Conference Call in:

Transcription

1 2017 Annual General Meeting Package June 19, :30 PM ET Conference Call in: Access: # Distribution (via June 13, 2017): NOCA Board Club Delegates from all affiliated clubs Curling Club Managers or Presidents (where applicable) OCC Manager, Programs & Operations Curling Canada Liaison BDO

2 Contents: Agenda Minutes of 2016 AGM Bylaws April 2017 Revision Reports: o Finance (including Financial Statements at April 30, 2016) o President o Executive Director o Competitions Committee o Technical Committee o Club Development Committee Note: The Ontario Curling Council report will follow later in the week

3 NOCA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Monday June 19, 2017, 6:30 pm (ET) Via conference call Dial in #: Access: # 1. Call to Order and Introductions 2. Attendance 3. Constitution of meeting 4. Approval of Bylaw Amendments 5. Acts of Directors 6. Report on Credentials 7. Appointment of Scrutineer 8. Approval of Agenda 9. Adoption of Minutes of AGM June 20, Business Arising 11. Finances: a. Report of Auditors and Review of Financial Statements (Linda Vellinga and BDO representative) b. Motion to conduct an Accounting Review c. Motion to appoint an Auditor/Accountant 12. Board and Staff Reports: a. President s Report Michael Szajewski b. Executive Director Report Leslie Kerr c. Technical Development Report Sandra Lahti d. Competitions Report Karen Saarimaki e. Club Development Report Stephen Meunier f. Curling Canada Report Michael Szajewski g. Ontario Curling Council Report Jennifer Ferris 13. New Business 14. Adjournment

4 BYLAWS April 24 th, 2017

5 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws NORTHERN ONTARIO CURLING ASSOCIATION BYLAWS TABLE OF CONTENTS Topic Page BYLAWS... 3 ARTICLE I: GENERAL... 3 ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP... 4 ARTICLE III MEETINGS OF MEMBERS... 6 ARTICLE IV: GOVERNANCE... 9 ARTICLE V: OFFICERS...11 ARTICLE VI: FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT...14 ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS...15 ARTICLE VIII: DISSOLUTION...15 ARTICLE IX: INDEMNIFICATION...15 ARTICLE X: ADOPTION OF THESE BYLAWS...16 April 2017 Revision Page 2 of 16

6 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws NORTHERN ONTARIO CURLING ASSOCIATION BYLAWS ARTICLE I: GENERAL 1.1 Purpose These Bylaws relate to the general conduct of the affairs of the Northern Ontario Curling Association, an association incorporated under the Ontario Corporations Act, R. S. O. 1990, c. 38, and referred to as the Association in these Bylaws. 1.2 Definitions The following terms have these meanings in these Bylaws: a) Act the Ontario Corporations Act. b) Auditor an individual appointed by members at the Annual General Meeting to audit the books, accounts, and records of the Association for a report to the members at the next Annual General Meeting. The Auditor will not be an employee or a director of the Association. c) Board the Board of Directors of the Association. d) Days will mean total days, including weekends and holidays. e) Delegate an individual appointed by a member club in accordance with these Bylaws to attend regional meetings and meetings of the Members. f) Director an individual elected or appointed to serve on the Board pursuant to these Bylaws. g) Officer an individual appointed to serve as an officer of the Association pursuant to these Bylaws. h) Region an organization representing a specific geographical area or identified population, defined by the Board, within Northern Ontario. i) Registered Address the most recent address of record in the register of members. 1.3 Head Office The head office of the Association will be located within the Township of Atikokan, Ontario and may be changed by resolution of the Directors. 1.4 Corporate Seal The Association may have a corporate seal which will be adopted and may be changed by resolution of the Directors. 1.5 No Gain for Members The Association will be carried on without the purpose of gain for its members and any profits or other accretions to the Association will be used in promoting its objectives. 1.6 Interpretation In these Bylaws, words stating the male gender will include the female gender as well as corporate bodies (i.e. clubs), and words stating the singular will include the plural and vice-versa. 1.7 Ruling on Bylaws Except as provided in the Act, the Board will have the authority to interpret any provision of these Bylaws that is contradictory, ambiguous, or unclear, provided such interpretation is consistent with the objects of the Association. 1.8 Records The Association will prepare and maintain at its registered office the articles of incorporation, Bylaws, minutes of members meetings, resolutions of members and a register of directors all of which will be available for review by members of the Association. April 2017 Revision Page 3 of 16

7 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws 1.9 Conduct of Meetings Unless otherwise specified in the Act or these Bylaws, meetings of members and meetings of the Board will be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order (current edition). ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP 2.1 Register The Association will keep a register of its members. Each member club shall submit annually to the Association a list of all curlers participating in a league that is supported by the member club. Authority of Members 2.2 Authority of Members - The voting members of the Association will have the following powers: a) To appoint the auditor b) To amend the Bylaws c) At the applicable regional meeting, to elect Directors d) As provided in the Act and in these Bylaws Categories of Membership 2.3 Categories The Association has five (5) categories of membership: a) Adult member; b) Youth member; c) Member club; d) Honorary Life Member, and e) Affiliate member. Qualifications for Membership 2.4 Adult Member Any individual, 18 years of age or over, who applies for membership to the Association, has agreed to abide by the Association s Bylaws, policies, procedures and rules and regulations, is involved in curling leagues and whose club is a member. 2.5 Youth Member Any individual, under 18 years of age, who applies for membership to the Association, has agreed to abide by the Association s Bylaws, policies, procedures and rules and regulations, is involved in curling leagues and whose club is a member. 2.6 Member Club Any curling club within the boundaries defined by the Board of the Association that: a) Has applied for membership to the Association that has been accepted by the Board; b) Has agreed to abide by the Association s Bylaws, policies, procedures and rules and regulations; c) Offers regularly organized curling activities within a building properly equipped and maintained for curling; d) Operates under the guidance of a board of directors, executive, committee, or any other body empowered to manage the sport of curling within the building; e) Has bylaws and/or policies that are consistent with those of the Association; April 2017 Revision Page 4 of 16

8 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws f) Has agreed to register all of its players and participants who are involved in curling leagues with the Association. 2.7 Honorary Life Member Honorary Life Memberships shall be bestowed on any person so recommended for recognition to the Association by way of 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors. Honorary Life members shall have contributed greatly to the development and promotion of amateur curling in Northern Ontario and be entitled to all the privileges of membership in the Association, save and except voting. 2.8 Affiliate Member Any individual, 18 years of age or over, who applies for membership to the Association, and has agreed to abide by the Association s Bylaws, policies, procedures, rules and regulations. 2.9 Admission of Members No individual or organization will be admitted as a member of the Association unless: a) The applicant has made an application for membership in a manner prescribed by the Association; b) The applicant has been approved by the Board or the individual delegated such authority; c) The applicant has paid dues as prescribed by the Board Membership Not Transferable The interest of a member in the Association is not directly or indirectly, transferable to any individual or organization. Membership Dues and Duration 2.11 Year Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the membership year of the Association will be September 1 st - August 31 st Dues Membership dues for all categories of membership will be determined annually by the Board of Directors. Withdrawal and Termination of Membership 2.13 Resignation A member club or member may resign from the Association by giving written notice to the Board. The resignation will become effective the date on which the request is approved by the Board Arrears A member club or member may be suspended from the Association for failing to pay membership dues by the deadline date as determined by the Board. Should membership dues remain unpaid for an additional fourteen (14) days, the member club or member may be expelled from the Association upon the sole discretion of the Board Discipline In addition to suspension or expulsion for failure to pay membership dues, a member club or member may be suspended or expelled from the Association in accordance with the Association s policies and procedures relating to discipline of members Resignation when facing Discipline Where a member club or member who is subject to a disciplinary investigation or action of the Association resigns, that member club or member will April 2017 Revision Page 5 of 16

