Constitution of the Shaanxi Association of Canada (2025 revised)(Adopted by secret ballot of the Board of Directors on July 9, 2025)

Shaanxi Association of Canada

Chapter 1 General Provisions

1.1   Name

 The name of this association is “Shaanxi Association of Canada” (English name: Shaanxi Association of Canada).

1.2   Logo, Flag, Anthem Logo:

Logo:

Flag:

Anthem Logo:

Theme song (tentative): "Qin Feng Feng Yun, Building Dreams Together"

Lyrics of the anthem [Main song]

Qin-Ling Mountains lead to the Yellow River

Chang-An faces the country of maple

An-Sai drum sounds over waterfalls

Shaanxi accent echoes all over the world [Chorus]

Qin-Feng Yang, maple rhyme lasts

We gather to build a strong dream

Thousands of rivers pass by, love never ends

Qin-Ling moon shines on a foreign land [Repeat chorus]

Qin-Feng Yang, maple rhyme lasts

We gather to build a strong dream

Thousands of rivers pass by, love never ends

Qin-Ling moon shines on a foreign land.

[End]

Qin Feng sings a song for Yan-Huang.

1.3 Objectives

1.3.1 To strengthen the connection between Shaanxi people living in Canada and promote friendship among fellow countrymen.

1.3.2 To provide mutual support and help fellow countrymen live, study and work in Canada.

1.3.3 To promote Shaanxi culture and enhance cultural exchanges with various ethnic groups in Canada.

1.4 Nature This association is a non-religious, non-political, non-profit joint organization voluntarily formed by overseas Chinese, overseas Chinese and Chinese descendants (hereinafter referred to as Chinese) of Shaanxi origin in Canada.

1.5 Venue to be determined

Chapter 2 Members 

2.1 Member Classification Members are divided into full members and honorary members.

2.2 Membership Qualifications

2.2.1 Full Membership Qualifications Those who meet one of the following conditions may apply to become full members:

(1) They agree with the purpose of the Association and their native place or place of birth is Shaanxi Province.

(2) They agree with the purpose of the Association and have studied, worked or lived in Shaanxi Province.

(3) They agree with the purpose of the Association and have other close ties with Shaanxi Province.

2.2.2 Honorary Membership Qualifications Those who do not meet the requirements of full members but meet the following conditions may be granted honorary membership qualifications after being nominated and approved by the Board of Directors:

(1) They agree with the purpose of the Association and have actively participated in the activities of the Association for a long time.

 (2) They agree with the purpose of the Association and frequently provide voluntary services to the Association.

2.3 Membership Rights

2.3.1 Participate in the activities of the Association and enjoy equal rights to elect, be elected and vote.

2.3.2 Enjoy priority in the various supports and services provided by the Association; 2.3.3 The right to be informed of, make suggestions on and supervise the work of the Association.

2.3.4 The right to voluntarily join and freely withdraw from the Association.

2.3.5 Qualify for membership certificates and honorary awards issued by the Association.

2.3.6 Other legal rights and interests stipulated in the Articles of Association.

2.4 Member Obligations

2.4.1 Comply with the Association’s Articles of Association and various regulations, and implement the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Board of Directors; 2.4.2 Pay membership activity fees on time (if required).

2.4.3 Actively participate in the activities of the Association and promote the development of the Association.

 2.4.4 Maintain the reputation and legitimate rights and interests of the Association, and do not engage in behavior that damages the Association’s image.

2.4.5 Care for the hometown groups, help each other, and promote unity and cooperation among members.

2.4.6 Keep the Association’s internal information and members’ privacy secrets

2.4.7 Other obligations stipulated in the Articles of Association.

Chapter 3 Organizational Structure

3.1 Board of Directors The new board of directors is elected from the previous board of directors, and elections are held every 4 years. For the election process, please refer to the "Election Process of the Board of Directors of the Shaanxi Association of Canada".

3.1.1 Functions

(i) Execute the resolutions of the Standing Council.

(ii) Be responsible for the change, cancellation, registration and filing of the Association.

