Last updated: 28 May 2001
By-Law No. 1.1
A by-law relating generally to the conduct of the
affairs of NILE BASIN SOCIETY (Société de Bassin du Nil) INC.
BE IT ENACTED as a by-law of Nile Basin Society (Société de Bassin
du Nil) Inc. (the "Corporation") as follows:
INTERPRETATION
1. Definitions. In this By-law, unless the context otherwise specifies or requires:
(a) "Act" means the Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, chap. c.38 as from time to
time amended and every statute that may be substituted therefore and, in the
case of such substitution, any references in the By-laws of the Corporation
to provisions of the Act shall be read as references to the substituted provisions
therefore in the new statute or statutes;
(b) "By-law" means any By-law of the Corporation from time to time in force
and effect;
(c) "Corporation" means Nile Basin Society Inc., a Federal Canadian non-share
capital charitable corporation incorporated under the Act;
(d) "Letters Patent" means the Letters Patent and any supplementary letters
patent of the Corporation;
(e) Regulations" means the regulations made under the Act as from time to time
amended and every regulation that may be substituted therefore and, in the case
of such substitution, any references in the By-laws of the Corporation to provisions
of the regulations shall be read as references to the substituted provisions
therefore in the new regulations.
2. Interpretation. This By-law shall, unless the context otherwise requires,
be construed and interpreted in accordance with the following:
(a) all terms which are contained in the By-laws of the Corporation and which
are defined in the Act or the Regulations made thereunder shall have the meanings
given to such terms in the Act or such Regulations;
(b) words importing the singular number only shall include the plural and vice
versa; and the word "person" shall include bodies corporate, corporations, companies,
partnerships, syndicates, trusts and any number or aggregate of persons;
(c) the headings used in the By-laws are inserted for reference purposes only
and are not to be considered or taken into account in construing the terms or
provisions thereof or to be deemed in any way to clarify, modify or explain
the effect of any such terms or provisions.
CORPORATE SEAL
3. Seal. The seal, an impression whereof is stamped in the margin hereof, shall
be the seal of the Corporation.
HEAD OFFICE
4. Head Office. Unless changed in accordance with the Act, the head office of
the Corporation shall be in the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, in the
Province of Ontario, and at such place within the municipality in Ontario where
the head office is situate as the directors of the Corporation may from time
to time by resolution fix.
CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP
5. Entitlement. All membership in the Corporation shall be limited to persons,
organizations or businesses interested in furthering the objects of the Corporation
subject to approval by the board or who it may delegate such function.
Types of membership are:
5.a. Organizational Membership (Affiliate):
For international, regional and local NGOs,
funding agencies and businesses. Their membership will be listed as affiliated
organizations togther with logo (if appropriate). They can be represented
in the Board of Directors and may have voting rights if engaged in NBS activities/finances.
They will be required to pay a Can $100/year subscription fee (waived for
Canadian and Nile Basin NGOs/businesses on request).
5.b. Individual Membership:
5.b.1 Active membership:
For Canadian and Nile Basin countries citizens
or residents. Only active members have the right to vote and nomination
for Board of Directors. Active members will be subscribed to private
electronic mailing list(s). If an active member unsubscribe from the
mailing list s/he will be an ordinary member. Citizens not residents
of Canada or Nile Basin countries may be asked to mail proof of citizenship.
5.b.2 Ordinary membership:
For residents and citizens of other countries.
They have no voting right and cannot be nominated to the Board of Directors.
However, they participate normally in the activities and can be compensated
for volunteer work or act as program officers. They will be optionally
subscribed to nbs-members. They can unsubscribe at any time. They will
not participate in official polls. They will pay Can $20/year as membership
fee.
6. Membership Dues. There shall be no membership fees or dues payable by active
members. Non-active members - those living outside Canada and Nile Basin countries
- will pay a membership fee of Can $20/year. Organizational/business members
(affiliates) will pay a membership fee of Can $100/year. Membership dues can
be waived by the board for organizations/businesses working in Nile Basin countries.
7. Resignation. Any member may withdraw from the
Corporation by delivering to the Corporation a written resignation and lodging
a copy of the same with the Secretary of the Corporation.
8. Termination of Membership. The interest of a
member in the Corporation is not transferable and lapses and ceases to exist
upon death or dissolution or when the member's period of membership expires
(if any) or when the member ceases to be a member by resignation or otherwise
in accordance with the By-laws; provided always that any member may be required
to resign by a resolution passed by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast
at a general meeting of the members
9. Rules and Regulations. The board of directors
may from time to time enact rules and regulations relating to the rights and
obligations of the members of the Corporation, but such rules and regulations
shall not conflict with or be inconsistent with the By-laws or Letters Patent.
