(As
adopted at the General Meeting of March 13, 1984
and amended at the General Meeting of May 9, 2001)
ARTICLE I - NAME:
The organization shall be known as the
"Canada-Italy Friendship Group".
ARTICLE II - STATUS:
It shall function within the mandate of
the Speakers of the Senate and House of Commons and with the support of the
Parliamentary Relations Secretariat and in affiliation from time to time with
selected groups of Italian parliamentarians.
ARTICLE III - AIM:
Its aim is to provide a forum for the
exchange of ideas and to promote the expansion of relations between the two
countries.
ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP:
Canadian membership in the Group is
open to all members of the Canadian Senate and House of Commons on application
and payment of the membership fee.
ARTICLE V - FINANCIAL
ARRANGEMENTS AND OPERATIVE YEAR:
1. The operating year of the Group is the federal fiscal
year commencing on the first day of April and ending on the thirty-first day of
March.
2. a) The Group shall maintain a comprehensive
financial reporting and auditing system of accounts as approved from time to
time by the Speakers of the Senate and House of Commons.
b) The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the custodian of the
records of the Group including the financial accounts and shall report
regularly thereon to the Executive.
ARTICLE VI - ANNUAL GENERAL
MEETING:
An Annual General Meeting of the
membership shall be held at least once in each fiscal year when Parliament is
in session, at the call of the Chairman or any ten (10) members of the Group.
It shall:
(a) elect the Chairman, two (2) Vice-Chairmen and six (6)
other Members of the Executive for a two-year term of office;
(b) receive and act on an Annual Financial Statement audited
as necessary under Article V;
(c) receive and act on an annual budget and program of
activities for the ensuing year;
(d) receive and act on any proposals for amendment of the
Constitution;
(e) transact any other business which may be properly placed
before the Meeting.
ARTICLE VII - SPECIAL GENERAL
MEETING:
A Special General Meeting of the
membership may be called at any time by the Chairman or any ten (10) members of
the Group. It shall transact only such business as was designated in the notice
of the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII - QUORUM:
(a) Ten (10) members shall constitute a Quorum at an Annual
General or Special General Meeting.
(b) Four (4) members shall constitute a Quorum at a Meeting of
the Executive.
ARTICLE IX - NOTICES:
(a) Annual General Meeting: Notice shall be given in writing
mailed at least two (2) weeks in advance of the proposed date to the
parliamentary office of each member. Such notice shall include any proposed
changes in the Constitution.
(b) Special General Meeting: Notice shall ordinarily be given
as for an Annual General Meeting and the notice shall contain a statement of
the business proposed to be transacted at such meeting. No other business shall
be transacted.
(c) In an exceptional or emergency situation, the Executive
may call a membership meeting by telephone calls to the Ottawa office of every
member at least two (2) days before the proposed date and such a meeting shall
be in order unless ten (10) or more members object.
(d) Lack of quorum shall not prevent a discussion of any
matter brought before a meeting but no decisions shall be taken.
ARTICLE X - THE EXECUTIVE:
1. The Executive shall have the responsibility for the
general management of the affairs of the Group and shall report thereon at each
Annual General or Special General Meeting.
2. The Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons are
Honorary Chairmen.
3. Ex-officio members: the outgoing Chairman shall be an
ex-officio member of the Executive Committee. The Leaders of the recognized
political parties in the House of Commons shall be Honorary Vice-Chairmen.
4. The Executive shall consist of nine (9) selected members
as follows:
(i) a Chairman
(ii) two (2) Vice-Chairmen
(iii) six (6) additional members one (1) of whom shall be
designated Parliamentary Treasurer of the Group by the Executive.
5. Following a general election, the Executive Committee
duly elected during the previous Parliament shall be required to call an Annual
General Meeting in order to elect a new Executive Committee.
6. The Executive shall meet at the call of the Chairman or
any four (4) members.
