Constitution of Oke Are ’05 Set

Name

The name of the association shall be OKE ARE ’05 SET, hereafter referred to as “the Set” or “the Group.”

Purpose of the Set

Oke Are ’05 Set exists to maintain and strengthen the bonds of friendship, fellowship and shared experiences formed during our secondary school years.

The Set aims to keep members connected, support one another where there is genuine need, celebrate successes, provide opportunities for social interaction and build a lasting community beyond our school years.

Support shall be guided by compassion, dignity, fairness and voluntary participation, without creating a culture of pressure or entitlement.

Objectives

• Maintain lifelong friendships and meaningful connections among members.
• Promote the welfare and wellbeing of members.
• Provide an organised and transparent framework for supporting members during genuine emergencies or difficult circumstances.
• Encourage reunions, social interaction and activities that strengthen relationships among members.
• Celebrate the achievements, milestones and important occasions of members.
• Encourage members to support one another through knowledge, opportunities, professional connections and other forms of assistance, not only financially.
• Build a sustainable association that can continue to serve members for many years.

Membership

Membership shall be open primarily to members of the Oke Are ’05 Set.

Members are expected to:

• Respect one another.
• Participate positively in the affairs of the Set.
• Honour agreed financial commitments when they are able to do so.
• Avoid conduct that places undue financial, emotional or social pressure on other members.
• Protect the privacy and dignity of members who seek assistance.
• Support the objectives and decisions of the Set.

Membership does not create an automatic obligation for any member to provide personal financial assistance to another member.

Structure of the Set

The Set shall initially operate through three principal groups:

5.1 — Welfare Group

Responsible for the welfare and wellbeing needs of members.

5.2 — Financial Group

Responsible for the management, accountability and reporting of the Set’s finances.

5.3 — Social Group

Responsible for maintaining social engagement, friendship and activities among members.

5.4 — Additional Groups or Committees

The Set may establish additional groups or committees where necessary to support the effective running of the association.

Welfare Group

The Welfare Group shall:

1. Receive and confidentially review genuine welfare concerns or requests for assistance.
2. Recommend appropriate support for members experiencing genuine hardship, emergencies or significant life events.
3. Coordinate welfare support during serious illness, bereavement, major emergencies and other exceptional situations approved by the Set.
4. Ensure members seeking assistance are treated with dignity, confidentiality and respect.
5. Prevent unnecessary public exposure of members’ personal circumstances.
6. Advise the Financial Group where an approved welfare request requires financial disbursement.
7. Keep appropriate confidential records of welfare interventions.
8. Ensure welfare support is fair and does not favour members based on wealth, influence or personal relationships.

6.1Welfare Requests

Members requiring financial assistance should, as far as reasonably possible, approach the Welfare Group rather than making repeated public or private appeals to individual members.

Requests shall be assessed based on the nature and seriousness of the situation, whether it is an emergency or exceptional circumstance, the member’s immediate needs, available Set funds, any previous assistance received and other relevant circumstances.

The Welfare Group may recommend assistance from the Set’s welfare funds or, where appropriate, a voluntary appeal to members.

No member shall be compelled or personally pressured to contribute to a welfare appeal.

Financial Group

The Financial Group shall be responsible for the financial administration of the Set, including:

1. Collecting and recording quarterly dues and other approved contributions.
2. Maintaining accurate financial records.
3. Keeping Set funds in an agreed and secure account.
4. Preparing periodic financial statements for members.
5. Recording all income and expenditure.
6. Making approved payments and retaining supporting documentation.
7. Preparing an annual financial summary for members.
8. Working with the Welfare Group to facilitate approved welfare payments.
9. Ensuring Set funds are used only for purposes approved under this Constitution or by the appropriate decision-making body.
10. Promoting transparency and accountability in all financial matters.

No individual member shall have unrestricted control over the Set’s funds. Where practicable, withdrawals or major payments should require the approval or signature of at least two authorised persons.

