(As approved by the Annual General Meeting of the 23rd November, 1999)
1 Name
The network shall be called the “South African Network of Animal Traction” hereinafter referred to as “SANAT”.
2 Nature
SANAT is a network of persons and organisations who willingly exchange ideas and information on animal traction.
3 Mission
The mission of SANAT is to link organisations and individuals involved or interested in the application of Animal Traction.
4 Aims
4.1 SANAT aims, primarily in South Africa, but also in Southern Africa and other countries world-wide to:
- Promote the adoption of environmentally sound, humane and sustainable animal traction technology.
- Promote the image of animal traction.
- Promote a farmer orientated systems approach to animal traction development and research.
- Promote and strengthen links between individuals and organisations, using draught animals and those carrying out research, extension, training, manufacture and other related activities.
- Stimulate and promote the acquisition, dissemination and exchange of information, research findings and experiences in animal traction.
- Promote co-ordination and collaboration in animal traction development and research.
- Enhance the performance and development of researchers and others involved in animal traction.
- Actively promote the establishment of training courses in animal traction.
- Obtain and preserve knowledge pertaining to animal traction techniques in use or previously in use in Southern Africa.
- Address all other objectives which it’s members may from time to time agree to pursue.
4.2 These items shall be affected by:
- Active networking within and beyond the borders of South Africa.
- Organising and supporting meetings, conferences, seminars, workshops and other events related to animal traction.
- Publishing proceedings and papers – both scientific and practical.
- Publishing a newsletter.
- Any other means which SANAT’s members may from time to time determine.
5 Membership
5.1 Membership of SANAT shall consist of Honorary, Individual, Student, Farmer, Group or Institutional members hereinafter referred to as “members”:
- Honorary membership shall be bestowed on an individual if the majority of the members present at an Annual General Meeting approve of a proposal to this effect.
- Individual, Student, Farmer, Group or Institutional membership shall be granted, reviewed or terminated by the SANAT Committee as ratified by the Annual General Meeting, and such members shall pay such joining and annual membership fees as are determined from time to time at the Annual General Meeting.
6 General Meetings
6.1 The Annual General Meeting shall be held once in every calendar year to:
- Receive and approve the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting.
- Receive and approve the report of the SANAT Committee on the business conducted by SANAT over the past year.
- Receive and approve the audited statement of accounts.
- Receive the joining and membership fees.
- Elect a chairperson-elect from the committee members previously elected.
- Elect members of the SANAT Committee, hereinafter referred to as the “committee”.
- Appoint an Auditor.
- Transact such other business as requested by the committee or one third of the paid up members represented at the meeting.
- Review the committee’s decision on membership.
- The date, time and place of the Annual General Meeting of SANAT shall be determined by the preceding Annual General Meeting, which decision may be altered by the committee.
- Notice in writing of the time and venue for the Annual General Meeting shall be posted to all members not less than six weeks before the said meeting.
6.2 Special General Meeting
- A special Meeting may be convened by the committee on it’s own or at the request of not less than one third of the paid up members of SANAT.
- Notice in writing of the time, venue and purpose of the Special General Meeting shall be posted to all members not less than thirty days before such Special General Meeting.
- Only matters detailed in the Notice of the Special General Meeting may be resolved at that meeting.
6.3 Decisions
- Quorum: At least 10% of the paid up members of SANAT must be represented or present at any General Meeting.
- Proxy Votes: Farmer, Group or institutional membership may be represented by one nominee each and the individual members may ask another member to represent them at a General Meeting and speak and vote on their behalf, provided that, in all instances, the specific mandate for that meeting in writing, duly signed by the member or in the case of a group or Institutional members by those authorised by such members to do so, is presented to the secretary before or at the commencement of the meeting, and announced to those present at the outset of that meeting.
- Voting: Only paid up members or farmer, group or institutional member nominees may vote at a general meeting.
- Majority: Any decision taken at a General Meeting must have the support of the majority of members present at that meeting, excepting only at a Special General Meeting, where the support of at least seventy percent (70%) of the votes cast shall be required.
7 The Committee
7.1 The Committee shall be responsible to the Annual General Meeting for the conduct of the business of SANAT. To this end it may inter alia raise funds, open and operate bank accounts, enter into agreements and perform all such other duties and actions it deems to be in the interest of animal traction and/or SANAT.
7.2 Committee members shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting by secret ballot. A Committee member may be re-elected for a maximum period of three consecutive years, unless ninety percent (90%) of the members present at an Annual General Meeting agree to the contrary.
7.3 The Committee shall assume office at the end of of an Annual General Meeting and shall comprise a Chairperson, a secretary, a treasurer and a maximum of three other committee members, excepting only that, if the Annual General Meeting agrees, the secretary and treasurer may be the same person in which case a maximum of four (4) other committee members together with the Chairperson, and secretary/treasurer shall comprise the committee.
7.4 The Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancies that may arise during its term of office and to co-opt any person and appoint any sub-committee it feels are necessary.
8 Appointments
8.1 Editor: The committee shall appoint an editor who shall be responsible to the committee for the publication and content of all publications authorised by the committee. The editor shall head an editorial board consisting of not less than two members approved by the committee. The names of the editorial board shall be printed in all SANAT publications.
8.2 Conference Organiser: The Committee shall appoint a conference organiser to arrange such conferences, workshops or other events as the committee or General Meeting may from time to time decide to convene.
9 Amendments to this Constitution
9.1 This Constitution may only be altered by a resolution of an Annual General Meeting which receives the support of sixty seven percent (67%) of the votes entitled to be cast at the Annual General Meeting.
9.2 Any member may propose an amendment to this constitution, provided it is submitted to the secretary in writing at least four (4) weeks before the Annual General Meeting.
10 Closure of SANAT
Should eighty percent (80%) of the votes cast at an Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting called specifically to consider the closure of SANAT, support the disbandment of SANAT, all its assets shall be disposed of and the proceeds and all SANAT’s books and records given to such organisation or organisations (not for profit) agreed to by the meeting immediately after such decision has been taken. Thereafter the network shall cease to exist.
Thus done and agreed to this 23rd day of November, 1999.
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