CFC One Member- One Vote?

[Bob Armstrong]

CFC Bylaw 1

ORDINARY MEMBERSHIP

5. Any person, ordinarily resident in Canada, may become an Ordinary Member of the Federation, for the then-current fiscal year, upon payment of the Membership per Capita Fee, directly to the Federation, or through his Provincial Organization. Every Ordinary or Life Member has a right to vote on the appointment or election of the Governor or Governors who will represent his Provincial Organization. Every Ordinary or Life Member has a right to vote on the appointment or election of the Governor or Governors who will represent his Provincial Organization at the assembly of Governors but shall not be entitled to vote under any other circumstances unless specifically provided in these by-laws.

CFC Rules and Regulations, Article 1

SELECTION OF GOVERNORS BY PROVINCIAL ORGANIZATION

9. As soon as possible after the receipt by a Provincial Organization of the aforementioned Certificate, such body will convene a meeting of its Federation Members for the purpose of electing its necessary number of nominees for the Board for the ensuing term.

The above sets out for the CFC, as far as I can interpret it, a modified system of “ one member-one vote “. Members are to have a vote, in their province/territory, for the number of CFC Governors allotted to that province/territory, based on the principles set out in the CFC Handbook, of a Governor for every 50 members ( or part thereof ).

But is this the system used in all Provinces?

I believe in some provinces, the Executive of the Provincial Organization, appoints the necessary number of Governors ( maybe someone can help out by identifying those provinces that do it this way ). They do NOT give their CFC members a direct vote for the Governors.

In Ontario, I only know the situation in the GTCL region of the province. The province is divided up into 4 regions, and based on CFC membership numbers, the region gets to nominate their proportionate number of governors for the province. But the GTCL Constitution ( see it on the GTCL website ) is not set up to allow CFC members to vote for the Governors. It gives the votes to certain chess clubs' and chess organizations' representatives, and 3 members-at-large, and certain ex-officio representatives, at the Annual General Meeting. This is contrary to the rules of the CFC and contradicts the “ one member-one vote “ system demanded by the CFC Handbook ( Assuming I am right on this, I will be bringing the issue to the GTCL to amend their Constitution ).

Are there any provinces that give ordinary CFC members a direct vote for their governors?

Is anyone aware of whether any CFC members have tried to get changes in the Provincial Organizations where their system of CFC Governor appointment is unconstitutional?

Is anyone aware of whether the CFC Governors have passed any motions NOT IN THE HANDBOOK that affect this system of voting for Governors?.

Bob

[Kerry Liles]

Re: CFC One Member- One Vote?

At the last AGM of the Ontario Chess Association, as I recall, the CFC Governors were proportioned to the Leagues (the GTCL, SWOCL, NOCL, and EOCA) and the representatives of those Leagues nominated their governors... I also believe the Executive of the OCA were also automatically(?) nominated as CFC governors... Perhaps Chris Mallon has a better memory than I do?

Kerry Liles

[Christopher Mallon]

Re: CFC One Member- One Vote?

It's mostly up to the leagues... in SWOCL Governors have typically been acclaimed although the odd time a vote has been needed, anyone at the meeting would vote.

[Aris Marghetis]

Re: CFC One Member- One Vote?

It's mostly up to the leagues... in SWOCL Governors have typically been acclaimed although the odd time a vote has been needed, anyone at the meeting would vote.

ditto for the EOCA

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: CFC One Member- One Vote?

Do I take it that the SWOCL and EOCA Constitutions clearly specify that each CFC member in the region shall have a vote for the governors representing that region? ( since you say that that is what in fact happens if there is a vote ).

There is still a problem though. Where in the CFC Handbook does it say that a Province has the right to divide the province into regions and restrict a member's vote to only the Ontario governors from that region? It seems to me that the CFC members in Ontario have the right to vote for all 17 Ontario governors ( not saying whether this is better or not, just that it is what the CFC Handbook seems to demand ).

Bob