9 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws nonetheless be subject to any sanctions or consequences resulting from the disciplinary investigation or action Cease to be a Member Any member club or member will cease to be a member upon its dissolution or winding up of affairs or upon expiration of their membership, unless renewed in accordance with these bylaws Special Resolution Any member club or member may be expelled by a special resolution of the voting members passed at a meeting duly called provided: a) Notice of the special resolution for expulsion has been sent to all member clubs thirty (30) days before the meeting and is accompanied by a statement of reasons for the proposed expulsion; and b) The member club or member subject to the proposed resolution is given an opportunity to be heard at the meeting before the special resolution is put to a vote. Good Standing 2.19 Definition A member of the Association will be in good standing provided that the member: a) Owes no outstanding membership dues or other debts to the Association; b) Has not ceased to be a member; c) Has not been suspended or expelled from membership, or had other membership restrictions or sanctions imposed; d) Has completed and remitted all documents as required by the Association; e) Has complied with the Constitution, Bylaws, policies and rules of the Association; and f) Is not subject to a disciplinary investigation or action by the Association, or if subject to disciplinary action previously, has fulfilled all terms and conditions of such disciplinary action to the satisfaction of the Board Cease to be in Good Standing Members who cease to be in good standing, as determined by the Board of Directors, will not be entitled to vote at meetings of members and, where the member is a Director, at meetings of Directors, or be entitled to the benefits and privileges of membership until such time as the Board is satisfied that the member has met the definition of good standing as set out above. ARTICLE III MEETINGS OF MEMBERS 3.1 Types of Meetings Annual General Meetings, Special Meetings, and Regional Meetings. 3.2 Special Meeting A special meeting of the members may be called at any time by the President, by the Board or upon the written requisition of ten percent (10%) or more of the voting members of the Association. Agenda of special meetings will be limited to the subject matter for which the meeting was duly called. 3.3 Location and Date The Association will hold meetings of members at such date, time and place as determined by the Board. The annual general meeting will be held within fifteen (15) months of the last annual general meeting and within six (6) months of the Corporation s fiscal year end. April 2017 Revision Page 6 of 16

10 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws 3.4 Notice Written notice of meetings of members will be given to all clubs at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the date of the meeting. Notice will contain a proposed agenda and reasonable information to permit members to make informed decisions. 3.5 New Business Any member who wishes to have new business placed on the agenda of a meeting will give written notice to the Association at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting date. 3.6 Agenda The agenda for the annual meeting may include: a) Call to Order b) Constitution of Meeting c) Acts of Directors d) Report on Credentials e) Approval of the Agenda f) Adoption of Minutes of the Previous Annual Meeting g) Business Arising h) Report of Auditors and Review of Financial Statements i) Appointment of Auditors j) Board and Staff Reports k) Adjournment 3.7 Quorum Five (5) of the voting members will constitute a quorum. 3.8 Rescheduled meeting If within one hour after the time appointed for a general meeting, a quorum is not yet present the meeting shall stand adjourned to such a date, time and place as determined by the Directors. Not less than fourteen (14) days notice of such date, time and place shall be given to the Directors and member clubs, and if, at the adjourned meeting, a quorum is not present within one (1) hour after the time appointed for the meeting, Directors present constitute a quorum if they represent two-fifths of the Board. 3.9 Closed Meetings Meetings of members will be closed to the public except by invitation of the Board. Voting Privileges at AGM and Special Meeting of Members 3.10 Voting Voting shall be by a show of hands, orally, electronic means or secret ballot Voting Privileges All members may attend all meetings of members. Members have voting privileges as follows: a) Adult members do not have a vote b) Youth members do not have a vote c) Member clubs are entitled to each appoint a Delegate who has one vote on behalf of the Member Club d) Honorary members do not have a vote e) Affiliate members not have a vote April 2017 Revision Page 7 of 16

11 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws 3.12 Directors Voting For clarity, Directors do not vote at meetings of the members unless they are they appointed delegate from a Member Club Delegates Member clubs will appoint in writing (inclusive of electronic notice) to the Association, seven (7) days prior to the meeting of Members, the name of the Delegate (and alternate Delegate) to represent the member club. Delegates must be at least eighteen years of age, of sound mind, and be acting as the Member s representative Proxy Voting There will be no voting by proxy Scrutineers At the beginning of each meeting, the Board may appoint one or more scrutineers who will be responsible for ensuring that votes are properly cast and counted Written Resolution A resolution in writing signed by all the members is as valid as if it had been passed at a meeting of the members Voting by Mail or Electronic Means A member may vote by mail, telephonic or electronic means if the votes may be verified as having been made by the member entitled to vote Ordinary Resolution Unless specified otherwise, questions at meetings will be decided by majority vote. In the case of a tie, the President shall cast the tiebreaking vote. An abstention from voting will not be counted as a vote Special Resolution Matters required to be determined by special resolution will be passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of votes cast by voting members at a general or special meeting for which proper notice has been given. Regional Meetings 3.20 Regional Meetings Each member club in good standing shall appoint one (1) voting delegate to attend and represent the member club at regional meetings. Each member club shall inform their respective regional directors of the name and address of its delegate prior to the commencement of any meeting Number of Regional Meetings Regional meetings, at least one in both spring and fall, shall be convened by the regional directors Timing of Regional Meetings A spring meeting shall take place within the prescribed region or by teleconference/electronic means as provided for in these Bylaws no later than two (2) weeks prior to the Association s annual general meeting Quorum of Regional Meetings Approval of business at regional meetings requires a simple majority of voting delegates in attendance Purpose of Regional Meetings The purposes of regional meetings are: a) The election of one (1) director from each region for a total of six (6); April 2017 Revision Page 8 of 16

12 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws b) Determine regional competition sites as assigned by the Board and to plan regional competitions; c) Inform delegates of programs and services of the Association; and d) Deal with any recommendations, concerns and/or requests from member clubs or the Board Minutes of Regional Meetings Minutes for all regional meetings shall be forwarded to the Executive Director of the Association. Minutes from spring regional meetings must be forwarded no later than two (2) weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting. ARTICLE IV: GOVERNANCE Composition of the Board 4.1 Board of Directors The Board will consist of nine (9) directors. 4.2 Composition of the Board The Board of Directors will consist of the following: a) Six (6) regional directors, one from each region, elected by the member club Delegates at the spring regional meetings; and b) Three (3) Directors-at-Large appointed by the Board of Directors 4.3 Eligibility Any individual who is 18 years of age or older, who has the power under law to contract, agrees to be a Director and is a member of the Association in good standing. 4.4 Election At each regional meeting, regional directors will be elected in accordance with the following: a) One Valid Nomination Winner declared by Ordinary Resolution b) Two or More Valid Nominations The nominee(s) receiving the greatest number of votes will be elected. In the case of a tie, the nominee receiving the fewest votes will be deleted from the list of nominees and a second vote will be conducted. If there continues to be a tie and more nominees than positions, the nominee receiving the fewest votes will be deleted from the list of nominees until there remains the appropriate number of nominees for the position(s) or until a winner is declared. If there continues to be a tie then the winner(s) will be declared by coin toss. 4.5 Staggered Elections Election of directors shall be: a) In 2015 and every third year thereafter regions 1 and 6 will elect one (1) director each for a three (3) year term. b) In 2016 and every third year thereafter regions 2 and 5 will elect one (1) director each for a three (3) year term. c) In 2017 and every third year thereafter regions 3 and 4 will elect one (1) director each for a three (3) year term. 4.6 Director-at-Large In 2015 and every year thereafter one (1) Director-at-Large shall be appointed for a three (3) year term. April 2017 Revision Page 9 of 16

13 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws 4.7 Terms After gradual implementation as outlined above, Directors will serve terms of three (3) years and will hold office until their successors have been duly elected in accordance with the Bylaws, unless they resign, are removed from, or vacate their office. 4.8 Commencement of Term Regional Directors terms of office will commence on May 1 st following their election at the spring regional meetings. Appointed Directors terms of office will commence following their appointment at the first meeting of the Board following the elections at the spring regional meetings. Resignation and Removal of Directors 4.9 Resignation A director may resign from the Board at any time by presenting his or her notice of resignation to the Board. This resignation will become effective the date on which the request is received by the Board. Where a director, who is subject to a disciplinary investigation or action of the Association resigns, that director will nonetheless be subject to any sanctions or consequences resulting from the disciplinary investigation or action Vacate Office The office of any director will be vacated automatically: a) If the director is found by a court to be of unsound mind; b) If the director becomes bankrupt; c) If the director becomes an employee or contractor of the Association or an employee or contractor of a member of the Association; d) If the director is not a member; e) Upon the director s death Removal A director may be removed by two-thirds vote of the members present at a special regional meeting or at the annual general meeting, provided the director has been given notice of and the opportunity to be present and to be heard at such a meeting. Filling a Vacancy on the Board 4.12 Vacancy Where the position of an elected director becomes vacant for whatever reason, the Board will notify the applicable region to appoint or elect an eligible individual to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the vacant position s term of office. They remain eligible for re-election. Powers of the Board 4.13 Powers of the Association Except as otherwise provided in the Act or Bylaws, the Board has the powers of the Association and may delegate any of its powers, duties and functions Managing the Affairs of the Association The Board may make policies and procedures to manage the affairs of the Association in accordance with the Act and Bylaws Discipline The Board may make policies and procedures relating to discipline of members and will have the authority to discipline members in accordance with such policies and procedures Dispute Resolution The Board may make policies and procedures relating to management of disputes within the Association and all disputes will be dealt with in accordance with such policies and procedures. April 2017 Revision Page 10 of 16

