UNIVERSITIES MODEL PARLIAMENT SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA CONSITITUTION AND BY-LAWS

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITIES MODEL PARLIAMENT SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA CONSITITUTION AND BY-LAWS CONSTITUTION OF THE SOCIETY Article One Definitions In this Constitution and By-Laws, the following words and phrases have the following meanings: Party Caucus means a body of Members of the Society that are affiliated with one of the political parties recognised in the By-Laws. Moot Parliament means a model parliament held by the Society and designated by the Board of Directors as a Moot Parliament for the purposes of this Constitution. House of Commons or House means the assembly of House Members at a moot parliament. Senate means the assembly of Senate Members at a moot parliament. Article Two Name The name of the Society shall be the "Universities Model Parliament Society of British Columbia," hereinafter referred to as "the Society". Article Three Purpose The purpose of the Society shall be: a) To encourage political, social and educational understanding and appreciation, among post-secondary students, of our common political and parliamentary system. b) To conduct "moot parliaments" so that post-secondary students may be familiarized with the actual workings of Parliament. c) To conduct events, ancillary to those "moot parliaments" so that post-secondary students may meet others having similar interest in our common political and parliamentary system. The Society shall not function in an educational capacity or hold itself out to be an educational institution. This provision is not amendable. Article Four Affiliation The Society may not directly affiliate itself with any political party or any other Society or Organization. BY-LAWS OF THE SOCIETY Section One Membership 1.01 All Members of the Society shall be subject to and governed by the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society There shall be four categories of membership in the Society: a) House Member b) Senate Member c) Honourary Life Member d) Patrons of the Society

2 1.03 All Members are deemed to be in good standing of the Society unless: a) they are in arrears with respect to any dues, fees and levies set by the Board of Directors and; b) their membership has not been revoked or suspended under a provision of these By-Laws 1.04 Membership in the Society is non-transferable. Section Two House Membership 2.01 House Members are those Members whose names are submitted to the Board of Directors from time to time by the caucus of a Party recognized under Appendix Two of these By-Laws or under Section 9. There may not be any independent House Members. House Members remain eligible for membership provided that a party caucus maintains their name on its current list of House Members A party caucus may, in its absolute discretion and according to its own criteria, practices and customs, refuse membership or grant membership to any person it wishes, at any time, provided said person is not otherwise disqualified from membership under these bylaws House Members in good standing of the Society shall be entitled to participate at all General Meetings and to take part in any Society activity except for sessions in the Senate unless they have been appointed a Senate Member. Section Three Senate Membership 3.01 Senate Members are those Members whose names appear on the Roll of the Senate maintained by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may enter a name on the Roll of the Senate provided that: a) the person has served at least four (4) years as a House Member, or b) has served at least two (2) years as a House Member and is approved for Senate Membership by a majority of vote at a General Meeting In special circumstances, the President and the President of the Senate may grant temporary Senate Membership to individuals they deem fit. Such memberships expire at the next General Meeting of the Society For the purposes of Section 3.01, House Members may accrue a "year" by serving: a) in the "House of Commons" during a "moot parliament" session; or b) in the capacity of "Leader" of a party recognized in Appendix Two; or c) in a ceremonial or service role recognized in Appendix Three; or d) as a Member of the Board of Directors Senate Members in good standing of the Society, provided they have participated in the most recent sitting of the Senate at a moot parliament session, shall be entitled to participate at all General Meetings and to take part in any Society activity except for sessions in the House of Commons unless they have been elected a House Member Senate Members may choose to affiliate with a party caucus if said caucus will accept them as Members of the party caucus. However, membership in a party caucus is not a prerequisite for Senate Membership. Section Four Honourary Life Members and Patrons of the Society 4.01 Honourary Life Members are those persons who have served as Governor General at a moot parliament session, served as Speaker of the House of Commons or the Senate for five (5) years, or any other person who in the opinion of more than three quarters of the Board of Directors has made an outstanding contribution to the Society. Honourary Life Members shall be granted membership in the Order of Canada with the suffix of O.C. for the purpose of House and Senate proceedings. The Board of Directors may not appoint more than two Honourary Life Members in any calendar year.

