All members are called to attend the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Editors’ Association of Canada (Editors Canada). The purpose of the meeting is to conduct the annual business of the association.
The AGM is held in conjunction with the conference, but members do not have to register for the conference to attend the AGM; there is no fee to attend the AGM.
Members may also attend the AGM electronically (see below for more information).
If you are attending in person, you must register for the AGM before it begins, between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (ADT). For online registration, please see below.
Date:
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Time:
In-person registration: 2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. (ADT)
Meeting begins: 3:30 p.m. (ADT)
Location:
The Westin Nova Scotian
Commonwealth A room
1181 Hollis Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3H 2P6
Simultaneous interpretation
Editors Canada is a bilingual association and we are committed to providing access to the AGM in French for those who require interpretation. However, this service is rarely used and, as the cost to provide it is significant, we will now be offering interpretation upon request only. If you require simultaneous interpretation for the AGM, please email secretary@editors.ca no later than Tuesday, May 21, 2019.
Online registration
Members will be able to participate online at this year’s AGM through our webinar provider, Zoom.us. You must register ahead of time to participate using Zoom.
Registration: Please note that online registration is now closed.
Registration closes: Tuesday, June 4, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. (ADT)
- Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email that contains a unique URL to access the AGM (which takes place on Saturday, June 8, 2019) on Zoom.us.
- You will also receive a reminder email a few days before the meeting.
- Only one person can use each unique URL. This URL has been personalized for you. Please do not share it. If another person uses your unique URL before you, you will not be able to log into the meeting.
- Although Zoom.us provides a call-in option for meetings, please do not use this option as it will not allow you to participate in the voting procedures.
For more information about participating remotely using the online platform, please see our FAQs.
Voting procedures
Only members of the association are eligible to vote. If you are a member, you may cast your votes in 1 of 3 ways:
1. Vote in person
Members who are attending the AGM in person will register on site and will be issued a coloured voting paper at the door.
2. Vote online
Members can participate in the AGM remotely via Zoom (zoom.us) and vote using the online polling system. See the online meeting FAQs for more information.
3. Vote by proxy
Members who cannot attend in person or remotely may authorize another member to vote on their behalf by giving that member a signed proxy. To do so,
a) download and complete the proxy form (for association members only) and
b) send it to the member you wish to empower to vote on your behalf.
Your chosen proxy holder must be a member and must
a) take the signed proxy to the AGM (if attending in person), or
b) register the signed proxy by sending it to the national secretary (if attending online) by Thursday, June 6, 2019 (see FAQs).
If you wish, you may appoint the national secretary as your proxy holder. To do this, email your signed proxy to secretary@editors.ca (preferred method) by Thursday, June 6, 2019.
You may also mail your proxy (Editors Canada, 1507–180 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8). Proxies sent by mail must be received by the office no later than 5 p.m., EDT on Tuesday, June 4, 2019.
A note on electing directors
The federal legislation that governs not-for-profits requires that directors be elected, as directors, at a meeting of members. The directors are then to decide, by a vote among themselves, who takes which role on the national executive council. Members do not run for a particular position.
The nominating committee solicits for particular positions, with the caveat that the national executive council discusses and votes on the positions after the AGM.
Rules of order
The national executive council has created a guide to help members and the chair with the rules most likely to be needed at AGMs.
The Editors Canada bylaw states that meetings will be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order (section 3.09). Various policies and procedures/guidelines may also come into play at an AGM.
While many association members are friends or colleagues, the AGM is a formal meeting. In order to have a successful meeting, the business of the AGM is conducted through motions.
Download the Rules of Order Guide for the Editors’ Association of Canada Annual General Meetings. (430.07 KB)
Agenda
- Call to order
- Parliamentarian
- Approval of agenda
- Approval of 2018 draft annual general meeting (AGM) minutes
- Approval of the 2018 annual report (report will come from Editors Canada national office once the audit is done)
- Approval of the 2018 auditors’ report (included in the 2018 annual report, as required by law) (report will come from Editors Canada national office once the audit is done)
- Substantive motion submitted by a member: Ratifying the updated Definitions of Editorial Skills
- Substantive motion submitted by a member: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement
- Substantive motion submitted by a member: Finding work for members
- Motions from the floor
- Appointments and elections
- President’s Award presentation
- Distribution of certificates to newly certified members
- Other business
- Adjournment
Details of election candidates, along with other supporting documents and any changes to the agenda, are posted in the members’ area of the Editors Canada website.
The deadline for members to submit substantive motions for the AGM was Thursday, April 18, 2019, as advised in the Tuesday, March 5, 2019, email to members (“Motions at the 2019 annual general meeting”). Substantive motions from the floor are not permitted, as members need time to think about and discuss them, and members who are not at the meeting cannot vote on them. Nominations from the floor for positions on the national executive are allowed. Motions on matters such as thanking a member or committee or awarding a surprise honour are also allowed.