MINUTES FOR:
DATE/TIME:
LOCATION:
IN ATTENDANCE: / Constitutional Review Committee
October 21, 2013
OFSAA Boardroom
Bonnie Glover
Heather Chambers
Dale Huddleston
Sandy Blackshaw
Jean Pye
Beth Hubbard / Chair
staff/recording secretary
AGENDA ITEM / ACTIVITY / MOTION / RESPONSIBLE
  1. Call to Order
/ Bonnie welcomed everyone back. No new members for this year.
  1. Adoption of Minutes of March 1st, 2013
/ On a motion by Heather Chambers and seconded by Dale Huddleston,
“The Constitutional Review Committee adopts the minutes of March 1st, 2013. CARRIED
  1. Additions to the Agenda
/ None
  1. New Business
/ i)Order Paper – Committee reviewed each motion presented.
Notes:
-Lacrosse – Motion 2: Championship Review recommends all playing regulations include a rule which prevents any student who is a paid professional from being eligible for OFSAA. Championship Review committee is to put forth a motion for April AGM. If it does not appear CRC will create a motion.
-Girls’ Hockey – Motion 1: Championship and Constitutional Review Committees deem this motion to be out of order. SAC chair will be contacted about removing this motion regarding moving it to a 20 team tournament as it is addressed in the playing regs.
-Note to SACs: Does a red card or disqualification mean no medals. Beth will have staff address this with their SACs.
ii)Will the Meeting Please Come to Order – Reference
-Robert’s Rules of Order Simplified Reference
-Chair Reference Document
There have been some concerns raised about the lack of knowledgesome ‘Chairs of meetings’ have with respect to their role as a Chair and managing the voting process during some OFSAA meetings.
Ken Coffin, OFSAA part time Coordinator has put together a detailed reference document he thought would be helpful to the ‘Chairs’.
The Constitutional Review Committee agrees a document would be helpful, but would like a more simplified version as a reference document. Through discussion CRC put together a working itemized list of what would be helpful to the Chairs. A copy of a ‘rough draft’ is attached at the end of these minutes. The completed reference document will outline the “Role of the Chair” and a simplified outline of ‘Motions’. Beth will work on the document and send it out to the committee for review, changes and updates as applicable. It is the intent of this committee to provide something by April.
-Voting – simple majority for playing regs?
CRC discussed this briefly. Ken Coffin researched what other provincial school sport organizations use.
CRC would like to keep our current by-laws in place with respect to voting. The committee has not heard concerns from the membership about the voting requirements and don’t feel that a change is required at this point in time, noting that we follow Robert’s Rules of Order and we should not base our decisions on what other provinces do.
The OFSAA Constitution has evolved as necessity demands.
iii)Not for Profit Organizations – discussion
Bonnie had an opportunity this summer to attend a presentation put on by “Carters – Barristers, Solicitors and Trademark Agents”, who are legal specialists in the field of Charities and Not for Profits. They were able to provide some clarity on what changes the Act will have on the structure and governance of not for profit organizations. It has been anticipated the act will come into effect January 2014, but no concrete details have been provided by the government. There has been no direction provided as to what the exact changes will be.
Beth noted she has received emails from Sport4 Ontario that “CLEO-“Community Legal Education Ontario”, have been provided funding by some provincial ministries, one being the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, to support non-profit organizations as they prepare for the ONCA (Ontario Not for Profit Corporations Act).
They will be providing a webinar in November and will post the information on their website. Beth will share links with the committee when they are provided.
Websites for reference for the ONCA


  1. Other Business
/ i)Next meeting – Wednesday, November 27th to meet with CGA/CBA chairs to review Order Paper.
ii)Winter meeting will be February 28th, 2014.
  1. Adjourn
/ Motion to adjourn at 2:11 pm. Moved by Jean Pye and seconded by Sandy Blackshaw. Carried.

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CHAIR TEMPLATE

Prior to the meeting

De- brief with staff and put a plan together.

During the meeting

Maintain order and direct the meeting

Follow the agenda

Be conscious of time

Welcome new members

If voting is to take place ensure a quorum is present and explain what the quorum is.

Refer to the constitution expert present or staff member for quorum

Explain who is considered a voting member

The Meeting Agenda:

Put together and use a standard itemized list for the agenda

Ask for any additions to the agenda

Bring discussion back to the agenda when it gets off track

General – re Motions

The Chair may determine the time limit for speaking for or against a motion.

Call on co-chair for assistance keeping track of additional speakers who wish to speak to the motion.

If the group is in agreement of the motion, ask if there is anyone who would like to speak against the motion.

If the chair feels the need to address the motion or issue, then the chair needs to remove themselves as chair for that direct period of time and give the role to the assistant chair.

The Chair only has a vote for tie breaking situations.

Meeting Follow-up

Sit down with staff at the end of meeting to review how meeting went.

Specifics of Robert’s Rules Order

During voting on motions

Read the motion only and advise members “I presume everyone has had an opportunity to review the motion and has received feedback from their members in their associations.

Invite the mover to speak to the motion.

Ask for discussion.

During discussion determine if someone wants to amend the motion. The amendment is made and then discussed.

Amendments:

What is an amendment?

An amendment can add to the motion, take out from the motion, and enhance the motion.

Anyone can suggest an amendment.

All amendments require a mover and seconder.

The amendment then must be discussed and voted on.

The mover or seconder is the last speaker to the motion.

If the vote is positive then the original motion is amended and the chair calls the question for a vote.

Once the Chair calls for the vote there is no further discussion.

Tabled motions

What is a tabled motion?

A tabled motion temporarily suspends the motion until a later time.

Anyone can call for a motion to be tabled.

It also needs a seconder.

Then the chair calls for a vote on tabling the motion.

If the tabled motion has a date attached to it then it reappears with the same mover and seconder.

To bring the motion back it needs a mover and seconder.

If a specific date is attached to when it is tabled – then it must appear at that time.

Point of Order

Point of Order is when there is an infraction of the rules.

Must be raised immediately when the mistake is made.

Anyone can raise point of order.

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