ALBERTA-NORTHWEST TERRITORIES COMMAND
BRANCH BY-LAWS

BOWNESS BRANCH NO. 238
OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION

SECTION “A” – ARTICLE I
GENERAL

This Branch shall be known as the Alberta-Northwest Territories Command, Bowness Branch No. 238 of The Royal Canadian Legion and shall hereinafter be referred to as the Branch.

The Branch and the members shall, always, be governed by the following By-Laws, and in the following order of precedence:

(a) The General By-Laws of The Royal Canadian Legion, hereinafter to be referred to as the General By-Laws.

(b) The By-Laws of the Alberta-NWT Command of The Royal Canadian Legion. Hereinafter to be referred to as the Provincial Command By-Laws; and

(c) The By-Laws of the Branch, hereinafter to be referred to as the “Branch By-Laws.”

SECTION “B” – ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP

Branch Membership shall be comprised of: Life, Ordinary. Associate, Affiliate Voting and Affiliate Non-Voting in accordance with the current General By-Laws of The Royal Canadian Legion.

ANNUAL DUES

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

2. Such dues shall be subject to ratification by the General Membership at the September General Meeting and shall be published immediately. Such dues are payable on or before December 31st of the succeeding year. The annual Branch dues payable by all members shall be the same, other than seniors who will pay dues at a reduced rate.

3. Such dues shall consist of the per capita tax payable to both the Provincial and Dominion Commands, plus whatever sum shall have been determined as required by a Branch General Meeting.

4. Branch dues including per capita tax shall become due and payable on the 1st day of January in each calendar year.

5. A member who is in arrears as of 31st of January of that year is not in good standing for any purpose in the Branch (including participation in sporting activities) and shall be dealt with in accordance with the General By-Laws.

6. In deserving cases, unpaid dues and per capita tax may be remitted by the Branch.

7. Any member leaving, suspended or expelled from membership in the legion shall have no claim upon the Legion or against any of its Officers or Officials.

INITIATION

8. Every new member shall be initiated according to the Ritual, A wards, and Protocol Manual of The Royal Canadian Legion. Every member so initiated shall receive a copy of the Branch and General By-Laws.

SECTION “C” – ARTICLE III
ENTITLEMENT TO VOTE AND HOLD OFFICE

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

2. No person shall be nominated except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws. Only Ordinary, Life, Associate and Affiliate- Voting members, in good standing, shall have the right to vote or hold office at any level within this Branch.

3. Members so nominated must be present at the nominating meeting or have signified in writing willingness to accept such office.

4. 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.

PROCEDURES FOR NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

1. A Nominating Committee will be appointed by the President prior to the Nomination Meeting in October. This Committee will make recommendations to the General. Nominations will be made off the floor at the October meeting and reopened at the November General Meeting. Following the Nominations Meeting in October, a list of nominated candidates will be posted in the Branch and will remain posted until elections are held.

2. The Nominating Committee shall ensure the eligibility of both the nominator and Candidate, written in the Branch By-Laws. Prior to the election in November, the Chairman will ask to dissolve the Nominating Committee.

3. The election of Officers and the Executive will be held annually at the November General Meeting.

4. Elections will be conducted annually for the following offices:

(a) President
(b) First Vice-President
(c) Second Vice-President
(d) Third Vice-President
(e) Secretary
(f) Treasurer
(g) Sgt-at-Arms
(h) Executive Committee

5. The Branch Service Officer and Branch Padre will be appointed by the President for the following year and shall be part of the Executive. If the Secretary, Treasurer, Sgt-at-Arms or the required number of Executive are not elected, the President shall have the power to appoint such positions to run the Branch efficiently.

6. If there is a vacancy in the Vice-Presidents after the elections or due to a resignation, the President may appoint an Executive member to fulfil the position for the full or part term remaining.

7. The Officers of the Branch shall be the:

(a) President
(b) Immediate Past President
(c) First, Second and Third Vice-Presidents

The Executive Committee shall be nine (9) or more, as required for proper operation of the Branch and not to exceed the limit of thirteen (13), including the Vice-Presidents.

8. The Elected Officers and Executive Committee will be installed on the first Saturday in January. No member shall be installed into office unless their dues are paid for the upcoming year prior to installations.

9. All matters other than the Election of Officers and members of the Executive Committee voted on at an Ordinary or a Special Meeting of the Branch shall be decided upon a show of hands. In the event of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the membership present demanding a secret ballot on any question, such question shall be decided by a secret Ballot.

10. Unless otherwise directed by the President, the appointed Chairman of a Committee will choose Committee Members from the General Membership of the Branch and shall report the names of his Committee to the President at the earliest possible dates.

11. The Chairman shall call meetings of their committee as may be required. The Chairman or Officer in charge of a said Committee shall be prepared to reply to any questions directed to them at an Executive or General Meeting concerning the operation of the committee.

12. The President will provide each Chairman with terms of reference, which shall be the guidelines of operation for each Standing Committee. Each Committee Chairman will acquaint themselves with the terms of reference and functions of their Committees.

