Lions
Clubs International
MULTIPLE
DISTRICT ÒAÓ
CONSTITUTION
AND
BY-LAWS
Revised
by
The
Ad-Hoc Constitution & By-Laws Committee
May
2007
Adopted
by the Council of Governors
In
Convention at Toronto, Ontario
June
1, 2008
Amended
at MDA Convention 2009
June
7, 2009
Amended
at MDA Convention 2010
June
6, 2010
Amended
at MDA Convention 2011
May
29, 2011
Amended
at MDA Convention 2013
June
2, 2013
Multiple District ÔAÕ
Constitution & By-laws
Table of Contents
Constitution
ARTICLES Page
#
l
Name
3
ll
Object
3
lll
Membership
3
lV
Officers
3
V
Council
of Governors 3-4
Vl
Multiple
District Convention 4-5
Vll
Amendments
5
By-Laws
ARTICLES Page
#
l
Multiple
District Convention 6-7
ll Meetings
7
lll
Duties
of Multiple Council of Governors
and
Committees 7-9
lV
Multiple
District Committees
9
V
Multiple
District Administration Fund 10-11
Vl
Multiple
District Convention Fund 11
Vll
Nominations/Endorsement
International
Director
and Second Vice President
Nominees
11-12
Vlll
Miscellaneous
13
lX
Amendments
13
X
Effective
Time 14
MULTIPLE DISTRICT ÒAÓ
CONSTITUTION
Article I -
Name
This organization shall
be known as Multiple District ÒAÓ – Lions Clubs International, hereinafter
referred to as Òmultiple districtÓ.
Article II -
Object
To provide an
administrative structure with which to advance the Purposes of Lions Clubs International
in this multiple district.
Article III -
Membership
The members of this
organization shall be all Lions clubs in this multiple district chartered by Lions
Clubs International. This multiple district shall consist of a number of
sub-districts, hereinafter referred to as districts, with boundary lines as
adopted by a multiple district convention and approved by the International
Board of Directors of Lions Clubs International. Specific sub-districts may be
identified using the letter ÒAÓ followed by the numeric designator.
Article IV -
Officers
The officers of this
multiple district shall be members of the Council of Governors.
Article V -
Council of Governors
Section 1. Composition.
There shall be a Council
of Governors composed of all the district governors in the multiple district
and shall also include one past district governor who shall serve as council
chairperson. Each member of the council of governors, including the council
chairperson shall have one (1) vote on each question requiring action of the
council of governors. The council chairperson shall serve for a one year term
only and cannot serve in that capacity again.
(Note: Article II,
Section 4 of the International By-Laws permits the multiple district, by provision
in its constitution and by-laws, to include certain other Lions as members of
the Council of Governors.)
Section 2. Officers.
The officers of the
Council of Governors shall be a chairperson and vice-chairperson, secretary and
treasurer and such other officers as the Council of Governors shall deem
necessary. The chairperson and vice-chairperson shall be elected annually by
the Council of Governors. The secretary and treasurer shall be appointed by the
Council of Governors.
Section 3. Powers.
Except where
inconsistent with and contrary to the provisions of the articles of
incorporation and constitution and by-laws of Lions Clubs International, the
powers granted therein to the board of directors of said association, and the
policies and acts of said board of directors, the Council of Governors shall:
a)
Have jurisdiction and control over all officers
and agents, when acting as such, of the Council of Governors and all committees
of the multiple district and multiple district convention;
b)
Have management and control over the property,
business and funds of the multiple district;
c)
Have jurisdiction, control and supervision over
all phases of the multiple district convention and all other meetings of the
multiple district;
d)
Have original jurisdiction, when authorized
under the policy of the international board of directors and under rules of
procedure prescribed by said board, to hear and rule upon any complaint of a
constitutional nature raised by any sub-district or districts and Lions clubs,
or any member of a Lions club, in the multiple district. All such rulings of
the Council of Governors shall be subject to review and decision by said
international board;
e)
Have control and management of all budgetary
matters of the multiple district and committees of the multiple district and
multiple district convention. No obligation may be approved or made which shall
effect an unbalanced budget or deficit in any fiscal year;
f)
Have the power to appoint chairpersons to
additional committees as may be required.
Article
VI - Multiple District Convention
Section
1. Time
and Place.
The annual multiple
district convention shall be held each year prior to the International Convention,
at a time and place determined by a previous Council of Governors.
Section 2. Club Delegate
Formula.