14 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws 4.17 Employment of Persons The Board may employ or engage under contract such person(s) as it deems necessary to carry out the work of the Association Borrowing Powers The Board may borrow money upon the credit of the Association as it deems necessary. Meetings of the Board 4.19 Call of Meeting The meetings of the Board of Directors will be held at any time and place as determined by the President or upon request of any four (4) directors Notice Written notice, served other than by mail, of Board meetings will be given to all directors at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled meeting. Notice served by mail will be sent at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting. No notice of a meeting of the Board is required if all directors waive notice or if those absent consent to the meeting being held in their absence Agenda An agenda will be set for every Board meeting. Any item not on the agenda will only be discussed with the approval of the Chair and the majority of the Board present Number of Meetings The Board will hold at least four (4) meetings per year Quorum Five (5) directors present together, in person via conference telephone call or other electronic method, shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of the directors Voting Unless specified otherwise, each director is entitled to one vote. Voting will be by a show of hands unless a majority of directors present request a secret ballot. Voting during meetings conducted via teleconference will be by no objection. Resolutions will be passed upon a majority of the votes being in favour of the resolution. The President of the Association is entitled to a second vote upon a tie Written Resolution A resolution in writing, signed by all directors and placed with the minutes of meetings of directors is as valid and effective as if passed at a meeting of directors Closed Meetings Meetings of the Board will be closed to members and the public except by invitation of the Board Meetings by Telephone A meeting of the Board may be held by teleconference call or by means of other telecommunications technology. Any director who is unable to attend a face-to-face meeting may participate in the meeting by telephone or other telecommunications technology. Directors who participate in a meeting by telephone or other telecommunications technology are considered to have attended the meeting. ARTICLE V: OFFICERS 5.1 Officers The officers of the Association are the President, Vice-President and Secretary- Treasurer and such other officers as the Board of Directors may determine by ordinary resolution. April 2017 Revision Page 11 of 16

15 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws 5.2 Term The term of the officers will be one (1) year or until their successors are elected or appointed. 5.3 Election The officers of the Association will be elected by the Board of Directors. At the first meeting of the Board of Directors held following the start of the fiscal year, the directors shall elect a President, Vice-President and a Secretary-Treasurer. They shall take office immediately. 5.4 Voting Elections will be decided by majority vote of the directors in accordance with the following: a) One valid nomination Winner declared by acclamation. b) Two or more valid nominations Winner is the nominee receiving the greatest number of votes. In the case of a tie, a runoff vote will be conducted. Only those nominees who were tied for the position will appear on the ballot. The nominee receiving the greatest number of votes will be declared the winner. Additional runoff votes may occur if required. 5.5 Delegation of Officers Duties If an officer is absent or unable to act for any reason, the Board may delegate all or any of the powers of the officer to any other officer or to any director for the period of time of such absence or inability to act. 5.6 Duties a) The President will be responsible for the general supervision of the affairs and operations of the Association. The President will preside at the annual and general meetings of the Association and at the meetings of the Board and the Executive Committee and will perform such other duties as may from time to time be established by the Board. b) The Vice-President will support and assist the President in all duties and in the absence of the President, exercise the duties of the President, and will perform such other duties as may from time to time be established by the Board. c) The Secretary-Treasurer will be responsible for the following duties unless they are assigned to staff employed by the Association (such as the Executive Director): i. Create all correspondence of the Association; ii. Issue notices of all meetings; iii. Keep proper accounting records as required by the Act; iv. Deposit all money received by the Association in the Association s bank account; v. As directed by the Board, supervise the management and the disbursement of funds of the Association; vi. When required, provide the Board with an account of the financial transactions and the financial position of the Association; vii. Cause to be recorded all minutes of all meetings of members, Board of Directors and committees of the Association; viii. Be responsible for the documentation of all amendments of the Association s Constitution and Bylaws; ix. Ensure that all official documents and records of the Association are properly kept; April 2017 Revision Page 12 of 16

16 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws x. Maintain the register of members, certified coaches and officials; xi. Be the custodian of the seal of the Association; xii. Perform such duties as may from time to time be established by the Board. d) The President, Vice-President and Executive Director will attend annual general meetings of the Canadian Curling Association and the Ontario Curling Council. 5.7 Removal An officer may be removed by a special resolution of the Board or by a special resolution of the members in a meeting, provided the officer has been given notice of and the opportunity to be present and to be heard at the meeting where such a special resolution is put to a vote. 5.8 Vacancy Where the position of an officer becomes vacant for whatever reason, the Board may appoint a director to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the officer s term, except in the case of the President which shall be filled by the Vice-President for the remainder of the term. Executive Committee 5.9 Executive Committee The Executive Committee will be comprised of the officers and the Executive Director, if applicable, but the Executive Director will be a non-voting member of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will have the authority to oversee the implementation of Board policies during intervals between meetings of the Board and will perform such duties as are prescribed by these Bylaws or may be prescribed from time to time by the Board. Other Committees 5.10 Appointment of Committees The Board may appoint such committees as it deems necessary for managing the affairs of the association and may appoint members of committees or provide for the election of members of committees, may prescribe the duties of committees and may delegate to any committee any of its powers, duties and functions except where prohibited by the Act, the Constitution or Bylaws Quorum A quorum from any committee will be the majority of its voting members Terms of Reference The Board will establish the terms of reference and operating procedures for all committees and may delegate any of its powers, duties or functions to any committee Vacancy When a vacancy occurs on any committee, upon a recommendation of the committee chairperson, the Board may appoint a qualified individual to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the committee s term President Ex-officio The President will be an ex-officio (non-voting) member of all committees of the Association Removal The Board may remove any member of any committee. Remuneration 5.16 No Remuneration All directors, officers and members of committees will serve their term of office without remuneration, except for reimbursement of expenses in accordance with policies approved April 2017 Revision Page 13 of 16

17 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws by the Board. This section does not preclude a director, officer or member of a committee from providing goods or services to the Association under contract or for purchase. Any director, officer or member of a committee will disclose the conflict/potential conflict in accordance with these Bylaws. Conflict of Interest 5.17 Conflict of Interest A director, officer, Executive Committee member or member of a committee who has an interest, or who may be perceived as having an interest in a proposed contract or transaction with the Association will disclose fully and promptly the nature and extent of such interest to the Board or committee, as the case may be. That person will refrain from voting or speaking in debate on such contract or transaction and will refrain from influencing the decision on such contract or transaction. ARTICLE VI: FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT 6.1 Fiscal Year The fiscal year of the Association will be May 1 to April 30, or such other period as the Board may from time to time determine. 6.2 Bank The banking business of the Association will be conducted at such financial institution as the Board may designate. 6.3 Auditors At each annual general meeting the members will appoint an auditor to audit the books, accounts and records of the Association who will report to the members at the next annual general meeting. The auditor will hold office until the next annual general meeting. 6.4 Book and Records The necessary books and records of the Association required by these Bylaws or by applicable law will be necessarily and properly kept. 6.5 Signing Authority The officers of the Association and the Executive Director will have signing authority for all financial transactions conducted in the name of the Association. All such transactions will require two signatures. 6.6 Execution of Agreements All written agreements entered into in the name of the Association will be signed by two officers, which may include the Executive Director. The Board of Directors may authorize other persons to sign on behalf of the Association. 6.7 Property The Association may acquire, lease, sell, or otherwise dispose of securities, lands, buildings, or other property, or any right or interest therein, for such consideration and upon such terms and conditions as the Board may determine. 6.8 Borrowing The Association may borrow funds upon such terms and conditions as the Board may determine. Notwithstanding anything contained in these Bylaws, borrowing in the excess of TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000) must first be approved by the members by ordinary resolution. April 2017 Revision Page 14 of 16

