Fort Nelson Minor Hockey Association
Constitution & By-Laws

Constitution
Article #1 – Name
This society shall be known as the Fort Nelson Minor Hockey Association hereinafter referred to as “The
Association”.
Article # 2 – Purpose of Association
To promote and encourage amateur hockey and to develop the highest possible standard of
sportsmanship and citizenship.
To maintain and increase the interest of amateur hockey in this community and to encourage
competition and good fellowship not necessarily for the most proficient, but rather for all participants.
To control and operate minor hockey within facilities provided to the Fort Nelson Minor Hockey
Association by the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Recreation Department in accordance with
the user agreement.
Article #3 – Affiliation
As an unalterable provision of this Constitution, this Association shall by affiliated with the BC Hockey
and shall observe all laws, rules, and regulations by which this Association is governed.
Article #4 – Non-Profit Association
As an unalterable provision of this Constitution, the purposes of this Association shall be carried out
without purpose of gain for its members, and any profits or accretions to the Association shall be used
for promoting its purpose.
Article #5 – Dissolution
As an unalterable provision of this Constitution, in the event of the dissolution of the Association, all
funds and assets of the Association remaining after the satisfaction of its debts and liabilities shall be
given or transferred to such registered organization /organizations concerned with promotion of sports
for the same purpose as may be determined by the members in good standing of the Association.
Said organization shall be recognized by National Revenue Taxation under the provisions of the Income
Tax Act.
Filed Date and Time: September 11, 2018 10:22 AM Pacific Time
Society Incorporation Number: S0038484

BY – LAWS
Part 1 – Interpretation
In these bylaws, unless the context otherwise requires.
1. “Directors” means the directors of the society for the time being:
2. “Society Act” means the Society Act of the Province of British Columbia from time to time in force
and all amendments to it:
3. “registered address” of a member means his address as recorded in the register of members.
The definitions in the Society Act on the date these bylaws become effective apply to these bylaws.
B. Words importing the singular including the plural and vice versa: and words importing a male person
include a female person and a corporation.

 

Part 2 – Membership
A. Ordinary Membership
1. A person shall become an ordinary member of the Association in the manner described in the
following:
a) Ordinary members are the parents or guardians of the players registered to play hockey with
the Association and for whom the prescribed fee has been paid; OR
b) An ordinary member is a person who holds a position on the executive or who performs
volunteer duties as may be assigned by the executive
c) Ordinary members shall be entitled to one vote per member at all general
meetings of the Association
d) They shall be entitled to participate in any distribution of the property of the Association.
2. Membership in the Association ceases when:
a) Persons who are ordinary members by virtue of the fact that they have a child or children
registered to play hockey with the Association, cease to be registered; OR
b) Persons who are ordinary members by virtue of the fact outlined in 1. b) above, resign.
c) A member of the association delivers their resignation in writing or e-mail to the secretary
and/or president of the association. The member may also mail their letter to the mailing address of the
association.
d) A member is expelled as per #3
e) A member loses their “good standing” due to suspension by either governing body of Hockey
Canada or BC Hockey affiliates.
3. An ordinary member ceases to be a member in good standing when the conduct of such a
member is considered to be improper, unbecoming, or likely to endanger the welfare, interests, or
character of the Association, or when a member willfully commits a breach of the By-laws or rules of the
Association. No member shall be expelled without first having been notified of the charges against
him/her, and then given the full opportunity of having been heard by the full executive and Joint
Committee at a meeting called for that purpose. Such notification shall be sufficient if mailed to
member’s usual address by registered mail at least ten days prior to meeting. An ordinary member may
be expelled from the Association by a special resolution carried by no less than 75% of the members
attending the Annual General Meeting or a special general meeting of the Association. Every member
shall uphold the constitution and comply with these bylaws.
B. Life Membership
Life membership may be bestowed on any member of this Association for distinctive service to
the Association for a period of at least five years. Nomination for life membership shall be submitted to
the Executive by any member of the Association, and shall be approved at the Annual General Meeting.
Life members shall have full voting privileges at all general meetings.