MEMBERS' MEETINGS
10. Annual and General Meetings. The annual or
any general meeting of the members shall be electronically through electronic
discussion boards. Provided that:
10.a. Each member shall have an account mailing
list/discussion board using the submitted e-mail address. Such electronic
fora shall not be moderated and each member will have the capability of
directly posting to them. Each member will have a password to activate such
an account and change the password, e-mail address or personal information.
The combination of e-mail address and password are the security measures
taken to verify the identity.
10.b. Each member/director should consent to
the above methods of communication on submitting the membership form.
10.c. The board of directors of the Corporation
is to pass a resolution addressing the mechanics of holding such a general
meeting and dealing specifically with how security issues will be handled,
the procedure for establishing quorum and recording votes.
11. Notice. Fourteen (14) days' electronic notice
shall be given in the manner specified in paragraph 49 to each voting member
of any annual or special general meeting of active members. Notice of any meeting
where special business will be transacted shall contain sufficient information
to permit the active member to form a reasoned judgment on the decision to be
taken. Notice of each meeting of members may remind the member that he has the
right to vote by proxy.
12. Waiver of Notice. An active member and any other person entitled to attend
a meeting of members may in any manner waive notice of a meeting of members
and attendance of any such person at a meeting of members shall constitute a
waiver of notice of the meeting except where such person attends a meeting for
the express purposes of objecting to the transaction of any business on the
grounds that the meeting is not lawfully called.
13. Votes. At all meetings of active members of the Corporation, every question
shall be determined by a majority of votes unless otherwise specifically provided
by statute or by the By-laws. In the case of an equality of votes the chairman
of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. Each voting member present
at a meeting shall have the right to exercise one vote. An active member may,
by means of a written proxy, appoint a proxy holder to attend and act at a specific
meeting of members, in the manner and to the extent authorized by the proxy.
A proxy holder must be an active member of the Corporation.
14. Omission of Notice. No error or omission in giving notice of any annual
or general meeting or any adjourned meeting, whether annual or general, of the
members of the Corporation, or the non-receipt of notice by any active member
or members or by the auditor of the Corporation, shall invalidate such meeting
or make void any resolution passed or any proceedings taken thereat and any
member may at any time waive notice of any such meeting and may ratify, approve
and confirm any or all proceedings taken or had thereat.
15. Quorum. A quorum at any meeting of the members (unless a greater number
of members and/or proxies are required to be present by the Act, Letters Patent
or any Supplementary Letters Patent) shall be half the active members of the
Corporation. No business shall be transacted at any meeting unless the requisite
quorum be present at the time of the transaction of such business.
16. Business. At every annual meeting, in addition to any other business that
may be transacted, the report of the directors, the financial statements and
the report of the auditors shall be presented and auditors appointed for the
ensuing year. The members may consider and transact any business either special
or general at any meeting of the members.
17. Calling of Meetings. The board of directors or the president or either vice-president
shall have power to call, at any time, a general meeting of the active members
of the corporation. The board of directors shall call a special general meeting
of active members on written requisition of members carrying not less than 50%
of the voting rights.
DIRECTORS
18. Duties and Number. The property and business of the Corporation shall be
managed by a board of directors who may exercise all powers and do all such
things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation that are not by the By-laws
or by statute expressly directed or required to be done in some other manner.
The board of directors shall be composed of 3 or more directors as set out in
the Letters Patent of the Corporation, or such number (minimum 3) as may be
determined from time to time by special resolution of the Board of Directors.
19. Qualifications. Each director shall be eighteen (18) or more years of age
and shall be an active member of the Corporation and no undischarged bankrupt
shall become a director.
20. Election and removal. The applicants for incorporation
shall be the first directors of the Corporation whose term of office on the
board of directors shall continue until their successors are elected. Unless
the Letters Patent or any Supplementary Letters Patent provide otherwise, the
directors' term of office (2 years) shall be from the date of the meeting at
which they are elected or appointed until the annual meeting next following
(2 years) or until their successors are elected or appointed, and half the board
of directors shall retire at the general meeting at which the yearly election
of directors is to be made but, subject to the provisions of this By-law, shall
be eligible for re-election. The board of directors can appoint new directors
as needed for the conduction of the business of the corporation, such appointed
board members need not be members of the corporation.
