Source: http://www.vanguardrenaissance.com/wordpress/?page_id=65
Timestamp: 2017-10-23 13:13:04
Document Index: 312571479

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 3', 'art 4', 'art 6', 'art 7', 'art 8', 'art 9', 'art 10', 'art 11', 'art 12', 'art 13', 'art 14', 'art 15', 'art 16', 'art 17', 'art 18', 'art 19', 'art 20', 'art 21', 'art 22', 'art 23', 'art 24', 'art 25']

NSPNA Constitution : Vanguard Renaissance
(Note: The official name change from the Renaissance Party of North America to the National Synergist Party of North America was approved at the 2015 Annual General Meeting.
The National Synergist Party of North America (NSPNA) acknowledges that the major socio-political driver on the North American continent during the 21st century will be the entry onto the energy depletion slope of the Post-Peak Oil era. The collapse of Industrial Civilization is global in scope and magnitude. Attempting to halt or neutralize such socio-political devolution via reformist methods is a ludicrous impossibility.
The NSPNA further acknowledges that the transition to the Post-Peak Oil era will herald the implosion and demise of the industrial nation-state. This socio-economic implosion determines regional secessions-by-default on the North American continent, and the consequent and parallel empowerment of the North American Secessionist Movement. The collapse of the institutional infrastructure will be a consequence of the collapse of the energy infrastructure.
The NSPNA further acknowledges that it is the North American Ethno Nationalist Movement that is the historically positioned and privileged social and racial demographic to initiate, develop and carry the North American Secessionist Movement. The White European Nationalist Movement, unto itself, is not a driver; it is the preordained social agent to lead the dismantling and winding down of the two historically redundant industrial nation-states, the United States of America and Canada.
2. Name and Purpose
2.1. The name of the society is The National Synergist Party of North America (hereinafter referred to as the “Party”).
2.2. The purposes of the Party are:
2.2.1. To encourage and endorse regional secessionist movements and parties on the North American continent with the aim towards the creation of new, full and autonomous nation-states.
2.2.2. To serve as the full and junior partner of North American regional secessionist movements and parties at the federal jurisdictional levels of the Canadian Parliament and American Congress.
2.2.3. To acknowledge, educate and introduce legislation recognizing that the geological collateral of cheap and abundant energy resources to kick-start the globalist economy is no longer.
2.2.4. To anticipate and politically counter on behalf of North American regional secessionist movements and parties the introduction of North American Union and the related common currency, the Amero.
2.2.5. To seek with a spirit of mutual trust and solidarity the support and political alliance of the Peak Oil Movement, the Secessionist Movement, the New Right Movement, Ethno/Racial Nationalist Movements, Third Positionists, Syncreticists, Archeofuturists, Earth-Firsters, Linkolaians, liberal conservatives, conservative liberals, and disenfranchised Greens.
2.2.6. To encourage North American secessionist movements and parties to acknowledge and promote an unconditional return to local and regionally-based agrarian economies, with a premium on independence, self-sufficiency, merit, small-scale and diversity rather than on corporate-based control and monoculture.
2.2.7. To acknowledge and introduce legislation at the federal level calling for the abrupt end to globalist-endorsed mass immigration from non-Occidental countries to North America with the quest for cheap labour, the offsetting of the White European birth rate, and the political displacement of the White European demographic.
2.2.8. To champion and introduce a system of internal improvements, public works projects and universal health care for all citizens, and a social safety net to mitigate Post-Peak Oil mass unemployment, poverty and homelessness during the transition stage towards full independence for new polities on the North American continent.
2.2.9. To encourage new polities upon the North American continent to call for and introduce strict, yet sensible, environmental protections and ecological stewardship in recognition of the human species likely having breached the ecological global tipping-point.
2.2.10.To champion and support moderate, socially-conservative positions on most moral and social issues with the firm proviso that heterosexual marriage and a stable family unit are the bedrock of any healthy society and racial continuation while recognizing the civic rights of alternative gender identities and sexual lifestyles.
2.2.11.To promote and defend with vigour the Occidental preeminence and role of the individual over the role of the collectivist horde.
2.2.12.To recognize, identify and fight a globalist agenda of White European political displacement encroaching upon possible genocide.
2.2.13.To recognize, identify and shape our political conduct with full compassion that this will be a century of unimaginable hardship, challenge and transition, while harbouring an unshakeable faith that we shall come out the other side of this transition stage better, stronger and wiser for having passed over the surface of this historic anvil and for being restored to a degree of civilizational, cultural and racial integrity and sanity for all races.
2.2.14. To participate in public affairs by endorsing one or more of the Party’s members as candidates to challenge for political office at the level of Canadian federal electoral politics and to support their candidacies and their election(s) to office.
