Constitution
Ratified on December 14, 2006, Last amended on Dec.5, 2008
1. NAME
The name of theClub shall be the “Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club,” hereafter referred to as “the JFCC.”
2. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of theJFCC are:
1. To aid foreign correspondents based in Indonesia in their work as journalists.
2. To support free and responsible reporting.
3. To foster contacts with the Indonesian authorities, the local media and such other groupings as the JFCC’s members see fit.
4. To foster contacts with foreign correspondents worldwide.
5. To promote professional and social activities for the members.
6. To assist foreign correspondents and journalists visiting Indonesia
7. To support the education of Indonesian and East Timorese journalists through scholarship funds and other means the members sees fit.
3. LIMITATIONS
The JFCC has no political, racial, commercial or religious objectives except where it pertains to act directly affecting foreign correspondents and the journalistic profession. The JFCC shall not lend its name to any ideological or religious cause or campaign venture, nor shall it take sides in any internal political, racial, commercial or religious dispute or international relations affecting Indonesia or any other nation. Members shall not include mention of or association with the JFCC in any individual communication without prior approval of the Executive Committee.
4. GOVERNANCE
The JFCC’s authority is vested in its Annual General Meeting.
The JFCC shall be managed by an Executive Committee of Foreign Journalist members, comprising four Officers, namely a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and at least two or up to four other committee members.
The Executive Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. It may be dismissed and a new committee elected at an Extraordinary General Meeting. The President may serve a maximum of four consecutive terms.
All Executive Committee decisions may be challenged at a General Meeting.
5. MEMBERSHIP
5.1 Categories
There shall be three categories of club membership: Foreign Journalist, Indonesian Journalist and Associate.
Foreign Journalists are persons who are accredited with either the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs media department, an international or a non-Indonesian national media organization or are appointed by an international media outlet.
Indonesian Journalists are persons accredited to work for foreign media organizations.
Associate members are persons deemed suitable for JFCC membership by the JFCC’s Executive Committee.
All members shall be entitled to attend Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings. Only Foreign Journalist members shall have the right to vote.
5.2 Application
Applications for all categories of membership must be made in writing to the Executive Committee. This must include proof of accreditation or letter of appointment.
The Approval of a member shall be made by the Executive Committee. Any rejected applicant shall have the right to appeal to a General Meeting. The decision of the General Meeting shall be final.
5.3 Disqualification
The Executive Committee may expel any member it considers guilty of violating the Constitution or conduct prejudicial to the JFCC. Expelled members shall have the right of appeal to a General Meeting. The decision of the General Meeting shall be final.
6. FEES
The JFCC has the right to charge joining fees, membership dues and entrance fees to events, as well as special assessments. These shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Upon any alteration of these, members will be informed in writing.
Special assessments shall be put to a vote at a General Meeting.
Members who are 90 days in arrears of settling their obligations shall be deemed to have renounced their membership.They remain liable for any sums outstanding and lose all membership privileges until their obligations have been settled.
7. GENERAL MEETINGS
7.1 Annual General Meeting
The Executive Committee shall call an Annual General Meeting of the JFCC once a year.
The President chairs the meeting. In the President’s absence the Vice President chairs the meeting. If both are absent the Foreign Journalist members present elect a chairperson.
At least one quarter of the Foreign Journalist members shall form a quorum. If within an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, a quorum is not present the meeting shall be rescheduled by the Executive Committee to a time within three weeks. That meeting shall not require a quorum. It shall proceed regardless of the number of foreign journalist members in attendance and decisions taken shall be binding.
The Executive Committee shall give members at least two weeks’ written notice of an Annual General Meeting and its agenda.
The agenda shall include:
1. An accountability report by the President.
2. An accountability report by the Treasurer, which shall include the previous year’s financial accounts.
3. Executive Committee proposals.
4. Member proposals.
5. The election of the new Executive Committee.
6. Any Other Business
Any member who wishes to submit a proposal may do so provided it is submitted at least one week prior to the meeting.
Any Other Business is a discussion forum of ideas not submitted in formal proposals. No vote may be taken on these items.
7.2 Extraordinary General Meetings
The Executive Committee must call an Extraordinary General Meeting within a week of receiving a written request of one or more proposals from at least six Foreign Journalist members or at least 12 members. The meeting must be held within two weeks of being called
Any item pertaining to the affairs of the Club may be on the agenda at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
The Executive Committee shall give members at least one week’s written notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting and its agenda.
