PCYA Constitution

Below you will find the most recent and updated PCYA constitution.

PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE YOUTH OF ALBERTA
CONSTITUTION
AMENDED NOVEMBER 7, 2009

ARTICLE 1: NAME

1.1 The name of the Association shall be the "Progressive Conservative Youth of Alberta" hereinafter referred to as the "PCYA" or the "Association".

ARTICLE 2: OBJECTIVES

2.1 The objectives of the PCYA are as follows:

(a) To actively support and promote the interests and principles of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta (the "PCAA" or the "Party"), as set out in the Constitution of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta;

(b) To promote the interest and participation of members in public affairs, Party policy, and in the principles and traditions of the PCAA;

(c) To encourage the full participation of the members in the election of Progressive Conservative candidates for office as Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

ARTICLE 3: MEMBERSHIP

3.1 Membership in the Association shall include:

(a) The Voting Membership of the Association, which consists of any person who has attained the age of fourteen (14) and has not reached the age of twenty-six (26), is a member in good standing in the PCAA, and holds an official membership card in the PCAA;

(b) The Non-Voting Membership of the Association, which consists of the following:
i. Any person who does not hold a valid Membership in the PCAA, but is a participant in the Association or is a member of a recognized Association Club.
ii. Any person who has surpassed the age of twenty-six (26) yet wishes to remain a member of the Association, and/or is a honorary member as determined by a majority vote of the Executive Committee of the Association.

3.2 In the event of a dispute regarding the determination of voting status, the Executive Committee shall, by majority vote, make a ruling and the decision shall be final.

ARTICLE 4: RIGHTS AND PRIVLEDGES OF MEMBERSHIP

4.1 All members of the PCYA shall have the right to be present at Annual and Special General Meetings of the Association as well as the right to receive notices for and minutes from these meetings. Voting members of the PCYA shall have the right to vote at all Annual and Special General Meetings as well as for the Officers of the Association. Voting members shall additionally have the right to stand for election as an Officer of the Association. All members shall be entitled to attend meetings of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE 5: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE ASSOCIATION

5.1 The Executive Committee of the PCYA is hereby established. All Executive functions, the day-to-day management of the Association, as well as the authority to resolve concerns that may arise shall be vested in the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is bound by the Annual General Meeting of the Association and this Constitution. The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the Officers of the Association.

5.2 The Officers of the Association shall be:
(a) Honourary Chair
(b) President;
(c) Executive Vice President;
(d) Vice President Finance;
(e) Vice President Policy;
(f) Vice President Membership;
(g) Vice President Communications;
(h) Secretary;
(i) Regional Director North;
(j) Regional Director Central;
(k) Regional Director South and,
(l) Past President

5.3 Each Officer shall have one vote at Executive Committee Meetings, except that member designated chair, who shall vote on in the case of a tie;

(a) The President shall serve as Chair unless she or he appoints another Executive Committee member to serve as Chair. In the event of the absence or unwillingness of the President to act as Chair, the duty falls to the Executive Vice President.

5.4 The President may appoint additional Associate Directors who may attend meetings of the Executive Committee; however they will have no voting power at any meetings of the Executive Committee. Their term will expire at the next Annual General Meeting. Those individuals holding the position of Vice President Youth within a constituency association will be considered equivalent to Associate Directors.

5.5 The role of Past President is the only Officer of the Association that is not elected and is fulfilled by the immediate Past President of the organization.

5.6 The role of Honourary Chair is an Officer of the Association that is not elected. The President shall appoint the Honourary Chair with advice from the PCYA Executive. The term of service will be from the time of appointment to the next Annual General Meeting of the Association. An individual may be appointed to serve more than one term. The Honourary Chair is considered a Member of the Association even in cases that contradict Article 3.1 of this Constitution. The Honourary Chair is a member of PCAA in good standing.

ARTICLE 6: RESPONSIBLITIES OF EXECUTIVE

6.1 The Executive Committee of the Association shall, at all times, conduct themselves in accord with this Constitution;

6.2 Between meetings of members of the Association, the management and control of the activities of the Association are vested in the Executive, subject to general direction from, accountability to and review by the members of the Association at the meetings of the Association;

6.3 There shall be at least four Executive Committee meetings held in each twelve-month period. Notice of Executive Committee Meetings shall be given at least seven (7) days in advance of any Executive Committee Meeting via the Association's website and to all Officers of the Association by written notice either mailed or electronically transmitted.

6.4 An emergency meeting of the Executive Committee may be called by the President or any 2 Executive Committee members to discuss issues that may arise. Such a meeting may be called on 48 hours notice. Notice of such meetings shall be via the Association's website and to all Officers of the Association by written notice either mailed or electronically transmitted.

6.5 The required quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be 5 members of the Executive, which must include the President or Executive Vice President;

6.6 No member of the Executive Committee may profit financially for their services to the Association;

6.7 The specific duties of each Officer are as follows:

(a) The HONOURARY CHAIR shall:
i. act as the chief advisor to the Association;
ii. utilize their public stature to promote the Association and;
iii. perform ceremonial duties at public events at the request of the Officers of the Association.

