Bylaws

Please Note: This information is provided here for reference only. In the case of any discrepancy between the version of the information provided here and the official documents held by the Secretary, the official documents shall govern.

General

1. Management
The management of the Association and the control of its affairs is vested in the Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Board’). Except as otherwise provided in the Bylaws, the Board is empowered to decide on matters arising from time to time and within the objectives of the Association, or to put such matters to the vote of the general membership.
2. Classes of Members
  a. Six (6) classes of members are recognized by the Association:
  i. Athlete Members:
  i. receive a subscription to any print publications of DSBC when available.
  ii. receive selective discounts to DSBC organized events.
  iii. receive selective discounts at DSBC affiliated organizations.
  iv. access to DSBC subsidized guest coaches.
  v. access to DSBC organized practice space.
  vi. receive a license to compete in events sanctioned by DSBC, CDS, WDSF, or affiliated associations.
  vii. access to travel fund.
  viii. registration in the Canadian Registry of Amateur Dancers (CRAD).
  ii. Junior Athlete Members:
  i. receive all of the benefits of Athlete Members as set out in 2(a)(i)
  iii. Associate Members:
  i. receive some of the benefits of Athlete Members as set out in 2(a)(i)(i) to 2(a)(i)(iii) above.
  iv. Social Dancer Members:
  i. receive some of the benefits of Athlete Members as set out in 2(a)(i)(i) to 2(a)(i)(v) above.
  v. Corporate Members:
  i. receive a subscription to any print publications of DSBC when available
  ii. recognition on the DSBC website and DSBC promotional material as a supporter of DSBC.
  iii. Receive discounts to advertising in DSBC publications.
  vi. Honorary Members:
  i. receive all of the benefits of Athlete Members as set out in 2(a)(i)
  b. Athlete, Associate and Social Dancer memberships are open to all individuals sixteen (16) years of age and over. Junior Athlete membership is open to all individuals under the age of sixteen (16) years. Age refers to age of the individual as at the date of application. Corporate membership is open to all organizations.
  c. Honorary Members do not pay membership dues. Honorary Members may be appointed only by a motion of the Board of Directors, to be confirmed by an ordinary resolution at the subsequent Annual General Meeting. Honorary Members remain members of the Association until their membership is revoked by the Board of Directors.
  d. Athlete membership is limited to persons maintaining a residence in the Province of British Columbia or the Yukon Territory, unless otherwise approved by the Board of Directors.
3. Terms of Admission
  a. Application for membership shall be made to the Secretary, in writing, and in the form set forth in Schedule A (the Membership Application Form).
  b. Applications shall be accompanied by annual dues which will be refunded if the application is rejected.
  c. Applications will be considered by the Board as set out in these Bylaws. Acceptance or rejection will be made and the applicant informed of the decision within five (5) weeks of the date of application.
  d. In addition to the requirements under this Bylaw 3, a license to compete will not be granted to any Athlete or Junior Athlete member until such member has submitted to DSBC the following:
    i. Proof of date of birth and citizenship; and
    ii. Payment of CRAD fee as set by the Canadian Amateur DanceSport Association.
4. Rights and Obligations
  a. Each active member may, at any time, request a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws. The member will be notified once the copy is available. Members may also access through DSBC’s website for a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws.
  b. Each member may request a membership card be issued to him/her. The member will be notified once the card is available.
  c. Members shall abide by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association, and conduct themselves at all times in a manner which shall not be prejudicial to the interest or objects of the Association.
  d. Athlete, Associate, Social Dancer and Honorary Members may be nominated for election to the Board and may be appointed to the Nominating Committee.
  e. Athlete, Associate, Social Dancer and Honorary Members have one vote each. Junior Athlete and Corporate Members are non-voting members.
  f. Members may renew their membership without re-application by paying the annual dues before the first day of the third month of the Membership Year. In the case of a Junior Athlete Member having attained the required age, he/she shall then be an Athlete Member.
5. Association Year and Membership Year
The Association Year commences on the 1st day of June and covers the twelve month period through the 31st of May following. The Membership Year commences on the 1st day of January and covers the twelve month period through the 31st of December following.
6. Dues and Fees
  a. Annual dues are as set forth in Schedule C and shall be due and payable on the 1st day of each Membership Year.
  b. Initiation and registration fees are as set forth in Schedule C.
  c. Dues and fees other than CRAD fee may be revised by any General Meeting.
  d. DSBC shall, in each Membership year, collect the current annual CRAD fee, as set by the Canadian Amateur DancSport Association, from each Athlete and Junior Athlete member and remit such fees to CDS.
7. Termination of Membership
  a. Members may terminate their membership by so notifying the Secretary in writing.
  b. Membership granted in a previous Membership Year terminates on the first day of the third month of the succeeding Membership Year unless the annual dues for that Membership Year have been paid by that time.
  c. Termination of membership may be by the Board for conduct prejudicial to the interests or objects of the Association as expressed in the Constitution or provided in these Bylaws.
  d. Reinstatement shall be by simple majority vote of the Board.

