Proposed Bylaw Changes: Streamlining Our Organization
The Canadian Energy Geoscience Association (CEGA) is excited to share that in alignment with our rebranding initiative, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of our existing bylaws. We are pleased to introduce a set of proposed revisions that will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of CEGA’s operations. The Articles of the Association will also be updated to align with the revised bylaws, ensuring consistency and compliance.
Voting members of CEGA will be asked to vote on the proposed bylaw revisions as well as the revised Articles as a special resolution at the December 7th Annual General Meeting. More information about the meeting will be sent out in November to all voting members.
We greatly appreciate all members who can take time to review the revised Articles and bylaws as well as our frequently asked questions section to get a clear understanding of the changes that are being proposed and how they will affect you.
If you have questions or wish to discuss your concerns regarding these proposed bylaw changes, please contact us at membership@cegageos.ca. Your involvement is integral to our continued success as we work together to strengthen our organization for the future.
CEGA is dedicated to fostering a strong and inclusive community of energy geoscientists, and these proposed bylaw changes are designed to enhance our ability to serve our members effectively. We look forward to your participation and feedback as we move forward with these exciting changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Canadian Energy Geoscience Association (CEGA) is committed to adapting and evolving to better serve the needs of our members and stay current with Canadian not-for-profit law. With input from a dedicated Bylaw Committee comprising CEGA members and former Canadian Society Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) Past Presidents, as well as legal experts well-versed in Canadian not-for-profit law, we have developed revised bylaws aimed at simplifying and streamlining CEGA’s operations. This update will bring our bylaws more in line with the Canadian Not for Profit Corporations Act.
The biggest change in the revised bylaws is in the consolidation of membership categories. The CSPG bylaws had five membership categories (Associate, Student, Full, Emeritus, and Honorary). The revised bylaws have only two categories (Voting and Student). Other changes include modifications to the size of the CEGA Board, a clearer definition of the Nominations Committee, revised policies regarding dues non-payment, and adjustments to membership definitions.
Simplifying the membership classes down to Voting and Non-voting categories is a crucial step in ensuring fairness and equality among our members. The Canadian Not-for-Profit Corporations Act requires voting by class for certain motions, which can lead to inequity if membership classes have varying numbers of voters. By minimizing organizational complexity and streamlining the voting process, we aim to give every voting member an equal vote. This will also help ensure that we meet the necessary quorum requirements for decision-making. However, even though we propose to reduce the number of classes, we intend to maintain the benefits of our special classes and define them by “status”. See following sections for more details.
To be a Full member under the current bylaws, you have to be engaged in the work of energy geoscience or in related research and have graduated from university with a geology or related earth science degree. As a Full member, you will become a Voting member in the revised bylaws. This means you will maintain voting privileges.
To be an Emeritus member under the current bylaws, you have to be at least 65 years of age, been a Full Member for at least 20 years and retired from work. As an Emeritus member, you will become a Voting member in the revised bylaws. This means you will maintain voting privileges. Emeritus members will be granted an Emeritus status and will continue to pay reduced membership dues.
To be an Honorary Member under the current bylaws, one must be granted lifetime membership by a motion of the Board. As an Honorary member you will become a Voting member in the revised bylaws. This means you will maintain voting privileges. Honorary Members will be granted Honorary status and will continue to not pay membership dues.
To be an Associate Member under the current bylaws, you have to be a person interested in the Canadian Energy Geosciences discipline, but you do not qualify under the requirements of Full membership. In the revised bylaws, the definition of Voting member shall be any person engaged in the field of Energy Geoscience or Engineering and/or any person interested in the academic and/or professional applications of the geological sciences. The new definition will no longer require a degree to be a voting member of the Association. This is in line with other geoscience technical organizations such as the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and the Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (CSEG). As CEGA is not a regulatory authority (I.e. APEGA, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta), the requirement to review the educational credentials of Voting Members was not aligned with the mission of the Association. The changed definition will be more inclusive. As an Associate member, you will become a Voting member in the revised bylaws. This means you will gain voting privileges.
To be a Student member under the current by-laws, you have to be an undergraduate student who is in full-time attendance at a post-secondary institution and have expressed interest in the geoscience. Student members pay no membership dues, nor do they have voting privileges. As a Student member, you will remain a Student Member under the new by-laws. Student members will not pay membership dues. Any student, whether undergrad, MSc, or PhD can apply to be a Student member. Students will now receive notification for Special Resolutions, AGMs, and Special Meetings, despite their lack of voting privileges.
Although CEGA has an open application process for Board roles, rarely are applications submitted for Board roles without solicitation. The revised Nominations Committee will allow for a separate committee to independently evaluate Board roles and potential volunteers, having the required conversations to bring qualified candidates into Board roles, and presenting a slate to the CEGA Executive Committee and Board prior to the AGM. The intention is still to have the option for members to put themselves forward to the Nominations Committee as candidates for Board roles. This should lead to greater transparency in the process of forming the annual CEGA Board, as well as take the workload of Board recruiting off of the Executive Committee/CEGA Board, allowing them more time to focus on their portfolios. Membership will still either vote on or acclaim the Board slate. Voting will only occur if there is more than one candidate for a role.
There are many smaller changes in the bylaws to align with CEGA operations and to increase clarity in the bylaws. Some of the changes include:
- Changing the title of Executive Director to Managing Director
- Provisions added for electronic communications & voting
- Removed Membership Committee as Statutory committee
- Clarified that a Board of Directors should be the chair of Annual meetings
- For increased transparency, students will receive notification of Special Meetings and AGMs.
- More clarity to overdue dues procedures
- Maximum number of directors lowered from 16 to 12 for ease of running the Board
- Clarity on roles of Directors and Officers
- Overall alignment with the Canadian Not For Profit Corporations Act
The Articles of Continuance, which define the framework and existence of the corporation under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, will also be updated to align with the revised bylaws. These changes are essential to ensure consistency and compliance with the new bylaws.
