COUREURS DE BOIS OUTDOOR CLUB
CONSTITUTION &
BY-LAWS
November, 2023
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 1 – NAME
A. The
name of the organization shall be Coureurs de Bois Outdoor Club.
B.
The organization may, by vote of the Membership body, change its name.
ARTICLE 2 – AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
A. To lead interesting, appropriately
challenging hikes.
B. To
train, protect and support hike leaders,
C.
To safely maintain and build good trails.
D.
To provide our membership with healthy outdoor activity.
BY-LAWS
BY-LAW #1 – MEMBERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP FEES
1. Membership
A. Any person 18 years and older, interested in the Coureurs de Bois Outdoor club and its
activities shall be eligible for membership upon payment of dues, and agrees to adhere to our rules
and regulations, and the
Code of Conduct. Memberships are non-transferable.
B. Membership entitles the individual to attend
our bi-monthly General Meetings, the
Annual General Meeting, to
join hikes and any other club sponsored events.
C. Only individuals can become members of the Coureurs de Bois Outdoor
Club; no
corporations or other legal entities may become
members.
D. A membership is terminated when the member dies, resigns, is expelled,
the term of
the membership has expired, or the corporation is
liquidated or dissolved.
Our code of conduct #15 states that “any member of
the Coureurs de Bois Outdoor
Club, who by their conduct violates this Code, may
have their membership revoked
by a majority of the Executive.”
2. Membership Fees
A Membership fees will be determined by the Executive and are subject to
review
annually. The
membership year shall be from September 1st to August 31st.
B. Members who join after September shall be charged a membership fee at a
pro-rated
amount from the time they join until the following September.
C. Any fee change will be made known to the membership in the month of
May.
D. Interested members of the public are entitled
to three (3) free hikes. After which
they will be required to
become members to continue with the Club activities.
BY-LAW #2 – EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1. Composition
The Executive Committee is comprised of
the Officers of the Club:
· President
· Vice-President
· Recording
Secretary
· Treasurer/Membership
· Trail
Master(s)
·
Social Committee Chairperson
2. Role
The
business of the Coureurs de Bois Outdoor Club shall be managed by the Executive
Committee. Working on behalf of the Membership, the
Executive Committee
considers current issues and
activities and makes recommendations, as necessary, for
consideration by the
Membership.
3. Term
A. The term of an officer is two (2) years.
B. An Officer may serve two (2) consecutive
terms in the same position.
C. An Executive Officer may stay on beyond the
second two (2) year term with the
approval of the
Membership.
D. Members of the Executive must be members in good standing.
4. Meetings
The Executive Committee shall meet as
often as is required to administer the affairs of
the Club. The Executive will meet three (3) weeks prior to all General
Meetings. The
location of the meeting will be determined prior to the
meeting.
5. Limits of Liability
No
member of the Executive or Officer of the Club shall be liable for the acts,
receipts, neglects or defaults
of any other member of the Executive unless the same
are occasioned by the member of
the Executive’s own willful neglect or default.
6. Removal of Officers
Members may remove officers by a majority vote at a
special meeting. Officers are
entitled to give reasons for opposing their removal.
BY-LAW #3 – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
B. At the Annual General Meeting in November,
the President will ask for nominations
from the membership. A Member present will officially nominate the
Candidate for a
specific Executive position,
seconded by a Member and voted on by a show of hands
by the Membership.
C. In a case where more than one
candidate has been nominated for any one position, the
Executive shall organize an
election by secret ballot for that position.
D.
The term of the office of the new Executive Officers shall commence on
January 1st
and shall expire after a
period of two (2) years after the election or confirmation.
BY-LAW
#4 – VOTING
A. When a decision is to be made by the
Membership voting, the outcome shall be
determined by a show of hands
or a verbal response. If a decision has
been made, but
a member requests that the
issue be re-visited, 25% of the membership must agree to
reopen the discussion.
B.
The Executive has the prerogative to have a decision by secret ballot if
the situation
warrants it.
C.
In the case of a tie, the President shall cast the deciding vote.
D.
As Club members, the Executive shall be allowed to cast personal votes
in
the General Membership
voting.
E.
The requirement of passage of any resolution at an Executive Meeting
shall be four
(4) of the Executive members.
F.
The requirement of passage of any resolution at General Meetings shall be
50% plus 1
of those present at the
meeting.
G.
The requirement of passage of any
resolution at a Annual General Meeting shall be
50% plus 1 of those present.
H. Proxy vote will be allowed for the Annual
General Meeting or any General meeting
deemed necessary.
I.
The Quorum will be those who attend the General Meeting.
BY-LAW #5 – MEETINGS
A. Regular General meetings shall be held 5
times a year, the third Tuesday of
September, November, January,
March, and May.
B. The
November meeting shall be deemed to be the Annual General Meeting.
C.
Other meetings for the purpose of education, exchange of ideas, and
sharing of
information may be held as
often as the membership desires with the approval of the
Executive.
D.
The Executive shall have the power to call, at any time, a special
general meeting of
the members of the Club.