Board of Directors

8. Officers and Other Directors
  a. All Officers shall be members of the Board.
  b. Officers of the Association are: the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.
  c. Directors shall include all Officers and the Past-President, when applicable.
  d. The number of Directors shall be a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 11 unless otherwise determined by ordinary resolution.
  e. Offices of Secretary and Treasurer may both be held by one Officer, to be known as Secretary-Treasurer.
  f. The Past-President shall be a Director for the Association Year following the year of his/her being President.
  g. No remuneration shall be payable to any Director, but such person shall be reimbursed for expenses properly incurred on the Association’s behalf.
9. Election and Removal of Directors
  a. The Association shall at the Annual General Meeting elect Officers and other Directors to serve on the Board, as provided in these Bylaws. The newly elected Directors will take office immediately upon the adjournment of the Annual General Meeting at which they have been elected.
  b. Elected Directors shall vacate their seats on the Board upon the adjournment of the Annual General Meeting at which their successors have been elected.
  c. The President may be elected to no more than three (3) consecutive years.
  d. The Board may by vote of at least five (5) Directors remove any Director before the expiration of his/her term of office, and, in such event may, by ordinary resolution appoint a replacement in his/her stead, who will sit for the balance of the term of office.
  e. Any Director who is absent from two consecutive meetings of the Board, without valid reason (the validity thereof to be determined by the majority of the remaining Directors), shall be deemed to have resigned.
  f. The Board shall attempt to fill by appointment any vacancy created in the Board, for the period until the next election.
10. Duties and Powers of the Board
  a. The Board shall meet from time to time, but at least every second months, at the call of the President; or in the President’s absence of the Secretary; or at the call of two other Directors on not less than forty-eight (48) hours notice, which may be by letter, by telegram, by telephone, by electronic mailing, or in person.
  b. The President, or in his/her absence, the Vice-President, or in the absence of both of them, a Director elected by the meeting, shall act as Chairperson.
  c. Quorum for a valid meeting shall be four (4) Directors.
  d. The Board may prescribe rules and regulations, not inconsistent with these Bylaws, which it deems expedient for the operation of the Association. These rules and regulations will remain in force only until the next General Meeting, unless they are ratified at that General Meeting.
  e. The Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee, a minimum of six (6) weeks before the Annual General Meeting.
  f. The Board shall appoint a Rating Secretary.
  g. The Board shall review all applications for membership in the Association and for registration. Membership may be refused to any individual or organization whose membership is deemed to be prejudicial to the Association. The applicant shall be informed of the acceptance or rejection within five weeks of the date of the application. A simple majority is required for acceptance.
  h. The Board may on the written application of any person or organization or on its own initiative, investigate and examine any complaint of conduct prejudicial to the Association against any member. The Board may on the written application of any person or organization or on its own initiative, investigate and examine any complaint of conduct contrary to rules governing amateur dance competitions and amateur competitors, against any registered competitor. The person in relation to whom any complaint is to be investigated or examined, shall be given not less than fourteen (14) days notice in writing of the meeting to be held, and shall be given information as to the general nature of the complaint, and shall be permitted to attend the meeting and represent himself/herself or be represented, to answer any complaint. The Board is empowered to expel such members and revoke registration of such registered competitors by a 3/4 majority vote.
  i. The Board is empowered to set up such special committees as it sees fit and to appoint to such committees any member or members of the Association whether or not they are Directors.
  j. The Board has full discretion, not inconsistent with these Bylaws, to conduct its own meetings.
  k. The Board shall select, name, and announce the Association’s official representative couple(s) to the pending Canadian Closed Championships on or before the second Monday in February of each year.
11. Duties and Powers of Officers and Other Directors
  a. Duties of the various Officers and other Directors, except as is otherwise provided in these Bylaws, shall be as from time to time determined by the Board.
  b. The President shall occupy the chair at all General Meetings, shall report to the members of the Association matters dealt with by the Board since any preceding General Meeting, shall cause correspondence as may be desired by the members of the Association to be read, and shall inform the members of the Association in General Meetings of all matters the Board deems of general interest to the membership as a whole.
  c. The Vice-President shall assist the President in an auxiliary capacity, and shall in the event of absence of the President, take the place of, and have the full powers of the President.
  d. The Secretary shall call meetings of the Board at the call of the President or otherwise, as set out in these Bylaws, shall call General Meetings at the call of the Board or otherwise, as set out in these Bylaws, shall keep the minutes of all Board Meetings and General Meetings, and conduct the correspondence of the Association, and keep a record of the name, address and telephone number of each member. The Secretary shall keep all books and records other than books and records of account, of the Association. The Secretary shall also maintain a separate record of all motions passed at Board or General Meetings, which relate to the working and functions of the Association and any proposed rule changes. Such motions will be defined by the Chairperson at the time of approval. Such books and records shall be open for inspection by any member of the Association at and immediately before the Annual General Meeting, or as may otherwise be permitted by the Board. The Secretary has custody of the seal.
  e. The Treasurer shall receive all monies on behalf of the Association and shall be responsible for safekeeping of these monies. Monies shall only be expended as authorized by the Board or by the Association in General Meeting, in accordance with the objectives of the Association and these Bylaws. The Treasurer shall properly account for all funds of the Association and keep such books and records of accounts; the Treasurer shall present full and detailed accounts of receipts and expenditures as may be required by the Board or by the Association. The Treasurer shall present duly audited financial statements of the Association’s financial position at the Annual General Meeting.

