Varsity View Community Association Inc. Bylaws
The executive of the Varsity View Community Association Inc., pursuant to Article 6.05 of the Constitution, enacts bylaws as follows:
BYLAW 1 – Duties of Directors
1.01 President
a) Presides as chairperson at all meetings of the executive and community association;
b) Is responsible for preparation of the agenda for meetings;
c) Has signing authority for documents and cheques drawn on community association funds;
d) Represents the association to the various levels of government and other agencies;
e) Ensures that all executive members are adequately trained in their duties and functions;
f) Is ex-officio member of all executive committees and designates jobs to committees.
1.02 President Elect
a) In the absence of the President, assumes all authority and responsibility generally designated to the President;
b) Assists the President with the leadership and direction of the association;
c) Is responsible for coordinating all standing committees;
d) Is in line to assume the President’s position upon the expiration of the current President’s term.
1.03 Past President
a) Is a member of the executive for a minimum of one year following the expiration of his/her President’s term;
b) Provides guidance and support for the President Elect and the Board of Directors;
c) May assume responsibilities as determined and designated by the executive;
d) Chairs meetings in the absence of both the President and President Elect.
1.04 Secretary
a) Records, preserves, distributes and reads the minutes of all executive, general and special meetings of the association;
b) Keeps a record of all committees and committee members and maintains attendance records of the executive;
c) Is responsible for notification of all executive members of next meetings;
d) Handles all correspondence as directed by the executive.
1.05 Treasurer
a) Keeps regular books and records of the association’s finances;
b) Has signing authority on documents and cheques drawn on association funds;
c) Prepares and presents financial statements for regular association meetings;
d) Presents the annual financial statement at the Annual General Meeting;
e) Prepares a budget projection for executive approval at the beginning of each fiscal year.
1.06 Indoor Program Coordinator(s)
a) Is responsible for the coordination and management of all indoor recreation activities in cooperation with the Community Services Department and the School Boards;
b) Is responsible for appointing indoor coordinators (as required) and assigning their various duties.
1.07 Sport Coordinators – Basketball, Football, Soccer & Softball
a) Acts as liaison with the community association and respective sport organization;
b) Is responsible for recruiting and appointing coaches;
c) Represents his/her respective sport at all meetings of the association.
1.08 Rink Coordinator
a) Is a member of the Board of Directors;
b) Is responsible for coordinating the operation of the community outdoor rink;
c) Supervises all staff that are hired or volunteer to work at the rink.
1.09 Social Director
a) Is responsible for organizing and coordinating all social activities and functions for the neighbourhood served by the community association.
1.10 Equipment Coordinator
a) Is responsible for maintaining an inventory of all community association equipment;
b) Coordinates the allocation of equipment as required.
1.11 Volunteer Coordinator
a) Is responsible for recruiting neighbourhood residents as potential board or committee members.
1.12 Members at Large
a) Are directors that are available for appointment to duties, responsibilities and committees as deemed necessary by the board.
1.13 Albert Community Centre Representative
a) Is appointed to the board of the community association by the Albert Community Centre association;
b) Is responsible for representing the Albert Community Centre at all community association meetings and functions.
1.14 Community Garden Coordinator
a). Is selected from the community garden planning committee to attend board meetings.
b). Is responsible for communication between the community garden and the board.
Varsity View Community Association Inc. Constitution
Original – circa 1989
Revised – April 16th, 2014
ARTICLE 1 – PRELIMINARY
1.01 (Removed April 2006)
1.02 In the event of any dispute as to the meaning of any bylaw or resolution heretofore or hereafter passed, the interpretation of the Board of Directors shall be final.
ARTICLE 2 – NAME
2.01 The name of this organization shall be: Varsity View Community Association Inc., hereinafter called “the Association”.
2.02 The Board of Directors of the Association shall hereinafter be called “the Board”.
ARTICLE 3 – COMMUNITY BOUNDARIES
3.01 The Association shall represent the neighbourhoods of Varsity View and Grosvenor Park, in the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, bounded on:
(a) the north by College Drive
(b) the south by Eighth Street
(c) the east by Preston Avenue
(d) the west by Clarence Avenue
ARTICLE 4 – OBJECTIVES
4.01 To encourage a sense of community and to work to improve the quality of life of the people in the community.
4.02 To promote and assist in the development of the social, recreational, and educational well-being of the residents of the community.
