Constitution

The mandate of Archery Ontario (OA) shall be:

To develop, promote, expand and perpetuate participation in all forms of the sport of archery throughout the Province of Ontario.

The role of the Association shall be to:

  1. Encourage the safe participation in all of the various types of archery activities.
  2. Initiate, implement and maintain methods for the development of all levels of participation, archery skills and facilities both for individuals and clubs.
  3. Act as the sole representative body for the sport of archery in Ontario in all matters relating to all levels of Government and in all matters relating to national and international archery bodies.
  4. Establish a uniform set of rules and regulations governing the conduct of provincial championship events and the rounds used therein, and encourage the use of these rules and regulations at all other archery competitions sponsored by affiliated clubs.

By-Laws

Paragraph 1

Name

Paragraph 2

Head Office

Paragraph 3

Seal

Paragraph 4

Financial and Membership Year

Paragraph 5

Membership and Affiliation

Paragraph 6

Membership

Paragraph 7

Board of Directors

Paragraph 8

Committees

Paragraph 9

Directors - Elections, Appointments and Removal

Paragraph 10

Directors - Meetings

Paragraph 11

Annual General Meeting of Members

Paragraph 12

Special General Meeting of Members

Paragraph 13

Sponsored Tournaments and Sanctioned Events

Paragraph 14

Cheques, Etc

Paragraph 15

Amendments to By-Laws, Regulations and Shooting Rules

Paragraph 16

Interpretation

The by-laws relating generally to the transaction of the business and affairs of the Ontario Association of Archers Inc.

1. NAME

The name of this corporation and organization shall be "Archery Ontario" and such may be used whenever and wherever necessary in the abbreviated form of "OA".

2. HEAD OFFICE

The head office of the OA shall be located at such place in the Province of Ontario as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

3. SEAL

The seal, an impression whereof is stamped in the margin hereof, shall be the corporate seal of the OA ***SEAL***

4. FINANCIAL AND MEMBERSHIP YEAR

The financial year of the OA shall terminate March 31st each year. Annual membership shall terminate on December 31st in each year.

5. MEMBERSHIP AND AFFILIATION

  1. The individual members of the OA, at any given time, shall be those persons who have satisfied the following requirements:
    1. They have paid their annual dues for the membership year, with the exception of honorary and life members;
    2. They have not died, resigned or been expelled from membership.
    3. Only a member as defined above, who is not less than 16 years of age on the first day of the membership year, unless specifically excepted by resolution of the Board of Directors, may vote at a meeting of the members, or hold a position as a director of the OA, or vote in the election of members of the Executive Committee.
  2. Sports clubs or associations having an indoor or outdoor archery program may be granted affiliation with the OA upon application therefore and payment of the annual dues. All member clubs of the OA must have a Club Judge and or Archery Range Safety Officer in good standing. Exemptions to the Judge/Safety Officer requirement may be waived on an annual basis upon application to the OA Executive from the club President.
  3. Membership and affiliation in the OA is at the discretion of the Board of Directors which may reject the application of an individual or a sports club or association by a majority vote and need not give reasons for the rejection of an application.
  4. Termination of Membership for conduct tending to bring the OA into disrepute or which obstructs the carrying on of the activities of the OA, the Board of Directors may terminate the membership of an individual or the affiliation of a sports club or association. Alternately, the Board of Directors may suspend for a specified time, not exceeding 1 year, membership or affiliation, and may impose a fine or conditions precedent to the lifting of the suspension.
    1. No less than 30 days prior to bringing a motion before the Board of Directors to terminate or suspend membership or affiliation, the President shall be informed and the President must notify the individual or sports club or association involved that such action will be considered at the next Board of Directors meeting. The individual or sports club or association will be advised that they have the right to attend the meeting and present their version of the facts that led to the motion.
    2. Any decision by the Board of Directors to terminate or suspend membership or affiliation shall require a 2/3 majority vote and at least 1/2 of the then number of directors must be present at the meeting. Such vote shall be taken by secret written ballot with the Secretary acting as scrutineer. Any such termination or suspension is subject to confirmation or rejection by the membership at the next annual general meeting if the individual or sports club or association has delivered or sent by mail, postmarked no later than 15 days after the meeting of the Board of Directors, a written appeal to the President.
    3. Any such termination or suspension is effective until rejected by the members, if an appeal is made. The termination of membership or affiliation can only be lifted by an application to the Board of Directors and a resolution to that effect passed by a simple majority.
  5. All members of the OA shall be entitled to participate in OA sponsored and sanctioned tournaments and activities, with the provision that the sports club or association hosting a sanctioned tournament may, for good and valid reason, refuse to allow any individual to participate in its sanctioned tournament but not in an OA sponsored event.
  6. Only members of the OA are eligible to win awards at sponsored tournaments, other than a designated Guest Award. Guest Awards are not recognized at any Provincial Championships.
  7. All members of the OA shall receive a copy of a Mailer provided that only one Mailer will be sent to a family membership.
  8. In order to receive any funding assistance through the OA the member must be a resident of the Province of Ontario for 6 months of the previous 12 months. Full-time students attending secondary or post-secondary educational institutions outside the province are eligible provided they maintain a permanent residence within the province.

