Agricultural Societies Program: Some Bylaw Opportunities

This is a listing of the main areas in the Agricultural Societies Act where Ag Societies have the opportunity to set bylaws. Ag Societies can set bylaws in other areas not covered by the Act.

Persons eligible for membership

1. The act allows a society to set the requirements for membership.
2. The act allows a society to accept a firm or an incorporated company as a member on payment of the regular membership fee but only allows the name of one person to be entered as a representative or agent of the firm or company and only that person to exercise the privileges of membership in the society on behalf of the firm or company. The one representative can change each new membership year.

Board of Directors
The act requires the board of directors to include the president and the vice-president and not fewer than 10 other persons. An Ag Society can then increase the number of directors required.

Election of Directors and the filling of vacancy

1. The act states that the election of the directors of a society shall be held at the annual meeting or as provided for in the bylaws of the society. This relates only to the type of meeting where the election of directors can take place.
2. If the office of a director becomes vacant before the director’s term of office expires, the remaining directors shall appoint a person who is eligible to be elected as a director to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. A bylaw cannot change this.

Annual and other meetings
The act requires each society to hold an annual meeting at the time and place set by directors. The bylaws can set a specific time.

Notice of annual and other meetings
The act requires that at least two weeks notice of the place and time of any meeting of the society (as a whole excluding directors meetings) be given to all members of the society. The bylaws can set longer periods of notice.

Directors must be given at least two weeks notice of all regular meetings of the directors. The bylaws can set longer periods of notice. In exceptional circumstances a meeting of the directors may be called on less than 2 weeks notice.

The act states that all notices of meetings and other notices shall be sent to the post office address of the member. The bylaws can set longer periods of notice.

Quorum
The act sets the minimum number of members for a meeting of the society at 10 and for a directors meeting of 5 but a greater number or a refinement of the makeup of the minimum 10 members for a quorum can be set in the bylaws.