CORRECTION: Elmer Gish School Kids are using Alpine Courts This Week. (There's NO indoor play at the School)
The City informed us they have booked some Alpine Courts for the Elmer Gish School this week. (Sorry- there's NO indoor play at the school)
- Friday April 30th 11:15am-1215pm- 6 Courts
- Tuesday May 4th 1045am-12pm- 5 Courts
Why two “membership” systems: Pickleball Canada & SAPC?
Well, to remain affiliated with Pickleball Canada (PCO), all clubs must use PCNS for the registration and collection of PCO fees and Provincial association fees going forward. This helps PCO better manage their membership information which is pre-requisite to being recognized as a national sport organization in Canada. This recognition is important; it means a better coaching and officiating program Canada-wide and it opens the door to better funding among many other things.
Unfortunately, this new system is still in its infancy. It works for membership management and some simple website management, but is not yet great at managing events, selling goods (like sticker cards), displaying play calendars, member news or other advanced web features. But this functionality and more will eventually come. Until it does, our club will continue to use our current (awesomely feature-rich) system. We know that seeing and keeping our play calendars is important, for example (and no one wants to go back to manually handling event registrations, fun as that is!).
Questions? Email Ray at Treasurer@pickleballalberta.ca or Carol at Membership@pickleballalberta.ca.
Club Vacancies For Nomination: Opportunities to contribute - please reply by May 12th.
Do you:
· take pride in being a member of the St. Albert Pickleball Club?
· have an eye for what it takes to make things happen?
· have ideas that would make our club thrive?
· enjoy seeing your ideas and efforts make a difference for other people?
· see possibilities rather than problems?
· want to be part of a team that has fun making our club the best it can be?
· seek opportunities to use and expand your skills?
If you answer yes to these questions, then you are just the kind of person we are looking for!
In preparation for the June 2021 SAPC AGM, the Nominating Committee is providing notice to our members of upcoming opportunities to serve on the Board or in other capacities.
The Nominating Committee encourages all interested members, or members who know of potential candidates for the positions listed below, to step forward and make your interest known by emailing: John Sandmoen (sandjoh@telus.net), no later than May 12th, 2021.
Of the seven Board positions, three are up for election in June:
Position: Incumbent:
● Secretary Douwe Spriensma
● Treasurer Ray Keroack
● Director-at-Large Tamas Virag
Other positions open for election:
· Auditor if a CPA, one person; if non-CPA, two: Lawrence Taylor
· Ombudsperson : No Incumbent
· Nominating Committee Chair (one year term): No Incumbent
· Nom. Committee members (2-4, one year term): John Sandmoen
Recognizing that incumbents may have their name stand for re-election in their current position or another open position, all positions are deemed "open" for election.
Full job descriptions of each Board Member and the Nominating Committee can be found on the SAPC website, along with bylaws, strategic and annual plans, and policies – all of which helps to frame the Board’s responsibilities and governance structure. Here's some links to those pages: Job Descriptions Club Plans & Policies
All Board positions are charged with the effective governance in matters of policy, finance, programs, volunteers and advocacy. The Board meets monthly and the time commitment is 3-4hrs per month, including pre-reading for the meeting. There may be additional time requirements for other roles.
The Financial Statement Review guidelines for non-CPA persons are posted on the website under the heading “other job descriptions”.
The Ombudsperson, as an independent and impartial party, provides members with an opportunity and method to seek redress on real or perceived abuses of power by those in authority. The Ombudsperson policy, detailing the job, is posted on the SAPC website.
Club Bylaws: Proposed Revisions
We’re sharing some proposed changes to the club bylaws that the Board has been working on over the winter and that we’ll be presenting at the AGM in June.
This is your opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions.
Providing your input now will help us all be prepared at the AGM (and to minimize questions and further discussion during that time).
Description of, and reasons for, proposed bylaw changes
1. The board proposes to bring our fiscal year and membership year in line with Pickleball Canada and Pickleball Alberta organizations to maintain our automated membership processes.
1.4 The membership year will commence on January 1st and continue for twelve months. The anniversary for the membership year may be changed by a majority vote of members at a General meeting.
2.19 The fiscal year of the society in each year shall be from January 1 to December 31.
The changes are needed to align our integrated website registration processes.
2 . The board proposes that setting of the membership fees and the approval of the annual budget be delegated to the board, with the option for the membership to provide direction on membership fees, for the next fiscal year, via a motion at the AGM.
The existing bylaws state:
1.1 Membership fees in the society shall be determined, from time to time, by the members at General meeting.
Proposed bylaws:
1.1 Membership fees in the society shall be determined from time to time by the Board, subject to Article 2.2 of these bylaws.
Article 2.2 :
2.2 The Board shall, subject to the bylaws or directions given it by majority vote at an Annual General Meeting properly called and constituted, have full control and management of the affairs of the society.
Reason: Setting membership fees or changing the budget at the AGM, after the membership year and the fiscal year have already started, causes administrative difficulties and hampers budget and event planning for the year.
