Manitoba Region By-law

MANITOBA REGIONAL GROUP
GENERAL BY-LAW
As of June 14 1994, with March 21 2001 amendments

WHEREAS: a decision to apply for establishment of a Winnipeg Regional Group of The Institute of Public Administration of Canada was made at a meeting of members of the Institute in Winnipeg on the twentieth day of June, 1961, and the said Group was established in due course by the Council of The Institute of Public Administration of Canada; and

WHEREAS: it is deemed advisable to prescribe rules for the conduct of the affairs of the Winnipeg Regional Group of The Institute of Public Administration of Canada; and

WHEREAS: a decision to change the name of the Winnipeg Regional Group to the Manitoba Regional Group was ratified at the June 19, 1991 Annual meeting;

NOW THEREFORE: be it enacted by the Members of the Manitoba Regional Group of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada:

BY-LAW RESPECTING PROCEDURE AND PURPOSE
OF THE MANITOBA REGIONAL GROUP

1.     Objective

The purposes and objectives of the Manitoba Regional Group of The Institute of
Public Administration of Canada (hereinafter called the “Group”) shall be those of
The Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

2.     Membership

(a) Every person who is a member in good standing of any class of membership of The Institute of Public Administration of Canada shall be entitled to be a member of the Group, to attend meetings of the Group, and to participate in its activities Members shall be eligible to be an officer or other member of its Executive Committee and to vote upon any matters laid before the members of the Group for a decision in that matter, including the election of officers and other members of the Executive Committee.

(b) The membership year corresponds to the calendar year ending December 31st.

3.     Executive Committee

The general management of the business of the group shall be carried out and transacted by an Executive Committee.

4.     Officers and Directors

The Executive Committee shall be constituted as follows:

a.     The following shall be elected annually by the members of the Group at the Annual General Meeting to be held no later than March 31 each year:
i.     a Chairperson
ii.     a Vice-Chairperson
iii.     a Treasurer
iv.     a Secretary
v.     not more than ten members of the Group, to be know as Directors.

b.     The immediate Past Chairperson, any member from the Manitoba Regional Group on the National Executive Committee, and the Regional Representative to the National Executive Committee shall be members ex-officio, with the same voting privileges as elected members.

5.     Operations of Executive Committee

a.     The Executive Committee is responsible for:
i.     furthering the purposes and objectives of the Group;
ii.     arranging such programs and calling such meetings of the members of the Group as are necessary to transact the business of the Group; and
iii.     appointing a member of the Executive Committee as Regional Representative to the National Executive Committee by April 1 each year.

b.     The term of the incoming Regional Representative becomes effective at the meeting of the incoming National Executive Committee held during the next ensuing National Conference.

c.     The Executive Committee shall arrange a program of meetings to consider subjects of interest to public administrators generally and members of the Group in particular. Such meetings shall be held monthly where possible and no less frequently than bi-monthly, excepting the months of July and august. The program year ends March 31st usually culminating with the program at the Annual General Meeting.

d.     The Executive Committee shall meet at least the week prior to any monthly meeting of the Group at such time and place as is agreed upon by Committee members and as such additional times during the year as are:

i.     deemed necessary by the Chairperson, or
ii.     requested by a quorum of the members of the Executive Committee.

e.     A quorum for meetings of the Executive Committee shall be five members of the Group.

6.     Agenda

The Executive Committee, or one of its officers so designated, shall prepare an agenda in advance of each meeting of the members of the Group or of the Executive Committee, and that agenda shall govern the order of business conducted at the meeting.

7.     Chairing of Meetings

The Chairperson, or in his/her absence the Vice-Chairperson or Past Chairperson, or in the absence of all three a member selected by the members present at the meeting, shall preside over all meetings of the members of the Group or the Executive Committee.

8.     Recording of Minutes

The Secretary, or in his/her absence a member selected by the members present at the meeting, shall act as Secretary of all meetings and of the Executive Committee, and he/she shall prepare the minutes of the meetings.

9.     Approval of Minutes
The Secretary shall maintain a minute book, and the minutes of one meeting shall be presented to a subsequent meeting of the Executive Committee. Such meetings shall be approved, with or without amendment, at the meeting at which the minutes are presented.