3 4.02 Patrons of the Society are those persons who have agreed to act as Patrons on the unanimous invitation of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall invite the current Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia to be known as Honourary Patron in Chief. In addition to the Lieutenant Governor, the Board of Directors may not appoint more than one Patron of the Society in any calendar year Honourary Life Members and Patrons of the Society shall not be entitled to vote at meetings of the Society unless they are also House Members or Senate Members in good standing of the Society. Section Five Conditions under Which Membership Shall Cease 5.01 A membership may be revoked by a majority of members at a General Meeting, or by a vote of three quarters of the Board of Directors at a validly constituted directors meeting, provided that the Member has, in the opinion of the meeting: (a) Violated the Constitution and By-Laws; or (b) Done some act to bring the Society into Disrepute; or (c) Given other sufficient cause whereby his/her continued membership may bring harm to the Society; or (d) Infringe on policies adopted by the Society listed in Appendix Four A membership shall be automatically suspended when: (a) the Member fails to pay any dues, fees or levies assessed to his/her membership; or (b) the Member is a House Member and he is not recognised as a member of any party caucus A membership which has been suspended under Section 5.02 shall be automatically reinstated once the Board of Directors is satisfied that the member has paid all overdue dues, fees and levies, or that the Member has been accepted by a party caucus A former Member whose membership was revoked under Section 5.01 may not be admitted to membership in the future except by a motion passed by a three-fourths (3/4) majority of the Board of Directors. Section Six Dues, Fees and Levies 6.01 Dues, fees and levies for membership in the Society shall be set by the Board of Directors There shall be no dues for Honourary Life Members or Patrons of the Society Benefits accruing from the payment of any dues, fees and/or levies shall not be transferable. Section Seven "Moot Parliament" Sessions 7.01 A "moot parliament", including a "House of Commons" session and a "Senate" session shall be held at least once a year The time and place of the "moot parliament" shall be set by the Board of Directors The Board of Directors shall appoint the following: a) the Governor General of Canada, b) the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, c) the Speaker of the House of Commons, d) the Speaker of the Senate, e) the Clerk of the Parliament The Speaker of the House of Commons and the Speaker of the Senate may be the same person.

4 7.05 The Speakers of the House of Commons and Senate are deemed members in good standing of the Society will the associated rights, privileges and responsibilities except that they shall not be liable for any dues, fees or levies for the time they hold those offices The Speaker of the House of Commons or Senate may be removed from office upon: a) a unanimous vote of non-confidence in the chair by the Members of the House of Commons or Senate; or b) a majority vote of the Board of Directors House and Senate Members shall abide by the Standing Orders of the Society and all rules of order which shall be ruled upon the Speaker of the House of Commons or Senate, and his/her decision shall be final To expedite the business of the "moot parliament" session: a) motions of 'non-confidence' in the Government shall not be entertained. b) the Government shall not have the right to dissolve the "House of Commons" The Parliament shall be deemed to automatically have been dissolved after the last sitting of each "moot parliament". Section Eight Elections for and Representation in "Moot Parliaments" 8.01 The Speaker of the House of Commons shall be the Chair of the Elections Committee and Chief Electoral Officer for the purposes of registration. Should the Speaker of the House of Commons be unable or unwilling to perform this duty, it shall then fall upon the Speaker of the Senate. Should the Speaker of the Senate be unable or unwilling to perform this duty, it shall then fall upon the President of the Senate. The Clerk of the Parliament shall be the Registrar for the purposes of registration The Board of Directors shall constitute the Elections Committee Registration shall occur at a time and date established by the Elections Committee The number of seats available in the "House of Commons" and the "Senate" shall be equal to the number of seats in the Legislature of British Columbia, minus one During registration, the Elections Committee shall: a) adjudicate on any irregularities brought to its attention b) determine the composition of the "House of Commons" on a proportional basis, with the following limitations: 1) no political party may register more than forty five percent (45%) of the total number of seats in the "House of Commons" 2) no political party may register less than twelve percent (12%) of the total number of seats in the "House of Commons" The number of seats allocated to a political party under the above formula belong to the party caucus, and not to the individual House Members assigned those seats by the party caucus. Each party caucus may therefore remove and replace House Members as they see fit. Any House Member who chooses to leave his party caucus loses his right to sit in the House of Commons at a moot parliament until such time as he is accepted by another party caucus. The party caucus that registers the most House Members who first pay dues, fees and levies pursuant to Section 8.05 b) 1), by the end of early bird registration ending on the first Tuesday in November shall be granted leave to form Government. If the party caucus which has been granted leave to form Government by the first Tuesday in November fails to maintain a plurality of House Members who first paid dues, fees and levies by the first Tuesday in December, then the party caucus which can produce a greater number of House Members who first pay dues, fees and levies pursuant to Section 8.05 b) 1), in the opinion of the Chief Electoral Officer, shall be granted leave to form Government on the first Tuesday in December Should the number of Senate Members on the Roll of the Senate exceed the total number of seats in the Senate at a moot parliament; seats will be made available in terms of priority to those Senate Members who first pay dues, fees and levies.

