Constitution

1.	Name	The Association shall be called the Ward’s Island Recreation Association.
2.	Location	The Association shall be located on Ward’s Island of the Toronto Islands in the City of Toronto.
3.	Objects	To provide the members thereof with suitable accommodation, means and appliances for the pursuit and promotion of aquatic and other amateur sports and pastimes, and to promote the general interests of the members.
4.	Membership	There shall be the following classes of membership: a)      Senior Membership: Senior Membership shall consist of members over 16 years of age on July 1st who, having paid their annual membership fee, shall be entitled to all privileges of the Association.   b)      Junior Membership: Junior Membership shall consist of members under the age of 16 on July 1st who, having paid their annual membership fee, shall be entitled to all privileges of the Association except the power to vote.   c)      Social Membership: Social Membership shall consist of members who, having paid their annual membership fees shall be entitled to all social privileges of the Association except sports activities and the power to vote.   d)      Life Membership: Any Senior member may be appointed a life member at the discretion of the Executive, and shall be entitled to all privileges of the Association without payment of annual membership fees.
5.	Fees	a)      The annual membership fees shall be as set down in the Association’s By-Laws.   b)      Activity fees as set by the Executive shall be paid, in addition to annual membership fees for each association sports activity participated in by each Junior and Senior Member.
6.	Executive	The Executive of the Association shall consist of Honorary President (retiring President), President, Vice-President, Secretary, Membership Chairman, Clubhouse Chairman, Editor and Treasurer: and a committee of eight or more as may be determined by the outgoing Executive, who shall be in charge of a recognized association activity and elected for such purpose in the manner set down in the Association’s By-Laws.
7.	Auditors	The Auditors shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting.  They shall inspect the books and accounts of the Association for the calendar year in which they are appointed, and shall present their report to the Executive Committee not later than June 15 of the following year.  The Executive shall cause some to be printed and made available to the membership not later than July 15th.
8.	Nominations and Elections	a)      Election of officers and other members of the Executive Committee with the exception of the Editor shall be held at the Annual General Meeting by ballot, and each Senior or Life member shall be entitled to cast one vote.   b)      Nominations shall be made on official forms to be supplied by the Association at least ten days prior to the date of closing of nominations, which shall be the date of the Nomination Meeting: and all nominations shall be posted on the official bulletin board one week prior to the election.   c)      No nomination shall be valid without the signature of the nominee.   d)      Nominees for the offices of President, Secretary and Treasurer must have served on the Executive for at least one year previously in some other capacity to be eligible for nomination.
9.	Duties of Officers	a)      President: The President shall be Chief Executive Officer of the Association.  He shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee.  He shall enforce all the rules and regulations and be an ex-officio member of all committees.  He may call a meeting of the Association at his/her pleasure and must do so at the request of ten senior members of the Association within seven days of the receipt of such notice.   b)      Vice President: The Vice-President shall assist the President in the discharge of his duties and in his absence act in his stead.  He shall be in charge of special fund-raising activities.   c)      Secretary: The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept a true and correct record of all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee, in triplicate: one copy to rest with the President, one copy with the Vice-President and the third to be held available in the Association files for inspection by the membership.   d)      Membership Chairman: The Membership Chairman shall keep a correct roll of Association Members and receive membership fees which shall be handed over to the Treasurer on his request when the sum so collected amounts to five hundred dollars ($500.00)   e)      Treasurer: The Treasurer shall receive all monies due to the Association and deposit same to the credit of the club in any approved chartered Bank or Trust Company.  He shall pay cheque all bills or claims against the Association which have been incurred on recommendation of the Executive Committee and which have been approved by them for payment, and shall be required to maintain suitable records of all transactions.  All cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer and either the President or the Vice President.   f)        Honorary President: The Honorary President shall act as Chairman of properties and have charge of and be responsible for the inventory and safe-guarding of the chattels belonging to the Association   g)      Clubhouse Chairman: The Clubhouse Chairman shall see to the proper maintenance of the Clubhouse.  He shall cooperate with the Chairman of any activity in making ready the Clubhouse for any function, the time and date being suitable.  He shall obtain the sanction of the Executive Committee for permission for the use of the Clubhouse for any purpose, in the event of a request by any member of the Association desiring the use of it.   h)      Executive:  The Executive shall hold office for one year from the 1st of January of the year following their election.  