6. MEMBERSHIP

  1. CLASSIFICATION 
    The following classes of membership shall be permitted.
    1. Honorary Membership, with exemption from normal fees and dues, shall be granted to any person who has completed a full term as President, or any person who has served as a member of the OA Executive for 12 or more years and may be granted by the Board of Directors, at its discretion, to any individual for outstanding and meritorious service to the sport of archery in the Province of Ontario. Honorary membership shall be for the life of the member.
    2. Life Membership with exemption from normal fees and dues may be granted by the Board of Directors, at its discretion to an applicant who has paid the fee therefore, provided such applicant shall have been a member of the OA for 10 consecutive years or has served 2 or more years as a director of the OA
    3. Senior Membership shall be granted to any applicant who has paid the annual fee.
    4. Master Membership shall be granted to any applicant who is 50 or older on Dec 31 of the current year and who has paid the annual fee.
    5. Junior Membership shall be granted to any applicant who is 20 or youger on Dec 31 of the current year and who has paid the annual fee.
    6. Cadet Membership shall be granted to any applicant who is 17 or younger on Dec 31 of the current year and who has paid the annual fee.
    7. Cub Membership shall be granted to any applicant who is 14 or younger on Dec 31 of the current year and who has paid the annual fee
    8. Pre Cub Membership shall be granted to any applicant who is 12 or younger on Dec 31 of the current year and who has paid the annual fee
    9. Peewee Membership shall be granted to any applicant who is 9 or younger on Dec 31 of the current year and who has paid the annual fee
    10. Family Membership shall be granted to a group consisting of a parent and/or spouse eligible for membership as a senior member and all children of the parent 18 and under on the Dec 31 of the current year and payment of the annual.
    11. Affiliate Membership, with the exemption from normal fees and dues, may be granted to an individual by the Board of Directors at its discretion, for a period of 1 year. OA Affiliate members receive liability coverage for archery activity at their home club, but do not receive the services and privileges available to OA members paying the normal membership fees.
    12. Corporate Membership shall be granted to a corporation or other business upon application and payment of the annual fee .
    13. Sports Club Membership shall be granted to a sports club or association upon application and payment of the annual fee .
  2. ANNUAL FEES AND DUES FOR MEMBERSHIP
    1. The Board of Directors shall set the annual dues to be paid for senior, junior, cadet, cub, family, life, corporate and sports club or association memberships.
    2. The Board of Directors may set lower annual dues for members who are students or sports clubs or associations that are part of a school or university. It may also set lower annual dues for members who are also members of affiliated sports clubs or associations.
    3. There shall be a 15 day grace period for members and affiliated sports clubs or associations to renew their membership without loss of membership privileges.
    4. All applications for membership or affiliation shall be submitted to the office of the Membership Chairperson and reduced fees or dues for part years shall not be accepted. Applications for membership or affiliation received in the last 3 months of the membership year shall also be payment for the next succeeding membership year.
    5. The Membership Chairperson, upon acceptance of an application for membership, shall issue such member a membership card for the membership year, which shall be proof of membership upon presentation.
    6. The Membership Chairperson, upon acceptance of an application for affiliation, shall issue such new sports club or association a certificate of affiliation for the membership year and a yearly seal of affiliation for renewal of affiliation.

7. BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

The business and the affairs of the OA shall be managed and governed by a Board of Directors consisting of not more than 13 members. The Board shall consist of an Executive of not more than 8 members and a general membership of not more than 5 Directors, of which 5 shall be Zone Directors.

