General membership and any special events ofthe Tamil Sangam.

8.3.5   He/she shall file any reports or statements or any other documents required by the Local

Government, County,  State and Federal laws.

8.3.6   He/she shall have the custody of all records, documents, minutes and papers ofthe Tamil Sangam and maintain them properly and securely.  He/she shall maintain an up-to-date list of all members of the Tamil Sangam.

8.3. 7   He/she shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him/her by the Board of

Directors within the framework ofthese bylaws.

8.4 Joint Secretary

8.4.1    He/she shall perform all the duties ofthe Secretary in his/her absence or retirement or

removal  and  such other  duties as ma y be assigned  to him/h er by the Board  of Directors.

8.5 Treasurer

8.5.1    The Treasurer shall make,  countersign and endorse  in the name of Tamil Sangam all checks, notes and other orders  for the payment  of money as authorized by the Board  of Directors.

8.5.2    He/she shall have charge and custody of all funds received  on behalf of the Tamil Sangam and shall deposit  such funds in the name of the Tamil Sangam  in such Banks as may be authorized by the Board  of Directors. Funds  shall be deposited with in five days of its receipt  and a receipt  issued to the contributor of such funds.

8.5.3    He/she shall maintain  account  books,  records  ofreceipts, disbursement and other financial transactions made  on behalf of the Tamil Sangam in the manner prescribed  by the Board of Directors.

8.5.4     He/she  shall present  an up-to-date report  on the accounts of the Tamil Sangam at the meetings of the Board  of Directors and  present  an annual accounts  to the general body at its Annual meeting or at such other time as may be required  by the Board  of Directors.

8.5.5    He/she  shall perform all duties incident to his office and such other duties as may be

assigned  to him/her by the Board  of Directors within the framework of these bylaws.

Article 9 - Committees

9.1.1     The Board  of Directors of the Tamil Sangam may constitute Committees consisting  of members  of the Tamil Sangam to carry out the objectives of the Tamil Sangam such as Drama  Committee, Education Committee, Music  Committee,  Arts Committee etc.   The composition of these committees and duties  shall be decided  by the Board  of Directors.

9 .1.2    The report  on the activities of the committees shall be included in the annual report presented to the members  at the annual general body meeting.

Article 10 - Meetings

10.1      Annual meeting of the Tamil Sangam

10.1.1   The Annual meeting of the general  membership  of the Tamil Sangam shall be held every year in the month of November, the actual date to be decided by the Board  of Directors. Special meetings  of the general body may be called any time by the Board  of Directors  or at the request of20% ofthe general  membership  of the Tamil Sangam.

10.1.2  Notice of annual meeting  and special meeting with the Agenda  for the meeting

shall be sent at least two  weeks prior to the date  of the meeting  to all members  of the

Tamil Sangamon record.

10.1.3   Ann ual report on the activities of the Sangam during the year and the annual accounts of the Tamil Sangam, both in writing, shall be presented to the members at the annual meeting of the general membership.

10.2      Meetings of the Board of Directors

10.2.1  The Board ofDirectors shall meet at least four times a year.

10.2.2 Agenda and the Notice ofthe meeting ofthe Board of Directors shall be prepared by the Secretary with the approval ofthe President and shall be sent to all the members of the Board ofDirectors in accordance with the procedures laid down by the Board of Directors.