GOPIO
CHAPTER FORMATION
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin
(GOPIO) is a non-profit community service organization for people of Indian
origin and in particular those staying outside
There must not be a GOPIO Chapter
within a 10 mile radius of your local area unless it is in another state.
GOPIO Secretariat and/or Regional
Vice President will work directly with you.
A "mentor chapter" which is mutually
selected or assigned will help in the start-up process.
Gather at least 5 people who will work cohesively
on the local chapter before writing a Letter of Intent (LOI).
Submit the LOI to GOPIO Secretariat and Regional V.P indicating your desire to
start a local chapter
Select a mentor chapter. GOPIO President and/or
Regional V.P will help with the selection.
Once GOPIO Secretariat and Regional V.P receive LOI
via email (or by fax or postal mail), GOPIO president would officially authorise:
·
The "start-up chapter" to be in
"probationary status", i.e. participation in GOPIO activities but no
voting rights
·
placement of chapter link on GOPIO web page
·
2 officers to be placed on GOPIO list serve
Use GOPIO constitution providing
information on chapter functioning to elect officers
Participate in all GOPIO
activities
Become incorporated at the local
level, if needed
Progress of chapter formally
reviewed by GOPIO RVP and Executive Committee approximately 3 months after
filing the LOI
Final progress vote on acceptance
of chapter approximately 6 months from submitting LOI; if voted in, chapter is
an official chapter with voting rights in the GOPIO Executive Council after the
annual dues are received.
To keep the same standards, the chapter will be named with a city or an area after GOPIO name, e.g. GOPIO New York, GOPIO Mumbai, GOPIO Southwest USA.
Chapter Officers
1.
President
2. 1st Vice President (including responsibility for raising funds for annual
charitable giving program)
3. 2nd Vice President (including responsibility for bringing about 5 new
members)
4. Treasurer
5. Secretary (Must compile a comprehensive annual report of chapter activities
for the year)
We need to keep change, continuity and challenge as a
hallmark for GOPIO chapter formation.
Change:
Change should bring in new volunteers into position of organizational
responsibility. Encourage people to move up the ladder in the organization;
Continuity: Experience
gained at one position is used at the next level;
Challenge:
The new position should present leadership challenge to the holder,
particularly when one moves to the position of president. Also, it should be a
challenge for the new and less experienced in the organization to learn more
and take more challenging volunteering responsibilities.
Chapter Membership Fee
Individual members in a chapter will pay an annual
fee prescribed by the chapter Executive Committee.
Remaining a Good Standing Chapter
·
Financial good standing (pay annual dues, currently US $100/year per
delegate)
·
Participate in all GOPIO wide projects.
·
Have an elected and structured local Board
·
Communicate all GOPIO issues to local membership
·
Participate in GOPIO committee (s)
Country Coordinator
When there are two or more chapters in a country, a
country coordinator will be appointed by Executive Committee in consultation
with the chapter presidents from that country. The appointed Country
Coordinator has to be a Life Member of GOPIO.
Chapters and Life Members
Chapters are encouraged to enroll Life Members for GOOPIO International. From the one time Life Membership fee paid to the GOPIO International, 25% will go to the chapter where the member comes from which also entails GOPIO Life member to become a Life Member of the local chapter. Life membership fee is decided by the Executive Council (current rate is U.S. is Silver Life Membership $1500.00, Gold Life Membership $2500.00 (Free registration at GOPIO Int’l conferences for 10 years), Patinum Life Membership $5000.00 (Privileges as above plus preferred seating at GOPIO Int’l events for 10 years) and Corporate Life Membership $10,000.00 (same privileges as Platinum) and for India and developing countries, 50% of the above).
Relationship Between Local Chapter & GOPIO
International
·
Local chapter has its own officers and is run and
managed at the local level
·
Once the chapter
is officially admitted by the Executive Committee, the chapter will have the
voting rights in the GOPIO Executive Council according to the following
sliding scale:
10 to 25 members - 1 delegate
26 to 100 members - 2
delegates
101 to 500 members - 3
delegates
500 + members - 4
delegates
·
GOPIO chapter will pay GOPIO International an annual
fee of $100 per delegate
Who to Contact
Regional
Vice Presidents (see http://gopio.net/team.htm)
or Inder Singh, President, GOPIO International, Tel: 818-708-3885, E-mail: gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net