4.03 To promote, develop and organize social, recreational and educational programs, facilities and sites by:
(a) Working in conjunction with the City of Saskatoon Community Services Department.
(b) Working in conjunction with other organizations and agencies.
(c) Raising funds for the purpose of conducting and furthering the objectives of the Association.
ARTICLE 5 – MEMBERSHIP
5.01 Membership shall be open, upon payment of the required fees and for a period as determined by the Board, to:
(a) Any individual or family that resides within the Association boundaries.
(b) Families whose children attend any school located within the Association boundaries.
(c) Any individual or family who, by reason of exceptional circumstance, shall be deemed eligible for membership by the Board.
5.02 Membership fees shall be paid annually by a date not later than that stipulated by the Board. These fees shall be set annually by the Board.
5.03 Any individual or family that has paid the required fees shall be considered a member in good standing.
5.04 Any family or individual failing to pay the required fees shall cease to be members but may reapply for membership.
5.05 Non-members may participate in the activities of the Association but priority shall be given to Association members. The fee schedule for non-members shall be determined by the Board.
5.06 Membership cards may be issued.
In his/her individual capacity, a member is not liable for any debt or liability of the Association.
Members are expected to adhere to VVCA’s Code of Conduct Policy to ensure respectful participation in activities.
ARTICLE 6 – THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
6.01 The Board officers shall consist of the following:
(a) President
(b) President-elect
(c) Secretary
(d) Treasurer
The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined by the Board.
The Board will consist of the above officers and as many of the following coordinators as deemed necessary by the Board officers for the effective functioning of the Association:
(a) Indoor Programs coordinator(s)
(b) Sports coordinator(s)
(c) Newsletter coordinator
(d) Rink coordinator
(e) Community Garden coordinator
(f) Social coordinator(s)
(g) Members at large (Membership, Volunteers, Facilities)
6.04 Coordinators and members of the Board of Directors shall be elected and shall be members of the Association.
6.05 The duties of the members of the Board of Directors shall be as described in the By-laws of the Association.
ARTICLE 7 – POWERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
7.01 The Board shall be responsible to the membership and have power on behalf of the membership to do all things necessary for the achievement of the objectives of the Association and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, be empowered to:
(a) Administer funds on behalf of the Association, including approval of all fund raising projects, in such manner and for such purposes as it may decide are beneficial to the well-being and advancement of the objectives of the Association.
(b) Commence any new form of activity considered desirable and likewise discontinue any form of activity being conducted under the auspices of the Association.
Ensure that the activities of the Association shall be conducted for the sole purpose of promoting the objectives of the Association and not for any individual monetary gain for its members.
Ensure that the Association is operated on a non-political and non-sectarian basis.
Appoint committees and assign their responsibilities, authorities, and duration.
Suspend any member from the Association for infraction of the rules and regulations of the Association.
Remove any officer from the Board for failure to properly carry out the responsibilities of his office.
Suspend from the Board any member who does not attend three (3) consecutive meetings of the Board without having given a satisfactory explanation for such absence to the Board.
Appoint any member of the Association to fill any vacancy occurring on the Board until the next Annual General Meeting, at which time an election will be held to appoint an officer to complete the balance of the term of the retiring officer.
Make rules and regulations regarding the use of Association facilities and equipment.
7.02 (Moved to 8.09)
7.03 All questions before the Board shall be determined by majority vote. In the event of a deadlock, the Chairperson shall have the tie-breaking vote.
7.04 Any member of the Board who, for any reason, shall cease to hold office shall turn over to the Association all documents, records, books, funds and other property of the association.
ARTICLE 8 – MEETINGS
8.01 There shall be at least one (1) General meeting per year, this being the Annual General Meeting which shall be held before the first day of May each year, on a date fixed by the Board.
8.02 In addition to the Annual General Meeting, a Special Meeting shall be held in the following circumstances:
(a) When deemed advisable by the Board
(b) When requested by written petition and signed by not less than twenty (20) Association members in good standing. The petition must clearly state the nature of the business proposed to be transacted at such meeting. The meeting shall be held not less than twenty (20) and not more than thirty (30) days after receiving such a petition.