10.     Financial Management

The Treasurer shall receive and account for all funds paid to the Group, and all such funds which are not required for immediate expenditure shall be deposited or invested in an account or investments in the name of the Group in a chartered bank, trust company, or credit union convenient to the Treasurer.

11.     Signing Authority

Cheques drawn on the account referred to in section 10 shall be signed on behalf of the Group by any two of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, or Treasurer.

12.     Financial Statements

a.     The business year of the Group corresponds to the calendar year ending December 31st.

b.     A Financial Review of the Manitoba Regional Group’s financial statements shall be prepared and submitted by the Treasurer for approval by members of the Group in attendance at the Annual General Meeting to be held no later than March 31st each year. (as amended March 21 2001)

13.     Nominating Committee

There shall be a Standing Committee of the Group to be known as the Nominating Committee, which shall consist of three members, one of whom shall be the immediate Past Chairperson, who shall act as chair of the Committee formed from among the members of the Group other than the Executive Committee. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a written list of nominees for each of the four Officers and ten Directors of the Executive Committee for election at the Annual General Meeting.

14.     Elections

a.     The election referred to in section 4 shall be conducted in its entirety by the chair or other member of the Nominating Committee.
b.     The election shall be conducted in accordance with the procedure established in Schedule “A” to this by-law.

15.     Duration of Office

Those persons who are the officers and members of the Executive Committee at the time of the prescription of these rules and regulations (hereinafter referred to as “the present committee”) shall continue to be the officers and members of the Executive Committee until others are elected in their stead.

16.     Eligibility for Election

Each of those persons who is a member of the present committee shall be eligible to be nominated for election as an Officer or Director of the Executive Committee whenever an election is held.

17.     Vacancy

If for any reason a vacancy occurs among the Officers, the remaining members of the Executive Committee may designate one of the members of the Group to fill the vacancy in an “acting” capacity until the next Annual General Meeting.

18.     Appointment of Auditor

The Executive Committee shall an appoint an accountant, who shall examine the accounts maintained by the Treasurer during the ensuing business year of the Group, and shall attest to the fairness of the financial statements submitted to the members by the Treasurer. (as amended March 21 2001)

19.     Voting

Voting upon any matter at any meeting of the members of the Group, other than voting for the election of Officers and Directors of the Executive Committee, shall be by way of a show of hands for or against the motion, at the call and count of the Chairperson; but if in the opinion of the Chairperson or of the meeting a matter to be decided is of a kind which should be decided by secret ballot, the Chairperson shall arrange for secret balloting to take place.

20.     Participation of Chairperson and Secretary

The Chairperson and Secretary of a meeting at which any motion is to be dealt with pursuant to section 19 shall be entitled to speak and vote upon the motion in the same manner as all of the other members present at the meeting.

21.     Majority Decisions

A simple majority of those voting shall carry any motion which is dealt with pursuant to section 19, but if an equal number of votes is cast for and against the motion, the Chairperson shall declare that the motion has not carried and is therefore lost.
22.     Notice of Meetings

A notice of any meeting of the members of the Group or of the Executive Committee shall be given to the members at least one week in advance of the date fixed for the meeting.

23.     By-law Revisions

These rules and regulations may be amended, added to, or otherwise changed at any meeting at which the annual election of Officers and Directors of the Executive Committee is to take place, provided that the member who wishes to propose the amendment, addition, or other change has delivered to the Secretary, at least one month prior to the meeting, written notice of the member’s intent and of the proposed motion, and provided further that such written notice is also signed by another member seconding the motion.

24.     Notice of By-law Revisions

A copy of each of any proposed motion filed with the Secretary pursuant to section 23 shall be included with each notice given for the purpose of calling the meeting at which the annual election of Officers and Directors of the Executive Committee is to take place.

25.     Order of Proceedings for By-law Revisions

Motions for the amendment of, additions to, or other changes in these rules and regulations shall not be dealt with by the Chairperson of the meeting at which the annual election of Officers and Directors of the Executive Committee is to be held, until after the election has taken place.