E.
In a year in which a new slate of Executive officers are appointed, a
joint meeting of
the outgoing and incoming
Executive officers shall be held after the Annual General
Meeting, and before January 1st. Executive Officers are identified as the
President,
Vice-President, Recording
Secretary, Treasurer/Membership, Social Committee Chair and Trail Master(s)
F.
Communications to members shall be conducted by e-mail. For the purpose of such
communications, the e-mail
address of the member shall be the last address noted in
the records of the
club. It is incumbent on the member to
update their contact
information.
G.
A notice of motion of any proposal that is likely to have a significant
impact on the
current operations of the Club shall be
submitted to the Secretary or President at least
14 calendar days prior to any
scheduled bi-monthly meetings in order that the details
of the proposal may be included in the meeting
agenda.
H.
A special General Meeting must be called within 14 calendar days if a
written
request for such meeting is
submitted to the Secretary or President by not less than
10% of the voting members of the Club.
I.
Notice shall be provided to each Club member of any Annual, General, or
Special
Meeting at least 10 to 14 calendar days
before the time fixed for holding such
meeting.
J.
A proposed meeting agenda shall be provided to each Club member for any
annual
or special General Meeting at
least 7 calendar days before the time fixed for holding
such a meeting.
K.
For members to
demand a meeting, members holding 10% of the votes must send a
request, with
reasons, to the President and Secretary.
L.
Members will be
notified of any Club business by e-mail or the Blog.
BY-LAW #6 – ORDER OF BUSINESS
A. General Meetings
The order of business at each General
meeting shall be as follows:
· Opening
remarks by the President
· Approval
of the Minutes of the previous meeting
· President’s
Report
· Vice-President’s
Report
· Treasurer/Membership
reports
· Social
Committee Report
· Trail Master’s Report
· Old Business
· New
Business
· Adjournment
B. Annual General Meeting
The order of business at the Annual
General Meeting shall be as follows:
· Opening
remarks by the President
· Approval
of the Minutes of the previous meeting
· President’s Report
· Vice-President’s
Report
· Treasurer/Membership
report
· Social
Committee Report
· Trail
Master’s Report
· Old Business
· New
Business
· Election
of Officers
· Adjournment
BY-LAW #7 – FINANCE
A. The President, Vice-President and Treasurer
shall be the signing officers of the
Club. All cheques require two (2) signatures. These three (3) officers have the
authority to make banking arrangements.
B. Proposed expenditures of over $500 will
require the approval of the Membership.
C. The fiscal year for the Club will be from September 1st to
August 31st.
D. An audit of our financial records will be required to be completed by
two (2)
members of the Club, for the purpose of balancing the books of the previous
fiscal
year, and reported to the membership at the Annual General Meeting in
November.
E. In the event of the dissolution of the Club,
all remaining funds shall be distributed
to a charity or charities to be chosen by the members. No Member may benefit
personally from any
remaining funds.
F. Equipment will be put up for sale and sold for the highest price. Members have first
right of refusal.
BY-LAW #8 - DUTIES
A.
President
· Shall
convene a meeting of the Executive prior to the first one in September.
· Provide
leadership to achieve the Club’s objectives and aims
· Prepare
agendas for, and chair General Meetings
· Convene,
prepare agendas for and chair meetings of the Executive Committee
· Act
as a signing officer for the bank account of the Club
· Convene
and chair the hike leader meetings as required
· Monitor
the blog and e-mail
· Promote
good communication between the Executive and Members
· Deal
with issues that may arise, such as hike leader related issues, incidents on
the trail, etc.
· Schedule
twice yearly highway cleanup, usually in the spring and September to
mid-October.
B. Vice-President
· In
the event of the absence or inability of the President to exercise his/her
office, become the Acting President of the Club with all the right, privileges,
and powers as if he/she had been duly elected President
· Attend
General Meetings
· Act
as a signing officer for the bank account of the Club
· Assist
President as required
C. Secretary
· Take
minutes of the General Meetings and Annual General Meeting
· Take
minute of Executive meetings
· Maintain
a Minute Book for the Club
· Keep
copies of correspondence received and sent by the Club
· Arrange
to book the Snowmobile Club House for General meetings, the Annual General
meeting and Hike Leader meetings.
Meetings are generally held on the 3rd Tuesday of the months
of September, November, January, March, and May. The number for the Snowmobile Club is
705-848-4620.
·
Minutes and agendas to be sent to the membership via
e-mail.
·
Arrange for Hike Leader Meetings on the last Tuesday of
every other month to be held at the Snowmobile Clubhouse. Notice will be sent to the Blogger one week
before the meeting, as well as an e-mail to hike leaders.
