CLEAR LAKE COTTAGE OWNERS' ASSOCIATION


MISSION STATEMENT

                                               Clear Lake Cottage Owners’ Association (CLCOA)

                                                                             MISSION STATEMENT:
The CLCOA is a voluntary association of cottage owners at Clear Lake, Riding Mountain National Park.  The Association supports the interests of our members with emphasis on leasehold, environmental and social issues.

                                                                                       OBJECTIVES:
To keep the membership informed of new and changing community issues.
To support our membership in matters of common interest with Parks Canada and appropriate branches of government.
To cooperate and communicate with Parks Canada, local government and civic organizations regarding programs of value to this area.
To support and enable united action on matters of concern to cottage owners.
To promote the beautification and protect the quality of the environment of Riding Mountain National Park.To provide social and recreational activities for members. 


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                                      CLEAR LAKE COTTAGE OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION

1.  Objects:

The general objects of the Association are as follows:  

     a)  To maintain and advance the interests of the members of the Association.

     b)  To improve our natural public asset, Riding Mountain National Park in general, add as to its beauty, usefulness and popularity in particular.
     c)  To enhance the aesthetic value and convenient use of property holdings of the members generally.                                d) To assist the Authorities of the said Park in all matters directly or indirectly appertaining to the aims and objects of the Association.
     e)  Such further particular objects in the premises as may be adopted from time to time by a general meeting of the Association.

2. Board of Directors:
     a)  The Board of Directors will be elected from the membership, by the members at the Annual General Meeting.
     b)  The Directors shall be responsible for coordination of the work of the Association and for carrying out the policies and directives of the Association as determined by the Association at any general meeting.

     c)  The Board of Directors shall be the governing body of the Association with full power to act between general meetings of the Association

     d)  The Board of Directors shall consist of at least nine (9) members and not more than twelve (12) members, four (4) of which shall be the Officers  subsequently referred to in Article 3.  A quorum of the Board shall be a simple majority of members and a decision on a resolution shall be by a simple majority of members present at a duly constituted meeting.

     e)  The Directors shall have the power to make expenditures for the purpose of furthering the objects of the Association.  Notwithstanding this power, the Directors can commit expenditure only to the extent that funds                  currently are available, or as approved by a general meeting of the Association.
     f)  Upon resignation, or other removal, of a Board member, the Directors may appoint a replacement from the Association membership at large.

     g)  Any appointment made as per the foregoing shall be in effect until the next Annual General Meeting.


3.  Officers:
     a)  The Officers of the Association shall be chosen from the Board of Directors and shall be elected at the annual general meeting.  They shall be as follows:
                        President:        To chair meetings of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors and general meeting of the Association.
                        Vice President:  To act for the President in his/her absence.
                        Treasurer:  To manage the finances of the Association.
                        Past President:   To chair meetings of the Board and general meetings of the Association in the absence of the President and Vice  President.  This position is ex-officio.

                        These officers shall form the Executive Committee and shall ensure that  the minutes of all Executive Committee, Board and general meetings are recorded.

     b)   Each officer shall have one vote on all issues.
     c)  Upon resignation, or other removal, of an Officer, the Board may appoint a replacement from amongst the remaining members of the Board.
    d)  Any appointment made as per the foregoing shall be in effect until the next Annual General Meeting        

4.  Term of Office*
All Officers and Directors shall be elected annually at Annual General Meeting, for a one year term, beginning at the date of the Annual General Meeting. No Director may hold office for more than six (6) continuous years unless that Director has been elected to a position as an Officer of the Association. No Director shall be re-elected to the Board of Directors after a six  (6) year term unless the Director has been out of office for at least one (1) year before the election.

5.  Committees:
The Committees of the Association and their powers and duties shall be as follows:
     a) The Executive Committee shall consist of four (4) members who shall be the Officers of the Association, that is, the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and the Past President, which pursuant to, or in the absence of, any motion or directive from a general meeting, shall be responsible for carrying out the duties of the Board, in the absence of            meetings of the Board of Directors.  Three (3) members present shall constitute a quorum.  The Executive Committee shall report regularly to the Board of Directors.
      b)  The Nominations Committee shall consist of three (3) members, with a Past President of the Association as the Chair. The members shall be members of the Association and shall be appointed annually by the President.  Of the        other two members one may be a member of the Board and at least one shall not be a member of the Board. The Nominations  Committee shall present to the membership, at least seven (7) days prior to the Annual General Meeting, a proposed slate of candidates for positions of Officers and members of the Board of Directors for the coming year.
       c)   Such other general Committees as may be appointed or empowered by any general meeting of the Association.
       d)  Such special Committees as may be appointed by the Board of Directors of the Association between general meetings for specific objects within the framework of the Constitution.
       e)  The Board of Directors shall be empowered to appoint members to  Committees outside of the Association, which Committees could have an influence on the objects of the Association.
       f)  Unless otherwise specified, the first person named in any Association Committee shall be the Chairman.  The Officers of the Association shal  be ex-officio members of all Association Committees.
      g)  Membership on all Association Committees, and representation to other bodies, shall not be limited to members of the Board of Directors. However all such committees and representatives to other bodies shall report regularly to the Board of Directors, and through them, to the  Association.

6.  Meetings:
There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Association on the Saturday or Sunday following the long weekend in August of every year.
Provided, however, that the President may, or a quorum of the Board of cause so to do, call a special general meeting at any time or place upon two (2) weeks general notice to all members.  Such notice shall specify the subject matters to be dealt with at any such special general meeting and no items other than those specified in such notice shall be dealt with at any such special meeting.
Provided, further that a special general meeting shall be called by the President and due notice of same shall be given as herein provided, upon a signed request specifying the subject or subjects to be dealt with being received by the President from not less than twenty (20) members of the Association.

7.  Membership and Voting:
The membership shall consist of any person having a leasehold on lands or premises situated in Riding Mountain National Park at Clear Lake, and occupied for residential, as distinct from business purposes, and who has paid the annual membership fee as herein provided, for the year in which the Annual General Meeting is held.
 Notwithstanding that there could be more than one owner of a leasehold cottage interest and/or that there could be more than one member of the Association occupying that cottage, voting in the Association shall be restricted to one (1)
vote for each cottage lot.  In the event that the lessees of a particular lot shall  be unable to agree on who is to exercise the voting rights with respect to that  cottage, any such dispute shall be determined by the President of the Association, whose decision shall be final and binding with respect to that dispute. A member, his or her spouse, or his or her designated family member shall shall be entitled to exercise the voting right for any cottage lot.
All resolutions presented to any general meeting of the Association shall be decided upon by a simple majority of votes cast at that meeting.

8.  Amendment:

 No amendment whether by way of addition to or deletion from this Constitution shall be valid unless and until:
       a)  it has been passed at an Annual General Meeting by not less than two thirds of the members present and voting thereon, or
       b)  at a special general meeting called for the purpose and passed by not less than two thirds of the total members present and voting thereon.

9.  Dues:
      a)  The annual dues of the Association shall be set by the Board of Directors and will be ratified by the Annual General Meeting.
      b)  The fiscal year of the Association will be January 1 to December 31 (the calendar year) and the annual dues ratified at each Annual General Meeting shall be for the subsequent year, commencing January 1, following the Annual General Meeting.                  

This constitution was adopted at the Annual General Meeting of the Clear Lake Cottage Owners’ Association held at Wasagaming, Manitoba on the 7th day of August, 1999 and amended at a special general meeting of the Clear Lake Cottage Owners’ Association held at Onanole, Manitoba on the 7th day of June, 2009.


*  Amendment passed at CLCOA AGM dated August 7th, 2016.