A person may hold more than one position on the Board of Directors provided that the President may not be Vice-President of Administration. Such person shall have only one vote. 

The Board of Directors may make or cause to be made for the OA, in its name, any kind or type of contract or agreement which the OA may lawfully enter into or be a party to and generally may exercise all such other powers and do all such other acts and things as the OA, by its constitution and otherwise, is authorized to exercise and do.

The members of the Board of Directors shall not receive any remuneration for acting as such but may receive compensation for expenses incurred to fulfill their duties.

  1. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

    There shall be an Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, composed of the officers of the OA, which shall be charged with the daily management of the OA The Executive shall consist of a President, a Vice President of Administration, a Vice President of Bowhunting, a Vice President of Athlete Development, a Vice President of Tournaments, a Vice President of Marketing, a Secretary/Treasurer and the immediate Past President.

    The Executive shall be responsible for all of the financial matters of the OA as well as all relations with other sports governing bodies and governmental departments, ministries, agencies or representatives. The Executive Committee shall also be responsible for the supervision and allocation of funds to provincial teams and elite athletes. 

    The respective responsibilities of the members of the Executive are as follows:
    1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the members and of the Directors, at which the President is present. The President is the Chief Executive Officer of the OA and is charged with the general management and supervision of its affairs and operations. The President shall represent the OA in any activity in or outside the Province or before any other sports body with which the OA is associated, provided the President may appoint any other director to act in the President's place at any one event or for any one purpose.
    2. The Vice-President of Administration shall perform the duties of the President during the absence or inability of the President. The V.P. Administration shall be primarily responsible for the management of the Provincial Grant process.
    3. The Vice-President of Bowhunting shall be responsible for the supervision and direction of the Bowhunting committee and be the direct voice of the OA to the Ministry of Natural Resources, conservation authorities, C.O.H.A., I.B.E.P. and any organization directly related to Bowhunting issues, and The V.P. Bowhunting may appoint Bowhunting directors in each zone, who shall not be members of the Board of Directors, as well as appoint individuals to other positions which support bowhunting activities as the V.P. Bowhunting deems necessary.
    4. The Vice President of Athlete Development shall be responsible for supervision and direction of the Youth Program, team selection, High Performance Committee, Coaching Committee, Ontario and Canada Games. The VP Athlete Development shall also perform such other duties as may from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.
    5. The Vice President of Tournaments shall supervise, manage and instruct those persons appointed to carry out the following functions: Officials Supervision, and any other position designated by the Board of Directors
      It shall also be the duty and responsibility of the VP Tournaments to ensure that each person under the VP Tournaments supervision carries out their responsibilities in accordance with the requirement of their position and assist such persons in the resolution of any problems, be responsible for the co-ordination (scorecards, medals, range set-up, safety, rules, results, promotion) of the OA Indoor, Field, Target, and 3-D Championships and the Grand Championship, be responsible for ensuring that the call for bids for hosting Championship tournaments are sent out in a timely fashion, receive and review applications for sanctioned tournaments and accept and record only those satisfying the requirements of the regulations, receive and review all bids for Sponsored Tournaments and submit for selection to the membership only those bids satisfying the requirements of the regulations, submit to the Board of Directors for its decision any bid for Sponsored Tournaments which is considered improper or which the Tournament Supervisor recommends should be rejected, provide the Vice-President of Athlete Development with the necessary information from the results of Sponsored Tournaments to establish OA teams and elite athletes and assist in the organization of team selections, keep and maintain records in all divisions for the OA Indoor, Field, Target and 3-D Championships, and the Grand Championship, organize and arrange for all personnel necessary to hold Sponsored Tournaments, obtain in a timely manner the results of Sponsored Tournaments and submit such results to the Newsletter Editor for publication, distribute any awards not received at championship tournaments and perform such other duties as may from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors. Specific tasks of the VP of Tournaments may be delegated to committees as needed.
    6. The Vice President of Marketing shall be responsible for promotional activities to promote the brand of the OA, the sport of archery and the OA events at both the community and provincial levels. The VP Marketing shall also be responsible for supervision and direction of The Club and Tournament Directory, volunteer awards and recognition, the membership newsletter, advertising, and the OA Merchandising Program.
    7. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep all the books and records of the OA and ensure that the minutes of all meetings of the members, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee are recorded and maintained in an up-to-date manner. It shall be the responsibility of the Secretary/Treasurer to keep full and accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements of the OA in proper books of account and shall receive and deposit all monies or other valuables in the name and to the credit of the OA in a bank or banks as may from time to time be designated by the Executive Committee. The Secretary/Treasurer shall ensure that all disbursements to be made by the OA are paid by cheque signed by any two of President, Vice-President of Administration and Secretary/Treasurer. The Secretary/Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the OA under the direction of the Executive Committee, taking proper vouchers therefore, and shall render to the Board of Directors, monthly, an account of the transactions of the OA and the financial position of the OA The Secretary/Treasurer shall also perform such other duties as may from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.
    8. The immediate Past President shall be retained as a member of the Executive Committee in an advisory capacity and shall also be a member of the Board of Directors for a term of 1 year after a new President shall have been elected, provided always that the Past President has not resigned or was not expelled. The President may at his/her own discretion extend the privileges of this office, to any Past President.
  2. ZONE DIRECTORS
    There shall be 5 zones established in the province of Ontario, each of which shall be represented by a Zone Director who shall be a member of the Board of Directors. The Board shall establish the boundaries dividing the province into an Eastern zone, a Western zone, a Central zone, a North-Eastern zone and a North-Western zone. Such boundaries may be altered from time to time at the discretion of the Board.

