ISAK Constitution
(Revised and Approved in 2004)
Article I: Name
The Society shall be called the "Islamic Society of Akron and Kent." It shall be a nonprofit organization, as defined by the rules and regulations of section 501-C (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. It will be referred to as the "Society" in this document. It will be abbreviated as "ISAK".
Artic1e II: Objectives and Activities.
A. Promote goodwill, understanding, fellowship and tolerance among Muslims.
B. Strengthen the fraternal bonds among Muslims of Summit County and bordering counties.
C. Provide Muslims with religious guidance based on teachings of Islam.
D. Disseminate information on Islam, its teachings, history, culture and philosophy, among Muslims and non-Muslims.
E. Organize courses of study in Qur'an, Sunnah and the Islamic history and culture, designed to meet the needs of Muslims as well as non-Muslims.
F. Maintain an Islamic Center to serve as a place of Islamic Prayers and religious activities.
G. Promote understanding and act as a channel of communication between Muslims and non-Muslims
in the surrounding community.
Article III: Membership
The Membership shall be categorized as follows:
A. General Membership: It shall be awarded to all Muslims, 16 years and older, upon approval of a written application and payment of dues as set forth by the Board of Directors of the Society, with such rights and responsibilities as shall be established in the Society's Bylaws.
B. Active Membership: It is open to General Members who are in good standing for a minimum period of one year. The Active Membership shall be awarded upon completion of one year of as a General Member in good standing and payment of the yearly dues with such rights and responsibilities as shall be established in the Society's Bylaws. Active Membership status, in good standing for one year, is required for any elected office.
C. Guests/Non Members: Any Muslim adult or child, male or female, is welcome to worship at the Islamic Center. They may participate in a given activity of the center only as a guest and upon payment of appropriate fees. Non-Muslim guests may participate gratis, by invitation only.
Article IV: Organization
The Society shall be organized into: The Board of Trustees, The Board of Directors and The Regions and Chapters and The General Assembly.
A. Board of Trustees:
1. The Board of Trustees shall comprise of seven members. Two members shall be elected for seven years, two members elected for five years, two members elected for three years and the duly elected President of the Board of Directors. The Chair and the Secretary of the Board shall be elected each year at the first meeting of the Board. The President of the Society shall not be eligible for Chairmanship of the Board of Trustees.
2. The Board of Trustees shall have the authority and responsibility to manage, maintain and protect the assets and properties of the Society.
3. The Board of Trustees shall have the authority to make investments of the Society funds and community donations and to approve budgets submitted by the Board of Directors.
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B. Board of Directors:
1. The Board of Directors shall consist of twelve members. The members are the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Director of Finance, the Director Public Relations, the Director of Education, the Director of Community Welfare, the Director of Women's Affairs, the Director of Youth and Students, the Director of Social Activities, the Director of Facilities and the Past President and shall all be elected by the General Assembly.
2. Each member of the Board of Directors shall be elected to serve for a term of two years and until their successors are elected but subject to the exception provided in the Bylaws regarding the terms of certain Directors commencing in January, 2005.
3. The President or his designate shall be the sole spokesperson for the Society.
4. The Board of Directors shall have the authority and responsibility for initiating, implementing and supervising all programs in keeping with the objectives of the Society.
5. The Board of Directors shall authorize the publication of material in the name of the Society and set the Membership dues.
6. The Board of Directors shall appoint various committees to help with functions of the society.
C. Regions and Chapters:
1. The Society is divided into five regions as defined in the Bylaws, Article VIII.
2. The Chapters of the Society are divided according to the geographical locations in SummitCounty and the bordering Counties.
3. Members of the Society are assigned to Chapters of their residence.
4. The Chapters report to the Vice President of the Board of Directors through the Regional leaderships.
D. General Assembly:
1. The General Assembly shall consist of all Members of the Society.
2. The General Assembly shall hold its annual meetings at least twice a year.
3. The Secretary shall notify the General Membership at least two weeks in advance of the General Assembly meeting, as to the time, place and agenda of the meeting.