(b) The PRESIDENT shall:
i. have general responsibility as Executive Head of the Association;
ii. be responsible for the management and affairs of the Association;
iii. work to fulfill the goals and objectives of the Association;
iv. be an ex-officio member of all committees of the Association;
v. see that all orders and resolutions of the Executive Committee are carried into effect;
vi. perform other duties prescribed by the Executive Committee and Constitution;
vii. generate any rules or procedures as required by the Association that are not covered in the Constitution or Bylaws of the Association;
viii. be the official spokesperson for the Association;
ix. have dual signing authority with the Vice President Finance over all financial matters;
x. decide on questions of order, announce the results of all votes and give the deciding vote in the case of a tie at a meeting of the Association unless otherwise stated in this Constitution.

(c) The EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT shall:
i. assist the President in fulfilling the goals and objectives of the Association;
ii. assume the duties of the President in the event of the President's resignation, absence, or unwillingness to act;
iii. with consent of the committee, serve as an ex-officio member of all committees of the Association;
iv. coordinate with other members of the Executive Committee to organize events;
v. perform other duties as prescribed by the Executive Committee.

(d) The VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE shall:
i. receive all monies, which are the property of the Association;
ii. shall keep an accurate record and accounting of all funds related to the general operations of the Association;
iii. submit the Association's accounting annually for an audit, or as required by the Association, the Executive Committee, or the PCAA;
iv. present the finances to the membership for review at the Annual General Meeting;
v. spearhead all fundraising activities, as directed to by the Executive Committee;
vi. provide regular reports to the Executive Committee on key financial events; trends, concerns, and assessment of financial health of the Association;
vii. have dual signing authority with the President over all financial matters.

(e) The VICE PRESIDENT MEMBERSHIP shall:
i. spearhead recruitment activities of the association;
ii. ensure that all members of the Executive Committee are members in good standing;
iii. maintain membership lists, as accurately as possible, of all members of the Executive Committee and the PCYA;
iv. act as a liaison with PCYA recognized Associations;
v. coordinate with the Vice President Communications to ensure regular communications with members of the Association by either email, mail, phone, the Association's website, or other means;
vi. coordinate with the Executive Vice President and the Directors of the Association to organize events for the Membership.
vii. responsible for all outreach programs of the association.

(f) The VICE PRESIDENT COMMUNICATIONS shall:
i. ensure that the Associations website, when applicable, is up to date and accurate;
ii. complete all proposed changes to be made to the website, which have been approved by the Executive Committee;
iii. coordinate with the Vice President Membership to ensure regular communications with members of the Association by either email, mail, phone, the Association's website, or other means;
iv. ensure that all materials, as directed by the Officers, are submitted to PC Talk by the Party's deadline.

(g) The VICE PRESIDENT POLICY shall:
i. work towards the development of policy concepts for the Association through soliciting ideas from the membership;
ii. be responsible for organizing the receipt and review of resolutions at the Annual General Meeting of the Association;
iii. organize PCYA policy meetings and research;
iv. encourage members to attend the PCAA Annual General Meetings and Policy Conferences;
v. liaise with the PCAA on joint policy development efforts.

(h) The SECRETARY shall:
i. prepare agenda for all meetings of the Association using input from the Executive Committee and members;
ii. keep full and complete minutes of all meetings of the Association and distribute the minutes in a timely manner to the Executive Committee and to members who have requested minutes in writing;
iii. be charged with the responsibility of ensuring appropriate notice of all meetings is given in accordance with this Constitution;
iv. ensure effective management of the Association's records and maintain all such records.

(i) The REGIONAL DIRECTORS shall:
i. serve to assist the other members of the Executive Committee as needed;
ii. liaise specifically with the regions/stakeholders that they represent;
iii. coordinate with other members of the Executive Committee to organize events;
iv. provide updates to the Executive Committee regarding events and issues in their region as necessary;
v. engage, when possible, with local boards, especially should they recognized as voting members by the constitution of that board;
vi. engage local Constituency Vice Presidents Youth.

(j) The PAST PRESIDENT shall:
i. Serve as advisor to the Executive Committee and Associate Directors;
ii. Help promote the Association to internal and external stakeholders;
iii. With consent of the committee, serve as an ex-officio member of all committees of the Association;
iv. assist in efforts to fulfill the goals and objectives of the Association.



ARTICLE 7: GENERAL MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION

7.1 An Annual General Meeting and election of the Executive Committee of the Association shall be held concurrent with the PCAA Annual General Meeting and Convention or within fifteen (15) months of the immediately preceding General Meeting of the Association, whichever comes first. The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be the highest governing body of the Association. Its decisions are binding upon the Executive Committee and all Members.

7.2 The President, with approval from the Executive, may convene an Annual or Special General Meeting at any time in accordance with notice provisions in this article.

7.3 At least thirty (30) days notice in writing of any Annual or fourteen (14) days for a Special meeting shall be given to the executives of the PCYA and PCAA, and in addition, public notice through the PCYA or PCAA website or by written notice either mailed or electronically transmitted to all Voting Members of the Association.