    It shall be the duty of the Zone Directors to attempt to resolve any problems or conflicts dealing with OA activities in their respective zones or refer such problems or conflicts to the Board of Directors and assist in the implementation of any solution, act as the J.D.P. representative in their respective zones, promote and organize, with the assistance of the Coaching Co-ordinator, instructors and coaching clinics, in conjunction with the Coaching Co-ordinator, promote programs to encourage athletes to associate with and obtain the assistance of specific instructors or coaches, upon retirement arrange for the election of a replacement Zone Director, and to perform such other duties as may from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.

8. COMMITTEES

The various programs and activities of the OA shall be supervised by Committee Chairs appointed by the President for terms of 2 years. Their respective responsibilities shall be:

  1. Membership Chairperson 
    It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Membership Supervisor to maintain current and up-to-date records of all memberships of individuals and the affiliation of sports clubs or associations, review all applications for membership and affiliation and accept and record only those correctly submitted with the proper fee, transmit to the Vice President of Administration all applications for life membership with information as to the applicant's qualifications, transmit to the Treasurer, as soon as is practical, the membership and affiliation fees received with applications, issue membership cards, affiliation charters and club seals, provide to the Secretary, Tournament director and V.P. Bowhunting on a continual basis, as soon as practical, records of all changes in membership or affiliation, and arrange for attendance personally or of a representative to ensure that the winners of awards at Sponsored Tournaments are members in good standing of the OA
  2. Webmaster
    It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Webmaster to update the website, on regular basis, with information related to the operation of the O. A. A. The Webmaster is to obtain items of information and interest to the membership for inclusion on the website, solicit opinions, ideas and articles from the membership for inclusion on the website, post all OA notices, sponsored tournament dates and locations and the winning results of sponsored tournaments.
  3. Coaching Co-ordinator
    It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Coaching Co-ordinator to organize and conduct, in conjunction with Zone Directors, instructor and coaching clinics, provide information, materials and information of seminars to certified instructors and coaches to make them aware of new developments which will enhance their knowledge, maintain records of and periodically publish a list in the OA newsletter of all OA instructors and coaches, develop programs, in conjunction with Zone Directors, to encourage athletes to associate with and obtain the assistance of specific instructors or coaches.
  4. Judging Co-ordinator
    It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Judging Co-ordinator organize, promote and direct, in conjunction with the Federation of Canadian Archers and the National Official Chairman, a program to instruct and educate officials at all levels in the Province of Ontario, organize and promote clinics for the certification and instruction of officials, organize, promote and direct, through the officials in the Province of Ontario and the OA newsletter, an information program for the members as to the correct interpretation of the Shooting Rules and F.I.T.A. rules, where applicable, and the clarification of same when necessary, organize and arrange, in conjunction with the Tournament Director for the attendance of officials at sponsored tournaments, and when feasible, delegate officials to attend and supervise F.I.T.A. qualifying shoots and implement and enforce the Shooting Rules and F.I.T.A. rules where applicable, inspect and approve target ranges, 3-D ranges and field courses, at the request of the Tournament Director or affiliated clubs or associations, for compliance with the Shooting Rules and general safety requirements (such inspections may be delegated to competent officials), and be fully versed in the shooting rules of the C.F.A.A. field and hunter rounds and their application to the OA Field Championships
  5. Archery Canada Liason 
    It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Archery Canada Director to attend the AC annual meetings to act as liaison between the AO and AC. The AC Director shall also perform such other duties as may from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.
  6. Bowhunting Co-ordinator
    Each of the 5 zones (as described in 7.b) shall be represented by a Bowhunting Co-ordinator appointed by the Zone Directors. The Zone Directors and or Bowhunting co-ordinators are to report to the Vice President of Bowhunting any issues related to bowhunting. 