5 Section Nine Political Parties 9.01 To be recognized by the Society as a political party and able to participate in a "moot Parliament", the political party must: a) be registered as a federal political party in Canada; b) have attained no less than five percent (5%) of the national vote in the latest federal election; c) have Members of Parliament elected in the last federal election; and d) have a registered club at each post-secondary institution named in Appendix One Any political party which meets the criteria listed above may apply to be listed in Appendix Two of these By-Laws. Upon receiving such application, the Board of Directors shall consider the request and may add the party to Appendix Two on a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the Members present at a meeting of the Board of Directors Should any political party listed under Appendix Two fail to meet any of the requirements listed in Section 9.01, it can be removed by a 3/4 vote of the Board of Directors. Section Ten Governance of the Society The governance of the Society shall be vested in a Board of Directors which shall consist of: a) the President, b) the Vice President, c) the Secretary, d) the Treasurer, e) the President of the Senate, f) the Past President, g) representatives from each of the political parties listed in Appendix Two Members of the Board of Directors must be Members in good standing of the Society The general duties of the Board of Directors shall include the following: a) enforcing the rules and regulations of the Society, b) making and executing contracts in the name of the Society, c) allocating funds for the support of social and/or academic activities within the context of the Society, d) other administrative powers necessary for the general governance of the Society The duties of the President shall be to: a) preside at all Board of Directors and General meetings of the Society, b) prepare an agenda for each Board of Directors and General meeting, c) perform any other duties as required or requested by the Board of Directors The duties of the Vice President shall be to: a) assume the duties of the President in case of absence, resignation or incapacity, b) act for or assist any other Member of the Board of Directors in the performance of their duties, c) keep records of the membership of the Society, The duties of the Secretary shall be to: a) record, distribute and maintain copies of the minutes of all Board of Directors and General meetings of the Society, b) maintain complete and permanent files for the Society, c) perform any other duties as required or requested by the Board of Directors The duties of the Treasurer shall be to: a) maintain appropriate financial records for the Society, b) draw up and present financial statements of the Society for each Annual General Meeting and as required under the Societies' Act of British Columbia, c) perform any other duties as required or requested by the Board of Directors The duties of the President of the Senate shall be to: a) organize all aspects of the "Senate" session, b) chair the Senate Committee.

