Prepared: December 2018

Amended: February 6th , 2020

CONSTITUTION OF LAHN
DECLARATION OF ESTABLISHMENT
PREAMBLE
WHEREAS we, as a concerned group of Liberian Canadian citizens
residing in Hamilton, Niagara region and adjacent cities up to Brampton,
irrespective of our religious and political ideology, gender identity or
ethnicities.
DETERMINED to promote the positive image and common values of
Canada and Liberia and foster cooperation between our two nations,
cultures, and people.
RESOLVED to ensure cooperation between our community and the
broader Canadian society through active engagement and participation
in community-building initiatives.
REALIZING the urgency to build a vibrant and thriving Liberian
diaspora community and forge inter-beneficial partnerships that focus on
passing a legacy to future generations to come.
DO HEREBY organize and incorporate ourselves into a non-
governmental, not-for-profit Corporation to be known and styled:
Amended: February 6th , 2020

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LIBERIAN ASSOCIATION OF HAMILTON AND NIAGARA
(LAHN).

ARTICLE I
Section 1. NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Liberian Association of
Hamilton & Niagara region; henceforth, it shall be referred to as LAHN
and associated with the Liberian Association of Canada.

Section 2. ADDRESS and HEAD OFFICE
The address and head office shall remain in the Hamilton municipality.

Section 3. AIMS, OBJECTIVES, and MOTTO
The aims of this organization are to:
a) Promote learning and cultural activities in the communities;
b) fostering peace, unity, transparency, and harmony;
c) Ensure cooperation between our community and the broader Canadian
society;
d) Empower the community through sustainable human development
programs; and,
e) Serve the interests of Liberia and Canada.
Section 4. The objectives of LAHN are to:
a) Help newcomers integrate into our communities;
b) Provide the necessary education and tools;
c) Build strong networking partners in our society;
d) Engage in fundraising activities to execute our projects;
e) Provide satisfactory social and recreational activities; and, 3
|f) Promote high standards in moral values.

Section 5. The Motto of LAHN shall be as follows:
Unity, Peace, & Development.

Section 6. The Seal of LAHN
The organization's Seal shall be kept by the president from time to time,
unless the membership decides otherwise. The validity of any
corporation's document is ensured by the seal of the organization.

Section 7. The Financial year
The financial year shall start from January 1 to December 31 of each
year.
Section 8. The Organization's Bank account and Signing Officials
a) The organization shall open and maintain a bank account with any
financial institution in Canada for the conduction of cooperation
business from time to time.
b) The only cooperation members authorized to use their signatures
for organization business are as follows (except as noted elsewhere
in the Constitution):
i) Checks drawn upon the funds of the organization shall require the
signatures of the Financial Secretary and the President or the Vice-
President; 

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ii) Withdrawal of any other organization funds from the repository shall
require two (2) Signatures: Financial Secretary and the President or
Vice-President;
iii) Any document committing the cooperation to a plan of action
requires two (2) signatures, a member of the board with temporary
authorization of the Board of Directors and the President or Vice-
President;
iv) In any financial matters, if there are only two (2) officials required as
signatories, it shall be the Financial Secretary and the President or vice-
president; and,
v) Signatories of the organization's account shall not be related by
marriage, blood, or cohabitation.

ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP Qualifications
Section 1. Membership of LAHN shall be inclusive of Liberians and
non-Liberians.
There shall be two (2) classes of membership in this corporation
consisting of:
A) Class A (Full Membership)
All members under this class shall have the exclusive rights, obligations,
and privileges to contest for any elected office provided that he/she lives
within the geographic boundaries of the organization (Hamilton, Niagara
region, and cities up to Brampton); and
B) Class B (Affiliate Membership)

