Regional Agricultural Service Board Conference: Resolutions Rules of Procedure

 
 
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1. Regional Resolutions Committee

    a. Shall consist of:
      1. A representative or alternate elected at the Regional Conference to sit on the Provincial ASB Committee and to act as the Chairman of the Regional Resolutions Committee.
      2. The Agricultural Fieldman or their designate who must be a AAAF member from the hosting Agricultural Service Board as Secretary.
      3. The Regional Director of the Agricultural Fieldmen's Association
      4. An Agricultural Service Board member from the hosting Board selected by that Board.
      5. The ASB Grant ProgramManager representing Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) or their designate.

    b. The representative and alternate elected at the Regional Conference to sit on the Provincial ASB Committee, shall be an elected or appointed member of an ASB in that region.
    c. Election of the representative and alternate shall take place at the beginning of the Resolution session at each annual ASB Regional Conference, term of office to be two years. The representative (or alternate) shall assume the chair immediately following the conclusion of the resolutions session.
2. Responsibilities of Regional Resolutions Committee Members
    a. The Chairman shall:
      1. Chair Regional Resolutions Commmittee meetings
      2. Chair their presentation of resolutions at the Regional Conference
      3. Attend all Provincial ASB Committee meetings
      4. Assist in presenting resolutions at the Provincial Conference
    b. The Secretary shall:
      1. Advise Agricultural Service Boards that resolutions must be forwarded four weeks prior to the Regional Conference.
      2. In conjunction with the Regional Resolutions Committee, review, seek clarification if necessary, compile and distribute resolutions to Agricultural Service Boards in the Region, at lease one week prior to the Regional Conference.
      3. Record proceedings of Regional Resolutions Committee meetings and the presentation and voting on resolutions at the Regional Conference.
      4. Forward all approved resolutions to the Provincial ASB Committee Secretary.
    c. All other members shall:
      1. Assist with presentation of resolutions at the Regional Conference.
    d. All costs incurred by the members of the committee for attending meetings will be reimbursed by each individual member's employer.
3. Resolutions
    a. Resolutions shall be submitted in an approved format and shall follow the procedures for selecting, preparing and drafting resolutions as set out in Appendix "A" attached to this document.

    b. Resolutions, regional or provincial in scope, and having been passed by a majority at a local Agricultural Service Board meeting shall be forwarded to the Secretary of the Regional Resolutions Committee four weeks prior to the Regional Conference. Late resolutions must be submitted to the Regional Conference with sufficient copies for all voting delegates and attendants (approx. 125) and accepted by a simple majority of the assembly.
4. Procedures
    a. Resolutions submitted to the Regional Conference shall be handled in numerical order assigned by the Chairman unless 3/5 of the voting delegates on the floor agree to accept a resolution out of numerical order.
    b. Each resolution must have a Mover and a Seconder.

    c. Only the "Therefore Be It Resolved" section will be read
    d. The Chairman shall call on the Mover and Seconder to speak to the resolution and then immediately call for anyone else wishing to speak in opposition
      1. If there is no one to speak in opposition, the question shall be called.
      2. If there are speakers in opposition, the chairman shall at his discretion call for anyone other than the Mover or Seconder to speak to the resolution before the debate is closed

    e. Anyone wishing to amend a resolution must then speak in opposition to the resolution as written, or anyone wishing clarification must speak up. All amendements must have a Mover and Seconder.

    f. Only one amendment will be accepted at a time and only one amendment to the amendment will be accepted on any resolution

    g. The Chairman has discretion to request a written amendment
    h. The Mover and Seconder are allowed five minutes in total to speak to the resolution or amendment. The Seconder may waive his right to speak and the Mover would be allowed the full five minutes.

