MISSION
TO BUILD A UNIQUE AND ENVIABLE CLUB THROUGH FRIEDNSHIP AND TO PROMOTE FAMILY INTERACTION FOR THE BENEFIT AND SUCCESS OF MEMBERS FOR MANY GENERATIONS TO COME

VISION
TO LIFT THE CLUB TO A STRONGER AND A UNIQUE LEVEL FOCUSED ON PROVIDING A CREATIVE SOLUTION TO MEMBER'S PROBLEMS WITH BROTHERLY COMMITMENT AND ACHIEVING RESPONSIBLE AND EXCELLENT MEMBERSHIP GROWTH.


PREAMBLE

Whereas it has been observed that a group of friends have emerged from people whose paths have crossed, one way or the other, for over ten years now: AND In view of the fact that the resultant association has extended in many other directions: It has, therefore, been considered desirable and necessary, to put in place a formal body to channel all the benefits of brotherhood and mutual friendship. The idea being the club so formed will serve as an umbrella holding all together in friendship and brotherhood which will permeate the different families, both nuclear and extended.


ARTICLE 1
NAME:-
A. There shall be an association of men to be known as "THE ULTIMATE CIRCLE OF NIGERIA" which for short is hereinafter referred to as "The Club".
B. The association shall be a social club registered under the LAND (PERPETUAL SUCCESSION) ACT, CAP.98 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

ARTICLE II
AIM AND OBJECTIVES:-
A. To unite members and strengthen the friendship and brotherhood among them.
B. To create a forum for mutual exchange of ideas and the promotion of the progress of members.
C. To cultivate the spirit of mutual assistance and co-operation among all members.
D. To encourage the participation of members in the area of business and industry, and assist members in any way possible to achieve self-appointed goals deemed worthy by the club.
E. To support lawful actions that is calculated to be in the interest of and for the protection of members and their welfare generally.
F. To encourage the spirit of philanthropy and willingness to share possessions (material and/or spiritual) with other members of the community who may not be so well endowed.
G. To encourage members to keep abreast of happenings in the country through the organization of discussions, lectures, symposia and debates.
H. To encourage recreation and relation among members and their family through joint sponsorship of parties, picnics, travel, tours and group holidays.
I. To pursue such other objectives that is lawful and is not inconsistent with the spirit and practice of a prosperous and progressive club.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP:-
A. The foundation members of the club shall be limited to the 25 members as at inauguration.
B. Membership shall be open to all Nigerians provided that such are:
i. Men above 25 years of age.

ii. Literate to at least school certificate level

iii. Disciplined in mind and in deed.

iv. Useful engaged in any aspect of lawful human endeavour.

C. Any new member must be sponsored by at least two (2) members who have been members for no less than two years.

D. Subject to Section C above, any new membership must be confirmed by majority decision at an Annual General Meeting.


ARTICLE IV

A. OFFICERS OF THE CLUB:-
i. President
ii. Vice-President
iii. General Secretary
iv. Assistant General Secretary
v. Treasurer
vi. Financial Secretary
vii. Social Secretary
viii. Publicity Secretary
ix. Chief Whip
x. Auditor
xi. One Ex-Officio Member
xii. Legal Adviser (Non-elective)
xiii. Immediate Past President

B. TENURE
The President shall hold office for a period not exceeding two years. This restriction shall not apply to other officers of the club.


ARTICLE V
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:-
A. The Officers of the club shall constitute the Executive Committee but any member of the club may at any time be co-opted.

B. The Executive Committee shall take charge of all affairs of the club in-between meetings and shall meet a least once in six weeks at a venue and time to be decided by the President in consultation with other members of the committee.