Bylaws, National Synergist Party of North America (Canada)
1.1. In these Bylaws, unless the context otherwise requires,
1.2. “Party” means the National Synergist Party of North America (Canada);
1.3. “Constituency” means any of the individually designated geographic areas within Canada as described in the Canada Elections Act as having the right to elect one or more members to the Canadian Parliament;
1.4. “Electoral District Association” means the collective of all members who are ordinarily resident in one of the federal constituencies of Canada where such members have applied for and been granted recognition as an NSPNA Electoral District Association by the National Executive Council;
1.5. “National Executive Council” means those officers, directors and committee chairs elected at the Annual General Meeting or in accordance with these Bylaws;
1.6. “directors” means the directors of the Party for the time being;
1.7. “secessionist region” means such geographical region on the North American continent as identified by the members and open to geographical re-definition as conditions and political sentiment warrant;
1.8. “registered address” of a member means his address as recorded in the register of members;
1.9. “Candidate” means a member chosen by a Electoral District Association, or by the National Executive Council subject to the rules of these Bylaws, and the endorsement of the Leader, to represent the Party in a federal election or by-election;
1.10. “Annual Convention” shall include the Annual General Meeting and shall be held within three (3) months of the end of the financial year, unless an exception is supported in the Bylaws;
1.11. “Delegate” means a member chosen by a Electoral District Association or Campus Club to represent said Electoral District Association or Campus Club at an annual convention;
1.12. “Leader” means the Leader of the NSPNA;
1.13. “Campus Club” means an organization at a post-secondary institution as recognized by the National Executive Council of the Party.
1.14. Unless the context otherwise requires, words and phrases used in the Constitution and Bylaws have the same meaning as defined in the Canada Elections Act, as amended from time to time.
1.15. The Bylaws govern the affairs of the Party and, in the event of any conflict between the Bylaws and any constitutional document of any Constituency Association, the Bylaws shall prevail.
1.16.The definitions as recognized by the legal laws of the land and the guidelines of Elections Canada on the date these bylaws become effective apply to these bylaws.
1.17. Unless the Bylaws provide otherwise, or if the context otherwise requires, notices required to be given in writing may be given by mail, by courier or by hand, or, if the recipient is equipped to receive messages by facsimile or e-mail, by facsimile or e-mail.
1.18. Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa; and words importing a male person include a female person.
2.1. The members of the Party are the applicants for incorporation of the Party, and those persons who subsequently have become members, in accordance with these Bylaws and, in either case, have not ceased to be members.
2.2. A person may apply to the directors for membership in the Party and on acceptance by the directors shall be a member.
2.3. Party membership is open to all Canadian citizens who are ordinarily resident in Canada and aged sixteen (16) years of age or older, and without regard to ability, language, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, gender, marital status or sexual orientation, and who support unconditionally the principles of the NSPNA and who agree to abide by the NSPNA Constitution and Bylaws.
2.3.1. The National Executive Council or a committee representing the Council retains the right to screen all new members at its discretion to ensure the unconditional support of new members, and;
2.3.2. The National Executive Council or a committee representing the Council retains the right to request new members to sign off on a Party Pledge of Loyalty.
2.4. Eligible persons who apply for membership with the NSPNA shall become members, hereinafter referred to as “members”, upon payment of the applicable fee and entry on the membership list.
2.5. The amount of the first annual membership dues shall be determined by the National Executive Council and after that the annual membership dues shall be determined at the annual general meeting of the Party.
2.5.1. When determining the annual membership dues the directors shall retain the option of recognizing a sliding scale of dues reflecting employment status and student status.
2.6. Every member shall uphold the NSPNA Constitution and comply with these Bylaws.
2.7. A person shall cease to be a member of the Party:
2.7.1. by delivering his resignation in writing to the secretary of the Party or by mailing or delivering it to the address of the Party;
2.7.2. on his death;
2.7.3. on being expelled; or
2.7.4. on having been a member not in good standing for twelve (12) consecutive months.
2.8. Membership in the NSPNA shall be terminated without refund in the following cases:
2.8.1. failure by the member to pay the applicable membership fee;
2.8.2. for just cause, including conduct judged improper, unbecoming, or likely to adversely affect the interests or reputation of the NSPNA, as determined by the National Executive Council along with the Leader, after consultation with the Electoral District Association Executive, if one exists.
2.8.3. for just cause, including conduct judged improper, unbecoming and constituting a betrayal of the member’s signed Pledge of Loyalty.
2.9. When it is proposed to terminate a membership under Subsection 2.8 above that person shall be given not less than seven (7) days notice in writing. He or she will then have an additional seven (7) days in which to launch an appeal. If any appeal is requested it shall be heard by not fewer than three (3) members of the National Executive Council who were not involved in initiating the termination. The panel will hear the person whose membership is being terminated together with such witnesses and the taking of such evidence as shall be presented by that person as well as hearing witnesses and reviewing evidence as to why the membership should be terminated. The decision of the panel will be final and not subject to appeal.