Each chartered club in
good standing in Lions Clubs International, and its district, and this multiple
district shall be entitled in each convention of this multiple district to one
(1) delegate and one (1) alternate for each ten (10) members who have been
enrolled for at least one year and one day in the club or major fraction
thereof, of said club as shown by the records of the international office on
the first day of the month last preceding that month during which the convention
is held. The major fraction referred to in this section shall be five (5) or
more members. Each certified delegate present in person shall be entitled to
cast one (1) vote only for each office to be filled by, and one (1) vote only
on each question submitted to the respective convention. Unless otherwise
specified herein, the affirmative vote of a majority of the delegates voting on
any question shall be the act of the convention. Delinquent dues may be paid
and good standing acquired at any time prior to the close of credential
certification, as such closing time shall be established by the rules of the
respective convention.
Each past and present
officer of Lions International who is a member in good standing in District ÒAÓ
shall be a voting delegate at the District ÒAÓ Convention, and this vote shall
not be counted as a vote to which the officerÕs club would otherwise be
entitled. The officer may be a voting delegate in one capacity only.
Section 3. Quorum.
A majority of the
delegates in attendance at any session of a sub-district or a multiple district
convention shall constitute a quorum.
Article VII -
Amendments
Section 1. Amending
Procedure.
This constitution may be
amended only at a multiple district convention, by resolution reported by the
Convention Committee on Constitution and By-Laws and adopted by the affirmative
vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast.
Section 2. Automatic
Update.
When amendments to the International Constitution and By-Laws are passed
at the International Convention, any amendments that would have an effect on
this Multiple District Constitution and By-Laws shall automatically be updated
in this district constitution and by-laws at the close of the convention.
Section 3. Notice.
No amendment shall be so
reported or voted upon unless the same shall have been furnished in writing to
each club no less than thirty (30) days prior to the convening date of the
annual convention with notice that the same will be voted upon at said
convention.
Section 4. Effective
Date.
Each amendment shall
take effect at the close of the convention at which adopted unless otherwise
specified in the amendment.
MULTIPLE DISTRICT ÒAÓ
BY – LAWS
Article I -
Multiple District Convention
Section 1. Convention
Site Selection.
The Chairperson of the
Council of Governors shall receive invitations in writing from places desiring
to entertain the annual convention. All invitations shall set forth such
information as the Council of Governors shall from time to time prescribe and
shall be delivered to the chairperson no later than thirty (30) days prior to
the convening date of the February (or mid-winter) Council meeting at which
they are to be voted upon by the Council of Governors. Procedure to be followed
in investigation of bids and in presentation of the same, as well as action to
be taken in the event no bids are acceptable to or so received by the Council
of Governors shall be determined by the Council of Governors.
Section 2. Site Change.
The Council of Governors
shall retain, and have, absolute power to change at any time, for good reason,
the convention site chosen by a previous Council of Governors, and neither the
Council of Governors nor the multiple district nor any sub-district or
sub-districts shall incur any liability thereby to any club or sub-district.
Section 3. Officers.
The members of the
Council of Governors shall be the officers of the annual multiple district convention.
Section 4. Order of
Convention Business.
The GovernorsÕ Council
shall arrange the order of business for the Multiple District ÒAÓ Convention
and the same shall be the order of the day for all sessions. The Agenda shall
include reports from the following:
á Multiple
District Secretary
á Multiple
District Treasurer
á Multiple
District Committees
á General
Business of the Multiple District
Section 5. Rules of
Order & Procedure.
Except as otherwise
specifically provided in this constitution and by-laws, or in the rules of procedure
adopted for a meeting, all questions of order and procedure in any convention,
any meeting of the Council of Governors or multiple district committee shall be
determined by ROBERTÕS RULES OF ORDER, NEWLY REVISED.
Section 6.
Sergeant-at-Arms.
A convention
sergeant-at-arms and such assistant sergeant-at-arms as it deems necessary
shall be appointed by the Council of Governors.
Section 7. Official
Report
Within sixty (60) days
after the close of the multiple district convention, an official report shall be
forwarded to Lions Clubs International and each club in the multiple district
by the Council of Governors, or, at its direction, by the council secretary.
Section 8. Sub-District
Convention.
A meeting of the registered
delegates of a sub-district in attendance at the multiple district convention
may constitute the annual convention of said sub-district.
Article II -
Meetings
Section 1. Council
Meetings
The Council of Governors
shall hold a regular meeting within ninety (90) days after the date on which
the district governors officially take office, and such other meetings as it
deems advisable. The council chairperson, or the secretary at the chairpersonÕs
direction, shall issue a written call for each meeting of the Council of
Governors, with the time and place to be set out in the call and to be
determined by the chairperson. The date of any meeting save the first, which
shall be set by the chairperson, shall be determined by the Council of
Governors.