6 10.09 The duties of the representatives of the political party representatives shall be to: a) act as an advocate for her/his respective political party, b) collect all materials from her/his political party as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors Directors at Large may be appointed by the Board of Directors by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote. Section Eleven Elections of Board of Directors Members of the Board of Directors shall serve a one year (1) term The following Directors shall be elected by Members in good standing of the Society: a) the President, b) the Vice-President, c) the Secretary, d) the Treasurer The President of the Senate shall be elected by Senate Members according to the practices and customs adopted by those Members Representatives of each political party shall be elected by their respective political party by their own practices and customs, in advance of the Annual General Meeting Candidates for the positions listed in Section must be nominated by two House Members in good standing of the Society at an Annual General Meeting Voting for candidates for positions listed in Section must be by secret ballot Candidates for the Board of Directors must win by a simple majority of Members present In case of a tie, a coin toss shall resolve the tie No Member may hold more than one position on the Board of Directors at any one time The Board of Directors shall appoint a Member in good standing of the Society, to fill any vacancies on the Board of Directors. Section Twelve Committees The Board of Directors shall establish the following standing committees: a) the Elections Committee which shall be responsible for registration. b) the Queen's Printer and Order Paper Committee which shall be responsible producing the annual Order Paper and Member Handbook. c) the Senate Committee which shall be responsible for the organization of the "Senate" session. d) any other committee the Board of Directors deems necessary Unless otherwise stated in these By-Laws, the Board of Directors shall appoint a chairperson for each committee Unless otherwise stated in these By-Laws, the Board of Directors may appoint any Member of the Society to any committee. Section Thirteen Removal of Officers Any Member of the Board of Directors may be removed from office by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the Board of Directors, upon establishment of sufficient cause Any Member of the Board of Directors, with the exception of party representatives, may be removed from office by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Members present at a General Meeting of the Society, upon establishment of sufficient cause.

7 Section Fourteen Finances of the Society Funds of the Society shall be all monies which accrue to the Society from fees, operations of the Society, gifts and bequests of the Society The Board of Directors must maintain an account in the name of the Society at a financial institution The fiscal year of the Society begins each January 1 and ends the following December The Society may raise funds through any method approved by the Board of Directors The signing officers of the Society, of which two shall be required to sign any financial instrument or document, shall be: a) the President, b) the Treasurer, c) the Past President, d) the Registrar. Section Fifteen Meetings of the Society There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Society held once every calendar year. Where practicable, the meeting shall be held on the same day as a moot parliament session Sufficient Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given when a representative of each political party listed in Appendix Two has been given notice, and when Notice of the Meeting is posted on an internet web site operated by the Society The agenda for each Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be: a) adoption of the minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting, b) adoption of reports from the Board of Directors, c) election of officers d) any other business required by the Societies' Act of BC, e) any other business the Board of Directors has deemed necessary A General Meeting, other than the Annual General Meeting, of the Society may be called by: a) the President, or b) a majority vote of the Board of Directors, or c) a petition signed by ten percent (10%) of House Members in good standing of the Society Proper notice of the time, date and place of a General Meeting shall be no less that fourteen (14) days before the General Meeting and in a manner deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors While every reasonable attempt shall be made to notify Members of a General Meeting, the nonreceipt of notice shall not invalidate any proceedings at a duly constituted General Meeting Every Member in good standing of the Society shall be entitled to vote at any General Meeting Proxy voting shall not be allowed A quorum of at least thirty (30) House Members in good standing of the Society shall be required to transact any business at a General Meeting In the event that an Annual General Meeting of the Society fails to achieve quorum within thirty (30) minutes of the time set for its being called to order, it shall be declared adjourned until the same time and place on the following day at which time the Members present shall constitute quorum In the event that any other General Meeting fails to achieve quorum within one (1) hour of the time set for its being called to order, that meeting shall be terminated.

8 15.12 The Board of Directors shall meet at the pleasure of the President, or by the direction of four (4) Members of the Board of Directors The quorum for a Board of Directors meeting shall be six (6) Members Robert's Rules of Order shall be used at all meetings of the Society. Section Sixteen Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws The Speaker of the House of Commons shall interpret and rule on any dispute or ambiguity relating to the Constitution and/or By-Laws of the Society; failing her/him the Past President. Rulings shall be binding upon successors Amendments to this Constitution and By-Laws may only take place at an Annual General Meeting of the Society Amendments to the Constitution shall require a unanimous vote Amendments to the By-Laws shall require a two thirds (2/3) majority vote Notice of intent to move amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society must be submitted, in writing, to the Board of Directors no less than forty-five (45) days prior to the Annual General Meeting Proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society must be distributed at least one (1) day before the Annual General Meeting. Delivery can be effected by distribution to the representatives of each political party, or by general distribution to all Members participating in a moot parliament. APPENDIX ONE POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS The following post-secondary institutions, as set out in Section 9.01 of the By-Laws are: a) Simon Fraser University b) University of British Columbia c) University of Victoria APPENDIX TWO POLITICAL PARTIES The following political parties have been approved by the Board of Directors for participation in the "moot parliament", as set out in Section 9.03 of the By-Laws are: a) the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) b) the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) c) the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDPC) APPENDIX THREE CEREMONIAL AND SERVICE ROLES The following ceremonial and service roles perform in the daily operations of parliament, as set out in Section 3.03 of the By-Laws are: a) the Sergeant-at-Arms b) the Usher of the Black Rod c) the Aide-de-camp d) an Officer or Page APPENDIX FOUR POLICIES The following policies, as set out in Section 5.01 of the By-Laws are: a) Harassment Policy b) Social Media Policy c) Two-Strike Policy d) Privacy Policy

