Introduction
To ensure fair and open representation of its membership at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and any special meetings, Voting Representatives are elected annually to represent each Council's ordinary members.
Every year, each Council will elect three Voting Representatives to represent their Council at the Scouts Canada AGM and any special meetings that may arise. At least one of these Voting Representatives must be a youth member.
All active members of Scouts Canada are welcome and encouraged to attend the AGM either in person (at their own expense) or online. Only Voting Representatives will vote to accept or decline motions brought forward by the Board of Governors (the Board) and are eligible to be nominated to the Board of Governors Nominating Committee:
Our Procedure
Appointments and Responsibilities
1. The National Elections Officer is appointed by the Board of Governors and shall fulfill the following duties:
- Distribute a call for nominations in each Council by email to all members eligible to vote who have not requested Scouts Canada to refrain from sending email to them;
- Oversee and conduct elections as required in Councils annually by such balloting means as the Board prescribes;
- Appoint and supervise Deputy Elections Officers to assist with nominations and elections across Canada;
- Inform the Board of results of nominations and elections;
- Advise the Board in the interpretation of this Procedure and;
- Report any concerns or anomalies to the Board according to the requirements outlined in the Bylaw.
Call for Nominations
2. The National Elections Officer shall open nominations for Council Voting Representatives seven months in advance of the AGM (traditionally in April for a mid-November AGM). The nomination period will be 28 calendar days.
3. In conjunction with Marketing and Communications, use a variety of channels and tools to engage our membership in the nomination and elections process. Emphasis should be placed on methods that will reach our youth membership and encourage them to participate.
4. A Nominee must:
- Be registered in his or her Primary Role with the Council that he or she proposes to represent;
- Be nominated in writing by five Ordinary Members who are registered with the same Council as the Nominee in a form prescribed by the National Elections Officer and;
- Have attained the age of at least 14 years in the calendar year in which the election is conducted.
5. The National Elections Officer and Deputy Election Officers are not eligible for nomination.
6. Nominations shall be accepted via email up until midnight local time on the day nominations close.
7. Nominees should submit a Candidate Statement with their nomination form. The Candidate Statement shall be no more than 750 words.
Confirmation of Nominations
8. Following the close of nominations, the National Elections Officer shall determine the number of valid Nominees and:
- If there are three Nominees for the positions, at least one of whom is a youth, then they are automatically elected by acclamation or;
- If more than three Nominees, at least one of whom is a youth, then the National Elections Officer shall be informed that it is necessary to conduct an election;
- If fewer than three valid nominations, at least one of which is for a youth, are received for the available positions; the National Elections Officer shall appoint the following to fill the vacancy unless such Member is already a Voting Representative:
- For a Youth Voting Representative vacancy,
- The Council Youth Commissioner and failing them,
- A Youth as recommended by the Council Key Three (the CK3)
- For a Voting Representative at Large vacancy,
- The Council Commissioner; and failing them,
- The Council Youth Commissioner; and failing them,
- A Youth as recommended by the CK3.
- In the event there is no incumbent Council Commissioner or Council Youth Commissioner to appoint, the National Elections Officer may appoint a Council Youth Commissioner or Council Commissioner to the position of Voting Representative at the time they assume their Commissioner’s role.
9. The National Elections Officer will contact each Nominee and explain that they are acclaimed, appointed or a candidate for election. Where election is required, Nominees will be asked to confirm that they accept the nomination This information will be sent to the CK3 and a summary will be provided to the Board of Governors.
Election
10. All candidates will follow the Scouts Canada Code of Conduct and observe the privacy policy during the nominations and election period”.
11. A Candidate may withdraw their nomination before ballots are distributed. Candidates who withdraw after voting has begun will continue to have their name shown on the ballot but when votes are tabulated any votes received will be considered null votes.
12. Electronic voting instructions and links to candidate statements shall be sent via email to the Council’s Ordinary Members 14 years of age or older and posted on the National and Council webpages.
13. Voting shall be open for a period of 28 days and must be concluded before the start of the following Scouting year.
14. A Member shall vote in the Council in which they are registered in their Primary Role. Members who have a National Primary Role shall vote in the Council in which they reside.
15. Scouts Canada may outsource the election process to a reputable third-party organization and instruct it to use the Scottish Single Transferable Vote method. This voting method allows for the ranking of candidates in order of preference.
16. Ballots close as of midnight local time on the final day of the 28 day election period.
17. The National Elections Officer will receive the results of the ballots and inform all candidates, with copies to CK3s, NK3 and BoG Chair within 48 hours. A full slate of Voting Representatives will be published on the Scouts Canada national website in a prominent position.
18. A final report with the results of the election will be provided to the Board in a timely fashion.
19. Voting Representatives’ terms will commence following their election and will continue to August 31 of the following year or to the next election of Voting Representatives.
20. If a Council Voting Representative becomes ineligible to be an Ordinary Member, or resigns his or her membership, or transfers his or her Primary Role to another Council prior to the Annual General Meeting, a substitute shall be designated as outlined in ByLaw Article III (f) 1 and 2.
21. Proxies will be managed as outlined in the Bylaw, Article III (f) 3 and 4.