Constitution of CARBICA

• The Association is established as the Caribbean Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (in abbreviation CARBICA) in accordance with the relevant article of the ICA constitution.

The association exists:

• to establish, maintain and strengthen relations between institutions and individuals concerned with the custody, organization and administration of archives in the Caribbean area;
• to foster co-operation between all institutions, professional bodies and persons who are concerned with the custody, the administration, the organization or the use of archives;
• to promote all measures for the preservation of all material of documentary value and, to this end,
• to make practical recommendations to the authorities of Caribbean countries;
• to study problems concerned with the preservation of archives in tropical countries; to encourage the description of archival material and to facilitate the exchange of information relating to archives and to act in ways which make material in Caribbean archives more widely known;
• to encourage in all countries in the Caribbean the establishment of archives and to promote the professional training of archivists in the Caribbean region;
• to promote the more frequent use of archives and to encourage greater ease of access to archival material;
• to hold periodically a Caribbean Archives Conference;
• to contribute to a better mutual understanding among the peoples of the Caribbean;
• to develop or recommend professional and institutional standards to improve the quality and consistency of Caribbean archives;
• to promote the implementation of records management programs in whatever media in the various Caribbean countries.

The association shall carry on its works through:

• The publication of bulletins, manuals, pamphlets, proceedings and other similar materials;
• The establishment of committees and working groups;
• The organization of courses and lectures;
• The encouragement and aid of movement of researchers among the various countries where archives relating to Caribbean history are located;
• The drawing up of work programmers.

Membership of the Association is divided into four categories:

• National archives;
• Institutions responsible for country’s archives;
• Other institutions and organizations;
• Individuals.

• The power to admit new members is exercised by the Secretary on behalf of the Association in accordance with the terms of Article 4.
• A list of new members will be submitted by the Secretary to each General Assembly.

• Dues for each category of membership are determined by the Executive Council.
• All dues are for a calendar year and should be paid by the 30th of September of each year.

• Any member of the Association may resign.
• Membership of the Association, whatever the category, lapses automatically if dues of members are two years in arrears.
• Membership will be automatically restored as soon as the dues have been paid or at the discretion of the Executive council.
• Members may be dismissed by the Executive Council for any cause adjudged by this Council to require termination of membership.
• The member may bee heard in person or by correspondence. The decision is subject to appeal to the General Assembly following the decision taken by the Executive Council.

• The General Assembly of the Association comprises:
• the Executive Council;
• persons representing category (a) members;
• persons representing category (b) members;
• individual members;
• honorary members;
• The Executive Council may invite any national or international public or private organization to send observers to the General Assembly.
• Such observers will have the right to speak but not to vote.
• All members of the Association shall have the right to submit proposals to the General Assembly.
• The right to vote at the General Assembly shall belong to members of category (a) and (b) so that each country will have one vote.

• The General Assembly shall meet every four years. The date for the general assembly shall be decided by the Executive Council. The place for the next general assembly shall be decided at the preceding meeting of the General Assembly.
• The draft agenda for the General Assembly shall be prepared by the Executive Council.
• The Executive Council shall report to the General Assembly on the activities of the Association since the last general assembly. The Treasurer shall present his report to the General Assembly. Reports and accounts shall be circulated to members of the Association.
• The General Assembly shall approve the accounts of the preceding period, shall discuss matters on the agenda and shall elect the members of the Executive Council.
• In the event that © cannot be sustained the Executive Committee shall decide on the venue.

• The association shall be administered by the Executive Council consisting of a President, a vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, immediate Past President and four other members:
• a member chosen from Category C
• a member chosen from Category D
• and two others, Elected at each meeting of the General Assembly.
• In case of vacancy, the Executive Council may make a temporary appointment from the general membership of CARBICA until the General Assembly next meets.