9 UNIVERSITIES MODEL PARLIAMENT SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA POLICIES HARASSMENT POLICY A The Universities Model Parliament Society of British Columbia ( the Society ) wishes to provide a harassment-free environment at all Society activities. A Interaction among Members of the Society must be based on mutual respect and understanding. A Harassment creates feelings of uneasiness, humiliation and discomfort. A The Society will neither tolerate nor condone any behaviour which is likely to undermine the dignity or self-esteem of an individual, or create an intimidating or offensive environment. A For the purpose of this policy, harassment can be defined as any unwelcome action by any person whether verbal or physical, on a single or repeated basis, which ridicules, humiliates, or degrades. A Unwelcome or unwanted in this context means any action which the harasser knows or ought reasonably to know is not desired by the victim of the harassment. a. The policy encompasses, but is not limited to, harassment around issues of race (i.e. comments, slurs and jokes), religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities as well as sexual harassment (unwanted attention of a sexual nature such as remarks about appearance or personal life, graffiti or degrading pictures, physical contact or sexual demands). Procedure for complaints A Complaints of the harassment will be referred to Harassment Officers. a. It is the duty of each party caucus participating in the moot parliament session to appoint a Harassment Officer from their caucus. b. Members of the Society may however, report harassment to any officer regardless of party affiliation. c. There will be at least one male and female Harassment Officer. A It will be the officers responsibility to receive the complaint and to investigate it as soon as reasonably possible, given the nature of the complaint. a. They will make every effort to corroborate the allegation, if it was witnessed. b. If in their judgement the complaint is founded, they will take suitable remedial action. A In pursuing an allegation of harassment, the investigators will ensure that the investigation is conducted according to the norms of natural justices. a. Confidentiality and the rights of all Members concerned will be respected. A The subject of a complaint has the right to know the nature of the complaint and to make reasonable explanation or defense. A In investigating the complaint, the Harassment Officers will determine, where appropriate, whether the complainant made it known to the subject of the complaint that the behaviour in question was unacceptable or unwelcome. A In seeking corroboration of the complaint, the investigators will ascertain from the witness(es) not only the facts of the behaviour but also any relevant circumstances. A When seeking a remedy, the investigators will be guided by the goals of this policy: a. Stop the harassment. b. Safeguard against a repeat of the offensive behaviour. c. Show the harasser why the objectionable behaviour is unacceptable. d. Satisfy the complainant that the event will remain harassment free.

