The Constitution

  1. Home
  2. The Constitution

THE CONSTITUTION

OF

THE PAST PUPILS’ ASSOCIATION

OF

HOLY FAMILY CONVENT

BAMBALAPITIYA

(Updated Version: 12th March 2022)

NAME: (amended by inclusion of additional wording by Resolution passed at the 77th AGM held on Saturday, 26th February 2011)

  • The Association shall be called The Past Pupils’ Association of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya (hereinafter referred to as “The Association”) and shall, for all intents and purposes, be the Main Parent Body representing all Past Pupils of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya (hereinafter referred to as “HFC PPA Main Body”). All other groups representing Past Pupils of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya in Sri Lanka and outside Sri Lanka, shall be henceforth known and referred to as a ‘branch group’ or a ‘sub-group’ of HFC PPA Main Body.

OBJECTS: (amended by Resolution dated 22 February 1997 and by the inclusion of a new clause (f) by Resolution passed at the 77th AGM held on Saturday, 26th February 2011)

  • The Objects of the Association shall be to –
  • Unite all Past Pupils and promote loyalty to the School
  • Render opportunities to Past Pupils to help students at School
  • Link and represent its members in the sphere of Catholic Activity
  • To promote the wellbeing of the members of the Association
  • Undertake activities relevant to and in furtherance of the objective referred to in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d)
  • Encourage the formation of Batch Groups comprising Past Pupils who shall be Members of The Association (save and except those that do not qualify to become a Member by virtue of being “ineligible” as per the criteria set out in Rule 3), in order to have wider reach, increase the database and foster greater support to the activities of the The Association, PROVIDED THAT all funds raised by such Batch Groups, if it is so done in the name of or in aid of the development activities and/or upliftment of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, then such Batch Group should obtain the prior consent of the Principal of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya and/or The Executive Committee of The Association.

MEMBERSHIP: (amended by Resolution dated 22 February 1997)

  • Membership in the Association shall be restricted to all Past Pupils who studied at Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya for not less than five (5) years.

Provided however that, this rule shall not apply to those Past Pupils who are Members of the Association on or before the date of coming into operation of this rule.

HONORARY MEMBERS: (amended by Resolution dated 21st February 2009)

4) (a) All Members of the Staff and the Past Pupils who are in Religious Orders shall be treated as Honorary Members of The Association, as long as they remain in such capacity.

(b) All members of the staff and all past pupils in Religious Orders who have served the school for fifteen (15) consecutive years or more be granted Honorary Life Membership of The Association.

MEMBERSHIP FEES: (amended by resolution dated 22 February 1997; Resolution dated 21st February 1998 & Resolution dated 22nd February 2014 which amended the Clause 5 by re-phrasing); (amended by Resolution passed at the 86th AGM held on Saturday, 29th February 2020); (amended by Resolution passed at the 88th AGM held on Saturday, 12th March 2022; Resolution dated 24th February 2022)

  • The Annual Membership Fee per Member shall be Rupees Two Hundred and Fifty (Rs.250/-). A Member who defaults in payment of the Annual Membership Fee for three consecutive years, shall forfeit her Membership in the Association.

Provided however, if she wishes to re-join The Association, such person shall do so on payment of arrears, the minimum being three years.

Life Membership Fee for Past Pupils who have left the School within the last five (5) years from the date of Application shall be Rupees Three Thousand (Rs.3,000/-) and for Past Pupils who have left the School over a period of five (5) years from the date of Application shall be Rupees Five Thousand (Rs.5,000/-).

If a member loses or misplaces a membership card, she shall so inform the joint secretaries in writing who will then make arrangements to issue a duplicate membership card and a fee of Rupees Seven Hundred and Fifty (Rs.750/-) per card will be levied.

PATRONESS:

  • Mother Superior shall be the Patroness of the Association.

OFFICE BEARERS: (amended by the Resolution dated 28th February 2004 by adding a sub-paragraph No.7(1) and No.7(3) & by Resolution dated 26th February 2005 by adding Clause 7 (4))

7) (1) The Office Bearers of The Association shall be

  • The President
  • Four Vice Presidents
    1. i) Principal of the Upper School
    2. ii) Principal of the Lower School
  • iii) Two (2) Members to be elected from PPA
  • Two Joint Secretaries
  • Treasurer
  • Assistant Treasurer
  • Immediate Past President

(2) The President shall nominate both her Secretaries, subject to the approval of the House

(3) The Immediate Past President of the Association shall hold office only in the ensuing year, following her      Presidency, in the Executive Committee.

(4) All Office Bearers and Committee Members shall be physically present at the Annual General Meeting.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: (amended by Resolution dated 24th February 2001, by including sub paragraph (c))

 

  • The Executive Committee of the Association shall consist of:
    • The Office Bearers referred in Rule 7
    • Fifteen (15) Committee Members who shall be elected at the Annual

General Meeting

  • A Co-ordinating Officer who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. The elected person should be a Past Pupil who is a member of the Association and a member of the Office Staff or Teaching Staff or a Rev. Sister of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya.

ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS AND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: (amended by Resolution dated 26th February 2005 by re-phrasing existing clause as 9 (1) and by adding another clause as 9 (2))

9) (1) The Members of the Executive Committee referred to in the rule 8 shall

be elected at an Annual General Meeting for a period of one year.

(2) Nominations for the posts of 15 Committee Members, referred to in Rule

8(b) above, shall be made to the Joint Secretaries at least 7 days prior to

the date of the Annual General Meeting, under registered cover.

The Nomination form shall include the following particulars:-

  1. i) Name of Proposer
  2. ii) Name of Seconder
  • iii) The consent of the Nominee and assurance of physical presence at the Annual General Meeting where her name would be proposed
  1. iv) Confirmation of presence at the last 3 Annual General Meetings

Where there are more than 15 members nomination to the posts of Committee Members, the General Membership shall elect only 15 members at the Annual General Meeting by voting on show of hands.

In the event of there being no nominations received for the post of Committee Member or Committee Members, such Committee Member or Committee Members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Voting at the Annual General Meeting shall be by show of hands.

AUDITOR:

  • There shall be an Auditor to The Association, who shall be elected at

an Annual General Meeting for period of one year.

TERM OF OFFICE:

  • No Member of the Committee shall hold office in any capacity for more

than Three Consecutive years.

However, she will be eligible to hold office after a lapse of one year.

 

SPECIAL APPOINTEES AND COMMITTEES: (amended by Resolution dated 22nd February 1997); (amended by inclusion of words “Special Appointees” to the Heading and the insertion of a new clause (c) by Resolution passed at the 77th AGM held on Saturday, 26th February 2011)

 

 

12)(a)Special Committees for the purpose of carrying out any specific function

may also be appointed by the Executive Committee. The President, a Vice President, a Secretary and Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all such Special Committees. All such Committees shall function under the direction of the Executive Committee.

(b)(i) Special Committee for the purpose of furthering the objective mentioned

in the clause (d) of Rule 2 shall be elected by the Membership at the Annual General Meeting. The President shall be an ex-officio member and the other Members shall not be more than ten (10) including the President.

(b)(ii) The members of the Special Committee referred to in sub paragraph (b)(i)

above, shall be accountable to the membership of their activities connected with the furtherance of the objective in clause (d) of Rule 2.

(b)(iii) The Members of the Special Committee referred to in the sub paragraph

(b)(i) above shall stand dissolved by the membership by an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting specially convened for this purpose if and when the membership is satisfied that the Special Committee referred in sub-paragraph (b)(i) above is redundant.

(c)There shall be appointed and/or reappointed at every Annual General

Meeting, a Representative from each batch, who shall be a Member of The Association, to be the contact person/liaison between the Batch and the          Executive Committee, and which Representative shall report to and support          the Executive Committee whenever called upon or required to do so. However, such Representative need not be a Member of the Executive Committee of the Association.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICE BEARERS:

13)(a) The President shall chair all meetings and, in her absence, one of the

four Vice-Presidents shall preside.

(b) The President shall have the power to direct the Secretary to convene

meetings.

(c) Secretaries shall convene meetings and shall maintain a book of minutes

of the proceedings of all meetings. They shall carry out all decisions made by the Executive Committee. They shall at The Annual General Meeting submit a report, duly approved by the Executive Committee, on the activities of The Association during the preceding year of office.

(d) The Treasurer shall receive all monies of The Association and shall maintain

a true and accurate record of the accounts of The Association. The Treasurer shall where and if necessary, at every Executive Committee meeting, table a summary of the accounts stating the Bank balances and the Creditors and Debtors totals. She shall be responsible for getting the accounts audited and made available to the members in time for the Annual General Meeting.

DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

14)(1) The Executive Committee shall manage the affairs of The Association and

shall be responsible for the disbursement of funds collected for specific purposes.

(2) The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy that

may occur in the Executive Committee during the course of the year.

FILLING VACANCIES:

15)(1) Any elected member of the Executive Committee who fails to attend three

consecutive meetings of the Executive Committee without a valid reason, shall cease to be a member of such Committee.

(2) Secretaries shall inform the member of the dates of the three consecutive

meetings she had not attended, and if no explanation is received within fourteen days from the member as regards her absence, the Committee shall fill such vacancy.

(3) Such a member who fails to give sufficient explanation as to her absence,

shall not be eligible for re-election to the Committee either as an Office Bearer or as an Ordinary Member of the Committee at the next Annual General Meeting.

 

CONTRIBUTIONS:

16) The Executive Committee, may by Resolution, authorize the collection of

Voluntary contributions for the furtherance of the objects mentioned in Rule 2. All appeals for funds shall bear the signature of the President. 

