The Victoria Natural History Society is a registered charity that
is run by its volunteer members.
The Victoria Natural History Society formed in 1944, and currently
has about 750 members. Members have developed their interest in natural
history in a wide variety of ways—some are professional biologists,
others are students, most are amateur or volunteer naturalists, and
many have taken up birding, botany or other natural history interests
late in life. VNHS provides an opportunity for those interested in
the natural world to come together to share their ideas and experience.
VNHS is a member organization of
The Federation of British Columbia Naturalists.
The Habitat Acquisition Trust
was founded by the VNHS to assist with conservation of habitat on
Southern Vancouver and the Gulf Islands.
Mandate of the Victoria Natural History Society
The primary objectives of the Society are:
- To stimulate active interest in natural history
- To study and protect flora and fauna and their habitats
- To work with other societies and like bodies having interests in
common with this Society.
VNHS is registered as a non-profit society and charitable organization.
VNHS Directors 2010/11
President |
Darren Copley |
250-479-6622 |
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Vice President |
James Miskelly |
250-477-0490 |
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Secretary |
Jennifer Ellenton |
250-388-7158 |
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Treasurer |
Gordon Hart |
250-721-1264 |
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Membership |
Darren Copley |
250-479-6622 |
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Programs |
Darren Copley |
250-479-6622 |
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Schools |
Bill Dancer |
250-721-5273 |
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Publications |
Claudia Copley |
250-479-6622 |
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Director |
Nancie Dohan |
250-592-1956 |
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Director |
Margie Shepherd |
250-477-5280 |
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Director |
Shona Lawson |
250-508-4021 |
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Director |
Phil Lambert |
250-477-5922 |
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Committees and Representatives |
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Swan Lake representative |
James Miskelly |
250-477-0490 |
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FBCN representative |
James Miskelly |
250-477-0490 |
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Website |
Ann Nightingale |
652-6450 |
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VICTORIA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY CONSTITUTION
Accepted April 23, 1974
Revised October 4, 1977
1. The name of the Society is Victoria Natural History Society,
hereinafter referred to as "the Society".
2. The objects of the Society are:
(a) to stimulate active interest in natural history:
(b) to study and protect flora and fauna and their habitats:
(c) to work with other societies and like bodies having interests in
common with this Society, within and beyond the Province of
British Columbia.
3. The operations of the Society are to be chiefly carried on in Southern
Vancouver Island.
4. The Society shall be carried on without purpose of gain for its members
and any profits or other accretions to the organization shall be used in
promoting its objects.
5. The Directors shall have power to invest in securities pursuant to the
Trustee Act of British Columbia such surplus funds as may from time to
time be in their hands and may sell the same and reinvest the proceeds
of sales pursuant to resolutions of the Board as approved by a General
Meeting of the Society.
6. Upon the winding-up of the Society or its dissolution the extraordinary
resolution authorising such winding-up or dissolution shall specify that
all assets remaining which are owned by the Society shall be distributed
to one or more recognized charitable organizations in Canada.
7. Clauses 4, 5 and 6 of this Constitution are unalterable in accordance
with Section 17 of the Societies Act.
Victoria Natural History Society Bylaws
BYLAWS - Revised March 1990
1.00 MEMBERSHIP
1.01 Classes of Membership
There shall be six classes of membership:
(a) Individual - for any person 16 years of age or older;
(b) Family - for husband and wife and/or parent(s) and dependent
children and each person shall be classed as an individual or
junior member;
(c) Golden Age - For any person aged sixty-five or over;
(d) Junior - for any person under the age of 16 years who has paid
the membership dues, and the dependent children within a family
membership;
(e) Sustaining - for any person eligible for membership who pays a
minimum of three times the annual dues based on the individual
membership;
(f) Honorary Life - any person who has rendered outstanding service
to the Society by increasing knowledge of and interest in natural
history may be made an honorary life member.
1.02 Terms of Admission
(a) Membership shall be established on payment of the appropriate dues
by persons eligible for membership
(b) Recommendations for Honorary Life Membership shall be made by three
members in writing to the Board of Directors. The Board shall vote
by secret ballot and a two-thirds majority shall be required for
election of the nominee to Honorary Life Membership.
1.03 Rights and Obligations of Members
(a) A member may obtain from the Society a copy of the Constitution and
Bylaws at a charge of no more than $1.00.
(b) Every member shall be entitled to receive from the Society a copy of
any magazine or newsletter which the Society may from time to time
publish. Family members shall receive one copy per family.
