PREAMBLE
These By-Laws, in general, pertain to matters of Sub-Group organization not covered by the By-Laws and Regulations of The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada or of the Vancouver Sub-Group of the SP Group and are made pursuant to those By-Laws and Regulations.
DEFINITIONS
"Institute and/or PIPSC" means The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.
"Members" means those who meet the requirements of By-Law 3 Membership.
“SP” means the Applied Science and Patent Examination Group.
“President” means President of the Sub-Group unless otherwise specified.
“Vice-President” means Vice-President of the Sub-Group unless otherwise specified.
BY-LAW 1 NAME
The name of this Sub-Group shall be the PIPSC SP Vancouver Sub-Group, hereinafter referred to as the "Sub-Group".
BY-LAW 2 AIMS
The aims of the Sub-Group are to act within the jurisdiction of the Sub-Group to further the professional interests of its members, to protect the status and standards of their profession and to formulate and express the views of the members on matters affecting them. The Sub-Group Executive shall inform the national SP Group Executive of the concerns of the Sub-Group relative to collective bargaining.
BY-LAW 3 MEMBERSHIP
3.1 Every Regular member of the SP Group working in Vancouver shall be a Regular member of the Sub-Group.
3.2 Every Retired member of the SP Group resident in Vancouver shall be a Retired member of the Sub-Group.
BY-LAW 4 RIGHTS OF MEMBERS
4.1 All members shall be eligible to hold office, nominate members for positions on the Sub-Group Executive, propose amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Sub-Group, and vote in Sub-Group affairs.
4.2 All members shall be eligible to attend and speak at General Meetings of the Sub-Group.
BY-LAW 5 FINANCES
5.1 Fiscal Year The fiscal year of the Sub-Group shall be the calendar year.
5.2 Expenditures The Sub-Group Executive shall expend such monies as it considers necessary for the conduct of the business of the Sub-Group.
5.3 Sub-Group Funds Sub-Group funds will be maintained in an account assigned by the Institute.
5.4 Signatures Financial transactions shall require the signature of any two (2) members of the Sub-Group Executive having signing authority. A written account shall be kept of all expenditures.
5.5 Auditing As required, auditing and verification procedures shall be carried out by members of the Sub-Group who are not responsible for the administration of Sub-Group funds.
BY-LAW 6 SUB-GROUP EXECUTIVE
6.1 Composition The Sub-Group Executive shall be composed of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and Members -at-Large to the maximum permitted by Institute By-Laws, elected by and from the Sub-Group members at the Sub-Group Annual General Meeting.
6.2 Term of Office The term of office shall be two (2) years with the exception of the first election when half the members shall be elected for a two (2) year term and the remainder for a one (1) year term.
6.3 Meetings The Sub-Group Executive shall meet as frequently as is required, but at least twice a year.
6.4 Quorum A quorum shall consist of a majority of the voting members of the Sub-Group Executive.
6.5 Voting Decisions shall be by majority vote.
6.6 Vacancies
6.6.1 If the position of President becomes vacant, the Vice-President shall assume the position of the President until the next election.
6.6.2 If a vacancy should occur in any position other than that of the President, the remaining members of the Executive may select an eligible member of the Sub-Group to fill that vacancy until the next election.
6.6.3 Any member who is absent from two (2) consecutive meetings of the Executive without valid reason shall be deemed to have resigned from the Executive.
6.7 Duties The Sub-Group Executive shall manage the affairs of the Sub-Group in such a manner as to promote the aims of the Sub-Group as expressed by the majority of the members. The Executive shall be responsible for informing members of current concerns and for ascertaining the viewpoint of the membership.
6.7.1 The President shall call and preside at all meetings of the Sub-Group and of the Sub-Group Executive.
6.7.2 Vice-President The Vice-President shall assist the President in the performance of his duties and, in the absence of the President, perform the duties of that position.
6.7.3 Secretary The Secretary shall be responsible for sending notices of and keeping records of all meetings of the Sub-Group and the Sub-Group Executive for the period required by Institute policy, and shall ensure that a copy of minutes is filed with the Institute. The Secretary shall also be responsible for submitting reports as required by the relevant Institute and Group By-Laws and Constitutions.
6.7.4 Treasurer The Treasurer shall maintain the financial records of the Sub-Group as required by Institute policy; present a budget to the first Sub-Group meeting of the calendar year; submit a financial statement to the Institute as required, and prepare the annual request for the annual allowance of the Sub-Group. Copies of the financial report shall be available to all Sub-Group members.
6.7.5 Members-at-Large Members-at-Large shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the Executive.
6.7.6 Committees The Sub-Group or Sub-Group Executive may establish committees as necessary, with terms of reference and membership to be decided by the body that establishes them. Copies of Committee reports shall be filed with the Sub-Group Secretary. Committees shall be dissolved by majority vote of the body that established them.