10 A The role of the investigators is not to mete out punishment, but to ensure a harassment-free environment. SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY Purpose A This Order establishes policy for Member use of social media. Applicability A This Order applies to all Members of the Society. It also applies to non-members engaged in social media on behalf of the Society as part of their duties, should this apply. Background A Social media are powerful communication tools that have a significant and long-lasting effect on organizational and professional reputations. a. Because they blur the lines between personal voice and institutional voice, the Society has crafted the following policy to help clarify how best to enhance and protect personal and professional reputations when participating in social media. b. The Society encourages the use of social media technologies to enhance communication, collaboration, and information exchange in support of the Society s mission. c. This order defines the guiding principles for the use of these technologies by the Society. d. The use of social media technology follows the same standard of professional practice and conduct associated with everything else we do. Common sense and sound judgement help avoid confusing or difficult situations. Definitions A Social Media is an umbrella term that encompasses the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and content creation. a. Social media uses many technologies and forms, such as blogs, wikis, photo and video sharing, podcasts, social networking, mashups, and virtual worlds. b. Members of the Society current or past still associated with the Society will be referred to as Members. Guiding Principles A Know and follow the Society Constitution and By-Laws and Member Handbook conduct guidelines. A These standards cover topics to prohibit activities such as: a. Engaging in vulgar or abusive language, personal attacks of any kind, or offensive terms targeting individuals or groups. b. Engaging in un-parliamentary behaviours inside or outside the Legislature, including appropriate attire. c. Engaging in any activities inside or outside of the Legislature that lacks decorum. A Do not post anything that could potentially threaten the reputation of the Society. You are representing the entire organization when you post any content regarding the Society or engage in social media on behalf of the Society. A Be aware of your Society association in online social networks. a. If you identify yourself as a Member of the Society or have a public facing position for which your association to the Society is known to the general public, ensure your profile and related content (even if it is of a personal and not an official nature) is consistent with how you wish to present yourself as a Member of the Society, appropriate with public and private trust associated with your position, and conform to existing standards, outlined in the Society Constitution and By- Laws. b. Have no expectation of privacy.

11 A If you publish content to any website outside of the Society s official online presence (this may include third party sites) and it pertains to subjects associated with the Society, consider a disclaimer such as this: This postings are my own and of my own opinion and do not reflect or represent the Society s positions, strategies or opinions. A Those with leadership responsibilities, by virtue of their position, must consider whether person thoughts they publish, even in clearly personal venues, may be misunderstood as expressing the Society positions. a. They should assume that the Members of the Society and those outside the Society will read what is written. b. A public blog is not the place to communicate Society policies to all Members of the Society. c. Assume your thoughts are in the public domain and can be published or discussed in all forms of media. d. Have no expectation of privacy. A Always protect sensitive information such as personal identifiable information and financial disclosures. Do not publish or report conversations that are meant to be pre-decisional and internal to the Society unless given permission by the Board of Directors. Best Practices A Strive for accuracy. a. Get the facts straight before posting them on social media b. Review content for grammatical and spelling errors if posting on behalf of the Society. A Be respectful. a. Understand that content contributed to a social media site could encourage comments or discussion of opposing ideas. b. Responses should be considered carefully in light of how they would reflect on the Society. A Remember your audience. a. Be aware that a presence in the social media world is or easily can be made available to the public at large. b. This includes prospective Members, current Members, the Sergeant-at-Arms staff, the legislature, colleagues and peers. c. Consider this before publishing to ensure posts will not alienate, harm or provoke any of these groups. A On personal sites. a. Identify your views as your own. b. If you identify yourself as a Member of the Society online it should be clear that the views expressed are not necessarily those of the Society. A Photography. a. Photographs posted on social media sites can easily be appropriated by visitors. b. Do not post any pictures of Members participating in the Chamber, or in outside festivities. c. Photographs that portray decorum can be sent to the Board of Directors for consideration. Upon consideration, the Board of Directors reserves the right to reject the photograph(s) from going public. Social Media DO s and DON Ts A These guidelines are to help you do the right thing when engaging in social media. A They are important and are based in our Society Social Media Policy. A If you have any questions, please ask your party leaders or any Member of the Board of Directors. A Let s share in social media that portrays decorum and respect for parliament and ourselves.

