THE CONSTITUTION

    Purpose
    The Eastern Ontario Drama League (EODL, or the League) fosters development and interest in the performing arts. It serves as a resource centre for theatre activities in Eastern Ontario, and provides community theatre groups with a communications medium throughout the province. The League promotes artistic and technical standards, and encourages education in theatre arts. A program of competitive drama festivals is a principal means of advancing these aims.

    Organization
    The territory for which the League has responsibility is divided into three sections: Western, Eastern, and Northern.

    Section Boundaries

    1. Western comprises the counties of Northumberland, Peterborough, Haliburton, Hastings, Lennox and Addington, Prince Edward City, City of Kawartha Lakes, and associated municipalities.
    2. Eastern comprises the counties of Prescott and Russell, Stormont Dundas and Glengarry, Leeds and Grenville, Lanark, and Frontenac, and associated municipalities.
    3. Northern comprises the city of Ottawa, and the county of Renfrew, and associated municipalities.

    Membership

    Any (theatre) group or individual interested in the aims and objectives of EODL is eligible for membership.

    Fees
    Group and individual membership fees are set by the Executive and approved by a Special or Annual meeting. Fees are payable to the Membership Chair and are renewable every June.

    The Section Chairs
    Each Section shall be represented on the Executive by a Chair appointed by the EODL President after the Annual General Meeting, it being understood that the appointee must be a resident of the Section.

    It shall be the collective duty of the Section Chairs to serve on the Nominating Committee and, in the intervals between Executive Meetings, to assist the EODL President in the administration of the League in such ways as the President shall direct.

    In general, the Section Chairs will advance the interests of the EODL within their respective areas; they shall endeavour to promote cooperation between the member groups in their Sections in all areas of their mutual interest in theatre, and serve as ex-officio members of Festival Committees, and Committees on Training Programs, established in their Sections.

    Executive
    The Executive shall include:
    1. The President
    2. The Vice-President
    3. The Immediate Past-President
    4. The Secretary
    5. The Treasurer
    6. The Chairs of the Sections
    7. The Chairs of Standing Committees
    8. The EODL-Elected Member of the Board of Theatre Ontario
    9. One accredited representative from each Member Group in good standing
    10. Two members at large

    The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, the Chairs of the Standing Committees, two members at large and the elected member of the Board of Theatre Ontario shall be duly elected at the Annual General Meeting.

    The Section Chairs shall be appointed as per Article 6, paragraph 1, but shall not take office unless their appointments have been endorsed at the first meeting following the Annual General Meeting.

    The Chair of the Nominating Committee, and the Festival Liaison person, shall be appointed by the EODL President, but shall not take office unless their appointments have been endorsed at the first meeting following the Annual General Meeting.

    The representatives of member groups shall be elected or appointed by their groups and qualify on communication of written authority from the member groups' Executive. Any member group may, if it considers such action necessary, appoint an alternative representative, to be appointed and admitted to the EODL Executive on the same basis as indicated above.

    Members of the Executive shall hold office for one year. The President or Vice-President may only be re-elected for one additional year, save in unusual circumstances, and with the approval of a duly constituted Annual General Meeting. This restriction does not apply to other Executive positions.

    Meetings of the Executive of the EODL shall be called by the President and notices be sent out to Member Groups and all others entitled to attend, at least two (2) weeks prior to the selected date of each meeting.

    Extraordinary meetings of the Executive may be called at any time by the President or the Secretary of the EODL at the written request of three (3) of the member groups, said request to be received by the Secretary twenty (20) days in advance of the proposed meeting.

    Nine (9) members, including the President or Vice-President or Immediate Past-President, and a minimum of one (1) representative from each Section shall constitute a quorum of the Executive.

    Meetings

    Meetings of the EODL are classified as follows:
    1. General (including Extraordinary and Annual General Meetings)

    2. Executive

    Voting privileges for individual (non-Executive) members are as follows:
    1. They may vote at General Meetings
    2. They may attend but not vote at Executive Meetings

    General Meetings of EODL shall be held at least four (4) times a year of which two (2) shall occur prior to December 1 and one between January and the Annual General Meeting. The Annual General Meeting shall be held between May 1 and June 30. These four (4) meetings shall be called by the President and notices be sent out to Member Groups and all others entitled to attend, at least two (2) weeks prior to the selected date of each meeting.

    Voting

    Executive Meetings
    At all meetings of the Executive of the EODL, the right to vote shall be held by the following:
    1. The President
    2. The Vice-President
    3. The Immediate Past-President
    4. The Secretary
    5. The Treasurer
    6. The Chairs of the Sections
    7. The Chairs of the Standing Committees
    8. The EODL-Elected Member of the Board of Theatre Ontario
    9. One duly accredited representative from each Member group in good standing
    10. Two members at large
    11. As per Clause 7 (I), nine (9) members including the President or Vice-President or Immediate Past-President and a minimum of one representative from each Section shall constitute a quorum at any Executive Meeting.
    12. All members have full and equal votes save the President who, by custom, votes only in case of a tie. No member may vote in more than one capacity.

    General Meetings

    At all General Meetings one vote shall be held by each member of the EODL present. Group representatives shall be considered ex-officio individual members at all General Meetings. Nine (9) members including the President or Vice-President or Immediate Past-President and at least one representative from each Section shall constitute a quorum at any General Meeting.

    All members have full and equal votes save the President who, by custom, votes only in case of a tie. No member may vote in more than one capacity.

