Documents

Constitution and Bylaws of the
Canadian Nursing Environmental Health Group (CNEHG)
CONSTITUTION

1. The name of the Association is the Canadian Nurses for Health and the Environment (CNHE -June, 2009 update.)

2. The Community Nursing Environmental Health Group represents a unified voice for environmental health issues and is dedicated to support and enhance Registered Nurses’ efforts to promote environmental and human health.

3. The office of the Association will be situated in the home of the President or the appointed designate.

4. The objectives for which the Association is founded are :

a. To encourage the engagement of Registered Nurses in promoting environmental health.

b. To provide a forum for Registered Nurses to communicate, discuss, and debate environmental issues of concern, and to share knowledge and expertise on a national basis.

c. To promote the excellence of environmental health nursing practice.

d. To promote the integration of environmental health in all levels of nursing curricula.underline text

e. To promote nursing research in environmental health issues.

f. To provide a venue whereby nurses can speak as a unified voice to influence public policy related to the environment and human health.

g. To promote and support opportunities for inter-professional and intersectoral approaches to environmental health practice, education, research, and policy.

h. To enhance the profile of Registered Nurses’ work in environmental health as the provincial, national, and international levels.

i. To make such by-laws as may be deemed necessary and advisable concerning the administration and management of the affairs of the Association, and from time to time to alter and repeal any such by-laws.

j. To regularly evaluate the Association’s Mission, Vision and Values for continued relevance and meaning for the Association and its members.

5. The Board of Directors for the Canadian Nursing Environmental Health Group will be comprised of elected officers as deemed appropriate according in the Bylaws.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE 1

MEMERSHIP AND FEES

SECTION 1. Regular Individual Membership: Any registered nurse residing in a province/territory of Canada is eligible for individual membership in CNEHG upon completion of the registration form and payment of the membership fee . Each Individual member is entitled to one vote and is eligible to hold a Board of Directors position.

SECTION 2: Regular Group Membership: Any registered nursing group residing in a province/territory of Canada or national nursing group is eligible for group membership in CNEHG upon completion of the registration form and payment of the membership fee. Each group is entitled to one vote and designated representative is eligible to hold a Board of Directors position.

SECTION 3. Student Membership: Any student nurse enrolled in an approved or accredited nursing program in Canada is eligible for individual membership in CNEGH upon completion of the registration form and payment of the membership fee. Each student member is entitled to one vote but is not eligible to hold a Board of Directors position .

SECTION 4. Retired Nurse Membership: Any retiree Nurse residing in a province/territory of Canada is eligible for individual membership in CNEHG upon completion of the registration form and payment of the membership fee. Each Individual member is entitled to one vote but is not eligible to hold a Board of Directors position.

SECTION 5. Affiliate Membership: Any member of another health profession or public person may apply to CNEHG for Affiliate Membership, which may be conferred by the Board if the individual’s interests are in keeping with CNEHG’s objectives. This membership status has no voting privileges and persons are not eligible to hold a Board position.

SECTION 6: Membership Fees: Each Member must pay a membership fee to CNEHG as specified in CNEHG policy. Regular Individual, Regular Group, Affiliate, Student, and Retired Nurse Membership fees shall be an amount that may be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors and ratified at the Annual Meeting of the Association .

The annual membership fee shall be due and received by January 1 of each year. First time memberships applied for on or after July 1st of each year will be subject to a charge no greater than 50% of the regular fee for the remainder of the membership year. Late or non-payment of fees may result in removal of membership privileges as deemed fit by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE II

EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION 1. Board of Directors: The Board of Directors shall be composed of the Executive Committee and a Provincial/Territorial Representative from each participating province/territory.

Additional Board of Director members may be added as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2: Executive Committee: The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President or Co -Presidents, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Officer, and CNA-Environmental Health Liaison Officer.

Additional Executive Committee members may be added as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 3. Provincial/Territorial Representative: Any established Provincial/Territorial environmentally focused group can apply in writing for one representative position on the CNEHG Board of Directors.

SECTION 4. Terms of Office: Officers of the Association shall hold office for a term of three (3) years following their election at the Annual Meeting. Executive members may hold a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms. When possible, terms of office shall be staggered to promote continuity.