2.10. Party membership shall be for a term of one (1) year and may be renewed annually upon payment of the applicable fee.
2.11. A member whose dues are in arrears by not more than sixty (60) days shall, upon payment of the applicable fee, be considered reinstated as a member in good standing retroactive to the expiry date of the membership.
2.12. Members of the National Executive Council, officers of Electoral District Associations and candidates must be members. If a membership is terminated subject to this article, this condition is no longer being met and the position shall be deemed vacant.
2.13. All members are in good standing except a member who has failed to pay his current annual membership fee or any other subscription or debt due and owing by him to the Party and he is not in good standing so long as the debt remains unpaid.
Part 3 – Electoral District Associations
3.1. Members shall be organized according to their residence in the federal constituencies of Canada. Members temporarily residing outside Canada shall be assigned to the federal district in which they vote for federal elections.
3.2. Interim Electoral District Associations may be established by five (5) or more NSPNA members. Their purpose will be to recruit additional members and otherwise promote NSPNA interests until such time as there are sufficient members to form a recognized Electoral District Association.
3.3. Where there are at least twenty-five (25) members resident in a constituency they may apply to obtain NSPNA recognition as an Electoral District Association by making application to the National Executive Council for recognition, including a copy of the minutes of the founding meeting, and a list of the officers and directors of the Interim Electoral District Association.
3.4. An Electoral District Association, either interim or fully recognized, shall elect an Executive Board in accordance with the applicable provincial legislation of that Association.
3.5. The affairs of each Electoral District Association shall be under the control of its members, acting through the EDA Executive Board, which shall be responsible to ensure that the affairs are conducted in a manner consistent with the Constitution of the NSPNA and not prejudicial to the interests or well-being of any other Electoral District Association, or of the NSPNA in general.
3.6. Membership lists are to be used for NSPNA purposes only. No other use is permitted unless authorized in writing by the National Executive Council. All EDA’s shall hold an annual general meeting and at least one (1) general meeting each calendar year.
3.7. The National Executive Council may call a meeting of the Electoral District Association if it believes that it is necessary to do so, with notice of the meeting consistent with the NSPNA Bylaws.
3.8. The rules of organization for Electoral District Associations shall apply similarly, where pertinent, to Campus Clubs.
Part 4 – Meetings of Members
4.1. General meetings of the Party shall be held at the time and place, in accordance with the laws of the land and the guidelines of Elections Canada that the directors decide.
4.2. Every general meeting, other than an annual general meeting, is an extraordinary general meeting.
4.3. The directors may, when they think fit, convene an extraordinary general meeting.
4.4. Notice of a general meeting shall specify the place, day and hour of the meeting and, in case of special business, the general nature of that business.
4.5. The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of a notice by, any of the members entitled to receive notice does not invalidate proceedings at that meeting.
4.6. The first annual general meeting of the Party shall be held not more than fifteen (15) months after the date of incorporation and after that an annual general meeting shall be held at least once in every calendar year and not more than fifteen (15) months after the holding of the last preceding annual general meeting.
4.6.1. Under conditions of financial stress for the membership and/or any other detriment that the National Executive Council considers a hindrance to holding a physical annual general meeting, the directors shall retain the option of declaring and organizing an electronic webinar as annual general meeting in place of a physical gathering.
5.1. Special business is
5.1.1. all business at an extraordinary general meeting except the adoption of rules of order; and
5.1.2. all business transacted at an annual general meeting, except,
5.1.2.1. the adoption of rules of order;
5.1.2.2. the consideration of the financial statements;
5.1.2.3. the report of the directors;
5.1.2.4. the report of the auditor, if any;
5.1.2.5. the election of directors;
5.1.2.6. the appointment of the auditor, if required; and
5.1.2.7. other business that, under these bylaws, ought to be transacted at an annual general meeting, or business which is brought under consideration by the report of the directors issued with the notice convening the meeting.
5.2. No business, other than the election of a chairman and the adjournment or termination of the meeting, shall be conducted at a general meeting at a time when a quorum is not present.
5.2.1. If at any time during a general meeting there ceases to be a quorum present, business then in progress shall be suspended until there is a quorum present or until the meeting is adjourned or terminated.
5.2.2. A quorum is five (5) members present or a greater number that the members may determine at a general meeting.
5.3. If within thirty (30) minutes from the time appointed for a general meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened on the requisition of members, shall be terminated; but in any other case, it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place, and if, at the adjourned meeting, a quorum is not present within thirty (30) minutes from the time appointed for the meeting, the members present constitute a quorum.
5.4. The president of the Party, the vice-president or in the absence of both, one of the other directors present, shall preside as chairman of a general meeting.
