Terms of Agreement

GKC Terms of Agreement – April 2023

Terms of Agreement for Greater Kingston Curling Area Curling Association

Preamble

Representatives of the original 5 member clubs signed a letter committing to Terms of Agreement (ToA) which govern the activities of Greater Kingston Area Curling Association (GKC);
Member clubs must also be members of the Ontario Curling Association; and
Each member club contributed an initial start-up fee for GKC of $200.

Mission Statement

Greater Kingston Curling is committed to promoting curling in the Greater Kingston Area by:

Attracting, promoting and hosting national, provincial and regional curling event championships;
Promoting the development of the sport of curling and to generate greater interest, awareness, participation, membership and enjoyment of the sport; and
Facilitating bonspiel events, competitions, education programs, youth curling programs, coaching, and training opportunities.

Non-Profit Organization

The GKC shall be administered by a Board of Directors that is entirely volunteer-governed and its structure is that of a non-profit organization.

Member Clubs

GKC is comprised of the following member clubs:, Cataraqui Golf and Country Club, Gananoque Curling Club, Napanee & District Curling Club, and Royal Kingston Curling Club. In 2023 Garrison Golf and Curling Club closed its curling facilities and was no longer considered to be a member club.

Resignation

Any member club may resign its membership in GKC upon providing thirty days written notice to the Board of Directors. GKC financial assets would remain under the control of the Board. The resigning club could still apply for funds under either the Junior Fund or the Development Fund following GKC procedures until all funds raised prior to the date of resignation have been spent.

Loss of Membership

Closure of a club’s curling facilities will be considered equivalent to resignation from GKC.

Club Representatives/Directors of the Board

Each member club in the GKC shall appoint three members to serve on the Board of Directors (the Board). The appointed representatives must be members in good standing of their respective club. Each member club will therefore have three representatives participating at the board meetings.

Voting Rights

Each of the representatives from the member clubs are entitled to one vote either in person, by phone or video link. Therefore each club will have a total of three votes.

Powers

The Board shall have full power and authority to manage and control the affairs and business of GKC. However, in the event that the Board proposes amendments to the ToA, the executives of member clubs will be asked to confirm agreement with the proposed changes.

Quorum

A total of 7 representatives from three of the four member clubs must be present at a meeting in order to constitute a quorum. Proxy votes do not count toward quorum. Where none of the appointed representatives from a member club are available for a meeting, they are encouraged to send an alternate who can vote in their place.

Voting

All matters and questions arising at any meeting of the Board shall be decided by a majority vote. The president will vote as an equal member. If none of the representatives from a member club can attend or send an alternate to attend a meeting, a proxy in writing can be used. A clear majority is required to pass a motion therefore a tie vote results in the motion being defeated. Any defeated motion may be revisited at future meetings.

Executive

The Board of Directors shall elect a Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer from among board members every two years. Upon election of a new Vice President the existing Vice President becomes President and the existing President becomes Past President. Ideally, the President and Vice President would be from different member clubs and normally the number of consecutive terms for any individual role on the executive would be limited to two. It is recognized that while the above procedure is optimum, should circumstances arise that make the sequence of succession for Vice President, President and Past President not practical for any reason, the board can vote to extend a term or take other suitable measures to fill the executive positions. Job descriptions for each of these positions will be approved by the board, amended over time as applicable and maintained on file for reference.

Committees of the Board

The Board may strike working or standing committees to further the work of the mission statement and objectives. These committees will report directly to the Board on a regular basis. These committees may include but are not limited to: Major Curling Events Bids, Promotion of Curling, Junior Curling and Website and Social Media. These committees will have representation from the Board and the member clubs. Additional members outside of the curling community may be added dependent on the work of the committee.

Non Debt Clause

No director, member of a committee, or member club shall be liable for any debt loss or expense incurred by GKC.

Development Fund

The Board of Directors shall determine the allocation of any monies raised by GKC from the hosting of competitions (i.e. The Scotties, The Brier or any other national, provincial, regional or local curling event) or any other fundraising initiatives. The Board must first determine an appropriate amount to be retained for ongoing business expenses as well as an amount to be retained for future initiatives. The Board will establish a procedure for member clubs to apply for funding of initiatives in keeping with the goals of the GKC. Allocation of funds will be authorized by a majority vote of the Board. All remaining funds will be distributed to the member clubs according to the fund distribution rules established for the specific fundraising event. The monies passed on to member clubs must be spent in a manner that supports the mission statement of GKC. Member clubs will be held accountable for meeting these terms.

Junior Fund

The Board of Directors shall determine the allocation of any monies raised by GKC from Ontario lottery proceeds. The Board will establish a procedure for member clubs to apply for funding of junior curling initiatives in keeping with the goals of the GKC. Allocation of funds will be authorized by a majority vote of the Board and must comply with Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario regulations.

Bank Accounts

GKC shall set up an account at a local bank in the form of a non-profit organisation or community account for each of its two funds. The signing officers for financial purposes will be any two of the executive directors.

Dissolution of Greater Kingston Area Curling Association

In the event of dissolution or winding-up of GKC, all of its remaining assets after payment to the member clubs and all of its liabilities, shall be distributed to “Curling Canada Foundation – Youth Programs, specifically to be directed to junior curling support at all of the member curling clubs of Greater Kingston Curling”.

Conflict of Interest:

Members of the board or any subcommittees have a duty to disclose any personal, family, or business interests or other community involvements, that may, in the eyes of another person, influence their judgment. Directors shall disclose conflicts of interest to the board.

Board members have a duty to exempt themselves from participating in any discussion and voting on matters where they have, or may be perceived as having, a conflict of interest. In some circumstances they may be asked to leave during the debate and vote.

Approved by the following clubs as indicated by the signature of each President:

Cataraqui Golf and Curling Club

Gananoque Curling Club

Napanee and District Curling Club

Royal Kingston Curling Club