The purpose of the Cherry Ridge Management Committee is:

1. to preserve and maintain the environment, specifically, of the Cherryville Community Forest and of the Cherryville area in general, in the Province of British Columbia;

2. to preserve and maintain the watershed forming a part of the Cherryville Community Forest and Cherryville area;

3. to preserve, maintain, and promote the mule deer winter range and other wildlife habitat forming a part of the Cherryville Community Forest and Cherryville area;

4. to cooperate with and enter into agreements with various Ministries and Crown Corporations of the Government of the Province of British Columbia, having jurisdiction over the use and management of the Cherryville Community Forest and Cherryville area to accomplish the foregoing purposes; and

5. to monitor and report on local environmental issues and activities on behalf of the community that may impact community interests in the Cherryville Community Forest and Cherryville area.

1. Definitions: In these Bylaws, unless there is something in the subject or context inconsistent therewith:

a. “Junior Member” means a member who is under sixteen (16) years of age; and

b. “Society” refers to the Cherry Ridge Management Committee.

2. Number and Gender: Wherever the masculine or singular is used in these Bylaws, the feminine or plural is deemed to have been used and vice versa where the context so requires.

3. Any person may apply to the directors of the Society for membership into the Society, and shall be accepted as a member in good standing into the Society provided that they:

a. agree to uphold the constitution and Bylaws of the Society; and

b. pay the annual dues required of the members.

4. The directors shall determine the amount of the first annual membership dues and after that the annual membership dues shall be determined by ordinary resolution at the annual general meeting of the Society.

5. A person shall cease to be a member of the Society:

a. by delivering his or her resignation in writing, by email or in person, to the secretary of the Society or by mailing or delivering the resignation to the registered address of the Society;

b. on his or her death;

c. on being expelled; or

d. they no longer satisfy the requirements necessary to be a member in good standing as defined in 3(a) and 3(b).

6. (1) A member may be expelled by a special resolution of the members passed at a general meeting. The reasons for such expulsion may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following reasons:

a. doing an act that creates a liability to the Society without its permission;

b. doing an act in the name of the Society that would be contrary to its mandate;

c. stealing from any of the Society’s assets; or

d. violating these Bylaws.

(2) The notice of special resolution for expulsion shall be accompanied by a brief statement of the reason or reasons for the proposed expulsion.

(3) The person who is the subject of the proposed resolution for expulsion shall be given an opportunity to be heard at the general meeting before the special resolution is put to a vote.

7. The president of the Society may call a general meeting or a director’s meeting at any time.

8. Any three (3) of the directors may call a general meeting or a director’s meeting at any time.

9. Ten (10) percent of the voting members may request that a general meeting be held.

10. The Society will report to the Cherryville Community Club a minimum of four (4) times per year at regular Cherryville Community Club meetings.

11. (1) Notice of a general meeting shall specify the place, day and hour of meeting and, in the case of special business regarding a special resolution, the general nature of that business.

a. In the case where a special resolution may be made, notice of a general meeting must include the text of any special resolution to be submitted at the meeting.

(2) Notices of a general meeting shall be emailed, placed in the newspaper, and posted as notices throughout the community so as to assure that every concerned person shall have the opportunity to see the notice. These notices shall be emailed, posted and placed for a minimum period of 14 days before the meeting.

(3) The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting, or the non-receipt of a notice by any of the members entitled to receive notice, does not invalidate proceedings at that meeting.

12. A member has one (1) vote.

13. A member will have the privilege of voting provided that:

a. they are not a Junior Member;

b. they live within the geographic boundaries described below:

i. east of the “Welcome to Cherryville” sign at the top of Shuswap Hill;

ii. west of Mine Hill;

iii. south from north end of Sugar Lake; and iv. north from the east side of Echo Lake; and

c. they are a member in good standing.

14. A voting member may cast a vote by proxy provided that the proxy vote is:

a. in writing; and

b. given to a director of the Society, by email, mail, or in person, who will present it at the appropriate meeting.

15. The number of voting members at a general meeting required to form a quorum shall be eight (8).

16. At a directors’ meeting, the number of directors required to form a quorum shall be five(5).

17. All Society issues should be resolved by consensus if possible. However, directors’ resolutions passed in a directors’ meeting shall require a 2/3 majority vote. All issues not required to be resolved by special resolution shall be decided by an ordinary resolution passed by the members at a general meeting.

a. Any issues to be resolved by way of special resolution will require a 2/3 majority to be passed.