4. Meetings of the General Assembly may be called by the Board of Directors or upon a written request of one third (1/3) of the Active Membership.
Article V: Meetings
A. The Board of Trustees shall hold a minimum of four meetings in a calendar year. The new President of the Board of Directors shall call the first meeting of Board of Trustees.
B. The Board of Directors shall meet on a monthly basis, but no less than ten times a year.
C. The General Assembly shall meet at least twice a year.
D. The quorum for a General Assembly meeting, in which elections are to be held, or amendment to the Constitution and/or Bylaws are to be considered shall be one half (1/2) of the Active Membership of the Society. In case one half (1/2) of the Members fail to attend, another meeting shall be called within thirty (30) days, at which the Active Members present shall constitute the quorum.
E. The Board of Directors or the Board of Trustees shall have the authority to call a special meeting of the General Assembly.
Article VI: Finance
A. The Board of Trustees may accept contributions in any form and from any legal source, consistent with the objectives of the Society, the principles of Islam and the provisions of Article IX.
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B. The fiscal year of the Society begins on the first (1st) day of July and ends on the thirtieth (30th) day of June of the following year.
Article VII: Amendments to the Constitution.
A. Any proposed amendment(s) to the constitution must be presented in writing to the President or the Secretary of the Board of Directors. The petition for amendment(s) must be signed by at least five (5) Active Members of the Society. The Board of Directors shall evaluate the proposal within forty-five (45) days of receipt and, if necessary in their opinion, refer it to the Bylaws Committee of the Society within sixty (60) days of receipt.
B. The Bylaws Committee shall thoroughly examine and discuss the proposed amendment(s) and report to the Board of Directors within ninety days (90) of the Board of Directors referral of such amendment. The Board of Directors shall recommend to the Board of Trustees, and subsequently arrange for a General Assembly meeting and mail the proposed amendment(s) along with the notice of the meeting to the General Membership.
C. A quorum of one half (1/2) of all Active Members shall be required to be present at a meeting for the amendments to be considered. An affirmative vote of two thirds (2/3) of the Active Members present shall be necessary for adoption of the amendment(s). If a quorum of one half (1/2) of all Active Members is not present at the initial meeting, a second meeting shall be held within 30 days, and the Active Members present at such meeting shall constitute the required quorum, and the affirmative vote of two thirds (2/3) of those Active Members present shall be necessary for adoption of the amendment(s).
Article VIII: Dissolution.
A. Upon written request from the Board of Directors or a written petition from two thirds (2/3) of the Active Membership of the Society to dissolve the Society, the Chair of the Board of Trustees shall call a joint meeting of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors.
B. After thorough deliberations, the Chair of the Board of Trustees shall call an emergency meeting of the General Assembly to consider possible dissolution of the Society. Such a meeting must be attended by two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Active Members. If a quorum of two thirds of all
Active Members is not present at the initial meeting, a second meeting shall be held within 30 days, and the Active Members present at such meeting shall constitute the required quorum. At any such meeting, the affirmative vote of three fourths (3/4) of those Active Members present shall be necessary for the approval of the dissolution. In the event that it is decided to dissolve the Society, the Board of Trustees shall appoint a committee of five (5) Members to dispose of and liquidate the assets of the Society.
C. After all the debts of the Society are paid, the appointed committee may freeze the assets for use by a new Islamic organization in SummitCounty with similar objectives, or may donate the assets to the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) or the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) or any other national Islamic Organization with similar objectives.
Article IX: Scope of the Society
Not withstanding any other provisions of these articles, the Society is organized exclusively for the charitable, educational and religious purposes as specified in the section 501-C (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and shall not carry on any activities not permitted by an organization exempt from Federal Income Tax under the section 501-C (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
Article X. Constitution Supersedes Bylaws
In the event of any conflict between the terms and provisions of the Constitution of the Society and the Bylaws of the Society, the terms and provisions of the Constitution shall control and super cede the terms and provisions of the Bylaws.