In this way the board can plan the club activities before the start of the fiscal year with an approved budget. The membership has the option at the AGM or any society meeting to give direction to the board on future budget planning, as the membership has the final say in the affairs of the society.
3. The board proposes to change the minimum age requirement for membership to 12 years in the bylaws and clarify the conditions of membership by the following clauses.
1.2 Membership in the society is open to any person residing in Alberta being interested in the game of pickleball and being of the full age of 12 years, subject to the provisions of club membership policies, membership application procedures and any outstanding issues relating to prior membership in this society have been resolved to the satisfaction of the Board.
1.9 A member of the society will be in good standing provided that the member:
a. has not ceased to be a member;
b. as not been suspended or expelled from membership, or had other restrictions or sanctions imposed;
c. has completed and remitted all documents as required by the society;
d. has complied with the bylaws, policies, procedures, rules and regulations of the society;
e. is not subject to a disciplinary investigation or action by the society, or if subject to disciplinary action previously, has fulfilled all terms and conditions of such disciplinary action to the satisfaction of the Board and;
f. has paid all required membership dues or debts to the society, if any.
Currently the board needs to approve every youth membership below 18 years old individually, as stated in in the existing bylaws. These new bylaw clauses will enable the management of membership details via Policies and procedures and will reduce administrative work for the board.
4. The board proposes to add to the bylaws:
3.1.1 Parliamentary Authority: the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern those cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with either these bylaws or any special rules of order the society or Board may adopt for their respective meetings.
Our existing bylaws have parts of these rules of order included, but details on how to run meetings and resolve governance issues were missing or conflicting. This clause provides a broadly accepted way, and complete guide to, conducting business at our meetings.
Adopting this Parliamentary authority will simplify our bylaws, and remove some conflicts between established rules of order and our bylaws, and provide a simplified and clear way of running small meetings like the board meeting.
Various clauses in the proposed bylaws have been edited to conform to these Rules of Order, and details in the existing bylaws that are covered in these Rules of Order have been deleted in the proposed bylaws.
This new clause will also allow special rules of order to be adopted for General or Board meetings and thereby help in doing business efficiently.
5. The Board proposes to add to the bylaws:
3.1.2 Any society, Board or committee meetings may be conducted through use of Internet meeting services that support anonymous voting and support visible displays identifying those participating, identifying those seeking recognition to speak, showing (or permitting the retrieval of) the text of pending motions, and showing the results of votes. These electronic meetings shall be subject to all rules adopted by the Board, or by the Society, to govern them, which may include any reasonable limitations on, and requirements for, members’ participation. Any such rules adopted shall supersede any conflicting rules in the parliamentary authority, but may not otherwise conflict with or alter any rule or decision of the Society. An anonymous vote conducted through the designated Internet meeting service shall be deemed a ballot vote, fulfilling any requirement in the bylaws or rules that a vote be conducted by ballot.
This statement is needed to properly authorize conducting our meetings via Zoom or other video conferencing apps.
6. The Board proposes to add to the bylaws:
6.3 The Board will have the authority to interpret any provision of these bylaws that is contradictory, ambiguous, or unclear, provided such interpretation is consistent with the objectives, mission, vision and values of the society and the Societies Act of Alberta.
This will provide a path forward, if a dispute arises. The membership still has the ultimate say, if not in agreement with the board decision, as per clause 2.2.
2.8 A Director may be suspended, pending the outcome of a discipline hearing in accordance with the society’s policies related to discipline, by Special Resolution of the Board at a meeting of the Board, provided the Director has been given notice of, and the opportunity to be heard at, such meeting.
This will avoid needing to call a Special Membership meeting when needing to suspend a Director pending the outcome of a discipline issue. As per the next clause, the membership will still be called on to remove a Director from Office.
2.9 Directors or Officers may be removed from office at the pleasure of the membership as provided in the parliamentary authority.
The board is working for the membership, so the membership has the final say.
7. Here are some clarifying statements that have been added:
Articles 2.1 and 3.2.4: Directors having attained the age of majority
This is required to meet Canada Not for Profit Director requirements.
2.16 At the discretion of the Director or Officer, and approval by a resolution from the Board, any Director or Officer may delegate any duties of that office to appropriate volunteers or staff of the society.
This is needed to allow delegation of some of the duties of the treasurer, assigned by these bylaws.
1.8 membership, or any of its benefits are not transferable.
Each member has to go through the application process and there are no refunds for membership fees.
Needing to make the above changes provided the opportunity to clarify the wording of some other clauses, and to group clauses into their appropriate sections for easier interpretation and application of our bylaws. (On occasion we have misread the bylaws or needed to call an extra meeting to re-vote on a special resolution, because the rules were not spelled out.)
On behalf of the board,
Douwe Spriensma,
Secretary SAPC
And here for your convenience in referencing is a link to our Bylaws (that are found on the Club Management tab of our website page)
SAPC Bylaws