METRO SQUARE & ROUND DANCE ASSOCIATION MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
Revised: February 2003
Article 1: NAME
Article 2: PURPOSES
- To suggest guidelines under which the Square & Round Dance activity can operate to the greatest enjoyment of all;
- To provide an organizational framework to assist member Clubs and Regional Dancers and Callers in coordinating activities, exchanging information and solving problems;
- To encourage area cooperation in the advertising, promotion and operation of Square & Round Dance Classes for the benefit of all Clubs and programs of dancing;
- To support and encourage the work of the Square & Round Dance Federation of Nova Scotia and the Association of Nova Scotia Square & Round Dance Teachers;
- To operate as a not-for-profit organization without purpose of gain for its members, and any profits or other accretion to the organization shall be used in promoting its objectives;
- To acquire by way of grant, gift, purchase, bequest, devise or otherwise, real and personal property and to use and apply such property to the realization of the objects of the Society;
- To buy, own, hold, lease, mortgage, sell and convey such real and personal property as may be necessary or desirable in the carrying out of the objects of the Society.
Article 3: LOCATION
The activities of the Society are to be carried on in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada.
BY-LAWS OF THE METRO SQUARE AND ROUND DANCE ASSOCIATION
Approved: February 1987
Revised: September 1996, April 1999, February 2003
Article 1: NAME
Article 2: MEMBERSHIP AND REPRESENTATION
- Modern Square & Round Dance Clubs in the Central Region of Nova Scotia (Halifax County) are eligible to become members of Metro. No formal admission to membership shall be required, and the entry in the Register of Members by the Metro Secretary of the Contact Name and Address for any Central Region Modern Square and Round Dance Club shall constitute an admission to membership in Metro.
- Metro shall not act as a dictatorial body, but may make recommendations to the member clubs.
- Member Clubs are encouraged to grant free official visits (normally a maximum of two per year per Club) to the current Metro Chairman.
- Clubs are expected to support the decisions of their Club Representatives, to assist in any required activities, and to provide committee members when needed.
- All Central Region Callers and Cuers are encouraged to attend General Meetings, act as advisors and voice their opinions.
- A club's membership in Metro shall cease if the member club has dissolved, or if, by notice in writing to Metro, the club resigns its membership, or if the club ceases to qualify for membership in accordance with these by-laws.
Article 3: DIRECTORS
- The Club Representatives shall be the Directors of Metro.
- The Directors shall elect from their numbers the Chairman and Vice Chairman of Metro at the Annual General Meeting.
- Each member club is encouraged to send Club Representatives to each Metro Meeting to exercise the club's voting privilege of two votes. These votes may be cast either by two individuals or by two couples. Additional interested club members are welcome to attend meetings in a non-voting capacity.
- In addition to the Club Representative voters, the Chairman and Immediate Past- Chairman couples each have one vote.
- The Directors are empowered to carry out the Activities listed in Article 4.
Article 4: ACTIVITIES
- Coordinating and supporting summer dancing.
- Coordinating Special and Demonstration Dances. Only Callers or Cuers who use Callerlab’s and/or Roundalab's current terminology shall be eligible to participate in a Metro Function.
- Coordinating floats for local parades.
- Publishing and distributing local information and promotional material.
- Any other activities deemed appropriate by the Metro Membership
Article 5: FINANCES
- Metro shall attempt to finance all of its activities by means of profits from summer dancing and special dances.
- The fiscal year of Metro shall be from September 1 to August 31.
- The Metro accounts shall be audited by a committee selected from its membership, and it should include a Chartered Accountant who must not be the Treasurer. The Audited Financial Statements shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting of Metro and a written version included with the distributed minutes of the meeting.
Article 6: MEETINGS
- A General Meeting shall be called by the Chairman whenever deemed necessary to conduct Metro affairs. Reasonable advance notice (at least seven days) shall be given to all Member Clubs so that Representatives from each Club can be in attendance. Notice of meeting place, day and hour, and the nature of special business shall be given to all the members in writing, by facsimile, by e-mail or by regular mail addressed to each member at their last known address.
- A quorum for a General Meeting shall consist of four people each representing a different member club.
- The Annual General Meeting shall usually be held in October of each year and shall include in its business the installation of new officers. The attendance of both the incoming and retiring Club Representatives shall be requested. The incoming Club Representatives shall not have voting privileges until after the installation of the new Chairman, at which time the retiring Club Representatives shall no longer have voting privileges.