(c) Every member 16 years of age or older shall have one vote at any
regular or special meeting of the Society and shall be eligible to
hold office in the Society.
(d) Every member shall uphold the Constitution and comply with these
Bylaws.
1.04 Cessation of Membership and Expulsion
(a) Resignation: A member wishing to resign shall give notice in writing
to the secretary.
(b) Non-payment of Dues: Annual dues for new members joining and paying
dues after April 1, 1996 shall be due and payable on the last day of
the anniversary month of joining the Society. Members who joined
prior to April 1, 1996 shall continue to have their membership
renewable on January 1st of each year. Members shall cease to be in
good standing if dues are unpaid at the renewal date but shall be
reinstated without penalty upon receipt of dues within two months
of the annual due date. Membership shall expire if dues remain
unpaid after the two months grace period.
(c) Expulsion: Any member may be expelled from membership for any reason
which is deemed to be prejudicial to the best interests of the
Society by a vote of at least nine members of the Board of Directors.
Prior to the vote being taken, the person proposed for expulsion
shall be given twenty-one days notice in writing of the proposed
resolution and shall be afforded an opportunity to explain or
justify his position to the Board, and no persons other than
Directors and the person proposed for expulsion shall be present.
1.05 Membership Dues
Dues for each class of membership shall be proposed by the Board
of Directors and approved at a general meeting of the Society.
2.0 OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
2.01 Business of the Society
The business of the Society shall be managed by a Board of twelve
Directors ["the Board"] who shall serve in an honorary capacity.
2.02 Officers
The officers of the Society shall be the President, Vice-President,
Secretary and Treasurer. The officers are directors.
2.03 Board of Directors
(a) The Board shall be composed of the Officers, immediate
Past-President, and seven other Directors.
(b) The officers and other directors shall be elected at the Annual
Meeting by the members of the Society present and entitled to vote.
(c) Term of office for Officers shall be one year, and for the other
Directors, two years unless the Board resolves that a term should
be for a shorter period.
2.04 Nominations
The Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee not later than two months
before the Annual Meeting of the Society. A member of the Board who
shall not be a candidate, shall be Chairman of the Nominating Committee.
The Committee shall make and receive nominations. All nominations shall
be in writing, signed by two members of the Society in good standing,
and by the nominee showing consent to the nomination. Further
nominations, in writing as above, may be made from the floor at the
Annual Meeting.
2.05 Elections
The election of officers and Directors at the Annual Meeting shall be
conducted by the Chairman of the Nominating Committee. Voting shall be
by secret ballot cast by members in good standing present in person.
The Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall appoint scrutineers to
oversee the distribution, collection, counting and subsequent
destruction of ballots. The Chairman shall announce the result of the
election and shall immediately install the new Officers and other
Directors.
2.06 Vacancies on the Board of Directors
(a) If, for any reason, the President ceases to hold office, the
Vice-President shall assume the office of President until the next
Annual Meeting.
(b) If, for any reason, the Vice-President ceases to hold office, the
Board shall appoint one of its members to the office until the next
Annual Meeting.
(c) If, for any reason, the immediate Past-President ceases to hold
office, the Board shall appoint one of the other Past-Presidents of
the Society to the vacancy on the Board.
(d) If, for any reason, the Secretary or the Treasurer ceases to hold
office, the Board shall appoint a member of the Society to the
office until the next Annual Meeting.
(e) The Board shall fill any vacancy on the Board within sixty days of
its occurringr. Any person filling the vacancy holds office until
the next Annual Meeting.
(f) Any Director who is absent from regular Board meetings on three
consecutive occasions may be deemed by the Board to have retired.
2.07 Removal from Office
The Society may remove from office any Director pursuant to a special
resolution, and may appoint another Director by ordinary resolution to
hold office until the next Annual Meeting.
3.0 DUTIES AND POWERS OF OFFICERS AND OTHER DIRECTORS
3.01 General
The Board shall meet when and where the President, or the Vice-President
in the absence of the President, may decide or as from time to time the
Directors may agree to be expedient. The Board shall have charge of the
general conduct of the affairs of the Society. At the Annual Meeting of
the Society, the Board shall make a full report concerning its
proceedings for the previous year, the report to be presented by the
President and to incorporate recommendations for the future conduct of
the Society.
3.02 Executive Committee
The Officers of the Society shall comprise the Executive Committee and
decisions made at their meetings shall be subject to ratification by the
Board at its next meeting.
