Club Bylaws

a) Article 1 – NAME
a.1 The name of the Society shall be the “Calgary Camera Club” also referred to in the following bylaws as the “Club”.

b) Article 2 – OBJECTS
b.1 To provide for the recreation for the members and to promote and afford the opportunity for friendly and social activities.
b.2 To promote a meeting place for the consideration and discussion of questions affecting the interests of the community.
b.3 To provide a centre and suitable meeting place for the various activities and the community.

c) Article 3 – DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS

c.1 Definitions
c.1.1 “Act” shall mean the Societies Act R.S.A.2000, Chapter S-14 as amended or any statute substituted for it.
c.1.2 “Bylaw” means a bylaw of the Club.
c.1.3 “Committee” means a committee established by the Executive.
c.1.4 “Director” means any person elected or appointed by members to the Executive.
c.1.5 “Executive” means the President and the Directors as appointed or elected by the members.
c.1.6 “Ex-officio” means a member of a committee by virtue of holding some particular office. This member shall not chair or nor have voting rights on the committee.
c.1.7 “General Meeting” means any General Meeting, including the Annual General Meeting (AGM), of the club’s membership.
c.1.8 “Member in Good Standing” means a member whose membership is current.
c.1.9 “Special Meeting” means a special meeting of the Club.
c.1.10 “Special Resolution” means a resolution passed
d) at a General Meeting or a Special Meeting of which not less than 21 days notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution has been duly given, and
e) by the vote of not less than 75% of those members who, if entitled to do so, vote in person.
e.1 Interpretations
e.1.1 Words used in the singular shall also include the plural.
e.1.2 Headings in bold lettering or capitalized are for convenience only and do not affect the bylaws.

f) Article 4 – MEMBERSHIP
f.1 Categories of Membership
f.1.1 Any individual may become a member of the Club by paying the appropriate annual membership fees.
f.1.2 Subject to approval at a General Meeting or Special Meeting, the Club may establish different categories of membership including but not limited to: Regular, Student and Life Members.
f.2 Membership Fees and Term
f.2.1 Membership term shall be from September 1 until August 31 each year.
f.2.2 Annual membership fees shall be approved by the Executive.
f.2.3 Different fees may be set for different membership categories.
f.2.4 Membership fees are not refundable.
f.3 Rights and Privileges of Members
f.3.1 A member in good standing may vote, may participate in all club activities and is eligible to serve on the executive.
f.3.2 No right or privilege of a member is transferable to another person either while an individual is a member or upon his/her ceasing to be a member.
f.4 Termination of Membership
f.4.1 Membership in the Club shall be cancelled if fees are more than two months in arrears.
f.4.2 Membership may be reinstated upon payment of any fees in arrears.
f.4.3 A member may resign and be removed from the membership list by mailing or delivering a written notice to either the Secretary or the President of the Club.
f.4.4 The Board may convene a meeting to deal with member’s behavior or action which may be damaging to the interests of the club. If it is determined, by the sole discretion by the Board, that a member has committed plagiarism, as referenced in Schedule “A”, or another act contrary to the interests of the Club, the member may be removed from the list of members.

g) Article 5 – MEETINGS
g.1 General Meetings
g.1.1 The AGM is the only general meeting of the Club.
g.1.2 The executive shall call an AGM in Calgary to be held no later than September 30th of each year and the executive shall set the place, date and time of the meeting.
g.1.3 The AGM shall provide for elections, audited financial statements and any other matters of general interest or concern.
g.1.4 Only those items listed in the AGM agenda shall be considered at the meeting.
g.2 Special Meetings
g.2.1 A Special Meeting may be called:
a) at any time by the executive or
h) upon receipt by the executive of a written request signed by 10 or more members.
h.1.1 5.2.2 Only those items listed in the Special Meeting agenda shall be considered at the meeting.
h.2 General and Special Meeting Procedures
h.2.1 Every member shall be sent a notice of the applicable General Meeting or Special Meeting either by mail or by e-mail in time to ensure they receive notification not less than 21 days before the meeting.
h.2.2 This notice shall state the place, date, time and purpose of the applicable meeting and include a copy of the agenda as well as any proposed resolutions.
h.2.3 A quorum shall comprise of 20% or 10 Members in Good Standing, whichever is greater.
h.2.4 A motion shall pass if 50% plus one of eligible voting members approve it.
h.2.5 Voting will be by a show of hands, unless a motion for written ballots is passed.