    Duties of the Executive

    The duties of the Executive shall be:
    1. To formulate policies which will further the basic purpose of the EODL.
    2. To create and to specify the duties of whatever standing or temporary committees it considers necessary to implement these policies.
    3. To appoint, in consultation with their Chairs, and before September 15, the membership of all Standing Committees, e.g. Archives, Awards, Constitution, Finance, Foundation, Membership, Newsletter, and to publish same in the next edition of the EODL Newsletter.
    4. To edit and publish newsletters and/or bulletins in sufficient time to ensure that members are notified of meetings and other activities.
    5. To review and revise the rules governing EODL festivals as required.
    6. To distribute the revised rules to all of the Member Groups, plus the date and location of each festival, four (4) months in advance of the festival dates.
    7. To submit recommendations to General Meetings on any important matters, especially those involving changes in policy or the constitution.

    Nomination Committee

    The Nominating Committee shall consist of four (4) members: the three (3) Section Chairs, and a Chair appointed by the EODL President. The Chair of this Committee shall be either a Past-President of the League or a senior serving member of the Executive not currently holding any office referred to in this Clause. The Committee shall be constituted by the first meeting following the Annual General Meeting, and shall serve until the next Annual General Meeting. It shall be responsible for preparing the slate of officers to be presented to the Annual General Meeting, and for nominating replacements for officers and committee Chairs who are unable to complete their normal term of office, or to function to the satisfaction of the Executive.

    Election of the Executive

    A slate of officers which shall include the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Chairs of the current Standing Committees and two members at large (excluding the Nominating Committee and the Festival Liaison person) shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting by the Chair of the Nominating Committee. This regulation shall not, however, inhibit the right of any member to propose other nominations from the floor. If any elected officer or committee chair is unable to complete a designated term of office, or if the Executive declares a position vacant, the Executive shall appoint a replacement to serve until the next Annual General Meeting. In this case, the nominee shall be declared duly appointed if endorsed by a simple majority vote at the next legal meeting of the EODL.

    Financial Responsibility

    EODL funds shall be placed in one or more bank accounts as approved by the Executive or directed to the Foundation fund. Guidelines governing the administration of the Foundation will be according to the motion of April 12, 1986, which established the Foundation and which will be attached to the Constitution for convenient reference.

    Accounts shall be paid by cheque. Cheques shall be signed by any two (2) of the following:
    1. President
    2. Vice-President
    3. Treasurer

    The fiscal year shall be June 1 to May 31.
    The Treasurer shall submit to the Annual General Meeting an audited financial statement covering the League's operations during the last fiscal year. An independent auditor shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting for the next fiscal year. The President shall be granted a revolving petty cash fund.

    Validity of the Constitution

    The Constitution of the EODL may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any General Meeting, including an extraordinary meeting called expressly for the purpose of the Annual General Meeting. Proposed amendments must be distributed to all individual members and member groups at least one (1) month in advance of the meeting.
    1. Revision 1.May 5, 1973 Sections 7(b), 7(d)
    2. Revision 2. June 4, 1977 Sections 8, 9(a), 9(b), 12, 14
    3. Revision 3. June 14, 1980 Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14
    4. Revision 4. June 1982 Sections 7, 7(a), 9(a), 9(b), 11, 12
    5. Revision 5. November 13, 1993Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
    6. Revision 6. June 5, 1994 Sections 13, 14

    7. Revision 7. June 21, 1997 Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
    8. Revision 8. November 09, 2002 Section 3

    9. Revision 9. September 25, 2010 Section 4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13

    Eastern Ontario Drama League Foundation

    An investment fund, designated the Eastern Ontario Drama League Foundation, has been established, the interest from which will provide funds to subsidize the operating costs of EODL.

    Contributions for the Foundation will be solicited from EODL members (group and individual), former members, corporations, private businesses, and the general public. Offers of Festival Awards and in Memoriam donations may also be directed to the Foundation.

    There will be three categories of contributors:
    1. Founder - for donations of $500 or more
    2. Sponsor - for donations of $100 or more
    3. Friend - for donations of any amount

    Names of Founders will appear on all festival programmes. Names of Sponsors and Friends will appear on the festival programmes during the year in which the donation is received.

    Sponsors may become Founders and Friends may become Sponsors or Founders through cumulative donations.

    The fund will be administered by a three person committee. The committee will include the Treasurer and two other members appointed by the EODL President (with due regard for continuity) for a two-year period. The Treasurer will issue tax deductible receipts to donors using the EODL registered charitable receipt number.

    The Foundation goal will be $10,000.00.

    A report on the Foundation shall become part of the regular Treasurer's report.

    The Executive shall invest the monies of the EODL Foundation in any investment or investments which they shall in their absolute discretion consider advisable, not being limited to investments in which Trustees are by Statute authorized to invest in trust funds and in like manner from time to time, to alter or vary such investments, and the Treasurer shall not be held responsible for any loss that may happen to the fund for reason of their so doing.

    Any interest earned by the Foundation Fund in any given year shall be used by the Board of Directors of the EODL as they see fit and any interest earned by the Foundation Fund in any given year that is not expended in that year shall be added to and become part of the capital of the fund. The capital portion of the fund shall not be expended by the Board of Directors of the EODL for any reason in whole or in part without the approval of 75% of the EODL members attending an Annual General Meeting of the EODL.

    Moved by: Beth McMaster
    Seconded by: Bea Quarrie
    Carried
    April 12, 1986, Lindsay, Ontario

    Questions about the Constitution can be directed to Bob Brooks

    Updated: 17 March 2007