iii) 7.6 The Executive Director and Secretariat staff shall respect and take into consideration in all their activities, the sovereignty and rights of each Member State of this Charter. Committees of the Board of Directors 7.6.1 The Board of Directors shall establish the following committees: i) Executive Committee, elected annually by rotation. One of its functions shall be to assist the Executive Director in carrying out of his duties. It shall meet at least every quarter or as the Board of Directors may determine from time to time. ii) Project or technical Committees, may be established by the Board from time to time to assist RETOSA in relation to specific projects. Membership of such committees shall be at the discretion of the Board, but shall include one Board member as Chairman and the Executive Director. iii) Ad hoc Committees, may be established by the Board from time to time as the need arises. ARTICLES MEETINGS AND RULES OF QUORUM 8.1 MEETINGS OF THE BOARD AND ITS ASSOCIATED COMMITTEES 8.2 FORMAL AND MANDATED MEETINGS: 8.3 BOARD MEETINGS 8.3.1 Board meetings shall be convened three (3) times annually. The Agenda, time and venue of such meetings shall be agreed in advance by the Board and confirmed by the Secretariat in writing: i) Formal agendas and notification reminders shall be circulated by the Secretariat to the Board twenty-eight (28) days prior to the meetings. ii) .o\1m! iD.J.; .te$..and other documentation from any previous Board meeting shall be circulated by the Secretariat not later than twenty-one (21) days following the meeting to which they relate. iii) Confirmation of time and venue shall form part of any circularindicating the intention to hold Board Meetings in terms of the provisions of this Charter. iv) Voting shall be open and shall be taken by a simple majority. v) Procedures at meetings shall be detailed in RETOSA By-Laws or Regulations and Rules. vi) The Rules of Quorum given in Article8.8 herein shall apply to procedures at meetings. 9