(As
adopted at a meeting of the General Membership on December 15, 1981 and amended
on March 6, 1990)
1. Name:
This organization shall be known as the
"Canada-Israel Friendship Group".
2. Status:
It shall function under the authority
of the Speakers of the Senate and House of Commons and with the support of the
Parliamentary Association Secretariat and in affiliation from time to time with
selected groups of Israeli parliamentarians.
3. Purpose:
The purpose of the Group is to work for
a greater friendship and goodwill between parliamentarians of Canada and Israel
and thereby serve to further cooperation between national parliaments of both
countries and between both countries.
4. 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.
5. 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 Executive Secretary shall be the custodian of the
records of the Group including the financial accounts and shall report
regularly therein to the Executive.
6. Annual General Meeting:
1. 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 members of the Group.
2. It shall:
a) elect the Executive Committee;
b) receive and act on an Annual Financial Statement.
7. Special General Meeting:
A Special General Meeting of the
membership may be called at any time by the Chairman or any ten members of the
Group. It shall transact only such business as was designated in the notice of
the meeting.
8. Quorum:
a) Twelve members shall constitute a Quorum at an Annual
General or Special General Meeting.
b) Four members shall constitute a Quorum at an Executive
Committee Meeting.
9. The Executive:
1) The Executive shall have the responsibility for the
general management of the affairs of the Group and shall report therein at each
Annual General or Special General Meeting.
2) The Executive shall consist of:
i) a Chairman;
ii) Three Vice-Chairmen;
iii) Eight other members (two from the Senate and six from
the House of Commons) one of whom shall be designated Parliamentary Treasurer
of the Group by the Executive.
3) The Executive shall meet at least twice in each fiscal
year. Its responsibilities include the preparation and presentation of the
annual budget, financial statement and program activities for the ensuing year.
10. Nominations:
Nominations for any position on the
Executive Committee may be received from the floor.
11. Support Staff:
In accordance with Article 2, the Group
may request the Parliamentary Associations 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.
12. Rules of Procedure:
Meetings of the Group shall be
conducted in accordance with the procedures and practices of the Canadian
Parliament as applicable to public meetings in Canada.
13. Voting:
Voting at meetings shall be by show of
hands unless a written ballot is demanded by at least five members present (two
in the case of an Executive Committee meeting).
14. Constitution:
The Constitution may be amended at the
Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.
The text of any proposed amendments to the Constitution is to be sent to all
members at their Ottawa parliamentary office at least 30 days in advance of
such meeting, and a majority of two-thirds of the members present is required
for the adoption of any such amendments.