Metro*CAN Society

Officers

Co-chairs

Joan Brown Hicks and David Trueman

Vice-chair

David Murdoch

Treasurer

Paul Skeffington

Secretary

Kevin Nugent

Memorandum of Association

1. The name of the Society is the Metro Community Access Network Society.
2. The objectives of the Society are:
   • To establish a sustainable Community Access Network for the Halifax/Dartmouth Metro area which will:
     • help meet the individual's personal and professional information needs;
     • foster communication among individuals and the institutions which serve them;
     • enhance opportunities for sustainable community-based economic development;
     • create a favourable environment for business and employment growth.
   • To cooperate with groups to foster and support the development and linking of Communnity Access Networks in other parts of Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada and the rest of Canada and the world.
3. The objectives of the Society shall be carried out on an exclusively charitable basis and without purpose of gain for its members. Any profits or other accretions to the Society shall be used for promoting its objectives.
4. The activities of the Society shall be carried out in the Province of Nova Scotia and particularly in the County of Halifax, the Cities of Halifax and Dartmouth and the Town of Bedford.
5. The registered office of the Society is:

   Metro Community Access Network Society
   C/O Department Of Mathematics and Computer Science
   Dalhousie University
   Halifax
   B3H 3J5

1. There shall be four forms of membership: student, individual, institutional and charter.
2. Organizations wishing to become institutional members of the Society must submit the prescribed application form to the Secretary and pay the required annual dues. Although more than one member of an organization may attend meetings of the Society, only one representative of an organization shall have a vote.
3. Persons over the age of twelve years attending educational or training institutions wishing to become student members of the Society must submit the prescribed application form to the Secretary and pay the required annual dues.
4. Persons over the age of twelve wishing to become individual members of the Society must submit the prescribed application form to the Secretary of the Society and pay the required annual dues.
5. Persons or organizations/institutions wishing to become charter members are required to become members as prescribed in Part I sections 2, 3 or 4 and to make a donation in keeping with a scale to be outlined in Regulations of the Society. The privileges of a charter member shall be those of an individual member.

1. An organization/institution, a student, individual or charter member ceases to be a member: a) by writing a letter of resignation to the Secretary; b) by failing to pay the annual dues within one month after the day on which they are due; c) by an infringement of the by-laws or by conduct considered by a three quarters majority of the Board of Directors to be detrimental to the Society.

1. There shall be at least two General meetings of the Society each year.
2. One of these meetings shall be known as the Annual Meeting and shall be held during the month of December.
3. All other General Meetings of the Society shall be held on dates decided upon by the Board of Directors.
4. A Special Meeting of the Society may be called by the Chairperson(s) of the Board at any time when he/she thinks it necessary or when requested to do so by a majority of the Board of Directors or by a written request of at least ten members of the Society. If she/he fails to call a meeting when so requested, the members so requesting the meeting may do so themselves by notice signed by those members making the request.
5. Notices of General or Special Meetings shall be mailed to members in writing a minimum of seven days prior to the date of the meeting. The notice shall state the time, date, place, and the agenda of the meeting.
6. Fifteen members shall constitute a quorum at a General or Special meeting.

1. A Nominating Committee consisting of three members elected at the previous Annual Meeting shall submit a proposed slate of Directors and Board Officers to the Annual Meeting. If further nominations for Directors or for Board Officers are forthcoming from the floor, such positions shall be filled by election. Any Board Officer positions not contested shall be declared elected. In the case of an election a simple majority will be required. When two or more ballots are necessary, the name of the candidate receiving the fewest votes shall be dropped at each succeeding ballot. Voting shall be by secret ballot.
2. A vacancy occuring on the Board of Directors may be filled by the Board from among the members of the Society. A vacancy occuring among the Board Officers may be filled by the Board from among the Board or from among the members of the Society.
3. A member of the Board of Directors shall cease to be a member of the Board if he/she is absent from three consecutive meetings without an excuse satisfactory to three quarters of the Board of Directors. Directors expelled in this manner shall be notified in writing by the Secretary.

1. The Board shall consist of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, a Secretary, a Treasurer and eight Directors. elected at the Annual Meeting of the Society.
2. It shall be the duty of the Chairperson to preside at all General and Special meetings of the Society and at all meetings of the Board at which he/she is present; to enforce the by-laws and regulations of the Society and to promote the interests of the Society in keeping with its objectives.
3. It shall be the duty of the Vice Chairperson to preside at all General and Special meetings of the Society and all meetings of the Board at which the Chairperson is not present; and generally to carry out other duties as requested by the Chairperson.
4. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep a roll of all members; to prepare notices of meetings and to ensure they are sent to all members in accordance with the the by-laws and regulations; to take or to arrange to have taken the minutes of all General, Special and Board meetings; to receive, prepare and send correspondence as directed by the Board of Directors; and to carry out other duties as requested by the Board of Directors.
5. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive and deposit all monies paid to or received by the Society; to keep a record of all receipts and disbursements; to prepare financial reports to be presented at each General Meeting; to provide the appointed Auditors with all financial records required for the annual audit; to pay all bills contracted by the Society and approved by the Board of Directors.

1. At each Annual General Meeting the Society shall appoint a Firm of Auditors to carry out an audit of the finances of the Society. The audited statement shall be presented at the General Meeting of the Society following the Annual Meeting.

1. The financial year of the Society shall begin on January 1st and end on December 31st.

1. The Board of Directors shall appoint members to five Standing Committees of the Society. The five Committees shall be named: the Network Committee, the Information Committee, the Fund Raising and Financial Committee, the Membership Committee and the Public Relations Committee. Each Committee shall be chaired by a member of the Board of Directors and may be composed of members of the Board of Directors or any member of the Society.
2. The Board of Directors may establish other committees as it deems appropriate or as directed by the membership at a General or Special Meeting of the Society.
3. The duties and responsibilities of each Committee must be approved by the Board of Directors.
4. The Chairperson of each Committee shall be elected by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of all members.

1. A schedule of dues for student, individual and institutional members shall be established at each Annual Meeting.
2. Payment of dues shall be required within one month following the Annual Meeting.

1. These By-Laws may be amended at the Annual Meeting of the Society.
2. A member wishing to amend the By-Laws must give notice of motion to do so at the General Meeting preceding the Annual Meeting or alternatively the notice to amend may be included with the notice of the Annual Meeting sent to all members. The notice will include the exact wording of the proposed amendment.
3. A motion to amend the By-laws requires a three-quarters majority vote in favor in order to pass.
4. An amendment to the By-laws is not in effect until it is registered in accordance with the provisions of the Societies Act.

1. Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order.

1. All cheques issued or cashed by the Society shall be signed by two Officers of the Board of Directors from among the Treasurer, the Secretary, the Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson.
2. All contracts, deeds, bills of exchange and other instruments and documents executed on behalf of the Society shall have the signatures of the Secretary and the Chairperson.

1. On the winding up or dissolution of the Society, funds and assets remaining after all debts have been paid shall be transferred to a charitable institution with purposes similar to those of this Society, or, if this is not possible, to another organization recognized by Revenue Canada as qualified for charitable status under the provision of the Income Tax Act of Canada.