Nominating Committee

12. Appointment of Members
The Board shall appoint the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee and direct the Chairperson to recruit two additional members who must be confirmed in their position before serving. No Director may serve on the Nominating Committee, except in the capacity of Chairperson.
13. Duties of the Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall prepare a list of nominations, containing one or more nominations for each seat on the Board. This list must be presented to the Board in sufficient time for it to be included in the Notice of the Annual General Meeting. The Nominating Committee shall investigate the eligibility of, and obtain the consent of the nominees.

General Meetings

14. General Meetings
  a. Any General Meeting of the Association, other than the Annual General Meeting, shall be called a Special General Meeting.
  b. Debate shall only be permitted on motions regularly moved and seconded.
  c. Questions of order arising, if not otherwise provided for in these Bylaws, shall be decided by the Chairperson, subject to an appeal of the meeting, and shall be disposed of according to Robert’s Rules of Order.
15. Annual General Meetings
  a. The Association’s Annual General Meeting shall be held each year within 4 months from the end of the Association Year. In the event of such meeting not being called within proper time, the Secretary shall convene such meeting forthwith upon demand by a member of the Association.
  b. Notice for the Annual General Meeting shall be given to each member of the Association, at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the meeting, shall be in writing, shall include the proposed agenda and the list of nominations of the Nominating Committee and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed by ordinary mail or by electronic mail or delivered in person.
  c. The venue for the Annual General Meeting shall be decided by the Board. Business transacted at the meeting shall be decided by the Board and shall include:
    i. Reading and confirmation of the minutes of the last preceding General Meeting.
    ii. Items arising from these minutes.
    iii. Unfinished Business.
    iv. President’s, Secretary’s, Treasurer’s, Auditor’s and other reports, where applicable.
    v. Reports of any Committees, where applicable.
    vi. Election of Directors.
    vii. New Business.
16. Special General Meetings
  a. Special General Meetings may be called by the Board as it sees fit, but must be called if at least ten per cent (10%) of the members of the Association have made a written requisition, stating the purpose of the meeting, to the Secretary.
  b. Notice for a Special General Meeting shall be given to each member of the Association at least four (4) days prior to the date of such meeting, shall be in writing, shall include the proposed agenda, and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed by ordinary mail or by electronic mail or delivered in person.
17. Elections
  a. Directors shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, as provided for in these Bylaws.
  b. The President must have been a member in good standing of the Association continuously for at least one year prior to the elections, and must have either (a) served on the Board of Directors for at least one year during the three association years immediately preceding the elections or (b) served on a Board of Directors or have equivalent board level experience in at least one of the three preceding association years in a DanceSport organization recognized by the WDSF.
  c. Nominations shall be as presented by the Nominating Committee; further nominations will be accepted from the floor,. Consent, in writing, stating that the nominee accepts his/her nomination, shall be obtained and presented to the meeting prior to the elections, unless the nominee is present at the meeting, in which case written consent is not required.
18. Special Resolutions
Special resolutions shall be required for the purpose of amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws of the Association, and as required by these Bylaws. A special resolution shall mean a resolution passed in General Meeting, whether Annual or Special, by a majority of not less than 75% of the votes of those members of the Association who, being entitled to do so, vote in person or proxy, of which at least fourteen (14) days’ notice has been duly given, specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution.
19. Voting
  a. Voting may be by a show of hands or by ballot, as decided by the Chairperson, but shall be by ballot if requested by any member, and proxies shall be permitted.
  b. Ordinary resolutions require a simple majority of the votes cast in person or by proxy.
  c. Permanent proxies or proxies entitling any member to vote at other than one meeting and any adjournment thereof are invalid, but otherwise proxies are valid.
  d. Any member may only vote a maximum of 4 proxies at General Meetings. The only exception to this being the Secretary, or his/her designate, who may vote an unlimited number of proxies for the sole purpose of achieving quorum.
20. Quorum
  a. Quorum for validly transacting business at any General Meeting, Annual or Special, is ten per cent (10%) of the voting members, whether present in person or represented by proxy, but never less than three (3) persons.
  b. If any General Meeting must be rescheduled due to a lack of quorum, upon due notice of the new date being given, in writing, those present and represented by proxy shall constitute a quorum, provided that there are three (3) persons present.

