BY-LAWS

THE ARGYLE MUSIC ASSOCIATION

MEMBERSHIP

The AMA’s mission is to support our band and choir students:

  • fundraising efforts so that they can afford to go on the Grade 11/12 senior tour;
  • bursaries to those who can’t afford to go on the other band/choir trips;
  • scholarships in Grade 12; and

To support Argyle’s music program by donating funds to purchase needed music equipment.

Any parent of a choir or band student may become a member of the AMA Society. By signing up [below, you] agree that you have a child in choir or band at Argyle, and agree to become an AMA member. [We will be] communicating to you about opportunities for your children to raise funds for their senior tour, as well as other AMA business. Thanks for your support!

CONSTITUTION

NAME OF SOCIETY

ARGYLE MUSIC ASSOCIATION

SOCIETY’S PURPOSES

  1. To assist and advise the Music Department of Argyle Secondary School in arranging the planning and financing of tours, scholarships and other projects.
  2. To facilitate the exchange of information among music parents, music staff and music students of Argyle Secondary School.
  3. To encourage the growth of musical excellence in Argyle Secondary School through increased parental and community awareness, communication and involvement.
  4. To represent the common interests of a majority of the voting membership relating to the music programme and music projects of Argyle Secondary School.

This society is a member-funded society. It is funded primarily by its members to carry on activities for the benefit of its members. On its liquidation or dissolution, this society may distribute its money and other property to its members.

ARGYLE MUSIC ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE 1 – POLICIES

1.1 The above purposes of the Association shall be carried out without purpose or gain for its members, and any profits or other accretions to the Association shall be used for promoting its purposes, and all of the above purposes shall be carried out on an exclusively charitable basis.

1.2 No Officer or Executive Member shall be remunerated for being or acting as an Officer or Executive Member, but an Officer or Executive Member may be reimbursed for all expenses necessary and reasonably incurred by him/her while engaging in the affairs of the Association.

1.3 The Association may co-operate with other community groups to develop coordinated programs based on common interests related to music within the community.

ARTICLE 2 – MEMBERSHIP

2.1 A person is qualified as a member of the Association if that person:

  1. a) is a parent or legal guardian of a music student in a program at Argyle Secondary School, in which case the person is a voting member of the Association;
  2. b) is approved for membership, voting or non-voting, for a specified period of time at a meeting of the Association, after that person has made a written application for membership;
  3. c) is a member of the staff of the music program at Argyle Secondary School, in which case the person is a non-voting member.

A qualified person becomes a member by signing a membership list, which will be available at all annual and general meetings of the Association.

2.2 Every member shall uphold the Constitution and comply with these by-laws.

2.3 A person shall cease to be a member of the Association:

  1. a) when they no longer have a child in the music program of Argyle Secondary School, unless they apply (Article 2, section b);
  2. b) on his/her death;
  3. c) on being expelled.

2.4

  1. a) A member may be expelled by a special resolution of the members passed at a general meeting.
  2. b) The notice of special resolution for expulsion shall be accompanied by a brief statement of the reason or reasons for the proposed expulsion.
  3. c) The person who is the subject of the proposed resolution for expulsion shall be given an opportunity to be heard at the meeting before the special resolution is put to a vote.

2.5 A member is in good standing unless he/she fails to uphold the by-laws of the Constitution or is in the process of being expelled.

ARTICLE 3 – DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

3.1 There shall be at least three directors of the Association, who shall be elected for a two-year term at the Annual General Meeting. If a director is unwilling or unable to continue to perform his/her duties, a general meeting shall be held as soon as reasonably possible to elect a replacement director.

3.2 The Officers of the Association shall include a minimum of a President, Secretary and Treasurer.

3.3 The directors of the Association shall fill the positions of chairpersons of standing committees and any other pivotal positions within the Association, as deemed necessary by the executive committee.

3.4 No member may hold more than one office at any one time.

3.5 Each position of an Officer of the Association may be held jointly by two people. Therefore, joint holders of an Office have one vote. In case of a conflict between the two on a vote, the officer’s vote would be equivalent to an abstention. In case of the absence of the joint holders of the office, the other may exercise the full vote.

ARTICLE 4 – DUTIES OF OFFICERS

4.1 The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee, and shall perform all other duties pertaining to the office. The President shall be a member, ex-officio, of all committees except the Nominations Committee.

4.2 The Secretary shall keep full and accurate minutes of all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee, such as minutes to be available to the membership at the general meetings of the Association. He/she shall keep the attendance of all the meetings and preside at the meetings in the absence of the President. He/she shall have custody of the minutes, which shall be kept in the minute book.

4.3 The Treasurer shall receive, collect and deposit in a financial institution approved by the Association, all funds of the Association; shall keep an accurate record of all receipts and expenditures shall pay by cheque all bills and accounts which have been approved by the Association or the Executive Committee. All cheques shall be signed by any TWO of the following: President, Treasurer, Fundraising head, and Secretary. If the cheque is in excess of $5000.00 THREE signatures will be required. The Treasurer shall present a treasurer’s statement at each general meeting and an annual report at the annual general meeting of the Association.

ARTICLE 5 – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

5.1 There shall be an Executive Committee, which shall be composed of the Directors and Officers of the Association, and the Music Department Staff of Argyle Secondary School.

5.2 Members of the Executive Committee, except for the Music Department Staff, shall be elected for a two-year term of office at each annual meeting of the Association.

5.3 The Executive Committee shall carry out such commitments as may be suggested to it by members of the Association: it may make suggestions and recommendations and may transact routine and emergent business.

