Laws – Branches
Chapter One:
Name – Goal – Center
Article I
The name of the organization is the Somali Youth League
Article II
The main center of SYL will be Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
Article III
SYL will establish branches in the important towns throughout Somalia.
Article IV
Effective immediately, all [Somali Youth] club members will become members of SYL . They will maintain their original member number and continue to carry their [SYC] identification cards until SYL identification cards have been issued.
Article V
The goals of SYL are:
A. To unite all Somalis in general and youth in particular and to reject all old habits such as tribalism, sufi orders, clanism and the like. SYL will work towards the good of the country. Somalis must perform their obligations towards themselves and towards civilization (’almadaniyyat).
B. To teach the youth modern sciences through schools and weekly informational sessions, including science, industry, agriculture and languages. These [the youth] should seek each other’s help in all religious and worldly affairs.
C. To unite in rejecting, in a legal and orderly manner, everything contrary to Somali interests.
D. To teach the Somali language based on the Somali writing system better known as Osmanya.
Article VI
The SYL organization will consist of the following:
A. The General Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘umuumiyyat) and Branches Committee (lajnat ’al-furuu‘ )
B. The Appeals Committee (lajnat ’arruf‘aan)
C. The Supreme Committee (lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa) at the main center (i.e., headquarters) and the Branch Committees (lajnat ’al-furuu‘) elsewhere [in the country]
D. The General Assembly (’ijtima‘aamm)
Article VII
The headquarters of the Higher administration (’al-’idaarat ’al-‘ulyaa) will be the headquarters of SYL in Mogadishu.
Article VIII
The General Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘umuumiyyat) will consist of 13 members in addition to two inspecting members appointed by the administration itself, which also prepares the list of candidates.
Candidates will be tested to see if they are able to perform this job, and they will serve for one year.
Article IX
Running SYL business will be conducted through voting; however, if there is a tie, the side that the President supports will prevail.
Chapter Two:
Structure and Administration
The President of the General Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘umuumiyyat) will be the president of SYL. The members of the administration will elect from amongst themselves:
1. The President
2. The Vice President
3. The General Secretary
4. The Treasurer (’amiin ’aSSondouq)
5. Two financial supervisors
Article XI
A committee meeting will be held if requested by the President, the Vice President, the General Secretary, or one third of the administration members. All members of the administration must attend.
Article XII
The administrative council (majlis ’al-’idaarat) will meet once weekly. It will also convene if there is a pressing need, provided that an announcement is made twelve hours in advance. In case of urgency, the session may be held at any time.
Article XIII
The committee (’al-lajnat) may hold a session if more than half the administration members are in attendance. If this quorum is not present, the session will be postponed.
Article XIV
The General Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘umuumiyyat) will issue all necessary decisions with regard to SYL matters.
Article XV
Municipal committees (’al-lijaan ’albaladiyyat) outside the capital city will be branches of SYL. Each committee will consist of nine members who will serve for a six month term, electing from amongst themselves a Secretary who will serves as the Branch Head and as the local deputy of the SYL President. He can appoint an assistant or more from among the administration members, yet these choices must be approved by the Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa).
Article XVI
The Appeals Committee (’al-lajnat ’arruf’aan) will consist of seven members elected from previous members. They will be elected by the General Committee (’al-lajnat al-‘umuumiyyat) from time to time, and they will work at the main center [in Mogadishu].
Article XVII
The regulations that apply to the General Committee (’al-lajnat al-‘umuumiyyat) –as listed in articles XI, XII, and XIII above – will also apply to branch committees (’allijaan ’al-far‘iyyat), which can employ these articles when needed.
Article XVIII
The Supreme Administration (’al-’idaarat’al-‘ulyaa) will consist of the members of the Central Committee (’al-lajnat ’almarkaziyyat). They will have posts thatinclude:
1. The President
2. The Vice President
3. The General Secretary
4. The General Treasurer (’amiin ’aSSonduuq ’al-‘aamm)
Article IXX
The Central Committee (’al-lajnat ’almarkaziyyat) members are the governing members of SYL and they:
1. Are responsible for organizing all issues that need to be discussed by the Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-markaziyyat)
2. Execute all decisions made by the Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’almarkaziyyat)
3. Organize a weekly meeting to spread knowledge and propaganda among the headquarters members.
Article XX
In emergencies when the council of the Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa) cannot meet as prescribed in articles XI, XII, and XIII of these laws, the Central Administration (’al-’idaarat ’almarkaziyyat) may take necessary measures. It will decide what it believes needs to be done and submit its recommendations to the Supreme Committee (’al-lanat ’al-‘ulyaa).
Article XXI
The President, Vice President and the General Secretary are mandated to speak to third parties and appeal any rulings that concern SYL, yet they cannot make binding decisions without Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa) approval.