7.4 The required quorum for any general meeting shall be determined by the Executive Committee of the Association but shall not be fewer than twenty (20) members of the Association.

7.5 The PCAA Executive may call an Annual General Meeting and Executive Committee elections subject to the notice provisions contained in this article should the current executive be neglectful of its duties.

7.6 A majority of voting members at any meeting shall be conclusive, save and except that:

(a) In the case of a vote to reconsider or over-rule a decision of the CRO, a two-thirds majority shall be required;

(b) In the case of a tie-vote, the Chief Returning Officer shall cast the deciding vote, being the only occasion on which the CRO is entitled to vote;

(c) In the case of an amendment to this constitution, the provisions of the Article 12 shall apply;

7.7 Any member in good standing of the Association may speak to any question arising, subject to the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order, which shall be the official parliamentary procedure of the Association.

7.8 The Voting and Non-Voting Membership is eligible to participate in any General Meeting of the Association, however, only the Voting Membership of the Association shall be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Association.


ARTICLE 8: ELECTION OF OFFICERS

8.1 Members of the Executive shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association and shall hold office until their successors are elected.

8.2 The election of the Executive Committee, shall be governed by the following provisions:

(a) no nomination shall be valid unless made in writing and signed by five (5) or more members in good standing with the consent in writing by the nominee;

(b) no nomination for President shall be valid unless made in writing and signed by ten (10) or more members in good standing, with the consent in writing by the nominee;

(c) nominations for all positions shall close fourteen (14) days prior to the scheduled close of balloting;

(d) a member shall not be allowed a proxy vote, they must be present in order to vote;

(e) voting shall be by secret ballot;

(f) the Vice President of Finance and the President must be of the age of the majority;
i. No nomination forms will be accepted from a candidate for Vice President Finance and President who is under the age of majority.

(g) a member must be under the age of twenty six (26) at the time of elections and may fulfill the duties of their position until the completion of their term. The member will be considered a Voting Member of the Association even in cases that contradict Article 3.1 of this Constitution until the completion of their term on the Executive Committee.

8.3 Any vacancy of an Officer position may be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

8.4 The Executive Committee shall elect a Chief Returning Officer at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting:

(a) The CRO shall be appointed by a majority vote of the current executive;

(b) The CRO must not be contesting any position on the Executive nor be involved in any campaign;

(c) The CRO is empowered to enforce the election rules respecting the election of the Executive Committee;

(d) The CRO is empowered to formulate and rule upon unforeseen election and/or campaign circumstance or irregularities not covered in this Constitution;

(e) The CRO is empowered, with the approval of the Executive, to reject nominations for defects of form;

(f) The CRO shall vote only in the case of a tie.

ARTICLE 9: REMOVAL OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

9.1 A member of the Executive Committee may resign by submitting a letter of resignation to the rest of the Executive Committee of the Association;

9.2 An elected member of the Executive Committee may be impeached only after:

(a) the Executive Committee is petitioned by 40 PCYA members to call a Special General Meeting for the purpose of removing the member from office, or a majority of the Executive Committee votes to hold a Special General Meeting for the Purpose of removing the member from office, and;

(b) a two-thirds (2/3) majority of PCYA members present vote to remove the member from office at a Special General meeting where notice is given no less than 7 days in advance and quorum is achieved;

(c) the member in question has had an opportunity to offer a defense, orally and in writing, at the Special General meeting.

ARTICLE 10: RECOGNIZED ASSOCIATIONS

10.1 For the purpose of this Constitution, a recognized association shall be defined as:

(a) PCYA-recognized post-secondary associations;

(b) PCYA-recognized high school associations;

(c) PCYA-recognized constituency youth associations;

(d) PCYA-recognized professional organizations.

10.2 Organizations may seek recognition by supplying the Executive Committee with:

(a) their constitution or charter;

(b) a list of their Executive;

(c) contact information.

10.3 The Executive Committee may recognize any organization by majority vote and may revoke such recognition by majority vote. The Executive Committee may require further information of organizations wanting to be recognized prior to voting on their recognition.

ARTICLE 11: AMENDMENTS

11.1 This Constitution may only be amended at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for the purpose of amending the Constitution by a (2/3) two-thirds majority vote;

11.2 Notice of Motion in writing of the proposed amendments must be forwarded to the Secretary of the Association at least ten (10) days before the meeting. All motions must be moved and seconded by members in good standing;

11.3 The Secretary must post all motions that are found to be in good order on the Association's website no less than 3 days before the Annual General Meeting.

ARTICLE 12: COMING INTO EFFECT OF THIS CONSTITUTION

12.1 This constitution shall come into effect upon being adopted by an Annual General Meeting of Special General Meeting of the Association.

12.2 Amendments to this Constitution shall come into effect at the close of the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting of the Association at which the amendments are adopted.

ARTICLE 13: BYLAWS

13.1 Bylaws of the Association may be considered at Annual General Meetings and passed by simple majority.

13.2 In any conflict between a bylaw of the Association and any article of the Constitution, the Constitution shall prevail.