Multi-faith Summit Council of British Columbia

CONSTITUTION and BYLAWS

Name

The name of the society is Multi-Faith Summit Council of British Columbia.

Purpose

The purposes of the society are: to strengthen the role of faith in our society, advocate for faith communities, provide a forum in which the faith communities of BC can dialogue on matters of common concern in the interest of understanding one another, and where possible to promote, through advocacy and education, a mutual agenda that is supportive of an inclusive, just society in which all faiths and cultures are respected and in which the needs of marginalized or vulnerable persons are protected.

BYLAWS

Here set out, in numbered clauses, the bylaws providing for the matters referred to in section 6(1) of the Society Act, and any other bylaws.

1. Definition

The Multi-faith Summit Council of British Columbia (hereafter referred to as MFSC) is an association of faith communities represented by the chief denominational leaders from organized religious and spiritual communities from across British Columbia.

2. Office

The location of the head or principal office of MFSC shall be fixed by resolution of the Council within the geographical boundaries of BC.

3. Mandate

To engage in collective advocacy to government on matters of common concern in such areas as the Environment, Health, Justice and Education.

To coordinate advocacy where possible with such groups as the BC chapter of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care, the Denominational Health Association and the Palliative Care Association, and to actively seek out others.

To encourage all faith communities in British Columbia to aid in the development of local multi-faith groups, and to provide moral (and, if possible, material) support to the many existing local multi-faith groups who are engaged in the work of educating one another and the public in interfaith dialogue, and to provide consultation to such groups if requested.

To promote and provide representation at important ceremonial functions for which it is advisable to have a multi-faith presence – for example, the dedication of public buildings, special conferences, assemblies or conferences of a spiritual or religious nature, royal visits, etc.

To provide a contact list of faith leaders appointed by their faith communities to speak on behalf of their respective groups – for example, to health care facilities needing to know whom to communicate with regarding matters related to the personal health information act and the visitation of clergy.

To provide a visible symbol of the commitment of member faith communities to support the religious rights and freedoms of each group, and to come to the aid of its members by speaking out when any are attacked or maligned – for example, the destruction of grave markers at religious cemeteries or the defacing of houses of worship with slanderous graffiti.

To represent the interests of the faith communities of BC to the Canadian federal government through an official interface with the Canadian Multifaith Federation.

4. Council Composition

The Council shall be comprised of Leaders from established religious or spiritual communities and denominations who have been authorized by their respective bodies to speak on their behalf on matters placed before the Council, and to bring matters to the Council on behalf of their respective Communities. There shall be only one voting representative from each denomination or religion, but said religions or spiritual communities may decide to send one representative to vote for all denominations of their religion or tradition of religion. For example, the Mennonite community could send one representative or decide to send one from each denomination of Mennonites who are interested in being on the Council. Similarly, the Islamic community could decide to send one representative or, alternatively, have each of the traditions of Islam send one. The leader of a religious body may attend himself or herself, or send an appointed delegate or delegates – for example, a bishop may attend himself or herself, or appoint (a) representative/s. One of the appointed representatives shall be Canadian or hold Permanent Resident status. A non-Canadian member of clergy, visitor, missionary or temporary worker, at any religious or spiritual community without PR status, or with refugee status, may be appointed as one of the representatives of his/her community but shall not have voting rights. As a Summit Council, it is the sole Council capable of speaking with authority on behalf of its member denominations and spiritual communities with one collective voice in BC.

Non-voting members of the Council may be added by the Council. Such additional members have the right to speak, and normally are members of one of the Council’s official committees. As such persons are often subject matter experts, it is normative to have one such person from each committee present at Council meetings.

Application for membership shall be accepted from those who agree to support the mission, objectives and Constitution of MFSC.

5. Approval of Membership

Applications for all levels of membership (i.e. faith communities and non-voting members) must be approved by majority vote of the Council, whereupon such memberships shall become effective.

6. Cessation of Membership

Any member may be removed from the MFSC by resolution of the Council. If one or more active members believe that there is reasonable cause for removal of another member; then a petition requesting removal shall be presented to the Executive, including the basis and evidence supporting said removal. The Executive shall discuss the case with the member in question and if deemed necessary by the Executive, bring the case to the whole Council for discussion, allowing the member in question to present his/her position to the Council.

The Council, by a two-thirds vote of all voting members, may remove said member of the MFSC but will give the member the right to appeal immediately following the removal.

Any member may withdraw from MFSC by providing a written notice.

