Constitution of the Canadian Association on Water Quality
February 2010
ARTICLE 1 – NAME AND NATURE
| 1.1 | The name of the organization shall be Canadian Association on Water Quality (en français: Association canadienne sur la qualité de l’eau) hereinafter referred by the abbreviation CAWQ. |
| 1.2 | CAWQ shall be a non-governmental organization incorporated as a not-for-profit entity. |
| 1.3 | The activities of the CAWQ shall be carried on without purpose of gain for its members, and any profits or other gains to the CAWQ shall be used in promoting the objectives of the Association. |
| 1.4 | The Canadian National Committee of the International Water Association (hereinafter referred to as CNC-IWA) shall be comprised of members from the CAWQ and the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) as dictated in the Collaboration Agreement between CAWQ, CWWA and IWA. |
ARTICLE 2 – OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the CAWQ shall be:
| 2.1 | To promote membership in the CAWQ. | |
| 2.2 | a) | to promote research on the scientific, technological, legal, socio-economic and policy aspects of water quality and of the control or treatment of water contamination, and |
| (b) | to further the exchange of information and practical application of such research for the benefit of society and the environment. | |
| 2.3 | to promote the goals and objectives of the IWA in Canada. | |
ARTICLE 3 – MEMBERSHIP
All members shall have an interest in and dedication to the objectives of the CAWQ. Benefits for each membership category will be determined by the board and revised on a periodic basis depending on revenues, cost to the organization, etc. versus the cost of the benefits.
| 3.1 | Corporate Members. Private organizations that are actively engaged in research, consulting, management, or implementation of water-related issues or systems. |
| 3.2 | Individual Members. Individuals who possess knowledge of or interest in water quality or the control or treatment of water contamination may become individual members of CAWQ.A person who is retired may also join CAWQ as an individual member for a fee that is lower than the regular individual membership fee. |
| 3.3 | Sustaining Members. Any organization or individual may elect to become a sustaining member of CAWQ. |
| 3.4 | Honorary Members. Any two members in good standing may propose for honorary membership any individual who they consider has made outstanding contributions to research on water issues and to the furtherance of the objectives of CAWQ. If the nomination is accepted by the Executive Committee, honorary membership shall be conferred. |
| 3.5 | Student Members. Individuals who are in full-time attendance at a college or university, and engaged in a study program related to water quality or the control or treatment of water contamination, may become student members of CAWQ. |
| 3.6 | Joint Membership. Members of CAWQ in good standing shall have the opportunity to become joint members of the IWA. |
ARTICLE 4 – OFFICERS
| 4.1 | Elected Officers. The elected officers of CAWQ shall be the President, five Vice-Presidents (each representing one of the 5 designated geographic regions of Canada), the Secretary, and the Treasurer. The five regions in Canada are designated as follows: Pacific, Western, Central, Eastern, and Atlantic. | |
| 4.2 | Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of CAWQ shall be the eight elected officers. | |
| 4.3 | Appointed Officers | |
| a) | CNC Members. The Executive Committee of the CAWQ shall appoint three representatives to the CNC-IWA. CWWA will appoint CNC-IWA members in an equal number to CAWQ CNC-IWA members. | |
| b) | Directors. The Executive Committee of CAWQ shall appoint five Directors to represent designated geographic regions of Canada, and additional Directors as may from time to time be required. | |
ARTICLE 5 — BOARD OF DIRECTORS
| 5.1 | The Board of Directors shall comprise the Executive Committee (Constitution Clause 4.2), the most recent past president, the appointed CNC-IWA members (Constitution Clause 4.3a), and the appointed directors (Constitution Clause 4.3b). The Editor-in-Chief of the WQRJC shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors without voting rights. |
| 5.2 | The Board of Directors shall normally meet once per year on the occasion of the Annual Meeting (Bylaws Clause 7.1b) for the purpose of reviewing the activities of the CAWQ and its Working Committees. |
| 5.3 | Members of Working Committees shall normally be members of CAWQ, be recommended for appointment by the respective Working Committee Head, and be appointed by the Executive Committee. |
ARTICLE 6 — IWA BOARD
| 6.1 | CNC-IWA composition, governance, and operation is defined by the Collaboration Agreement between the CAWQ, the CWWA, and the IWA. |
| 6.2 | Subject to financial constraints and IWA regulations, CNC-IWA shall be officially represented by three members on the IWA Board. There will be at least one member from each of CAWQ and CWWA on the CNC-IWA Board. |
| 6.3 | Normally, the accredited members from CAWQ on the CNC-IWA shall be two appointed CAWQ Board members (Constitution Clause 4.3a) and the statutory CNC-IWA member who is the President of CAWQ (Bylaws Clause 4.5b). |
| 6.4 | CNC-IWA will have one vote on the IWA Board. |
ARTICLE 7 — AMENDMENTS
| 7.1 | Amendments to the Constitution. Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed in writing on paper or by email by a resolution of the Executive Committee, or by a petition addressed to it and signed by at least two members of CAWQ in good standing. Proposed amendments shall be considered at the next meeting of the Executive Committee following receipt of the proposal. Amendments shall be adopted when two-thirds of all votes cast, at a properly constituted general meeting or by a valid letter or email ballot to the CAWQ members, are in favour of the proposed amendment or amendments. | |
| 7.2 | Amendments to the Bylaws | |
| a) | Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by a member in good standing and shall be considered at a meeting of the Executive Committee. | |
| b) | Amendments shall be adopted by a simple majority at a properly constituted meeting of the Executive Committee. | |
| c) | Any such amendments which contravene any provisions of the Constitution shall be declared invalid by the President. | |
ARTICLE 8 – DISSOLUTION
| 8.1 | Dissolution of the Association. In the event of dissolution of CAWQ, all its remaining assets, after payment of liabilities, shall be distributed to one or more recognized charitable organizations in Canada, to be determined at that time by CAWQ. |