    It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Bowhunting Co-ordinators to act as representatives of the OA and to promote Bowhunting in their respective zones. Bowhunting Co-ordinators are to inform the OA members of the OA programs and activities in their respective zones. Also to work with local and regional authorities directly related to Bowhunting issues.
  7. Other Committees 
    The President may appoint additional committees to consider and take any action on any subject referred to them, provided any such committee may not exceed the powers given in their mandate. The President is a member ex-officio of all committees.

9. DIRECTORS - ELECTIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND REMOVAL

  1. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 
    All members of the OA eligible to vote in accordance with section 5. A. iii) may vote in the election of the Executive Committee.
    1. Any person who is a member in good standing may vote by proxy in elections of the OA
    2. Any person who is entitled to vote by proxy may appoint in writing any other person who is a member in good standing.
    3. A voting proxy may not act as voting proxy for more than three persons.
    4. A person who has been appointed a voting proxy may apply to the Vice President Administration, not later than noon of the day of the elections, for a certificate to vote by proxy. Such certificate, bearing the signature of the Administrative Director, must be produced in order to obtain a ballot.
  2. NOMINEES 
    A member of the Board of Directors at the time of election or appointment and during tenure must be a member in good standing of the OA and may be re-elected provided however that no person may hold the office of President for more than 3 consecutive terms.
  3. ELECTION
    1. The members of the Executive Committee shall be elected by the members of the OA at the Annual General Meeting and shall hold their offices for a term of 2 years commencing immediately upon election.
    2. The terms of office of the President, Vice-President of Bowhunting and Secretary and the terms of office of the Vice-President of Administration and Treasurer shall be concurrent.
    3. In each year, no later than the first quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors, a Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President. The Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall form such a committee to canvas the membership for nominations to the vacant positions of the Executive Committee. All Directors are ex-officio members of the Nominating Committee.
    4. All members wishing to stand for election shall obtain the written nomination of another member of the OA and shall submit such nomination to a member of the Nominating Committee with their written acceptance stating their willingness to stand for election and to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the position, if elected. All nominations shall be reported to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee whose responsibility it shall be to ensure that all nominations are validly presented and that the candidates are fully aware of and are prepared to fulfill all of the duties and responsibilities of the position. Once satisfied with the nomination of the member, the Chairman shall prepare a brief statement of the qualifications of the candidates for presentation to the members.
    5. Immediately after the coming to order of the Annual General meeting, the Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall declare all nominations closed and shall immediately there after transmit to the Secretary the list of the candidates, along with the statement of qualifications.
    6. The Secretary, immediately after receipt of the list of the candidates, shall announce the list of the candidates, along with the statement of qualifications of each candidate to the membership at the Annual General Meeting. Nominees shall then have the right to make a brief statement to the membership, in an order decided at the discretion of the Chairman of the AGM.
    7. Elections shall be conducted immediately after, by ballot. All members eligible to vote in accordance with section 5. A. iii) shall receive a ballot.
    8. The Chairman of the AGM shall appoint two scrutineers to receive and tabulate all ballots in complete confidence and secrecy. A scrutineer may be any member of the OA, including a member of the Board of Directors but cannot be a candidate for election to the Board of Directors. One of the scrutineers shall be named chief scrutineer. The chief scrutineer shall, after the election is complete, report the result to the Chairman of the AGM. The candidate receiving the most votes for each position shall be declared elected by the Chairman of the AGM. In the event of an equality of votes for the candidates for any position, a drawing of lots conducted by the Chairman shall determine the successful candidate. Choosing by "lot" shall be carried out by placing the name of each candidate having an equality of votes on identical piece of paper, placing them in a box and one name being drawn by a person chosen by the Chairman.
    9. The chief scrutineer shall keep the ballots cast in the election for 30 days after the Annual General Meeting, at which time if there is no need to recount the ballots, they shall be destroyed.
    10. In the event there is no more than one person standing for election for a vacant position, the President shall declare the one nominee elected by acclamation.
  4. ZONE DIRECTORS
    1. Each Zone Director shall be elected for a 2 year periods commencing April 1st, by a vote of the representatives appointed by all of the affiliated clubs or associations in each zone after the members in such zone shall have been canvassed by members of the current Board of Directors for candidates for the position. The affiliated clubs and associations shall have the responsibility for organizing and conducting the election in any manner they so choose.
    2. In the event the affiliated clubs or associations of a zone do not elect a Zone Director within 60 days after such position becomes vacant, the President may appoint the position to a member of the OA from such zone to fill the position for the unexplored term.
  5. EXPULSIONS & VACANCIES
    1. The Board of Directors may by a resolution passed by at least 3/4 of the then Board of Directors expel any Director, including an elected Zone Director or member of the Executive Committee, upon a finding that such Director is not attending to the duties of the position or is bringing the OA into disrepute.
    2. The President may, for good and sufficient reason, declare the position of an appointed Director or Zone Director vacant and the appointment or zone election forfeited if such a Director fails to attend 3 consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors without good and sufficient cause
    3. A vacancy in any of the positions on the Board of Directors, including the Executive Committee and Zone Directors, may be filled by an appointment of the President, subject to approval by the Board of Directors, shall be in force for the unexpired term of the vacant office.