7. Decision Making Process

Each Council member shall have a vote, but consensus is the desired norm. Any external communication on matters requiring a decision of Council, such as communication to the provincial government, must indicate a consensus or, if no consensus exists, must indicate the differences of opinion and the respective percentages.

8. Quorum

A quorum shall consist of 50% of the Council’s voting membership, including a majority of the Executive Committee – one of whom must be the Chair or Vice-Chair. Less than a quorum of Members shall have power to adjourn the meeting until a quorum can be present.

9. Meetings

Participation in Council meetings may be in person or by conference call.

Frequency of meeting shall be quarterly, or at the call of the Chair. Travel expenses will be offset by the Council when possible. Location of meetings will be held at the decision of the Council.

For matters of great significance a conference call vote may be solicited from all members.

10. Dues

Each member group shall contribute an annual fee towards the operation of the Council. Said fee is to be determined annually by the Council voting members. Donations in excess of the dues shall be greatly appreciated and received with thanksgiving.

11. Leadership Structure

The Council shall elect a Chair and a Vice-Chair for a 2-year term. Following this term, the Chair shall become Past Chair and the Vice-Chair becomes the Chair, for one term. A Secretary and a Treasurer shall also be appointed by the Council for renewable 3-year terms. These five persons shall comprise the Executive.

The Council shall appoint committees to work on matters of common concern in any areas they deem fit, such as the Environment, Health, Justice and Education. There shall be at least one member of the Council on each of the committees, but the committees may be comprised of many persons who are not members of the Council. The committee chairs shall have the power to add persons knowledgeable in their fields to their committees as they see fit.

12. Correspondence

Any external hard copy correspondence must be signed by the Chair of the Council. On matters of general inquiry or regular business, the Chair may send and sign external communications with no other requirement than the agreement of the Secretary or, in the Secretary’s absence, another member of the Executive. However, on any matter referencing a specific decision of the Council on any particular matter, the Chair must receive approval, via email or hard copy, from the Vice-Chair or Past Chair in addition to the Secretary, prior to sending.

COMMITTEES

13. Committees of the Council

Committees are designed to facilitate the work of the Council. Committees do not expand or contract the responsibilities or authority of the Council, but instead enable the Council to function more efficiently and effectively. Committees are advisory only and do not have the authority of the Council, except where expressly authorized by the Council.

14. Establishment of Committees

The Council, by vote of a majority of the members and Executive, may establish committees and may delegate thereto some or all of its powers, except those which by this Constitution may not be delegated. The Council may abolish any such committee at any time.

15. Committee Membership

Committee members shall be appointed by the Council, upon the recommendation of the Nomination Committee. Each committee shall select its own chair, and such other officers as the committee may determine. The chairs of committees shall be named as non-voting members of the Council, if they are not already voting members. Other members of such committees need not be members of the Council. A list of the standing and special committees of the Council, their composition, and the terms of reference, if any, for each committee are to be kept by the Secretary of the Executive.

16. Committee Rules and Procedures

Committees shall meet as required to fulfill their purposes. Each committee shall keep minutes of its meetings, and may adopt written rules for its own governance which are consistent with this Constitution or acts of the Council.

17. Committee Meetings

Meetings of any committee may be called by the Chair of the Council or the committee chair, or shall be called by the committee chair upon the request of at least two (2) committee members.

18. Remuneration

Committee members shall receive no remuneration for serving as such, but shall be entitled to be reimbursed for reasonable authorized expenses incurred in the exercise of their duties.

Standing Committees may be created at the will of the Council. At inception of the Constitution, the following committees are the initial committees:

Health and Wellness

Social Justice & Corrections

Interfaith Education and Relations

THE EXECUTIVE

19. Officers Defined

The Officers of MFSC shall be the Chair of the Council, the Vice-Chair, the Past Chair, the Secretary and the Treasurer. The duties of the Executive are to uphold the mission and the decisions of the Council.

20. Election of Officers

The election of the Officers of MFSC may be by secret ballot at each Annual Assembly, or in such manner as may be prescribed from time to time by the Council. Absentee members with right to vote may submit their vote, privately and electronically to the Executive, within a deadline established at the time of the Annual Assembly.

A declaration by the Chair that a particular person has been elected shall be conclusive evidence of that fact.

The Chair of the Council, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected at each Annual Assembly according to a rotation that preserves some continuity of the leadership team, as outlined in the terms of office appearing below. A Nominating Committee shall prepare a report on each candidate for election to the office of Chair of the Council, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. The report shall contain such information as will allow those entitled to vote to make an informed decision as to their choice for these offices. Such report shall be distributed to those entitled to vote at a reasonable time in advance of the election of officers, so that they may familiarize themselves with each candidate’s qualifications for office.