D. Treasurer/Membership
· Act
as a signing officer for the bank account of the Club
· Issue
cheques and make bank deposits on behalf of the Club
· Maintain
accurate records of all financial transactions made by the Club
· Report
to the Members and the Executive on the financial position of the Club at each
General Meeting and at such other times as requested by the Executive
· Collect
Membership dues
· Determine
the amount of the dues payable for any valid member at any given time
· Maintain
an up to date and accurate membership list
E. Trail Master(s)
• Determine areas that need to be maintained
• Maintain trail clearing equipment
• Maintain inventory of trail clearing equipment
• Maintain trail markings/signage
• Co-ordinate with Executive to determine when to schedule/complete trail
Maintenance
• Collect risk and waiver agreements for participants from hike leaders by
month’s end on a monthly basis.
• Ensure forms are completed accurately.
F. Social Committee - Our motto “We do not voluntell anyone”
• Led by a Chairperson and volunteer CdeB club members who are good team
players, have an e-mail address and internet access to FB & Messenger
• Participate in local events to promote the CdeB Outdoors Club ie Mental
Health Event, Community Group showcase, etc.
• Plan & organize the following club events:
1. Christmas Parade
2. Christmas Cookout
3. Christmas Dance
4. Lumberjack Days at Mississagi Park
5. Winterfest
6. June Potluck
7. Hiker Chicks Events
8. Fundraising Events
• Encourage membership participation via e-mail, CdeB Facebook group,
CdeB Blog
• Support CdeB member(s) who initiate CdeB activities
• Ensure posters are up to date
• Ensure posters are in stock & replenished at the following locations:
1. Bulletin boards at corner of Esten & Pearson
2. Bulletin boards at corner of Hillside & Amsterdam
3. Dr. Lennon’s office
4. Grocery Stores
5. Collins Hall
6. Trading Post
7. Elliot Lake Retirement Living
8. Other suitable venues
G. Coureurs de Bois Outdoor Club Blogger
· Maintain
the scheduling of hikes on the Calendar section
· Post
information about hikes or other communications on the blog
· Post
photos of the hike as received
· Post
hike destinations and descriptions of planned hikes. The hike leader is to send this information
to the Blogger 24-48 hours in advance of the planned hike.
H. Hike
Leaders
· Be
certified with Hike Ontario
· Take
CPR training when offered by the Club
· Lead hikes on Mondays (leisure), Monday afternoon seniors (easy), Tuesdays (easy), Thursday mornings (intermediate), Thursday afternoon seniors (easy), Saturdays (easy)
· Consult
with the list of trails that will provide details of hike ratings such as
distance, terrain, and elevation gain to assist in choosing an appropriate hike
· Have
hikers sign the Assumption of Risk and Waiver Agreement for
Participants
· Fill
out the information on the back of the sheet and submit the completed form
· Perform
safety checks of the participating hikers at the meeting place
· Be
responsible for the safety of the hiking participants in their group
· Inform
participating hikers that the planned hike must be finished and is deemed as
“finished” when all participants have returned to the cars, unless extenuating
circumstances or prior arrangements have been made with the hike leader. If hikers choose to continue with a further
hike, it is no longer a sanctioned hike with the Coureurs de Bois and the hike
leader is no longer responsible for their safety.
· Attend
Hike Leader meetings
· Hike
leaders are required to send their chosen hike for a particular day to the
blogger no less than 24-48 hours before the hike date.
· Hike
leaders have the expectation of leading 10 hikes per year.
BY-LAW #9 -
INVENTORY AND HIKE DESCRIPTIONS
A. Inventory
· A
list of all the Club’s equipment will be included with this document
· An
inventory of the Club’s equipment will be completed once a year by the Trail Master(s).
· Snowshoes
are only to be loaned out on a short term basis of two (2) weeks, or based on
extenuating circumstances to be determined by the Trail Master(s).
· Snowshoes
will be inspected at the time of the loan period and must be returned in the
same state, or repaired at the borrower’s expense. This is to be understood at the time of
signing out the snowshoes.
B. Hiking Trails
Level 1
Leisure/Senior
· Well
defined trails/roads, gentle inclines.
· Hiking
boots not required
· Beginner/senior
friendly
· Less
than 5 km or a set time limit
Level
2 Easy
· Generally
on trail
· May
be hilly, with light bushwhacking, some rough spots or obstacles
· Appropriate
footwear required.
· Between
5 and 8 km
Level 3 Intermediate
· Moderate
terrain
· One
or more of bushwhacking, steep sections, long climbs and descents,
beaver
dams or other obstacles, rock scrambling
· Appropriate
footwear required
· Experience
and a high level of fitness essential
· Greater
than 8 km
· Special,
more challenging hikes will be posted on the Blog at least one
week
prior to the hike
BY-LAW #10 – AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
A. This Constitution and By-Laws may be
altered, amended and repealed and a new
Constitution and
By-Laws be adopted at the Annual General Meeting of the
Club.
B. Notification of proposed changes must be
given to the Members at least one
month in advance of
the Annual General Meeting at which the proposed changes
will be voted upon.
C. Members unable to attend the Annual General
Meeting may vote by Proxy.
D. The requirement of passage of any resolution
at the Annual General Meeting
shall be by quorum, with quorum
defined as those members who attend the
meeting.
E. The By-Laws will be reviewed at least once
every four (4) years.
