WEST TORONTO CHAPTER – CHAPTER BY-LAW

GENERAL

1. The West Toronto Chapter of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario (called PEO) is constituted and operates under the Professional Engineers Act, Chapter P-28, Statutes of Ontario 1990, Regulation 941 and By-Law No.1:
“3) …are continued as chapters of the association with areas constituted by their present boundaries…”
“7) …each chapter may pass by-laws governing its operations and respecting the conduct of their affairs…”
2. The Chapter shall operate in accordance with this by-law and the Terms of Reference for Chapters – roles and responsibilities as passed by Council at Council Meeting #423 dated June 17-18, 2004.
3. A copy of this by-law shall be filed with the Chapter Manager of PEO.

ARTICLE 1 – Name and Boundaries

1. The chapter shall be known as the West Toronto Chapter, hereinafter called the “Chapter”.
2. The Chapter shall encompass postal districts M4R, M4V, M5G, M5H, M5J, M5K, M5L, M5N, M5P, M5R, M5S, M5T, M5V, M5W, M5X, M6B, M6C, M6E, M6G, M6H, M6J, M6K, M6M, M6N, M6P, M6R, M6S and M7A. In general the Chapter is bounded by Yonge Street on the east, Lake Ontario on the south, the Humber River on the west and Lawrence Avenue on the north, with several jogs to conform to postal districts.

ARTICLE 2 – Essential Purposes

  • 1. The essential purposes of the Chapter are Policy and Communications through the following initiatives:
  • (a) Enhance a local presence for the engineering profession throughout Ontario.
  • (b) Provide an introduction and training for professional engineers who want to participate in the statutory functions of the profession.
  • (c) Provide timely and current information to license holders
  • (d) Provide an active communication link between the membership and Council with regards to i) policy development ii) succession planning for PEO Leadership and iii) PEO and Chapter Budget planning.
  • (e) Provide a forum for the local discussion of professional and civic affairs.
  • (f) Enhance the professional development, competency and social responsibility of professional engineers.
  • (g) Serve as an information resource for professional engineers, the public and society.
  • (h) Promote public awareness of the engineering profession in the local community.
  • (i) Provide local point of contact for the community to access information on the profession of Engineering.
    (j) Promote participation of license holders in Chapter activities and PEO committees.
  • (k) Promote recognition of individuals or firms for their support of the profession.

ARTICLE 3 – Membership

1. Members of PEO residing within the Chapter boundaries shall automatically be members of the Chapter.
2. Any member of PEO may elect to become a member of the Chapter at his/her discretion.
3. Engineers in Training (E.I.T.s) as defined in Regulations who reside within the Chapter boundaries shall be extended all the privileges of chapter membership.

ARTICLE 4 – Chapter Management

1. The Chapter shall be governed by a Board, duly elected by the membership of the Chapter as described below. Board members shall be elected for a term of one year. The Board’s term of office shall coincide with the Chapter’s fiscal year.
2. The board shall have a minimum of seven (7) members and a maximum of fifteen (15) members, a majority of which must reside within the geographic boundary of the chapter. Board members must be in good standing with PEO. The Board shall be comprised of Officers and Executives.
3. Officer positions are Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, plus the immediate Past-Chair as an officer ex-officio.
4. Non-Officer members of the Board are called Executives. Executives must be active participants in the running of the chapter, will organize public meetings on a regular basis, and will in addition have specific duties. At the discretion of the Chair, an Executive can be moved to the status of Committee Member if he or she is not active. Committee Members will not be considered board members, do not have to attend board meetings and will not have voting rights at board meetings. However, Committee Members can be active in implementing board decisions and participating in running specific aspects of the chapter. Engineers-in-Training can be Executives or the Secretary position but cannot have signing authority for the chapter.
5. The quorum for general meetings of the Chapter shall be 15 members in good standing. If a quorum is not present, any decisions taken must be ratified by the PEO chapter representative. The quorum for board meetings shall be one half of the Board, plus one, including a minimum of three of the five officer positions.
6 At board meetings every question shall be decided in accordance with Wainberg’s rules of order.
7. The board shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Chapter. At least two months before the AGM, the Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee comprised of one member of the current Board, preferably the Past Chair, and up to two other chapter members, preferably not from the Board. The committee shall compile a slate of candidates for the Board based on nominations submitted by Chapter members. The committee shall send a notice to all Chapter members requesting nominations for the Board with names to be received by the committee two weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
8. The slate of candidates proposed by the nominating committee shall be presented at the AGM. At the AGM, candidates can be nominated from the floor by a mover and a seconder with acceptance by the nominee. Candidates, so nominated will be added to the slate of candidates. The augmented slate of candidates shall be voted individually by the Chapter members present. If the number of board members is less than the maximum allowed, voting will cease when the slate is exhausted. If there are more candidates than the maximum allowed, the Secretary will record the number of votes for each candidate and the candidates with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated until the maximum is reached.
9. The AGM shall also elect the Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair will serve for a term of two years, after which the Vice-Chair shall become Chair for two years effective the beginning of the next fiscal year. The Vice-Chair should normally have served at least one year on the Board or other committee of Council during the previous five years. The Chair will automatically become Past-Chair for the next two years and the Past Chair will become an Executive.
10. The Board shall determine Executive and Officer positions other than Vice-Chair, Chair and Past-Chair at its first meeting of the fiscal year.
11. Should any officer position become vacant between elections, the Board is empowered to appoint a successor for the balance of the term of the Board.
12. Should additional Board members be required due to either resignation or insufficient numbers of individuals elected at the AGM, the current Board is empowered to appoint such additional members as may be required for the balance of the term of the Board.