5.5. If at a general meeting
5.5.1. there is no president, vice-president or other director present within fifteen (15) minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting; or
5.5.2. the president and all the other directors present are unwilling to act as chairman, the members present shall choose one of their number to be chairman.
5.6. A general meeting may be adjourned from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at an adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.
5.6.1. When a meeting is adjourned for ten (10) days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of the original meeting.
5.6.2. Except as provided in this Bylaw, it is not necessary to give notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned general meeting.
5.7. Every resolution proposed at a general meeting must be seconded and the chairman of a meeting may move or propose a resolution, except when acting as chair of an annual general meeting.
5.7.1. In case of an equality of votes the chairman shall not have a casting or second vote in addition to the vote to which he may be entitled as a member and the proposed resolution shall not pass.
5.8. A member in good standing present at a meeting of members is entitled to one vote.
5.8.1. Voting is by show of hands or, if demanded, by ballot;
5.8.2. Voting by proxy is not permitted.
Part 6 – Directors and Officers
6.1. The directors may exercise all the powers and do all the acts and things that the Party may exercise and do, and which are not by these Bylaws or by statute or otherwise lawfully directed or required to be exercised or done by the Party in general meeting, but subject, nevertheless, to
6.1.1. all laws affecting the Party;
6.1.2. these Bylaws; and
6.1.3. rules, not being inconsistent with these bylaws, which are made from time to time by the Party in general meeting.
6.1.3.1. No rule, made by the Party in general meeting, invalidates a prior act of the directors that would have been valid if that rule had not been made.
6.2. The president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and three members-at-large shall be the directors of the Party.
6.2.1. The number of directors shall be seven (7) or a greater number determined from time to time at a general meeting.
6.2.2. Each identified secessionist region shall choose and or elect from amongst its delegates one director to not exceed the number of secessionist regions identified.
6.2.3. If a Party Leader and a Deputy Party Leader have been chosen, they shall automatically be permitted to attend and participate in all meetings of directors, but they shall have no vote.
6.3. The directors shall retire from office at each annual general meeting when their successors shall be elected.
6.3.1. Separate elections shall be held for each office to be filled.
6.3.2. An election may be by acclamation; otherwise it shall be by ballot.
6.3.3. If no successor is elected the person previously elected or appointed continues to hold office.
6.4. The directors may at any time and from time to time appoint a member as a director to fill a vacancy in the directors.
6.4.1. A director so appointed holds office only until the conclusion of the next following annual general meeting of the Party, but is eligible for re-election at the meeting.
6.5. If a director resigns his office or otherwise ceases to hold office, the remaining directors shall appoint a member to take the place of the former director.
6.5.1. No act or proceeding of the directors is invalid only by reason of these being less than the prescribed number of directors in office.
6.6. The members may by special resolution remove a director before the expiration of his tem of office, and may elect a successor to complete the term of office.
6.7. No director shall be remunerated for being or acting as a director but a director shall be reimbursed for all expenses necessarily and reasonably incurred by him while engaged in the affairs of the Party.
Part 7 – Proceedings of Directors
7.1. The directors may meet together at the places they think fit to dispatch business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings and proceedings, as they see fit.
7.2. The directors may from time to time fix the quorum necessary to transact business, and unless so fixed the quorum shall be a majority of the directors then in office.
7.3. The president shall be chairman of all meetings of the directors, but if at a meeting the president is not present within thirty (30) minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the vice-president shall act as chairman; but if neither is present the directors present may choose one of those directors present to be chairman at that meeting.
7.3.1. A director may at any time, and the secretary, on the request of a director, shall, convene a meeting of the directors.
7.4. The directors may delegate any, but not all, of their powers to committees consisting of the director or directors as they think fit.
7.4.1. A committee so formed in the exercise of the powers so delegated shall conform to any rules imposed on it by the directors, and shall report every act or thing done in exercise of those powers to the earliest meeting of the directors to be held next after it has been done.
7.4.2. A committee shall elect a chairman of its meetings; but if no chairman is elected, or if at a meeting the chairman is not present within thirty (30) minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the directors present who are members of the committee shall choose one of those members present to be chairman of the meeting.
7.4.3. The members of a committee may meet and adjourn as they think proper.
7.5. For a first meeting of directors held immediately following the appointment or election of a director or directors at an annual or other general meeting of members, or for a meeting of the directors at which a director is appointed to fill a vacancy in the directors, it is not necessary to give notice of the meeting to the newly elected or appointed director or directors for the meeting to be constituted, if a quorum of the directors is present.
7.6. A director who may be absent temporarily from the designated place of meeting may send or deliver to the address of the Party a waiver of notice, which may be by letter, telegram, telex, cable or other electronic device, of any meeting of the directors and may at any time withdraw the waiver, and until the waiver is withdrawn,
7.6.1. no notice of meeting of directors shall be sent to that director, and
7.6.2. any and all meetings of the directors of the Party, notice of which has not been given to that director shall, if a quorum of the directors is present, be valid and effective.