i) Article 6 – MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB
i.1 Composition of the Executive
i.1.1 The Executive shall consist of the President, Past President and seven (7) Directors.
i.1.2 The President and Directors shall be elected at the AGM from among the voting members for a term of one (1) year.
i.1.3 Voting members may re-elect any Director for a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms.
i.1.4 Voting members may re-elect the President for a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms which does not include any consecutive terms served as Director.
i.1.5 Members who have served three (3) consecutive years can seek re-election to the Executive after a period of one year off.
i.1.6 At the first meeting of a newly elected Executive, the members shall appoint a Secretary, Treasurer and Vice-President from within.
i.2 Vacancies on the Executive
i.2.1 If the President resigns or is unavailable to continue, the Vice-President shall assume the position for the remainder of the term.
i.2.2 If the immediate past president cannot fill the position of Past President, or if the position of Past President becomes vacant, the Executive may appoint a member in good standing who was also a member of a previous Executive to fill the position of Past President.
i.2.3 If another Executive office becomes vacant, the Executive may appoint another director to the position for the remainder of the term.
i.2.4 At the discretion of the Executive, a vacancy other than the above may be filled through a by- election at a Special Meeting.
i.2.5 The Executive may assume a Director who fails to attend three consecutive Executive meetings during a Club year without explanation has resigned.
i.2.6 A member of the Executive may be asked to resign or be removed from office for cause through a majority vote at a Special Meeting.
i.3 Meetings of the Executive
i.3.1 The Executive shall hold at least eight meetings each year.
i.3.2 The President calls the meetings.
i.3.3 The President also calls a meeting if any two (2) executive members make a request in writing and state the business for the meeting.
i.3.4 Five (5) days notice by telephone or email is required for meetings of the executive.
i.3.5 Executive members may waive notice of meetings if a meeting schedule is established at the beginning of the term.
i.3.6 A quorum shall comprise of at least five members of the Executive.
i.3.7 A motion shall pass if 50% plus one of the executive members present approve it.
i.3.8 Each Director, including the President, has one (1) vote.
i.3.9 The President does not have a second or casting vote in the case of a tie vote.
i.3.10 A tie vote means a motion is defeated.
i.4 Role and Responsibilities of the Executive
i.4.1 The Executive shall govern and manage the affairs of the Club on behalf of the members.
i.4.2 The Executive shall delegate responsibility for Club events and activities, including monthly programs, as appropriate and may appoint and delegate authority to either permanent or ad hoc committees, as required;
i.4.3 No member, in his or her capacity as a member of the Executive or of a Committee, shall receive remuneration for any services provided to the Club.
i.4.4 The Executive may assign specific duties to individual Directors.
i.4.5 The Executive shall review and update the Policies and Procedure Manual by December 31 of each year.
i.5 The President
i.5.1 The President shall chair all meetings of the Club and the Executive.
i.5.2 The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees except the Nominating Committee.
i.5.3 The President shall act as spokesperson for the Club.
i.6 The Vice President
i.6.1 In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall assume his or her duties.
i.6.2 If the Vice President cannot preside at a meeting, he/she shall designate another member of the executive to take his/her place.
i.7 The Secretary
i.7.1 The Secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, accurate minutes of every Executive, General Meeting and Special Meeting and maintain the minute book.
i.7.2 The Secretary shall administer all Club documents and correspondence.
i.7.3 The Secretary shall ensure the Club bylaws, amendments, Annual Returns and related documents are submitted to the Provincial Corporate Registry office.
i.8 The Treasurer
i.8.1 The Treasurer shall ensure all monies payable to the Club are deposited promptly in the Club’s bank account.
i.8.2 The Treasurer shall maintain or ensure that a detailed account of all revenues and expenditures is maintained and presented to the Executive as required.
i.8.3 The Treasurer shall ensure that all financial reports are filed with the applicable government agencies and that records are kept for the prescribed periods.
i.8.4 Arrange for an audited statement of the Club’s finances to be presented to the AGM.
i.9 The Past President
i.9.1 The Past President shall act as a resource and mentor to members of the new Executive.
i.9.2 The Past President shall chair the nominating committee to obtain candidates for the annual elections.