ARTICLE VI
DUTIES OF OFFICERS:-

A. The President shall:
1. Be the head of the club and sit as Chairman of any meeting of the club where he is present.
2. Direct the affairs of the club and in conjunction with the General Secretary, shall attend to all club correspondence.
3. Have the power to direct the General Secretary to summon the Executive Committee Meeting, the General Meeting and the annual General Meeting of the club at the appointed times.
4. Have the power to direct the General Secretary to summon an Emergency General Meeting of the club when the occasion arises.
5. Have the power to enter into agreement on behalf of the club after due consultation with the Executive Committee.
6. Be a signatory to the club's Bank Account.
7. Co-ordinate the activities of all Standing and Ad-hoc Committees of the club.

B. The Vice-Presidents shall:

1. Deputize for the President when he is absent and assist him in his duties.
2. Head the WELFARE COMMITTEE of the club.
3. Assume all other duties assigned by the President, the Executive Committee or the General meeting of the club.

C. The General Secretary shall:
1. Be in charge of all correspondence of the club and shall attend to them in consultation with the President.
2. Keep all records of all correspondence, minutes of meetings and general activities of the club.
3. Disseminate information about the club activities to all members and summon meetings of the Executives Committee and the General Meetings on the instruction of the President.
4. Be a signatory to the Club's Account.
5. Keep an impress account of an amount to be fixed from time to time at an Annual General Meeting and shall keep accurate records of all expenditure there-from.
6. Be responsible for processing the application of prospective members and shall advise the Executive Committee through the President on matters relating to membership.
7. Be the Chairman of any Ad-hoc Committee on membership whenever one is so constituted.

D. The Assistant General Secretary shall:
1. Perform the duties of the General Secretary whenever he is absent and also assist and perform such duties as the General Secretary may assign to him from time to time.
2. Perform all other duties that may be delegated to him by the President, Executive Committee or by the General Meeting of the club.

E. The Social Secretary shall:
1. Be responsible for the planning, organization and execution of all social activities of the club after approval by the Executive Committee.
2. Organize philanthropic activities and execute same after approval by the Executive Committee and the General Meeting of the club.
3. Be the Chairman of the Social Committee of the club.
4. In collaboration with the host, ensure that members are reasonably comfortable at any social gathering to which members are invited as a club.
5. Perform all other related duties that may be delegated to him by the President, Executive Committee or General Meeting of the club.
6. In conjunction with the President or General Secretary, represent the club at any social engagement to which the club is invited by another social club/organization.

F. The Publicity Secretary shall:
1. Be responsible for the publicity of the programmes and activities of the club.
2. Be the main link of the club with the media. However, all materials meant for publication, broadcast or telecast in the media must be vetted and approved by the President (and in his absence), by the Vice-President.
3. Be the Chairman of the Publicity Committee of the club.
4. Be responsible for the organization of lectures, symposia and debates aimed at boosting the image of the club and as a means of informing members and the public.
5. Organize a MEDIA FORUM at least once a year, the details and budget of which shall be passed through the President to the Executive Committee for approval in the first quarter of the financial year.

G. The Treasurer shall:
1. Be the custodian of all club funds.
2. Receive all monies belonging to the club after documentation by the Financial Secretary.
3. Lodge all monies received by him in the Club's Bank Account within one week of receipt.
4. Announce at every meeting, the financial position of the club.
5. Be a signatory to the Club's Bank Account and shall sign in conjunction with the President or General Secretary.
6. Keep all the cheque books, promissory notes and other monetary documents of the club.
7. Be responsible for disbursing all club monies as approved by the President, Executive committee or General Meeting of the club.
8. Be the Chairman of the Finance Committee of the club, and any other committee which may be set up for the purpose of raising funds except an ad-hoc committee set up for that purpose and of which he is not a member.

H. The Financial Secretary shall:
1. Have a basic knowledge of simple accounting but not necessarily a professional qualification.
2. Be responsible for the collection and receipt of all cash and cheques from members during and outside meetings and also other donors.
3. Maintain an accurate and up to date record of all monies collected.
4. Hand over all monies collected to the Treasurer immediately or before the close of meeting as appropriate.