18. Any vote on Society matters which requires passage by “special resolution” shall be made by voting through mail after a motion is made and seconded at a general meeting or a directors’ meeting. The motion, details of the debate, and a ballot shall be sent to all voting members of the Society. The voting members will have 21 days to return their ballots to the registered address of the Society. In addition to notifying the registered members of the Society by mail, notices shall be placed at all major business locations in the Cherryville area specifying the nature of the special resolution and the deadline for voting.

19. (1) The president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and other elected persons shall be the directors of the Society.

(2) The number of directors shall be a minimum of five (5) and a maximum of eleven (11).

20. Subject to clause 24, if a director resigns from his or her senior management position or otherwise ceases to hold that position, the remaining directors may appoint a member to take the place of the former director, if they feel it is necessary to do so before a regular election of senior managers.

21. Directors shall be elected by an ordinary resolution after being nominated at the annual general meeting unless a special meeting is held specifically to elect new senior managers or directors.

22. The election of directors shall start with the election of a president, a vice president, secretary and treasurer, or secretary followed by the election of additional directors up to a total of 11.

a. One person may assume the duties of both secretary and treasurer and their position will be secretary/treasurer.

23. Any or all of the directors may be dismissed by a special resolution.

24. If the president is dismissed, the vice president shall assume the role of president and the position of vice president shall remain vacant until the next election of directors at an annual general meeting. If the president and vice president or all of the directors are dismissed, then a special general meeting must be held at the earliest opportunity to elect new directors and senior managers.

25. Directors will not be remunerated for their services in administering the business of the Society but can be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in administering the business of the Society. This will not prevent the Society from hiring any of its directors to perform tasks required by the Society to carry out its mandate.

26. The president shall:

a. preside at all meetings of the Society and its directors;

b. call all meetings in accordance with procedures outlined in the Society’s Bylaws;

c. represent the Society in its dealings with government agencies, businesses and other groups; and

d. supervise the operations of the Society as required.

27. The vice president shall:

a. carry out the duties of the president during his or her absence;

b. oversee the work of all subcommittees; and

c. help oversee the operations of the Society as required.

28. The secretary shall:

a. keep complete and accurate minutes of all meetings;

b. conduct the correspondence of the Society;

c. issue notices of the meetings of the Society and directors; and

d. maintain the register of members.

29. The treasurer shall:

a. see that financial records are kept in accordance with the requirements of the Societies Act; and

b. keep the Society advised on its financial status.

30. The directors will, in the pursuit of the Society’s mandate:

a. meet with other groups and official agencies;

b. enter into contracts and leases;

c. hire people to perform those tasks as required by the Society;

d. pay the Society’s debts; and

e. borrow money, as required for the Society to pursue its mandate, upon approval by special resolution and in accordance with the Societies Act.

31. All records shall be kept at the registered address of the Society after they are completed and ready for filing.

32. The directors will manage the Society’s funds and use them to meet the Society’s mandate.

33. The directors will make every attempt to keep, in reserve, adequate funds to meet the long-term needs of the Society in the pursuit of its mandate.

34. The directors may exercise borrowing powers according to the Societies Act and as required to allow the Society to pursue its mandate, provided that the borrowing is approved by special resolution and complies with these Bylaws.

35. The directors will be accountable to its members regarding financial matters.

36. The directors will engage accounting services to audit its finances as is required by the Societies Act.

37. The Society’s funds shall not be used for any other purpose other than to carry out the Society’s mandate unless it is decided by the directors that funds are available in excess of those required to meet the Society’s long-term needs.

38. Any funds spent for a purpose other than to carry out the mandate of the Society must be agreed to by special resolution.

39. No funds will be invested into any financial instrument that has any degree of risk or that would prevent the Society from meeting its financial obligations in a timely manner.

40. Upon the dissolution and liquidation of the Society and after payment of any outstanding liabilities, the assets of the Society shall be distributed to the Cherryville Community Club.

a. If the Cherryville Community Club is unable to receive the distribution or no longer exists at the time of dissolution and liquidation of the Society, the members shall choose a recipient by way of an ordinary resolution.