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A class B membership is given to anyone who is of non-Liberian
descent. It shall be granted to individuals and organizations that support
the objectives, programs, and activities of the association. All associate
members can witness/or supervise the voting activities but are not
eligible to vote or run for office.
Section 2
a) Any registered and dues-paying member who has resided for a year or
more in article ii, section 1, (a) is qualified to run for office; and,
b) Membership shall be voluntary, and withdrawal of membership shall
also be voluntary unless otherwise determined by the organization.
Section 3. FEES and DUES
a) All members shall be duly registered and must pay monthly or yearly
dues and charges as may be from time to time to be active.
b) There shall be two (2) categories of age-grouping for the payment of
dues, and they are:
AGES 18- above EXCOS
$ 15.00 monthly $25.00 monthly

c) No individual shall hold more than one position or membership: and,
d) All members present at a meeting or election may have the right to
vote if he or she is in sound financial standing with LICOHN.
Section 4. TERMINATION and REINSTATEMENT of
MEMBERSHIP

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a) Causes of termination. The membership of a member shall be
terminated upon the occurrence of any of the following events:
i. The resignation of a member.
ii. Non-payment of dues by a member or officer shall be considered
equivalent to a resignation, i.e., the name will be dropped from the
membership rolls unless extenuating circumstances are given or known.
iii. All rights of membership ceases upon a member's death; and,
iv. No member may transfer a membership.
Section 4. REINSTATEMENT of MEMBERSHIP
In the event any member drops out or is expelled from the society for a
period of one year or more and wishes to rejoin, he may rejoin the
organization. At the discretion of the two-thirds (2/3) of a full
membership's Conference or Annual meeting, full former membership
rights and privileges may be reinstated. No cancellations or refund of
dues shall be paid if a member resigns before the close of his
membership year
 
ARTICLE III
Section 1. MEETINGS of MEMBERS
a) The sessions of the membership shall be held at any place within the
cities of Hamilton and Niagara region; unless in the absence of any such
designation, members' meetings shall be held at the principal office of
the organization.
b) There shall be a general monthly meeting on the last Sunday of each
month.

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c) The organization, at the end of LAHN's financial year, shall have an
annual conference for the executive officials to give a full account of
financial records or audits and other reports of LAHN's standings over
the year in review and,
d) A special or emergency meeting of the members for any lawful
purpose may be called at any time by any of the following:
i. The Board of Directors.
ii. The President; or,
iii. Twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the membership.
Section 2. Notice of Members' meetings
a) All notices of meetings shall be sent, or otherwise given not less than
seven (7) days unless it is an emergency meeting; and,
b) Notice of any meeting of members shall be given by the following
means:
i) in person, i.e., by citation, by email, by mobile phone, i.e., text
message, or by written communication.
Section 3. Absentee Voting
There shall be no absentee voting from time to time.
Section 4. Quorum
a) The quorum for a meeting shall be one-fourth (1/4) of the total voting
members present, which may constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business at a meeting of the members.

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Section 5. Adjournment of Meeting
a) Any membership meeting, annual conference, special or emergency
meetings, whether or not a quorum is present, may be adjourned from
time to time by the vote of the majority of the voting bodies represented
at the meeting.
Section 6. Eligibility to vote
a) The members eligible to vote shall be those members defined in
Article II, section 1, (a); section 2, (a) and must be age eighteen (18)
years old; and,
b) Manner of Voting. Voting may be done by voice, by hand counting,
or by a secret ballot from time to time.
Article IV
NUMBER and COMPOSITION BOARD of DIRECTORS
The board of directors of the organization shall consist of no fewer than
three (3) and not greater than five (5) directors.
Article V

ELECTION of DIRECTORS
Section 1. ELECTION of DIRECTORS
a) Nominating Committee. The President shall appoint a committee
from the membership to select qualified candidates for nomination to the
Board of Directors at least three (3) months before the date of any
election of directors.

