Last modified September 2008
1. The name of the Association, which is an unincorporated association of various Ringette associations recognized by Ringette Alberta, shall be "Central Alberta Ringette Association" (which hereafter shall be referred to as "the Association").
2. The objects or purposes of the Association shall be:
a. to promote and expand the game of Ringette within Zone 4, Alberta, and Canada;
b. to encourage individual players , coaches, and referees to improve their skills through competition;
c. to foster the highest standards of sportsmanship and friendliness for all participants in Ringette; and
d. to further the goals and objectives of Ringette Alberta.
e. Specifically, the Association commits itself to the following guidelines in promoting its objectives:
i. Every player that wishes to play Ringette in Zone 4 should have a team to play on at their ability and commitment level.
ii. The Association will establish sustainable Ringette associations in the greatest number of communities in the zone.
iii. Each member association will make its best effort to assist neighbouring associations to field a team if that association can not fully field a team on its own.
iv. The Association will attempt to field the greatest number of competitive teams to represent Zone 4 annually at provincial championships.
3. The Directors shall offer membership to any community association (incorporated or unincorporated) located within the geographic boundary of Zone 4 of the Province of Alberta as designated or defined by the Alberta Sport Council (or its successors) provided that:
a. The community association is recognized by Ringette Alberta; and
b. the community association pays the membership fees assessed by the Association to its members located within Zone 4 as aforesaid.
4. The Directors may offer membership to any community association (incorporated or unincorporated) outside the geographic boundary of Zone 4 of the Province of Alberta as designated or defined by the Alberta Sport Council (or its successors) provided that:
a. such community association is recognized by Ringette Alberta; and
b. such community association pays those membership fees determined by the Directors or in lieu of such determination, those fees assessed by the Association to its members located within Zone 4 as aforesaid.
5. A member association which does not pay its membership fees as determined as aforesaid within sixty (60) days of when the fees are assessed ceases to be a "member in good standing".
6. The membership of a community association may be terminated, suspended or cancelled (in any case with or without conditions) at general meeting of the Association.
7. The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held prior to the 30th day of September in each and every calendar year at such time and place as the Directors shall appoint. In default of the meeting being so held the meeting shall be held in the month next following and may be convened by any two members in the same manner as nearly as possible at that in which meetings are to be convened the Directors.
8. The annual general meetings shall be called a (general meeting.÷ All other meetings of the member associations shall be called (extra-ordinary.÷
9. The Directors may convene an extra-ordinary meeting of the member associations when they see fit.
10. Notice of a general meeting shall be given to the member associations at least Fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting. The Notice shall specify the date, place and hour of the meeting as prescribed. The non-receipt of such notice by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings of any general meeting.
11. Quorum at a general meeting shall be not less than 2/3rds of the members in good standing of the Association. A member shall be considered present if at least one delegate of that member is personally present. No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless there is a quorum of members present at the time when the meeting proceeds to business.
12. If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened by the Directors, shall be dissolved. If the meeting is an annual general meeting it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place. If at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, the members present as represented by their delegates shall be a quorum.
13. The President or in the absence of the President, the Vice-President of the Association shall preside as chairperson at every general meeting of the Association. If there is no President or Vice-President or if at any meeting the President or Vice-President is not present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting or is unwilling to act as chairperson, the member present as represented by their delegates shall choose some one of the delegates to be chairperson.
14. The chairperson may with the consent of any meeting at which a quorum is present and shall if so directed by the meeting adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a meeting is adjourned for 10 days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. It shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting.
15. At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless a poll is called. Unless a poll is duly demanded, a declaration by the chairperson that a resolution has been carried on a show of hands, whether unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost, an entry to that effect in the book of the proceedings of the Association shall be conclusive proof of the fact, without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against that resolution.
16. A poll may be demanded on a resolution by any delegate entitled to vote before or on the declaration of the result of a show of hands. If a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken immediately and in such a manner as the chairperson directs. The result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded.
17. In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the chairperson of the meeting at which the show of hands takes place, or at which the poll is demanded, shall be entitled to the casting vote.
18. Each member shall have the right to be represented at a general meeting by a maximum of four (4) appointed delegates, whose identity and authority shall be established by their presence unless a letter of authority indicates otherwise. Each delegate personally present shall be entitled to one (1) vote whether on a show of hands or on a poll. No delegate shall be entitled to a vote in addition to his or her own for a delegate not present, whether a delegate of his or her own association or another.
19. Notwithstanding paragraph 18 hereof, no delegate of any member which is not in good standing shall be entitled to vote.
20. Each member association shall have the right to appoint four (r) Directors of the Association whose identity and authority shall be established by a letter of authority, and each Director shall have one (1) vote to a total of four (4) votes per member association.
21. The officers of the Association shall be Directors and consist of:
a. the following who shall be elected at the annual general meeting:
i. President (whose sole qualification for office shall be that he served as a Director in the preceding year);
ii. Vice-President;
iii. Zone 4 Association Representative to Ringette Alberta;
iv. Secretary/Treasurer;
v. Director of Officials; and
vi. AA Director
b. the following who may be appointed by the Directors from time to time:
i. Referee-ln-Chief;
ii. Scheduler; and
iii. Such other positions as the Directors see fit.
22. The business of the Association shall be managed by the Directors who may exercise all such powers of the Association as are not, by these articles, required to be exercised by the Association in general meetings or extra-ordinary meetings, subject never the less to any regulation of these articles, and to the regulations and directions of Ringette Alberta.