21. Vacation of Office. The office of a director shall be automatically vacated
if:
(a) a director has resigned by delivering a written resignation to the Secretary
of the Corporation; (b) a director is found by a court to be mentally incompetent
or of unsound mind;(c) a director becomes bankrupt or is declared insolvent;
(d) at a special general meeting of members, a resolution is passed by two-thirds
of the members present at the meeting that a director be removed from office;
or (e) if he or she cease to be a member of the Corporation; (f) an appointed
director can be removed by resolution passed by two-thirds of the board of directors.
Provided that if any vacancy shall occur for any reason in this paragraph contained,
the board of directors by majority vote may, by appointment, fill the vacancy.
22. Executive Committee. In the event that the number of directors on the board
is greater than six (6), the directors may elect from among their number an
executive committee consisting of not fewer than three (3) directors, as the
board may by resolution determine, for such purposes and with all such powers
as the board of directors may determine from time to time. Subject to the Act,
except to the extent otherwise determined by the board of directors or, failing
such determination, as determined by the executive committee, the provisions
of paragraphs 24 to 30 hereof, inclusive, shall apply, mutadis mutandis, to
the executive committee. The Board of Directors will have the power by a majority
of vote of removing any or all members of the Executive Committee.
23. Committees. The board of directors may appoint committees whose members
will hold their offices at the will of the board of directors. The directors
shall determine the duties of such committees and may fix any remuneration to
be paid.
MEETINGS OF DIRECTORS
24. Place of Meetings. Meetings of the board of directors may be held at any
time and place within Canada, by telephone or virtually through the Internet
through venues to be determined by the directors. Approval of the majority of
the board of directors is necessary to hold such a meeting.
24.a. Telephone Participation: The directors
of the corporation may meet by teleconference provided that either a majority
of the directors consents to meeting by teleconference or meeting by teleconference
have been approved by resolution passed by the board of directors at a meeting
of the directors of the corporation.
24.b. Meeting by other Electronic Means:
The directors of the Corporation may meet by other electronic means that permits
each director to communicate adequately with each other, provided that:
- the board of directors of the Corporation has
passed a reolution addressing the mechanics of holding such a meeting and
dealing specifically of how security issues should be handled, the procedure
for establishing quorum and recording votes.
- Each director has equal access to the special
means of communication to be used.
- Each director has consented in advance to meeting
by electronic means using the specific means of communication proposed for
the meeting.
25. Notice. The notice of meeting need not specify
the purpose of or the business to be transacted at the meeting. Notice of any
such meeting shall be served in the manner specified in paragraph 49 of this
By-law not less than 48 hours prior to the meeting; provided always that a director
may in any manner and at any time waive notice of a meeting of directors and
attendance of a director at a meeting of directors shall constitute a waiver
of notice of the meeting except where a director attends a meeting for the express
purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the grounds that
the meeting is not lawfully called; provided further that meetings of directors
may be held at any time without notice if all the directors are present (except
where a director attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the
transaction of any business on the grounds that the meeting is not lawfully
called) or if all of the absent directors waive notice before or after the date
of such meeting.
If the first meeting of the board of directors following the election of directors
by the members is held immediately thereafter, then for such meeting or for
a meeting of the board of directors at which a director is appointed to fill
a vacancy in the board, no notice shall be necessary to the newly elected or
appointed directors or director in order to legally constitute the meeting,
provided that a quorum of the directors is present.
26. Omission of Notice. No error or omission in giving notice of any meeting
of directors, or the non-receipt of notice by any director, shall invalidate
such meeting or make void any resolution passed or any proceedings taken thereat.
27. Adjournment. Any meeting of directors may be adjourned from time to time
by the chairperson of the meeting, with the consent of the meeting, to a fixed
time and place. Notice of any adjourned meeting of directors is not required
to be given if the time and place of the adjourned meeting is announced at the
original meeting.
28. Quorum. The number of directors set out in the Letters Patent or a special
resolution of the Corporation shall constitute a quorum for the transaction
of business and, in the event of no such provision, a majority of the directors
shall form a quorum for the transaction of business. Notwithstanding any vacancy
among the directors, a quorum of directors may exercise all the powers of directors.
29. Voting. Each director is authorized to exercise one (1) vote at meetings
of the board of directors. Questions arising at any meeting of directors shall
be decided by a majority of votes. In the event of an equality of votes the
chairperson of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
30. Telephone/Electronic Participation. A director may participate in a meeting
of the board or of a committee of the board by means of such conference telephone
or other communication facilities as permit all persons participating in the
meeting to communicate with each other simultaneously, and a director participating
in such a meeting by such means is deemed to be present at the meeting.
REMUNERATION OF DIRECTORS
31. Remuneration of Directors. The directors shall serve without remuneration
and no director shall directly or indirectly receive any profit from their position
as such; provided that a director may be paid reasonable expenses incurred by
them in the performance of their duties. Nothing herein contained shall be construed
to preclude any director from serving the corporation as an officer or in any
other capacity and receiving compensation therefore.
