Your Executive has just completed a review the ETFC Bylaws and Property Rules to make sure they reflected current practices, conditions and requirements. Most of the bylaws were written almost 70 years ago when the club was first formed, and it was agreed that updating the terminology and some of the content was long overdue. A more concise redraft of the bylaws has now been unanimously approved by the Executive for presentation to and approval by the membership at the April 12 ’22 ETFC General Meeting. The recommended revision is attached so that there’s at least 30 days for you to review it prior to the vote.
Discussing Bylaws can be a long and not very enjoyable exercise, as the Executive discovered. So, to facilitate discussion at the meeting within the limited time we have, please send any questions, comments or concerns to ETFC Flycaster Editor as soon as possible. All comments received will be listed with additional information or clarification where needed, and sent out in a Newsletter to all members prior to the April 12 meeting. Hopefully this will help any debate on the revised document to be well informed and productive.
The main changes are as follows:
- Club Objectives updated to include reference to the objective of the Alberta Fish and Game Association of which ETFC is an affiliated member (the AFGA statement of objective is added as an appendix)
- Club motto deleted from Bylaws but will continue to be used on website, communications etc.
- Exec required to review the Bylaws and Property Rules annually
- Use of Club logo requires Exec. approval
- Membership ceases if annual fees not paid within 60 days from when due (i.e. by March 1st). Previously ‘within 10 days’.
- Remove two year limit on President term of office – he or she has to be elected annually
- All Directors elected annually (previously 3 were for one year and 3 for 2 years)
- Add provision for voting in online meetings (by show of hands and by secret ballot)
- Replacements for any vacancies occurring on Exec. require membership approval
- Clarification of eligibility for honoraria
- Duties of Exec. Officers moved to an Appendix and any changes made to those duties to be communicated immediately to membership
- Quorum for voting at general meetings reduced from 20 to 15 to reflect decline in attendance and facilitate business of the Club
- Option for voting by proxy introduced (this prompted by recent health and other restrictions on attendance in person, but may require debate – a useful summary of the issues can be found at Pros and Cons- Proxy Voting
- Addition that no individual member of the Club has the right to claim or profit from any proceeds of the Club’s assets, property or activities, and clarification of what happens to the properties should the club disband
- Eliminate reference to custody and use of the ‘seal of the Club’.
- An abbreviated, updated version of the Property Usage Rules added as an appendix.
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