Social Group

The Social Group shall:

1. Organise reunions, meet-ups and other social activities.
2. Promote interaction and friendship among members.
3. Coordinate celebrations of significant milestones, including birthdays, marriages, graduations, professional achievements and other notable occasions.
4. Develop activities that encourage members and their families to remain connected.
5. Explore initiatives that make the Set engaging beyond financial contributions.
6. Work with other groups to organise annual or special Set events.

Participation in social activities should remain reasonably affordable and inclusive.

Quarterly Dues

Every member shall contribute a minimum quarterly due of ₦5,000 (Five Thousand Naira).

Members who are willing and able to contribute more may do so. Additional contributions are entirely voluntary and shall not create additional rights, privileges or influence over other members.

Quarterly dues shall form the primary financial base of the Set and shall be used to build a sustainable fund rather than relying on repeated individual appeals.

9.1Purpose of the Dues

Quarterly dues shall principally support:

1. Welfare and Emergency Support — genuine emergencies, exceptional hardship, serious illness, major medical emergencies, bereavement and other approved welfare situations.
2. Social Activities — reunions, Set gatherings and approved activities that strengthen relationships, including appropriate support for agreed celebrations and milestones.
3. Administration — banking and transaction charges, communication and other reasonable operating expenses.
4. Reserve / Sustainability Fund — a portion of funds retained to provide resources for significant emergencies and future activities.

9.2Suggested Allocation of Quarterly Dues

Unless otherwise approved by members, the minimum quarterly dues shall initially be allocated as follows:

The percentages may be reviewed periodically based on the experience and financial needs of the Set. Where the reserve reaches a level considered adequate by members, part of the reserve allocation may be redirected to welfare or other agreed purposes.

9.3Voluntary Contributions Above ₦5,000

Members may contribute more than the minimum quarterly due. Unless a member specifically states otherwise, additional contributions shall be treated as general Set funds and allocated according to the approved financial framework.

A member may also make a specific voluntary donation towards an approved welfare case, social activity or special project. Such donations shall remain voluntary and shall not create an expectation that other members should match the contribution.

9.4Payment Period

Quarterly dues shall be payable within the agreed payment period for each quarter. The Financial Group shall communicate payment details and maintain an accurate record of contributions.

Members experiencing temporary financial difficulty are encouraged to communicate privately with the appropriate officer rather than feel publicly pressured over their inability to pay.

No member shall be publicly shamed, ridiculed or unnecessarily singled out for failure to contribute.

9.5Arrears

Where a member is unable to meet their quarterly contribution, they should communicate with the Financial Group where appropriate.

The Set shall prioritise understanding and sustainability over enforcement. Outstanding dues shall not automatically become a personal debt owed to individual members or officers.

The Set may establish a reasonable policy for prolonged arrears if necessary.

Welfare Approval and Disbursement Framework

To ensure fairness, transparency and sustainability, welfare assistance shall follow an agreed approval process.

10.1Types of Welfare Support

Welfare assistance may include:

• Medical emergencies and serious illness.
• Bereavement.
• Major accidents.
• Natural disasters or other major unforeseen events.
• Exceptional financial hardship.
• Other circumstances considered appropriate by the Welfare Group.

The Set is not intended to provide routine personal loans, regular living expenses or ongoing financial support unless specifically approved by members.

10.2Initial Assessment

All requests should, where reasonably possible, be submitted to the Welfare Group confidentially.

The Welfare Group shall assess whether the request falls within the purpose of the welfare fund, the urgency of the situation, the appropriate level of assistance, whether supporting information is reasonably required and whether the Set has sufficient funds.

The Welfare Group shall make its recommendation without unnecessarily exposing the member’s private circumstances to the wider group.

10.3Approval Limits

These limits may be reviewed as the financial strength of the Set changes.

10.4Emergency Provision

Where an urgent situation requires immediate action, the Welfare Group and Financial Group may jointly authorise emergency assistance of up to ₦100,000, even where the normal approval process cannot be completed immediately.