10. DIRECTORS - MEETINGS

  1. The Board of Directors shall attempt to meet, whenever reasonably possible, once in each quarter of the financial year. The date and place of such meetings shall be set at the first meeting of the Board of Directors after the election of the Executive Committee and no further notice shall be required of such meetings. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Board of Directors may hold its meetings at such place or places and at such times as it may from time to time determine.
  2. A meeting of the Board of Directors shall be chaired by the President and in the absence of the President, by the Vice-President, or if neither is present, by such Director as is elected for the purpose by the Directors present at such meeting of the Board of Directors.
  3. The Chairman of a meeting of the Board of Directors shall not be entitled to vote on any motion, provided however that in the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a casting vote to break the equality.
  4. At all meetings of the Board of Directors, 7 Directors, with a minimum of 3 Executive Committee members including at least one of the President and Vice-President of Administration, shall form a quorum for the transaction of business. The Directors may consider and transact any business, either special or general, at any meeting of the Board of Directors.
  5. All items of business requiring a decision presented to the Board of Directors shall be decided upon by a show of hands or an oral ballot, unless a written ballot is demanded by a director. A majority of votes shall decide all matters unless specified otherwise.
  6. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be formally called by the President or the Vice-President of Administration or by the Secretary at the request of any two Directors. Notice of such meetings shall be given either in writing or orally at least 7 days before such meeting is to take place. The statement of the President, Vice-President of Administration or Secretary that notice has been given shall be sufficient evidence that such notice has been given.
  7. No error or omission in giving notice of a Special Meeting of the Board of Directors shall invalidate such meeting or invalidate or make void any business carried out at such meeting provided all Directors who did not receive notice of such meeting, waive notice of the meeting and ratify and approve the business transacted at the meeting.
  8. In the event a meeting of the Board of Directors is not feasible or practical, any business, special or general, may be carried out by correspondence (e-mail, telephone conference, or other means of group communication), provided all Directors have a reasonable opportunity to examine the business, offer discussion and examine discussion from other Directors or those properly attending the meeting prior to making a decision.
  9. A declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has been carried or rejected and an entry in the minutes to such effect shall be sufficient evidence of the acceptance of a resolution.
  10. At each quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors, a written report of each Director shall be submitted. Such report shall contain a brief summary of the activity of the director during the last quarter. Such report shall automatically become part of the minutes of such meeting.
  11. Any meeting of the members or of the Board of Directors may be adjourned to any time and from time to time by motion passed to that effect and any business may be transacted at such adjourned meeting as might have been transacted at the original meeting that was adjourned. No notice shall be required of any adjourned meeting.
  12. Once any meeting of the members or of the Board of Directors shall have been closed by a resolution to that effect, no further business may be transacted at such meeting.

11. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS

  1. There shall be held in September or October of each year an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the members at the time and place as determined at the previous AGM. The AGM shall be chaired by the President or in his absence the Vice-President of Administration and all members of the Board of Directors shall be seated at a head table and answer questions put to them with regards to their report or their activities and responsibilities during the preceding year.
  2. The Secretary shall have available prior to the start of the AGM, the Agenda of the Annual General Meeting and shall include in the Agenda a notice of any proposed amendment to the By-laws and Regulations of the OA as well as a brief description of any special item to be presented to the members.
  3. At the AGM there shall be conducted:
    1. elections of the Executive Committee as required
    2. presentation of a report by each member of the Board of Directors giving a brief summary of the activities of the Director during the preceding year
    3. the financial statement for the last financial year and the report of the auditors thereon as well as the report by the Treasurer on the current state of the financial affairs of the OA and the appointment of auditors for the current year
    4. a vote by the members to select, in accordance with the regulations, the next Target, Field, 3-D Championships. The vote for championship events shall be done 2 years in advance of the designated tournament date for each OA Championship events
    5. any other business that may properly be transacted
  4. Voting 
    All votes shall be decided by a majority unless otherwise required by law or specified otherwise elsewhere in these by-laws. Every vote shall be decided in the first instance by a show of hands unless a member requests an individual poll or a written ballot. Unless an individual poll or a written ballot be demanded, a declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has been carried or not carried and entry to that effect in the minutes shall be sufficient evidence of the fact, without proof of the number or proportion of the votes accorded in favour of or against the resolution. In the event of a vote by written ballot, the secretary shall act as scrutineer and shall destroy the ballots after advising the chairman of the number of votes accorded in favour of and against the motion. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall be entitled to a casting vote.

12. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS

  1. A majority of the Board of Directors or the President and the Vice-President shall have the right to call, at any time, a special general meeting of the members, to consider an exceptional item of business. Such special general meeting shall be held by way of a written proposition presented by way of a written notice sent to all members. Any such proposition must be presented in the form of a motion, seconded and approved by a majority of the then Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of section 10.
  2. A form of ballot shall be included with the written notice and sent with instructions to complete the ballot and return it to the secretary within 30 days of the mailing of the written notice to permit the issue of business to be decided. The secretary shall, 45 days after the mailing of the written notice, count the returned ballots, and advise the President of the results. The President shall declare the issue carried or rejected accordingly.

13. SPONSORED TOURNAMENTS & SANCTIONED EVENTS

The following tournaments shall be organized and held by the OA in accordance with the regulations established therefore. Such tournaments shall be designated "Sponsored Tournaments."