18 Northern Ontario Curling Association Bylaws ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS 7.1 Voting These Bylaws may only be amended, revised, repealed or added to by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the members present at a meeting duly called to amend, revise or repeal these Bylaws. Upon affirmative vote, any amendments, revisions, additions or deletions will be effective immediately. 7.2 Notice in Writing Notice in writing is to be delivered to the Board forty-five (45) days prior to the date of the meeting at which it is to be considered, and is to be delivered to member clubs thirty (30) days prior to meeting at which it is to be considered. 7.3 Waiver of Notice Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Bylaws, the notice provisions of Article 7.2 may be waived by an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the members present and entitled to vote. 7.4 Registration The amended Bylaws will take effect after acceptance by the membership. Notice Definitions 7.5 Written Notice In these Bylaws, written notice will mean notice which is hand-delivered or provided by mail, fax, electronic mail or courier to the address of record of the Association, director or member, as the case may be. 7.6 Date of Notice Date of notice will be the date on which receipt of the notice is confirmed verbally where the notice is hand-delivered, electronically where the notice is faxed or ed, or in writing where the notice is couriered, or in the case of notice that is provided by mail, five days after the date the mail is post-marked. 7.7 Error in Notice The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting of the directors or the members, the failure of any director or member to receive notice, or an error in any notice which does not affect its substance will not invalidate any action taken at the meeting. ARTICLE VIII: DISSOLUTION 8.1 Dissolution Upon dissolution of the Association, any funds or assets remaining after paying all debts will be distributed to an incorporated non-profit Canadian organization as determined by the Board and ratified by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the members eligible and present at a meeting of members. ARTICLE IX: INDEMNIFICATION 9.1 Will Indemnify The Association will indemnify and hold harmless out of the funds of the Association each director and officer, their heirs, executors and administrators from and against any and all claims, demands, actions or costs which may arise or be incurred as a result of occupying the position or performing the duties of a director or officer. 9.2 Will Not Indemnify The Association will not indemnify a director or officer or any other person for acts of fraud, dishonesty, or bad faith. April 2017 Revision Page 15 of 16

19 Northern Ontario Curling Association B laws g..i Insurance - The Assocration rvili" at ail tirnes. maintain in fcrrce such directors and of'ficers iiabilrtl lnsrtrance as ma-v ire appfirved b-v the Boarel of Dtrectors" ARTTCLE X: ADOPTION OF THESE BYLAWS lli I Adoptron bv Board -.Thesc Bviau,s are aclopted by the Board o1'[)trectors of the Assoctatlon at a meetlngr of the Board dui-v caliecl and heid on April 24,10l'i 1(,,; Ratiflcatrori -.These Bviaws are ratrfiecl by a nvo-thtrds affirmatlve vote oi'the members of the.q.ssociatlon presenr and entrtled to vote at ii meetmg of'members ciui-v called and helci on Apnl i()..i@_lnratif1,rngrhesebvlaws*ihemembelsirft]reassoclattorrrepealall pror B_v ih- Ata;Liutron provrded that such repeal cloes not impatr tfie vairdit.v oi'an-v acrion done pursuant to the "f repealed e)y BYlaws. q,{ old \frchael Szalewski Prestdeni.loan Sheppard Secretar\., - Treasurer April 2017 Revision Page 16 of L6

20 NOCA 2016 Annual General Meeting Monday June 22, :30 pm (ET) Via teleconference 1. Introductions call to order 6:34 p.m. Michael Szajewski, NOCA President, welcomed everyone to the 2015 Annual General Meeting of the Northern Ontario Curling Association and welcomed the NOCA Executive, Board of Directors, and special guests Resby Coutts (Curling Canada), Peter Inch (Curling Canada), Rick Meraska (Ontario Curling Curling Council), Jennifer Ferris (Ontario Curling Council), and Kristen Spithoff (BDO), and Ken Stewart, nominee for Director at Large position. 2. Attendance: Board: Glen Poirier (Region 1), Linda Vellinga (Region 2), Joan Sheppard (Region 4), Sandra Lahti (Region 5), Stephen Meunier (Region 6), Michael Szajewski, President and Director at Large Staff: Leslie Kerr - Executive Director Other Attendees: Gail Everall, Debbie Grillanda, Jan Pula, Bobby Ray, Jason Bissonette 3. Constitution of meeting: Michael Szajewski reported that the notice of meeting had been sent to all voting delegates 45 days prior to the meeting and to the club delegates 21 days prior to the meeting. 4. Acts of Directors: Motion: THAT the actions of the NOCA Board of Directors for the 2016 fiscal year be ratified Moved: Stephen Meunier Seconded: Glen Poirier Carried 5. Report on Credentials: Leslie Kerr reported that 6 of the 8 Directors were present, and that a quorum of 5 was required so the meeting is duly constituted. Michael Szajewski explained the voting structure to the delegation. Only the NOCA Directors carry a vote at the AGM. This ensures that all regions are equally represented at the AGM regardless of the location of the meeting. Delegates were encouraged to ask any questions they had during the meeting. 6. Appointment of a Scrutineer: Motion: THAT Resby Coutts be appointed as the Scrutineer for the elections of the Directors at Large to be held in New Business Moved: Stephen Meunier Seconded: Sandra Lahti Carried 1

21 7. Acceptance of the Agenda: Motion: THAT the agenda be accepted as distributed with the additions of Elections and Awards to New Business, and Resby Coutts and Peter Inch as Curling Canada reporters. Moved: Joan Sheppard Seconded: Glen Poirier Carried 8. Minutes of June 22, 2015 Annual General Meeting: Motion: THAT the minutes of the AGM dated June 22, 2015 be accepted. Moved: Stephen Meunier Seconded: Joan Sheppard Carried 9. Business Arising: None 10. Reports: a. Financial Report Joan Sheppard (attached draft financial statements and financial report) Joan reported that she had reviewed the financial statements and prepared the Financial Report upon receipt of the Draft Statements from the Auditor. The Board approved the Draft Financial statements but they must be accepted at the AGM before the Auditor can present the final statements. The financial statements were prepared by BDO Canada LLP in Thunder Bay. Joan highlighted several items: o A slight surplus of $1287occurred. o Some deferred funds have been moved from into revenue which lessened the projected deficit of $14,000. o There is still an Operating Reserve of $60,000. o The Year End Equity position is $165,016 o The budget for the 2017 fiscal year projects a loss of $9,400. o The Board approved the 2017 budget at the May 26, 2016 Special meeting. o The funds that were transferred into revenue this year will help cover some of the anticipated deficit. o Finances are reviewed continually by the Executive Director, and monthly by the Finance Committee. The board receives a financial report monthly. o There will be a review of per capita dues this coming year. The dues haven t increased since 2012 while all operating costs continue to rise. o Kristen Spithoff, BDO, reported that they are satisfied with the state of the finances of NOCA. The year end documents were presented quickly and efficiently which resulted in very few adjusting entries. Motion: THAT the draft financial statements for the year ending April 30, 2016, be accepted as presented Moved: Steve Meunier Seconded: Sandra Lahti Carried b. President s Report Michael Szajewski (attached) Michael reported that Stephen Meunier, Leslie Kerr, and he had attended Curling Canada s National Curling Congress and AGM. He highlighted some items from those meetings: o In the season, the Brier and Scotties will have a new 16 team pool format with all 14 Member Associations having directly entry, and including Team Canada 2