Any such expenditure must subsequently be reported to the membership.

10.5Maximum Support

To help preserve the welfare fund for all members, the Set should ordinarily limit total welfare assistance to an individual member to ₦300,000 within a 12-month period.

This does not prevent the membership from approving additional support in exceptional circumstances. The limit is a sustainability measure and is not a statement of the value of a member’s need.

10.6Voluntary Appeals

Where the welfare fund cannot reasonably meet a genuine need, the Welfare Group may recommend a voluntary appeal to members.

Any appeal should:

• Be communicated through an approved channel.
• State the general nature of the need without unnecessarily revealing private information.
• State the amount being sought where appropriate.
• Make clear that contributions are voluntary.
• Avoid repeatedly approaching individual members.
• Avoid identifying particular members as people expected to contribute because they are perceived to be financially comfortable.

Members who wish to contribute may do so through the designated collection process.

10.7No Direct Pressure

No member shall be expected to privately solicit money from another member on behalf of a welfare case without appropriate authorisation.

Members should not be approached repeatedly because they are believed to be financially capable of contributing. Financial comfort does not create an obligation to fund the needs of other members.

Financial Transparency

The Financial Group shall provide members with a financial update at least quarterly.

The report should include:

• Opening balance.
• Total dues received.
• Additional voluntary contributions.
• Welfare expenditure.
• Social expenditure.
• Administrative expenditure.
• Closing balance.
• Significant outstanding commitments.

Individual welfare recipients do not need to be identified in financial reports unless they have expressly agreed to such disclosure.

The objective is to ensure that members know how funds are being managed without compromising anyone’s privacy.

Reserve Fund

The Set shall maintain a reserve fund to protect its long-term financial stability.

The reserve may be used for:

• Major emergencies.
• Significant welfare cases.
• Unexpected essential expenses.
• Important Set projects approved by the membership.

The reserve should not ordinarily be used for routine social activities or discretionary expenditure.

The Financial Group shall monitor the reserve and recommend an appropriate minimum balance to the membership.

No Automatic Entitlement

Payment of quarterly dues does not mean that a member is automatically entitled to receive an equivalent amount or any specific amount in welfare assistance.

Welfare support shall be based on need, circumstances, available resources and the principles of fairness.

The Set is a mutual support community, not an insurance scheme or savings account.

Annual Review

At least once each year, the Set shall review:

1. The ₦5,000 minimum quarterly contribution, amounting to a total of ₦20,000 annually.
2. The allocation of funds between welfare, social activities, administration and reserves.
3. Welfare approval limits.
4. The maximum annual welfare support.
5. The effectiveness of the three groups.
6. Any gaps requiring the creation of additional groups or committees.

Any changes shall be communicated clearly to all members and approved through the agreed decision-making process.

Guiding Principle on Financial Support

The Set believes that helping one another is a privilege and a responsibility we voluntarily embrace, not an entitlement that one member can impose on another.

Our financial structure is designed to achieve three things:

1. Help those genuinely in need.
2. Protect members from financial pressure and repeated solicitation.
3. Build a sustainable fund so that support does not depend on identifying the wealthiest person in the room.

Adoption and Commencement

This Constitution shall take effect upon its adoption and approval by the members of Oke Are ’05 Set.

It shall serve as the guiding framework for the administration, welfare, finances and social activities of the Set. Any matter not expressly covered by this Constitution shall be determined by the members through the agreed decision-making process, having regard to the principles of fairness, transparency, dignity, sustainability and mutual support.

Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed and shall take effect only when approved through the Set’s agreed decision-making process.

Declaration

We, the members of Oke Are ’05 Set, adopt this Constitution in good faith as a framework for maintaining our friendship, supporting one another and building a sustainable community.

We commit to treating one another with respect, protecting the dignity and privacy of members, acting responsibly with Set resources and ensuring that support remains voluntary, fair and focused on genuine need.

Signatures and Approval