POWERS OF DIRECTORS
32. Administer Affairs. The directors of the Corporation may administer the
affairs of the corporation in all things and make or cause to be made for the
Corporation, in its name, any kind of contract which the Corporation may lawfully
enter into and, save as hereinafter provided, generally, may exercise all such
other powers and do all such other acts and things as the Corporation is by
its Letters Patent or otherwise authorized to exercise and do.
33. Expenditures. The directors shall have power to authorize expenditures on
behalf of the Corporation from time to time and may delegate by resolution to
an officer or officers or executive committee of the Corporation the right to
employ and pay salaries to employees. The directors shall have the power to
enter into a trust arrangement with a trust company for the purpose of creating
a trust fund in which the capital and interest may be made available for the
benefit of promoting the interest of the Corporation in accordance with such
terms as the board of directors may prescribe.
34. Fund Raising. The board of directors shall take such steps as they may deem
requisite to enable the Corporation to acquire, accept, solicit or receive legacies,
gifts, grants, settlements, bequests, endowments and donations of any kind whatsoever
for the purpose of furthering the objects of the Corporation.
35. Agents and Employees. The board of directors may appoint such agents and
engage such employees as it shall deem necessary from time to time and such
persons shall have such authority and shall perform such duties as shall be
prescribed by the board of directors at the time of such appointment.
36. Remuneration of Agents and Employees. A reasonable remuneration for all
officers, agents and employees and committee members may be fixed by the board
of directors by resolution. Such resolution shall have force and effect only
until the next meeting of members when such resolution shall be confirmed by
resolution of the members, then the remuneration to such officers, agents or
employees and committee members shall cease to be payable from the date of such
meeting of members.
37. Borrowing Power. The directors of the Corporation may from time to time:
(a) borrow money on the credit of the Corporation; (b) issue, sell or pledge
debt obligations (including bonds, debentures, debenture stock, notes or other
like liabilities whether secured or unsecured) of the Corporation; (c) charge,
mortgage, hypothecate or pledge all or any currently owned or subsequently acquired
real or personal, movable or immovable property of the Corporation, including
book debts, rights, powers, franchises and undertakings, to secure any debt
obligations or any money borrowed, or other debt or liability of the Corporation;
and (d) delegate the powers conferred on the directors under this By-law to
such officer or officers of the Corporation and to such extent and in such manner
as the directors shall determine.
The powers hereby conferred shall be deemed to be in supplement of and not in
substitution for any powers to borrow money for the purposes of the Corporation
possessed by its directors or officers independently of a borrowing By-law.
INDEMNITIES TO DIRECTORS
AND OTHERS
38. Indemnities to Directors and Others. Every director or officer of the Corporation
or other person who has undertaken or is about to undertake any liability on
behalf of the Corporation or any corporation controlled by it and their heirs,
executors and administrators, and estate and effects, respectively, shall from
time to time and at all times, be indemnified and saved harmless out of the
funds of the Corporation, from and against:
(a) all costs, charges and expenses which such director, officer or other person
sustains or incurs in or about any action, suit or proceeding which is brought,
commenced or prosecuted against them, or in respect of any act, deed, matter
or thing whatsoever, made, done or permitted by them, in or about the execution
of the duties of their office or in respect of any such liability; and
(b) all other costs, charges and expenses which they sustain or incur in or
about or in relation to the affairs thereof, except such costs, charges or expenses
as are occasioned by their own willful neglect or default.
OFFICERS
39. Appointment. The officers of the Corporation shall include a President,
Secretary and Treasurer and any such other officers as the board of directors
may by by-law determine. The President shall be elected in a general meeting
of the members. Officers, other than President) shall be appointed by resolution
of the board of directors at the first meeting of the board of directors following
an annual meeting of members in which the directors are elected. Any two offices
may be held by the same person. Officers need not be directors, but must be
members. Each incumbent officer shall continue in office until the earlier of:
(a) the officer resigning by delivering a written resignation to the Secretary
of the Corporation;
(b) the election or appointment of a successor;
(c) that officer ceasing to be a member;
(d) the meeting at which the directors annually appoint the officers of the
Corporation;
(e) that officer's removal;
(f) that officer's death.
40. Remuneration of officers. The remuneration of all officers appointed by
the board of directors shall be determined from time to time by resolution of
the board of directors.
41. Removal of Officers. All officers shall be subject to removal by resolution
of the board of directors at any time, with or without cause.