SECTION 5. Powers of the Board: The Board shall represent and manage the Association in all its business affairs, subject to the provisions of these By-Laws. The Board shall supervise all publications and statements issued on behalf of the Association or using the name of the Association in any manner whatsoever. The Board of Directors may create, amend and/or dissolve projects and special committees as it may deem expedient for carrying out the work of the Association.

SECTION 6. Meetings of the Board of Directors: The Board of Directors shall hold a minimum of three (3) meetings a year in addition to an annual general meeting.

Additional meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at the call of the President or shall be on direction in writing or two (2) members of the Board of Directors within three (3) months of the request.

The president or designate shall preside at and chair all meetings of the Board of Directors.

Meeting dates will be set a minimum of four (4) months in advance and notification will by sent by the Secretary fifteen (15) days prior to scheduled meetings.

SECTION 7. Quorum: Three (3) members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Board of Directors, with fifteen days notice having been provided.

SECTION 8. Vacancies: Should a vacancy occur on the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors shall appoint a member to fill the position of the remainder of the term. .

SECTION 9. Signing Officers: The signing officers of the Association shall be the President or Treasurer or the appointed Board designate who is accountable to generally accepted accounting principles.

SECTION 10. Fiscal Year: The fiscal year of the Association shall be the calendar year, January 1, to December 31.

ARTICLE III

NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

SECTION 1. Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall be composed of three (3) regular members of the Association. The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Board of Directors at least six (6) months in advance of the Annual Meeting. The Board shall designate the Chair.

SECTION 2. Duties of the Nominating Committee: Duties of the Nominating Committee shall consist of the following:
a. To poll individual members for suggestions and nominees for Officers and Board Representatives.
b. To obtain consent of nominees to stand for election.
c. To prepare a written list of nominees whose consent has been obtained and deliver, or cause to be delivered, to all individual members of the Association at least one (1) month prior to the Annual Meeting.
d. To call for further nominations and to carry out an election at the Annual Meeting.

SECTION 3. Elections: Elections of Board Officers shall occur at immediately following the Annual Meeting. Votes can be cast by one of three (3) means:
a. an open display of support through a show of hands of individual members present at the Annual Meeting
b. completed written ballots from members, received through ordinary or electronic mail
c. verbal or electronic voting through accepted computer methodology or telecommunications e.g. teleconference call.

All mail in ballots must be received by the Chair of the Nominations Committee at least two (2) weeks prior to the Annual Meeting.

Election of Officers shall be staggered so as to prevent a majority turn over of offices at any one time.

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

SECTION 1. Association Officers: The officers of the Association shall be President or Co-Presidents, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Officer, and CNA-Environmental Health Liaison Officer.

The President-Elect shall automatically become President the term following election as President-Elect. All office shall assume their positions at the close of the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE V

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

SECTION 1. President: The President/Co-President shall supervise the business and affairs of the Association and represent CNEHG during his/her/their term in office. The President/Co-President shall be a member ex-officio of all committees and perform all duties incidental to the office. The President/Co-President shall be the Association’s representative to the Canadian Nurses Association. The President/Co-President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and perform other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2. President-Elect: The duties of the President-Elect shall be as assigned by the Board of Directors and in the absence of the President/Co-President, the President-Elect shall perform the President’s duties.

SECTION 3. Secretary: The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept all books and records which by law or otherwise are required to be kept and shall also be responsible for sending out notices of meetings. The Secretary will keep or cause to be kept a record of meeting minutes and membership list and shall perform such other duties as may be required by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 4. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall keep or cause to be kept full and accurate accounts of all financial transactions of the Association and shall deposit or cause to be deposited all monies and securities of the Association in the name of the Association in such depositories as may from time to time be designated by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall also be responsible to prepare or arrange for the preparation of any necessary statements and receipts relating to the financial transactions of the Association and shall perform such other duties as may be required by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 5. Communications Officer: The Communications Officer shall be responsible for an annual communications plan, as approved by the Board of Directors. The Communications Officer shall create and maintain a database of environmental health nursing projects, conferences, workshops, and meetings. The Communications Officer shall be responsible to post communications on the web-site, ensure the CNEHG web-site is kept current, and other duties that may be required by the Board of Directors

SECTION 6: The CNA-Environmental Health Liaison Officer: The CNA-Environmental Health Liaison Officer will act as an ambassador for CNEHG at national activities/gatherings and inform the Board of Directors of trends, issues, and opportunities relevant to CNEHG’s mission and objective.

