Haldimand
& Area Woodlot Owners' Association
CONSTITUTION 2004
Haldimand & Area Woodlot Owners’ Association
Mission Statement: to encourage the development, improvement
and active management
of private woodlots in Haldimand County
OBJECTIVES
1. To promote good woodlot management and to assist in
the distribution of ideas and information on woodlot operations and related
equipment at meetings, field days and through newsletters
2. To provide members with technical advice on all aspects
of forest management from planting to harvesting including, but not limited
to: timber and fuel wood production, creation and preservation of wildlife
habitat, preservation of rare and endangered species, and the production
of other products such as ginseng, maple syrup and shitake mushrooms.
3. To support the best interests of the members with respect
to legislation, taxation and regulations.
4. To encourage research and development projects as they
relate to the objectives of the Association.
5. To collect and make available to members a wide variety
of data regarding woodlot management.
6. To collect and distribute information on the planting
and management of plantations, windbreaks and other conservation activities.
CLAUSE I MEMBERSHIP
1. Membership shall be open to all those interested in
the objectives of the Association, as follows:
a) Member: any individual interested
in supporting the objectives of the Association and paying annual dues;
b) Associate Member: any organization
or corporation supporting the objectives of the Association and wishing to
participate in, or be a partner in, its activities;
c) Honorary Member: any individual or
corporation so nominated by the Board of Directors. Honorary members will
enjoy all membership privileges but will pay neither annual dues nor have
a vote.
2. Memberships may be taken out in the name of an individual,
family, organization, corporation or business. However,
there shall only be one vote per member.
3. The Board of Directors has the authority to grant, review
and otherwise determine any membership and define the current status of each
member.
4. Only members in good standing shall be eligible to hold
office, be entitled to nominate, or have the right to vote at any meeting
of the Association. Any member failing to pay the required annual membership
dues on or before the identified due date shall cease
to be a member in good standing and the Board of Directors may strike the
name of such member from the membership list.
5. It shall be the responsibility of the member to advise
the Association of any change of address.
6. Any member whose membership is lapsed or has been terminated
in any manner shall forfeit all interest and property belonging to the Association
and all rights and privileges extended by the Association.
7. A membership list shall be maintained by a member of
the Association designated by the Board of Directors.
CLAUSE II DUES
1. Annual Membership dues shall be proposed by the Board
of Directors to the Annual General Meeting, or at a Special Meeting called
for such purpose, and must be approved by a two thirds majority of those
members present at such meeting.
2. New annual dues will not come into effect until the
fiscal year following such approval.
3. Membership dues are payable by cheque to “The Haldimand
& Area Woodlot Owners’Association”.
CLAUSE III BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1. The Association shall be governed by a board of no fewer
than ten and no more than twelve Directors
2. Directors shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting.
3. At least one half of the Directors must be woodlot owners
in Haldimand County.
4. The Officers of the Association shall consist of the
President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The offices of
Secretary and Treasurer may be combined.
5. The President or the Vice-President shall be a woodlot
owner in Haldimand County.
6. No person may hold any one position identified in Clause
III 4 above for more than two consecutive terms unless it is deemed to be
in the best interest of the Association.
7. The term of each Board of Directors shall be two years.
Directors are eligible for re-election.
8. A quorum of the Board of Directors will be a majority
of Directors, but one of either the President or the Vice-President must
be in attendance to chair the meeting.
9. The Past President shall be an Ex Officio member of
the Board of Directors.
CLAUSE IV ELECTION OF THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
1. The election of the Board of Directors will take place
at those Annual General Meetings which occur in even numbered years.
CLAUSE V REPLACEMENT
OF BOARD MEMBERS
1. All vacancies in the Board of Directors may be filled
by the Board of Directors. The completion of a vacated term of office
by a person chosen by the Board of Directors shall not count in the tenure
requirements noted under Clause III 6.
2. The office of a director shall be considered vacant:
.1) when a written resignation is received by the Secretary
of the Association, or
.2) after the minutes indicate absence for three
scheduled consecutive Directors’ meetings without notice.
CLAUSE VI NOMINATING COMMITTEE
1. A Nominating Committee will be elected by members present
at those Annual General Meetings which occur in odd numbered years. Such
Nominating Committee will consist of at least three members and will have
at least one Board member and one non Board member.