• The Executive Council shall meet before each session of the General Assembly and whenever it is convened by the President or at the request of at least two of its members. Three members of the Council including the President and Secretary shall constitute a quorum.
• Minutes of the meetings shall be kept by the Secretary. The minutes shall be signed by the President and the Secretary.
• The Executive Council has the authority to make byelaws and regulations governing the activities of the Association, within the limits of this Constitution.

• The members of committees and working groups mentioned in article 3 (a) will be appointed by the President.
• The president is authorized with the approval of the Executive Council to sign contracts with the Caribbean or non-Caribbean bodies for the implementation of projects falling within the competence of the Association.

• The annual budget of the Association will be approved by the Executive Council.
• The Treasurer shall submit annually a statement of accounts.
• The accounts of the Association should be audited on a regular basis.

• Expenses shall be authorized in writing by the Treasurer.
• The Association is represented both legally and in all phases of civil life by the President or any member of the Council nominated by the Council. The person so nominated should be free to exercise all his civil rights.

• An account of income and disbursements shall be kept by the Treasurer. He shall also keep an inventory of all goods and property owned by the Association.
• If the association decides to include chapters each chapter of the Association shall keep separate accounts and these will form a part of the Association’s general accounts.

• Within three months, the President must notify, where necessary, the legal authorities of the particular country where the Association has its headquarters of all changes that have occurred in the administration or in the directorate of the Association as well as of all amendments made to the statutes.
• These amendments and changes shall be recorded in a special register. The registers and account books of the Association, where necessary, shall be available for inspection at the headquarters of the Association by the legal authorities.
• The reports and the accounts, where necessary, shall be sent to the legal authorities every year.

• The Association may only be dissolved only by a meeting of the General Assembly, especially convened for this purpose due notice having been given to all members who may appoint a proxy in writing to vote for them.
• The General Assembly shall appoint, if necessary, one or more trustees to liquidate the assets of the Association.
• The General Assembly shall assign the net assets of the Association according to law,
• The legal authorities, where necessary, shall be informed of the dissolution of the Association.

• The present constitution may only be amended by the action of the General Assembly.

This Constitution was amended at CARBICA VII November 2001

BY-LAWS

Linked to constitution art. 11 and 14

Finances (ART 14)

(i) All CARBICA Funds must be deposited with the Treasurer except where the Executive approves otherwise, in writing;
(ii) All disbursement of funds must be done by the Treasurer, except where the Executive approve otherwise;
(iii) When there is a change of Treasurer by electives or by action of the Executive the account must be transferred to the new Treasurer within three months of the action;
(iv) Disbursement of funds by the Treasurer must be approved by the Executive.

Decision –making Process (Art. 11)

(i) Executive means majority of members in all cases of decision-making;
(ii) Member-decision must to be in writing even after telephone contact, in order to provide documentary evidence; after decision has been reached by phone it must be confirmed in writing.
(iii) President must make every effort to canvass each member of the Executive to arrive at the majority decision.

Communication (Art. 11)

(i) All correspondence between the Executive and members should be communicated through the President, except where the circumstances require urgent action. In such cases the President should be immediately informed;
(ii) Communication must be always be brief and clear to avoid ambiguity;
(iii) All correspondence central to the operations of CARBICA must be copied to all members of the Executive.

Contact with International Organization/Individuals (art 11)

(i) No member is allowed to make direct contact, in the name of CARBICA, with any international organization or individuals, without express written authority of the Executive;
(ii) Where individuals are approached by any agency/individual, the request must be forwarded to the President of CARBICA for action, as soon as possible after receipt.

CARBICA DATA (art 11)

(i) No individual/country is allowed to use CARBICA unpublished data, whether collected as agent of CARBICA or otherwise, except where the Executive directs.

Representation of CARBICA ( art 11)
(i) No member shall represent CARBICA without delegation of the Executive;
(ii) Where individuals are approached, to represent CARBICA such requests must be forwarded to the President of CARBICA for action, as soon as possible after receipt.

By laws amended at CARBICA VII November 2001