5.E Discussion Item with regard to youth membership, YCC and youth rating fees

[Pierre Dénommée]

It appears that based on the changes in the NFP act the board of directors set membership fees. I know for a fact that it used to be the job of the voting members. The youth committee cannot set fees and I don't think that membership fees should go to the youth fund. There should be some reduction in youth fees versus adult fees to take into account the fact that some people can't afford to pay increased fees. I also don't think that any fees associated with WYCC/WCCC/CYCC should go anywhere but the youth fund. The financials look healthy so I am not sure that we really need any big increase in fees though it might be prudent to put in an escalator for inflation. We are still discussing what the reserve should be in 2017 - 2018 for the Olympiad. I think the consensus is at least $10k to 12k.

We could move a motion at the next AGM to transfer that back the Voting Members.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

We could move a motion at the next AGM to transfer that back the Voting Members.

It would require a constitutional amendment meaning a two thirds majority. I am not sure why the government changed the law but it would also mean that we are passing something which contradicts the NFP act. One of the duties of the directors is to make sure that we do nothing which contravenes the act. I need to read the act again to familiarize myself with the changes that have happened in 2018.

I don't think that membership fees should go up except in lockstep with inflation though I would be okay (after consulting with a number of parents who voiced no objections) with some increase in youth membership fees and rating fees. It makes sense that the directors who are required to manage the financial situation have control of the levers of that financial situation.

[Pierre Dénommée]

It would require a constitutional amendment meaning a two thirds majority. I am not sure why the government changed the law but it would also mean that we are passing something which contradicts the NFP act. One of the duties of the directors is to make sure that we do nothing which contravenes the act. I need to read the act again to familiarize myself with the changes that have happened in 2018.

I don't think that membership fees should go up except in lockstep with inflation though I would be okay (after consulting with a number of parents who voiced no objections) with some increase in youth membership fees and rating fees. It makes sense that the directors who are required to manage the financial situation have control of the levers of that financial situation.

I have only found this in the NFP Act.

Conditions of membership

154 (1) The by-laws shall set out the conditions required for being a member of the corporation, including whether a corporation or other entity may be a member.
Member approval

The conditions includes the fee. Contrary to the Article of Incorporation, by default, the By-Laws requires only a simple majority unless I missed something.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

If the conditions included the fees then there would not be the separate clause in the NFP act which I cited previously assigning the ability to set membership fees to the directors.

The bylaws do not set out the fees and it would be ludicrous to make the fees part of the bylaws because that would mean that every time we wanted to change them we would have to remit a significant fee to the government to do so.

[Pierre Dénommée]

As you wrote

Annual contributions or dues
30 Subject to the articles, the by-laws and any unanimous member agreement, the directors may require members to make an annual contribution or pay annual dues and may determine the manner in which the contribution is to be made or the dues are to be paid.

The power of the Directors is subject to the Articles of Incorporation (filed in Ottawa and costly to change) and to the By-Laws which are not approved by Ottawa and free to change.