(iii) Formulate the annual work plan.

(iv) Review and approve the applications of the various departments of the Association to carry out activities.

(v) Manage and supervise the financial affairs of the Association; (vi) Supervise and inspect the directors of the Board of Directors and handle them.

vi) Supervise and inspect the directors of the Board of Directors and handle them.

(vii) Elect the Standing Council for a four-year term and supervise the change of term. (viii) Supervise and support the daily work of the Standing Council.

3.1.2 Composition and term of office

 (i) Outstanding members of the Association who have joined and voluntarily served as registered members of the Shaanxi Association of Canada for 2 years or more, as well as members with special talents or who have made outstanding contributions to the Association and are urgently needed by the Association, are eligible to be candidates for directors.

 (ii) The number of directors on the Board of Directors shall not exceed 30 (the total number shall be an odd number).

 (iii) Candidates for directors shall be nominated by directors based on "candidates' participation in association activities (quantitative), various public welfare activities and specialties", and shall be nominated by all directors in the form of a secret ballot. Candidates who are approved by more than half of the directors may become directors only with their own consent.

 (iv) Directors of the Board of Directors may be re-elected without a limit on the number of terms. In principle, directors who are dismissed from the current Board of Directors shall not be allowed to join the current Board of Directors again.

(v) Director appointment avoidance system: To ensure the fairness and impartiality of the Board of Directors' decision-making, the immediate family members and spouses of the current directors shall not serve as members of the Board of Directors at the same time.

 (VI) Director withdrawal mechanism:

Attendance management regulations (violation of the following (1) or (2) will be deemed as a violation of attendance regulations)

 (1) Absence from the collective activities of the hometown association without reason for 3 times in a calendar year (January-December) (subject to the formal notification of the board of directors and clearly marked as activities that all directors must attend) will be deemed as failure to perform director duties.

 (2) In a calendar year, if a director takes leave for personal reasons and is absent from the collective activities of the hometown association for 50% or more (excluding legitimate reasons such as business trips, conflicts in main duties, sick leave, etc.), it will be deemed as failure to perform director duties. Code of Conduct Requirements: (3) Making or carrying out remarks or behaviors that damage the image and reputation of the hometown association.

Processing Procedure: Any director who violates any of the above 1 or 2 will be deemed an unqualified director for the current year. The processing process is as follows:

(1) The chairman shall comprehensively evaluate his/her daily performance of duties; (2) Submit to the Standing Council for deliberation on whether to initiate the persuasion procedure.

 (3) The final decision on whether to stay or leave shall be made by voting at the plenary meeting of the Council.

 (4) The Standing Council reserves the right to interpret this system.

Note: Attendance of all collective activities shall be subject to the official notification record of the Council.

3.1.3 Rights and obligations of board members

3.1.3.1 Board members have the following rights:

(a) to make suggestions and criticisms on the work of the board.

(b) to elect standing directors and be elected as standing directors if they meet the qualifications for standing directors.

 (c) to withdraw from the board.

3.1.3.2 Board members must fulfill the following obligations:

(a) to promote the association and maintain its image.

(b) to abide by the charter of the association and the board of directors, obey the arrangements of the board of directors, and complete the work entrusted by the board of directors.

(c) to actively participate in the activities of the association and the board of directors and strengthen the understanding and communication between the directors.

(d) to actively discuss the topics raised by the board of directors, and can abstain from voting, but must declare that they abstain from voting.

(e) Board members should abide by their confidentiality obligations and ensure the security and privacy of the internal information of the board of directors. It is strictly forbidden to spread group information or maliciously disseminate screenshots without permission. If any violation is found, upon motion by any director and approval by the Standing Council, the following disciplinary sanctions may be imposed on the person involved depending on the severity of the violation: 1) warning; 2) probation; 3) suspension for inspection; 4) expulsion from the Council.

3.2 Executive Council

3.2.1 Functions

The association consists of the president, vice president, secretary general and other important positions, who are responsible for the management of daily affairs.

The president is responsible for overall management.

