CHAPTER 14. An Ordinance respecting Agricultural Societies. [Assented to April 29, 1899] THE HE Lieutenant Governor by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Territories enacts as follows: SHORT TITLE. 1. This Ordinance may be cited as "The Agricultural Short title Societies Ordinance." INTERPRETATION. 2. In this Ordinance unless the context otherwise requires- Interpretation 1. The expression "department means the department of "Department agriculture; 2. The expression "commissioner" means the commissioner “Commis of agriculture. OBJECTS OF AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. sioner " societies 3. The objects of a society organised or continued under this Objects of Ordinance shall be to encourage improvement in agriculture, horticulture, arboriculture, manufactures and the useful arts 1. By holding meetings for the delivery of lectures and for the discussion of subjects connected with the theory and practice of any of the said industries; 2. By promoting the circulation of agricultural, pastoral, horticultural, arboricultural and mechanical periodicals, and by the formation and maintenance of a reference library on such subjects for the use of its members; 3. By importing and otherwise procuring seeds, plants and animals of new or valuable kinds; 4. By holding exhibitions as hereinafter provided, at which may be awarded prizes for (a) Excellence in the raising or introduction of live stock, (c) The production of grains and all kinds of vegetables, Existing societies Organisation First meeting of members Quorum 5. By offering prizes for essays on scientific inquiry on subjects relating to agriculture, including prevention of prairie fires and the eradication of noxious weeds; 6. By taking action to eradicate poisonous and noxious weeds and to exterminate such animals as are found to injure or impede agriculture; 7. By carrying on experiments in the growing of crops, the feeding of stock or any other branch of agriculture or by testing any system of farming. EXISTING SOCIETIES CONTINUED. 4. All agricultural societies established and in operation at the time of the coming into force of this Ordinance shall be continued as agricultural societies under and subject to the provisions of this Ordinance and the present officers of such societies shall continue to hold office as such until the next annual meeting of the society. ORGANISATION OF SOCIETIES. 5. An agricultural society may be formed under the provisions hereof in the following manner: 1. An application in form A in the schedule hereto and containing the information indicated as required thereby shall be signed by not less than fifty persons, all being over eighteen years of age and residents of the Territories and not being members of any other agricultural society; 2. Every such applicant shall pay at least the sum of one dollar as or as part of his first annual subscription to the funds of the proposed society, and such moneys shall be paid to and be held by one of the subscribers in trust for the society; 3. The application shall be verified by an affidavit of one of the subscribers in the form appended to said form A; 4. The application so verified, shall be transmitted to the commissioner who, if he approves thereof, shall declare the same to be organised under the name of "The Agricultural Society," and shall cause a certificate of such organisation in form B in the schedule hereto to be issued to the applicants, and thereupon the society shall be deemed to be formed and it shall be a corporation and in addition to its other rights as such it shall have the power to hold real estate suitable to the objects of the society. 6. As soon as practicable after the formation of the society a meeting of the applicants and of such other persons as may desire to become members thereof shall be held at the call of such person as the commissioner may nominate for that purpose and at such time and place and with such prior public notice as he may direct. 7. Any ten members shall at the first meeting and at any subsequent meeting of the society constitute a quorum. eligible for 8. Any person who would have been qualified to sign an Persons application for the formation of the society may become a membership member thereof at any time on payment to the treasurer of a membership fee of not less than one dollar. (2) Payment of the said fee shall entitle the person paying it to the privileges of membership for the year for which it is paid. (3) At the time of payment of his membership fee every member shall give to the treasurer the post office address to which all notices of meetings and other notices shall be sent. (4) Any person who has not paid his membership fee for any year shall not in that year be considered a member of the society, although he may have been one of the original applicants for its formation, and shall not be allowed to vote or take part in any meeting of the society. (5) Subject to the bylaws of the society a firm or an incorporated company may become a member of any society formed hereunder by the payment of the regular fee, but the name of one person only shall in any one year be entered as the representative or agent of such firm or company and that person only shall exercise the privileges of membership in the society. Officers to be 9. At the first meeting there shall be elected by ballot from among the members of the society a president, a first vice elected president, a second vice president, and not more than nine other directors who together shall form the board of directors. (2) At the said first meeting the society shall appoint two auditors for the ensuing year. Treasurer 10. The board of directors from among themselves or Secretaryotherwise shall appoint a secretary and a treasurer or a secretary-treasurer. department 11. A report of the first meeting certified by the president Report to be and secretary and containing a statement of the number of sent members and a list of the officers elected and appointed shall be sent by the secretary to the department within one week after the meeting. 