Annual General Meeting Information

The Canada StairClimbing Association has one major annual general meeting each year. This meeting takes place early in the year and the major focus is to determine the direction of the Association.In attendance we will have our Board of Advisors which include the following positions:

• The Chairperson of the Board
• Vice Chairman of the Board
• The President and Founder
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Member Liaisons 
  

The roles of each advisor will be made clear to the advisor once elected into the board. Getting elected onto the Board of Directors At the end of each fiscal year the members of the association will get to re-elect new Member Liasons to represent them on the Board. In addition the executive committee will be re-elected each year. General Outline of the Annual General Meetings  

• by-laws of the organization
• job descriptions of the board members, officers and staff
  
• committee assignment lists with committee responsi-bilities
• operating policies of the board
• annual financial statement
• minutes of meetings

Responsibilities Of The Board Of Advisors

1. Trusteeship

The most important responsibility of the board is trusteeship. The directors are responsible for the organization's programs, image and assets. They have a duty to manage the organization honestly, in good faith, and in the best interest of the organization while using the care and diligence of a reasonably prudent person.

2. Financial Management

The directors are responsible for spending money on programs that represent the organization's priorities of need. They are trustees responsible for funds which the organization raises, accepts and disperses. Simply put, the board member is obligated to exercise judgment that a reasonably prudent individual would exercise in regard to his or her own funds. Adequate financial controls which protect the assets and limit the liabilities (e.g., procedures for authorizing expenditures and borrowing, budget controls, etc.) are required.

3. Program Planning Implementation and Evaluation

The directors must ensure that the board sets goals, defines obligations, and develops plans to reach these goals. The goals should reflect the needs of the organization and its community and be translated into the budget or utilization of resources at the disposal of the organization. Activities carried out on behalf of the organization should be consistent with its established goals.

Methods of evaluating the effectiveness of programs on the basis of effectiveness per unit of input are necessary for accountability purposes.

4. Communication

No organization can exist with the board acting alone. Communication within the organization, both written and verbal, enables the membership to understand and support the board actions. However, it is a two-way street since the board must "keep in touch" with members, especially when establishing goals and planning programs.

Interaction with individuals and groups outside the organization's membership, including potential members, community leaders, other organizations, and various business and government bodies, is very important. The spirit of this interaction can be largely affected by the image projected.

The organization's image is developed through communicating the organization's actions, concerns and vision effectively, not just to the membership, but also to the community.

Next set Annual General Meeting: November 26th 2010