I. The Chief Whip shall:
1. Assist the President in the maintenance of discipline in the club especially during meetings.
2. Have the power to impose levies and fines on members so as to check aberrant behaviour like lateness and disturbance during meetings and also to raise funds for the club.
3. Be the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the club whenever it becomes necessary for the club to set up one.

J. The Auditor shall:
1. Have unrestricted access to all books and accounts of the club for the purposes of ensuring that a fair and faithful record has been kept.
2. Examine the balance sheet, all receipts and expenditure, verifying them with accounts and vouchers relating to them and shall sign them as found to be correct and duly vouched and/or raise queries on any irregularities.
3. Carry out these functions at least once in every quarter.
4. Present the audited accounts of the club at the Annual General Meeting and make suggestions as appropriate.

K. The Legal Adviser:
The club shall appoint a Legal Adviser at the beginning of each year. If such a person is a non-member, a nominal fee to be fixed by the General Meeting shall be paid as honorarium.


ARTICLE VII
A. STANDING COMMITTEE:-
The Standing Committee of the club shall be as follows:

1. Welfare Committee
2. Social Committee
3. Finance and Economic Ventures Committee
4. Publicity Committee
5. Disciplinary Committee
6. Membership Committee

B. COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONS OF STANDING COMMITTEES


1. THE WELFARE COMMITTEE:
a. The Chairman of the Welfare Committee shall be the Vice-President
b. Three other members approved by the General Meeting shall constitute the committee.
c. The committee shall meet at least once in a quarter.
d. The committee shall cater for the welfare and mutual help needs of the members of the club.
e. The committee shall look into problems of the individual members brought to its notice so as to explore means of assistance.
f. The committee shall take up all other issues that may be referred to it by the President, Executive Committee or General Meeting.

2. THE SOCIAL COMMITTEE
a. The Social Committee shall be composed of the Social Secretary as the Chairman and four other.
b. The committee shall be responsible for the arrangement and administration of all social activities of the club.
c. The committee shall in collaboration with the host of any meeting, organize a social activity in the evening of any General Meeting.

3. THE FINANCE AND ECONOMIC VENTURES COMMITTEE:
a. The committee shall consist of six members of the club; viz - the Treasurer, the Financial Secretary, Auditor and three other members to be appointed from the membership of the club.
b. The committee shall prepare a budget for the year after coordinating inputs from various officers and shall present same at the first General Meeting after the Annual General Meeting.
c. The committee shall present to the General Meeting along with the budget, possible ways of raising revenue for the club.
d. The committee shall from time to time advise the club about the financial position and measures to be taken in this regard.
e. The committee shall review the club's annual budget from time to time.
f. Shall play an advisory role to the club on financial matters.
g. The committee shall and co-ordinate all economic and business activities which are beneficial to the club and its members.

4. THE PUBLICITY COMMITTEE:
a. The Publicity Secretary shall be the Chairman of the Publicity Committee with two other members to be approved by the General Meeting.
b. The committee shall be responsible for the publicity of all activities of the club.
c. The major responsibility of the committee shall be the enhancement of the image of the club and shall advise the club from time to time on activities towards that end.
d. The committee shall plan for, organize and execute the club's annual media forum with due regards for the provisions of ARTICLE SECTION F, Subsection 5 above.

5. THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE:
a. The Disciplinary Committee shall be composed of the Chief Whip as Chairman, the Legal Adviser and three other members to be appointed by the General Meeting.
b. The committee shall evaluate all cases of indiscipline on the order of the President and following investigations shall recommend appropriate actions to the Executive Committee.
c. The committee shall determine the fines and/or other sanctions commensurate with the particular offence committed by any member.
d. The committees shall take all measures necessary to ensure appropriate hearing and trial of all cases referred to it before the next General Meeting.
e. All members of the committee shall maintain the highest degree of decorum necessary for the respect of the club.

6. THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
a. The Membership Committee shall comprise of five members to be headed by a Past President of the club.
b. The committee's functions shall be guided by the laid down procedures of the club for the intake of new members, vide Article III, Section B and C; and update such from time to time as circumstances demand.
c. The committee shall process applications received from intending members, make a shortlist and recommend those to be admitted to the Executive Committee.


ARTICLE VIII

MEETINGS OF THE CLUB:-
A. The club shall meet regularly at least six times in a year or at such other frequency determined at the Annual General Meeting viz:
B. The venue, date and time of meeting shall be confirmed at the meeting immediately preceeding the one in question.
C. Whereas a roster for the whole year may be drawn yearly, the new President shall host the first Ordinary General Meeting after an Annual General Meeting.
D. The meetings of January every year shall be the Annual General Meeting of the association where elections are held and constitution amendments can be made. This meeting shall be hosted by the club through levies at a neutral venue and not in any member's abode.

ARTICLES IX

NOTICE OF MEETINGS:-
A. Notice for the Executive Committee Meeting shall be given not less than three weeks before the meeting, but for an emergency Executive Meeting, enough notice to form a quorum shall suffice.
B. Notice for a General Meeting shall be given not less than four weeks before the meeting, but for an emergency General Meeting, one-week notice shall be adequate.
C. Non-receipt of notice of meeting, which have been duly sent, shall not invalidate the proceeding of the meeting as long as a quorum was formed during the meeting.

ARTICLE X

BOARD OF TRUSTEES:-
A. The Ultimate Circle of Nigeria shall appoint TRUSTEES who shall be the custodians of all property of the club.

B. The Board of Trustees of the club shall be appointed at a General Meeting specially convened for that purpose.

C. The trustees shall be five (5) in number and shall be known as the Registered Trustees of the Ultimate Circle of Nigeria.

D. CONDITIONS OF TRUSTEE MEMBERSHIP
Trustee may hold office for life but a Trustee shall cease to hold office if he:
i. Resigns from the club.
ii. Ceases to be a member of the Registered Trustees of the club.
iii. Becomes insane
iv. Is officially declared bankrupt
v. Is convicted of a criminal offence involving dishonesty by a court of competent jurisdiction
vi. Is recommended for removal from office by the supreme authority of the club
vii. Ceases to reside in Nigeria.

E. Upon vacancy occurring in the number of Trustees, the members of the club shall hold a General Meeting to appoint an eligible member of the club to the Board of Registered Trustees.

F. COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
Subject to the provisions of Section D to this Article;
i. The Pioneer President of the club shall be the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
ii. The Pioneer Secretary of the club and 3 (three) other members of the club so appointed by the club shall sit on the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE XI
SEAL AND CUSTODY THEREOF:-
A. The club shall have a common Seal.

B. The Seal shall be kept in the custody of the General Secretary who shall produce it when required for use by the Trustees.

C. All documents to be executed by the Trustees shall be signed by them and sealed with the common Seal of the club.

ARTICLE XII

ANNUAL DUES AND SUBSCRIPTION:-
A. The annual subscription of the club shall be fixed by the club at the Annual General Meeting of the club.
B. Such amount shall be payable within the course of the year for which the annual subscription is specified and shall in any case be due and payable on or before the end of the first half of the year for which the subscription is specified.
C. The Executive Committee of the club shall have the power to impose levies on members of the club for special purposes.
D. All monies due to the club shall be deposited to a Bank appointed at a General Meeting of the club.
E. Signatories to the club account shall be the Treasurer together with either the President, Or the General Secretary.

ARTICLE XIII

QUORUM AT MEETINGS:-
A. QUORUM at any meeting of the club shall be formed and the meeting competently constituted if at;
a. An Executive Committee, 4 (four) of its members (the President or General Secretary inclusive) shall be present.
b. Annual General Meeting, 50% (fifty percent) f the total membership of the club (to the nearest whole number) shall be present.
c. An Ordinary General Meeting, 30 (thirty percent) of the total membership of the club (to the nearest whole number) shall be present.
d. An Extra-Ordinary General Meeting, 40% (forty percent) of the total membership of the club (to the nearest whole number) shall be present.
e. At Standing Committee Meetings, 50% (fifty percent) of the membership of the committee (to the nearest whole number) shall be present.