BY-LAW 7 ELECTIONS
7.1 Elections Committee The Executive shall appoint an Elections Committee to receive nominations for positions on the Sub-Group Executive, and to conduct the elections. Any member of the Elections Committee who becomes a candidate in the election shall resign from the Elections Committee.
7.2 Procedure for Nominations
7.2.1 A notice calling for nominations for election to the Sub-Group Executive shall be distributed three (3) weeks in advance of the Sub-Group Annual General Meeting.
7.2.2 Nominations may be submitted in writing or may be made from the floor of the Sub-Group AGM.
7.2.3 The Elections Committee shall satisfy itself that the candidates for election are eligible and willing to serve.
7.3 Election Procedure
7.3.1 The Elections Committee shall serve as Returning Officers and shall establish procedures for the efficient conduct of an election, the counting and tabulating of ballots and all matters directly related thereto. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for a position shall be declared elected.
7.3.2 The results of the election shall be announced at the Sub-Group Annual General Meeting and subsequently distributed. The newly elected Sub-Group Executive shall take office at the close of the Sub-Group Annual General Meeting.
BY-LAW 8 GENERAL MEETINGS OF THE SUB-GROUP
8.1 Annual General Meetings
8.1.1 The Sub-Group Executive shall call an Annual General Meeting once each calendar year. The interval between Annual General Meetings shall not exceed fifteen (15) months. Members shall be notified at least three (3) weeks prior to the date of the meeting of any proposed changes to this constitution.
8.1.2 Quorum A quorum at Annual General Meetings shall constitute fifty percent (50%) of the members in attendance at the beginning of the meeting.
8.1.3 Agenda The agenda shall include the following items:
Roll Call (members of the Sub-Group Executive)
Approval of the Agenda
Adoption of the Minutes of the previous Annual General meeting
Business Arising from the Minutes
Report of the President
Annual Financial Report
Report of the Elections Committee
New Business, Including By-Law Amendments.
8.1.4 Voting All members present at the Annual General Meeting are eligible to vote. Voting for positions on the Sub-Group Executive shall be by secret ballot. Otherwise, voting shall normally be by a show of hands. Each member shall have one (1) vote. Decisions shall be by a simple majority vote.
8.2 Special General Meeting
8.2.1 A Special General Meeting of the Sub-Group shall be called by the Sub-Group Executive or at the written request of at least 10% of voting Sub-Group members and shall be held within six (6) weeks of such decision or request.
8.2.2 Only the matter for which the Special General Meeting was called shall appear on the agenda.
8.2.3 The same provisions shall apply to the notice, quorum and voting at Special General Meetings as is prescribed for the Annual General Meeting.
BY-LAW 9 RULES OF PROCEDURE
At any meeting of the Sub-Group Executive, Annual or Special General Meetings, matters of procedure, insofar as they are not specifically provided for, shall be governed by a majority vote of the members present and voting. The Chair of such meeting shall first rule on a matter of procedure or order and shall, in his rulings, in the absence of any By-Law to the contrary, rely upon and be governed by the latest version of Sturgis' Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure available at the meeting.
BY-LAW 10 CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
10.1 These By-Laws may be amended at an Annual or Special General Meeting of the Sub-Group. Approval of proposed amendments requires a simple majority of those voting.
10.2 All proposals for amendments to these By-Laws shall be submitted, in writing, to the Sub-Group Executive. Proposed amendments may be submitted by any member of the Sub-Group.
10.3 New Constitutions and By-Laws, as well as any amendments, shall be submitted to the Institute By-Laws and Policies Committee and the appropriate Group Executive for review. The notice of the Sub-Group meeting at which the amendments will be considered, shall include:
a) the article to be amended; and
b) the new wording.
10.4 This Constitution and By-Laws takes effect on (date formation of Sub-Group approved by Executive Committee). Any amendments thereto shall take effect upon approval by the Institute and ratification by the Sub-Group membership.
BY-LAW 11 REGULATIONS
11.1 The Sub-Group Executive may make such Regulations, and any amendments thereto, not inconsistent with these By-Laws, as it deems necessary or convenient for the operating of the Sub-Group.
11.2 All proposed Regulations and amendments thereto shall be submitted to the Institute for review and approval. They shall take effect on a date determined by the Sub-Group Executive, but not earlier than the date they were approved by the Institute.
11.3 Each such Regulation shall be presented to the next General Meeting of the Group, and may be rescinded or amended by such meeting. These constitute changes to the Regulations and shall be subject to Article 11.2.
BY-LAW 12 CONTEXT AND GENDER
In this Constitution and By-Laws, expressions in the masculine or feminine gender, in plural or in singular, may be substituted to give effect to the true meaning of the Constitution and By-Laws.
Approved by the Board of Directors
May 11, 2006
Approved by the Board of Directors
December 3, 2009