Bylaws
of
The Crime Prevention Society of
Nova Scotia
Definitions
Unless indicated otherwise the
following definitions apply in these by-laws
a) Community Safety
means the general feeling of safety enjoyed by the citizens of the communities
throughout Nova Scotia as evidenced by the lack of crime and sense of safety and
security of the people residing in the community.
b) Crime means any
behaviour which is an offense under federal or provincial law or which threatens
the quality of life or is a danger to property, and any behaviour which the
Society defines as a threat to the safety and well being of Nova Scotians.
c) Director means a
member of the Board of Directors appointed by his/her local Society.
d) Member means a member
of this society, who is either an individual member or a member of a local crime
prevention association affiliated with this Society.
e) Quorum means:
a) At Board
Meetings – no less than 30% plus 1 of voting delegates
b) At
Annual Meetings – no less than 50% plus 1 of voting delegates
c) At
General Meetings – no less than 30% of voting delegates
f) Registrar means the
Registrar of Joint Stock Companies appointed under the Nova Scotia Companies
Act.
g) Society means the
Crime Prevention Society of Nova Scotia.
h) Special resolution
means a resolution passed at a general meeting provided
i) members
have been given advance notice of the intention to propose the
resolution as a special resolution
ii) the
resolution is passed by at least 75% of members present at the meeting
and
entitled to vote
Membership
1. Members shall
comprise the subscribers to the Memorandum of Association and such other persons
admitted to membership in accordance with these by-laws.
2. There shall be five
(5) types of membership in the Society
a) Government
Departments and Organizations
b)
Commercial and Business Organizations
c)
Service Organizations, Including Community Crime Prevention Groups
d) Individuals
e) Honorary Members-An
individual may become an honorary member if
the Board passes a resolution
recognizing the contributions of the individual to the Society or its
objectives. Members shall be entitled to notice of and be heard at meetings of
the Board of Directors, but shall not be entitled to vote or to act as officers
in accordance with bylaws Article 7a and 7b.
3. Membership in the
Society shall be limited only to individuals or organizations who reside in or
carry on business within Nova Scotia
4. There is no limit to
the number of members the Society may have.
5. Individuals must be
members of a local Crime Prevention or Community Safety Society or Association
in order to be eligible for membership in the Crime Prevention Society of Nova
Scotia.
6. Section 5
notwithstanding, an individual who resides in any area which does not have a
Crime Prevention or Community Safety Association may be admitted to membership
in the Society upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee, subject to
ratification by the Board.
7. a) The
Executive Committee may recommend that individuals or
Organizations who
have demonstrated significant involvement in
Community safety and
crime prevention activities be appointed as
Honorary Members of
the Society.
b) Recommendations for
Honorary Membership must be ratified by
majority vote of
members present at the Annual General Meeting of
the Society.
8. Membership shall
become effective upon payment of the membership fee and the entry by the
Secretary of the name and address of the organization or individual in the
register of members of the Society.
9. A membership may be
cancelled by a special resolution of the Society for non-payment of dues or
prescribed fees or for any conduct or activity which is deemed to be contrary to
the interests of the Society.
10. a) It is
the responsibility of all members and associations to notify the
executive team of any Board members name changes and contact
information for their representation on the Board of Directors.
b) An individual member
may not transfer membership in the Society.
11. Membership in the
Society runs from April 1 to March 31 each year. Membership in the Society
ceases if
a) the member does not
renew by paying a membership fee
b)
resigns as a member
c) dies
d) is
removed from membership by special resolution of the Association
Meetings
12. The Annual General
Meeting of the Society shall be held within three months after the end of the
fiscal year of the Society. It can be included as part of a regular meeting
provided advance notice is given to members that the annual general meeting will
take place.
13. The Annual General
Meeting may include the awards ceremony.
14. There will be no less
than three meetings of the society each year, one of which will be the Annual
General Meeting.
15. a) It
shall be the responsibility of the executive members to organize the
timing of all meetings and
workshops, and who shall ensure that members are notified of the time and
location far enough in advance of the meeting date to facilitate attendance.
b) Special meeting of
the Society may be called by the chair and the
executive at any
time and shall be called if requisitioned in writing by at
least five (5) of the voting associations in good standing.
c) Notwithstanding the
forgoing, the notice of any special meeting shall be
sent at least
fourteen (14) days in advance and in emergencies, may be
made by telephone.
