Nova Scotia / Nunavut Command The Royal Canadian Legion

Nova Scotia / Nunavut Command The Royal Canadian Legion Somme Branch #31 By-Laws PO Box 99, 54 King Street Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, B2Y 4R5 Tel: (902)463-1050

I do hereby declare my allegiance to the Sovereign, and loyalty to my country. I promise to be true to the purposes and objects of the Royal Canadian Legion as set forth in the constitution thereof, to observe its Rules and By-Laws, and ever strive by all proper means to promote the work of the organization including active participation in the Poppy Campaign. And further; I make oath and declare that I am not a member of, or affiliated with, any group, party or sect, whose interests conflict with the avowed purpose of the Legion, and do not and will not support any organization advocating the overthrow by force of organized Government in Canada, or which encourages or participates in subversive action or propaganda.

MEETINGS 6. (I) A General Meeting of the Branch shall be held at 8:00 pm on the first Thursday of each month, except for July and August, and shall not exceed two hours in duration unless a motion to extend the meeting is duly made and approved at least 15 minutes prior to 10:00pm. If the first Thursday falls on a holiday, the President has the authority to change the date of the meeting. (II) All General Meetings shall be conducted as set out in the Royal Canadian Legion Ritual and Insignia Manual. (III) The December General Meeting will be convened solely for the election and installation of Officers and Executive Committee Members who shall take up the duties of their Office commencing January 1 st. (IV) The January General Meeting is the Annual General Meeting. (V) Special General Meetings may be called by the President or the Executive. In every case, a notice of the meeting time, place, and a full description of the business to be presented shall be given at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting. Note All meetings of the members and/or the Executive Committee shall be chaired by the President, or in his/her absence, the senior Vice President in attendance. In the absence of the President and all Vice Presidents, the Secretary shall call the meeting or order and assume all the duties of chairperson. At all meetings, the chair has no casting or second vote in the event of an equal of votes for or against. As an accredited member, the chairperson has one vote which he or she may use either when the vote is called for, or when the vote results in a tie, as provided for in the Rules of Procedure for Legion Meetings, Dominion Command 2007, sect 7e.

NOVA SCOTIA/NUNAVUT COMMAND OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION SOMME BRANCH No.31 BY-LAWS APPROVED: (Put in the date when approved by Command) NAME: 1. The Branch shall be known and designated as Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command, Somme Branch No.31 of the Royal Canadian Legion. PURPOSE AND OBJECTS 2. The Purposes and Objects of the Branch shall be those set out in the General By-Laws of the Royal Canadian Legion, with particular responsibility for the welfare of persons who have served or are serving in the Canadian Forces. MEMBERSHIP 3. Membership in the Branch shall be available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria stated in the General By-Laws of the Royal Canadian Legion. 4. Life Membership will be awarded to a member who meets the criteria set forth in the General By-Laws of the Royal Canadian Legion, following nomination and approval by majority vote at any General Meeting, and subject to the approval from Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command. 5. Affiliate Members may be accepted in Somme Branch subject to the requirements set forth in the General By-Laws of the Royal Canadian Legion, but shall not exceed 50% of the total number of Ordinary, Life and Associate Members of the Branch.

QUORUMS 6. (I) A quorum for a General Meeting shall not be less than 20 members in good standing. (II) A quorum for Executive Meetings is a majority (50% plus 1) of the current serving members of the Executive Committee. In both cases, a quorum must be present during the entire time of the meetings. SENIOR OFFICERS 7. Senior Officers of the Branch are; President, 1 st and 2 nd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, and the Sergeant at Arms. 8. Executive of the Branch will consist of the Senior Officers of the Branch plus Assistant Secretary, Assistant Treasurer, Service Officer, Membership Chairperson, Public Relations Chairperson, Sports Chairperson, such other Committees as may from time to time be approved by the membership, eight Members at Large, and a Training Coordinator. NOMINATIONS 9. (i) During the election of Officers there shall be no limit on the number of persons who may be nominated from the floor for any office if qualified. (ii) Any new voting member in good standing shall be required to hold membership in the branch for a minimum of one year to be eligible for election to the Branch Executive. (iii) A Member is required to serve at least one year on the Branch Executive to be eligible for election to a Senior Officer position.

(iv) A Member must attend a minimum of three general meetings per year to be eligible to run for office. An attendance record must be kept. (v) A Nominating Committee Chairperson shall be elected by the Executive at the August Executive Meeting. EXECUTIVE POWERS AND DUTIES 10. (i) The Executive will meet at least once per month. Meetings will be held at a date and time fixed by the Executive or at the call of the President for the passing of accounts, transaction(s) of current business, examination and discussion of any suggestions made to it for the general welfare of the legion or branch, and such other business as may be introduced. (ii) Any vacancy arising on the Executive during the course of any year shall be filled by the Executive at its next meeting, or at a special meeting called for the purpose. Such appointments shall be valid until the next General Meeting at which elections are held. (iii) A Management Committee shall be appointed by the President to ensure all salaried employees in the branch are in compliance with these By-Laws and Nova Scotia labor laws. (iv) The Executive shall have the power to levy an assessment on each and every member of the branch to meet extraordinary expenditures in any year provided that such expenditure has been approved by a minimum of two thirds of those present and eligible to vote at any general meeting at which notice has been given to consider such expenditure. All such expenditures must be in keeping with the aims of the Royal Canadian Legion. (v) When a member of the Executive is absent from three consecutive meetings without a satisfactory reason, the Executive may remove that member from office and replace him/her as provided in section 1.1. (ii)