5.4 Vacancies occurring in any office of the Association between general unexpired portions of the term, subject to ratification at the next general meeting.

5.5 The absence without reasonable cause of any executive member from three consecutive meetings of the executive Committee shall constitute a vacancy.

ARTICLE 6 – STANDING COMMITTEES – SPECIAL COMMITTEES

6.1 The Association may have the following standing committees: Fundraising Committee, Travel Committee, and Cabaret Committee.

  1. a) The Fundraising Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. Its duties shall be to plan and coordinate fundraising activities.
  2. b) The Travel Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members from the Argyle parent body, a member of the Music Department teaching staff and a member of the Association Executive. Its primary function is to assist the Association, Music teachers, and administration in the planning and organization of travel for the Argyle music students, while reporting to and taking direction from the Association Executive. Details of the responsibilities of this Committee are outlined in its Terms of Reference.
  3. c) The Cabaret Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members, its duties shall be to liaison with the teachers regarding “Cabaret” and to manage all aspects of the event.

6.2 The Chairperson of each standing committee shall submit plans at the Annual General Meeting of the proposed work of the committee to the executive Committee for approval.

6.3 Each Chairperson of a standing committee shall present a report of the Committee’s work at the Annual General Meeting, and at such other times as the Executive Committee may decide.

6.4 Special Committees shall be created by the Executive Committee as the need arises; and the chairperson and personnel of such special committees shall be appointed at the direction of the Executive Committee. Reports shall be made as directed at the Executive Committee. Such special committees shall be automatically dissolved when their duties are completed.

ARTICLE 7 – MEETINGS

7.1 The Annual General Meeting shall be held during the month of September each year at a place and date to be set by the Executive Committee.

7.2 At least two general meetings shall be held at times and places to be set by the Executive Committee.

7.3 Executive meetings shall be held a minimum of three times per year or more as deemed necessary by the President and/or officers.

7.4 Notification of the Annual General Meeting and all general meetings shall be given to all members either by mail, delivery, email, fax or by such other manner as approved by the Board or as agreed by that member and the Association at least 14 days prior to the meetings and shall preferably be published in the Argyle School Calendar and the Argyle School Newsletter. These publications may be printed and sent or made available to all members at the beginning of the school year. Notices of any additional general meetings may also be given by printed notice sent to the members or made available by hand-out to the students in the music program at Argyle Secondary School.

7.5 Special meetings may be called at the request of the president and/or the Executive Committee, but shall be called at the written request of 10% or more of the members. A request for a special meeting and no other business may be dealt with thereat. Notice of such a meeting shall be given to all members at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting.

ARTICLE 8 – FINANCIAL YEAR

8.1 The financial year shall be from September 1 to August 31 of each year. The Treasurer’s books are to be closed off as of August 31 each year and financial statements presented to the Annual General Meeting in the fall of each year.

ARTICLE 9 – QUORUM

9.1 A quorum for an Annual General Meeting and/or a general meeting shall be no less than five of its members.

9.2 A quorum for an Executive meeting shall be no less than 51% of its membership.

ARTICLE 10 – NOMINATIONS

10.1 Two months before the May general meeting, the Executive shall appoint a Nominations Committee of at least three members. The committee shall prepare a list of candidates who have signified their willingness to stand for election.

10.2 Nominations shall be called for and may be made from the floor, providing the consent of the nominee has been obtained.

ARTICLE 11 – ELECTION – VOTING

11.1 Election of Officers, Directors and Standing Committee Chairpersons shall take place at the May General Meeting of the Association. The terms of the Out-going Executive Members cease and those of newly elected executive Members commence at the end of the September General Meeting.

11.2 The highest plurality of votes shall be elected in the case of multiple candidates. In the case of two candidates, the majority shall elect.

11.3 In the event that only one candidate is standing for election to an office, the candidate is elected by acclamation.

11.4 Each member shall be entitled to cast one vote. Only members in good standing shall be eligible to nominate, vote or stand for election to directorships, persons not eligible may not be nominated or elected even by unanimous consent.

11.5 There will be no proxy voting.

ARTICLE 12 – BORROWING POWERS

12.1 The Association may raise money in such a manner as it thinks fit, but may not borrow money or issue debentures without the sanction of a special resolution of the Association.

ARTICLE 13 – INSPECTION OF RECORDS

13.1 The books and records of the Association may be inspected by any member in good standing on reasonable notice.

13.2 The books are to be kept at the regular address in North Vancouver of the Treasurer of the Association.

13.3 A copy of all the minutes is to be kept at the regular address in North Vancouver of the Secretary of the Association.

13.4 The books and records of the Association will be inspected by an external “auditor” every TWO years and /or at the beginning of a new Treasurers tenure.

ARTICLE 14 – AMENDMENTS

14.1 These By-Laws may be amended by an extraordinary resolution passed by a 75% majority of such members entitled to vote as are present at any regular meeting of the Association, provided the proposed amendment has been submitted to all members at least 14 days prior to the regular meeting of the Association at which it is to be voted upon.

ARTICLE 15 – RULES OF ORDER

15.1 The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern all matters of procedure not covered by these By-Laws.

ARTICLE 16 – LOCALITY OF OPERATION

16.1 The operations of the Association are to be chiefly carried on in the District of North Vancouver, B.C.

ARTICLE 17 – DISSOLUTION OR LIQUIDATION

17.1 If the Association desires to disband, all assets shall be liquidated and all debts paid.

17.2 Any remaining money shall be given to Argyle Secondary School, primarily for the use of the Music Department.

This Article was previously unalterable.