    i. The Mover and Seconder have the right to close the debate and a maximum of two minutes each will be allowed for this.
    j. All other speakers, for or against the resolution, are allowed a maximum of two minutes.
5. Voting and Speaking
    a. Voting members of Agricultural Service Boards/Agricultural Committees shall be recognized voters on any resolution.
      1. In the South Region, each ASB shall select two voting delegates to the Regional Conference who shall display the voting credentials and be recognized voters on any resolution. (October 1997)
    b. An Agricultural Service Board member may have any person speak to a resolution by their request.
    c. All resolutions are passed or defeated by simple majority
6. Procedures for Approved Regulations
    a. Secretaries of the Regional Resolutions Committee shall:
      1. Submit Regional Resolutions to the appropriate agencies as soon as possible following the Regional Conference.
      2. Regional Resolutions shall also be submitted to the Provincial ASB Committee for information.
      3. Submit Provincial Resolutions to the Provincial ASB Committee Secretary by December 1st following the Regional Conference.
7. Amendments to Regional Rules of Procedures

    a. An amendment to Regional Rules of Procedure may be initiated by simple motion from:
      1. The Provincial ASB Committee
      2. Any voting delegate at the Provincial ASB Conference
      3. The Regional Resolutions Committee if the proposed amendment were to affect only that Region, subject to ratification by the Provincial ASB Committee
      4. Any voting delegate at a Regional Conference if the proposed amendment were to affect only that Region, subject to ratification by the Provincial ASB Committee.
    b. Amendments must be accepted by a simple majority of all voting delegates at the Provincial ASB Conference.

    c. Amendments that are carried will take effect at the next Regional Conference.
Appendix "A" - Agricultural Service Boards

Regional Procedures for selecting, preparing and writing resolutions
1. Well in advance of the regional conference, discuss as a board the concerns of your farmers. Determine the factors affecting their economic well-being as well as those limiting their capability to maintain or improve agricultural production.

2. Make a list of concerns and rate each as to its level of importance.

3. Divide your concerns into the following categories:
    a. Local concerns
      1. Concerns which are local in nature.
      2. Your board has the authority and capability to deal with these concerns. If local or provincial finances are available you may wish to initiate programs or projects or policy to satisfy these concerns.

    b. Regional Concerns
      1. Concerns which are regional in nature.
      2. You have the authority and capability to deal with these concerns but wish to request the support (cooperative action) of bordering agricultural service boards, government departments or other agencies. Note: These concerns may be taken to the regional conference with a request for action at the regional level eg. You may be concerned about scentless chamomile, its movement and spread in hay, crop seed in the region, etc. You would like the support of all boards in the region as well as government agencies in slowing down spread and in working towards common objectives. If such a resolution was passed at the regional conference, your regional resolutions committee would forward the request for support to all boards in the region plus the appropriate government agency.

    c. Provincial Concerns
      1. Concerns which are provincial in nature.
      2. In order to deal with these concerns at the local level, you require a change in provincial policy. Note: When writing your resolutions make certain you do not ask the province to do something that you already have authority at the local level to do. Because most concerns will ultimately need to be dealt with locally, ask for a change in provincial policy that would enable you as a board to take the necessary action. Resolutions that are provincial in scope, if passed by the regional conference, could be forwarded to the provincial conference for action.

4. Conduct some research on your regional and provincial concerns to:
    a. Ensure that these concerns were not submitted as resolutions previously and that action has already been taken regionally or provincially.

    b. Check with those agencies that you expect to respond to your concern (resolution). Determine if they are aware of the need and whether any action is being considered.

    c. Obtain sufficient background information to be able to write and defend your resolution.

5. Write your resolutions with sufficient "whereas" statements to ensure that those reading the resolution will be able to understand your request.
      1. All "whereas" statements should relate specifically to your request.
      2. Resolutions need to be presented with only one "Therefore Be It Resolved" statement.
        1. If other closely related requests are required in the resolution, it may be appropriate to add no more that two 'Further Therefore Be It Resolved' statements.
        2. If you wish to make an additional request for action, it is appropriate to write another resolution.

6. Each resolution submitted for consideration must be accompanied by background information consisting of the history of the issue and potential impacts for the sponsoring municipality and the province-wide impacts for municipalities.

7. The resolution shall be presented in the approved format as indicated on the following page.

REGIONAL RESOLUTIONS FORMAT

TITLE


WHEREAS

WHEREAS

WHEREAS

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED

THAT ALBERTA'S AGRICULTURAL SERVICE BOARDS REQUEST

SPONSORED BY:

MOVED BY:

SECONDED BY:

CARRIED

DEFEATED

STATUS
DEPARTMENT
Background information
Background information should include the history of the issue, potential impacts for the sponsoring municipality and the province-wide impacts for municipalities.


Last revised January 21, 2015
 
 
 
 
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Pam Retzloff.
This information published to the web on March 9, 2005.
Last Reviewed/Revised on February 3, 2015.