Section 2. Quorum
The personal presence of
a majority of the Council of Governors shall constitute a quorum at any
meeting.
Article III -
Duties of Multiple Council of Governors & Committees
Section 1. Multiple
District Council of Governors
The Council of Governors
shall conduct the affairs of the District in accordance with the Constitution
of Lions International & the multiple district.
a)
Make all contracts and approve all bills
relating to multiple district convention administrative expenses;
b)
Designate a depository for multiple district
funds;
c)
Determine the amount of surety bond for the
council secretary-treasurer, and approve the surety company issuing said bond;
d)
Receive financial reports, semi-annually or more
frequently, from the council secretary-treasurer, and provide for a review or
audit at the end of the fiscal year of the books and accounts of the council
secretary-treasurer.
Section 2. Multiple
District Council Chairperson
The multiple district
council chairperson shall be the co-ordinator of the multiple district and shall
act on behalf of and upon delegation from the Council of Governors. His/her
specific responsibilities shall be to:
a)
Further the purposes of this association;
b)
Provide leadership, direction, and initiative
for international and multiple district programmes, goals and long range
planning;
c)
Create and foster harmony and unity among
sub-districts, and assist district governors with solving issues;
d)
Chair over the multiple district convention and
all meetings of the Council of Governors;
e)
Submit reports and perform such duties as may be
required by the multiple district constitution and by-laws;
f)
Perform other administrative duties as may be
assigned by the Council of Governors; and
g)
Facilitate, at the close of his/her term of
office, the timely presentation of all multiple district accounts, funds and
records to his/her successor in office.
Section 3. Multiple
District Council Secretary-Treasurer
Under the supervision
and direction of the Council of Governors, the secretary-treasurer shall:
a)
Keep an accurate record of the proceedings of
all meetings of the Council of Governors, and within ten (10) days after each
meeting forward copies to all members of the Council of Governors and the
office of Lions Clubs International;
b)
Assist the Council of Governors in conducting
the business of the district, and perform such other duties as are specified or
implied in the constitution and by-laws, or as may be assigned to him/her from
time to time by the Council of Governors;
c)
Receive and give proper receipts for all capita
taxes required to be paid over to him/her by the sub-district cabinet
secretary-treasurers, deposit the same in a bank or banks designated by the Council
of Governors, and disburse the same under the supervision and control of the
Council of Governors by cheques drawn against said deposits signed by himself/herself
and countersigned by the council chairperson or other duly authorized council
member;
d)
Keep accurate books and records of accounts and
minutes of all Council of Governors and multiple district meetings, and permit
inspection of the same by any member of the Council of Governors or any club in
the multiple district (or any duly authorized agent of either at any
reasonable time for any proper purpose;
e)
Secure bond for the faithful performance of
his/her duties in such sum and with such sureties as may be required by the
Council of Governors;
f)
In the event that separate offices of council
secretary and council treasurer are adopted the duties herein are to be
attributed to each of the officers according to the nature of the duties.
Section 4. Multiple
District Protocol Chairperson
The Council of Governors
shall appoint annually a protocol chairperson for the multiple district. Under
the supervision and direction of the Council of Governors, the protocol
chairperson shall:
a)
At all events attended by the visiting
dignitaries, provide seating charts in keeping with the associationÕs official
protocol- ensure that spoken introductions are based on the same and dress
requirements are clear for all events;
b)
Arrange for proper airport (or other arrival)
greetings; arrange suitable transportation to hotel or other lodging, inspect
hotel room in advance to ensure its suitability, and provide appropriate
amenities (fruit, flowers etc);
c)
Arrange for the proper escort of visitors to
each function on the schedule;
d)
Arrange courtesy calls on local government
leaders (or regional and/or national leaders if the location suggests this as a
possibility), as the visitorÕs schedule permits;
e)
Co-ordinate public relations media exposure such
as television, radio and print, as necessary; and
f)
Co-ordinate departure from hotel, and
transportation to airport (or other departure venue).
Article IV -
Multiple District Committees
Section 1. Credentials
Committee
The Credentials
Committee of the multiple district convention shall be composed of the current district
governors, first and second vice district governors and cabinet- secretary
treasurers. The Chairperson of this committee shall be the council chairperson.
