Table of Contents
Article 0 Table of Contents .
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Article I Name of the Body
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Article II Objective of the Centre
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Article III Seal
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Article IV Membership and Annual Fees
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Article V
The Officers and the Executive
Council ...
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Article VI Elections and Terms of Officers
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Article VI-A -- National Council Representatives
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Article VII Duties of Officers
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Article VIII Meetings
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Article IX Committees
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Article X Amendment of the By-Law
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Article XI Associate Members of the Centre ...
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Article XII Non Profit Clause
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The Royal Astronomical
Society of Canada
Thunder Bay Centre
This
Centre shall be known as The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Thunder Bay
Centre. The name Royal Astronomical
Society of Canada will be hereafter referred to as the Society. The name of this Centre shall be Thunder
Bay Centre, hereafter referred to as the Centre.
Article
II Objectives of the Centre
The
objectives of the Centre, in conjunction with those of the Society, shall be to
promote interest in, the study and knowledge of astronomy and allied sciences
by lay and professional persons.
Article
III Seal
Article
IV Membership and Annual Fees
1.
Membership
in the Centre shall be open to those who are interested in astronomy and who
have been duly elected to the Centre or who have been transferred at their
request to the Thunder Bay Centre.
2.
The
classes of membership shall be those named in the By-Law of the R.A.S.C.:
Ordinary Members, Youth Members (< 21 years of age), Life Members and
Honourary Members. The definitions of
these classes of membership shall be those definitions provided in Article 3.02
of By-Law Number One of the Society.
3.
The
annual fees for all classes of membership shall be the same amount as listed
for the current year in the By-Laws governing the Society. The inclusion, if required in the future,
and the amount of a surcharge will be determined annually by a motion through
the Executive Council of the Centre.
The surcharge will be less for Youth members than for Ordinary
members. The annual membership fees
will be payable to the National office annually on the members anniversary
date.
Article
V The Officers and the Executive Council
1.
The
officers of the Centre shall be comprised of the positions of Honourary
President, President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor,
and National Council Representative.
2.
The
Executive Council shall be made up of the President, Vice-President, Secretary,
Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, National Council Representative, Webmaster,
Membership Chair, and Programs & Media positions.
3.
The
Executive Council holds the responsibility for the direction and management of
the Centre.
4.
Executive
meetings are open to any Centre member and are to be held a minimum of six (6)
times a year and on request of the President.
Article
VI Election and Terms of Officers
The
conditions of nomination shall be:
1.
Person
nominated shall be a member in good standing of the Centre,
2.
The
consent of the nominee shall have been obtained.
3.
At
least two who are members in good standing of the Centre shall make the
nomination.
4.
Term
of office for the President and Vice-President is two (2) years. The Secretary and Treasurer terms are to be
three (3) years. The other positions
are to be reviewed after four (4) years.
5.
Resignation
from any office can be done with 3 months notification to the Executive.
Article
VI-A National Council Representative
Parameters for the National Representative position shall be:
1.
The
term of office of a National Council Representative is one (1) year. No
person may hold the office of National Council
Representative for more than three (3) consecutive terms, but such person may
be re-elected after a lapse of one (1) year.
The appointee must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age.
2.
If
a National Council Representative is unable to attend a National Council
meeting
then an alternate for the National Council Representative can be chosen.
The alternate must have written proof from
the Centre President or Secretary as
to the due appointment of
the alternate to the National Representative elected by
the Centre.
Article
VII Duties of Officers
1.
The
President shall preside at all meetings at which he/she is present. If the President is absent the
Vice-President shall preside. In the
absence of both, the meeting shall appoint a chairman.
2.
The
Vice-President will assist with the management of the Centre.
3.
The
Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all regular Centre meetings and the
meetings of the Executive Council and other activities of the Centre. The Secretary will conduct the
correspondence of the Centre and work with the Newsletter Editor to insure the
membership is informed about meetings.
The Secretary shall submit to the Annual Meeting a report on membership,
meetings, and other Centre activities for the preceding year. After the report has been approved by the
Executive Council it will be sent by the Centre Secretary to the Executive
Secretary of the Society before the appointed deadline by the Society.
4.
The
Treasurer shall keep accurate records of all transactions, fees, money
received, and pay bills as sanctioned by the Executive Council. The Treasurer shall submit to the Annual
Meeting a report on membership, meetings, and other Centre activities for the
preceding year. This includes a
statement of revenues and expenses and a statement of assets and liabilities. These statements shall, after being approved
by the Annual Meeting of the Centre, be forwarded to the Executive Secretary of
the Society before the appointed deadline by the Society.
5.
The
Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for the production of the Centres
Newsletter at regular intervals.
Article
VIII Meetings
1.
Annual
Meeting must be held by the Centre between October 1 and January 31. Included at this Annual Meeting is:
a.
Secretary
shall submit for adoption at the meeting a report on the number of
members
in each class of membership at the end of the previous membership year.
b.
Treasurer
shall submit for adoption at the meeting a financial statement for the
Centres previous fiscal year in such form as may be prescribed by the
National
Council
from time to time.
2.
Regular
Meetings of the Centre for the presentation papers, guest speakers, and a
variety of matters of interest shall be held on a regular basis and no fewer
than eight (8) times per annum. Notice
of the dates of the meetings shall be given in the Centres newsletter.
3.
Special
meetings of the Centre may be called by the President as he/she shall judge
necessary and notice seven days in advance shall be given to each member of the
Centre.
Article
IX Committees
1.
The
Centre may establish special committees or groups for definite purposes such as
the Observers or Social Groups.
2.
The
President may invite a representative of such group, if not a member of the
Executive Council, to attend the Executive Council meetings, but the
representative may not vote at such meetings.
Article
X Amendment of the By-Law
1.
This
By-Law may be amended at the Annual Meeting by a two-thirds vote from the
members present and voting. A vote by
secret ballot may be requested and must be employed if requested by the
majority of those present and voting.
2.
A
proposal for an amendment to the By-Law must be submitted in writing to the
President and Secretary at least thirty (30) days before the Annual
Meeting. The Secretary shall prepare a
written draft of the amendment for presentation to each member of the Centre
and, if possible, shall see that it is published in the Centres newsletter
prior to the Annual Meeting.
Article
XI Associate Members of the Centre
1.
Associate
Membership in the Centre shall, upon request and payment of the appropriate fees,
be extended to the spouse, or individual children under 18 years of age, or
individual parents of any member in good standing of the Centre.
2.
Such
associate Member(s) is/are entitled to attend meetings of the Centre and
receive the Centre newsletter but shall not be entitled to vote or hold office
in the Centre and will not receive publications from the Society.
3.
The
annual fee prescribed for Associate Membership in the Centre shall be 25% of
the Annual Membership fee prescribed for Ordinary Members.
Article
XII Non Profit Clause
This
Organization shall be carried on without purpose of gain for its members. Any profits or other gains to the
organization and shall be used in promoting its objectives.
Ver.
2004 (1.0)