The President chairs the meeting unless he or she faces a vote of no confidence, in which case the Foreign Journalist members present elect a chairperson. In the President’s absence the Vice President chairs the meeting unless he or she faces a vote of no confidence, in which case the Foreign Journalist members present elect a chairperson. If both are absent the Foreign Journalist members present elect a chairperson.
At least one quarter of the Foreign Journalist members shall form a quorum. If within an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, a quorum is not present the meeting shall be canceled.
7.3 Voting
The election of the new Executive Committee shall be by secret ballot.
All other votes shall take place by a show of hands unless otherwise decided by the General Meeting. In the event of a tie in show-of-hands votes, the Chairperson shall have an additional, casting, vote.
All matters (except amendments to the Constitution and election of the Executive Committee) shall be decided by a simple majority. Amendments to the Constitution must be passed by a two-thirds majority.
If no candidate in the elections for President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary receives an absolute majority of the valid votes cast a run-off election between the top two vote-getters in the first round shall be conducted immediately. The candidate who receives the most valid votes shall be elected. In the event of a tie further elections shall be conducted immediately.
All losing candidates in the elections for President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary shall have the opportunity to stand for the other positions on the Executive Committee.
Each Foreign Journalist member can vote for up to four candidates in the election for the regular members of the Executive Committee. The top two to four vote-getters shall be elected (depending on the number of regular committee members agreed to that year). In the event of a tie, run-off elections shall follow immediately between the tied candidates.
If there are eight or fewer candidates for the Executive Committee, they shall not be elected automatically. Should this occur, each candidate shall be elected individually and must receive a majority of the votes.
7.3.1 Proxy and Absentee Votes
Any Foreign Journalist member may appoint another member as proxy to vote on his or her behalf. Any proxy must be in writing, signed by the appointer and be deposited with the Chiarperson before the meeting. The Proxy may vote as he or she feels fit, if not instructed otherwise in writing by the appointer. No member shall hold more than three proxies.
Alternatively, Foreign Journalist members may cast absentee votes. These must be in writing, signed and deposited with the Chairperson before the meeting.
8. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
8.1 Elections
Only Foreign Journalist members resident in Indonesia may stand for election.
Any eligible Foreign Journalist members may nominate themselves for election. All nominations must be in writing, signed and received by the Executive Committee no later than one week before the Annual General Meeting. No more than one journalist per organization may be nominated.
The Executive Committee shall inform all Foreign Journalist members of the candidates at least five days before the election.
8.2 DUTIES
8.2.1 General
The Executive Committee shall meet at least every six weeks to manage the Club’s affairs. A quorum shall comprise at least half the Executive Committee including an Officer. The President shall chair meetings, if present. In the President’s absence, the Vice President shall chair. In the Vice President’s absence the Treasurer shall chair. In the Treasurer’s absence the Secretary shall chair.
The Chairperson shall have the casting vote if there is a tie.
Minutes of these meetings shall be available to all members.
The Executive Committee shall fill from within its ranks replacements for the Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary should the positions become vacant through resignation, incapacity or cessation of residency in Indonesia.
The Executive Committee may fill other vacancies on its body.
The Executive Committee may expel members of the committee for persistent inactivity. The decision shall require a simple majority at a committee meeting.
Executive Committee members shall receive no remuneration for services rendered.
8.2.2 Individual
The President shall supervise and control all the business and affairs of the JFCC. The President shall represent the JFCC at official functions.
The Vice President assists the President and assumes the position if delegated by the President, if the President is incapacitated, removed from office through resignation, a no-confidence vote or ceases to be resident in Indonesia.
The Treasurer shall manage the JFCC’s finances and accounts, including the scholarship funds. He shall present a statement of accounts to the Executive Committee in July or August.
The Secretary shall be responsible for drafting written correspondence.
9. ACCOUNTS
The Executive Committee shall determine the signatories for the accounts. All disbursements shall require two signatures, including one by an Officer.
10. DISSOLUTION
The Club shall not be dissolved except with the consent of at least two-thirds of the Foreign Journalist members. In the event of the JFCC being dissolved, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the JFCC shall be fully discharged, and any remaining assets divided equally among the club members.
11. AMENDING THIS CONSTITUTION
This constitution may be amended at either the Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting. Only Foreign Journalist members may propose amendments. All proposed amendments require the support of five other Foreign Journalist members. If Foreign Journalist members would like a proposed amendment voted on at the Annual General Meeting it must be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee at least three weeks before the meeting. Otherwise, it will be voted on at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
The Executive Committee shall give members written notice of the wording of proposed amendments at least one week before the Meeting. The Executive Committee shall give members written notice of any subsequent changes to proposed amendments at least one day before the Meeting.