Canadian Society for Philosophical Practice
Société Canadienne pour la Pratique Philosophique

CONSTITUTION

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This is a copy of the CSPP constitution. Amendments are given at the bottom.

Section 1: Name and Objectives

Article 1: Name

The name of the society shall be the "Canadian Society for Philosophical Practice", hereafter referred to as the "society".

Article 2: Objectives

The goal of the Society is to develop and promote philosophical practices for the benefit of the general public. By "philosophical practice," the Society understands activities such as personal philosophical counseling, mediation of public philosophical dialogues, the writing (including scholarly writing) and publication of material on these subjects, research and collaboration among practitioners, and various other possible related activities that also employ philosophy broadly conceived to ameliorate and enrich the human condition. The society also welcomes the supportive input of psychologically trained therapists, social workers and other practitioners with expertise in areas other than philosophy who share an interest in the philosophical dimensions of human well-being. The Society also aims to foster good quality in philosophical practices by establishing ethical standards and supporting measures to enhance the competence and skill of practitioners.

Section 2: Membership

Article1: Eligibility

Membership shall be open to all persons who subscribe to the objectives of the society and who have attained the age of 21.

Article 2: Types of Membership

There shall be two types of membership in the society:

Regular Membership:

All members of the society who share the society's objectives and interests shall be considered regular members.

Honorary Membership:

The society may from time to time appoint honorary members in recognition of outstanding contribution to the field. Such members may be nominated by means of a petition addressed to the Secretary, signed by 10% or more members, or by a majority vote of the Board. If the nominees accepts the nomination, and a two-third majority vote in favor by the society members is received, then honorary membership shall be granted. Honorary members will not have any voting privileges nor be able to hold office.

Article 3: Membership Dues

Regular members shall pay annual dues to the society as stipulated in the bylaws of the society.

Article 4: Termination of Membership

Membership may be terminated by:

a) Resignation or lapsing without return of dues; or

b) Expulsion; where a two-third majority of members deem it necessary.

Section 3: Board of Directors

Article 1: Board of Directors

The Board shall consist of society members in good standing, to be elected to the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (these last two positions may be combined) and General Board Membership, of which there shall be five.

Article 2: Duties

a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board and the society at which s/he can be present, and shall have the duties and powers normally appurtenant to the office of President in addition to those specified in the society's bylaws. The President shall prepare an annual report of the activities of the Board, which shall be signed by those Board members present at the annual meeting. The report shall be published in the first convenient issue of the society's newsletter following the meeting;

b) The Vice-President shall have and exercise the responsibilities of the President in his/her absence, in addition to reasonable duties requested by the President;

c) The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the society and of all votes taken, and of all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the society. The minutes of the annual meeting shall be published in the first convenient society newsletter. S/he shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify Board members of their election to office, keep a roll of the members of the society, and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in the bylaws;

d) The Treasurer shall collect and receive all money due or belonging to the society. S/he shall deposit the same in a bank approved by the Board, in the name of the society. To withdraw moneys for the society account, s/he and the President must jointly sign cheques. S/he shall report to the Board, at every meeting, the condition of the society's finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported; and at the annual meeting s/he shall render an account of all moneys received and expended during the previous year. The Treasurer's report shall be available at least 14 days prior to the annual meeting. If, in the opinion of the Treasurer, any item in any bill to the society is excessive, s/he shall immediately submit a question to the Board for its decision; and

e) Other Board members shall present to the Board any concerns/suggestions expressed by the members of the society, and shall assist the Board wherever possible.

Article 3: Terms of Office

a) The President shall serve for a period of three years.

b) The Vice-President shall serve for a period of three years.

c) The Secretary shall serve for a period of two years that may be renewed three times.

d) The Treasurer shall serve for a period of two years that may be renewed three times.

e) Other Board members shall serve for a period of two years that may be renewed for an indefinite number of times.

Article 4: Elections

a) Election shall be by ballot solicited from the society's membership prior to the annual general meeting. The ballots shall be posted at least thirty days before they are due back. All regular members who are in good standing may vote. A member need not be present at the meeting in order to vote.

b) Nominations for vacant positions on the Board shall be solicited from the members well in advance of the annual general meeting by the Secretary. Nominations submitted to the Secretary shall include advice that the nominee agrees to serve if elected. Nominations by 10% of members shall automatically be effective. In all other cases the Board must approve nominations. Nominations will close 45 days in advance of the election to allow 15 days for ballot preparation.

Article 5: Vacancies

Any vacancies occurring on the Board during the year shall be filled until the next annual meeting of the society by a majority vote of all the then members of the Board, except that a vacancy in the Presidency will automatically be filled by the Vice- President.

Article 6: Removing Board Members

A two-third majority vote of members in good standing is required to remove any Board member from the Board.

Section 4: Meetings

Article 1: Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the society shall be held during the period from June 1 through October 30, at a place, date and time specified by the Board. Written notice shall be mailed by the Secretary to each member at least 45 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for the annual meeting shall be ten percent of the members eligible to vote.

Article 2: Special Meetings

Special meetings of the society may be called by the President, by three members of the Board, or by ten percent of members in good standing. In the latter case, the request shall be sent to the Secretary who will arrange such a meeting as soon as possible.

Article 3: Board Meetings

A meeting of the Board should be held promptly following the conclusion of the election by means which are most feasible. Other meetings of the Board may be held at such times and places as are designated by the consent of the entire Board. The quorum for a Board meeting shall be a majority of the Board members. The Board may conduct its business by mail, email, or by other electronic means through the Secretary.

Section 5: Amendments to the Constitution

Article 1: Proposing an Amendment

Amendments to the constitution, bylaws, and other society regulations may be proposed at any time to members of the society by a majority decision of the Board or be made by written request to the Secretary by 50% of members in good standing. A request by members shall be presented to the membership with the recommendations of the Board.

Article 2: Method of Approving an Amendment

Any such proposed amendments shall be sent by the Secretary to each society member with a ballot to indicate their approval or disapproval of the proposed amendment. The notice must specify a date not less than 30 days after the date of mailing by which date the ballots must be returned to the Secretary to be counted. The favourable vote of two-thirds of the members in good standing who return ballots within the time limit shall be required to effect any such amendment which shall be automatically approved by the Board.

Amendment One

(i) The interim president be empowered to open an account in the Society's name for the purposes of depositing membership fees, and of paying bills and arrears normally incurred in the process of conducting Society business;

(ii) The interim president, for the duration of his tenure, has sole signing authority on the CSPP account, for the purpose of disbursing funds for the payment of bills and arrears normally incurred in the process of conducting Society business;

(iii) The interim president's signing authority terminates at the end of his or tenure, at which time the regular constitutional requirement, that both the President and Treasurer must sign for cheques and withdrawals of Society funds for the purpose of conducting regular Society business, takes effect.

 

Canadian Society for Philosophical Practice

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