14Nov2025
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Constitution
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JORETA

JORETA Our Constitution

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” 

-Sir Isaac Newton.


We, the Johannesburg Retired Teachers Association (“JORETA”), shall honour those men and women who have been instrumental in establishing this Association with twenty (20) members only in 1989.To date we have over a thousand members. We shall remain steadfast in creating a home for retired teachers, render care and support for our members in order to militate against the socio-economic and cultural alienation. 

We shall furthermore ensure that JORETA remains vibrant, impactful and relevant for generations to come. We shall endeavor to create a measure of financial stability in order to support our members in times of need.

We look upon the Council and the Office of the General Executive Committee of the time to be the beacon of hope to the retired teachers to protect and to keep the soul of JORETA alive and vibrant. Thus, duly signed by the General Chairperson and the General Secretary of the previous Generation:  

1. Name

  • 1.1 The Association hereby constituted shall be called the Johannesburg Retired Teachers Association, hereinafter referred to as JORETA or the Association.
  • 1.2 The Association was founded in 1989.
  • 1.3 The Association’s registration number 080-259 with the Department of Social Development.

2. Legal Status

  • 2.1 Be a voluntary association not for gain;
  • 2.2 Exist in its own right, separately and independent from its members and/or officers;
  • 2.3 Continue to exist even when its members and/or officers including (but not limited to) its office bearers and/or members of the council change;
  • 2.4 Be able to own property and/or other possessions;
  • 2.5 Be capable of entering into contracts and any similar activity as a separate legal person and be able to sue and be sued in its own right;
  • 2.6 It shall be registered as an Association not for profit in terms of the Non-Profit Organisations Act 71 of 1997.

3. Vision

JORETA is an association of retired educators that cares and supports its members to militate against the social, economic and cultural alienation experienced as a result of retirement and old age.

4. Mission

The mission of JORETA is to promote social cohesion, care and support among its members.

5. Aims and Objectives

  1. 5.1 To create a measure of financial independence of the Association by investing its funds in selected non-speculative investments;
  2. 5.2 To address the social needs and welfare of its members;
  3. 5.3 To contribute financially to the bereaved families of its members;
  4. 5.4 To encourage members to engage in activities that promote physical, spiritual and mental fitness;
  5. 5.5 To organise skills training and education in disadvantaged areas to empower local communities;
  6. 5.6 To liaise with other existing old persons’ organisations/associations locally, nationally, and internationally;
  7. 5.7 To constantly update members on current information pertinent to their rapidly changing socio-economic circumstances;
  8. 5.8 To act as an advisory and consultative body on matters of education;
  9. 5.9 To provide skills development, psycho-social and educational support to the youth;
  10. 5.10 To offer assistance in community programs and projects;
  11. 5.11 To network with similar groups, government departments, organizations, private organisations and persons to achieve the above objectives;

6. Values

JORETA shall subscribe to the following values: transparency, accountability, loyalty, care and integrity. The Council and the entire membership shall operate within these set values.

7. Association

For the purpose of effective co-ordination and order, the Association shall be organized as follows:
7.1 Council
At the apex level, the Association shall be governed by a Council constituted as follows:
  1. 7.1.1 The Council shall be constituted by members of the Association who shall have been elected by Areas;
  2. 7.1.2 Members from the Areas referred to in 7.1.1 shall be the Chairperson and Secretary from each Area inclusive of the General Executive Committee;
  3. 7.1.3 The General Executive Committee member shall comprise of
    1. i. the general chairperson;
    2. ii. the general deputy chairperson;
    3. iii. the general secretary;
    4. iv. the general assistant secretary; and
    5. v. the general treasurer.
7.2 General Executive Committee
The General Executive Committee shall run the daily affairs of the Association as mandated by Council and prepare reports for the latter on a quarterly basis.
7.3 Area Executive Committees
At the Area level, the respective executive committees (chairpersons, deputy chairpersons, secretaries, assistant secretaries, and treasurers) shall manage the daily needs of their Areas and liaise with the General Executive Committee as and when the need arises.
7.4 Subcommittees
  1. 7.4.1 The following subcommittees will assist the executive committees in their respective Areas and at Mother-Body level within their specialized areas of operation in the running of the Association: FINCOM, Bereavement, Hospitality, Culture, Tourism, Editorial, Wellness, and Disciplinary;
  2. 7.4.2 The respective Area executive committees shall have the power to, from time to time, appoint subcommittees, in furtherance of the vision, mission, and objectives of the Association.
7.5 Office Bearers’ Term of Office
The term of office for office bearers shall be three (3) years. Office bearers retiring at the end of their term shall be eligible for re-election for another term of three years. No member shall, however, be re-elected after serving the Association for two (2) terms.
7.6 Resignation, Disqualification, and Removal of Office-Bearers
  1. 7.6.1 An office-bearer shall resign for any reason from office in writing by submitting their resignation to the Chairperson and/or the Secretary of the Association.
  2. 7.6.2 An office–bearer shall be removed from office/relieved of their duties for the following reasons: malfeasance, incapacity, sequestration/insolvency, illness and/or senility.
  3. 7.6.3 The removal of an office–bearer shall be effected by a resolution passed by 50 percent plus one (1) of the Area and/or Council.
  4. 7.6.4 The office bearer so removed shall adhere to the resolution as soon as it shall have been passed.
  5. 7.6.5 If an office bearer does not attend three meetings in a row, without having applied for and obtaining leave of absence from the Council, then the Council shall find a new member to take that person’s place until such time that a new appointment or election is made.
  6. 7.6.6 The General Executive Committee may, by resolution passed at a meeting thereof, terminate or suspend the membership of any member if, in its opinion, his/her conduct is prejudicial to the interests and objectives of the association, PROVIDED THAT the individual member or representative of the member (as the case may be) shall have the right to be heard by the Council before the final decision is made.
  7. 7.6.7 There shall be a right of appeal to an independent arbitrator appointed by mutual agreement failing which the chairman of the Arbitration Foundation of South Africa shall have the right to appoint the arbitrator.
7.7 Vacancies
Where a vacancy in any of the positions at Council or Committee level arises for any reason whatsoever including force majeure, the remaining members of Council shall inform the general membership of such vacancy and call for nominations to fill such vacancy within a period of six (6) weeks. The remaining members shall co-opt in the interim a member of good standing who shall act in the vacant position until such time Council shall have filled the vacancy.