Part 3 – The Directors
A. General
1. The directors may exercise all the powers and do all the acts and things that the society may exercise
and do, and which are not by these bylaws or by statute or otherwise lawfully directed or required to be
exercised or done by the society in general meeting, but subject, nevertheless, to:
a) All laws affecting the society;
b) These bylaws: and
c) rules, not being inconsistent with these bylaws, which are made from time to time by the
society in general meeting.
2. The directors shall retire from office at each annual general meeting when their successors shall be
elected.
3. Separate elections shall be held for each office to be filled.
4. An election may be by acclamation; otherwise it shall be by ballot.
5. The directors may at any time and from time to time appoint a member as a director to fill a vacancy
in the directors.
6. A director so appointed holds office only until the conclusion of the next following annual general
meeting of the society, but is eligible for re-election at the meeting.
7. If a director resigns his office or otherwise ceases to hold office, the remaining directors shall appoint
a member to take the place of the former director OR the vacant position shall be posted and attempts
made by the executive to recruit a replacement. An executive member may be appointed to carry out
the duties until the replacement is found.
8. An act or proceeding of the directors is not invalid merely because there are less than the prescribed
number of directors in office.
9. No director shall be remunerated for being or acting as a director but a director shall be reimbursed
for all expenses necessarily and reasonably incurred by him while engaged in the affairs of the society.
10. The members may, by special resolution, remove a director, before the expiration of his or her term
of office, and may elect or appoint a successor to complete the term of office.
11. Prior to start of each season, all positions must be filled.
B. Composition
The Executive of the Association shall consist of the following:
President Registrar
President Vice Treasurer
Division Coordinators (7) Referee In Chief
Secretary Publicity Director
Equipment Manager Head Coach
Risk Manager Gaming Coordinator
Ice Coordinator Fund Raiser
C. The Election
The President, Vice President, Division Coordinators (7), Secretary, Publicity Director, Registrar,
Treasurer, Referee In Chief, Head Coach, Risk Manager, Gaming Coordinator, Ice Coordinator, Fund
Raiser and Equipment Manager of the Association shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting of the
Association. The normal term of office shall be for a period of one year.
D. Duties of Directors

President – To preside at all meetings and to act as official representative of the Association. To ensure
all members of the Executive and committee heads are presented with a copy of duties and
responsibilities.

Vice President – Shall assume duties allocated to him/her by the President. In the event the President is
absent or should resign or is unable to remain in office for any reason, the Vice President shall assume
his/her responsibilities and duties.

Ice Coordinator – Shall be responsible for notifying Rec. center at start of year of your official status and
informing them that ice cancellations and extra ice time bookings must come from you directly if they
are to be billed to F.N.M.H.A. Attend Ice User meeting each year. Make out monthly ice schedules and
book ice times for tournaments and additional ice times.

Secretary – Shall keep a full and complete record of all meetings of the Association and all business and
correspondence transacted. The Secretary will ensure that all statements, lists, or other reports are
filed as required by the British Columbia Societies Act or other regulatory body. He or she shall turn
over all affairs of the Association to his or her successor.

Registrar – Shall maintain a permanent record of all players and members of the Association. He or she
shall be responsible for the annual registration of playing members with the BC Hockey Association and
Mutual aid Fund as required.

Treasurer – Shall be responsible for all monies handled by the Association. He or she shall maintain a
continuous proper record which at all times must be up to date. He or she shall prepare a financial
statement for the Annual General Meeting in accordance with Section 47 of the British Columbia
Societies Act. He or she shall hand over all books, papers, vouchers and monies to his/her successor,
including all electronic files belonging to the association.

Referee In Chief – Shall be responsible for obtaining referees and linesmen for all hockey games played
under the jurisdiction of this Association. He or she shall ensure that a high standard of officiating is
maintained. He or she shall ensure that all referees and linesmen are registered with the BC Hockey.

Publicity Director – Shall be responsible for all forms of publicity, posters, advertising, notices, and all
meetings with the exception of Coordinators committee meetings.

Equipment Manager – Shall be responsible for all equipment owned by the Association, and shall ensure
that all equipment is signed out using a sign out sheet in the equipment room. Shall keep an inventory
at all times to be presented at meetings upon request.

Division Coordinators – Each Division Coordinator shall have general responsibility for the organization of
teams and scheduling of games in his/her division. Each Division Coordinator shall ensure that each
team coach and/or manager of teams within his/her division is aware of the policies of the Association
and shall take the necessary steps to see that such policies are followed. He or she shall be responsible
to the Executive.

Head Coach – The Head Coach shall work in conjunction with the Division Coordinator and shall institute
and maintain a high caliber of coaching ability in all divisions. It shall be the duty of the Head Coach to
plan and supervise training programs for all coaches and players with the Association.

Risk Manager – Shall report all accidents to the BC Hockey and file necessary claims. He/she will be
responsible to maintain adequate first-aid supplies. Emergency procedures are contained in all HCSP
binders. He/she shall conduct a joint walk-around with Recreation Center staff at the beginning of the
year to identify any unsafe areas within the facility so that they can be remedied.