26.     Quorum for Elections

A quorum at any meeting of the members of the Group, at which the annual election of Officers and Directors of the Executive Committee is to be held, shall be any ten members of the Group present at the time at which the meeting has been called to order; but if there is no such quorum, the meeting shall be deemed to have been postponed for a period not exceeding one month, subject to the call of the Executive Committee by way of notice given pursuant to section 22.

27.     Continuity of Office

Until the meeting and annual election have taken place, all Officers and Directors of the Executive Committee shall continue to hold their respective offices and appointments and shall discharge their duties and responsibilities until successors are elected.

28.     Effective Date

These rules and regulations, as well as any amendments, additions, or changes to them, shall come into force and effect immediately upon approval by the members of the Group at an Annual General Meeting.
Attachment: Schedule “A”


SCHEDULE”A”

1.     Scrutineers

The chair or other member of the Nominating Committee conducting the election shall designate any two members present at the meeting to act as scrutineers for the elections which are about to take place.

2.     Separate Elections

The election of each of the four Officers and of the ten Directors of the Executive Committee shall take place separately, thereby causing five separate elections; and each such election shall be completed and the results announced to the members present at the meeting before proceeding with the next election.

3.     Sequence of Election

The sequence of the separate elections referred to herein shall be as indicated in the list of Officers referred to in section 4.

4.     Call for Nominations

The chair or other member of the Nominating Committee conducting the election shall announce to the meeting which of the said five elections is to take place and call for the nomination of candidates.

5.     Acceptance of Nominations

Each nomination shall be duly moved and seconded; otherwise, the chair or other member of the Nominating Committee conducting the election shall declare that the nomination shall not stand.

6.     Participation by Electoral Officers

The Chairperson, the Secretary, and the scrutineers of the meeting at which elections are being held may be nominated for election, may nominate, and may second the nomination of other members for election.

7.     Presence of Nominees

It shall not be necessary for a member who is nominated for election to be present at the meeting at which the elections are being held.

8.     Assurance of Agreement to Stand as Nominee

Each member who nominates a member not in attendance at the meeting to be an Officer or Director of the Executive Committee shall be required to assure the members present that the person nominated has agreed, if elected, to undertake all of the duties and responsibilities of the office or capacity for which he/she has been nominated.

9.     Acclamation

If only one member is nominated for each of the four offices to be filled, or if no more than ten members are nominated to be Directors of the Executive Committee, the chair or other member of the Nominating Committee conducting the election shall declare that the person or persons so nominated has or have been elected by acclamation.

10.     Secret Ballot

If an election is not decided by way of acclamation, and if a vote of the members is necessary to decide which candidates are to be elected, the voting shall take place by secret ballot cast by the members present at the meeting.

11.     Voting Procedure

The ballots to be cast by members shall consist of suitable pieces of blank paper. One ballot shall be handed by the chair or other member of the Nominating Committee conducting the election to each member wishing to cast a vote.

12.     Spoilt Ballots

When the balloting is for election of the four Officers of the Executive Committee, the member who is casting a vote shall write on the ballot which has been given to the member only the name of the candidate whom he/she desires to be elected to each office; otherwise, the ballot shall not be valid and shall not be counted. When the balloting is for election of the ten Directors of the Executive Committee, the member who is casting a vote shall write on the ballot which has been given to the member names of the candidates whom he/she desires to be elected to office; if more than the required number of names is written on such a ballot, it shall not be valid and shall not be counted.

13.     Determination of Results

After the chair or other member of the Nominating Committee conducting the election has allowed a reasonable period of time for the marking of ballots, the scrutineers shall be required to collect them, shall count the number of votes cast for each candidate, shall tabulate the results, and shall submit to the chair the names of the successful candidates. The chair shall then announce the results of the election.

14.     Tie-breaking

If the scrutineers report to the chair or other member of the Nominating Committee conducting the election that two or more candidates for election have received an equal number of votes and that the election has thereby not been decided, the chair shall cause another ballot to be taken with respect to only those candidates who have received an equal number of votes. If after that ballot the number of votes cast is still equal for two or more candidates, the names of these candidates shall be written on separate pieces of paper, which shall all be placed in a container from which the chair shall draw one of the slips of paper. The candidate whose name is written thereon shall be declared elected.


Date of This File Copy: September 18 2007