j) Article 7 – FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
j.1 The Registered Office of the Club shall be located in Calgary, in the Province of Alberta.
j.2 Finance
j.2.1 The fiscal year end of the Club shall be June 30.
j.2.2 An audit of the Club’s financial records shall be completed at least once each fiscal year by a qualified firm or individual who is not a member or a relative of a member with cheque signing authority at any time during the year being audited.
j.2.3 All cheques or contracts must be signed by two members of the Executive with signing authority.
j.2.4 The Club may borrow or raise funds only to meet its objects and operations.
j.2.5 The Club may borrow funds only by approval of a Special Resolution.
j.3 Seal of the Club
j.3.1 The Executive may adopt a seal as the Club Seal.
j.3.2 The Secretary shall have control and custody of the Club Seal subject to the Executive delegating control to another Director.
j.3.3 Use of the Club Seal shall be limited to the President and Secretary only.
j.4 Club Books and Records
j.4.1 The Secretary shall maintain the minute books and record the minutes of all Executive, General Meetings and Special Meetings.
j.4.2 Committee minutes shall be taken by a member appointed by the Chair of the Committee and once approved by the Committee shall be forwarded to the Secretary.
j.4.3 The Club’s financial and other records shall be available for inspection by any member subject to providing reasonable notice of the request to the President, Secretary or Treasurer as applicable.
j.5 Protection and Indemnity of the Executive
j.5.1 Each member of the Executive holds office with protection from the Club. The Club indemnifies each member of the Executive against all costs or charges that result from any act done in his/her role for the Club. The Club does not protect any Executive member for acts of fraud, dishonesty or bad faith.
j.5.2 No Executive member is liable for the acts of any other Executive member. No Executive member is responsible for any loss or damage due to the bankruptcy, insolvency or wrongful act of any person, firm or corporation dealing with the Club. No Executive member is liable for any loss due to an oversight or error in judgment or by an act in his role for the Club, unless the act is fraud, dishonesty or bad faith.
j.5.3 Executive Members can rely on the accuracy of audited financial statements and report prepared by the Club’s auditor.

k) Article 8 – AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS
k.1 The bylaws may be rescinded, altered or added to only by Special Resolution of the Club.
k.2 The amended Bylaws take effect after the approval of a Special Resolution and subsequent acceptance by the Corporate Registry of Alberta.

l) Article 9 – DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB AND DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS
l.1 The Club shall not distribute any of its property or assets to members.
l.2 If the Club is dissolved, any funds or assets remaining after paying all debts are to be dispersed to registered and incorporated charitable organizations selected by the members by Special Resolution.

Dated at the City of Calgary, in the Province of Alberta, this ___ day of ______________, 2015.
President:

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Vice President:

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Past President:

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Secretary:

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Treasurer:

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Witness:

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Schedule a
ATTACHED TO AND FORMING PART OF
THE BYLAWS
Plagiarism Policy
Subject to these guidelines, the Calgary Camera Club (“CCC”) welcomes ANY submissions from our members. However, CCC reserves the right to monitor/approve ALL images uploaded to the CCC web site or submitted by the member in CCC competitions or in the name of or on behalf of CCC in other club competitions.
Digital photography and the Internet have made it very easy to acquire high quality images that individuals could present as their own work.
As a result the CCC has implemented the following plagiarism policy:
Images uploaded to the CCC web site, submitted to CCC competitions or submitted by the member in other competitions as a representative of the CCC must be the sole work of the maker.
All submitted images but particularly images that receive high scores or have been recognized for their excellence may be subject to scrutiny by the Executive. Any available technology will be employed to verify the validity of the image submitted, including performing a web search for images.
By submitting images to a CCC competition or in the name of or on behalf of CCC in other competitions, the member specifically agrees, on request:
To provide a copy of the original file from the camera
To provide a copy of the edited file used in the production of the final image
To make available the camera in which the image was produced for examination
With respect to digital files scanned from slides or negatives, to produce the original film material for validation
Since the onus is on the member to prove that his/her image is of his/her own work product, it is advised that all members keep safe any digital files that can be used to validate any image they intend to enter in Club or affiliate organizations for competition.
If an image cannot be conclusively demonstrated to be the maker’s it will be disqualified as not having been entered and any adjustments required will be made to the competition to make the proper awards. The Competitions Committee will review past submissions, and adjustments to awards and placements will be made if warranted.

The following sanctions will be assessed for images determined as plagiarized:
For a first offence – the maker will be ineligible to enter competitions for the remainder of the current Club season and the following two Club seasons
Upon re-entry to competitions a skill level assessment will be required and the member’s submissions will be subject to scrutiny
For a repeat offence – as a minimum, the maker will be banned for life from entering Club competitions or other competitions in the name of the Club and, at the sole discretion of the Executive Committee, the maker may also be banned for life from membership in the Club.
Concerns brought forward to the Executive or the Competitions Committee on the validity of any image presented to the CCC for competition will be taken seriously and the identity of the person raising the concern will remain confidential.
All decisions of the CCC Executive Committee shall be final.
Thanks to the Richmond Hill Camera Club for providing guidance on this plagiarism policy.