7.7. Questions arising at a meeting of the directors and committee of directors shall be decided by a majority of votes.
7.8. A resolution in writing, signed by all the directors and placed with the minutes of the directors is as valid and effective as if regularly passed at a meeting of directors.
7.9. The directors shall register as an Electoral District Association any properly constituted group which has held a meeting, adopted a constitution consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Party and met with any necessary legal requirements.
7.9.1. Only members of the Party may become executive officers of an Electoral District Association.
7.9.2. A person who is a member of an Electoral District Association shall automatically be a member of the Party.
7.9.3. The directors may, by a sixty (60) percent majority vote of the directors, de-register an Electoral District Association which no longer complies with the requirements of this Bylaw or of the Party Constitution.
7.10. Any Party member may petition the directors to attend a meeting of the directors with observer status only.
7.11. The directors hold at all times at their discretion the right to call an in-camera meeting, either prior to a scheduled meeting or if a meeting is already in process.
Part 8 – Duties of Officers
8.1. The president shall preside at all meetings of the Party and of the directors.
8.1.1. The president is the chief executive officer of the Party and shall supervise the other officers in the execution of their duties.
8.2. The vice-president shall carry out the duties of the president during his absence.
8.3. The secretary shall
8.3.1. conduct the correspondence of the Party;
8.3.2. issue notices of meetings of the Party and directors;
8.3.3. keep minutes of all meetings of the Party and directors;
8.3.4. have custody of all records and documents of the Party except those required to be kept by the treasurer;
8.3.5. have custody of the common Seal of the Party; and
8.3.6. maintain the register of members.
8.4. The treasurer shall
8.4.1. keep the financial records, including books of account, necessary to comply with the Canada Elections Act and the guidelines of Elections Canada; and
8.4.2. render financial statements to the directors, members and others when required.
8.5. The offices of secretary and treasurer may be held by one person who shall be known as the secretary-treasurer.
8.5.1. When a secretary-treasurer holds office the total number of directors shall not be less than (seven) 7 or the greater number that may have been determined.
8.6. In the absence of the secretary from a meeting, the directors shall appoint another person to act as secretary at the meeting.
Part 9 – The Leader
9.1. The Leader is the Leader of the Party and shall be chosen by the members in accordance with the NSPNA Constitution and Bylaws. The Leader, subject to the Constitution and Bylaws, shall be responsible for the overall direction of the party, including the appointment of an Election Readiness Committee prior to each federal general election.
9.2. The Leader is responsible for the organization and administration of the Parliamentary Caucus.
9.3. The Leader, together with Caucus, will endeavour to promote and implement the Principles and Policies of the NSPNA.
9.4. The Leader shall set the strategic direction for the party, in consultation with the National Executive Council and Caucus.
9.5. The Leader will carry out these duties in accordance with the NSPNA Constitution and Bylaws.
9.6. Upon the death or incapacity of the Leader, and until the completion of the leadership election process, either:
9.6.1. the Deputy Leader shall assume the leadership of the Party, or;
9.6.2. the Caucus and the National Executive Council shall jointly elect an Interim Leader who shall be recognized as the Leader;
9.6.3. If there is no Caucus, the National Executive Council shall select the Interim Leader.
Part 10 – Leadership Review and Election
10.1. At every Annual General Meeting the delegates shall be asked by secret ballot: “Do you wish to have a leadership election?”
10.2. Should more than sixty (60) percent of the votes cast under 10.1 be in the affirmative, or upon the death of the Leader or public announcement of the Leader’s intention to resign, the National Executive Council shall, within six (6) months, call for a leadership election at either a convention, by mail-in ballot or by electronic ballot.
10.3. In the event that the National Executive Council has called a leadership election, such election shall respect the principle that each eligible Party member shall have the right to one vote in the election of the Leader.
10.4. Only those members who have been members for at least sixty (60) days immediately prior to the effective date of voting in a leadership election are eligible to vote.
10.5. The National Executive Council shall make rules and regulations for the leadership election, and shall appoint:
10.5.1.five (5) members to act as the Leadership Election Organization Committee, and
10.5.2.a Chief Election Officer.
10.6. Each candidate for Leader must be nominated and seconded in writing by members in good standing;
10.6.1.in addition, each nomination for Leader must be endorsed in writing by a minimum of twenty (20) members who are eligible to participate in the Leadership vote. Such members shall come from no fewer than five (5) provinces and territories.
10.7. The election of Leader shall be conducted by secret ballot.
10.8. The National Executive Council shall determine reasonable spending limits for a leadership contest and shall require that any donation of one hundred (100) dollars or more shall be publicly disclosed.