SECTION 7. Provincial/Territorial Representatives: Provincial/Territorial Representatives are the official liaison between CNEHG and their provincial/territorial Group or other nurses in their jurisdictions. They will act as ambassadors for CNEHG, be in regular communication with nurses in their provincial/territorial Group or jurisdiction, inform the Board of trends and issues in their jurisdiction and prepare an annual report to be presented at the Annual Meeting.

SECTION 8: Duties of officers as defined above must be met in order to remain in good standing as an executive committee member

SECTION 9: Duties of the officers and officer positions may be modified by the board as needed in order to address changing needs of the organization, projects and the environment.

ARTICLE VI

ACCOUNTABILITY OF BOARD MEMBERS

SECTION 1: A written annual report, including a financial statement, shall be provided to the Canadian Nurses Association and each member within six (6) months following the fiscal year-end. Content shall include, at a minimum, actions completed pertaining to each objective.

SECTION 2: Board members shall faithfully serve CNEHG in a fair and just manner. Any Board of Director member who misses 3 consecutive meetings without due cause or notice, or who is unable to fulfill their duties as set out in the bylaws will be reviewed by the Board of Directors. Notice of termination of a Board of Director will be determined by the discretion of the Board of Directors and will be given by the President.

ARTICLE VII

SUPPORT FOR AFFILIATED PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL ENVIRONMENT HEALTH NURSING GROUPS AND CNEHG PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL CHAPTERS

SECTION 1: CNEHG will provide non-fiscal support to provincial/territorial environmental health nursing associations/groups through the Board of Director representative, to strengthen and promote the group’s sustainability and through a relevant program of membership services.

ARTICLE VIII

MEETINGS OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

SECTION 1. Annual Meetings: A meeting shall be held once a year which shall be fixed by the Board. Notification of the time, place, and agenda are to be sent to all regular members in good standing at least two (2) months in advance.

SECTION 2. Special Meetings: The Board may, at its discretion, or upon the request made in writing by a minimum of two (2) regular members in good standing, call a Special Meeting within three (3) months of the request with the same provisions as to notification of time and place described about. The written request for this Special Meeting shall express the purpose of the meeting and shall be sent to the President of the Association by registered mail. The agenda of a special meeting will be limited to the identified purpose.

SECTION 3. Quorum: A quorum for any Annual or Special Meeting shall be the number of members present, but shall be no less than ten (10) members .

SECTION 4. VOTING: A vote of not less than a majority of voting members present shall be required for passage of any matter before a meeting, except or otherwise may be required by these By-Laws.

Voting on all matters, other than election, shall be by show of hands.

Each member shall is entitled to one (1) vote. All questions voted on, except the Constitution or Bylaws, shall be decided by a simple majority of voting members who vote. Each member is entitled to one vote.

In the case of a tie vote, the President shall have a second or casting vote.

ARTICLE IX

COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. The Board of Directors shall have the power to create such committees as it may from time to time deem advisable. The membership and terms of reference for these committees are to be decided by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE X

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

SECTION 1. Rules of Order: Robert’s Rules of Order – Current Edition.

ARTICLE XI

CONSTITUTION & BYLAW AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1. This Constitution may be added to, altered, repealed or amended at the Annual Meeting of the Association by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast provided that the notice of such Annual Meeting has been advertised that such amendments would be dealt with at that time.

SECTION 2. This Constitution shall be adjusted accordingly to meet agreed upon criteria of the Canadian Nurses Association Associate Group requirements.

ARTICLE XIII

AUDIT

SECTION 1. The accounts of CNEHG shall have an external audit done annually prior to the Annual Meeting.

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Jo-Anne MacDonald ac.awattou|960dcamj#ac.awattou|960dcamj
Jenn Otto moc.nsm|757ottonnej#moc.nsm|757ottonnej
Shelly Archibald ac.cq.cs-ch|dlabihcra_yllehs#ac.cq.cs-ch|dlabihcra_yllehs
Jody (Geraldine) Macdonald ac.otnorotu|dlanodcam.g#ac.otnorotu|dlanodcam.g

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Jody

Jody (Geraldine) Macdonald — Tel at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing - 416 978 2967

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