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b) The nominating committee shall not include any person who is
serving as an officer or director.
c) The nominating committee shall make its report at least forty (40)
days before the date of election, and the General Secretary shall forward
it to each member, with the notice of meeting required.
d) If there is a meeting to elect directors, then every voting member
present at a meeting may place names in the nomination; and,
e) Candidates receiving the highest votes shall be elected as directors.

Article VI
DIRECTORS
Section 1. Powers of the directors
a) General corporate powers. Subject to the provisions of the Federation
of Canada Not-For-Profit Corporation law and any limitation in by the
Articles of Incorporation and these bylaws relating to action required to
be proved by the members, the business and affairs of the corporation
shall be managed, and all corporate powers shall be exercised by, or
under the direction of the board of directors.
Section 2. Election, Removal, and Term of Office of Directors
a) There shall be an election or appointment of a board of director (s) at
the first annual meeting or conference in the fiscal year of LAHN.
b) All members of the board of directors shall hold office for two (2)
years, and there is no term limitation to serve on the board.

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c) If it is not the case that an annual conference is held at the end of the
fiscal year, then the board members are to remain in office until
otherwise.
d) The membership of the corporation shall remove any board member
with an absolute majority vote, under the condition that he/she is
persona non grata to LAHN; and,
e) Anyone who is an elected or appointed official(s) may be expelled
from office for failing to attend two (2) consecutive board meetings
without extenuating circumstances.
Section 3. Vacancies
a) Any vacancy in the office of the Board of Directors may be filled only
in the manner prescribed in Article viii, section 2,
(a), and the vacancy may occur by disqualification, removal, death, or
resignation.
Section 4. Place of Meeting
a) The director's meetings shall be held at any location within the
political geography of the organization.
b) Managers can choose to meet in person or do a teleconferencing,
provided that the majority agrees.
c) The President of LAHN at any board meeting shall serve as the
secretary to the board meeting; and,
d) All directors have equal vote and rights.

ARTICLE VII 11
Section 1. The Composition of Officials
a) The executive council shall be comprised of the following:
i. The President; ii. The Vice President; iii. The General Secretary;
iv. The Financial Secretary; v. The Treasure vi. The Public
Relations Officer (PRO); vii. Social Director.
Section 2. The Election and Term of Officers
a) The officials of the corporation shall be elected at an annual meeting
or conference as prescribed in article v, section 1, (c) or unless the board
fixed another date and so notified the assembly, and,
b) All Officials shall have four (4) years in office as a term, and there
shall be no term limits for an officer.
Section 3. Removal and Resignation from Office
a) Any officer under a contract of employment or post may be removed
with a cause such as Incapacitated, any criminal offence, bribery,
incompetence in office, or financial crime.
b) The vote to remove an Official is two-thirds (2/3) of a majority of the
assembly of registered members present at a general or emergency
meeting.
c) Any officer may resign at any time he/she chooses to resign if he/she
notified the organization by writing and upon the receipt of such
communication, effectively, the individual will no longer be an officer;
and,
d) Anyone who is an elected officer may be suspended from office for
failing to attend two (2) consecutive general meetings without
extenuating circumstances.

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Section 4. Vacancies in Officers

a) a vacancy may exist in any office because of death, disqualification,
removal, resignation, or any other shall be filled only in the manner
prescribed in the article. vii, section 1, and,
b) There shall be a by-election to fill a vacancy when such vacancy
exists from time to time in LICOHN.

ARTICLE VIII
Section 1. The Functions of the Executive Council
a) The President Shall:
I. Summon through the General Secretary a general and executive
meeting of the organization as may from time to time be necessary.
II. Preside over all general and administrative meetings of LAHN.

III. Authorize the classified correspondence of the organization.

IV. Be responsible for the coordination of the activities of the other
members of the executive council.

V. Carry out any other duties whose natures demand the attention of the
President's status.

VI. Has the power to implement disciplinary action at meetings and
against any erring member (s) of the Association as may be
recommended by the Council of Elders and Disciplinary Committee.