12 A DO s a. Share your passion. i. We are Members of the Society because we have passion for the process! Only share posts that portray decorum and respect for the Society, parliament and yourself. b. Tell the truth. i. Don t get caught up in the mob-mentality. ii. Don t spread rumors, false information or misleading claims about Members or the Society. c. Show respect. i. Always show respect for other s opinion, even when you may not agree. Bullying in any form is not parliamentary. d. No delete key. i. The internet doesn t have a delete key. ii. Things you say and post on social media sites are difficult to remove. iii. Know that your words have staying power, so be careful what you say. iv. Think before posting. e. Safety. i. Understand the privacy settings you have on your personal accounts. ii. You never truly know who is reading what you re writing. f. Sharing concerns. i. If you have concerns or complaints about individuals or the Society, your party leaders and the board are here to help. ii. Please don t hesitate to talk to us face-to-face, via , or over the phone to help resolve any issue you may have. g. Act with integrity. i. Should you become aware of another Member not following the policy, let your party leader or any Member of the Board of Directors know immediately. ii. By not saying anything, you are participating in the actionable offence. h. Everyone makes mistakes. i. If you made a mistake, please act quickly to resolve it. ii. Contact your party leader or any Member of the Board of Directors and let them know what happened and what you did to resolve it. A DONT s a. Don t bully, harass, intimidate and maliciously target others, whether Members of the Society or not. b. Don t register a social media account using the Society s name, logo, or persona. c. Don t take or post any photos, or videos that show Members engaged in un-parliamentary behaviours. d. Don t take or post photos or videos within the Chamber. e. Don t share confidential information about the Society or its Members. Thank you to Ball State University, Greteman Group, and Harvard University for publicly sharing their Social Media Policies with our Society.

13 TWO STRIKE POLICY A The Two-Strike Policy is in effect for the following breaches: a. If any attempt is made to breach this policy in ways such as, uploading photographs taken within the Chamber; photographs that lack parliamentary decorum; photographs of Members engaged in drinking activities. b. If any attempt is made to hash-tag (#tag), start a thread, post to, or comment on a Twitter feed, start a thread, post to, or comment on Facebook or other social networking sites regarding Society related information or occurrences. c. In the event the Social Media Policy or its guidelines are breached in any way, the Board of Directors reserves remedies at law or in equity available to the Society. FIRST-STRIKE A The Board of Directors will ask the Member in question to remove the literate or photographs causing the breach immediately, this becomes Strike-One and the Member has that moment to comply. SECOND-STRIKE A If the Member refuses to comply, this becomes a Strike-Two and the Member is asked to leave the event immediately. Depending on the severity of the post, the Member may be subject to additional financial repercussions, suspension from the Society for a period of one year (or longer), or expulsion. PRIVACY POLICY Part 1: Introduction A The Universities Model Parliament Society of British Columbia ( the Society ) recognizes the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of personal information. A The Society is committed to protecting any personal information collected as part of the administration of the Society s annual event. A This Privacy Policy outlines how we protect the personal information of our Members and Society applicants. A This policy is developed in compliance with British Columbia s Personal Information Protection Act ( PIPA ). a. B.C. s Personal Information Protection Act sets out rules for how organizations such as ours can collect, use and disclose your personal information. Part 2: What is Personal Information? A Personal information is defined as recorded information about an identifiable individual, excepting contact information and work product information. A For the purposes of this policy, an employee is considered to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Society, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Speaker of the Senate, the Clerk of the Parliament, or any other volunteer performing work at the direction of the Board of Directors. A Contact information means information that allows an individual to be contacted at work. It includes the name, position name or title, business telephone number, business address, business and business fax number for the individual. A Work product information is information that is prepared or collected by an employee as part of that individual s work responsibilities, but does not include information about an individual who did not prepare or collect the information. a. Work product information is also extended to debate, legislation, resolutions, amendments, motions, and other forms of business conducted by the House s during the Society s annual session and annual general meeting.

