1. The name of the Association shall be WESTERN DIVISION; THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF GEOGRAPHERS.

2. The objectives of the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers shall be the promotion of Geographical study, teaching and reaching.

BYLAWS

I. MEMBERS

1. All members in good standing, of any class in the Canadian Association of Geographers, who reside in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories, and in the American States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana will be members in the Western Division.

2. Persons, other than members of the Canadian Association of Geographers, who support the goals and objectives of the Western Division, may apply for membership in the Western Division as "Regional Member". Such members are entitled to hold office, and vote on the business of the Western Division. Regional members fees shall be determined annually by the Executive, subject to ratification by the membership at the Annual Business meeting. Regional members, unless members of the CAG, may not represent the Western Division at national executive meetings.

II. MEETINGS

1. The Division shall meet in general session for the purpose of conducting the business of the Division. Time, place and conditions of the meeting shall be determined by the Executive. Notice of such meeting shall be mailed to members of record at least two weeks prior to the meeting and shall be mailed to the member's address as shown on the records of the Division. It shall be the responsibility of each member to ensure that a current address is filed with the Secretary.

2. Such notice shall set out in general terms, the business to be conducted at the meeting.

3. The Division may meet, as part of an activity program, at such time and at such location as may from time to time be determined by the Executive. Participation in this program is not restricted to members of the Division.

III. EXECUTIVE

1. The executive shall consist of the following elected positions:

a) President
b) Vice-President (see Section 4)
c) Past-President (see Section 4)
d) Secretary-Treasurer
e) At least four members at large
f) Two student members, one from British Columbia, the Yukon, Washington and Oregon and one from Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Idaho and Montana

and the following non-elected positions:

g) Occasional Papers Editor - ex officio
h) Newspaper Editor - ex officio
i) Appointed British Columbia Education Committee Chairperson

2. Members of the Executive must be in good standing of the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers.

3. The Executive shall be elected at the Annual Business Meeting.

4. The Executive of the Western Division shall consist of a president, serving a two year non-renewal term of office; a past-president or a vice-president, each term consisting of one year; a secretary-treasurer elected for a period of two years; four members-at-large each elected for a period of one year; and two student members each elected for one year. Appointed positions shall consist of an occasional papers editor - ex officio for a term of two years; a newsletter editor - ex officio for a term of two years; a British Columbia Education Committee Chair for a period of two years. Elections for the vice-president shall be bi-annually and the vice-president will, under normal circumstances, take the position of president in the year following the election and will succeed to past-president in the year immediately following the two year presidential term of office. There will not be a past-president in the year that there is a vice-president and there will not be a vice-president in the year in which there is a past-president.

5. The President shall chair the Annual Business Meeting of the Division and shall assume such duties as may from time to time be assigned by a meeting of the Executive or by the Business Meeting.

6. The Vice-President will normally succeed the President in office.

7. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep or cause to be kept, Minutes of meetings of the Executive and the Annual Business Meeting as well as keeping, or causing to be kept, proper records of the Division and shall place records and a copy of the Occasional Papers with the Archives and shall be responsible, for the financial affairs and operation of the Division.

8. The Secretary-Treasurer and any other member of the Executive as specified by the Executive shall be the signing officers of the Division.

9. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare a budget to be presented to the Annual Business Meeting. This budget, after general approval by the members, is to be referred to the incoming Executive as a guideline.

10. The Past-President shall Chair the Nominating Committee.

11. The Occasional Papers Editor and the Newsletter Editor shall be ratified annually at the Annual Business Meeting. It is anticipated that these positions will be of at least two years duration.

12. British Columbia Education Committee Chairperson will be appointed by the Executive. This position will be filled from within the Executive or from within the Western Division, Canadian Association of Geographers membership at large. It is anticipated that this position will be of at least two years duration. On appointment the Chairperson automatically becomes a full voting member of the Executive.

13. The President shall fulfill the role of Regional Councillor to liaise between the Western Division and the Canadian Association of Geographers.

14. The Executive may co-opt a member of the Western Division, Canadian Association Geographers to fill any vacant position on the Executive. The co-opted member will become a full voting member of the Executive.

15. The Executive may pay such members or other persons for any services performed to the Division or on behalf of the Division upon special resolution of the Executive, such resolution to be first obtained.

IV. VOTING AND ELECTIONS

1. Voting on matters of the business of the Division shall be restricted to members in good standing.

2. At any business meeting of the division each member shall be entitled to one vote. Proxy votes will not be permitted.

3. A quorum of a business meeting shall be those members in good standing in attendance at the meeting.

4. All items voted on at the Annual Business Meeting or by referendum required a majority of fifty percent plus one.

5. The President shall receive nominations from the floor at the Annual Business Meeting for new members of the Executive and the incoming officers shall be elected by a majority vote of those members in good standing attending the Business meeting.

6. In case of a tie, the Chairperson shall have a casting vote.

V. COMMITTEES OF THE DIVISION

1. NOMINATING COMMITTEE

There shall be a Nominating Committee comprised of the available three immediate past presidents and which shall ensure that the Annual Business Meeting will be presented with a list of candidates suitable to stand for office and representing the professional and regional interest groups within the Division. It is desirable to ensure some continuity between outgoing and incoming Executives.

Guidelines for the Nominating Committee

-- The President is responsible for ensuring that the Nominating Committee convenes.

-- The immediate Past President will chair the Nominating Committee.

-- The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee will report to the President prior to the Annual Business Meeting.

-- Verbal agreement to stand must have been obtained from those members whose names are on the list.

-- All persons whose names are on the list must be, or become, members in good standing of the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers.

2. BRITISH COLUMBIA EDUCATION COMMITTEE

There shall be a British Columbia Education Committee comprised of no fewer than three and no more than eight members. The Chairperson of the Committee shall, upon appointment, become a full voting member of the Executive.

The objectives of the Committee shall be to promote geographic education within the province of British Columbia, to promote and maintain liaison and communication with elementary, secondary and post secondary institutions, the respective Ministries, the professional associations and other appropriate educational support groups and to establish and maintain a network with other similar organizations outside British Columbia.

VI. CONSTITUTION

1. Proposed changes to the Division's constitution must be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least forty days prior to the Annual Business Meeting.

2. Such changes to be submitted to the membership, in writing, at the time of the notification of the Annual Business Meeting.

3. The Annual Business Meeting may change the constitution by a resolution obtaining a simple majority vote of those present at the meeting.

VII. PUBLICATIONS

1. A record of each annual meeting shall be kept in the form of a published volume which shall include in the title "Occasional Papers in Geography of the Canadian Association of Geographers, Western Division: Proceedings of the Annual Conference _____________".

2. It shall be the responsibility of the Executive to develop a publications policy which, when affirmed by majority vote of the Annual Business Meeting, shall be the policy of the Division.

3. A Newsletter for the Western Division, Canadian Association of Geographers will be distributed to members. There will normally be two Newsletters per annum.