albertacea@gmail.com

Constitution

CONSTITUTION of the ALBERTA CORRECTIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Last Ratified – March 7,  2025

NAME – The name of the organization is the Alberta Correctional Education Association, hereinafter referred to as the ACEA.

OBJECTIVES – The ACEA is an Alberta based association with a primary mandate to meet the objectives of the ACEA Mission Statement, Core Principles, and Guiding Values.

DEFINITIONS

Annual General Meeting (AGM): An Annual General Meeting will be comprised of no less that 20% of members in good standing, or 20 members in good standing, whichever is the least. The purpose of the AGM is to present annual and financial reports.

Board: The Board consists of the Executive Committee, the Regional Representatives, and the Newsletter Editor.

Current Year: The current year includes the Annual General Meeting to one day prior to the next Annual General Meeting.

Executive Committee: The Executive Committee is elected every two years and consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and immediate Past President.

Member: A member is one who is in good standing for the current year, which extends from the Annual General Meeting to one day prior to the next Annual General Meeting.

Region: A region is an area within or outside of the province of Alberta, or including Canadian provinces and territories as defined by the Board.

Regional Representative: Regional Representatives are elected every two years from each region.

 

BY-LAWS OF THE ALBERTA CORRECTIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Article 1: Membership

  • 1.0 Membership is open to all persons involved with or interested in correctional education.
  • 1.1 A Member in good standing is one whose dues according to Article 2.0 are in good standing for the current year.
  • 1.2 Any member wishing to withdraw from membership may do so upon notice, in writing, to the ACEA President.

Article 2: Dues

  • 2.0 The annual membership fee, payable to the ACEA Treasurer, will be set by the Executive Committee of the ACEA and ratified by the membership at the Annual General Meeting. Annuals fees are typically collected through the conference fees.

Article 3: General Meetings

  • 3.0 The ACEA will hold an Annual General Meeting once a year, with no less than one week’s notice of such meeting, for the purpose of presenting financial statements of the ACEA, receiving annual reports of ACEA officers, and transacting such other business as may be brought before it. A quorum will be 20% of the members in good standing, or 20 members in good standing, whichever is the least.
  • 3.1 Elections of officers will be held during the Annual General Meeting.
  • 3.2 A special meeting of the ACEA will be held whenever the Executive Committee calls such a meeting, or whenever a group of no less than 50% of the members in good standing of the ACEA petition the Executive Committee for such a meeting. In either case, fourteen (14) days of such a meeting must be given in writing to the membership.
  • 3.3 A quorum of 20% of the members in good standing, or 20 members in good standing, whichever is the least, will be required to conduct a special meeting, as defined by Article 3.2 which will be limited to the subject matter described in the notice for such a meeting.

Article 4: Regions

  • 4.0 a) Geographic and metro regions of Alberta and provincial and federal institutions across Canadian Provinces and Territories. Examples may include:
  1. Alberta Institutions (corrections or education)
  2. Canadian Provincial Institutions (corrections or education)
  3. Canadian Federal Institutions
  4. Canadian or Provincial Community organization that align with or are affiliated with correction education in Canada

Article 5: Officers

  • 5.0 Members of the Board are: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Past President, Communications Chair, Conference Chair, and the Regional Representatives. The quorum for a Board Meeting will be five (5) Board members.
  • 5.1 The Executive Committee of the ACEA will be elected every two (2) years and will consist of: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Communications Chair, Conference Chair, and immediate Past President. A quorum for meetings of the Executive Committee will be three executive members.

Article 6: Office Duties

  • 6.0 The President will preside at the ACEA Annual General Meeting. The President will call a minimum of three (3) Executive or board meetings each year and ensure that ACEA business and responsibilities are carried out efficiently. The President or designate will chair the Executive Committee and Board meetings and will be an ex-officio member of all ACEA committees. The President will be empowered to have signing authority on behalf of the ACEA. The President will be responsible for all routine correspondence; maintain complete files of all correspondence and records of the ACEA; be responsible for minutes of ACEA meetings; Copies of all incoming and outgoing correspondence related to the ACEA, and, upon completion of his/her term, all records will be delivered to the incoming President.
  • 6.1 The Vice President will assist the President and carry out the duties of the President during the absence of the latter. In the event that the President should resign or leave office, the Vice President will assume the President’s role and carry out the term. The Vice President will be empowered to have signing authority on behalf of the ACEA.
  • 6.2 The Communications Chair will be responsible for external communication on behalf of the Board, for the publication and distribution of promotional material (including ACEA newsletter, Social Media site, Website etc…) , and keep a record of current memberships. 
  • 6.3 The Treasurer will keep accurate financial records; prepare a projected budget for presentation at the first Board Meeting following the Annual General Meeting; prepare a statement of the financial transaction of the ACEA to be presented at the Annual General Meeting; report to the Board finances when requested; and ensure that dues from memberships are collected. When the Treasurer’s term is completed, the Treasurer will close the books and deliver all books and records to the incoming Treasurer. The Treasurer will have signing authority on behalf of the ACEA.
  • 6.4 The Conference Chair will manage the administrative aspects of the annual conference, including speaker contracts, speaker maintenance, conference project management, and conference schedule.
  • 6.6 The Past President will support and advise the Executive Committee and Board on ACEA business and act as Board Chairperson.
  • 6.5 The Regional Representatives will promote the ACEA and ensure that the activities and information of the ACEA are available to the members in their regions. They are responsible for seeking out current professional development gaps and concerns and bringing them to the ACEA board meetings for consideration. Each regional representative will participate in at least one standing Committee annually. The Board will select from among the Regional Representatives, chairpersons for any standing committees required.