SECTION “D” – ARTICLE IV
REGULATIONS

1. A member shall be required to hold membership in the Branch for one year prior to running for a position on the Executive Committee and to have attended three (3) Branch General Meetings held in the calendar year.

2. A member will be required to hold the position of 1st Vice, 2nd Vice, Or 3rd Vice-President and have attended three (3) General Meetings the year prior, to be eligible to run for the position of President.

3. An Executive Member who misses three (3) consecutive meetings, General and/or Executive, shall forfeit their position as an Executive Member unless they show just cause.

4. Any Executive Member or Executive Officer who resigns or forfeits their appointed or elected position before their term of office is completed, unless otherwise due to ill health or job-related incidents (i.e. transfers, etc.) will not be able to pursue any
position for the next two (2) consecutive years.

5. Should an Executive Member be unable to attend any Executive or General Meetings due to sickness or job related they must notify the President or Branch Secretary prior to the meeting. 

6. The President shall appoint a Chairman for each of the following Standing Committees at the first Executive Meeting of the year:

(a) Service Officer
(b) Membership
(c) Poppy and Welfare
(d) Sick and Visiting
(e) By-Laws and Resolutions
(f) Entertainment
(g) Sgt-at-Arms
(h) Recording Secretary/Treasurer, if not elected, and
(i) Any other Committees deemed necessary.

7. Members of the Executive Committee will be appointed by the President to Chair one or more committees. The President may further assign the responsibilities of the committees to the Officers of the Branch for a more efficient operation.

8. The Executive Committee shall meet monthly, or as often as required, or at the call of the Chairman, for the transaction of current business, the examination and discussion of any suggestions made to them for the general welfare of the Legion and Branch, and such other business as may be introduced.

9. No Committee Chairman shall initiate action by his Committee without the prior approval of the Executive Committee and/or the President.

SECTION “E”- ARTICLE V
BRANCH MEETINGS

1. The Branch Executive will have the right to approve expenditures up to $5000.00 for maintenance of the building or purchases in case of an emergency, without having such expenditures voted on first by the General Meeting.

2. Statements of Executive, General and Financial reports to be presented to the President for perusal and be posted within one (1) week of the meeting if possible for Membership’s consideration prior to the General Meeting.

3. Any increase of bar prices in general must be presented by the Manager to the Executive for consideration and for approval by the General Membership.

4. A General Meeting of the Branch shall be held in January, March, May, September, October and November at which the minutes of the previous meeting shall be read. All meetings will be adjourned by 10:00 P.M., unless a continuance is needed which will be dealt with by a motion.

5. At all meetings of the Branch, or of the Executive Committee, the President or other person acting as the Chairman, shall have the casting vote in the event of a tie, but shall not otherwise vote.

6. March shall be the Annual General Meeting.

7. A quorum for General Meeting shall consist of twelve (12) eligible voting members present.

SECTION “F” – ARTICLE VI
FINANCIAL

1. At an Executive Or General Meeting, the Treasurer shall submit a statement of Branch income and expenditures and balance sheet of the current year to the end of the the month preceding the meeting.

2. All cheques, promissory notes, drafts and order for payment of money by the Branch shall be signed by the Branch Treasurer and countersigned by the President or such person as the President may designate. No two signing authorities may be related to
each other or live in the same domicile.

3. The Branch Treasurer shall deposit all monies received on behalf of the Branch and shall be credited to the appropriate accounts of the Branch in a charter Bank of the Dominion of Canadian or another recognized financial institution designated by the Branch.

4. A complete and proper set of books shall be kept by the Branch Treasurer with the most efficient and approved business methods being used in accordance with the auditor. The fiscal year of the Branch shall be the calendar year.

5. The Executive Committee, at their first meeting following installation into office shall appoint an Auditor who shall hold the appointed position until the first Executive Meeting following installations in the following year.

6. All books, vouchers, cheques, documents and papers necessary to enable the auditor to fully and completely audit the books and records of the Branch and to prepare a report thereof shall be accessible to the Auditor by the third (3) month of the year that being March.

SECTION “G”- ARTICLE VII
COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

The procedure for lodging complaints against members and the subsequent disciplinary action shall be strictly in accordance with Article III of the current General By-Laws.

SECTION “H” – ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS

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

(b) Any notice of Motion must:

(i) Be given in writing at the General Meeting prior to the one at which it will be given consideration;
(ii) Detail such alteration, amendment, variation, deletion, or addition;
(iii) Be signed by the member presenting the Notice of motion; and
(iv) Receive most 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 Command, Bowness Branch No. 238 of The Royal Canadian Legion. As amended and approved by a General Meeting of the Branch on the 25 day of September 2017.

Approved on behalf of the Alberta-NWT Command of The Royal Canadian Legion, this 29th Day of December, 2018.

For National (Dominion) or Provincial (Command) By-Laws and Sports Guides please use the links below. (Opens PDF in a new tab)