ALBERTA- NORTHWEST TERRITORIES COMMAND

VULCAN BRANCH NO. 21 OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION

  1. NAME: This Branch shall be known as the Alberta-Northwest Territories Command, Vulcan Branch No. 21 of The Royal Canadian Legion and shall hereinafter be referred to as the Branch.
  2. MEMBERSHIP: Branch Membership shall be comprised of  Ordinary, Life, Associate, Affiliate Voting, and Affiliate Non-Voting in accordance with the General By-Laws of The Royal Canadian Legion.
  3. ENTITLEMENT TO VOTE, HOLD OFFICE, NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

(a) Ordinary, Life, Associate, and Affiliate Voting members and no one else shall be entitled to vote or hold office in this Branch.

(b) No person shall be nominated except as otherwise provided in these ByLaws. Only Life, Ordinary, Associate and Affiliate-voting members in good standing shall have the right to vote or hold office at any level within this branch. Members so nominated must be present at the nominating meeting or have signified in writing willingness to accept such office.

(c) Subject to the General By-Laws and Command policy, no elected or appointed Officer at this Branch shall hold more than one office in the Branch, District, or Command.

(d) No person shall be elected President unless he has served at least one (1) year on an Executive Committee.

(e) The President, 2nd Vice President and one half of the Executive Committee members shall be elected and installed at the December General Meeting for a period of two (2) years on odd numbered years. The 1st Vice President and remaining half of the Executive Committee shall be elected and installed on even numbered years.

(f) Nominations for the election of Officers and the Executive Committee members shall be held at the General Meeting in October or November. 

   4.  INITIATION: Every new member shall be initiated according to the Ritual, Awards and Protocol Manual prior to receiving  a membership card.

   5.   COMPLAINTS AND DISCIPLINE: The Procedure for lodging complaints against members and the subsequent disciplinary action shall be                  strictly in accordance with Article lll of the current General By-Laws.

  6.   ANNUAL DUES:

(a) Every member shall pay annual dues in an amount to be decided upon by a General Meeting of the Branch.

(b) Members whose dues are in arrears at January 31st are not in good standing. Once the dues are paid in full, the member will be considered in good standing.

  7.  OFFICERS: The Officers of the Branch shall be:

(i) the President;

(ii) the lmmediate Past President;

(iii) the First Vice-President;

(iv) the 2nd Vice-President;

(v) the Treasurer;

(vi) the Secretary.

The President shall preside at all Meetings and ensure they are conducted in an orderly manner.

In the absence or disability of the President, the 1st Vice President shall take over the President’s Position until an election at a General Meeting.

The Secretary shall keep minutes of all Executive and General Meetings. The Secretary shall have the proper minute book and all correspondence at each Meeting.

 8. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

The Branch Executive Committee shall be:

(i) the Officers; and

(ii) three (3) or more Executive Members may be required for the proper operation of the Branch.

(a) The Branch Executive Committee shall take office and assume their duties and functions fourteen (14) days after their election or at the end of the month in which they were elected, whichever period shall be the longer, and shall be installed in accordance with the Ritual, Awards and Protocol Manual and the General By-Laws as amended.

(b) Two (2) members from the Executive Committee shall be appointed as Area Representatives and will represent the Vulcan Branch at Area Meetings and will have voting power at the Election of Area Commander.  

(c) Procurement of a mortgage or debenture shall not be made without the sanction of a Special General Meeting called specifically for this purpose. A resolution must be passed by a majority of three fourths ‘/q of the voting members present.

(d) The Executive Committee Members shall not exceed an expenditure five hundred dollars ($500.00) without the approval of the majority voting members at a General Meeting.

(e) The duties and obligations of the Executive Committee shall be in accordance with the Branch Leadership Manual.

9.  GENERAL MEETINGS:

A General Meeting of the Branch shall be held on the 4th Monday of every month, except July and August, at which the minutes of the Meeting shall be distributed.

During July and August, the business of the Branch wilt be conducted by the Executive Committee.

The date of the General Meeting may be changed by the President for justifiable purposes. Such change must be ratified at a previous General Meeting.

10. EXECUTIVE MEETINGS:

The Executive Committee shall meet monthly on a day agreed to by the Committee, or called by the President, for the review of accounts, transactions of current business, consideration of all new business before presentation to members at a General Meeting.

(a) Should any member of the Executive Committee be absent from three (3) consecutive Meetings without a satisfactory reason approved by the other members of the Committee, they will cease to hold office and the position will be filled by an election at the next General Meeting.

11. SPECIAL MEETINGS:

Special General or Executive Meetings may be called as required by the President or Executive Committee.

12. ANNUAL MEETING:

An Annual Meeting shall be held in December each year for the receiving of a report of Branch finances and for the election of the Branch Executive Committee, or in lieu thereof for deciding the date and method of electing the Branch Executive Committee.

13. QUORUM:

A quorum for a General Meeting shall be ten (10) voting members.

A quorum for an Executive meeting shall be formed when a majority of the Executive Committee are in attendance. 

14. STANDING COMMITTEES:

The President may appoint a Chairman for each of the following Standing Committees at the first meeting of the Executive Committee following the election:

  1. Finance;
  2. Entertainment;
  3. Membership;
  4. House and Property;
  5. Sick and Visiting;
  6. Sports and Games;
  7. By-Laws and Resolutions;
  8. Poppy;
  9. Ways and Means; and
  10. Other Committees as deemed necessary.

(a) Each Chairman so appointed shall select the members of the Committee, submitting same to the Executive Committee for approval at its next meeting.

(b) Chairman of Standing Committees shall submit a written report to the Executive Committee at each meeting.

16. FINANCIAL:

The Chairman of the Finance Committee (Treasurer) shall:

(i) maintain an accurate and true account of all monies received and paid out by the Branch;

(ii) maintain a record of all other financial transactions of the Branch; and

(iii) deposit all Branch funds, in the name of the Branch, in a bank or other recognized financial institution designated by the Branch.

(a) All Branch cheques, drafts, or orders of payment of money shall be signed by two members of the Finance Committee. These members must not be related or live in the same domicile. No blank cheques are to be signed.

(b) A registered accounting firm shall provide a complete annual review of the financial records of the Branch.

17. AMENDMENTS TO BY.LAWS:

(a) These By-Laws shall not be altered, amended, varied, or added to except by Notice of Motion.

(b) Any Notice of Motion must:

  1. be given in writing at the General Meeting prior to the one at which it will be given consideration;
  2. detail such alteration, amendment, variation, deletion, or addition;
  3. be signed by the member presenting the Notice of Motion; and
  4. receive a majority of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members present at the Meeting at which it is given consideration.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF BRANCH BY.LAWS:

These By-Laws shall not be in effect until approved by Alberta-NWT Command.

Certified to be a true copy of the By-Laws of the Alberta-NWT  Vulcan No. 21 of The Royal Canadian Legion, as approved by a on the 2th day of January, 2020.

Approved on behalf of the Alberta-NWT Command of The Royal Canadian Legion 9th day of March, 2020.