Article 7: Elections

  • 7.0 An assigned Regional Representative will chair a Nominating Committee identified by the ACEA Board and will put out a call for nominations for each eligible position. This call will be at least thirty (30) days prior to the Annual General Meeting date. Written nominations will be accepted by the Chair up to 14 days prior to AGM. If no response is received within fourteen (14) days, the Nominating Committee will canvas a panel of candidates and distribute this list to the membership for voting.
  • 7.1 Regional Representatives will be elected every two (2) years and will consist of one (1) representative from each of the regions as defined in article 4.0.
  • 7.2 Any questions as to which region a Representative represents will be decided by the Executive Committee.
  • 7.3 Elected officers may stand for re-election at the end of any given term of office.
  • 7.4 Nominations will be accepted from the floor of the Annual General Meeting prior to the voting.
  • 7.5 Voting will be taken by secret ballot under the supervision of the Nominating Committee.
  • 7.6 A candidate will be declared elected with a simple majority of the legal votes cast. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee will cast the deciding vote.
  • 7.7 The results of the voting will be announced within two weeks of the Annual General Meeting.
  • 7.8 Vacancies on the Board, however caused, may, so long as a quorum of officers remains in office, be filled by the Board from among the members of the ACEA; or at the next Annual General Meeting; or by an email or online survey vote, with the exception that in the event that the President leaves office, the Vice President will assume the President’s role and carry out the term. If there is not a quorum of officers, the vacancies will be filled by an external (email, online) vote.

Article 8: Execution of Documents

  • 8.0 All disbursements from ACEA funds will be signed by the Treasurer and a Board member empowered with signing authority.
  • 8.1 All financial commitments of the ACEA will be approved by the ACEA Board. Itemized receipts for approved expenses will be paid in full upon receipt by the Treasurer.
  • 8.2 Nothing legal or binding may be signed or entered into without approval of a majority of the ACEA Board.
  • 8.3 Financial records will be internally audited every election or upon change of Treasurer.
  • 8.4 The books and records of the ACEA may be inspected by any member of the ACEA at the Annual General Meeting, provided for herein, or at any other time, upon giving reasonable notice and arranging a time satisfactory to the officer or officers having charge of the same. Each member of the Executive Committee and Board will at all times have access to such books and records.

Article 9: Amendments of By-laws

  • 9.0 These by-laws may be added to, repealed, amended, or re-enacted by a special resolution at any time by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast by members in good standing. The special resolution may be proposed by the Board and/or by a petition signed by at least one-third (1/3) of the membership.
  • 9.1 Only legal ballots distributed by the Board, and signed by members in good standing, will be counted. Thirty (30) days will pass between the mailing date of the proposed changes and the counting of the ballots.

Article 10: Annual Conference

  • 10.1 Because the annual conference is a major source of revenue for the ACEA, conference fees will be set by the ACEA board to reflect the needs of the annual budget.
  • 10.2 The Conference Chair will submit to the ACEA Board the proposed location, budget, theme, agenda, and guest speakers for approval by the Board.
  • 10.3 All disbursements from conference funds will be administered through one bank account. All receipts, cancelled cheques, and financial information will be submitted with a financial statement to the ACEA Treasurer.
  • 10.4 The Conference Chair will submit a final written Conference Report (financial and organizational) for presentation to the Board.
  • 10.5 The ACEA may appoint a committee to publish a Journal of Conference Proceedings.

Article 11: Committees

  • 11.0 The ACEA Board may appoint ad hoc committees as required.
  • 11.1 No committee will have the power to act for, or on behalf of, the ACEA, or otherwise commit or bind the ACEA to any course of action. Committees will only have the power to make recommendations to the Board, or to the members, as the Board may from time-to-time request.