  1. 10 Ring Indoor Championships 
    The 10 Ring Indoor Championships shall be held from the Saturday of the 2nd last weekend of February to the Sunday of the last weekend of February. The Board of Directors shall have the option to make such arrangements, as it deems advisable to hold the 10 Ring Indoor Championships either in one location or in as many locations as can be suitably arranged. Suitable bids for hosting the 10 Ring Indoor Championships must be registered with the OA Tournament Director, by October 1. The schedule of events, the fees therefore, and the awards to be presented shall be as set out in the regulations.
  2. IFAA Indoor Championships 
    The IFAA Indoor Championships shall be held from the Saturday of the 2nd last weekend of January to the Sunday of the last weekend of January. The Board of Directors shall have the option to make such arrangements, as it deems advisable to hold the IFAA Indoor Championships either in one location or in as many locations as can be suitably arranged. Suitable bids for hosting the IFAA Indoor Championships must be registered with the OA Tournament Director, by October 1. The schedule of events, the fees therefore, and the awards to be presented shall be as set out in the regulations.
  3. Field Championships 
    The Field championships shall be held on or near the 2nd weekend of August each year at a location chosen by the membership at the AGM 2 years previous. The specific date shall be set by the host club. In the event no suitable bid is received, the Board of Directors shall make such arrangements, as it deems advisable to hold the Field Championship. The schedule of events, the fees therefor, the remuneration of the hosting club and the awards to be presented shall be as set out in the regulations.
  4. Target Championships 
    The Target championships shall be held on or near the 2nd weekend of September each year at a location chosen by the membership at the AGM 2 years previous. The specific date shall be set by the host club. In the event no suitable bid is received, the Board of Directors shall make such arrangements, as it deems advisable to hold the Target Championship. The schedule of events, the fees therefor, the remuneration of the hosting club and the awards to be presented shall be as set out in the regulations.
  5. 3-D Championships
    The 3-D championships shall be held on or near the 2nd weekend of July each year at a location chosen by the membership at the AGM 2 years previous. The specific date shall be set by the host club. In the event no suitable bid is received, the Board of Directors shall make such arrangements, as it deems advisable to hold the 3-D Championship. The schedule of events, the fees therefore, the remuneration of the hosting club and the awards to be presented shall be as set out in the regulations.
  6. General:
    1. The selection of locations for the Field, Target, 3-D Championships shall be made in accordance to the procedure outlined in 11. C. iv)
    2. In the event only one acceptable bid is received for a sponsored tournament, the club submitting the bid shall be awarded the tournament. Prior to voting by the members at the Annual General Meeting for sponsored tournament, the award of tournaments where only one bid was received, shall be announced.
    3. The Board of Directors shall have the right to reject any bid by any club for a sponsored tournament, if in the judgment of the Directors, the club has failed or is likely to fail to provide the organization, personnel or facilities to adequately hold the tournament for which the bid is submitted.
    4. The Host Club shall not run any attraction concurrent with any OA sponsored tournament which may deter members from participating in the sponsored tournament.
  7. Sanctioned Events:
    A "sanctioned event" is any archery event or activity organized by a Club or an individual who is a member of the OA and includes, without limitation, any competitions, practices, training, receptions and ancillary activities.

14. CHEQUES, ETC.

All cheques, bills of exchange, orders for payment of money, notes and any evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the OA shall be signed by such member of the Executive Committee and in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the Board of Directors and any one of such members of the Executive Committee may endorse notes and cheques for deposit with the OA's bankers to the credit of the OA, or same may be endorsed "for deposit". Any one of such members of the Executive Committee may arrange, settle, balance and certify all books and accounts between the OA and its bankers and sign any and all bank forms or settlements of balance and releases or verification slips.

15. AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS, REGULATIONS AND SHOOTING RULES

  1. The By-laws of the OA shall only be enacted, amended or repealed by a resolution passed by a majority of the voting members at a general meeting provided a notice of motion showing the text of the resolution has been received by the secretary not less than sixty (60) days prior to the meeting or, if proposed by the Board of Directors, the notice of motion and the text of the resolution shall be given to the members by mail sent not less than twenty (20) days prior to the meeting.
  2. The Regulations and Shooting Rules shall only be amended or repealed by a resolution passed by a majority of the voting members at a general meeting provided:
    1. If to be presented at the Annual General Meeting, a notice of motion showing the text of the resolution has been received by a member of the Executive Committee or Zone Director prior to the Saturday of the week prior to the AGM; or,
    2. If to be presented at a special general meeting, the notice of motion must be included in the proposition presented to the members.
    3. If the amendment or appeal is to adopt a rule that the National (FCA) sport governing body has accepted, then it may be adopted without resolution passed by a majority of the voting members at a general meeting providing that it receives a majority approval by the board of directors of the OA.
  3. In the event of exceptional circumstances, which shall be determined by the judgment of the members of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors may enact, amend, or repeal any By-laws, regulation or shooting rule, subject to the following provisions:
    1. The resolution must be passed by a three quarter (3/4) majority vote of the Board of Directors and no less than two thirds (2/3) of the then members of the Board of Directors must have voted on the resolution; and
    2. The resolution of the Board of Directors must be confirmed by a resolution passed at an Annual General Meeting at which meeting the members may confirm, amend or reject the resolution; and
    3. The resolution shall only be effective until the next Annual General Meeting of the members and not until it has been published in the next newsletter.

16. INTERPRETATION

In these By-laws, or in the regulations or in the shooting rules or in any resolution of either the OA, the Executive Committee or the Board of Directors, unless the context otherwise requires, words importing the singular or the masculine shall include the plural or the feminine, as the case may be, and vice versa.