Each such Credentials Committee shall have the powers and perform the duties as
set forth in ROBERTÕS RULES OF ORDER, NEWLY REVISED.
Section 2. Multiple
District Convention Committees
The Council of Governors
shall appoint, designate the chairperson of, and fill any vacancies occurring
in the following multiple district convention committees: Resolutions,
Nominations, Elections, Constitution & By-Laws, Rules & International
Convention. Each sub-district shall have at least one representative on each
such committee. These committees shall perform such duties as the Council of
Governors shall designate.
Section 3. Other Council
Committees
The Council of Governors
may create and appoint such other committees and positions as it deems
necessary and appropriate for efficient operation of the multiple district.
Article V -
Multiple District Administration Fund
Section 1. Multiple
District Revenue
To provide revenue to
defray the administrative expenses of the multiple district, an annual multiple
district administrative fund per capita dues of Fourteen Dollars & Fifty
Cents ($14.50) in Canadian dollars is hereby levied upon each member of each
club in the multiple district and shall be collected and paid in advance by
each club on or after the first day of September in each year. The membership
of each club shall be based on the number of members on record at Lions Clubs
International on the first day of July. Newly chartered or re-organized clubs
shall collect and pay said annual dues on a pro-rata basis from the first day
of the second month following the date of their organization or re-organization,
as the case may be. Campus Clubs
members shall be exempt from annual per capita dues.
Section 2. Disbursements
Said per capita dues
shall be disbursed only for administrative expenses of the multiple district
and only upon approval by the Council of Governors. Disbursement therefore
shall be by cheques drawn and signed by the council secretary-treasurer and
countersigned by the council chairperson.
Section 3. Rules of
Audit
Reimbursement of
expenses shall be in accordance with Rules of Audit established by the multiple
district Council of Governors.
Section 4. Life Member.
Any member of a club in
this multiple district who has maintained active membership as a Lion for
twenty (20) or more years and has rendered outstanding service to the club,
his/her community or this Association; or who is critically ill, or any member
of a club who has maintained such active membership for fifteen (15) or more
years and is at least seventy (70) years of age may be granted MDÓAÓ Life
Membership in the club upon:
a)
recommendation of the club;
b)
upon approval by the MDÓAÓ Governors Council;
and
c)
upon payment of Two Hundred Dollars Canadian
(CAD$200.00) by his/her club in lieu of all future dues to this multiple
district;
A Life Member shall have
all privileges of active membership so long as he/she fulfills all obligations
thereof. A Life Member who desires to relocate and receives an invitation to
join another Lions club in MD ÒAÓ shall automatically become an MD ÒAÓ Life
Member of said club.
Nothing herein shall
prevent the club from charging an MD ÒAÓ Life Member such dues as it shall deem
proper. Former Lioness members, who are now Active members of their Lions clubs
or who become Active members of a Lions club on or before June 30, 2007, may
apply all of their prior Lioness service toward MD ÒAÓ Life membership
eligibility. Lioness members who become Active members of a Lions Club after
June 30, 2007, will not be eligible for Lioness service credit for the purposes
of MD ÒAÓ Life membership.
Section 5. Audit.
The Council of Governors
shall provide for an annual or more frequent audit or review of the multiple
district administration fund and shall give the annual financial report of said
fund to the multiple district.
Article VI -
Multiple District Convention Fund
Section 1. Fund Tax
In lieu of or in
addition to a multiple district convention registration fee, an annual per
capita multiple district convention fund tax of $ 0.50 in Canadian dollars may
be levied upon each member of each club in the multiple district, to be
collected and paid with the annual per capita dues. The membership of each club
shall be based on the number of members on record at Lions Clubs International
on the first day of July. Newly chartered or re-organized clubs may be levied on
a pro-rata basis from the first day of the second month following the date of
their organization or reorganization, as the case may be.
The fund so collected
shall be paid to the multiple district convention host committee upon approval
by the Council of Governors. To receive said payment, the Host Committee of the
multiple district convention is required to provide a financial statement of
convention receipts and expenses by the first council meeting following the
convention. The financial statement shall be made available to subsequent
Convention Host Committees.
Section 2. Fee
Collection
A registration fee, set
by the Convention Host Committee and approved by the Council of Governors, may
be collected under procedures set by the Council of Governors from each delegate,
alternate and guest attending the multiple district convention to defray the
actual cost of convention meals and entertainment, etc.