21. Terms of Officers

The term of office of the Officers of MFSC shall begin on the last day of the Annual Assembly at which they are elected, and shall continue until the Annual Assembly two years hence (Chair, Vice-Chair) or three years hence (Secretary, Treasurer).

The Vice-Chair shall serve one term as Vice-Chair, one term as Chair and one term as Past Chair. The Vice-Chair shall be ineligible for re-election to the Executive for one year following his/her term as Past Chair.

The Secretary and the Treasurer may be elected for renewable 3-year terms.

22. Vacancies

So long as a quorum of members of the Executive remains in office, any vacancy among the Officers of MFSC may be filled by a majority vote by such members of the Executive as remain in office, except that the Vice-Chair shall automatically become Chair in the event of the death, resignation or incapacity of the Chair.

Any member of the Executive elected to fill a vacancy among the Officers of MFSC shall hold office for the remainder of the unexpired term of the vacating Officer.

Any Officer may resign from the Council by providing a written notice to the Chair.

Every Officer shall be subject to removal by a majority vote of a Special Assembly before the expiration of his or her term of office.

Roles and Duties of Officers

23. Chair

The Chair of MFSC is the Chief Executive Officer, and shall possess and exercise such powers and perform such duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or her by the Council, and shall when present preside at all meetings of the Annual Assembly, Council, and the Executive, shall be an ex-officio member of all standing committees and shall sign all documents requiring his or her signature.

24. Vice-Chair

The Vice-Chair shall be vested with all the powers and shall perform all the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair, and shall assist and may exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or her by the Council.

25. Past Chair

The Past Chair shall serve as the chair of the Nominations Committee, which shall present a slate of officers to the Annual Assembly, and shall present prospective committee members to the Council.

26. Secretary

The Secretary shall:

Keep the records and the minutes of the Council and the Executive meetings;

Send out notices of meetings as required by this Constitution;

Submit to the Executive all communications received and perform all duties pertaining to this office.

The Secretary may be assisted by an administrative support person, who will be declared a non-voting member of the Council.

27. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall have general charge of the financial concerns of the Council. The Treasurer shall:

Ensure that a true and accurate accounting of the financial transactions of the Council is kept in such a manner as is consistent with good accounting practices;

Make records available at any time to the Chair or the Council, or any person authorized by the Council;

Make and give a report of the financial transactions and the records at such time as the Council may direct.

The Council will authorize four signing officers, any two of who shall sign cheques issued by MFSC.

Council shall appoint annually an internal or external reviewer of MFSC’s financial records.

28. Other Officers

The Council may appoint other Officers who shall have authority as it deems necessary, and shall perform such duties as may be determined by resolution of the Council.

29. Absence or Inability

In case of the absence or the inability to act of any Officer of MFSC, the Council may delegate all or any of the powers of such Officer to any other member of the Executive for the time being.

COUNCIL MEETINGS

30. Council Meetings

The Council shall normally meet quarterly, with the spring meeting being the Annual Assembly, at a time and place determined by the Executive.

The Executive shall meet a minimum of four times per year.

Should the Council declare a member seat to be vacant, the Executive shall immediately request that the religious group or organization appoint a new representative prior to the next regular meeting of the Council.

A meeting of the Council may be called by the Chair or any two Officers at any time, and the Secretary, by direction of the Chair or any two Officers, shall convene a meeting of the Council with reasonable notice.

31. Meetings by Electronic Communication

If all the members consent thereto, generally or in respect of a particular meeting, one (1) or more Officers may participate in a meeting of the Council or of a committee of the Council, by telephone or other communication facilities as will permit all persons participating in the meeting to hear each other. All the persons participating in the meeting by such means shall be deemed to be present at the meeting.

32. INTER-AGENCY RELATIONSHIPS

MFSC would like to acknowledge in this Constitution its desire and commitment to cooperate and collaborate with other individuals and organizations that substantially share the essential elements of MFSC’s vision, mission and values, and the ends for which MFSC was established.

MFSC would like to recognize other organizations for their significant, positive contributions to the essential purposes for which MFSC was established. These organizations include the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care and the Interfaith Health Care Association of BC. The Council may wish to recognize other organizations similarly when brought to its attention. MFSC is proud to work with others who are in essential alignment with our mission statement.

33. AMENDMENTS – INTERPRETATION

The Council shall review this Constitution at least every five (5) years, or sooner, but this and any other Constitution of the Council may be amended, repealed or rescinded at any time by a further Constitution of the Council which has been approved by consensus, or by a two-thirds majority of the voting members of the Council.