14 Part 3: Collection of personal information A Personal information collected is necessary for the purposes of enabling the Board of Directors to determine eligibility for Society membership, administer the event, and provide accommodations for out of town Members. A Personal information is collected and used for varying purposes: a. an individual s name, phone number, address are required for verifying the Individual s identity; b. party affiliation is required for assigning a caucus; c. school is required to determine eligibility for Society membership; d. preferred roommate is required for providing compatible accommodations to the Society s Members; e. banking information, in the form of cheques, for the purpose of processing payments related to membership fees; f. signature for confirming the individual s identity and consent to abide by the Constitution and By-Laws, and policies of the Society; and g. information necessary for conducting an investigation into a violation of a By-Law or Society policy by a Harassment Officer, Speaker, Clerk, or other official representative. Part 4: Limits on collection, use, and disclosure A The Society will only collect and use personal information that is necessary to fulfill the purposes identified within this policy. A The Society will not collect, use or disclose personal information except for the identified purposes unless there is receipt of received further consent from the individual. A The Society will only collect, use or disclose personal information in accordance with PIPA. Part 5: Disclosure of personal information A The Society discloses information to other bodies as required for attaining venues and accommodations. A The Society discloses some personal information to the Offices of the Speaker and Sergeantat-Arms of the Legislature of British Columbia for use of the facilities; A Where applicable to the applicant, personal information is disclosed to the hotel for the provision of accommodations; A The Society will disclose personal information where authorized by PIPA or required by law, such as under a legal requirement to disclose via court order, subpoena or search warrant. A The Society will not sell or rent personal information to anyone outside your organization unless those individuals have given consent in accordance with PIPA. Part 6: Consent for collection, use, and disclose A Consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information is obtained from Society Members via their signature on the Society s Member registration form. A The Society will get individuals consent to collect, use or disclose their personal information, except where you are legally authorized or required by law to do so without consent. A Individuals can consent orally, in writing or electronically and that their consent may be implied or express depending on the nature and sensitivity of the personal information. A The Society will tell individuals the Society s purpose for collecting personal information and give them a chance to refuse to give you their personal information or a chance to withdraw their consent later.

15 A Individuals may withdraw their consent at any time by giving the Society reasonable notice, but may not withdraw consent where doing so would frustrate performance of a legal obligation, such as part of the contract for attendance at the session. A The Society will explain the likely consequences of withdrawing consent when individuals they are requesting to withdraw their consent. Part 7: Retention of personal information A The Society keeps all personal information used to make a decision that directly affects individuals for at least one year after the decision is made. A Subject to the above one-year retention requirement, the Society will only retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the identified purposes or as long as required for a legal or business purpose. Part 8: Security of Personal Information A The Society has security arrangements to prevent against risks such as unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification or disposal of personal information. A These security provisions include: a. access controls on shared documents; and b. need-to-know access to personal information by the Board of Directors. A The Society will use reasonably secure methods whenever destroying personal information. Part 9: Accuracy of Personal Information A The Society will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the personal information you collect, use or disclose is accurate and complete. A Individuals may write to a Member of the Board of Directors or an Officer of the Society to request correction to any errors or omissions to their personal information under the Society s control. A If the Society is satisfied that an individual s request for correction is reasonable, the personal information will be corrected as soon as reasonably possible. A The Society will, as soon as reasonably possible, also send an individual s corrected personal information to each organization it was disclosed to during the year before it was corrected. A If the Society does not correct an individual s personal information, a notation about the requested correction will be provided on copies of the personal information under the Society s custody or control. Part 10: Access to Personal Information A Individuals have the right to access their personal information under your organization s custody or control. A A request for access must be made in writing. A The Society may require individuals to prove their identity before giving them access to their personal information. A The Society will give individuals their personal information under the Society s control, information about the ways in which the information is or has been used, and the names of the individuals and organizations to which their personal information has been disclosed.

16 A PIPA allows the Society to charge a minimal fee for providing an individual with access to his or her personal information. a. If a fee is required, the Society will give the individual a written fee estimate in advance. b. The Society may require payment of a deposit or the whole fee before releasing the requested information. c. The Society will provide requested personal information within 30 business days after it is requested or you will give written notice if you need more time to respond. A In some cases, the Society may not give an individual access to certain personal information where authorized or required by PIPA to refuse access. A If the Society refuses an access request, the applicant will be told in writing, stating the reasons for the refusal and outlining further steps that are available to the applicant, including any internal review by the Society and the right to ask the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia to review the decision. Part 11: Complaints and Questions A Individuals have the right to how they can complain about the Society s treatment of their personal information, how to ask for access to their own personal information or simply how to ask questions. A Individuals may contact any Member of the Board of Directors or an Officer of the Society with their questions or concerns. a. The receiver of the question should acknowledge receipt of the inquiry or concern and forward privacy concerns to the Society s Privacy Officer. b. The Privacy Officer for the Society will be the Clerk of the Parliament. A If individuals are not satisfied with the Society s response, they can complain to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia. Mailing address Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia PO Box 9038 Stn. Prov. Govt. Victoria B.C. V8W 9A4 (250) (FAX) or info@oipc.bc.ca