VII. Has the power to appoint a committee.

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VIII. Be a co-signatory to all accounts of the organization; and,

IX. Serve as the General Secretary to the Board of Directors.
X. Serve as an ex officio member of all ad-hoc and standing committees
except the nominating committee and coordinate the work of all officers
and committees so that the association's purpose is served.
Section 2. The Vice President
b) The Vice President shall:
i. Act according to article viii, section 1 and its subsections above in the
case of absence of the President.
ii. Assist the President in all his or her duties, if such task is dedicated to
him/her.
iii. Without prejudice to the generality of the preceding, he/she shall
assume the Presidency with regards to the discharge of that office during
the substantive President's absence, Incapacitation, resignation, removal,
or death; and,

iv. Perform any other functions which are reasonably mandated to his or
her office by the President.
Section 3. General Secretary
c) The General Secretary shall:
i. Be responsible for the Secretariat duties of the organization.
ii. Summon meetings at the instance of the President stating the agenda.

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iii. Keep minutes of all meetings of the Executive and Congress.
iv. Take action on minutes of such meetings.
v. Carry out any other duties which are reasonably incidental to his
office.
Section 4. Financial Secretary
d) The Financial Secretary shall have the following functions and duties
as follow:
i. Keep all financial records (financial statements, receipts, bank book,
etc.) properly and updated.
ii. He/she may issue a receipt to members for the payment of dues, fees
and other payment from time to time.
iii. He/she shall provide the members with a quarterly financial standing.
iv. Collect all finance and turn it over to the Treasurer the same day for
deposit in the organization's account.
v. He/she may be a signatory to the association's account if three (3)
signatures are required otherwise, the other officials.
vi. Present at each annual meeting of the members of the corporation a
comprehensive financial statement including the report of the
accountant; sign such papers as may be required by his/her office or as
may be directed by the board of directors; and,
vi. Cooperate with the audit committee in whatever way necessary
during that period.

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Section 5. Treasurer
e) The Treasurer shall:
i. Receive all monies of the corporation and have custody thereof.
ii. Deposit the funds of the corporation in one or more banks selected by
the board of directors and within the same or next business day.
iii. keep a full account of all monies received and paid out and make
such reports thereof to the membership and the executive council.
iv. Receive and have custody of all deeds, securities, notes, contracts and
other financial papers of the corporation and place them for safekeeping
in the safe deposit vaults of a bank designated by the board of directors
and under such rules of access as such board of directors shall
determine;
v. He/she shall be a signatory to the association accounts.
vi. Serve as a member of the financial development committee.
vii. Be one of the main signatories to the account (s) of the corporation;
and,
viii. Serve as a member of an audit committee to cause the books of
account of the corporation to be audited at least once annually by an
internal/ external audit.
 
Section 6. The Public Relations Officer (PRO)
f) The Public Relations Officer shall have the following functions:
i. May design and execute promotional campaigns that involve direct
communication with the community, consumers, and shareholders.

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ii. Dealing with enquiries from the public, the press, and related
organizations.
iii. Speaking publicly at interviews, press conferences and presentations;
and,
iv. Organizing promotional events such as press conferences, open days,
exhibitions, tours, and visits; and,
v. He/she shall be responsible for disseminating information to the
public.
vi. Serve as an ex officio member of all ad-hoc and standing committees
except the nominating committee and coordinate the work of all officers
and committees so that the association's purpose is served.
 

