CONSTITUTION Assciatin fr Office Prfessinals f Suth Africa
CONSTITUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR OFFICE PROFESSIONALS OF SOUTH AFRICA 1. IDENTITY 1.1 Name The name shall be ASSOCIATION FOR OFFICE PROFESSIONALS OF SOUTH AFRICA (OPSA). 1.2 Legal Persnality The assciatin shall be a bdy crprate, capable, in its wn name, f acquiring rights, entering int legal transactins, and suing and being sued. 2. VISION, MISSION AND OBJECTIVES 2.1 Visin T be the leading prfessinal assciatin in develping ethical standards f practice and excellence fr administrative prfessinals in Africa. 2.2 Missin T ensure and prmte quality assurance in the administrative prfessin. 2.3 Objectives 2.3.1 Develping ethical standards f practice aligned t relevant glbal best practices 2.3.2 Prviding suitable and applicable standards that will enhance service excellence in the administrative prfessin 2.3.3 Advising and supprting rganizatins abut matters relating t the administrative prfessin 2.3.4 Supprting and encuraging members in cntinuus prfessinal and career path develpment 2.3.5 Prmting innvative systems and technlgical advancements that enhance prductivity 2.3.6 Recgnising excellence within the administrative prfessin and creating meaningful platfrms fr netwrking 2.4 Definitins Administrative Prfessinals include: Administrative assistants Administratin managers Executive assistants Clerical assistants Office managers Persnal assistants Receptinists Secretaries Data capturers 2
3. MEMBERSHIP 3.1 Classes There shall be six classes f members: Hnrary Prfessinal Ordinary Member at Large Candidate Institutinal 3.2 Hnrary An hnrary member shall be a persn wh, by virtue f his special cntributin t the administratin field in Suthern Africa has been invited by the executive cmmittee t becme an hnrary member and has accepted the invitatin. 3.3 Prfessinal A prfessinal member is a member wh hlds a prfessinal designatin awarded by OPSA. 3.4 Ordinary An rdinary member shall be a persn wh wrks in the administrative prfessin. 3.5 Member at Large A member at large shall be a persn wh wrks in the administrative prfessin utside f Suth Africa. 3.6 Candidate A candidate member shall be a persn wh is currently studying in the administratin field. 3.7 Institutinal members Institutinal members are assciatins, bdies, firms and cmpanies invlved in uplifting the administrative industry thrugh cntinuing educatin and spnsring OPSA. This includes: prfessinal administrative bdies r assciatins cmpanies supprting and prmting excellence in the administrative industry thrugh spnsring relevant learning pprtunities training and educatin prviders in the administratin subject fields An institutin as described abve, may apply fr membership f OPSA and fr ne seat and vte n the executive cmmittee. The spnsrship will be determined t the mutual satisfactin f bth OPSA, represented by the executive cmmittee r the management cmmittee, and the institutin applying. 3.8 Rights f all Members Members f all classes are entitled t 3.8.1 receive ntice f, and attend all natinal cngresses held by the assciatin: 3.8.2 receive ntice f, and attend all general meetings f the assciatin: 3.8.3 receive a cpy f all OPSA s publicatins 3
3.9 Subscriptins and Cessatin f Membership 3.9.1 Membership will cease autmatically n nn-payment f subscriptins within 3 mnths f the due date, r n resignatin. 3.9.2 Lapsed r resigned members shall nt be eligible t rejin unless all arrear subscriptins are paid. 3.2 Disciplinary Matters and Accuntability Disciplinary prcess Every member f OPSA is required t subscribe t the Cde f Prfessinal Cnduct. Under this cde, the prfessinal fund guilty f an ffence; culd be subject t: A warning being issued by OPSA; A fine being raised t the OPSA member; The designatin being withdrawn; Preventin frm being able t gain membership f OPSA fr a perid f 5 years if the same behaviur is nt repeated. The figure belw utlines the prcess that will be used t discipline an OPSA member shuld they be fund guilty f miscnduct under the Cde f Prfessinal Cnduct. It is imprtant t nte that the cde nt nly prtects the public frm fraudulent members, but it als aims t prtect the integrity, hnesty and fairness f members. Disciplinary Prcedure: Assciatin fr Office Prfessinals f Suth Africa (OPSA) Cmplaint receive by CEO Preliminary investigatin cnducted in rder t determine whether cmplaint has validity Cmplaint unsubstantiated N further actin Cmplaint substantiated Submitted t Bard f Directrs Disciplinary Cmmittee appinted Nature f cmplaint investigated Outcme determined: N actin Written warning Terminate membership De-register designee Fine Suspensin If a member disagrees with the utcme f the disciplinary prcess, a written request shuld be submitted within 30 days t the Appeals Officer. The Appeals Officer, will review the request and submit his/her findings t the applicant and the Disciplinary Cmmittee. 4