7. The Chairman shall assume the duties normally associated
with that office including that of presiding officer at meetings of the
Executive and general membership.
8. In the absence of the Chairman, the senior Vice-Chairman
shall act on his behalf.
9. If the Chairman is a Senator, both Vice-Chairmen must be
members of the House of Commons but not vice versa.
10. The Executive shall meet at least twice in each fiscal
year. Its responsibilities include preparation and presentation of the annual
budget, financial statement and program activities for the ensuing year.
11. If for any reason a position on the Executive becomes
vacant, the Executive shall have the prerogative to fill the position from the
membership for the balance of the term.
ARTICLE XI - NOMINATIONS
COMMITTEE:
1. There shall be a Nominations Committee for the election
of the Executive constituted as follows:
a) The Chairman, Vice-Chairmen and Parliamentary Treasurer;
b) Three (3) members chosen by the Executive Committee and
who are on the Executive Committee and representing the recognized political
parties in Parliament. Their names shall be notified to the party Whips in each
Chamber.
2. The Committee shall meet at the call of the Chairman and
shall report to the Annual General Meeting as follows:
a) the names of all members who may have been proposed to
it;
b) its recommendations to the membership.
3. Other nominations may be received from or on behalf of
any member of the Group. They shall be in writing to the Executive Secretary who
shall put them at once before the Nominations Committee. Such nominations shall
include a statement by the nominee of his willingness to serve. The Executive
Secretary shall be advised in writing at least forty-eight (48) hours before
the date of the Annual General Meeting.
4. Nominations under XI, 3 which are not recommended for
election by the Nominations Committee may be moved from the floor at the Annual
General Meeting.
ARTICLE XII - REPRESENTATION OF THE GROUP:
1. Members shall be notified in writing of every opportunity
as it arises to represent the Group at any conference, convention,
parliamentary or other meeting in Canada or Italy.
2. Every member shall have the right to apply on an approved
form for inclusion in any such representation and such requests shall be
considered by the Selection Committee.
ARTICLE XIII - SELECTION COMMITTEE:
1. There shall be a Selection Committee which shall name the
members who will represent the Group under Article XII.
2. It shall consist of:
a) The Chairman, Vice-Chairmen and Parliamentary Treasurer;
b) Three (3) active members representative of the major
political parties in Parliament, chosen by the Executive Committee.
3. The names of the members of each Selection Committee
shall be notified to the membership when possible but in any event to the Whips
of the recognized political parties in Parliament. There shall be a newly
constituted Selection Committee for each representation opportunity.
4. In making its selections, the Committee shall, as far as
practical, achieve equitable representation of:
a) the recognized political parties in Parliament in each
Chamber;
b) the contribution which each selected member may be
expected to make to the success of a meeting and, particularly, to the
undertaking to attend briefing sessions in advance at home or abroad, and all
plenary, committee, seminar and other meetings;
c) an adequate balance between reasonable continuity of some
members of each selected group and equitable opportunity for new qualified
members to be chosen.
ARTICLE XIV - SUPPORT STAFF:
In accordance with Article II, the
Group may request the Parliamentary Relations Secretariat to designate an
experienced person to act as Executive Secretary of the Group to coordinate its
activities with those of the Secretariat and other Canadian Parliamentary
Associations.
ARTICLE XV - RULES OF PROCEDURE:
Meetings of the Group shall be
conducted in accordance with the procedures and practices of the Canadian
Parliament as generally applicable to public meetings in Canada.
ARTICLE XVI - AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION:
The Constitution may be amended only as
follows:
(a) at an Annual General Meeting of the Group;
(b) at a Special General Meeting of the membership called for
that purpose;
(c) on notice as specified in Articles VI and IX;
(d) by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of members present and entitled
to vote at the meeting.
ARTICLE XVII- VOTING :
Voting at Membership meetings shall be
by show of hands unless a written ballot is demanded by at least five (5)
members present (two (2) in the case of an Executive Committee meeting).