- Any Member Club may request a Special Meeting by submitting a letter to the Executive Committee stating the reasons. The Chairman or the directors shall call a Special Meeting if deemed necessary and must call a Special Meeting if requisitioned in writing by at least twenty-five per cent (25%) of the member clubs of Metro.
Article 7: OFFICERS
-
CHAIRMAN
- The club representatives shall elect one of their number to be the Chairman of Metro. Normally such election shall occur by majority vote at the Annual General Meeting.
- The Chairman shall preside at all Metro meetings and be our official Metro Representative, and shall perform such other duties as are normally associated with such a position. Contracts and other instruments and documents may be executed on behalf of the Society by the Chairman or the Vice-Chairman and the Secretary, or as otherwise prescribed by resolution of the Board of Directors.
- The Chairman is expected to be impartial and unaffected by any club politics during his term of office. He is encouraged to visit and keep in touch with all clubs whenever possible.
- The Chairman may delegate any members of the executive or a Metro club representative to assist with visiting duties at club dances and special events, and they shall be accorded the same recognition and privileges by the clubs as would normally be granted to the Chairman.
- The Vice-Chairman is automatically a candidate for the position of Chairman. Further nominations from the floor of a General Meeting, shall also be accepted. The new Chairman shall then be determined by election.
- The Immediate Past Chairman shall remain with Metro for the ensuing year as an advisor.
- The Chairman shall be granted free admission to all Metro sponsored dances. These dances do not include Metro coordinated dances sponsored by a single club.
- A vacancy occurring in the office of Chairman shall automatically be filled by the Vice-Chairman for the unexpired portion of the term.
- The Vice-Chairman shall function in the event of the Chairman's absence or request.
- The Vice-Chairman is to be determined at a General Meeting of Metro. The Executive, constituting a nominating committee, shall put forward a name chosen so that the Vice-Chairman, if possible, shall not represent the same Club that the Chairman represented when he/she was elected. At the General Meeting the Chairman shall call for additional nominations from the floor of persons willing to serve. Should additional names be put forward, the new Vice-Chairman shall be determined by an election of those nominated.
- The Secretary shall maintain a membership list, handle correspondence, record minutes of meetings and perform other duties that are normally associated with such a position.
- Custody of the minutes of all the meetings of Metro Association and of Metro’s Executive Committee shall be the responsibility of the Secretary, who shall also have custody of all other non-financial books and records.
- The Secretary shall be appointed by the Chairman with the approval of the Directors.
- The Treasurer shall have charge of and show account of Metro funds and perform other duties that are normally associated with such a position.
- Custody of the financial records of Metro shall be the responsibility of the Treasurer.
- The Treasurer shall be appointed by the Chairman with the approval of the Directors.
- Cheques issued by Metro shall require two signatures. Signing authority shall normally be held by the Treasurer, Chairman and one other Officer.
- Shall be responsible for the production of a comprehensive list of Metro area classes and ensure that Metro approved advertisements are properly placed.
- Shall be responsible for coordinating all advertising for Metro sponsored special functions.
- Shall ensure that Dance Nova Scotia and the local libraries have up-to-date information about Metro Area Square & Round Dancing.
- Shall produce at least two issues of "Metro Matters" each year including local square and round dance news, dancer-oriented articles and the latest Callerlab news.
- Shall annually produce a list of local clubs and callers.
- Shall print information on Metro area summer dances and distribute it to local Clubs, to the Square and Round Dance Federation of Nova Scotia and to Dance Nova Scotia.
Article 7.1: DUTIES OF CLUB REPRESENTATIVES
- Shall attend all Metro meetings or ensure that a substitute attends.
- Shall be the liaison between Metro and the club they represent. This includes reporting to their club regarding events at Metro meetings and gathering opinions from their Club regarding Metro activities.
- Shall ensure that all Metro publications are available to their Club members.
Article 7.2: CENTRAL REGION FEDERATION REPRESENTATIVE
Article 8: COMMITTEES
-
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee consisting of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Chairman and Metro Matters Editor shall conduct Metro business between meetings. The committee is empowered to spend up to two hundred dollars for executive approved Metro business between general meetings. -
Other Committees
The Chairman may appoint other committees as deemed necessary.
Article 9: METRO COLOURS AND EMBLEM
- The official colours of Metro are blue and white
- Officers & Club Representatives shall be given badges to denote that they are working members and the office held. At each annual meeting the badges are to be forwarded to the new officers and club representatives.
- The emblem will be as shown on the first page of this document.
- Metro does not have custody of an official seal.
Article 10: AMENDMENTS
Article 11: DISSOLUTION