22 and the top CTRS points earner who hasn t qualified for the Brier after competing in Provincial playdowns receiving the other 2 berths. o A new U18 national competition will be held in April. In anticipation of this motion being approved, the NOCA Board had passed a motion to change the event name of the current Bantam competition to be U18, and to increase the age eligibility to 17 and under as of June 30 of the year prior to the national event. o Curling Canada has approved a motion for a Concussion Policy for National Events. Michael noted that this is something that NOCA will have to review and address for NOCA events. Michael thanked Marion Clark for her years of outstanding service to NOCA during her term, as well as her contribution as OCC President while the organization was reorganized and became compliant with the Sport Recognition Policy. Michael also thanked Leslie Kerr and the NOCA staff for their diligence and dedication over the last year and years past. c. Executive Director s Report Leslie Kerr (attached) Leslie highlighted some items from her report: o The website will be updated this summer giving it a more modern and user friendly look with the additions of Find a Player or Coach, and Success Stories from Curling Clubs. o There will be an increased focus on communication this season, in particular with the Region Directors and the Club Delegates in their respective regions. o A Club Development (member engagement) Committee will be working on a plan to engage our clubs and members o Four information webinars will be held next season similar to the one held this season on Corporate Compliance and other Hot Legal Topics for Curling Clubs. o Curling Week was very successful this season and will take place again next year. Thank you to Kathy Ingram, and Steve and Kim Meunier for their help on the committee. o Leslie thanked the numerous sponsors and partners who help with competitions and contributions to other programs through the year. o The Trillium grant has now been completed. It ended up being a four year grant and was very helpful in enabling NOCA to provide Floor Curl to many schools, Native Friendship Centres, and Community Centres around Northern Ontario and providing funding for computer and equipment for timing at playdowns. d. Technical Development Report Sandra Lahti (attached) Sandra reported that Andrea Ronnebeck has been hired as the Technical Coordinator. Course Participants: o 17 Club Coach Youth o 17 Club Competition Coach o 3 Competition Coach Evaluations Several courses are already planned for next year Training for Learning Facilitators is being explored as a webinar format Several initiatives are now consistently run across all of Ontario via the Ontario Curling Council: Long Term Athlete Development (High Performance), Next Generation Program, Coach Mentorship, Talent ID Camps, and Athlete Assistance Funding (Quest for Gold). e. Competitions Report Karen Saarimaki (attached) 3

23 f. Curling Canada Liaison Report Resby Coutts Resby thanked NOCA for the invitation to the AGM and thanked NOCA for its volunteerism at the national level (Marion Clark as Vice Chair of the MA Presidents Committee, and Mike on the Constitution Review Committee, Leslie on three operational committees) There are some new committees this year at Curling Canada which will review several areas of Operations: Event Model Review Committee, Communications Protocol Committee, and Travelers Eligibility Review Committee Curling Canada has introduced a Concussion Protocol and hopes that all MAs and curling clubs in Canada will use this as a template for their operations. Resby encouraged NOCA to nominate people for the Curling Canada Hall of Fame and National Volunteer Awards. g. Curling Canada Chair Report Peter Inch Peter also thanked the NOCA representatives who have attended NCCs and sat on committees over the years. The contributions of Marion, Mike, and Leslie, and now Steve are not unnoticed at the national level. Peter congratulated the OCC on their Next Generation Program; a leading program in the country. The Events Model Review Committee will be reviewing all formats and financial support for national events. The committee will provide a preliminary report to the MA Presidents, Operations Advisory Council, and Curling Canada Board in October. h. Ontario Curling Council Chair Report Rick Meraska (report from the Manager: Programs and Operations is attached) Rick referred to the attached report noting its thoroughness, New programs and initiatives are on the horizon for the OCC, NOCA, and OCA and Rick is looking forward to the continued success of the relationship between the three organizations as they move forward with the application to the Sport Recognition Policy later this summer. Motion: That the reports of the Board of Directors and Staff for be accepted as presented and distributed. Moved: Sandra Lahti Seconded: Glen Poirier Carried 11. New Business: a. Motion to conduct an Accounting Review: Motion: THAT an Accounting Review be conducted for the 2017 fiscal year Moved by: Stephen Meunier Seconded by: Joan Sheppard Carried b. Motion to appoint an Auditor/Accountant Motion: THAT BDO Canada LLP in Thunder Bay be named as the Auditor for 2017 Moved: Joan Sheppard Seconded: Sandra Lahti Carried 4

24 c. Awards: Sandra Lahti, Awards Committee Chair, announced that several nominations were received for the awards this year. The recipients have been notified and will be recognized at their clubs in the fall Volunteer: o Dan Flynn, Geraldton Curling Club o Pierrette Lachance, Longlac Curling Club o Marilyn Stevenson, Kakabeka Falls Curling Club 2016 Honorary Life Member: o Mark Brown, North Bay Granite Club 2016 Club Recognition Award: o North Bay Granite Club 2016 Coach: o Randy Ronnebeck, Kenora Curling Club d. Election of Directors at Large: Stephen Meunier reported on behalf of the Nominating Committee that a Nominating committee was struck, put out a call for applications for one position of Director at Large for a three-year term. No applications were received. Call for Nominations: The Nominating Committee nominated Ken Stewart for the position of Director at Large. Stephen called for nominations for the Director at Large position from the floor Stephen called for nominations for the Director at Large position from the floo Stephen called for nominations for the Director at Large position from the floor No nominations from the floor were received. Motion: THAT nominations be closed and THAT Ken Stewart be acclaimed as Director at Large for a three year term. Moved: Sandra Lahti Seconded: Joan Sheppard Carried Michael thanked the nominating committee and the candidate who let his name stand for office, and also thanked Resby for acting as Scutineer. 12. Adjournment Michael declared the meeting adjourned at 7:41 pm and thanked all attendees and guests for attending the 2016 NOCA Annual General Meeting. 5

25 NOCA Financial Report June, Financial Statements The actual year-end figures show a deficit of $ Although a deficit is never good news, it is very close to our budget projection for the year. Financial pressures continue to be the reality for NOCA and we continue to manage our finances prudently. We did utilize some deferred funding previously earmarked for Junior Development to assist with Amethyst Camp costs. The fiscal year saw the end of the Ontario Trillium Grant funding that has assisted NOCA to do some targeted outreach, education and curling promotion over the last few years. We continue to have $60, set aside in reserve as a safety net fund due to unforeseen financial challenges (this was set up during the fiscal year). Reasonable cash flow was maintained throughout the year to allow us to meet operational requirements Projections The draft budget is for the fiscal year is still in process. We have some additional pressures this year that require us to take some extra time and consideration. Key Budget Factors We no longer have a sponsor for Amethyst camp, thus we continue to revisit the budget for this program. There are now many curling camps across the country for youth, meaning that Amethyst camper numbers are lower than in the past, also requiring consideration. The Amethyst camp continues to bring value to our youth curlers across the north and is an important program, so it is vital that we work to create long-term stability for this program. Sponsorships are no longer available through some of our key historic partners. Competitor numbers continue to show downward movement. We continue to have additional financial obligations to provide performance training/support. This is required as part of the Ontario Curling Council High Performance Plan, a requirement of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. There was some downward movement in membership dues in Please note this budget does NOT reflect any increase to membership fees for the season, however an increase for seems inevitable due to financial pressures. NOCA will continue to demonstrate its value to member clubs and curlers.

26 Year-end Equity Position 2016 Net Asset Opening Balance $165, Operating Deficit (9,728.00) Net Assets, end year $155, Net assets, end of year includes the following: Amethyst reserve fund $7, Travelers Wheelchair fund $4, Travellers CCC reserve fund $1, Training week reserve fund $3, Curling week reserve fund $ Junior Development reserve fund $1, Operating reserve fund $60, Submitted by: Joan Sheppard, Treasurer

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39 President's Report for 2017 Annual General Meeting The curling season was an eventful one on the ice for the Northern Ontario Curling Association. Our athletes competed at the highest levels on the national stage accumulating four championships and several playoff appearances along the way. The double gold performance of our U-18 teams at the inaugural National championships shows the future of competitive curling in Northern Ontario is in very capable hands. While there are many successes to celebrate, our Association is not without challenges. A decline in membership, competition revenue and sponsorships along with increased expenses are creating significant barriers to maintaining the financial strength we have become accustomed to. Our cost saving efforts in the season saw the closing of our physical office space in Atikokan, reductions in meeting costs, and changes to our business systems. During the coming year the Board and Staff will continue to explore ways to find operational efficiencies and expand revenues to meet our members expectations. This season saw the completion of Brian Gates three-year term as a Director at Large. On behalf of the board, I extend my sincerest gratitude to Brian for his significant contributions during his tenure. We welcome Hayley Smith to the Board as a director at large for a three-year term. Congratulations are also extended to Karen Saarimaki and Joan Sheppard who were reelected as Regional Directors. In closing, I would to recognize the efforts of Leslie Kerr and her staff. We are fortunate to have a talented operations group that are fully dedicated to our Board, Clubs and Members. Your work does not go unnoticed. Michael Szajewski President, Northern Ontario Curling Association