 

FUNDS: (amended by Resolution dated 28th February 2004 by addition of sub-paragraph (d); (amended by Resolution dated 26th February 2005 by addition of sub-paragraph (e); (amended by the rewording of clause (b) by Resolution passed at the 77th AGM held on Saturday, 26th February 2011); (amended by the rewording of Clause (c) by Resolution passed at the 85th AGM held on Saturday, 23rd February 2019)

 

17)(a) All monies collected shall be handed over to the Treasurer who issue

receipts to individual subscribers

(b) The Funds of the Association shall be deposited with any Bank or Banks in

Sri Lanka as directed by the Executive Committee. All orders of the withdrawals and cheques drawn up on the funds of the Association shall be signed by any two of the following Office Bearers-

  • By the President along with the Treasurer; or
  • Either by the President or the Treasurer who shall be a Mandatory signatory, along with any one of the two Joint Secretaries.

(c) The Financial year of The Association shall end on the 31st day of December

every year.

(d) Funds of the Association should be in compliance with objects in Rule 2,

and that the Executive Committee is empowered to disburse such funds up to a maximum of Rs.150,000/-. An amount to be spent on any special event, to be sanctioned at the Annual General Meeting.

However, an amount if any, in addition to the above limit will also have to be sanctioned at the Annual General Meeting, its maximum being another Rs.100,000/-.

(e)Notwithstanding the ceiling imposed by sub-paragraph 17(d), the

Executive Committee be empowered to disburse such funds of The

Association for the express purpose of assisting the school, if and only when a special request is made by the Principal of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya. The amount to be so disbursed to be decided upon by The Executive Committee according to the availability of funds, at its sole discretion.

MEETINGS:

18)(a) The Annual General Meeting and the Annual re-union of The Association

shall be held in February every year, as the school was founded in February 1903.

(b) All other celebrations shall be held at a time and place decided by The

Executive Committee, depending on the condition prevailing at the time of holding such celebrations.

(c) An audited statement of accounts for the preceding financial year shall be

presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting

(d) Secretaries shall summon a Special General Meeting of the Association at

the written request of five members of The Association within fourteen days (14) of the receipt of such request and at least seven (7) days notice shall be given to the Membership stating the business to be transacted at such meeting. No other business shall be transacted at a Special General Meeting, other than that for which the meeting is convened.

(e) The quorum at a Special General Meeting or at an Annual General Meeting

shall be 50 members of The Association.

(f) Meetings of the Executive Committee of which not less than seven (7) days

notice shall be given, shall be held at least twice a term.

(g) All meetings of The Association shall be held in the convent premises with

the permission of the Patroness.

(h) The quorum at an Executive Committee Meeting shall not be less than ten

(10) members of such Committee.

PRESIDENT:

19)(1)The Executive Committee shall call for nominations for President, Past

Pupils’ Association, Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, to be sent through the post to reach the Honorary Joint Secretaries two weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting.

(2) The Honorary Joint Secretaries shall stipulate the deadline by which

nominations should reach them when notifying members as to the Annual General Meeting.

(3) In the event of there being more than one candidate, the names of such

candidates shall be brought at the Annual General Meeting and a vote taken by secret ballot.

20)(amended by Resolution dated 26th February 2005 by deleting the phrase

“unless prior sanction has been obtained in writing by such member”)

No Member who is not present at the Annual General Meeting shall be eligible as an office bearer in the Committee.

RESOLUTIONS:

21)(a) Notice of a Resolution to be moved at an Annual General Meeting shall be

given to the Secretary not less than seven (7) days before the date of such meeting.

(b) All resolutions shall be considered at an Executive Committee meeting

which shall be held not less than three (3) days before such Annual General Meeting.

RULES: (amended by Resolution date 26th February 2005 by adding the word SPECIAL before clause 22(a) & by adding sub-paragraph (d))

SPECIAL:

22)(a) The rules of The Association may be amended by a Resolution adopted at

a General Meeting by a majority of two-thirds of the members present

and voting.

GENERAL (amended by the deletion of clause (d) “Familian Retirement Home Project Sub-Committee” and inclusion of a new clause (d) “Website Development

And Maintenance Sub-Committee” by Resolution passed at the 77th AGM held on

Saturday 26th February 2011)

22)(b) The President with the consent and concurrence of her Committee and with

the approval of the Patroness shall have the power when she considers in the best interest of The Association to take any steps necessary whether in contravention of the rules or otherwise to ensure the continuing existence and proper functioning of The Association.

(c) Matters not provided for the rules, shall be decided upon by the Patroness

and the Executive Committee.

(d) Website Development and Maintenance Sub-Committee

A Special Committee, consisting of not more than (7) Members, including the President, a Secretary nominated from and out of the two Joint Secretaries, the Assistant Treasurer, the Website Administrator, nominated from within the Executive Committee and upto a maximum of three (03) other Members, nominated from within or without the Executive Committee, all of whom shall be Members of the Association, should be appointed Annually by the Executive Committee, to ensure the long term sustenance and continued development and maintenance of the Website created by the HFC PPA Main Body – www.hfcppa.org

– END –

Quick Navigation