Part 11 – Leadership Selection Process
11.1. There shall be two alternate methods of voting and the National Executive Council shall have full authority to decide which one is the most appropriate to the circumstances existing at the time.
11.1.1.A ballot listing the names of all candidates shall be sent to all Party members together with two envelopes – a plain white envelope in which the marked ballot will be put and on outer envelope identifying the member. The ballot will be preferential with the member marking his or her first choice as 1, second choice as 2, etc. The completed ballot will be placed in the plain unmarked envelope and mailed in the second authentication envelope to the auditor for the NSPNA. The auditor will check the outer envelope against the Party’s membership roll, remove and discard it, and put the inner envelope in a safe container until counting day. The auditor will, at the appointed time, open the envelopes and tally the votes by preference. If no one obtains a clear majority at the outset the candidate obtaining the least votes will be eliminated and the next preference added in until one candidate has obtained fifty (50) percent plus one, or more, at which time he or she will be declared the winner. On request, scrutineers for the candidates may join the Chief Election Officer to observe the counting of the ballots.
11.1.2.This alternative would be the same as 11.1.1 except that it would be combined with an Annual General Meeting. Any member unable to attend the convention would vote by mail. Any member wishing to attend the convention would present their ballot at the convention and mark their first preference only. New ballots would be provided for each additional round of voting as required. The mail-in votes would be counted at the convention and the result of each round announced together with the votes cast at the convention. Balloting would continue until a winner was declared. The National Executive Council shall have the option of making provision for a refundable Leadership nomination fee at an amount set by the National Executive Council. Should such a fee be implemented, the fee must accompany a candidate’s nomination form and be provided as either a certified cheque or a bond. This fee shall be returned to all candidates who receive more than five (5) percent of the votes cast on the first ballot.
Part 12 – Candidate Selection
12.1. Each Electoral District Association shall have the exclusive right to select their official candidate at a general meeting of the members of the Electoral District Association. The Leader may appoint candidates where there is no recognized Electoral District Association.
12.2. The National Executive Council, on approval of sixty (60) percent of its full membership has the option to nullify the selection of any candidate where such nullification is, in the absolute discretion of the Council, in the best interests of the Party.
12.3. The Leader of the Party has the right, after full consultation with the National Executive Council, to nullify the selection of any candidate where such nullification is, in its absolute discretion, in the best interests of the Party.
12.3.1.Where the National Executive Council and/or the Leader propose to nullify the selection of a candidate, the secretary shall notify the candidate and the Electoral District Association in writing within fourteen (14) days of the decision, which notification shall contain a statement of the reason for the proposed nullification.
12.3.2.The candidate and no more than three (3) authorized representatives of the Electoral District Association shall have the right to be heard by the National Executive Council or its representative forthwith, before a final and binding decision on nullification is rendered.
12.3.3.Where the National Executive Council and/or the Leader nullify the selection of a candidate the Electoral District Association shall select a new candidate.
12.3.3.1. Should the Electoral District Association not select a new candidate within fourteen (14) days of the secretary’s notification of nullification, the National Executive Council in consultation with the Leader shall appoint a new candidate.
12.4. The Leader shall not withhold, under the provision of the Canada Elections Act, the endorsement of a candidate selected by an Electoral District Association except in compliance with this article.
12.5. The National Executive Council shall oversee the development and implementation of such rules and procedures to ensure fair and effective candidate recruitment, selection, training, and the organization and implementation of effective campaigns.
Part 13 – Annual General Meeting and Delegates
13.1. The Party shall hold an Annual General Meeting at least every fifteen (15) months at a time selected by the directors. Notification of the time and place of the AGM shall be sent to the members at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of the AGM.
13.1.1.The incumbent president of the National Executive Council shall retain the right to act as the AGM chairman as per 5.4.
13.1.2.Should the incumbent president of the National Executive Council waive his right to chair the AGM, then the directors shall appoint an AGM chairman from the incumbent directors and shall announce this appointment with the AGM notice.
13.1.3.The AGM chairman shall appoint the appropriate committees to conduct the business of the AGM.
13.2. The maximum number of delegates to a convention shall be five hundred. This shall be divided among the constituencies, secessionist regions and membership as follows:
13.2.1.where the number of members who wish to become delegates is equal to, or less than, five hundred, all registrants will become delegates.
13.2.2.where the number of members who wish to become delegates exceeds five hundred, each member who holds a seat in the House of Commons shall be a delegate. Each Electoral District Association shall then be represented by one (1) delegate plus any additional delegates that may accrue when the number of members in the constituency is taken as a fraction of the total membership and multiplied by the number of delegate positions remaining. Unrepresented constituencies shall not participate in the distribution.
13.2.3.where the number of members who wish to become delegates exceeds five hundred, each secessionist region shall be allotted five (5) delegates.