Fund Raiser – He/she shall coordinate all fund-raisers for the Association (raffles, Skate-a-thons, etc.).

Gaming Coordinator – Shall be responsible to ensure all Gaming rules are followed
accordance with the Gaming Policy Enforcement Branch.

 

Part 4 – Positions Not On Executive
1. The Executive shall appoint the following officers at the first General Meeting of the season or
prior to start of the season for a period of one year: Coaches, Team Managers, HCSP, Two –
Executive members for a Joint Committee
2. Two members shall be selected by General Membership to sit on a Joint Committee.
3. These officers may be required to attend meetings of the Executive at the discretion of the
President. A person holding one of these positions may or may not also hold a position on the
executive
Immediate past president – shall serve in an advisory capacity for the benefit of members of the
executive at the discretion of the executive
Joint Committee – The Joint Committee shall be responsible for settling all disputes and grievances that
may arise within the Association. All decisions made by the Joint Committee shall be final. The Joint
committee shall abide by all by-laws set forth by the Association.
Coaches – All coaches shall be selected on a voluntary basis and shall be governed under the
Association’s policies.
Rep/Travel Team Coaches and Managers shall work closely and directly with their respective Division
Managers and shall be governed under the Association policies.
Team Manager – Team managers shall be on a voluntary basis, and shall assist the division coordinators
Team HCSP – Follow direction of the Risk Manager and in the event of an injury ensure that all necessary
action is taken and is in accordance with BC Hockey and Hockey Canada safety guidelines as outlined in
the Safety training course. Must conduct regular safety checks of players’ equipment. All FNMHA in ice
events (games, practices, skate-a-thons, etc.) must have a designated and insured safety person in place
prior to any player going onto ice.

 

Part 5- Meetings
A. Annual General Meeting (AGM)
a) The AGM of the Association shall be held each year following the 31st day of March, but not
later than the 30th day of April.
b) It shall be the duty of the Secretary to notify all members of the Association 14 days prior to the
date of the AGM and to distribute copies of the previous AGM minutes. The Publicity Director
shall place an ad in the local newspaper for 2 consecutive weeks prior to the date of the AGM.
c) A quorum at the AGM shall consist of seven members of the Executive, plus at least 15 of the
remaining voting members of the Association.
d) An AGM of the association must be held at least once in every calendar year and not more than
15 months after the adjournment of the previous AGM.
e) All persons holding a position on executive and appointed nonexecutive positions step down
and those positions become vacant prior to the election of the new officers
f) Order of business at the AGM shall be as follows:
i) Reading of the minutes of the last AGM and action thereon
ii) Treasurer’s Report including yearend financial statements
iii) Reports of committees and/or executive members
iv) Unfinished business
v) Election of Officers
vi) New Business
vii) Adjournment
g) Nomination Committee – A Nominating Committee shall be formed at the AGM. Nominations
for executive positions of the association shall be received by the Nomination Committee which
will be composed of 2 volunteers or appointed members or non-members present. If the past
president has departed the area, the Nomination Committee will be composed of three
members appointed by the executive who will name their own chairman. Nominations from the
membership may also be made by:
1. forwarding to the Chairman of the Nomination Committee a nomination in writing, or
2. nomination from the floor at the Annual General Meeting.
Note: In the latter case, if the nominee is not present, it is the nominator’s responsibility to
determine the acceptance of the nominee (this shall be in writing). All such nominations of
members in good standing and qualify to act and who indicate a willingness to stand for
election shall be placed on the slate of the Nomination Committee.
h) Each family is entitled 2 votes, representing 2 parents/guardians regardless of number of
children in the family who are registered in FNMHA
B. Regular General Meetings
a) A regular general meeting of the association is to be held once per month.
This meeting is to be open to everyone with a child registered in the association, and
members in good standing.
b) The executive may hold regular general meetings at the place they see fit to
dispatch business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings and proceedings.
c) The president shall be chairman of all meetings of the executive, but if at a
meeting the president is not present within 10 minutes after the scheduled start time, the
vice president shall act as chairman. If neither is present the executive members present
may choose a chairman.
d) A quorum for regular general meetings shall consist of 7 or more executive
members.
e) An executive member may at any time and the secretary, on the request of a
director, convene a meeting of the executive
f) The executive may delegate any, but not all, of their powers to committees
consisting of the executive member or members as they see fit
g) The Executive may, at its discretion, appoint special committees, with the
exception of the Joint Committee, to handle various affairs of the Association. The
committee shall meet as required, shall maintain formal records of their meetings, and shall
report to the Executive as
C. Special General Meetings
a) A Special General Meeting of the Association may be called by The President upon the
demand of the majority of the Executive
OR
b) A Special General meeting may be called when a petition signed by no less than 10% of the
voting membership of the Association is brought forward. The demand /petition shall:
1. State the purpose of the special meeting.
2. Be signed by the petitioners, and
3. Be delivered or sent by registered mail to the address of the Association.
If, within twenty-one days after the date of the delivery of the petition the Executive do not
convene a special meeting, the petitioners or majority of the Executive may themselves
convene a special general meeting, in accordance with Section 58 of the Societies Act.
Notice of such special general meeting shall be given by notifying the membership at least
14 days before it is to take place, and of time and place.