Their duties shall be to act as membership committee and establish and enforce penalties for infringement of this Constitution.  They shall have control of all property and assets of the Association, shall have power and authority to expend in improvements, alterations or additions to the Association’s property or for other purposes by them deemed advisable, and in the interests of the Association, such sum or sums as may from time to time be required: provided, however that the annual expenditure shall in no case exceed the annual revenue.  They may settle all disputes referred to them.  They may select Sub-Committees to promote and control such games, sports, or amusements as may be assigned to them.  They shall have the power to determine what fees shall be paid by members desiring to participate in any Association activity and to collect the same.   The members of the Executive shall receive no remuneration for acting as such. No employee of the Association shall be entitled to receive any remuneration as such Executive member or employee.   No member of the Executive shall be liable for any loss, damage or misfortune occasioned by any error in judgement or oversight on his part, which shall happen in the execution of his duties or in relation thereto unless the same shall happen through his own dishonesty. i)        Editor: The Editor shall have control of the editing, printing and publishing of the Ward’s Island Weekly.  He shall include in full the schedule of future association events and activities as established by the Executive: and such reports of Association business, activities, or plans as are submitted to him by the Executive.  He shall be empowered to also publish such news of            members, general information or opinion as he shall see fit,     providing that he shall not contravene the laws of slander or   libel, that the tastes and sensitivities of the membership be       considered and that all material accepted by him for   publication shall be signed in manuscript by its author. The Editor shall be required to disclose the source of any material published to the Executive at the request of the Executive.
10.	Vacancies in Executive Committee	The Executive Committee is authorized and empowered to fill any vacancy which may occur in its ranks, and to appoint an Editor to have charge of the Association’s weekly paper.
11.	Meetings	a)      Executive Meetings:  Five members of the Executive shall constitute a quorum.  Any Member who shall without good and sufficient cause, of which the Executive shall be the judge, absent himself from three consecutive Executive Meetings shall cease to be a member of the Executive Committee.  The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a week during the summer season and not less than every two months during the balance of the year, or at the call of the President and in his absence the Vice-President or upon the written request of any two Members thereof.   b)      General Meetings:  The Annual Meeting of the Association, for which at least one week’s notice must be given, shall be held during the month of August, twenty-five Senior and Life Members present forming a quorum.  Notice of motions to be presented for a vote at this meeting must be given at the Nomination Meeting, which shall precede the Annual Meeting by at least one week. The Secretary shall call a General Meeting at any time at the discretion of the President or on a requisition signed by not less than ten Senior or Life Members of the Association.  In all such cases the matters to be dealt with must be specifically stated and seven days clear notice given by posting on the bulletin board.  Twenty-five Senior and Life members present shall form a quorum for a General Meeting.   c)      Errors:  No error or omission in giving notice of any Annual or General or Nomination or Executive Meeting shall invalidate such meeting or make void any proceedings taken thereat.
12.	By-Laws	The Executive may, from time to time, make By-Laws not contrary to the Constitution or the Corporations Act, and from time to time vary, amend, or repeal the same, provided, that every such By-Law and every repeal, amendment or re-enactment thereof, unless in the meantime confirmed at a general meeting duly called for that purpose, in effect only until the next Annual Meeting unless confirmed by the members thereat; and in default of such confirmation causes to have effect from that time, and in that case, no new By-Law of the same or like substance has any effect until confirmed at a General Meeting of the Members.   All By-Laws shall be published in the Weekly as soon as possible and posted on the official notice board immediately upon their passage by the Executive.
13.	Amendments & Repeals	This Constitution may be amended or repealed by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at a General Meeting of the Association, provided that the proposed amendments or repeals have been submitted to the Executive Committee and a notice of the general character of such changes posted on the notice board one week previous to the meeting at which action is to be taken.
14.	Misconduct	Should the conduct of any member of the Association be, in the opinion of the Executive Committee, after investigation, injurious to the character and interests of the Association, or should any Member refuse to conform to any rule or regulation of the Association which from time to time be made by the Executive Committee, or who shall be guilty or unfair or unsportsmanlike action, he shall be requested to resign.  Should this request not be complied with within one week, his name shall forthwith be struck from the Membership Roll.
15.	Club Property	The Executive committee shall not lend, lease or rent the Clubhouse or other club facilities or chattels to any individual or group if such would interfere with the rightful pursuit of club activities.
16.	Colours	The official colours of the Association shall be Royal Blue and Crimson