Association General By-Laws
LAC ST-PIERRE ASSOCIATION VAL-DES-MONTS, QUEBEC
www.lacstpierre.ca
JULY 2012
Adopted at the 2012 Annual General Meeting
History
Incorporated on August 1, 1943
Registered with the Superior Court of Hull (Quebec) on August 18, 1943 as Number 1783
Registered with the Provincial Secretary and the Office of Registries of Gatineau on August 20, 1943 as Number 10561
Corporation dissolved in 1978
Mission of the Association:
Increase awareness of and educate property owners and visitors of Lac StPierre and Lac McMullin of the importance of maintaining a healthy environment;
Maintain the balance of the ecosystem to its maximum of Lac St-Pierre and Lac McMullin;
To realize its mission, the Association:
Represents its members and acts as spokesperson with governmental authorities in matters relating to the environment and the balance of the ecosystem of the two lakes;
Encourages co-operation and involvement of its members in all projects adopted by the Executive Committee;
Promotes the well-being and the interests of the property owners and visitors of lac St-Pierre and Lac McMullin plus the surroundings with regard to the environment and safety on the water;
Establishes partnerships with other associations, groups or bodies dedicated to the promotion of interests compatible with those of the Lac St-Pierre Association;
Supports goodwill among its members.
The members of the Association are the property owners, the residents and the visitors of Lac St-Pierre and Lac McMullin who have paid their membership fees.
The membership covers all residents of a same civic address. The payment of the membership fees covers the period for which it has been paid.
The amount of the membership fees is determined by the Executive Committee every year.
Member status includes the right to vote at annual general meetings and special meetings.
BY-LAWS OF THE ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS
1.1 Name: the Association is known as Lac St-Pierre Association.
1.2 Purpose: the Association’s objective is to protect and keep a healthy environment at Lac St-Pierre and Lac McMullin.
Means: to meet that objective, the Association:
Recruits as many members as possible;
Acts as the spokesperson and representative of its members;
1.3 Eligibility: the Association is composed of people who satisfy the requirements to be members in good standing. Any property owner, resident or visitor of lac St-Pierre or Lac McMullin who pays the membership fees can become a member.
1.4 Member in good standing: the eligible person is a member in good standing when they have paid their membership fees.
1.5 Membership fees: the Executive Committee informs members at the Annual General Meeting of the membership fees it has determined.
ARTICLE 2: FISCAL YEAR
2.1 The annual fiscal year of the Association is from January 1 to December 31.
2.2 The financial resources of the Association are made of the annual membership fees of its members. It can also receive donations, grants or other contributions and benefits.
2.3 Any cheque made in the name of the Association must be signed by two (2) officers authorized by the Executive Committee.
2.4 The President can authorize administrative expenditures up to one hundred dollars ($100) but must inform the Executive Committee at the next meeting.
2.5 Any expenditure of more than one hundred dollars ($100) must be shown in the agenda and follow the normal procedures of the Executive Committee’s meetings.
ARTICLE 3: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
3.1 Role of the Executive Committee: the Executive Committee identifies the positions to be staffed on the Executive Committee, defines the objectives, the policies and direction of the Association and ensures their application, adopts the budget forecasts and the financial statements and ensures their follow-up and control, determines the time of the elections and reports on its activities at the Annual General Meeting. It also ensures staffing of vacancies that come up during its mandate; it can set up committees and determine mandates and budgets.
3.2 The Executive Committee is composed of at least seven (7) and at most twelve (12) representatives elected at the Annual General Meeting, in addition to the past president.
3.3 The officers are designated as follows: one president, one vice-president, one secretary and one treasurer chosen among the elected representatives of the Executive Committee.
3.4 Role of Officers
President
The President is the official representative of the Association in dealings with other organizations. He organizes the meetings of the Executive Committee, any special meetings and the Annual General Meeting. He presides over the meetings or designates a chair of the meeting, coordinates the activities of the Association and ensures good relations between the members. He is a member of all committees and can designate someone to replace him when he cannot participate. He signs the official documents and takes on the responsibilities assigned to him by the Executive Committee.
Vice President
The Vice President supports the President in his duties, replaces him when absent and takes on the responsibilities that are assigned to him by the Executive Committee.
Secretary
The Secretary has custody of the documents and archives of the Association; he drafts, signs and sends the draft agendas and the minutes of the meetings and takes on the responsibilities that are assigned to him by the Executive Committee.
Treasurer
The Treasurer has custody of the funds and assets of the Association. He holds the financial records of the Association, signs the financial documents, prepares the detailed financial reports of the Association and takes on the responsibilities assigned to him by the Executive Committee.
Former President
The role of the Former President is defined by the Executive Committee and ensures continuity and the transfer of corporate memory;
3.5 The representatives of the Executive Committee, members in good standing of the Association, are elected by the members in good standing who have the right to vote, or represented by proxy.