The vice president assists the president in handling affairs.

The secretary general is responsible for paperwork and event arrangements.

The chairman supervises the affairs of the association, finances, etc., to ensure the transparent and fair operation of the association.

3.2.2 Composition and term of office

(i) Directors who have served as directors of the Shaanxi Association of Canada for more than 1 year (including 1 year) are eligible to participate in the candidate list of standing directors.

 (ii) The Standing Council is elected by the directors of the Board of Directors. There are seven standing directors, who serve as the president, vice presidents (four), chairman, and secretary general.

(iii) The Standing Council is a four-year term, and the standing directors can be re-elected without a limit on the number of terms.

(iv) The re-election of the Standing Council is divided into two elections. For the election process, please refer to the "Election Process of the Board of Directors of the Shaanxi Association of Canada";

(v) The standing directors elected by vote will be arranged to hold important positions in the association. The seven newly elected standing directors will decide on the allocation of positions other than the position of president based on their respective expertise and experience. Only newly elected standing directors are allowed to hold the posts of vice president, chairman, and secretary general. Non-standing directors cannot hold the above positions.

(vi) During the term of office, if a standing director withdraws for personal reasons, or is unable to perform the duties of a director, or is no longer suitable to serve as a standing director due to violations of the law, the resulting vacancy will be elected by a special meeting of the board of directors, which will be convened and presided over by the chairman. If the meeting involves the chairman himself, the chairman will be responsible for the meeting.

(vii) During the term of office, if the president is removed for personal reasons or violates laws and regulations, the chairman has the right to convene all directors for removal, by-election and follow-up work. During the period of by-election, the chairman shall act as the president until the by-election is completed.

3.2.3 Rights and obligations of members of the Standing Council (discussion)

Chapter 4 Duties of Standing Directors and Their Division of Labor.

4.1 Duties of the President

The President is responsible for the overall work of the Shaanxi Association, and his duties include:

(a) convening and presiding over meetings of the Board of Directors, the Standing Committee and the President’s Office.

(b) inspecting the implementation of the resolutions of the Board of Directors and the Standing Committee and the annual work plan.

 (c) signing relevant documents on behalf of the Shaanxi Association.

 (d) reviewing and approving the financial expenditures of the Association.

(e) conducting external relations on behalf of the Shaanxi Association; and

 (f) safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of members and maintaining the overall good image of the Shaanxi Association.

4.2 Responsibilities of the Vice Presidents

Under the leadership of the President, the four Vice Presidents assist the President in completing the tasks assigned to them:

        (a) Responsible for the daily work of the Shaanxi Association.

        (b) Implement the various rules and regulations of the Association.

(c) Timely understand, summarize and report on the progress of key tasks.

(d) Pay attention to discovering problems with tendencies and take effective measures and solutions in a timely manner.

(e) Organize and arrange the implementation of various activities of the Shaanxi Association.

 (f) Complete other tasks assigned by the President.

(g) Responsible for the review of the financial expenditure of the Shaanxi Association; (h) Under the leadership of the President, be responsible for the external liaison work of the Shaanxi Association.

(i) Assist in attracting investment, conducting trade and other activities; and provide an information exchange platform for members internally.

 4.3 Responsibilities of the Chairman

Under the guidance and supervision of the Board of Directors and the Standing Committee, it completes its specific tasks:

(a) Acting as a bridge between the Board of Directors and the Standing Committee, it promptly transmits decisions and suggestions.

(b) In accordance with the rights and obligations of the directors of the Board of Directors, it assists in handling various disputes between directors, between members or with others, especially promptly stopping and warning directors who make personal attacks and use insulting language, and at the same time reports to the Board of Directors to pass a resolution to expel directors who violate the Board of Directors' Charter.

 (c) Timely discover and deal with problems that arise or may arise in the Board of Directors or the Standing Committee.

(d) Organize and coordinate supervision of the Board of Directors and the Standing Committee, as well as the removal, re-election, and by-election of the President, Standing Directors and Directors.

