Funeral Information Society of Ottawa

Constitution

NAME

1. The name of this organization shall be "Funeral Information Society of Ottawa". It shall be a non-profit organization. The word "Society", wherever used in the Constitution or Regulations, shall be deemed to refer to this organization. (The name was changed from "Ottawa Memorial Society" at the 2002 Annual meeting)

PURPOSE

2. The purposes for which this Society is formed are as follows:

1. To promote, through education and other means, dignity and simplicity in funeral arrangements;
2. To encourage members and others to make plans during their lifetime for the procedure to be followed at the time of their death in the disposal of their remains, including the type of funeral or memorial service desired, thereby relieving their next-of-kin or other survivors of the necessity for making decisions at a time of great emotional stress;
3. To enlist the co-operation of funeral directors and transfer service firms in offering simple and dignified funeral arrangements to its members;
4. To provide a consultative service as to types and costs of funerals and methods of disposing of the remains for medical purposes; and
5. To encourage fitting memorials that serve the living while honouring the dead; e.g., scholarships, bursaries and charities.

MEMBERSHIP AND ENROLMENT

3. 1. Membership shall be granted in this Society to any person who:

(a) approves of and subscribes to the purposes and procedures of this Society, and

(b) is of the age of eighteen (18) years or over or for whom, being a minor or incompetent, application shall have been made by his or her legal guardian, and

(c) shall have his or her application approved by the Board of Trustees, and

(d) shall have paid the membership fees.

3. 2. The membership fees shall be recommended from time to time by the Board of Trustees and shall be effective upon approval by the Annual Meeting.

3. 3. Those who were members as minors through family membership may apply for membership upon reaching the age of eighteen (18).

3. 4. There shall be no refund of the membership fee.

3. 5. A fee is required for sets of forms additional to those originally supplied and the fee for same shall be set from time to time by the Board of Trustees.

VOTING

4. 1. Each recorded adult member shall have the right of voting at all Annual and Special Meetings, but there shall be no proxy or absentee voting.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

5. 1. The Board of Trustees (Hereinafter referred to as the Board) shall consist of:
President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Society and six Trustees.

5. 2. The duties of the officers shall be as follows:

(a) The President shall chair all Annual and Special meetings of the Society and of all meetings of the Board.

(b) The Vice-President shall take the place of and assume the duties of the President in his absence.

(c) The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings of the Society and be responsible for all correspondence and membership records.

(d) The Treasurer shall be responsible for the funds of the Society and shall make disbursements as authorized by the Board.
Payments shall be made by cheque, the authorized signing officers being the Treasurer, the President and the Vice-President.
For amounts above Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00), cheques must be signed by any two of the authorized signing officers.
The Treasurer shall submit an independently reviewed financial statement at the Annual Meeting.

5. 3. The Board shall have power to make such regulations, in accordance with the constitution, as it considers desirable for the general conduct of the affairs of the Society and to repeal or amend existing regulations, but every such regulation, appeal or amendment, unless in the meantime confirmed at a special meeting of the Society duly called for that purpose, shall have force only until the next Annual Meeting of the Society and, in default of confirmation thereat, shall, at and from that time, cease to have effect.

5. 4. If, in order to carry out its purposes, the Society requires additional funds, the Board may, provided it receives approval at an Annual or Special meeting, make a levy of not more than Five Dollars per member per year.

5. 5. The Board shall have the power to appoint a manager (Executive Secretary) or committees when required.

5. 6. All members of the Board shall be elected for two year terms, unless a vacancy occurs which must be filled.
The President, Treasurer and three Trustees shall be elected in even(odd) numbered years and the Vice-President, Secretary and other three Trustees in odd(even) numbered years. No officer or Trustee shall serve in the same capacity for more than three consecutive terms.

5. 7. In the case of a vacancy by resignation or death among its members, the Board may appoint a member of the Society to fill the vacant position until the next Annual Meeting, at which time any expired term shall be filled by vote of the Annual Meeting.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

6. 1. At not less than two calendar months prior to the Annual Meeting, the Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three members one from the Board and two from the membership at large - who shall nominate members to fill the forthcoming vacancies on the Board in time for its report to be included in the notice of the Annual Meeting.

6. 2. At the Annual Meeting, additional nominations for any of the vacancies may be made from the floor, with the consent of the nominee, in person or in writing and, where two or more persons are nominated for the same position, voting shall be by ballot.

ACCOUNTS REVIEW, ADMINISTRATION AND FISCAL YEAR

7. 1. At each Annual Meeting a person to review the accounts shall be appointed for the following year.
7. 2. The administrative and fiscal year shall be from January 1st to the succeeding December 31st.

MEETINGS

8. 1. The Annual Meeting shall be held during the month of May each year, at which time the election of Officers and members of the Board shall be held as specified.

8. 2. Special meetings may be called on the authority of the President or of the Board or on receipt by an Officer of the Society of a written request signed by at least 10 members.

8. 3. All members shall be notified of Annual or Special meetings not less than ten nor more than twenty-five calendar days before the date set for the meeting. Such notice shall be given by mail or in the largest circulation Ottawa English language newspaper. The notice shall state clearly the purpose of such meeting and the business expected to be transacted thereat. This shall not prevent new business being initiated from the floor, other than monetary levies or as otherwise provided in this constitution.

8. 4. The Board shall meet at least once every four months at the call of the President, or on written request by at least three members of the Board.

QUORUM

9. 1. At Annual or Special Meetings, 15 members present shall be a quorum, and ordinary business shall be transacted by a simple majority of the members present. Any amendment to this Constitution must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the members present, but no amendment to this Constitution shall be made unless full notice of same has appeared in the notice of the meeting.

9. 2. At meetings of the Board, four members, including at least two Officers of the Society shall form a, quorum.

INVESTMENT OF FUNDS

10. 1. Any accumulated reserve above the amount deemed necessary for the current annual requirements of the Society shall be invested at the discretion of the Board in such bonds or other securities as are legal for trust funds in Ontario.

DISSOLUTION OF SOCIETY

11. 1. If at any time the need for continuing the Society shall be deemed to have permanently disappeared, the Society may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority vote in favour of dissolution at an Annual Meeting, due notice of motion having been given in the notice of meeting. Any funds remaining shall be transferred to a charitable or educational association as decided by vote at such meeting.

Revised May, 1990