Article XXII
Article XXI of this law also applies to branch committees, and they should follow it when necessary.
Article XXIII
SYL branches are the ones that are present nationwide to execute the goals of SYL . They also function as a means of communication between the members outside [the capital city] and the Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa).
The General Assembly
Article XXIV
The General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘’al-‘aamm) will consist of all SYL members present in the main center–Mogadishu – at the time of the meeting, as well as all branch presidents, who must attend. The meeting must be announced 15 days prior to the meeting.
Article XXV
Per regulations, the General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘ ’al-‘aamm) will convene once every year. Nonetheless, the Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa) can call a session whenever doing so may be deemed necessary. If a [special] meeting is necessary, it can be held even without the attendance of the branch heads. Later, they will be apprised about what took place in the General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘ ’al-‘aamm).
Article XXVI
The General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘ ’al-‘aamm) council meeting may commence its business if half of the members are present at the main centers. The General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘ ’al-‘aamm) will discuss all matters that concern SYL .
Chapter 3:
Funds and Finance
Article XXVIII
Expenditures are the right/responsibility of SYL and are issued upon the approval of the Higher Administration (’al-’idaarat ’al-‘ulyaa). The treasurer can deposit funds in SYL bank accounts, but he may not withdraw monies in excess of 500 shillings without the endorsement of the SYL President.
Article XXVIV
Funds are the exclusive property of the SYL [organization]. No individual may offer or lend them for any reason.
Article XXX
Financial supervisors will audit SYL ledgers and be responsible for submitting to the Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa) a monthly report about revenues and expenditures.
Article XXXI
Supervisors elected from the administration (’al-’idaarat) will receive salaries from SYL. They will be entitled / empowered to discuss the internal situation matters, such as advertising materials and supervisory reports.
Article XXXII
The Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa) will prepare an annual report of all financial balances and expenses, present it to the General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘ ’al-‘aamm), and then distribute it to all branch offices.
Article XXXIII
Branch secretariats (’al-sikriitaaryaat ’alfurou’) will be responsible for collecting participants’ monthly dues and issuing receipts to them. They will also send to the headquarters (markaz ’al-‘aamm) all monies they collect, along with copies of receipts.
Article XXXIV
If branch heads need funds from their local revenues, their requests must be approved by the Higher Administration (’al-’idaarat ’al-‘ulyaa).
Chapter Four:
Admission Laws and Regulations
Article XXXV
Admission to SYL is open to all Somalis or Africans who live in the land of Somalia, according to the following rules:
1. They have reached the age of puberty, i.e., 15 years
2. They are well behaved, of good morals, and abstain from evil deeds
3. They cannot be participants in or registered in any other organization
Article XXXVI
All those above sixty, whether Somali or African, may not become members unless they have previously served SYL and in that case they must bring their Somali supervisor/sponsor or n SYL member who knew him [during his previous service].
Article XXXVII
All members will pay five shillings as soon as they become members. The monthly due is one shilling and members have to pay three months dues in advance. If they enroll during the first half of the month, they will pay the full membership dues. If they enroll during the second half of the month, they will start paying their dues the next month.
Article XXXVIII
Membership will be granted upon the approval of either the General Secretary [of SYL] alone, or those who represent him in the branches, such as the local presidents, provided that two other members also recommend him. Individuals who are questionable will need a majority decision of the administration [if in Mogadishu] or the branch council committee [if outside of Mogadishu].
Article XXXIX
Those who, without an acceptable excuse, do not pay their dues for six consecutive months will be removed from membership lists.
Article XXXX
Everyone who violates the rules or acts against the goal of SYL will be reprimanded as follows:
1. Admonishment and censure by the relevant/appropriate committee
2. A fine of up to 100 shillings
3. Expulsion from SYL
The first two penalties may be executed by the local committee (’al-lajnat ’almaHaliyyat), while expulsion needs a 13-member committee that will make a recommendation to the main center to expel him.
Article XXXXI
If one is expelled from SYL and then asks to return to active membership, the Appeals Committee (lajnat ’ar-ruf’aan) may or may not accept his return. If it accepts, then the member has to pay five shillings immediately. His situation will be discussed only after one year and a half has elapsed since his departure.
Article XXXXII
SYL members who leave voluntarily and then apply in writing to return will pay 100 shillings and the application will be considered only after one year of his departure.
Article XXXXIII
Any funds paid to SYL may not be refunded unless they are recorded in the official register (’ad-diiwaan).
Article XXXXIV
If the General (’al-‘umuumiyyat) or the local (’al-maHaliyyat) committee (’idaarat) decides to expel a member or fine him more than 50 shillings, he can file a complaint in writing to the Appeals Committee (lajnat ’ar-ruf’aan). The committee ruling will be final and binding.
Article XXXXV
Those seeking membership must read and understand all [the above] articles.
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