The Nominating Committee will prepare a slate of nominees
which shall be made known to members no later than 30 days prior to the next
Annual General Meeting, either at a meeting or by other means such as, but
not limited to, direct mailing to members.
2. Nominations will be accepted from the floor of the Annual
General Meeting.
CLAUSE VII DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
AND BOARD MEMBERS
1. The President shall preside at all meetings and carry
out other duties incident to the office.
2. The Vice-President shall act in the absence of the President.
3. The Secretary shall be responsible for ensuring the
Minutes of all Board of Directors meetings are properly kept, conduct any
correspondence necessary, and develop and maintain a filing system for all
correspondence and other materials incident to the operation of the Association
with the exception of the financial records which shall be the responsibility
of the Treasurer.
4. The Treasurer will be responsible for the handling of
all financial activities and money by the Association and will be accountable
to the Board of Directors for the keeping of accurate records capable of
external audit. In doing so, the Treasurer will
develop and maintain an accurate accounting system.
The Treasurer will regularly provide current financial
information to the Board of Directors at all its meetings and communicate
with regulatory authorities regarding taxes, audits and the like as necessary.
The Treasurer will assist a new replacement incumbent
by giving advice and support as requested and necessary.
5. The Treasurer will maintain an account in the name of
the Association in an accredited financial institution.
6. All cheques and other financial instruments will require
the signatures of two of the following four Officers: President, Vice-President,
Secretary, and Treasurer.
CLAUSE VIII SUB-COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
1. In order to facilitate the Association’s objectives,
the Board of Directors may establish Ad Hoc Committees or Task Forces
with specific mandates and defined lengths of existence.
2. All such Committees will be chaired by a designated
Board of Directors member who will report to the Board of Directors about
Committee activities.
3. Committees may have memberships drawn from the membership
at large and may include non-members having appropriate specialized expertise
or talents.
CLAUSE IX MEETINGS
1. The Board of Directors will meet no fewer times than
twice annually.
2. There will be at least one membership meeting annually.
3. The Annual General Meeting will be held within three
months after the fiscal year end and its location will be determined by the
Board of Directors.
4. At the Annual General Meeting reports will be given
by the President on the previous year’s activities and any issues which are
of concern to the Board of Directors and by the Treasurer
on the financial position of the Association, including a full, written outline
of cash flow and current financial resources. Other reports may also be made
by the Chairs of any other Committees.
5. The agenda of the Annual General Meeting will provide
an opportunity for members to state opinions and to ask questions.
6. A quorum for the Annual General Meeting shall be a quorum
of the Board of Directors plus all other members present.
7. All business meetings of the Association will be held
in Haldimand County. Other meetings of a special nature such as field
trips and visits to certain facilities for training programs, of necessity,
may be held elsewhere.
8. All meetings of the Association will be run in accordance
with 'Robert’s Rules of Order'.
CLAUSE X FISCAL
YEAR
The fiscal year of the Association is the calendar
year.
CLAUSE XI CHANGES TO THIS CONSTITUTION
1. Changes to this Constitution may be made only at an
Annual General Meeting or at a Special Meeting called for such purpose
and only if the membership has been given 30 days’ written notice of such
recommended change.
2. Changes require a two thirds majority of those present
at such a meeting.
3. Any member may recommend changes to the Board of Directors.
This must be done in writing and include the reasons for such recommendation.
The Board of Directors will determine whether it will recommend such changes
to the Annual General Meeting and, if not, it will report to the member
the reasons for not doing so.
This revised Constitution approved by members at the Annual General
Meeting in January, 2004.
Haldimand & Area Woodlot Owners’ Association
By-laws
By-law 1 Financial transactions between Board
meetings
Between meetings of the Board of Directors and when there
is a need for action prior to the next scheduled meeting, the Treasurer and
President together are authorized to execute financial transactions in the
best interests of the Association.
By-law 2 Use of the Association membership list
by the Association
1. The Association shall use its list of members only for
activities supporting its objectives and relating to the operation of the
Association. In the event that there is doubt about its usage, the
Board of Directors shall determine whether a suggested use is supportive
of the objectives of the Association.
2. Members will be asked when they join or renew their
memberships if they wish to have their names made available to outside
entities in this regard.
By-laws approved by the membership at the Annual General Meeting in
January, 2004