SECTION 7. OTHER COMMITTEES
The corporation shall also have the following standing committees to
implement its aims and objectives:
(1) Finance & Investment Committee
(2) Programs, Projects & Planning Committee
(3) Economic Development Committee
(4) Education, Training & Scholarship Committee
(5) Audits & Legal Affairs Committee
(6) Research & Development Committee
(7) Social Welfare, Women &Children, Youth, Cultural & Sports
Committee
(8) Membership, Sponsorship & Strategy Committee
(9) Reconciliation/arbitration Committee
(10) Faith Building Committee
(11) Council of Elders

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Qualifications of Officials
Section 8. 
The President shall lead the organization, its policymaking
and governance functions. The term consists of two months of transition
as President-elect—with the primary responsibility of learning the
policies and procedures of the Association in preparation for the office
of President, three years as President, and two months as President-
elect—to provide continuity in transition. Specific responsibilities and
functions of the President and the associated qualifications include:
I. A minimum of a post-secondary education or equivalent from a
recognized academic institution.
II. Demonstrated ability and time to provide the vision and leadership
required to guide the organization in positioning the Association for the
future.
III. Breadth of knowledge and experience to lead the Governing Board
in making responsible, mission-driven decisions regarding the
Association’s policies and allocation of resources to meet its goals and
priorities.
IV. Ability to preside at all meetings; strong interpersonal skills and
understanding of strategic thinking in building consensus and taking
action.
V. Ability to interpret policies and activities and communicate these to
members.
VI. Ability to provide leadership by appointing Committees (in
consultation with appropriate bodies and individuals) and serving as an
ex officio member of all Committees, and,

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VII. Candidates shall have no less than 12 months of membership to be
eligible to contest any elected position.

Section 9. Vice President:
I. He/She must have a minimum of a post-secondary education or
equivalent from a recognized academic institution.
II. The Vice President must have the ability to assume the functions and
responsibilities of the office of the President in the absence or incapacity
of the President through a broad understanding of the organization’s
purpose, goals, priorities, and activities. Additionally, the Vice President
serves as the primary liaison to external partners and supports the
president on a day-to-day basis. Qualifications, therefore, include
extensive knowledge and working experience with the current activities
of the organization.

Section 10. General Secretary
I. He/She must have a minimum of a post-secondary education or
equivalent from a recognized academic institution.

II. Must be able to serve as executive administrative assistant and
perform clerical and organizational tasks but may also be responsible for
more complex tasks.

III. In addition to routine secretarial functions such as filing, scheduling
appointments, routing mail, taking minutes, or typing documents, the
secretary must be able to conduct research, prepare reports for the
executive committee or supervise clerical staff, manage the corporate
record, or perform bookkeeping functions.

IV. He/she must have knowledge of maintaining filing systems and
answering Queries,

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V. Must have experience in using various computer packages - Word,
Excel, PowerPoint.

Section 11. Financial Secretary
I. He/She must have a minimum of a post-secondary education or
equivalent from a recognized academic institution.

II. Must be able to assist with the verification of vendor invoices and
assist in the distribution of payroll checks.
III. Must have experience in inputting vouchers and performing
necessary tasks for disbursements and filing correspondence, invoices,
and other records in accordance with basic financial management
principles and
IV. Must be able to prepare and maintain a computerized fixed asset
inventory of the organization.

V. Must be able to assist with the preparation of budget documents

ARTICLE IX - USE OF ASSETS ON DISSOLUTION
Section 1 -- Dissolution
I. In the event of dissolution, the residual assets of the organization will
be turned over to one or more organizations which themselves have
similar aims to LAHN.
II. The Corporation is one which does not contemplate pecuniary gain or
profit to the members thereof and is organized for non-profit purposes,
and no part of any of the net earnings thereof shall inure to the benefit of
any member or other individual; and,

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III. The Association shall continue to function until it officially is voted
out of existence by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of its full membership.

ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS
The constitution may be amended upon a two-thirds (2/3) votes of the
membership present and voting at a regular/ annual meeting of the
corporation, provided that a copy of the proposed amendment shall have
been received by each member of the corporation at least thirty (30)
days before the date of the meeting at which the proposed amendment is
to be acted upon.

ARTICLE XI - EFFECTIVE DATE
This constitution shall become effective immediately upon adoption by a
two-thirds (2/3) vote of the corporation's membership present and
voting.