40 Executive Director Report NOCA 2017 Annual General Meeting Once again it was a very busy year for NOCA administration. Following is a summary of the year from an administrative viewpoint. Finances: The finances of the NOCA are monitored very closely on an ongoing basis. This year a financial review was again conducted by BDO. A deficit budget was approved for the 2017 fiscal year and that projection proved accurate. This year a larger deficit is projected and some reserves which have been set aside to assist with the deficit will be utilized. This year the physical office was closed (staff now have home offices) and the face to face board meeting usually held in May was changed to a series of teleconference meetings. Both of these actions were taken as cost savings measures and the Board and staff will continue to seek ways to reduce expenses and increase revenues. Communications: NOCA Notes is distributed bi-weekly, and weekly in busy times, to approximately 550 people. NOCA s Facebook page is updated regularly during the curling season and as needed off season. Tweets are automatically generated from the Facebook account. Region meetings were held either in person or via web-conference in the fall and spring. At the May Board 27 th meeting the Operational Plan for was reviewed and each committee established their priorities for the year. This plan will be monitored regularly. There will be an increased focus on communication between the Executive Director, Club Delegates, Region Directors, and other club volunteers and staff. There seems to be an ongoing issue with information not being communicated to the general membership at the clubs so we will endeavour to improve the lines of communication. Club Development: The Club Development committee will be implementing their goal of presenting the Club Development Presentation to 30 NOCA clubs. Next season there will be two information webinars held for any club delegate or member to participate in. The first webinar is scheduled for September 12 th and the topic will be Strategic Planning How to. Through the OCC and the National Sports Trust Fund, a Charitable Donations Program has been created: This program provides an avenue for clubs to register a program (ie. purchase of a new chiller, renovations, ) and have people donate to the program. Once the donation is made, the donor receives a charitable donation receipt. A grant was received by the OCC to train people to teach the Adult Learn to Curl program. The goal is to have as many clubs as possible using this program. Unfortunately there was no uptake from NOCA Clubs this season so there will be a large push to utilize the program next season. The Adult Learn to Curl program has been incredibly successful in recruiting and retaining new members at many clubs across Canada. Competitions: Once again it was a very busy season for the office staff, Board, Competitions Cmte, and Head Umpires. All Northern Ontario teams fared very well at the national level and we should be very proud of them. Thank you to the numerous host clubs and their extensive work to provide great events for all teams. Hosting a competition is a huge undertaking and the Board and staff truly appreciate this contribution to curling by our clubs and volunteers. Thanks to Karen for her diligence as Competitions Chair!

41 Sponsors/Partners: Thank you to: o Travelers (Men s Provincial, Curling Club Championships) o Tim Hortons (Youth Challenges and Bantam competitions) o Best Western (Junior Competitions) o BrokerLink Insurance (Mixed Provincials) o Brent Belzile (Mid Canada Asset Group) and Jake Wiebe (Amethyst Bursaries) o o Bearskin Airlines (Curling Week) o Rock Clock (timing program) o Jet Ice (Curling Club Ice Logo contest and support for Ice Technician courses) o Goldline (gift cards for Curling Week), Avis, and Budget. o Curling Canada (Curlcast online scoring program) o Sport Law and Strategy Group Technical Development: Andrea Ronnebeck continues in her role as the NOCA Technical Coordinator. Her report is within the Technical Development report. The Amethyst Camp did not fill this year so will run with a modified program. The camp will be restructured and relocated in Youth Challenge participation numbers increased again this year and several are already scheduled for next year. Through the OCC, the Next Generation program provided training assistance to 6 Junior teams from Ontario. Two Talent ID camps were held in Northern Ontario this spring: Sudbury and Thunder Bay were the locations. Ontario Curling Council: The OCC, NOCA and OCA senior staff work together on many projects. The three staff meet weekly to plan, decide which funding programs to apply for, and discuss implementation of programs at both the MA and PSO levels. The summer and fall were spent ensuring that Curling is recognized as a sport in Ontario under the Sport Recognition Policy. Many, many hours were spent on this project with the result that curling is now fully recognized as a sport. The application for the Ontario Amateur Sport Fund (previously called Base Funding) was submitted in May. This is also a large undertaking as it is the application for the first year of the three year funding cycle. Thanks to Jennifer Ferris who is an incredible addition to the OCC. Jen provides a wealth of knowledge and an abundance of energy which can be seen through the programs she has developed and the partnerships she has created, as well as the positive relationship building with the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport staff. Marketing: Curling Week, presented by Bearskin Airlines was held November 19-27, There were three Closest to the Pin contests: ages 12 and under, 13-17, and 18 and over. Prizes included Bearskin Airlines - two tickets on Bearskin Airlines; Goldline Gift Cards., Teams Fleury, McCarville and Jacobs brooms, and Best Western gift cards. This year Curling Week will be held November 18-26, Thank you to Steve and Kim Meunier for their assistance with organizing Curling Week in Northern Ontario last year.

42 Curling Canada: I continue to work closely with Curling Canada staff. There have been some staff changes over the year and I look forward to continuing to work with all of the current and new staff. The Operations Advisory Council (all of the 14 Executive Directors or appointed representatives from the Member Associations in Canada, and the Senior Staff of Curling Canada) meet twice a year in person, and bimonthly between those meetings. The main functions of the Council are to discuss curling operations across the country, to share ideas and program initiatives, to advise and consult with CC Senior Staff, and to review current and future operational items at the provincial/territorial and national levels. This summer will be spent catching up and preparing for the fall. Thank you to our Sponsors and Partners, the Board of Directors, Staff, our Curling Clubs and curlers, and the countless Volunteers for making this association so successful. I am looking forward to another challenging season as the NOCA continues to evolve and improve operations and services to members and member clubs in the goal of promoting and developing the sport in Northern Ontario. Respectfully submitted, Leslie Kerr Executive Director

43 COMPETITIONS COMMITTEE REPORT 2017 AGM Competitions Committee: Karen Saarimaki, Glen Poirier, Linda Vellinga, Patti McKnight, Marion Clark Officiating Committee: Karen Saarimaki, Claude Peloquin, Kim Beaudry 1. Highlights Northern Ontario had another great year at the national Championships, winning four events - the inaugural U18 Boys (Jacob Horgan team) and U18 Girls championships (Kira Brunton team), as well as the Mixed (Trevor Bonot team) and Masters Mens (Al Hackner team) In addition teams skipped by Krista Burns and Tanner Horgan both won bronze medals at the U21 championships, and the Brad Jacobs and Krista McCarville teams both made the playoffs at the Brier and Scotties. The Burns team representing Laurentian also won the national USport (University) Women s championship with the Hailey Beaudry team finishing in second place. In the competition for the MA cup Northern Ontario finished in 4 th place, just one point out of third, so we are continuing to be one of the top associations in the country. 2. Participation Net change Since 07/08 U U Seniors Masters Women Men Mixed Mixed Dbl 0 xx Wheelchair Travelers Overall Competition entries were down again with the biggest drop coming in U21. Travelers entries increased as did the interest in Mixed Doubles. 3. COMPETITIONS a) Overall The majority of our provincial competitions consist of a round robin followed by a semi-final between the 2 nd and 3 rd place teams, with the winner to play the 1 st place team in a one game final. This format appears to be working well and will continue. A hosting agreement was developed for clubs hosting a Provincial championship. We will look at developing a one page summary of what is needed for other championships i.e. regions, qualifiers to assist clubs in preparation. Next season is an Olympic year as well as an Ontario Winter Games year. The Ontario Curling Council will be coordinating qualifiers for Boys/Girls/Wheelchair and Mixed Doubles events across the whole province for the Winter Games, with NOCA providing two host sites, one east and one west, for each of the Boys/Girls and Mixed qualifiers.

