NEW HORIZONS SOCIETY CONSTITUTION 2002
1. NAME
Hornby Island New Horizons Society.
 
2. PURPOSES
        a. To promote and encourage a meaningful program for members of social, educational, creative
                  and physical activities and to provide an opportunity for members to share their life                                  
                  experience with the  community at large experience with the  community at large.
        b. To acquire, own and maintain suitable and adequate premises for the operation of the                                foregoing activities and future     improvements.
        c. To explore and carry out suitable ways and means of raising funds to achieve the financing of
                  the total operation.
        d. To p2. LOSS OF MEMBERSHIP
        a. Membership in the Society shall cease when annual dues have not been paid for the current             year within the specified grace period, but a member may be reinstated upon payment of             arrears and    the annual dues payable at the time of reinstatement.
        b. A member may be expelled from the Society for non-payment of dues, or for failure to abide             by the rules and regulations of the    Society.
 
3. MEETINGS
        a. The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held during the month of May. The date to
                  be selected by the Directors.
        b. A special meeting of the members of the Society shall be held when requested in writing by             not less than seven (7) members in    good standing or by a majority of the Directors.
        c. Written notice of the Annual General Meeting, or a Special Meeting of the Society shall be             given not less than fourteen days before an Annual General Meeting and not less than                                    fourteen days before a Special Meeting. Notices shall be posted on all public notice boards on
                  Hornby Island and at the New Horizons Centre.
        d. Every member in good standing shall have the right to vote at all meetings of the Society, but             no member shall have the right to be represented by proxy.
        e. The quorum for transactions of business at general meetings of the Society shall be ten (10)
                  members in good standing.
    
4. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
        a. The affairs of the Society shall be managed by a board of not less than ten and no more than             fourteen Directors, each of whom    shall be a member in good standing of the Society.
        b. The Directors of the Society shall be the subscribers to this Constitution and these By-Laws.
        c. The Directors shall he elected at the Annual General Meetings of the Society, each Director to             hold office for a term of three  years, or until his or her successor has been elected and can             take office. The Directors and Officers elected at the Annual General Meeting shall commence
                  their duties on June 1.
        d. One third of the Directors shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting. At the first Annual             General meeting one-third oft he Directors shall be elected for three (3) years, one-third for                two (2) years and the remaining Directors for one year.
        e. The membership will select the Executive Committee as follows:
              i. After the election of Directors at the Annual General Meeting the full slate of Directors                  for the upcoming term will be displayed.
             ii. The members will vote, on a ballot provided, for their choice of President, Vice-President,                    Secretary and Treasurer.
             iii. The positions of the remaining Directors shall be determined at a Directors Meeting                  following the Annual General Meeting.
        f. The duties of the officers shall be normal for the position they  hold, but neither they or the             other Directors shall receive remuneration from the Society, nor shall they profit or otherwise             benefit financially from the activities or any transaction of the Society. Three of the Officers                shall be designated as signing officers, any two of whom may jointly sign cheques, etc.
        g. The quorum for the transaction of business at the meetings of the Board shall be not less             than half the total number of Directors.
        h. The Directors shall have the authority to fill any vacancy of the Board by appointing a             member of the Society to act as a Director until the next Annual General Meeting of the
                  Society.
        i. The Board of Directors shall meet at least six times during each calendar year. Special
                 meetings may be held at the request of four directors.                                
        j. The Board of Directors may engage staff as may be required and determine the remuneration            and conditions of work of such     employees.
        k. A Director or Officer may be removed from office when, in the opinion of the Board, that             Director or Officer has: failed to carry  out the duties of office to the satisfaction of the             Board; or has acted in a manner unworthy of the trust placed in the member of the Board by            the Society; or has been absent from three consecutive board-meetings.
    
5. NOMINATING COMMITTEE
        a. At its last regular meeting in each calendar year the Board of Directors shall appoint a             Nominating Committee comprising five (5) members of the Society, one of whom shall be             designated as Chair, not more than two (2) of whom may be directors.
        b. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to select candidates for the Board of             Directors and to obtain a written undertaking of acceptance from each candidate if elected             by the Annual General meeting.
        c. The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall submit to the Secretary of the Society, not later                than the last day of April, the report of the Committee listing all candidates for election to             the Board.
        d. A copy of the report of the Nominating Committee shall be posted together with the notice
                  of the Annual General Meeting.
 
6. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
        a. The Officers of the Society, together with the immediate past president, shall comprise the              Executive Committee of the Society. 6.2 It shall be the responsibility of the Executive                     Committee to deal with matters pertaining to the affairs of the Society in the intervals
                  between meetings of the Board of Directors.
 
7. COMMITTEES
        a. The Board of Directors shall appoint such Committees as may be necessary to further the             objectives of the Society or to carry out specific tasks assigned by the Board.
        b. Generally, Committee Chairs shall be selected from among the  Directors, but the Board may             make exceptions to this rule at its discretion.
        c. The Board defines the duties of each Committee at the time of its appointment, specifies            when a Committee report should be received, and when a committee should be disbanded.
        d. The Chair of each Committee shall present a report at the Annual General Meeting.
 
8. FINANCIAL
        a. The power to borrow or invest money may be made by the Board  of Directors only after its             recommendations for such actions     have been approved by the members at a general             meeting, or at a special meeting of the Society.
        b. The power of the Board of Directors to authorize expenditures for anyone project shall be             limited to Two Thousand Five Hundred dollars ($2500.00). Larger expenditures required for a             particular project shall be submitted to members of the Society for approval.
 
9. AUDIT OF ACCOUNTS
        a. An annual financial statement shall be submitted to the members of the Society at every
                  Annual General Meeting.
        b. An interim financial statement shall be submitted at a Special  Meeting when such a                statement is required for the purpose of the meeting.
        c. Financial statements, audited by a person or persons appointed by the members of the            Society, shall be read at each Annual General Meeting.
 
10. FISCAL YEAR
        a. The fiscal year of the Society shall be from the first day of April to the thirty-first day of
                  March (April! 1 -March 31) each year.
 
11. ALTERATION OF BY-LAWS
        a. A By-Law may be altered or deleted by a special resolution' of the members at a general             meeting or at a special meeting of the Society. A special resolution shall be passed by a             majority of not less than 75% of the members present at the meeting.
 
12. MINUTES AND RECORDS
        a. Preparation and custody of the minutes of the Society, and of the Board of Directors, shall be
                  the responsibility of the Secretary.
        b. Preparation and custody of financial statements shall be the  responsibility of the Treasurer.
        c. Preparation of records pertaining to the particular activities of the Society shall be the                responsibility of the designated Directors, but such records shall be held in the custody of the
                  Secretary.
        d. Copies of all correspondence pertaining to the activities of the  Society shall be supplied to
                  the Secretary for filing.
 
13. INSPECTION OF BOOKS AND RECORDS
         a. The books and records of the Society may be inspected by members at:
                i. The Annual General Meeting
               b Special Meetings
               c Any other time by appointment with the Secretary or Treasurer as appropriate in accordance    
                  with Section 12.
14. SEAL OF THE SOCIETY
        a. The Seal of the Society shall be in the secure custody of the Secretary. Its use shall be
                  determined by the Directors.
 
15. FIRST SUBSCRIBERS
        As required by the Societies Act of  B.C. 1977.
              Hilary Brown
                   Jean Parnell
            Constance Wyndham
            David Gerow
            Lincoln Painter
 
NEW HORIZONS SOCIETY
Sollans Road Hornby
Island BC
V0R 1Z0
(250) 335-0385