13.2.3.1. Delegates need to attend the Annual General Meeting in person, as proxies are not allowed.
13.2.3.2. Each director shall automatically be a delegate from his constituency unless he declines.
13.2.3.3. An Electoral District Association may pass a bylaw describing the method of appointing delegates and setting the length of term.
13.2.4.The directors shall appoint a Credentials Committee to determine the eligibility of each registrant to be a delegate.
13.2.4.1. At the beginning of each Annual General Meeting, and when otherwise called upon, the chairman of the Credentials Committee shall report how many delegates are on the floor.
13.2.5.The directors shall develop an election platform which is consistent with the Constitution of the Party and which addresses current issues as identified by the Constitution of the Party.
13.2.5.1. The directors may appoint a Platform Committee, chaired by the Party Leader or his Agent or Designate for the purpose of studying and developing a platform consistent with the Constitution of the Party. The Platform Committee shall hold open sessions and give due consideration to written submissions from any member.
Part 14 – Election Rules
14.1. Candidates for party office shall make their candidacy known to the National Executive Council and/or to its committee representative in writing thirty (30) days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
14.2. Candidates for party office shall be allowed to distribute campaign material to the complete Party mailing list by supplying the directors with sufficient copies of such material. The directors shall mail this material within two (2) weeks of receipt, with all mailing costs to be borne by the candidate.
14.2.1.All costs for any campaign for Party office shall be the responsibility of the candidate incurring the expense.
14.2.2.Party envelopes and letterhead shall be barred from use by any candidate for his campaign.
14.2.3.A member or group of members supporting a specific amendment to the Constitution or Bylaws or a general resolution of the Party shall be allowed to distribute material in the same manner as a candidate for Party office.
14.3. Candidates for Party offices shall have an opportunity to address the Annual General Meeting and to take questions from the floor.
Part 15 – Constitutional Amendments
15.1. The National Executive Council, or any committee or task force established by the National Executive Council to field amendment motions from the membership, or by an annual general meeting, among others, may propose amendments to the Party’s Constitution.
15.2. The secretary of the Party, or the chair of the Constitutional Committee, shall create a membership Constitutional Amendment Process, which shall include timelines, leading up to each Annual General Meeting. Such process will allow for all Electoral District Associations to receive all constitutional amendments to be debated at the annual general meeting not less than thirty (30) days prior to the AGM.
15.3. The NSPNA Constitution may be amended at an annual general meeting but must receive seventy-five (75) percent of the votes cast by members and delegates present at the AGM.
Part 16 – Policy
16.1. Policies of the Party shall be presented in the Party’s Policy Statement, which sets out the long range policy directions for the NSPNA.
16.2. The National Executive Council or a standing committee of its creation shall recognize the membership Policy Development Process, which shall include the drafting, endorsement and submission of policy proposals, and timelines leading up to each Annual General Meeting. Such process will allow for all Electoral District Associations to receive all policy resolutions to be debated at the AGM not less than thirty (30) days prior to the AGM.
16.3. The National Executive Council retains the option, at the behest of fifty (50) percent of the Electoral District Associations, to call a dedicated Policy Convention between Annual General Meetings.
16.4. All policy proposals submitted by either Electoral District Associations or individual Party members must follow the Policy Development Process as endorsed by the National Executive Council or a standing committee. All policy proposals will:
16.4.1.identify the subject and/or policy area to which the policy proposal is related;
16.4.2.identify relevant principles, beliefs, premises, etc. that are relevant to the current state of affairs for the policy proposal;
16.4.3.a concluding section identifying cost parameters where applicable;
16.4.4.the date, citations and names of two endorsing members.
16.5. All policy proposals submitted by individual Party members must be submitted in the required format set by the National Executive Council or a standing committee with the signed endorsement of at least two (2) other Party members.
16.6. All policy proposals shall be reviewed prior to each Annual General Meeting through the Policy Development Process and then placed to the membership present at the AGM or Policy Convention for ratification.
16.6.1.Each policy proposal shall be debated individually and shall require a sixty (60) percent approval vote from the membership to become official Party policy.
16.7. The Leader, caucus and all candidates are bound by the principles and policies as determined by the Party membership.
Part 17 – Principal Office and Headquarters Staff
17.1. The principal office of the Party shall be located at a location determined by the National Executive Council and shall serve as the national headquarters and the organizational, administrative and coordinating centre for all branches of the Party.
17.2. National headquarters shall only be used for neutral purposes with respect to any contested matter within the Party or an Electoral District Association.
17.3. The National Executive Council shall be responsible for the contracting of a National Director.
17.4. The National Director’s responsibilities shall be determined by the National Executive Council, and shall include the general supervision of national headquarters.
17.5. The National Executive Council shall have general supervision of the National Director and all other persons in the employ of the Party, and may make arrangements to address this responsibility, including the appointment of a committee to exercise the National Executive Council’s supervision of the operations of national headquarters and employees.