44 Host sites have been determined for all but a couple of events for next season. The hosting Rotation was revised to include some new qualifiers. Some other events were moved around in order to have an equitable allocation of events across regions. b) U18 / U21 / Senior We have usually held an 8 team split provincial (male/female) at the U18 (formerly Bantam), U21 (formerly Junior) and Senior level over the previous six seasons. This past season entries dropped in U21 so all teams advanced directly to the provincial final (7 men s teams, 5 women s teams). There were also only 11 Senior Men s entries this year, and 2 Senior Women s entries. As a result we have changed the format for U21 and Senior next season each event will have two qualifiers, one East and one West both to be held on the same weekend, with 8 teams advancing to the Provincial championship allocation of number of qualifying teams to be determined based on number of entries in each qualifier. After much deliberation we also have decided to change the U18 dates for a one year trial. Regions, Qualifiers and Provincial will all be held later in the season (starting in February instead of January) hoping this will give teams more time to prepare and a longer competitive season. A draft draw to host an 8+8 team provincial final on a six-sheet rink was created, so that male/female events could be held at the same time in six or seven sheet clubs, and not just in an eight sheet club. # of entries U18 (Bantams) U21 (Juniors) Seniors c) Masters, Wheelchair, Mixed Doubles, Mixed - Provincial Championships for Masters, Wheelchair and Mixed Doubles all continued to be Open competitions (no qualification). Mixed Doubles This season we saw an increase in entries from 4 to 9 which is the most we have had since the event started. Hopefully the interest will continue as Mixed Doubles is now an Olympic event. Having Mixed Doubles games from the Canadian Championship streamed online, as well as games from the World Championship televised will have helped with promotion. Wheelchair This year again there were only two teams competing in a best 2 out of 3 competition. Mixed Mixed entries saw a slight increase from 4 to 6. d) Women We again held an open provincial with 4 teams competing, the same as the previous season, but keep hoping for an increase in entries in the future. e) Men Eight teams entered the East Qualifier, and 5 teams entered the West Qualifier this past season. We changed the policy so that there was no point restriction for the two teams that qualified out of the CTRS points list. f) Travelers Last year s decline in teams seemed to be a blip as the number of teams were up again this year. Nineteen (19) clubs entered men s teams and 12 clubs entered women s teams with a total of 69 teams (49 men s and 20 women s teams) actually competing at the club level.

45 4. Fees for Competitors and Competitions All players in competitions leading to a National championship have to now pay a competitor s fee (except for U18, Masters and Travelers). The CCA fee is increasing to $42 so our fee will increase to $48. We still have to determine entry fees for all events. 5. Officiating Officiating at our competitions continues to improve. We are continuing to progress with our database of officials and qualifications, in addition to having all Chief Umpires at events submit a report as well as a record of any volunteers working as timers, game umpires etc. NOCA has submitted some names of individuals to Curling Canada to be certified, and will continue with this process. We are continuing to try to have all Provincial events officiated by a Chief Umpire plus Game Umpires and timers, and will continue to try to increase our number of qualified officials both at the Region and Provincial level. Next season we hope to conduct a couple of webinars for those officiating at our championships. 6. Competitor Guides/rules Competitor Guides will continue to be worked on. This past season we didn t see too many changes at national events by Curling Canada so only minor changes were needed for our own guides. The changes in the Sweeping/Brushing rules as per the Curling Canada moratorium were adopted by NOCA and seemed to be accepted by the players. We asked that all competitors comply except for teams at the U18 regions/qualifiers and Travelers Regions. NOCA also now has a policy regarding broken brooms. Respectfully submitted, Karen Saarimaki Competitions Committee Chair

46 Technical Development Committee Report for the 2017 AGM Committee Members: Sandra Lahti, Andrea Ronnebeck, Hayley Smith, Leslie Kerr Rock & Rings The program has been hosted in Atikokan, Geraldton, North Bay, Timmins, Keewatin, Kenora, Sudbury and Elliott Lake since it began in September. Arrangements are being made for one more school to be visited in Nipigon in the fall. Our target in the grant was to reach 900 school children but we are please to report that the program has been delivered to well over 2500 children. Curling 101 Curling 101 is a follow up program which was offered to a few communities as a pilot project. Parents of children who participated in the Rocks and Rings program, as well as their children were invited to the local curling clubs in North Bay, Elliott Lake, Kenora and Keewatin as well as Sudbury for an introductory 1 hour lesson. Just over 200 parents and children participated as new curlers. Courses Officiating workshops were delivered in New Liskeard, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Nipigon and Espanola to 34 Level 1 and 12 Level 2 participants. One Club Coach workshop was delivered in Sioux Lookout to 6 participants. Four Club Coach Youth workshops were delivered in Coniston, New Liskeard, Smooth Rock Falls and Little Current with a total of 28 participants. Talent ID sessions were held in Sudbury and Thunder Bay. In addition to the young athletes receiving some excellent instruction and coaching, their coaches participated in a session on season debriefing and planning. One Competition Coach workshop was held in Schumacher with 6 participants. Technical Committee The Technical Committee has been meeting regularly this season. Amethyst Camp Registrations are down this year with just over 60 participants registered. As such, the camp will be conducted in a slightly different but still very effective format. The camp next year will no doubt take on a new revised look better suited to meet the challenges presented by our vast geography. Stay tuned. Respectfully submitted, Andrea Ronnebeck, Technical Coordinator Sandra Lahti, Committee Chair

47 Club Development Committee Report for 2017 AGM Committee Members: Steve Meunier, Joan Sheppard, Ken Stewart, Gord Williams, Leslie Kerr (ED) 1. The club development Committee was assigned the task of reaching out to curling clubs in the curling province of Northern Ontario to ensure they were made aware of the benefits of being a member club of the NOCA. The committee met several times via teleconference and determined that a PowerPoint presentation would be the best method to achieve our goal. The PowerPoint was designed and subsequently approved by the Board of Directors for use. 2. The next course of action was to determine how to reach out to the clubs. The mandate determined by the committee was to first reach out to the NOCA member clubs first. The first presentations were done during end of season Region Meetings. The PowerPoint proved useful as some Club Delegates and Board members at NOCA clubs were made aware of member benefits that the NOCA offered that they were previously unaware of. 3. The committee will now present the PowerPoint to all NOCA member clubs to their board members first. The committee has set targets of reach a minimum of 30 of 40 curling clubs by the end of the 2017 calendar year by contacting the clubs and arranging to present the PowerPoint presentation during their board meetings. The ideal structure of the meeting being one NOCA board member in attendance at the meeting where possible and one attending via teleconference. The information will also be available on our website for all to see at their convenience. 4. The committee s vision is to raise awareness of the benefits of being an NOCA member in an effort to keep our affiliated clubs and then to reach out to those who are not affiliated in an effort to have them join our team. To date, Ken Stewart has comprised a list of clubs and contact numbers to start contacting clubs for room on their meeting agenda. Respectfully submitted, Steve Meunier, Club Development Committee Chair

48 AGM Report A s I reflect on the 2016/17 season, I am once again amazed at how the power of partnership and strong leadership has further advanced the sport of curling within the provincial sport landscape. The continued cooperation between the Ontario Curling Council (OCC), Ontario Curling Association (CurlON) and the Northern Ontario Curling Association (NOCA) has been incredibly productive as we work towards fulfilling a common Mission and Vision for curling in the province. Personally I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the contributions of the OCC s Councillors. Thank you for your time, expertise, trust, and guidance over the past year. Strategic Priorities Participation Development Excellence Operations The OCC wishes to thank the Board Members of CurlON and NOCA your collaboration in order to meet Sport Recognition guidelines was critical and continues to be as we move forward in strengthening our programming and services. Executive Director s Leslie Kerr (NOCA) and Steve Chenier (CurlON) have been tremendous resources for the OCC, their ongoing support and mentorship has been paramount to the success of the OCC. The OCC wishes to thank Curling Canada in particular Gerry Peckham, Director of High Performance for his guidance with regard to our High Performance Program Helen Radford, Manager Program Development Youth Feeder System for her collaboration and expertise as we look to strengthen youth curling in the province. Thank you to staff members Byron Scott and Terri Collicott for their hard work and dedication and also to the many contractors, instructors, coaches and officials who help deliver OCC programs and the athletes, coaches and parents who engage in our programming. Thank you also to the supporting staff of the Member Associations in particular Andrea Ronnebeck and Tom Ward Technical Coordinators. Congratulations Tom on your retirement and 15+ years of support you ve given the OCC, in particular with your development of Wheelchair Curling and Coaches. Finally, we appreciate the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and our assigned consultant Marie Dannhaeuser. We are looking forward to a very busy 2017/18. Jennifer Ferris Manager, Programs and Operations jennifer@ontcurl.com Engagement 1