8.03 All notices respecting a Special Meeting shall state specifically the business proposed to be discussed as such Special Meeting and no other business, other than specified in the notice, shall be transacted at the meeting.
8.04 Ten (10) Association members in good standing shall constitute a quorum at any General or Special meeting of the Association.
(a) If within half an hour from the time appointed for a meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of members, or upon the call of any member who had signed a requisition upon which the directors had failed or neglected to act, shall be dissolved; in any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place; and if at such adjourned meeting a quorum is not present, the members present, if at least five (5), shall be a quorum.
8.05 Notice of the time and place of the Annual General Meeting or a Special Meeting must be given to the members of the Association by a written notice to be delivered by postage or by personal delivery. This notice must be sent not more than 50 nor less than 15 days before the date of said meeting.
8.06 Meetings of the Board may be held at any time upon reasonable notice at the call of the President. There shall be a minimum of six (6) meetings per fiscal year. Meetings of the Board will be advertised in the community.
8.07 Members of the Association may attend meetings of the Board and may participate in discussion but will not have voting privileges.
8.08 Order of Business of Board Meetings
(a) Call to order
(b) Welcome Guests
(c) Presentations
(d) Adoption of the Agenda
(e) Adoption of Minutes from Previous Board Meeting
(f) Old Business Arising From the Minutes
(g) Correspondence
(h) President’s Report
(i) Treasurer’s Report
(j) Coordinator and Other Reports
(k) New business
(l) Other Business
(m) Adjournment
8.09 A quorum to conduct Meetings of the Board shall consist of a minimum of five (5) Board members of which two (2) shall be Board officers. If within half an hour from the time appointed for a meeting of the Board a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand adjourned
ARTICLE 9 – VOTING
9.01 Every Association member in good standing, eighteen (18) years of age or over, is entitled to one vote. There shall be no voting by proxy.
9.02 The general business of the Association shall be conducted by a majority vote of the members present at the meeting as indicated by a show of hands with the exception of:
(a) Amendments to the constitution which must be passed by at least a two-thirds majority of those voting members present and may be by secret ballot if requested by two or more members.
(b) Election of the Board which shall be by secret ballot unless waived.
In the event of a tied vote the meeting Chairperson shall have the tie-breaking vote.
ARTICLE 10 – ELECTIONS
10.01 Election of members of the Board shall be held at the Annual General Meeting.
10.02 The normal term of office for any person on the Board shall be two (2) years.
10.03 Not more than six (6) members of the Board shall be retired annually, in accordance with the following:
(a) Group I consists of President, Treasurer, Indoor Programs Coordinator(s) and no more than two members at large
(b) Group II consists of President-elect, Secretary, Newsletter Coordinator, Sports Coordinator(s), Social Coordinator(s) and no more than two members at large.
(c) Past President shall serve for at least one year, and another one at the invitation of the Board.
All Association members in good standing at the time of the Annual General Meeting shall be eligible to take office or to be a candidate for office.
ARTICLE 11 – CREDIT
11.01 Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Constitution, no section or sections of the Constitution shall be deemed to empower or enable the Board or any individual member of the Association either to pledge the credit of the Association or to enter into any contract or agreement on behalf of the Association whereby the Association is or will become obligated for a sum greater than the existing bank deposits of the Association at the same time unless and until such a commitment has been specifically authorized by a Special Meeting of the Association.
ARTICLE 12 – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
12.01 A reviewed annual financial statement shall be presented for approval at the Annual General Meeting.
12.02 The fiscal year of the Association shall be the calendar year, January 1 to December 31.
12.03 All cheques drawn upon the Association’s bank account, as well as all legal papers and contracts, shall be executed on behalf of the Association:
(a) By the President and the Treasurer
(b) By the Secretary and the President or by the Secretary and Treasurer in the absence of either the President or the Treasurer.
ARTICLE 13 – AMENDMENTS
13.01 Proposed amendments to this Constitution must be in writing and received by the Secretary not less than twenty (20) days prior to the Annual General Meeting. Full details of the proposed amendments must be included in the notice of the meeting.
13.02 Amendments to the By-laws of the Association may be made at any General Meeting and shall be passed by a simple majority vote of members present.
This constitution of Varsity View Community Association Inc. adopted by the general membership on April 25th, 2014.