(vi) a. All salaried Employees of the Branch shall be appointed and/or hired by the Management Committee under the direction of the Executive. b. A manager, if one, may be a member of the branch but may not be a member of the Executive (vii) President: The President shall preside at all meetings and enforce order and the observance of branch By-Laws. He or She may also appoint a chairperson to conduct the meetings at His or Her discretion. The President shall exercise general supervision and control over the officers and business of the branch and shall call meetings of the executive or the branch when it is considered inadvisable to wait for the next regularly scheduled meeting of the body concerned. The President shall transact such other business as may be customary pertaining to the office. (viii) Vice Presidents: In the absence or disability of the President, all rights and powers vested in the President shall be vested for the time being in the Senior Vice-President available. Vice-Presidents, with the assistance of the branch manager, shall be responsible for the following specific duties. A. 1 st Vice President Parades and Poppies B. 2 nd Vice President (currently under consideration) (ix) Secretary and Assistant Secretary; The Secretary/Assistant Secretary shall keep a record of proceedings of all branch and executive meetings in special books created for that purpose. He/She shall be required at every business meeting to have available the proper minutes, record books, and correspondence which they may have in their possession that are relative to the business likely to be transacted. They shall be the custodian of the seal of the branch and shall hold these and act at all times and in all respects entirely at the will and direction of the Executive Committee.

(x) Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer: The Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer shall keep a just and true account of all monies received and paid out by the branch, and of all financial transactions of any and every kind including a complete statement of the credits and liabilities of the branch in a financial institution approved by the Executive. All monies in excess of $150.00 payable by the branch shall be paid out by cheques only, signed by the Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer and countersigned by the President or the 1 st Vice President of the branch. No cheques shall be signed by any officer in blank. The Treasurer/ Assistant Treasurer shall keep his/her books at the office of the branch and they shall be open to inspection of the executive at all times. When, and as often as the Executive shall require, he/she shall submit a detailed balance sheet showing a summary of the property and liabilities of the branch and all its financial dealings arranged in a proper and businesslike manner and shall also provide a similar summary at each regularly scheduled general meeting of the branch. The branch manager shall assist the Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer in making all bank deposits. AUDIT 11. A complete financial audit shall be conducted by an outside agency and presented to the branch annually at the March General Meeting. FINANCIAL YEAR 12. The financial year of the branch is from January 1 st to December 31 st. COMMITTEES 13. (i) The President shall be ex-officio of all committees. (ii) Each Committee Chairperson shall be responsible for recruiting their own committees which shall consist of at least three (3) members including

the Chairperson. The Chairperson of a committee will report on the membership of his/her committee at the general meeting following that at which person is elected or appointed to office and will report in writing on the activities of his/her committee at each general meeting unless otherwise decided at the meeting. (iii) A majority (50% plus one) at any Committee Meeting will constitute a quorum. (iv)the President shall appoint such liaison committees as may be required to exercise supervision and control over organizations operating within the branch. GENERAL 15 (i) In all matters of procedure not provided for in the By-Laws of any Command or Branch, the provisions of the legions RULES OF PROCE3DURE FOR LEGION MEETINGS shall apply. In all cases where these rules do make adequate provision, then and only then, ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER apply. (ii) The Chairperson shall not tolerate any discussion of a political or religious nature at any meeting. (iii) In all cases of abuse of elected officers, whether verbal or otherwise, or the use of profanity or the commission of other disruptive acts at a meeting, the President shall (WITHOUT THE OPTION OF DISCRETION) be required to institute disciplinary proceedings in conformity with the general By-Laws of the Royal Canadian Legion. (iv) On Legion occasion, no member shall wear decorations other than those awarded by the Government of Canada, an Allied Government for military services, or by the Royal General Legion.

(v) Where masculine terms are used in these By-Laws, it shall be presumed that they refer to either sex. (vi)all groups associated with the branch shall submit a financial report each calendar year or financial year as may be required by the executive. ZONES AND DISTRICTS 16. The President and 1 st Vice President or appointed delegates of the branch shall represent the branch at all Zone and District Board Meetings and also attend Zone and District Board Meetings for the election of officers. AMENDMENTS 17. Amendments to these By-Laws shall require the support of at least 70% of members attending and eligible to vote at any special or general meeting of the branch. Notice of motion to amend these By-Laws must be posted at least 14 days prior to any meeting at which such motion is to be considered. 18. THESE BY-LAWS SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE UPON THE APPROVAL OF NOVA SCOTIA/NUNAVUT COMMAND

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. - John McCrae

Prepared By: The Royal Canadian Legion Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command Somme Branch No.31 June 2011