8. Meetings of the Association

8.1 Tri-annual Conference
  1. 8.1.1 Members shall hold an elective conference every three (3) years for the primary purpose of electing office bearers.
  2. 8.1.2 The elective conference shall direct the Association with regard to policy and program activities that shall be undertaken by the Association.
8.2 Annual General Meetings
  1. 8.2.1 All levels of the Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the purpose of presenting activity and Association status reports, including the receipt and approval of Annual Financial Statements and the appointment of Auditors, as well as the recommendation of policies for the smooth functioning of the Association. Such AGMs shall be held at least 3 months after the closing of the operational year of the Association.
  2. 8.2.2 To avoid overlapping and to ensure efficiency, the respective Areas shall hold their annual general meetings at least 6 (six) weeks after the holding of Association’s main AGM by its general membership.
8.3 General Meetings
Members shall hold monthly general meetings up to November of each year to receive updates on the status of Association and related matters.
8.4 Area Meetings
Members at the Area level shall hold monthly meetings up to November of each year to run the affairs of the Association on their selected dates at the convenience of Area members.
8.5 Council Meetings
The Council shall hold four (4) meetings per annum, each per quarter, to consider policy recommendations and to receive reports on progress or otherwise achieved by the Association and act as an advisory body to the General Executive Committee.
8.6 General Executive Committee Meetings
The General Executive Committee shall hold monthly meetings to consider reports on the operations of the Association and its committees and act as an advisory body to its committees as well as prepare reports and policy recommendations to Council.
8.7 Committee Meetings
All other committees of the Association shall hold meetings once a quarter and as sanctioned by the council to run the affairs of the Association competently and efficiently.
8.8 Special Meetings
The Council and/or Areas can call special meetings as and when it is necessary to do so.

9. Quorum

  1. 9.1 A quorum for all meetings of the Association shall be a simple majority of 50 percent +1 member.
  2. 9.2 If, however, a quorum is not present within 30 minutes of the appointed time of the meeting, the meeting shall be adjourned or postponed to another date, within fourteen days thereafter.
  3. 9.3 If no quorum is present at the reconvened meeting within 30 minutes of the appointed time, the members present shall be regarded to make up a quorum for that meeting, and the meeting will continue as if a quorum is present.

10. Management of Meetings

  1. 10.1 Where members of the meeting quorate but the Chairperson and/or deputy Chairperson is absent, or late for whatever reason, the meeting shall not begin for at least thirty(30) minutes. Thereafter members of the meeting shall elect one of them to chair the meeting.
  2. 10.2 The Chairperson of the meeting shall conduct the meeting in accordance with best practice and recognized rules of meeting procedures.
  3. 10.3 Members of the meeting shall assist the Chairperson in achieving the objectives of the meeting by contributing their ideas and opinions to the meeting in a positive and constructive manner.
  4. 10.4 The Chairperson assisted by the Secretary shall issue the notice for the meeting and determine and distribute the agenda of the meeting to the members at least 4 (four) days prior to such a meeting to ensure that members have a reasonable time to prepare for such a meeting.
  5. 10.5 Members attending a meeting shall sign an attendance register at the beginning of the meeting.
  6. 10.6 Additional items to the Agenda shall be added at the beginning of the meeting.
  7. 10.7 All members of the meeting shall declare any conflict of interest that they shall have at the beginning of the meeting and sign the requisite declaration of interest register.
  8. 10.8 Where for any reason the agenda of the meeting cannot be completed, the Chairperson with the concurrence of members shall adjourn the meeting for a future date which shall not be more than three weeks from the date of the adjourned meeting.
  9. 10.9 The Chairperson of the meeting shall have the authority to evict a member from the meeting where such member is acting in an unreasonable and disruptive manner after being given 3 verbal warnings to cease and desist from his/her unreasonable and disruptive behavior.
  10. 10.10 Proper minutes and attendance records must be kept for all meetings of the Association.
  11. 10.11 The minutes shall be confirmed as a true record of proceedings by the next meeting of the Council, or of general members as the case may be, and shall thereafter be signed by the Chairperson.
  12. 10.12 Minutes shall thereafter be kept safely and always be on