 

Part 6 – Voting
At the Annual General Meeting, all members present shall have one vote in all resolutions. The
President shall cast a vote in the event of a tie. No proxies shall be allowed. At Executive Meetings, each
Executive member with exception of the President shall be entitled to one vote only. In the event of a
tie, the President shall cast a single vote. Decisions shall be by majority of votes cast, by showing of
hands or, if decided, by ballot. At any General Meeting, any resolutions pertaining to finance shall be
submitted in writing 72 hours prior to the date of the meeting to the Secretary and Treasurer before
they can be voted upon at such meetings.
Part 7- General
Subject to the foregoing, the conduct of all meetings shall be governed by the “Robert’s Rules of Order”.
Copies of the Constitution and By-laws shall be available as required.

 

Part 8 – Finance
The finances of the Association shall be under the control of the Treasurer who shall be responsible for
maintaining proper accounting records.
A. Current Operating Account
The current operating account shall be maintained in any Canadian Chartered Bank as designated by the
Executive. All current operating receipts shall be deposited in this account out of which normal
operating expenses shall be paid. The treasurer shall present details of all expenditures to the Executive
at regular Executive meetings for their approval. Notwithstanding anything here and before contained,
no executive member shall make any expenditure in the excess of an amount to be set annually in the
executive approved budget. Budget and budget decisions are to be reviewed and revised as required by
the majority of the executive.
B. Savings Accounts
The Treasurer with approval of the Executive may maintain savings accounts or invest in short term bank
deposits as may be advantageous to the Association. The Executive shall ensure that all conditions of
deposit have been adhered to and shall approve all expenditures or withdrawals relating to savings and
deposit accounts.
C. Signing Authority
The signing authorities of all bank accounts shall be the Treasurer as well as the president, vice
president, and the registrar.
D. Financial Affairs
All financial affairs of the Association shall be submitted to the auditors of the Association. Financial
statements shall be presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting.
E.
1. A society must keep proper accounting records in respect of all its financial and other transactions.
2. Without limiting subsection (1), a society must keep records of the following:
a. All money received and disbursed by the society and the matter in respect of which
the receipt and disbursement took place;
b. Every asset and liability of the society;
c. Every other transaction affecting the financial position if the society
d. The documents, including the accounting records, of the society must be open to
the inspection of a director or member on reasonable notice to the society.
F. The fiscal year of the Association shall be from April 1st to March 31st

 

Part 9 – Borrowing Powers
Subject to the approval of the Executive, the Association may borrow, raise, or secure the payment of
monies in such a manner and amounts as shall be prescribed by a Special Resolution of the Association.
Part 10 – Registration, Players’ Fees, Complaints, Suspensions, and Appeal Procedure
A. Registration
The regulations covering the registration of players shall be those adopted by BC Hockey. All
registrations must be made through the Registrar.
B. Players’ Fees
It shall be the responsibility of the incoming Executive to set the schedule of players’ fees for the coming
year.
C. Appeal Procedure
Any dispute arising out of the affairs of the Association between any members thereof, or between a
member or any person aggrieved, who has, for not more than six months ceased to be a member, or any
person claiming under the By-laws and the Association, or an Executive member or officer thereof shall
be decided by arbitration, which shall be under the Arbitration Act. This procedure shall only be
resorted to when disputes within the Association cannot be resolved by the Joint Committee or at a
General or Special Meeting of the Association.
Part 11 – Alteration of By-Laws
The By-laws may be amended, annulled, or rescinded by a special resolution of the Association carried
by 75% majority of members in attendance at an Annual General Meeting. Any proposed amendments
must be submitted to the members in writing not less than fourteen days in advance of a General
Meeting.
Any proposed alterations of the Fort Nelson Minor Hockey Association By-laws will be published in the
local newspaper two weeks prior to a General Meeting.