President's Message - Annual Meeting and Club Policies
 
Fellow Craigleith Members,  
Some of you have expressed concern about receiving an email message in support of the "supermajority proposal" that is being voted on in connection with our upcoming annual meeting despite the Club's policy to the effect that contact information in the Club roster is not to be used for soliciting members and that the Club will not provide member contact information.  I'm writing to give you additional information.

As I hope you've become aware through my previous messages and other Club communications, the Club is subject to a new corporate statute, which we refer to as ONCA.  ONCA provides that members are entitled to require the Club to provide a current list of members for limited purposes specified in ONCA, one of which is an effort to influence the voting of members.  (Enthusiasts can find the details in section 96 of ONCA, found at https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/10n15#BK107. )  The member who sent the email message has complied with the requirements of ONCA, including delivering a statutory declaration stating that the membership information will not be used except as permitted by ONCA.

Sometimes ONCA provides that rights it establishes can be amended in a corporation's articles or by-laws.  ONCA doesn't do so in this case, and the Club has concluded that in this instance a member's rights under section 96 take priority over the restriction in the Club's policy.  As an aside, this explains the words "except as required by law" found at the end of the draft of our new code of conduct that is posted for member comment on the governance page of the Club website.

Voting members of the Club should now have received an individual email concerning the electronic voting arrangements that have been established for this year's annual meeting.  Voting information is being repeated in weekly email bulletins and periodic reminders are being sent to those who haven't voted.  Information concerning the supermajority proposal, the board's opposition to it, and other items on the ballot is posted on the governance page and can be found here.   The information can also be reached by links in your ballot.
I hope that all voting members will participate.  You can vote before the meeting on 21 October (at the Depot and by Zoom) or wait to hear short presentations on some of the ballot items at the meeting.  Voting will close at or shortly after the end of the meeting, so please vote in advance if you don't plan to attend.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the meeting and hope you have a happy holiday weekend in the interim.
Comments are welcome at [email protected].   
 
Cheers,
James Mathers
President