3.6 The mandate of the representatives is two (2) years and is renewable.
3.7 Since the representatives are elected for two (2) years, only some (50%) of the representatives will end their term every year.
3.8 Any vacancy during the term of a representative is filled by the Executive Committee. The designated representative completes the term of the representative he replaces. He must be a member in good standing.
3.9 Meetings: the Executive Committee must meet at least six (6) times a year.
3.10 Quorum: quorum for the meetings is half plus one (50% + 1) of the representatives of the Executive Committee.
3.11 Notification: a Notification to attend and a draft agenda must be sent to the representatives of the Executive Committee within a reasonable delay before the date of the meeting.
3.12 Decisions: decisions are taken on a simple majority of votes. In case of equality of votes, the President’s vote is paramount.
ARTICLE 4: MEETING PROCEDURE
4.1 The President determines that the quorum is reached and that the meeting is correctly constituted.
Adoption of the agenda and various issues
Adoption of the Minutes of the preceding meeting
Report of the Treasurer
Report of Committees
Miscellaneous
Closing of Meeting
4.2 Any significant issue must be the object of a proposal supported by a representative and be voted at the meetings of the Executive Committee.
4.3 The representatives can submit projects for study by the Executive Committee in compliance with the objectives of the Association.
ARTICLE 5: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
5.1 The Annual General Meeting is open to all residents and property owners of Lac St-Pierre and Lac McMullin. The date and place of the meeting are decided by the Executive Committee.
5.2 A notice to attend and a draft agenda are published at least one (1) month before the date of the meeting.
5.3 The holders of a right of vote (members) are identified by an official ticket, after verification of the list of members in good standing provided by the Secretary at the opening of the meeting.
5.4 Quorum: the quorum at the Annual General Meeting is at least 15 members of the Association.
5.5 Only members can propose, second or vote on a proposal. An amendment to a proposal can be made if the members who proposed and seconded the proposal agree with the amendment.
5.6 Each proposal properly presented must be the object of a debate, unless the persons who proposed and seconded the proposal withdraw it.
5.7 Before receiving other proposals from the members, the President must conclude on the outcome of any proposal voted on.
5.8. The President is responsible for order and discipline during the Annual General Meeting. He coordinates the discussions and, if circumstances warrant, can ask any competent person to assist him during the discussions.
5.9 Decisions: the decisions are taken on a simple majority of the votes expressed. The election of the members of the Executive Committee replacing those whose term expires is made at the Annual General Meeting.
Every member has the right to speak. Members must identify themselves and inform the President if they wish to speak. The Annual General Meeting comes to an end on a seconded proposition to conclude the meeting.
ARTICLE 6: BY-LAWS RELATED TO THE ELECTIONS
6.1 Purpose: this by-law defines the rules of elections for the Executive Committee of the Lac St-Pierre Association.
6.2 Absence: a justified absence at the Annual General Meeting does not preclude the eligibility of a candidate. However, the absent eligible candidate must submit a note signed by two (2) members in good standing who have a right to vote; indicating that they propose and second the absent eligible candidate and that he accepts in advance the position of representative if he is elected. The note is provided to the President.
6.3 The President informs the participants of the number of positions to be staffed and the duration of the term of each representative; he does so by considering the number of expired terms and the rule of alternation.
6.4 The President of the meeting designates an Elections Officer and a Secretary for the election.
6.5 The Elections Officer and the Secretary of the election cannot be candidates and cannot vote. 6.6 The Scrutineers can be members or not of the Association but they cannot be candidates nor vote.
ARTICLE 7: ELECTION PROCEDURE
7.1 The Elections Officer declares the period for nominations open for all positions to be staffed and informs the attendees of the nominations received in writing.
7.2 The Elections Officer receives the nominations and ensures that the persons making the nominations and the persons nominated are members in good standing.
7.3 He declares the period for nominations closed when the members do not have any more nominations to make.
7.4 He asks each nominated person, in the reverse of the order in which they were nominated (starting with the last one and so forth) if they accept to be nominated.
7.5 If the number of persons nominated is equal to the number of vacant positions on the Executive Committee, the Elections Officer declares them elected.
7.6 If the number of persons nominated is inferior to the number of vacant positions, the Elections Officer proceeds with one or several new calls for nominations, until such time all positions have been staffed.
7.7 If there are more nominations than positions to be staffed, the Elections Officer names two (2) scrutineers.
7.8. The Elections Officer asks the scrutineers to initial, to distribute and to collect the ballots cards while preserving the anonymity of the voters.
7.9 The Elections Officer asks the members in attendance to write on the ballot card the same number of names as the number of positions to be filled.
7.10 The Elections Officer has the ballot cards collected and has the votes tabulated, announces the results to the members and declares the election of those with most votes.
7.11 The voting ballots are destroyed immediately after the elections.
7.12 The Elections Officer declares the election period closed; then completes and signs the Elections Report.