3.03 President
It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings of the
Society, the Board, and of the Executive Committee, to have a general
care of the interests of the Society and to ensure that the several
provisions of the Bylaws are observed. The President shall not vote
except in the case of a tie and shall be ex officio a member of all
committees. If any discussion requires the President to vacate the
Chair, then the Vice-President shall take the chair for the duration of
the topic requiring the President to vacate the chair.
3.04 Vice-President
In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall perform the
duties of President, and in the absence of both the President and
Vice-President, a chairman pro tem shall be appointed by the Board.
3.05 Secretary
The Secretary shall attend and keep an accurate record of all Society
and Board meetings where Society business is transacted and conduct
correspondence required by the Board.
3.06 Treasurer
The Treasurer shall
(a) receive all dues and other moneys to which the Society is entitled
and give the Society's receipt for the same
(b) keep an accurate record of the moneys received and disbursed
(c) make all necessary expenditures as authorized by the Board
(d) keep all funds of the Society in one or more bank accounts in either
or both a Chartered Bank or Trust Company chosen by the Board or in
investments approved under the Trustee Act
(e) submit an audited financial statement for the previous year and a
proposed budget for the ensuing year at the Annual Meeting
(f) prepare a statement of income and expenditure at such time or times
as may be required by the Board
(g) have custody of the seal (if any)
(h) have an accurate record of the names and addresses of all members of
the Society.
3.07 Signing Officers
The signing officers of the Society shall be any two of the President,
Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, provided one of the signatories
be either the President or the Vice-President.
4.00 MEETINGS OF THE SOCIETY
4.01 Annual Meeting
The society shall hold an Annual Meeting before the end of March at a
time and place to be decided by the Board. The Annual Meeting shall
include the report of the Board, presentation of the audited financial
statements, election of Officers and other Directors and other business
requiring discussion and decision by the Society.
4.2 Society Meetings
Meetings shall be held monthly from September to May, or as the Board
from time to time may determine.
4.03 Additional Meetings
Ten (10) % of the voting members in good standing may request in writing
that a meeting occur, indicating the reason and subject matter to be
discussed. The Board shall then convene a meeting of the Society within
thirty days of receiving the request.
4.04 Notice of Meetings
At least 14 days notice of meetings of the Society shall be given in
printed form or in writing to each member.
4.05 Quorum
(a) At a meeting of the Board, seven members shall constitute a quorum.
(b) At a meeting of the Society, forty members in good standing shall
constitute a quorum.
4.06 Committees
(a) The Board may establish Committees and appoint members as need
arises from time to time. Each committee of the Society shall have
as one of its members a Director whose responsibility it is to
report to the Board.
(b) The Board shall provide instructions for the guidance of each
Committee and shall require from time to time reports from the
Chairmen of Committees.
4.07 Voting by Chairmen
The person presiding at any meeting shall not have a vote except in the
case of a tie.
5.00 GENERAL
5.01 Seal
The Board may provide for a seal of the Society. It shall be used
when required for execution of documents pursuant to a resolution of
the Board and in accordance with the terms of resolutions recorded
from time to time in the minutes of the proceedings of the Board and
of the Society.
5.02 Borrowing Powers
For the purpose of carrying out the objects of the Society, the Board
may borrow or raise to secure payment of money in such manner as it
thinks fit either at one time or from 'time to time; subject to the
provisions of the Society Act of the Province of British Columbia;
and provided that the power conferred by this section shall not be
exercised without prior approval of a meeting of the Society.
5.03 Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Society shall end on December 31st of each year.
5.04 Auditor
An auditor shall be appointed by the Society at the Annual Meeting held
in each year. It shall be the duty of the auditor to audit the books
of account of the Society and to prepare for the Annual Meeting
financial statements clearly and accurately showing the financial
position of the Society.
5.05 Solicitor
A solicitor or firm of solicitors may be appointed by the Board.
5.06 Special Resolution
A special resolution may be passed at a meeting of the Society by a
majority of not less than 75% of members present at the meeting. Not
less than fourteen days notice shall be given of the intention to
propose a special resolution.
5.07 Amendments to Constitution and Bylaws
The Constitution and Bylaws may be amended at the pleasure of the
Society by Special Resolution subject to the provisions of the Society
Act of the Province of British Columbia.
5.08 Inspection of Books
Any member in good standing shall have the right to inspect the books
and records, of the Society upon giving reasonable notice of such
intention.
5.09 Rules of Order
The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the
proceedings of the Board and of all meetings of the Society, in all
cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not
inconsistent with the Bylaws of the Society.
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