ARTICLE 5 – Meetings

1. The Board shall hold a minimum of six meetings annually, starting with the first month of the fiscal year, with specific dates to be determined by the Board. In addition, the Board shall hold an AGM during the first quarter of the year.
2. Extraordinary Chapter meetings may be called by the Chair of the Chapter, as deemed necessary.
3. Upon the written petition of 20 members of the Chapter to the Chapter Secretary, extraordinary Chapter meetings shall be convened.
4. Notice of Board meetings shall be sent to all Board members not less than seven days before the meeting is to take place.

ARTICLE 6 – Expenditures

1. The fiscal year of the Chapter shall be the calendar year.
2. All expenditures on behalf of the Chapter shall be approved in principle by the Board and administered by the Treasurer. The amounts of expenditures shall be based on the PEO Chapter Expense Guidelines.
3. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial accounting of the Chapter affairs.
4. All accounts shall be paid by cheque, signed by the Treasurer and one of the Chair or Vice-Chair.

ARTICLE 7 – Auditors

1. The board shall appoint an auditor, who is either a member of the Chapter but not a member of the Board, or a registered Chartered Accountant, to act for the ensuing twelve months or until his/her successor is appointed.
2. The books shall be closed and audited annually, at least one week prior to the end of the fiscal year. The audited financial statement and the summary of completed activities shall be presented to the membership of the Chapter at the AGM.
3. A copy of the auditors’ report shall be submitted to the Chapter Manager of PEO and the Senior Regional Councillor within the first month of the fiscal year.

ARTICLE 8 – Reports

1. The Board shall submit a Chapter Activity annual report by January 31st of each year, to the Chapter Manager of PEO and the Senior Regional Councillor concerning the activities of the Chapter for the preceding fiscal year.
2. The Board shall prepare an annual business plans which include planned activities for the coming year and financial assistance required to conduct the local affairs of the Chapter. Such plan, shall be completed and submitted in a time specified by the RCC for inclusion within the annual PEO budget process.

ARTICLE 9 – Privacy

1. The Chapter shall follow the established PEO Privacy Policy.

ARTICLE 10 – Amendments

1. The Chapter may pass by-laws, subject to approval by the Council of PEO, for the government of its members and all other purposes as may be deemed necessary for the management of the Chapter and conduct of its business.
2. This by-law may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board at any Board meeting, provided that the notice of the proposed amendment has been included with the notice calling the meeting. Notices for this purpose must be postmarked or electronically sent at least ten days in advance of the meeting.
3. Amendments are subject to ratification by the majority of the Chapter members attending the next AGM, provided that the notice of the proposed amendment has been included with the notice calling the AGM. Notices for this purpose must be postmarked or electronically sent at least ten days in advance of the meeting. Amendments when passed shall require the approval of PEO Council.