12. The members of each society may at an annual meeting Bylaws and or at a special meeting called for that purpose make, alter and regulations repeal bylaws and regulations for the general management of the society and subject to such bylaws the board of directors shall have full power to act for and in behalf of the society and all grants and other funds of the society shall be received and expended under their direction. (2) A copy of such bylaws and regulations shall be forthwith transmitted by the secretary to the department. 13. The directors shall not sell, mortgage, lease for over a Disposal of year or otherwise dispose of any real property owned by the lands society, unless authorised to do so at a special meeting of the Mode of calling meetings Quorum of directors Vacancy in office Commissioner may call meetings, etc., in certain. cases Security to be given by treasurer Expenditure of funds Exhibitions society called for the purpose, of which at least a month's notice shall be given in the manner provided for calling such meetings. (2) The notice calling such special meeting shall state the object for which the meeting is called. 14. Meetings of members or officers of agricultural societies, except when otherwise provided herein, shall be held pursuant to adjournment, or upon written notice mailed by the secretary to each member or officer, under instructions from the president or, in his absence or other inability, from a vice president, at least ten days before the day appointed for the meeting. (2) At meetings of directors five shall be a quorum. 15. In the event of an officer or director of an agricultural society dying or resigning office, or in any way becoming disqualified during the period for which he has been elected, the remaining officers shall appoint an eligible person to fill the office for the unexpired term of the person so vacating office. 16. If at any time there shall be no officers of a society or if there be an insufficient number of officers and they do not act, the commissioner may authorise any person to call a meeting of the society for any purpose or to take such other action as the commissioner may deem proper in the interests of the society. 17. The treasurer or secretary-treasurer of every agricultural society, before entering upon the duties of his office, and within one month after his appointment, shall give such security as the directors may deem necessary for the faithful performance of his duties, and especially for duly accounting for and paying over all moneys which may come into his hands, and it shall be the duty of the directors to inquire into the sufficiency of such security and to report thereon to the department forthwith after its completion. (2) No grant shall be paid to any society under this Ordinance unless and until the directors shall have reported that the security of the treasurer or secretary-treasurer has been approved by them. 18. The funds of agricultural societies, howsoever derived, shall not be expended for any object inconsistent with those authorised by this Ordinance. (2) Such funds shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the society in a chartered bank or other banking house; and in all cases where cheques are issued in payment they shall be signed by the president or a vice president and the treasurer or secretary-treasurer of the society. EXHIBITIONS. 19. An exhibition may be held by any agricultural society at such time and place as may be decided upon at the annual meeting or at a general meeting called for that purpose. sent 20. If a society or societies shall purpose to hold an Prize list to be exhibition at which prizes are to be awarded, the prize list commissioner shall be sent to the commissioner at least six weeks before the date upon which the exhibition is to be held. holding 21. Two or more societies may by agreement between their Union of respective boards of directors unite their funds or any portion societies for thereof, for the purpose of holding a joint agricultural or live exhibitions stock exhibition. (2) In the case of such amalgamation the directors of the Joint board of said societies or delegates appointed for such purpose by each management board of directors shall meet and shall elect from among their number a president and first and second vice presidents, a secretary-treasurer and at least eight persons who, with the officers so elected, shall be a board of management and shall have the charge and management of the exhibition so to be held. (3) The directors or delegates and members of the board of Directors management shall at all meetings have the right to vote in voting person or by proxy. (4) One or more auditors shall be appointed at the meeting Auditors of of the directors or delegates to examine and report on the joint board accounts of such board of management, and such report shall be presented by the directors of each society taking part in the joint exhibition at the next annual meeting of their society. ANNUAL MEETING. meeting of 22. Every agricultural society shall hold an annual meeting Annual within the first ten days of the month of December in each society year at such time and place as may be decided on by the officers, and at any such meeting only those persons who have paid their membership fee for the year in which the meeting is held shall be entitled to vote. annual 23. At least two week's previous notice of the time and Notice of place of holding such meeting shall be given by the secretary meeting by written or printed notice mailed to each member of the society. meeting 24. In case any society shall, through any cause, fail to Substituted hold its annual meeting within the time appointed, the commissioner may appoint a time for holding the same, the meeting to be called by the secretary or by some person appointed for that purpose by the commissoner in the same way as the regular annual meeting, and this meeting shall in all particulars be taken as the annual meeting of the society. 25. In addition to any other business the following business Business of shall be transacted at the annual meeting: annual meeting |