B. Without prejudice to the provisions of Section A to this ARTICLE, if Quorum is not formed on two consecutive meetings, any number of persons present and duly accredited to the members of any of these meetings shall constitute the Quorum.


ARTICLE XIV
A. All members are expected to maintain the highest degree of discipline at all times.
B. Indiscipline and other anti-club activities shall not be condoned. These include amongst others: Drunkenness, Persistent Absenteeism, Lateness to meeting and Disrespect for properly constituted authority of the club.
C. A Standing Disciplinary Committee shall be set up with the Chief Whip as the Chairman with functions as stipulated under Article VII, Section 5, Subsection B.
D. A member disciplined for any wrongdoing shall have the right to appeal to club.
E. Such appeal shall be in WRITING through the General Secretary within 48 hours of the pronouncement of sanctions as specified in ARTICLE VII, SECTION B, Subsection 5b.
F. The decision of the subsequent General Meeting of the club on the appeal shall be FINAL AND BINDING.

ARTICLE XVI

AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION:-
A. Notice of any amendment to this Constitution shall be brought in form of a motion by a Financial Member and seconded by another Financial Member, to reach the General Secretary not less than 8 (eight) weeks before an Annual General Meeting of the club.
B. The General Secretary shall circulate the proposed amendments to all members with the Notice of Meeting for the succeeding AGM at least 6 (six) weeks before the meeting.
C. For an amendment to succeed at the Annual General Meeting, it must be supported by not less than two thirds (to the nearest whole number) of the members present at the Annual General Meeting.

ARTICLE XV

ELECTIONS:-
A. Election into all elective offices of the club shall be conducted after dissolution of the house at the Annual General Meeting.
B. For the conduct of this election, the President shall at the conclusion of the meeting preceding the Annual General Meeting, conduct an election for the post of an Electoral Officer and two Returning Officers from the Financial Members of the club.
C. ELECTORAL OFFICERS shall not contest any elective post, sponsor or campaign for any candidature for election.
D. Two Financial Members of the club must sponsor nominations to all elective posts.
E. Such nominations shall be filed with the Electoral Officer not later than two weeks to the Annual General Meeting.
F. The campaign and/or lobbying season by all aspirants to elective posts in the club shall be opened two weeks before the AGM and the subsequent dissolution of the house.
G. Such lobbying and/or campaign shall be devoid of slander, mud slinging and character assassination.
H. However, no lobbying or campaign shall be allowed immediately the Annual General Meeting at which the election is to be held shall have been declared open.
I. Without prejudice to the provisions of SECTION A to this ARTICLE, the Electoral Officers of the preceding election of the club shall conduct an election to fill the post of any member of the Executive Committee on whom a vote of no confidence has been passed.
J. Such by-election shall be conducted as soon as possible and in any case not later than next General Meeting at which the vote of no confidence would have been passed.
K. The procedures for a bye-election shall be the same as for normal elections of the club except that sponsorship, nomination, campaign and election may be all conducted within a special recess (not exceeding two hours) of the General Meeting at which the vote of no confidence was passed.

ARTICLE XVII

BYE LAWS OF THE CLUB
A. These shall constitute a codification of how the club will run on a day-to-day basis.
B. The Byelaws shall be read and applied along with the Constitution of the club, which is its supreme law.
C. Nothing in the byelaws will vitiate any of the provisions of the Constitution of the club.
D. Whenever any item in the byelaws is in conflict with any provision of the Constitution, the latter shall take precedence.
E. The byelaw shall only be amended by two-thirds of the members present at an Ordinary General Meeting.