Financial

21. Borrowing and Investment of Funds
  a. The Association may, for the purpose of carrying out its objectives, borrow, raise, or secure payment of money, as authorized by a majority of not less than 75 per cent of the Directors; however, debentures may not be issued upon the authorization of the Board without the sanction of a special resolution.
  b. Funds of the Association shall be used for its objects only, and for such purposes as decided by the general membership. Separate general ledger accounts shall be set up, one for each purpose. Expenditure of funds of each account shall be as authorized by the Board, or by the Association in General Meeting.
  c. Funds may be invested in any security or in any manner, authorized by the Board, or the Association in General Meeting.
  d. Cheques and other bills of exchange shall be signed by any two Officers.
22. Seal
The Seal of the Association may be affixed to all official documents by the Secretary, only in the presence of one or more other Director, and in accordance with resolutions of the Board, or the Association.

Rules for Ballroom Dance Competitions

23. Amateurs
  a. Amateurs must maintain amateur status in accordance with the rules and policies of DanceSport BC and the Canadian Amateur DanceSport Association.
  b. Reimbursement of travelling, subsistence, and other ‘out of pocket’ expenses for competitions, training camps or exhibitions shall not be regarded as monetary gain.
  c. Competitions between amateurs and professionals are not permitted.
  d. Any cash prizes won by an amateur in any dance competition shall be placed in a trust fund administered by the Association, and may be used only for dance-related expenses approved by the Board.
  e. Professional dancers residing in British Columbia wishing to regain their amateur status must apply in writing to the DSBC Board of Directors for reinstatement of their amateur status. Applicants seeking reinstatement of amateur status are referred to Rule 9 (“Reinstatement as an Amateur”) of Schedule B (“Championship Rules”) to the Bylaws of the Canadian Amateur DanceSport Association for the requirements and guidelines for such an application.
24. Rating System
The rating system consists of a set of rules, designed to rate amateur competitors within various classifications. The rules are determined by the Board who may from time to time change them as required.
25. Rating Secretary
The Rating Secretary shall keep a copy of the Association’s current rules for rating the amateur competitors, shall keep a record of the names and classification of each registered amateur competitor, shall, following each applicable competition, update the record in accordance with the rating rules, and shall inform each registered amateur, whose classification has changed, of such change.
26. Governing Rules
  a. International Championship recognition shall be obtained from the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF).
  b. National Championship recognition shall be obtained from the Canada DanceSport (CDS). Rules governing such competitions shall be those laid down by CDS.
  c. Provincial Championship recognition shall be granted by DanceSport BC. Rules governing such competitions shall be those laid down by CDS.
  d. All juvenile, junior, youth, adult and senior syllabus, pre-championship, non-title championship, and area championship competitions shall be governed by the rules laid down by DanceSport BC (for clarification of what constitutes a title and non-title event, and what constitutes an area championship, please contact DSBC).
  e. Rules laid down by the Association shall be as set forth in Schedule B. These rules do not form part of the Bylaws but a majority vote of a General Meeting shall be required to alter or amend the rules.

Dispute Resolution

27. Dispute Resolution Process
The Association’s Dispute Resolution Process shall be as set forth in Schedule D. These rules do not form part of the Bylaws, but a majority vote of a General Meeting shall be required to alter or amend them.

Repeal

28. Repeal of Old Bylaws
Upon the coming into effect of the foregoing Bylaws all the Bylaws of the Association previously in force shall stand revoked.