POWERS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS
42. Powers and Duties. All officers shall sign such contracts, documents or
instruments in writing as require their respective signatures and shall respectively
have and perform all powers and duties incident to their respective offices
and such other powers and duties respectively as may from time to time be assigned
to them by the board of directors. The duties of the officers shall include:
(a) President. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation.
The President shall preside at all meetings of the corporation and of the board
of directors. The President shall have the general and active management of
the affairs of the Corporation. The President shall see that all orders and
resolutions of the board of directors are carried into effect.
(b) Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have the custody of the funds and securities
of the Corporation and shall keep full and accurate accounts of all assets,
liabilities, receipts and disbursements of the Corporation in the books belonging
to the corporation and shall deposit all moneys, securities and other valuable
effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such chartered bank
or trust company, or, in the case of securities, with such registered dealer
in securities as may be designated by the board of directors from time to time.
The Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be directed
by proper authority taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall
render to the president and directors at the regular meeting of the board of
directors, or whenever they may require it, an accounting of all the transactions
and a statement of the financial position, of the Corporation. The Treasurer
shall also perform such other duties as may from time to time be directed by
the board of directors.
(c) Secretary. The Secretary may be empowered by the board of directors, upon
resolution of the board of directors, to carry out the affairs of the Corporation
generally under the supervision of the officers thereof and shall attend all
meetings and act as clerk thereof and record all votes and minutes of all proceedings
in the books to be kept for that purpose. The Secretary shall give or cause
to be given notice of all meetings of the members and of the board of directors,
all shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the board of directors
or President, under whose supervision the Secretary shall be. The Secretary
shall be custodian of the seal of the Corporation which they shall deliver only
when authorized by a resolution of the board of directors to do so and to such
person or persons as may be named in the resolution.
(e) Other Officers. The duties of all other officers of the corporation shall
be such as the terms of their engagement call for or the board of directors
requires of them.
EXECUTION OF DOCUMENTS
43. Execution of Documents. Contracts, documents or any instruments in writing
requiring the signature of the Corporation, shall be signed by any two officers
and all contracts, documents and instruments in writing so signed shall be binding
upon the Corporation without any further authorization or formality. The directors
shall have power from time to time by resolution to appoint an officer or officers
on behalf of the Corporation to sign specific contracts, documents and instruments
in writing. The directors may give the Corporation's power of attorney to any
registered dealer in securities for the purposes of transferring and dealing
with any stocks, bonds, and other securities of the Corporation. The seal of
the Corporation when required may be affixed to contracts, documents and instruments
in writing signed as aforesaid or by any officer or officers appointed by resolution
of the board of directors.
FINANCIAL YEAR
44. Financial Year. The fiscal year-end of the Corporation shall be as determined
by the board of directors from time to time in accordance with the Act.
BY-LAWS
45. By-laws. The board of directors may from time to time enact By-laws relating
in any way to the Corporation or to the conduct of its affairs, including, but
not limited to, By-laws providing for applications for supplementary letters
patent, and may from time to time by By-law amend, repeal or re-enact the By-laws
and any such by-law shall be sanctioned by the members and become effective
in accordance with the Act. Ministerial approval is required before amendments
are enforced or acted upon.
AUDITORS
46. Auditors. The members shall at each annual meeting appoint an auditor to
audit the accounts of the Corporation for report to the members at the next
annual meeting. The auditor shall hold office until the next annual meeting
provided that the directors may fill any casual vacancy in the office of the
auditor. The remuneration of the auditor shall be fixed by the board of directors.
BOOKS AND RECORDS
47. Books and Records. The directors shall see that all necessary books and
records of the Corporation required by the By-laws or by any applicable statute
or law are regularly and properly kept.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
48. Rules and Regulations. The board of directors may prescribe such rules and
regulations not inconsistent with these by-laws relating to the management and
operation of the Corporation as they deem expedient, provided that such rules
and regulations shall have force and effect only until the next annual meeting
of the members of the Corporation when they shall be confirmed, and failing
such confirmation at such annual meeting of members, shall at and from that
time cease to have any force and effect.
NOTICES
49. Service. Any notice or other document required by the Act, the Regulations,
the Letters Patent or the By-laws to be sent to any active member or director
or to the auditor shall be sent mainly by electronic mail, delivered personally,
or sent by prepaid mail or by telegram or cable or facsimile to any such member
or director at their latest address as recorded on the books of the Corporation
and to the auditor at its business address; provided always that notice may
be waived or the time for the notice may be waived or abridged at any time with
the consent in writing of the person entitled thereto.
ENACTED as of the 14th day of May, 2001.
WITNESS the seal of the Corporation.
President
Secretary