49 Metrics Participation Alignment with Curling Partners New Opportunities for Ontarians to Curl Support Growth Potential Marketing & Social Media 100+ Instructors trained 6 Train the Trainer sessions 14 Member clubs participated 2200 Target participation 20 Participating Clubs 2000 Spectators / Participants Adult Learn to Curl (ALTC) Recipient of two year Ontario Sport Recreation Communities Fund Grant (OSRCF) ($82k) from Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport (MTCS). The focus of the grant is to train club instructors to implement the already successful Adult Learn to Curl Program. The OCC refreshed the program curriculum, business model and support for clubs. Program variations for Women 55+, Aboriginal, & New Canadian LTC are available and looking for host clubs to partner with these specialty programs. One year remaining in grant and need significantly more club participation and support to achieve the participant engagement goal of the grant. Celebrate Ontario 150 The Great Ontario Bonspiel Received a Celebrate Ontario 150 grant ($18.75k). The Great Ontario Bonspiel, Saturday November 18, 2017, a coordinated, multi club, province wide, bonspiel celebrating Ontario s contribution to curling and Curling s contribution to Ontario. Each club tells their story through video with live updates on social media on the day of the event. OCC will provide Ontario 150 themed prizing to all bonspiel winners. Each club will have a young person as part of the organizing committee to train future leaders. 100% Ontario 2

50 o n t a r i o c u r l i n g c o u n c i l. c o m Active Collaboration Curling Canada s Youth Feeder System Collaborating with Curling Canada to develop and test resources to create a youth feeder system across Canada. Ontario subject matter experts participated and consulted sharing best practices. The efforts will result in new programs created and existing programs enhanced. Revisions are also being made to the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model. National Sport Trust Fund - Ontario Transitioned from True Sport to National Sport Trust Fund (NTSF). Ontario is operated by Sport4Ontario as our new charitable tax receipting program. Two CurlON clubs are participating and to date the transition and implementation has been seamless. This provides a tremendous opportunity for clubs to get involved with a very low fee structure. 3

51 Development Athlete Coach Official Next Gen Teams Team Horgan U21 Men NOCA U21 Champions Bronze Medal U21 Nationals Team Warkentin U21 Men Runner Up NOCA U21 Provincials Team Brunton U21 Women Runner-up NOCA U21 Provincial Team Murphy U21 Women Top 5 finish U21 Provincials Team Kiemele U18 Women Top 3 Finish U18 Provincials Team Leung U18 Men Top 5 Finish U18 Provincials Next Gen Athlete Development Program Another successful year with 6 teams in the program. Each team worked with a Mentor coach(es), access to mental trainers, fitness testing and training programs, nutritionists, webinars, and competition support. 30% of U18 Teams (Athletes & Coaches), 40% of U21 Teams (Athletes & Coaches) who attended Nationals have participated in Next Gen Program over the past two years. Coach Webinar Series Launched a series of 10 Webinars with a variety of topics, evenings from December to March. Average attendance was between per session. 137 Coaches participated with PD points given for each session. Next Gen Coach Apprenticeship Program Learning opportunity at both the NOCA and CurlON Tankard and Scotties for coaches. Mentor coaches were Rick Lang and Wendy Morgan. This was a free event with both meal and travel subsidies provided. 22 coaches participated in the program with the Theme Managing a Team at a Provincial Championship. Talent ID / Development Camps athletes and 65 coaches participated across eight province-wide Talent Identification camps.

52 o n t a r i o c u r l i n g c o u n c i l. c o m ParaSport Winter Games Six Participating wheelchair teams and four Visually Impaired teams competed at the Brantford Golf & Country Club at the MTCS ParaSport Winter Games. A new Competitors Guide for both Wheelchair and Visually Impaired curling was created as an ongoing resource. Cathy Kerr International Wheelchair Bonspiel This is a key development event for Ontario Wheelchair teams that became an OCC property. The OCC took the event over and created a true success with 16 Canadian, Ontario and International teams complete with a waitlist. It will be returning as an Wheelchair Development Camp Six teams participated in August at the KW Granite CC in Kitchener. Two NOCA and four CurlON teams participated with travel support provided. National Team Program Coaches led the camp and a concurrent coach development session. 5

53 Ontario Winter Games (OWG) Canada Winter Games (CWG) 6 OWG Open Qualifiers Through consultations with our members, NOCA and CurlON, a detailed qualification process for both the Ontario and Canada Winter Games has been established. This process will see an open province wide registration and competition format for teams vying for a spot at the 2018 Ontario Winter Games in Orillia ON and the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer AB. This new process combines Development with Competition for a meaningful development pathway. Dec 15-17, 2017 For U17 Teams Jan 26 28, 2018 For U21 MD Teams Athlete Quota Increased at Ontario Winter Games For the 2018 Ontario Winter Games Curling has been allotted additional athlete & coach quota allowing us to add Mixed Doubles as a new discipline. The Games will consist of six U17 Men (four person), six U17 Women (four person), six Wheelchair (four person) & six U21 Mixed Doubles (two person) plus coaching staff. 6

54 o n t a r i o c u r l i n g c o u n c i l. c o m Excellence Athlete Development Coach Development Celebrate Excellence Team Development Camp OCC hosted a Team Development camp was held with a new format. Three adult and three Next Gen teams participated and provided positive and constructive feedback. Ontario High Performance Sport Initiative (OHPSI) OCC was accepted into OHPSI for 2017/18 as a Tier 3 Sport (~$40k). This will enable us to expand the Next Gen Program to adult teams (Fours, Wheelchair Athletes, Mixed Doubles). The criteria are being finalized and the program being designed in conjunction with Curling Canada. Quest for Gold This past season saw another year of successful management of the Quest for Gold program under very tight timelines. Mixed Doubles were provided Half Cards this year. OCC expect this program to be modernized by the MTCS as part of their GAMEON plan. Special THANKS to our High Performance Team for managing the program. Performance Results Incredible Year for NOCA and CurlON teams. Well done! The OCC is particularly proud of the U18 and U21 teams, many of which were Program Athletes and Coaches. CurlON was the Member Association Cup winner with NOCA placing fourth. 7

55 Operations Financial Strength Build Relationships with Stakeholders Governance Human Resources Sport Recognition Policy Maximizing Funding Opportunities Additional Funds 2014/15 $ /16 $117, /17 $121, Year Total $241, The MTCS required all sports to reapply for official recognition status under the Sport Recognition Policy. OCC and its members had to demonstrate collaboration and alignment with Sport Recognition requirements through submission of: Bylaws Policies Strategic Plan x3 years Operations Plans Financials Contracts Endorsements Recognition allows Curling to apply for all funding and program support offered by the Ministry. Ontario Amateur Sport Fund Application As part of the Ministry s GAMEON plan the Base Funding program was modernized and became the Ontario Amateur Sport Fund. This fund is accessible to recognized sports will provide two years of operational support. Curling submitted extensive reporting on LTAD, Coach and Officials programming as well as Operational plans and budgeting directly supporting the CurlON, NOCA, and OCC Strategic Plans. Submitted on May 8, 2017 expect summer funding decision. Online Payment & Registration System All waivers and registrations now operationally efficient and managed online. Online payment now available. 8

56 Engagement Build OCC Brand Club Engagement Share Best Practices OCC Website Completely redone in 2016 Web Traffic 2015/ hits monthly 2016/ hits monthly Social Media Launched 2015/ / Likes 253 Followers Launched 2015/ Followers 2016/ Followers Launched 2016/ views of 10 videos Engagement Services provide by OCC, NOCA, CurlON Clubs: OCC Delivered ALTC Participation 14 Clubs Charitable Tax Receipting Program 12 Clubs Great Ontario Bonspiel 20 Clubs Events / Camps Talent ID 8 Clubs Cathy Kerr / ParaSport 2 Clubs Team Development 1 Club Coaches: NCCP programming 254 Coach PD Opportunities Athletes Active for Life 1826 Athletes with a Disability 115 Learn to Train 155 Train to Train 412 Train to Compete 814 Train to Win 538 Total 3860 Officials: Level 1 & 2 25 Timekeeper Training 762 Ice Technicians: Ice Makers / Assistants 89