AGM,S , Constitutions, Voting , Rules

WTF

Active Member
Sep 3, 2015
191
For those that want to discuss AGM,S , Constitutions, Voting rights,Rules etc.
 

soccer mom

Member
Sep 26, 2015
80
with most volunteer based clubs and with very tight operating budgets you tend to see very loose constitutions and bylaws that in turn opens the club up to potential risk as the clubs become larger and more exposed. There might be a tendency for individuals within those clubs to take advantage of ambiguous wording within the constitution that becomes advantageous to said individual and detrimental to the club as a whole. BC Soccer I believe are becoming frustrated refereeing some of the antics within these small clubs and those individuals. As a result I found a link on their web site that is a template that small clubs can utilize so as to save on big legal costs to create proper governing documents.

Here is the link: BC Soccer
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
Wonderful from BCSA to offer this assistance. I hope they email this to every President and Vice-President of the Boards across the province once a year (because board's change).
 

4_the_kids

Active Member
Oct 20, 2015
312
Wonderful from BCSA to offer this assistance. I hope they email this to every President and Vice-President of the Boards across the province once a year (because board's change).
this is great, here is one thing currently optional but probably should be mandatory given last summer:

[OPTIONAL]

11) A Director of the Club may not hold an elected position, for more than 60 days after election to any other soccer organization’s board.
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
Wouldn't that mean though that the President of NFP Club A can't be on the board of their regional district board either?
 

4_the_kids

Active Member
Oct 20, 2015
312
Wouldn't that mean though that the President of NFP Club A can't be on the board of their regional district board either?
Hmm , good point. I was thinking of a particular issue but you are right, woul dneed to be revised to "except for the district board '
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
I think it is of course OK for a president of NFP Club A to be on the district board - same as our elected officials in government do.

But it should be a rule that you can't serve on two NFP Club boards, not an option.
 

CanadianSpur

Member
Feb 11, 2016
84
Hmm , good point. I was thinking of a particular issue but you are right, woul dneed to be revised to "except for the district board '

I would say you would need to have exemptions for the District Boards and Leagues as well. I believe the Coquitlam Metro-Ford President is also BCSPL President for example.
 

soccer mom

Member
Sep 26, 2015
80
not sure how it is detrimental to hold 2 different board member positions??? All MSL board members likely are board members for their respective clubs and I would assume that is the case for 4 District, 5 District and individual district boards. The challenge is that there usually isn't a line up of volunteers for these positions and the only way they will function is from individuals doing multiple roles.
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
not sure how it is detrimental to hold 2 different board member positions??? All MSL board members likely are board members for their respective clubs and I would assume that is the case for 4 District, 5 District and individual district boards. The challenge is that there usually isn't a line up of volunteers for these positions and the only way they will function is from individuals doing multiple roles.

It seems to be referring to being a board on member on two clubs, not club and district/league.
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
What doesn't make sense? (not being rude - I am asking)

Or is it your position that parents should be allowed to be on the board of two separate NFP clubs? I suppose if you have a 15 year old and an 8 year old it might be the case the 15 year old is on one of the BCSPL or MSL clubs (ie, Vancouver FC) but the 8 year old is on a community club (ie, KLM). In which case, being on the board of those two clubs is probably no big deal in reality. But, the potential for conflict of interest remains. But being on a club and a district or league board surely isn't an issue? In fact, who else is going to do it? I know someone who is president of an NFP and is on the league (or district? not sure which) board - and that person does an amazing job and has been rewarded for it. As they should have been.
 

soccer mom

Member
Sep 26, 2015
80
What makes sense ......that the suggested rule or guideline he that an individual may not be allowed to be active with 2 different clubs as a board member. For eg cliff Ave and wesburn. I would agree that poses a conflict.

Being the on the board at club and at district seems OK to me. Being on the board of club and coresponding league (4 district in this eg) also makes sense.

The circumstances would need to be unique for someone to justify being a voting board member if 2 competing clubs.
 

soccer mom

Member
Sep 26, 2015
80
Just slightly off topic but I was made aware of a situation that occurred at an agm where the president was attempting to raise a motion that the impending vote result had very serious consequences to the club financially. That particular president brought invites to life members to attend the agm as guests which if course is fairly normal.

However those life members via thar constitution were allowed voting priceless.
These life members were being asked to vote on issues they had no knowledge of as they had not been active with the club daily for years.

Unfortunately their vote was ultimately detrimental to the club. Not the life members fault and likely they should have obtained but they didn't.

What does this group feel about life members and voting proverages?
 

4_the_kids

Active Member
Oct 20, 2015
312
I believe this suggested rule has come about do to actions of a few, most can handle being on more than one board responsible and don't have alternative motives. Unfortunately though some do have other motives, and use being on multiple boards to take over, or merge etc... The stuff in Newton further complicates things, in that you have people sitting on a USSL board ( non BC SOCCER) and then using that to gain support for the winter board, and if that isn't successful they try to get on the district board
So from one hand it makes since to restrict , on the other hand for those of good intention it does not.
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
What makes sense ......that the suggested rule or guideline he that an individual may not be allowed to be active with 2 different clubs as a board member. For eg cliff Ave and wesburn. I would agree that poses a conflict.

Being the on the board at club and at district seems OK to me. Being on the board of club and coresponding league (4 district in this eg) also makes sense.

The circumstances would need to be unique for someone to justify being a voting board member if 2 competing clubs.

Agree
 

TKBC

Established Member
Aug 21, 2015
1,256
Just slightly off topic but I was made aware of a situation that occurred at an agm where the president was attempting to raise a motion that the impending vote result had very serious consequences to the club financially. That particular president brought invites to life members to attend the agm as guests which if course is fairly normal.

However those life members via thar constitution were allowed voting priceless.
These life members were being asked to vote on issues they had no knowledge of as they had not been active with the club daily for years.

Unfortunately their vote was ultimately detrimental to the club. Not the life members fault and likely they should have obtained but they didn't.

What does this group feel about life members and voting proverages?

Good question. Seems like a very interesting discussion. I look forward to hearing more about it. If I was part of an organization that had life members that had voting privileges I would add that those life members would have had to attend 75% of the board meetings in a 12 month period before they could register a vote.

As for financials - it depends on what the risk financially is. But, what some board members don't realize is they can be held liable for financial issues of the NFP personally. Hopefully in this case it is simply a case of lost revenue to the club (no consequences to anyone except that there is lost revenue).
 
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