Article 1.
Name

1. The name of the organization shall be - The White Pine Cottage Association of Patterson Lake, Township of Lanark Highlands, which may be shortened to the White Pine Cottage Association.

Article 2.
Aims and Objectives

2. The aims and objectives of the Association shall be:

a. To provide a forum for all members to voice common concerns and issues affecting the said area.

b. To provide a central contact for communications internally between association members, and externally to persons or organizations that deal with the association.

Article 3.
Membership

3. Membership in the Association shall be open to property owners and family of the White Pine Cottage Owners of Patterson Lake.

4. A member may withdraw from membership by notification in writing to the Secretary of the organization.

5. Membership may be withdrawn from a person, whether an owner or not, by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote at an Annual Meeting.

6. The membership fee shall be as decided by the Annual Meeting.

7. Any part of a membership fee set by an Annual Meeting that is designated as "road maintenance fees or road fees" shall be obligatory on all property owners in the cottage sub-division developed on Patterson Lake by Jacques and Philip Noel. If any cottage property owner fails to pay the road fee for two years in any five year period, the executive of the association shall be empowered to collect the through a collection agency, the courts, or the Township.

Article 4.
Executive

8. The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a committee composed of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

9. The Executive shall:

a. be responsible to and report to the Annual Meeting;

b. serve without remuneration;

c. collect and expend Association funds in accordance with a budget approved by the Annual Meetings;

d. fill all vacancies in office occurring between Annual Meetings;

e. convene Annual Meetings of the Association; and,

f. convene Special General Meetings of the membership of the Association, when so required.

Article 5.
Duties of the Executive

10. The President shall preside at all Annual or Special General Meetings, and shall perform the duties usual to the office of President.

11. The Vice President shall take over from the President if the President is unable to perform the duties of the office.

12. The Secretary shall:

a. keep the minutes of all meetings and distribute them to members;

b. maintain the administrative files of the Association;

c. be the custodian of the Constitution;

d. keep, or arrange to have kept, a list of members;

e. shall assist in directing the overall affairs of the Association; and,

f. perform such other duties as the nature of his office may be assigned to him by the President or an Annual Meeting.

13. The Treasurer shall:

g. receive, deposit, and expend the funds of the Association;

h. prepare and maintain an annual budget of revenue and expenses;

i. report at each Annual Meeting on the financial affairs of the Association;

j. perform such other duties as the nature of the office may require or as may be assigned to him by the President or a Annual Meeting.

Article 6.
Auditor

14. If wished by an Annual Meeting, an Auditor shall be elected. The Auditor shall audit the books and accounts of the Association and submit a report to the Annual Meeting. The Auditor shall not be a member of the Executive.

Article 7.
Nominations and Elections

15. Any member of the Association shall be eligible for election to any office provided that the member is a paid-up member of the Association.

16. The term of office of members elected shall be until the next Annual Meeting. Members may stand for re-election.

17. The immediate past president of the Association shall act as a nominating committee for the Association. If the immediate past president is unable to perform the task, then the president who preceded the immediate past president shall perform the duties. The consent of the nominee shall be obtained before nomination. The immediate past president shall chair the during elections and turn over the meeting to the newly elected president.

Article 8.
Meetings and Quorums

18. A quorum shall consist of representation of one-third of the property owners.

19. If a meeting has been duly notified at least thirty days in advance, and if a quorum was not available for the meeting, then the President shall adjourn the meeting without making any decisions, and call another meeting within 7 to 30 days from the date of the adjourned meeting. A quorum at a subsequent meeting shall be those in attendance.

20. The Annual Meeting of the Association shall be called by the President usually on the Sunday in the August Civic Holiday Weekend, or other time mutually agreeable, or failing action by the President, by the Vice President or by the Secretary. The Annual Meeting shall review the business of the Association, receive financial reports, elect an executive, determine annual membership dues, and conduct other business as necessary.

21. At least one (1) month prior to the date set for the Annual Meeting, notice shall be given to property owner by the President or Secretary, either by hand, phone, fax, electronic mail, or other means, or by letter sent to the last known address of a member.

22. Special general meetings may be called by the President, by the Secretary, by the Treasurer, or by a majority of the property owners of the subdivision. A special general meeting shall conduct any business it considers necessary for the Association.

23. The Executive shall meet at the call of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Secretary. At least seven days notification of the meeting shall be given by the calling member or members.

24. All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Abbreviated Rules of Order attached to this Constitution.

Article 9.
Voting

25. Only paid-up members present at the Annual Meeting shall be eligible to vote.

26. On nonfinancial matters, each person at a meeting shall have one vote. On financial matters, each lot at a meeting shall be entitled to one vote. There shall be no proxy votes. In case of a tie, the Chair shall cast a deciding vote.

27. Except as required by Constitution, all matters shall be decided by a majority vote of one-half (1/2) plus 1 person.

Article 10.
Changes in Constitution

28. The Constitution may be amended, repealed, or added to by a majority vote of two-thirds (2/3) of a vote at any Annual Meeting after notice of the proposed amendment has been circulated among the members not later than one (1) month prior to the date of the meeting at which the amendment is to be considered.

Article 11.
Fiscal Year

29. The Fiscal Year of the Association shall be from August 1 to July 31.

Article 12.
Distribution

30. A copy of the Constitution is to be given to each property owner of the White Pine Cottage Association. A copy may be sent to the Township or other interested party as desired by the Executive.

Article 13.
Wind-up or Dissolution

31. In the event of the wind-up or dissolution of the Association, the liabilities of the organization shall be paid, and any assets turned over, free of charge, to a like minded follow-on organizations serving the interests of the area, or failing that to the Township of Lanark Highlands to be used as they see fit.