BYLAWS
OF THE
PARLIAMENTARY SOCIETY
OF
TORONTO
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I - NAME
ARTICLE II - OBJECT
ARTICLE III - MEMBERS
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
ARTICLE VI - THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
ARTICLE VII - COMMITTEES
ARTICLE VIII - PARLIAMENTARY
AUTHORITY
ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENT TO BYLAWS
ARTICLE X - DISSOLUTION
STANDING RULES OF THE SOCIETY
ADOPTED AT THE SECOND MEETING OF
THE PARLIAMENTARY SOCIETY OF TORONTO ON OCTOBER 28, 1986 AND AMENDED SUBSEQUENTLY
AT VARIOUS MEETINGS.
Amended October 2004
ARTICLE
I
The name of this Society shall be
The Parliamentary Society of Toronto (known hereafter as the “Society”),
and shall be a local chapter of The American Institute of Parliamentarians
(“AIP”).
ARTICLE
II
Object
The object of this Society shall
be to promote:
1) The use of effective,
democratic parliamentary practices, including the removal of unneeded
complications, confusing ambiguities and archaic terminology from parliamentary
usage;
2) Good meeting procedures and
practices;
3) The preparation and use of
parliamentary procedure;
4) The teaching of parliamentary
procedure;
5) The training of
parliamentarians; and
6) A wider use of
parliamentarians.
ARTICLE III
Members
Section 1. Any member in good
standing with the American Institute of Parliamentarians shall be eligible for
membership in the Society, provided that such member shall be proposed by one
member and seconded by another member of the Society. A proposal for membership,
signed by the two endorsers, including a proof of the individual’s membership
in the American Institute of Parliamentarians, shall be sent to the
Secretary, who shall report it, together with the names of sponsors, at the
next regular meeting of the Society. Voting upon the admission shall take place
at the next regular meeting thereafter. A two-thirds vote shall elect the
applicant to membership. A person so elected shall be declared a member of the
Society upon payment of the annual dues for the first year.
Section 2. The annual dues shall
be set from time to time by the Society, payable in advance on or before
September 30 of each year. Those whose dues are not paid within one month
thereafter shall be automatically dropped from the membership of the Society.
ARTICLE IV
Officers
Section 1. The officers of the
Society shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a
Director of Programs. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by
these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Society.
Section 2. At the regular meeting
held on the first Tuesday in February, a Nominating Committee of three members
of the Society who are not officers of the Society shall be elected by the
Society. It shall be the duty of this committee to nominate candidates for the
offices to be filled at the annual meeting in April. The nominating committee
shall report at the regular meeting in March. Before the elections at the
annual meeting in April, additional nominations from the floor shall be
permitted.
Section 3. The officers shall be
elected by ballot to serve for one year or until their successors are elected,
and their term of office shall begin at the close of the annual meeting at
which they are elected.
Section 4. In the event that only
one nomination is received for any officer position, the nominee shall be
elected by acclamation.
Section 5. No member shall hold
more than one office at time.
ARTICLE V
Meetings
Section 1. The regular meeting of
the Society shall be held on the first Tuesday
of each month from September to May inclusive unless otherwise ordered by the
Society or by the Executive Board.
Section 2. The regular meeting on
the first Tuesday in April shall be known as the annual meeting and shall be for
the purposes of electing officers, receiving reports of officers and
committees, and for any other business that may arise.
Section 3. Special meetings can
be called by the President or by the Executive Board and shall be called upon
the written request of five members of the Society. The purpose of the meeting
shall be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency, at least three days
notice shall be given.
Section 4. Five members of the
Society shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE VI
The
Executive Board
Section 1. The officers of the
Society shall constitute the Executive Board.
Section 2. The Executive Board
shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Society between its
business meetings, fix the hour and place of meeting, make recommendations to
the Society, and perform such other duties as are specified in these bylaws.
The Board shall be subject to the orders of the Society, and none of its acts
shall conflict with action taken by the Society.
Section 3. Unless otherwise
ordered by the Board, regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be held on
the first Tuesday of each month from September to June inclusive. Special
meetings of the Board can be called by the President and shall be called upon
the written request of three members of the Board.
ARTICLE VII
Committees
Section 1. A Program Committee
chaired by the Director of Programs shall be appointed by the President in
consultation with the Director of Programs promptly after the annual meeting.
The Committees duty shall be to plan an annual program of the Society. This
Committee's report shall be submitted to the Society by the Director of
Programs for its approval at its regular meeting in September.
Section 2. An Auditing Committee
of two members shall be appointed by the President at the Society's March
meeting. The Committee's duty shall be to audit the Treasurer’s accounts after
the close of the fiscal year and to report at the September meeting.
Section 3. Such other committees,
standing or special, shall be appointed by the President as the Society or the
Executive Board shall from time to time deem necessary to carry out the work of
the Society. The President shall be ex officio a member of all committees
except the Nominating Committee.
Parliamentary
Authority
Pending review of other
authorities, the rules contained in the current edition of "Robert’s
Rules of Order Newly Revised" shall govern the Society in all cases to
which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws
and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.
ARTICLE IX
Amendment
of Bylaws
These bylaws can be amended at
any regular meeting of the Society by a two-thirds vote, provided that the
amendment had been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting.
ARTICLE
X
Dissolution
A. Voluntary Dissolution. The Society may disband by a two thirds (2/3)
vote of the membership provided that a special meeting shall be called for that
purpose; thirty (30) days written notice shall be given to all Society members
and to headquarters; the notice shall state the purpose, date, and place of the
special meeting; and members living at a distance shall be allowed to vote by
mail. If approved, the report of the
vote to disband, the Society’s charter, the Society’s minutes book, and any
funds shall be sent to headquarters within ten (10) days following the special
meeting. The Society may vote to designate a specific AIP use for its funds or
assets, subject to the to the approval of the board. Unless otherwise
designated, the assets shall remain in the name of the Society for two (2)
years before reverting to AIP's general use. Other Society records and
materials may be sent to headquarters.
B. Involuntary Dissolution. Involuntary
dissolution will take place in accordance with the bylaws of the American
Institute of Parliamentarians.
Approved by the Society on
October 28, 1986 at its second meeting and amended subsequently at various
times.
STANDING
RULES OF THE PARLIAMENTARY SOCIETY OF TORONTO – CHAPTER 51 OF THE AMERICAN
INSTITUTE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS
1. The President will report to AIP Headquarters as required in the AIP Bylaws by June 10 each year. Adopted January 6, 1998
2. Parliamentary Service Protocol. Adopted April 6, 2004 (See Schedule A attached)
Schedule A
Parliamentary Service
Protocol
Parliamentary
Society of Toronto
To ensure that:
The protocol applies to all members of the Parliamentary Society of Toronto.
A qualified member is:
Adopted as a Standing Rule of the Society on April 6, 2004.