Grandview Area Residents Association (GARA) Constitution

Our Mission

The Grandview Area Residents Association is a volunteer-based membership organization that acts as an advocate to protect and enhance the experience of residents within the community, serving Thornhill residents in the area between Yonge St. and Bayview Ave., south of the CN tracks to Steeles Ave.

 

Our Roles and Responsibilities
  • To have a balanced understanding of issues based on the spectrum of views within the neighbourhood
  • To represent members and the greater community in a respectful manner on all issues
  • To support communication and awareness of local concerns
  • To act for the community in its dealings with all levels of government.

 

The Executive Committee shall be elected at an Annual general Meeting and shall comprise a maximum of twelve voting members, and additional two youth members with non-voting privileges.

*Any member elected as chair or co-chair shall have previously served on the executive for a minimum one year.

 

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the month of October or November of each year.

 

At least 14 (fourteen) day notice shall be given in the case of the Annual General Meeting and/or Special General Meeting, and such notice shall specify the business to be transacted at the meeting. Notice on the association website shall be considered sufficient.

 

Resolutions at Annual and Special general meeting and at executive meetings shall be carried by simple majorities, with the exception of amendments to the Constitution which will require a two-thirds majority of all member present at the AGM.

 

The minutes of the Annual General Meeting shall be considered and approved at the first subsequent meeting of the newly elected executive committee and shall be confirmed.

 

At all meetings of the Executive Committee, half +1 of the existing voting members shall form a quorum. In case of time sensitive issues, email voting on executive business may be conducted and is binding.

 

A bank account shall be opened in the name of the Association, with an approved financial institution, and all cheques drawn on the Association bank account shall be signed by either the Chair or Treasurer. The Treasurer shall keep a record of all income and expenditures and shall report on these at executive committee meetings. The Treasurer shall also present an annual statement of income and expenditure at the Annual General Meeting.

 

The minutes of an Executive Committee meeting shall be considered and approved at the next Executive Committee meeting.

 

Membership in the Association shall be open to all residents over the age of 18 (eighteen) and older living and or owning residential property in the Association’s geographical catchment area – Bayview Ave., to the east, Yonge St., to the west, Steeles Ave., to the south and the CN railway tracks to the north. Each eligible member shall have one vote on issues that are put to a vote of the general membership. The Executive Committee will determine what issues are to be voted on by the general membership. Each member must be present at the meeting in order to cast a vote.

 

The annual membership fee shall be fixed for each year at the Annual General Meeting, and any member whose membership fees for the current membership year are in arrears shall forfeit all rights of membership at such meeting. Membership fees are set per household, while voting rights are per individual.

 

No two members of the same household may hold elected positions on the GARA executive committee in order to ensure a broad representation of community members.

 

Each apartment building, rental complex, Condominium Corporation, organization, association, council and board may be represented by only one elected representative on the GARA executive committee in order to ensure a broad representation of community members.

 

The Executive shall have the power to create sub-committees and to define their powers. Executive Committee members shall be expected to participate on these subcommittees, as required. The Executive Committee reserves the authority to remove individuals from subcommittees by way of an ordinary resolution at any time.

 

The Executive Committee shall have the discretionary authority to remove any member who is absent from executive meetings more than five times in a membership year. The executive committee have discretionary authority to appoint a new member should a vacancy become available.

 

The GARA Executive Committee shall not endorse any candidate in an election. However, this does not prevent individual committee members from doing so as private citizens.

 

Adopted November 2014

*Amended November 2022