23. The Directors may from time to time make rules and regulations concerning and providing for:
a. player, coach and team registration; player, coach and team eligibility;
b. player transfers both inter-Association and extra-Association;
c. game format structure and scheduling
d. league format, structure and scheduling;
e. playoff format, structure and scheduling;
f. officiating; grievance;
g. discipline;
h. representation from Zone 4 at Provincial Championship play downs, old Tournaments, Friendship Games and Tournaments, Alberta Winter Games and Tournaments, and such other Games and Tournaments to which Zone 4 may send a representative from and representing Zone 4; and
i. the duties and responsibilities of the officers of the Association.
24. Rules and regulations made pursuant to paragraph 23 shall be incorporated into the Associations Operations and Procedures Manual which shall be updated on an annual basis at the start of each season prior to the start of league play, and rules and regulations made during one season shall not apply in the next or any subsequent season unless so incorporated.
25. The management and Directors shall duly comply with the provision of Ringette Canada and Ringette Alberta.
26. The Directors shall cause minutes to be made in books provided for the purpose
a. of all appointments of officers made by the Directors;
b. of the name of the Directors present at the meeting of the Directors and of any committee of the Directors; and
c. of all resolutions and proceedings at all meetings of the Association, and of the Directors, and of committees of Directors.
27. Notice of a n extraordinary meeting shall be given to the Directors at least Fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting. The Notice shall specify the date, place and hour of the meeting as prescribed. The non-receipt of such notice by any Director shall not invalidate the proceedings of any general meeting.
28. The Directors may meet together for the dispatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate the meetings, as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In case of an equality of votes the chairperson shall have a casting vote. A Director may, and the, Secretary on the requisition of a Director shall, at any time summon a meeting of the Directors.
29. The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Directors shall be the representation of at least 2/3rds of the Directors or alternate Directors personally present.
30. If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place, and, if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, the Directors present shall be a quorum.
31. The President of the Association shall be chairperson of the board of Directors and in his absence the Vice-President, if any, of the Association, and if there is no President or Vice-President, or if at any meeting the President or Vice-President is absent the Directors may elect a chairperson of their meetings and determine the period for which he is to hold office, but, if no such chairperson is elected or if at any meeting the chairperson is not present within five (5)minutes after the time appointed for holding it, the Directors present may chose one of their number to be chairperson of the meeting.
32. The Directors may delegate any of their powers to committees consisting of such member or members of their body as they think fit any committee so formed shall in the exercise of the powers so delegated conform to any regulations that may be imposed on them by the Directors.
33. A committee may elect a chairperson of their meetings; if no such chairperson is elected or if at the meeting the chairperson is not present within five (5) minutes after the time appointed for holding it, the members present may chose one of their number to be chairperson of the meeting.
34. A committee may meet and adjourn as the members think proper. Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present, and in case of an equality of votes the chairperson shall have a casting vote.
35. All acts done by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of Directors or by any person acting as a Director, shall notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any such Directors or persons acting as aforesaid of that they or any of them were disqualified, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified to be a Director.
36. Each Director personally present shall be entitled to one vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll.
37. Notwithstanding paragraph 38 hereof no Director or alternate Director appointed by any member which is not in good standing shall be entitled to vote.
38. An alternate Director shall be entitled to one vote and only if:
a. one of the Directors for whom he has been appointed an alternate is not personally present; and
b. the alternate Director is personally present.
39. The letter of authority appointing a Director or an alternate Director referred to in paragraph 20 shall contain an address in Alberta for the giving of notice to such Director or alternate Director and shall be deposited with the President or Secretary of the Association (following which such Director or alternate Director shall be "registered") in default of which upon a dispute as to a purported Director's or alternate Director's authority, the purported Director or alternate Director shall not be entitled to vote.
40. The Directors shall cause true accounts to be kept:
a. of all sums of money received and disbursed by the Association and the matters in respect of which such receipt and expenditure took place;
b. of all sales and purchases of goods by the Association;
c. of the assets and liabilities of the Association; and
d. of all other transactions affecting the financial position of the Association.
41. The books of account shall be kept in the possession of the Treasurer of the Association, or at such other place as the Directors determine by resolution, and shall always be open to inspection by the Directors.
42. Once at least in every year the Treasurer shall present before the Association at its annual general meeting a financial statement for the period since the preceding statements.
43. A notice may be given to any member either by giving it to one of its appointed Directors or alternate Director duly registered pursuant to paragraph 20 and 39 hereof or by sending it by post to the address, if any, within Alberta supplied by it to the Association for the giving of notices to it.
44. A notice may be given to a Director or alternate Director either orally or in writing by personal service or by sending it by post or email to the Director to the address if any within Alberta supplied to the Association by the letter of authority referred to in paragraph 20 and 39 hereof.
45. Where a notice is sent by post, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing prepaying and posting a letter containing the notice, and to have been effected on the day following the date of posting. Where a notice is sent by email, service of the notice shall be deemed to be effected by evidence of a read receipt generated by the recipients email service.
46. Notice of every general meeting or extra-ordinary meeting shall be given in time manner hereinbefore authorized to:
a. every member of the Association except those members who have not supplied to the Association an address within Alberta for the giving of notices to it and have not appointed Director or an alternate Director as set out hereinbefore;
47. The game of Ringette shall be played according to the Official Rule Book of Ringette Canada subject to such modification as may be made by or permitted by Ringette Alberta or as determined by the Directors.