17.6. The employees of the Party shall remain neutral in all leadership selections, leadership reviews, nomination meetings, and elections of officers of the party.
Part 18 – Financial and Administrative
18.1. The fiscal year of the Party shall be the calendar year.
18.2. The treasurer, or a person designated by the treasurer, shall report at each Annual General Meeting on the financial position of the Party and the report shall contain a balance sheet and operating account.
18.3. The National Executive Council shall appoint the Party’s auditor.
18.4. The Party’s auditor shall report upon the balance sheet and operating account and, in every such report, the auditor shall state whether, in the auditor’s opinion, the balance sheet is a full and fair balance sheet containing the particulars required by the Party and properly drawn up so as to exhibit a true and correct view of the Party’s financial affairs.
18.5. The Party’s auditor shall also make such reports as may be required by law in relation to a political party.
18.6. The borrowing powers of the Party may be exercised by a resolution of the National Executive Council.
18.7. Contracts, deeds, bills of exchange and other instruments and documents may be executed on behalf of the Party by an officer of the Party or by the Provincial Director, or otherwise as prescribed by a resolution of the National Executive Council.
18.8. The Seal of the Party shall be in the custody of the Secretary and may be affixed to any document upon the resolution of the National Executive Council.
18.9. Any member of the Party may inspect the books and records of the Party by a prior appointment made with the Provincial Director, during the normal operating hours of Provincial Headquarters during the five (5) business days prior to the Annual General Meeting of the Party, at a location determined by the Provincial Director.
18.10. The Party shall cause the filing of such documents required by law to be filed with the Chief Electoral Officer, the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, either of their offices, or such other individuals or offices as may be required.
18.11. The National Executive Council shall designate a member of the Party to be its registered agent for the purposes of the Canada Elections Act.
Part 19 – Parliamentary Authority
19.1. The most current edition of ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure not specifically covered by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Party.
Part 20 – Seal
20.1. The directors may provide a common Seal for the Party and may destroy a Seal and substitute a new Seal in its place.
20.2. The common Seal shall be affixed only when authorized by a resolution of the directors and then only in the presence of the persons prescribed in the resolution, or if no persons are prescribed, in the presence of the president and secretary or president and secretary treasurer.
Part 21 – Borrowing
21.1. In order to carry out the purposes of the Party the directors may, on behalf of and in the name of the Party, raise or secure the payment or repayment of money in the manner they decide, and, in particular but without limiting the foregoing, by the issue of debentures.
21.2. No debenture shall be issued without the sanction of a special resolution.
21.3. The members may by special resolution restrict the borrowing powers of the directors, but a restriction imposed expires at the next annual general meeting.
Part 22 – Auditor
22.1. This Part applies only where the Party is required or has resolved to have an auditor.
22.2. The first auditor shall be appointed by the directors who shall also fill all vacancies occurring in the office of auditor.
22.3. At each Annual General Meeting the Party shall appoint an auditor to hold office until he is re-elected or his successor is elected at the next Annual General Meeting.
22.4. An auditor may be removed by ordinary resolution.
22.5. An auditor shall be promptly informed in writing of appointment or removal.
22.6. No director and no employee of the Party shall be auditor.
22.7. The auditor may attend general meetings.
Part 23 – Notices to Members
23.1. A notice may be given to a member, either personally or by mail to him at his registered address.
23.2. A notice sent by mail shall be deemed to have been given on the fifth day following that on which the notice is posted, and in proving that notice has been given it is sufficient to prove the notice was properly addressed and put in a Canadian post office receptacle.
23.3. Notice of a general meeting shall be given to
23.3.1.every member shown on the register of members on the day notice is given; and
23.3.2.the auditor.
23.3.3.no other person is entitled to receive a notice of general meeting.
Part 24 – Bylaws
24.1. On being admitted to membership, each member is entitled to and the Party shall give him, without charge, a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Party.
24.2. These Bylaws shall not be altered or added to except by special resolution.
Part 25 – Dissolution
25.1. Ninety (90) percent of the members in good standing who are entitled to vote and who are registered at a general meeting of the Party may resolve that the Party be dissolved as from the date to be named in the resolution.
25.2. A subsequent special general meeting shall be called by the National Executive Council to address the resolution identified in 25.1 which shall be held not earlier than thirty (30) days after the date on which the first resolution to dissolve the Party was passed.
25.3. Upon the resolution identified in 25.1 being confirmed by seventy-five (75) percent of the members who are entitled to vote and who are registered at a subsequent special general meeting, the Party shall be dissolved.
25.4. A notice of the resolution and its confirmation shall be sent to Elections Canada.
25.5. The property of the Party shall upon dissolution be transferred to such organizations having objectives and purposes similar to those of the Party, or in default as may be determined by a relevant court on the application of the Party.