About Us
Saskatchewan Community Schools Association Constitution and By-laws
updated October, 2009

1. Name:
The name of the Association will be “Saskatchewan Community Schools Association” (SCSA)

2. Objectives:
The objectives of the Association will be to:
a) Promote the community school concept
b) Communicate, disseminate information
c) Provide in-service
d) Be a mutual support
e) Objectives to be reviewed yearly
The vehicles used to reach our objectives will be meetings, conferences, newsletters, the SCSA website, policy documents/framework and the addition of the Executive Director position (as funds permit).

3. Operations:
The operations of the Association will be carried out in the Province of SK.

The Association shall be carried on without purpose of gain for its members and any profits or other accretions to the Association shall be used for promoting its objectives.

4. Dissolution:
In the event of winding-up dissolution of the Association, any funds of the Association remaining shall be given or transferred to such organization concerned with education or with community affairs or as may be determined by the members of the Association at the time of wind-up or dissolution.

Bylaws
1. Membership:
a) Membership is open to all persons interested in, involved in, or supportive of Community Schools.
(i) Group membership is open to all schools interested in or involved with community schools/community education.
(ii) Associate membership is open to all school division offices, organizations, businesses, associations and agencies interested in or supportive of community schools/community education.

b) Membership Fees: the fees for membership shall be set from time to time at an Annual General Meeting. The membership year will be the same as our fiscal year, September 1 to August 31.
(i) Group membership fees shall be $50.00 per school/organization.
(ii) Benefits of membership:
- Three General meetings for the membership yearly
- Information about the Annual Community School Conference
- On-going work by the Executive to ensure issues and interests are taken forward to the Ministry of Education.
- Development of partnerships to support the work of community education.
- SCSA Executive Director Position to support our objectives.
- Regular newsletters, SCSA website and other communication tools.
- Connection to the Canadian Association of Community Education (CACE)

2. Voting:
a) Three (3) members of the group membership and three (3) members of the associate membership are entitled to vote on matters requiring a vote at the Annual General Meeting and at other general meetings that may be called from time to time. Three members of each of the above membership groups are also entitled to vote on matters from time to time which may require a mandate from the membership.
b) Elections for the Executive positions will be held at the Annual General Meeting. All members belonging to a group membership and three members of an Associate Membership are entitled to vote for the executives of the association. Elections will be held by secret ballot after nominations have been approved.

3. Termination of Membership:
Termination of membership shall take place for the following reasons:
a) A request to the Secretary by said member.
b) A failure to meet membership fee as set by the Association
c) By extraordinary resolution of the members passed at the general meeting called for that purpose.

4. Meetings of the Association
a) The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in the fall of each year for the purpose of electing members to the Executive and to conduct business of the Association.
b) A nominating committee shall submit a slate of candidates for the offices of the Executive to the Secretary one month prior to the Annual General Meeting. Any other members may nominate candidates from the Association for offices of the Executive. Nominations shall be received, by the Secretary, one month prior to, or from the floor at the Annual Meeting. Any person not present at the meeting shall not be nominated, unless such person’s written consent to the nomination has been filed with the Secretary of the Association.
c) Other general meetings of the Association shall be held, at such times as shall be determined by the Executive.
d) Notice of any annual meeting or other general meeting of the Association shall be given to the membership school or organization by mail, fax or e-mail at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting date.
e) A quorum at any Association meeting shall consist of at least two thirds of the elected Executive.
f) All proceedings of the Annual General Meeting shall be governed by “Roberts Rule of Order” where they are not contravened by Articles of the Constitution.

5. Executive:
a) The Elected Executive consist of:
(i) A President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Coordinator and Membership Coordinator. Persons elected to these positions shall hold a two (2) year term of office.
(ii) Up to 3 Regional Representatives shall be elected from each of the three Provincial regions in which Community Schools are located. These regions are: Southern, Central and Northern. Representatives shall hold a one (1) year term of office.
(iii) The Past President shall hold a position on the Executive.
b) The appointed members of the Executive may consist of:
(i) A (non-voting) representative from each of the following agencies/departments: Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, Metis Nation of Saskatchewan and the FSIN. These representatives shall hold a one (1) year term of office.
(ii) The SCSA Conference Coordinator. This person shall hold a one (1) year term of office.
(iii) A CACE Representative. This person shall hold a three (3) year term of office.
c) The Executive shall meet at least three (3) times in each calendar year and otherwise at the call of the President.
d) All elected and appointed (5B ii and iii) members of the Executive shall have full voting privileges.
e) The Executive shall be responsible for the conduct of the affairs of the Association and the pursuit and execution of its objectives at all times between general meetings.
f) No Executive member shall receive remuneration from the Association other than expenses for her/his duties as an officer.
g) Any vacancy, whether caused by death, resignation, or otherwise occurring among the Executive, shall be filled by the Executive by appointment among the members of the Association. The term of this appointment shall continue until the next Annual General Meeting.
h) All members of the Executive shall be members of the Association.
i) The Executive Officers shall hold office until their successors are elected.

6. Powers and Duties:
a) The President shall be chief executive officer and shall preside over general meetings of the Association and over meetings of the Executive. The President and a sub committee will oversee the hiring and operations of the Executive Director position (as funding allows).
b) The Secretary shall keep records of the Association and shall record the minutes of the general meeting and of meetings of the Executive.
c) The finances of the Association shall be administered by the Executive, and the Treasurer shall be responsible to the Executive for the custody of the Association’s monies, and shall make an accounting thereof to the Executive as it directs and to each annual meeting of the Association.
d) The Newsletter Coordinator shall be responsible for publishing a newsletter to the membership at least two times a year.
e) The Membership Coordinator shall be responsible for recording membership, collecting membership fees and keeping an up-to-date record of names and addresses of memberships.
f) The Conference Coordinator shall be responsible for appointing, organizing and chairing a conference committee for the purpose of conducting an annual community schools conference.
g) The Executive shall appoint standing or select committees from time to time: such committees to be responsible to the Executive.
h) The officers shall see that the minutes of the Association meetings and all other books and records of the Association required by the bylaws of the Association are regularly and properly kept.
i) Regional Representatives shall be responsible for keeping an up-to-date contact list of community schools/membership organizations in their region and notifying community schools/membership organizations in their region of upcoming meetings, events, conferences, newsletters, directory changes or other information forwarded to them by the SCSA President or Executive Director. They shall also gather information, issues/concerns from their region to bring forward to the Executive.

7. Finances:
a) The fiscal year of the Association shall be September 1 to August 31.
b) The officers shall present before the members of the Association at the annual meeting, a financial statement showing the income and expenditure, assets and liabilities of the Association.
c) All cheques, drafts and other financial or legal documents shall be signed by two or more members of the Association.

8. Inspection of Records of the Association:
The books and records of the Association shall be open to the inspection of Members at all reasonable times upon request to the Treasurer.

9. Amendment of Constitution and Bylaws
The Constitution of the Association and these Bylaws may be amended from time to time by a 75% majority vote at any annual meeting or other general meeting of the Association, provided that notice of intention to amend the Constitution or these Bylaws or both is included in the notice of the meeting as a special resolution.