NANOOSE NATURALISTS

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

 

GENERAL

1.      The club shall be known as the NANOOSE NATURALISTS.

      Hereafter referred to as “the Club.”

2.      The Objectives of the Club shall be:

  1. To foster a public awareness, appreciation, and understanding of our natural environment, and to promote a better understanding of the value of our heritage in nature so that it may be wisely used and maintained for future generations;

  2. To preserve wildlife and protect its natural habitat;

  3. To support and cooperate with organizations and individuals having similar interests and objectives.

3.      The Club shall be operated without the purpose of gain for its members and any profits shall be used in promoting its objectives.

MEMBERSHIP

4.      Membership shall consist of either “single” or “family” members and be open to all persons who are interested in fostering the objectives of the Club.

FINANCIAL

5.      The financial year of the Club shall be the calendar year. Club dues shall be set by the Executive Committee. Annual dues shall be payable on the first day of January. Members who join after September 1st shall be deemed paid until December 31st of the following year.

6.      Any two of the following shall sign cheques on behalf of the Club: President, Past President, Treasurer.

MEETINGS

7.      Programs of the Club shall include indoor meetings, outings and field trips and other activities within the Objectives of the Club.

8.      There shall be an Annual Meeting of members during the month of January of each year. At this meeting the following business matters will be tabled: (a) Financial Report for the fiscal year; (b) Committee Reports; (c) President’s Report and (d) Election of Executive Committee and Board members for the ensuing year. A Nominating Committee shall be formed in November of each year and they shall present a slate of officers at the Annual Meeting for the ensuing year. Any member may nominate any consenting member for any vacant elective positions.

9.      General Meetings of the members shall be held in January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October and November.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

10.  The Executive Committee (“Executive”) shall consist of:

  1.  President, elected each year, who shall be ex-officio member of all                 committees, and who shall call and chair all meetings of the Executive;

  2. Vice-President, elected each year, who shall act in the place of the President when the latter is unable to do so;

  3. Past President, who shall be the immediate Past President;

  4. Secretary, elected each year, who shall prepare and distribute the minutes of each executive meeting and each general meeting no later than seven days after each meeting via the internet and/or hard copy;

  5. Treasurer, elected each year, who shall maintain the financial books and records of the Club, present quarterly financial statements and present the reviewed financial statements to the members in January for the previous fiscal year;

  6. Membership Convenor, elected each year, who shall enrol members and maintain membership records;

  7. Three directors, elected every second year;

11.  The Executive shall appoint a Financial Reviewer each year and may appoint the following: Newsletter Editor, Web Master, Historian, Honorary President.

12.  The Executive shall:

  1. direct and manage the affairs of the Club;

  2. control the disposition of the Club funds;

  3. set the membership dues.

13.  The Executive may fill by appointment from the membership any vacancy occurring on the Executive for the balance of the term.

14.  No individual shall be elected: (a) to more than two consecutive terms in the same office, or; (b) to serve for more than six consecutive years on the Executive.

15.  At any Executive meeting, five members of the Executive shall constitute a quorum and only a member of the Executive shall be entitled to vote.

16.  With the exception of organized trips funded by individual members, the Executive shall have the authority to spend up to the sum of $200.00 on behalf of the Club on any single occasion without reference to and approval of the majority of members at a General meeting.

OTHER

17.  The Club may have the following standing committees: Indoor Programs, Outings, Environment, Publicity, Social and Sunshine.

18.  The Nominating Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the Executive with as many of the Past Presidents as possible and shall present a slate of nominations for the Executive for the ensuing year.

19.  Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws (as well as the initial approval and adoption thereof) shall be approved at any General Meeting with no less than 75% of those present at such meeting voting in favour of the written proposal for such amendments, duly seconded and submitted at least 30 days prior to such meeting.

20.  In the event of the termination of the NANOOSE NATURALISTS, any assets remaining after the discharge of outstanding liabilities shall be made over to the Federation of British Columbia Naturalists.

 

The following members of the Executive certify that the Constitution and Bylaws were duly passed by three-quarters of the members present at the General Meeting held on _January 13, 2005__and became effective thereupon:

 

_Tony Ransom____                                 _Vicki Voros____

President                                                        Vice President

_Sandra MacDonald____                       _Jim Sinclair___

Secretary                                                        Treasurer

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