4.4 Responsibilities of the Secretary-General the Secretary-General assists the President and the Vice-President in carrying out the work of the Association. His responsibilities are:

 (i) Responsible for administrative affairs and coordination work in all aspects, managing the archives and information of the Association.

(ii) Responsible for drafting various documents of the Association, organizing the formulation of relevant work plans and programs, and inspecting and supervising the implementation of plans and programs.

(iii) Annual financial budget and review, financial budget for large-scale activities.

(iv) Do a good job in publicity and reporting, adopt various forms, use various media, and vigorously publicize the various activities and typical cases of the Association.

(v) Organize the formulation and improvement of relevant rules and regulations.

(vi) Changes, cancellations, registrations and filings of hometown associations.

(vii) Procedures for the Board of Directors to Form Resolutions

For general topics, such as various sports and entertainment activities, reception work, and emergency response to emergencies, the Standing Director in charge of such activities shall coordinate and hand them over to the Directors and volunteers who are specifically responsible for the activities for implementation. The person in charge of this activity shall report the progress and completion status through the Board of Directors group from time to time from the beginning of the activity preparation to the end of the activity and submit an activity summary at the end of the activity. If any director finds any problem in the notification, he/she can give feedback immediately. If there is no consensus, all directors must vote in the board group to express approval or disapproval in a timely manner.

The final decision will be made according to the principle of minority obeying majority and will be implemented by the person in charge of the activity. In principle, major issues such as by-election, removal, replacement of directors or executive directors must be held offline, and resolutions on the issues must be formed face-to-face by secret ballot.

Chapter 5 Financial Management

5.1 Sources of Income The sources of funds for this association include but are not limited to the following channels:

Government funding:

Special funding support that meets policy conditions.

Social donations:

Donations and sponsorships provided by social groups, enterprises and individuals; Activity income: legal income from activities such as social gatherings and cultural exhibitions.

Honorary funding: voluntary financial support provided by honorary directors or honorary presidents.

 5.2 Principle of special funds for special purposes in the financial management system:

All funds are only used for activities and development projects stipulated in the charter of the hometown association, and private misappropriation or occupation is strictly prohibited.

Open and transparent mechanism: Financial revenue and expenditure are announced to all directors on an annual basis, subject to supervision and questioning, and third-party audits may be entrusted when necessary.

5.3 Donation and funding management Ways of thanking:

Issue a formal thank-you letter to all donors.

publicly thank them at the annual meeting, official website and other platforms (with the consent of the donor).

Rights and interests’ feedback:

Those who donate more than a certain amount in a single donation can be invited to join the hometown association community and enjoy the rights and interests of regular promotion within the scope of the group rules.

Those who donate more than a certain amount in total can be awarded the title of "honorary member" or "honorary director" and issued a certificate after deliberation by the board of directors.

Chapter 6 Activities and Cultural Promotion 

6.1 Regular Activities Traditional festivals:

Annual Spring Festival Gala; Summer barbecue; Mid-Autumn Festival Moon Viewing Party and other festival celebrations; Folk Friendship Forum. Special Activities: Health Lectures, Welfare Lectures, Life; Sports Competitions; Waist Drums; Yangge; Tai Chi; Elderly Services; International Students; Hiking and other cultural and sports activities.

6.2 Cultural Promotion

Organize cultural exhibitions, performances, food festivals, etc. to promote Shaanxi culture.

Cooperate with local community organizations in Canada to promote cultural exchanges.

Chapter 7 Honorary Positions 

7.1 Criteria for Awarding Honorary Presidents

7.1.1 Lifetime Honorary Presidents

 (1) Awardees: Retired presidents who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the Association.

(2) Awarding procedure: Nominated by the current president and approved by more than two-thirds of the general meeting of directors.

 (3) Awarding period: Lifetime.

 7.1.2 Annual Honorary Presidents

 (1) Awardees: Members or cooperative businesses who have provided significant financial support to the Association (single donation amount exceeding 5,000 Canadian dollars, tentative) or raised sponsorship of equivalent value this year.