Voting
16. Each member
association of this Society shall have one vote on issues brought to
the floor of regular meetings or the Annual General Meeting.
Board of Directors
17. The Board of Directors
consists of:
a) the
members of the Executive Committee
b) one
director appointed by each of the local member associations
c) one
representative of the Federal Department of Justice or Solicitor
General
d) one
representative of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice
e) one
representative from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
f) one
representative from the Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police Association
g) one
representative of Nova Scotia Municipal Police Force
18. A Board member who,
for valid reasons, is unable to attend a Board meeting, may send
his/her designated alternate to speak and vote on his/her behalf by means of
Proxy.
19. A by-law or objective
of the Society may be amended by a special vote of the
Board, subject to
ratification by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.
20. The Chair shall only
vote in the event of a tie vote.
21. Matters voted on in
Board meetings require a majority vote of members present to
pass. In no case
shall a vote be conducted if less than 30% plus 1 of the members of
the Board are
present.
Executive Committee
22. The Executive
Committee shall comprise
a) Past
Chair
b) Chair
c) Vice
Chair
d)
Secretary
e)
Treasurer
23. a) Terms
of office for all members of the Executive shall be two (2) years.
b)
Members of the Executive Committee may be re-elected to subsequent
terms in office.
Duties
24. Duties of the
Executive Committee Members shall be as follows:
Chair
a)
presides at meetings of the Society
b) has
signing authority for the Society
c) Is an
ex-officio member of all committees
Past Chair
a) acts
as advisor to the executive committee
b) acts
as Chair of the Nominating Committee
c)
carries out other duties as assigned by the Executive Committee
Vice Chair
a)
assists the Chair and the members of the Executive Committee in the
performance of their duties, and
b) in
the absence of the Chair, performs all duties of the Chair
c) has
signing authority for the Society
Secretary
a) keeps accurate
minutes of all meetings
b) is responsible for
preparations, receipt, and custody of all correspondence, minutes, and other
papers relating to the day to day operation of the Society
c) has signing authority
for the Society
d) at the end of his or
her term hands over all correspondence, books, and documents of the Society to
the incoming Secretary
e) keeps a list of names
and addresses of current members of the Society in alphabetical order showing
the type of membership and the office they hold within the Association
Treasurer
a) keeps custody of the
funds of the Society
b) has signing authority
for the Society
c) presents a financial
report at each Board meeting and at the Annual General Meeting
d) deposits all funds of
the Society in a bank account or accounts designated by the Executive Committee
e) handles all financial
transactions involving funds of the Society
f) provides a cash flow
statement for review at each meeting of the Executive Committee
g) prepares reports for
fund raisers as requested
h) keeps accurate
records of revenues and expenditures
i) at the end of his or
her term hands over funds and records to the custody of the incoming Treasurer
Directors
a) attend meetings of
the Board and participate fully in discussion of all matters which come to the
floor
b) enjoy full voting
privileges on all motions presented at Board meetings
c) chair committees and
carry out such other duties as are assigned by the Chair
Elections
25. The Executive
Committee shall be elected at the Board of Directors meeting immediately
preceding the Annual General Meeting.
26. a) The
nominating committee shall present a slate of candidates for the
Executive Committee at the Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting, which
precedes the Annual General Meeting (AGM). As well, nominations from
the
floor shall be presented at that time, and shall present a slate of
Candidates for the Board of Directors to the Membership at the Annual
General Meeting (AGM).
27. a) The
Nominating Committee Chair shall seek nominations for all
Executive Positions whether incumbent Executive Members intend
to
re-offer for the position or not.
b)
Incumbent members of the Executive Committee shall advise the Chair
of
the Nominating Committee thirty (30) days prior to the Annual General
Meeting (AGM) whether they wish to re-offer for positions on the
Executive Committee.
28. Should a position on
the Executive Committee become vacant before the expiry of
the incumbent’s of
office, the Board may appoint a member of the Society to serve
in that position for
the remainder of the term.