Article VII - Nominations and Endorsement
International Director and Second Vice President Nominees
Section 1. Endorsement
Procedure
Subject to the
provisions of the International Constitution & By-Laws, any member of a
Lions Club in the multiple district seeking endorsement of the convention of
the multiple district as a candidate for the office of international director
or second vice president shall:
(a) Deliver (by mail or
in person) written notice of intention to seek such endorsement to the multiple
district council secretary-treasurer no less than thirty (30) days prior to the
convening date of the convention (sub or multiple) at which such question of
endorsement is to be voted upon;
(b) Deliver with said
notice of intention evidence of fulfillment of the qualifications for such office
set forth in the International Constitution & By-Laws; and
(c) Resign from all
multiple district committees and appointments immediately at the conclusion of
the multiple district convention, one year prior to the multiple district
convention where the
election will be held.
Section 2. Nomination
Each notice of intention
so delivered shall be transmitted forthwith by the council chairperson and
council secretary-treasurer to the Nominating Committee of the respective convention,
which shall review and perfect the same by obtaining from each prospective
candidate any additional evidence of such intention and qualifications as may
be necessary under the International Constitution & By-Laws, and shall
place in nomination at the respective convention the name of each such
prospective candidate who has fulfilled said procedural and constitutional
requirements.
The multiple district
secretary shall thereupon inform each club in each district in writing or by publication
in the Lion Magazine of the nominee(s) for the position of International
Director or that of Second International Vice President.
Section 3. Seconding
Speech
Each such nominee for
endorsement shall be entitled to one seconding speech of no more than three (3)
minutes in duration. Each candidate nominated shall be entitled to speak once
for not more than five (5) minutes duration.
Section 4. Vote
The vote on the question
of endorsement shall be by secret written ballot, unless there shall be only
one nominee seeking the same, in which event a voice vote may be taken. The
nominee receiving the majority of the votes cast shall be declared endorsed
(elected) as the candidate of the multiple district convention. In the event of
a tie vote, or failure of one nominee to receive the required majority, on any
ballot, balloting shall continue with respect to the two nominees only who
received the largest number of votes on the previous ballot until one receives
the required majority of the votes cast.
Section 5.
Any candidate seeking
endorsement at the multiple district convention must first have secured the
endorsement of his/her sub-district.
Section 6. Certification
of Endorsement
Certification of
endorsement by the multiple district convention shall be made in writing to the
international office by the multiple district officials designated, and in
accordance with requirements set forth, in the International Constitution and
By-Laws.
Section 7. Validity
No endorsement of any
candidacy of any member of a Lions Club in this multiple district shall be valid
unless and until the provisions of this Article VII have been met.
Article VIII -
Miscellaneous
Section 1. Compensation
No officer shall receive
any compensation for any service rendered to this multiple district in his/her
official capacity with the exception of the council secretary-treasurer whose compensation,
if any, shall be fixed by the Council of Governors.
Section 2. Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of this
multiple district shall be from July 1st to June 30th.
Section 3. Dispute
Resolution
The clubs in the
multiple district shall pursue all complaints, disputes or claims according to
the terms and conditions of rules or procedure adopted, from time to time, by
the International Board of Directors.
Article IX -
Amendments
Section 1. Amending
Procedure.
These by-laws may be
amended only at a multiple district convention by resolution reported by the
Convention Committee on Constitution & By-Laws and adopted by a majority of
the votes cast.
Section 2. Notice.
Proposed amendments to
the constitution and/or by-laws shall be writing and received by the multiple
district constitution & by-laws chairperson no less than twenty-one (21)
days prior to the mid-winter council meeting; and
No amendment shall be so
reported or voted upon unless the same shall have been furnished in writing to
each club no less than thirty (30) days prior to the convening date of the
annual convention with notice that the same will be voted upon at said
convention.
Section 3. Effective
Date.
Each amendment shall
take effect at the close of the convention at which adopted unless otherwise
specified in the amendment.
Article X -
Effective Time
This constitution and
by-laws shall take effect at the close of the multiple district convention at
which the same is
adopted by the majority of the votes cast.
(This Multiple
District Constitution & By-Laws shall govern the multiple district unless otherwise
amended so as not to conflict with the International Constitution & By-Laws
and policies of Lions Clubs International. This multiple district Constitution
& By-Laws shall govern the sub-districts comprising the multiple district
unless otherwise amended so as not to conflict with the Multiple District and
International Constitution & By-Laws and policies of Lions Clubs
International.
Whenever there may exist
a conflict or a contradiction between the provisions set out in a district constitution
and by-laws and this multiple district constitution and by-laws, then the multiple
district constitution and by-laws shall govern.)