4. EXECUTIVE 4.1 Cmpsitin f Executive Cmmittee 4.1.1 All registered OPSA members are eligible t serve n the Executive Cmmittee. 4.1.2 The cmmittee can c-pt a ttal f 5 ther members agreed n by the cmmittee. Members serve fr a perid f tw years. Vting/c-pting takes place at the meeting fllwing the natinal awards which take place in the first week f September each year. OPSA Directrs are als invited t serve n the cmmittee. 4.1.3 The members will vte fr a chairpersn and will nminate chairpersns t serve n the varius sub cmmittees. 4.1.4 The cmmittee will meet a minimum f nce quarterly. A 51% f vtes are required t carry a mtin. A qurum requires a minimum f five members (excluding the chairpersn) t be present. 4.1.5 The cmmittee will elect a secretary wh will be respnsible fr recrding and disseminating minutes. 4.1.6 Written and ral reprting will be required frm each sub-cmmittee n a quarterly basis t be presented at the quarterly meetings f the Executive Cmmittee. The chairpersn f each sub-cmmittee will be required t submit the reprt. 4.1.7 The functin f this cmmittee is t direct the wrk f the Assciatin. The cmmittee is an advisry bdy nly. All financial decisins must be signed ff by the Directrs. 4.1.8 The cmmittee als facilitates an educatinal platfrm fr OPSA members and emplyers t understand the imprtance f cntinuus prfessinal develpment. 4.2 Pwers and bligatins f Excm 4.2.1 Implement and manage infrmatin campaigns t develp the ffice prfessin 4.2.2 Oversee the running f the natinal awards 4.2.3 Prvide expert advice and guidance t members relating t career develpment 4.2.4 Implement, manage and maintain designatin applicatins by ensuring standardised accreditatin and adherence t accreditatin prcess 5. GENERAL MEETINGS 5.1 An rdinary general meeting f the assciatin shall be held nt later than 30 mnths after the previus rdinary general meeting, n a date and at a place determined by the chairpersn in cnsultatin with members f Excm. If circumstances prevent the timeus hlding f an rdinary general meeting, such meeting shall be cnvened, as sn as pssible after the elapse f 30 mnths, by the chairpersn r the vicechairpersn r the hnrary secretary at the request f at least 30 members f the assciatin. 5.2 The hnrary secretary shall send each member ntice f the rdinary general meeting and the agenda at least ne mnth prir t the date f the meeting. 5.3 The chairpersn shall cnvene an extrardinary general meeting whenever he/she deems it desirable, r upn written request f at least 10 rdinary members. 5.4 Unless the chairpersn rules that the matters t be dealt with are s urgent that a shrter perid f ntice is desirable, the hnrary secretary shall send each member a ntice f an extrardinary general meeting and the agenda at least 14 days prir t the date f the meeting. 5.5 At all meetings the chair shall be taken by the chairpersn r, in his r her absence, by the vice-chairpersn r, if the vice-chairpersn is absent, by a chairpersn chsen by the meeting. A qurum at all general meetings shall be 30. 5.6 Reslutins at a meeting shall be taken by a majrity f the vtes f members present. If s requested by at least 10 members, the chairpersn shall rder a vte by ballt paper. 5
5.7 In the perid between rdinary general meetings, reslutins f the assciatin may be passed by a written referendum f members. Such referendum shall be held by the chairpersn upn his wn initiative r at the request f at least 30 members. Such reslutins shall be passed by a majrity f vtes returned by members. 6. AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION The cnstitutin may be amended by a reslutin passed by a majrity f members at an rdinary r extrardinary general meeting, r by a majrity f vtes returned in a written referendum, prvided that the hnrary secretary has sent each member a ntice f the prpsed amendment at least ne mnth prir t the date f the meeting r the date given fr return f the vte. 6