 (2) Awarding procedure: The President's Office (Standing Council) proposes a list of recommendations, which is approved by more than half of the Council.

(3) Awarding period: 1 year, can be re-elected.

7.2 Criteria for Awarding Honorary Directors

7.2.1 Lifetime Honorary Directors

 (1) Awardees: outgoing directors who have served as directors for more than 10 consecutive years and have made outstanding contributions.

 (2) Awarding procedure: Nominated by the Standing Council and approved by more than two-thirds of the general meeting of directors.

(3) Awarding period: Lifetime.

7.2.2 Annual Honorary Directors

(1) Awardees: members who provide financial support to the association this year (single donation amount exceeds 1,000 Canadian dollars, tentative) or raise equivalent sponsorship.

(2) Awarding procedure: The Standing Council proposes a list of recommendations, which is approved by a majority vote of the board of directors.

(3) Awarding period: 1 year and can be re-elected.

7.3 Treatment of Honorary Positions

Those who receive honorary positions enjoy the following rights:

 (1) Right to participate in activities: Attend important activities such as the annual meeting and celebrations of the hometown association as a special guest.

 (2) Right to participate in meetings: Attend the meetings of the Standing Council and the Board of Directors, enjoy the right to make suggestions but not participate in voting; (3) Right to external representation: With the written authorization of the President, can represent the hometown association in external exchange activities.

(4) Right to honorary identification: Award honorary certificates and exclusive badges and be specially marked in official publicity.

7.4 Supplementary Provisions

 (1) Honorary positions are honorary titles and do not involve specific association affairs.

(2) If there is any behavior that seriously damages the reputation of the hometown association, the honorary position may be revoked by resolution of the Board of Directors.

(3) The right to interpret this charter belongs to the Standing Council of the hometown association.

Chapter 8 Procedures for Amending and Supplementing the Articles of Association

8.1 General Provisions During the implementation period of these Articles of Association, to promote the healthy development of the Association, the contents of the Articles of Association may be amended, supplemented and improved according to actual needs. All amendments and supplements shall be in line with the purpose of the Association and follow the statutory procedures.

8.2 Amendment Procedures

8.2.1 Proposals by Standing Directors

 (1) Proposals for amendments proposed by Standing Directors must be reviewed and approved by the Standing Council.

(2) After approval, they shall be submitted to the Council for a secret ballot.

(3) The voting shall be based on the principle of simple majority (approval shall be deemed as approval if more than half of the votes are in favor).

(4) They shall take effect immediately after approval.

 8.2.2 Proposals by Directors

 (1) Proposals for amendments proposed by Directors must first be submitted to the Standing Council for review.

(2) After approval by the Standing Council, they shall be submitted to the Council for a secret ballot

 (3) The voting shall be based on the principle of simple majority (approval shall be deemed as approval if more than half of the votes are in favor)

(4) They shall take effect immediately after approval. 8.3 Special Procedures.

8.3 Special Procedures

8.3.1 Dissolution Procedures

(1) If the Association needs to be dissolved due to special circumstances, the following conditions must be met at the same time: a. Approved by the Board of Directors; b. Approved by the General Assembly.

 (2) The following matters must be completed before dissolution: a. Liquidation of all assets; b. Settlement of all debts and liabilities; c. Completion of relevant legal procedures.

 8.4 Records and Filings

 8.4.1 All amendments and additions to the Articles of Association shall be recorded in detail, including:

(1) the specific terms and contents of the amendments.

 (2) the reasons and basis for the amendments.

(3) the specific time of the vote.

 (4) the voting results and vote count.

8.4.2 The amendment records shall be signed and confirmed by the Secretary-General and stored in the Association's archives for permanent preservation.

 8.5 Effective Clauses This Articles of Association shall take effect from the date of approval by the Board of Directors, and its amendment procedures shall also apply to all members of the Association. The final right of interpretation of the Articles of Association shall belong to the Board of Directors of the Association.

Note: The modification of this charter shall not violate relevant national laws and regulations. In case of any clauses that conflict with laws and regulations, the national laws and regulations shall prevail.

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