PREAMBLE
These By-Laws, in general, pertain to matters of Sub-Group organization not covered by the Bylaws and Regulations of The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada or of the Audit, Financial, and Scientific Group and is made pursuant to those Bylaws and Regulations.
DEFINITIONS
“AFS” means the Audit Financial and Scientific Group.
"Institute" means The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.
"Members" means those who meet the requirements of Bylaw 3 Membership and have taken out membership with the Institute.
“President” means President of the AFS Sub-Group unless otherwise specified.
“Vice-President” means Vice-President of the AFS Sub-Group unless otherwise specified.
BYLAW 1 - NAME
The name of this Sub-Group shall be the Winnipeg AFS Sub-Group of the Audit Financial, and Scientific Group of The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, hereinafter referred to as the "Sub-Group".
BYLAW 2 - AIMS
The aims of the Sub-Group are 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.
BY-LAW 3 - MEMBERSHIP
Every Regular member of the Audit, Financial, and Scientific Group working in Winnipeg shall be a Regular member of the Sub-Group.
BYLAW 4 - RIGHTS OF MEMBERS
All members shall be eligible to vote for Officers and Stewards, nominate candidates, hold office and as prescribed in these Bylaws, nominate members for positions on the Sub-Group Executive, propose amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Sub-Group and vote in Sub-Group affairs.
BYLAW 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) of the President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer of the Sub-Group. 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.
5.6 Additional Funding: Additional funding may be requested by submitting a budget via the Group Executive for approval and recommendation to the Institute’s Executive Committee.
BYLAW 6 - SUB-GROUP EXECUTIVE
6.1 Composition: The Sub-Group Executive shall be elected by and from the Sub-Group members at the Sub-Group Annual General Meeting. The Sub-Group Executive Officers shall be composed of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. The remaining Sub-Group Executive will consist of Members-at-Large to the maximum permitted by Institute Bylaws.
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 end of the original term of office.
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.
BYLAW 7 - DUTIES OF THE SUB-GROUP EXECUTIVE
7.1 The Sub-Group Executive shall exercise the authority of and act on behalf of the Sub-Group on all matters subject to this constitution between general meetings of the Sub-Group.
7.2 President
7.2.1 The President shall call and preside at all meetings of the Sub-Group and of the Sub-Group Executive.
7.2.2 The President shall represent the Sub- Group within the Institute. Should the President not be able to serve in such capacity, he may designate another member of the Sub-Group to serve in his stead. The President, or his designate, shall report to the Executive on any such meetings. This in no way infringes on the right of an individual to approach the Institute on his own behalf.
7.3 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.
7.4 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 Bylaws and Constitutions.
7.5 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.
7.6 Members-at-Large: Members-at-Large shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the Executive.
7.7 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. Committees shall be dissolved by majority vote of the body that established them.
BYLAW 8 - ELECTIONS
8.1 Method: Elections to the Executive for those positions vacated by the completion of the term of office shall take place at the Sub-Group Annual General Meeting by those attending. If there is only one (1) nominee for a position, election shall be by acclamation.
8.2 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.
8.3 Procedure for Nominations
8.3.1 A notice calling for nominations for election to the Sub-Group Executive shall be distributed four (4) weeks in advance of the Sub-Group Annual General Meeting.
8.3.2 All nominations shall be in writing.
8.3.3 The Elections Committee shall satisfy itself that the candidates for election are eligible and willing to serve.
8.4 Election Procedure
8.4.1 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.
8.4.2 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 completion of the Sub-Group Annual General meeting.
BYLAW 9 - GENERAL MEETINGS OF THE SUBGROUP
9.1 Annual General Meetings
9.1.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Sub-Group is its governing body. All members are entitled to attend.
9.1.2 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.
9.1.3 Fifty percent (50%) of the members present when the meeting is called to order shall constitute the quorum.
9.1.4 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
9.1.5 With the exception of the election of the Sub-Group Executive, voting shall be by show of hands. Each member shall have one (1) vote. Proxy votes shall not be permitted. Decisions shall be by a majority vote of those present and eligible to vote. Voting shall be by secret ballot upon request of the majority of eligible voting members present.
9.1.6 Filing of Documents Each year, following the Annual General Meeting, the Sub-Group Executive shall submit a copy of the draft AGM minutes, the annual financial report and the elections report to the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Institute prior to end of the calendar year. (BOD - August 2007)
9.2 Special General Meeting
9.2.1 A Special General Meeting of the Sub- Group may be called by the Sub-Group Executive or at the written request of at least five percent (5%) of Sub-Group members eligible to vote and shall be held within four (4) weeks of such decision or request.
9.2.2 Only the matter for which the Special General Meeting was called shall appear on the agenda.
9.2.3 The same provisions shall apply to the quorum and voting at Special General Meetings as is prescribed for the Annual General Meeting.
BYLAW 10 - 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.
BYLAW 11 - CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
11.1 Any Sub-Group member may propose an amendment to this Constitution and By-Laws. Approval for amendments requires a simple majority of those voting at an Annual or Special General Meeting. 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.
11.2 Effective Date: This Constitution and By- Laws, and any amendments thereto, take effect upon approval by the Institute and ratification by the Sub-Group membership.
BYLAW 12 - REGULATIONS
12.1 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.
12.2 All proposed Regulations and amendments thereto should be submitted to the Institute for review.
12.3 The Sub-Group Executive may amend or repeal such Regulations.
12.4 All additions, changes or deletions to the Regulations shall take effect on a date to be determined by the Sub-Group Executive and shall be reported to the next Annual General Meeting of the Sub-Group which may repeal or suspend any Regulation.
BYLAW 13 - 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.
BYLAW 14 - COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
The Sub-Group Executive shall inform the national Audit, Financial, and Scientific Group Executive of the concerns of the Sub-Group relative to collective bargaining.
REGULATIONS
REGULATION 6 - ELECTION OF SUB-GROUP EXECUTIVE
The Sub-Group Executive Officers are required to consult with the employer on behalf of the members, then to be a candidate or remain an Executive Officer; the person must be a member and must be or become a Steward.
Approved by the Board of Directors
June 23-24, 2011