Vice-President Elections Readiness / Elections Readiness Committee Chair
The Vice-President Elections Readiness / Elections Readiness Committee Chair leads the Elections Readiness Committee, which is responsible for:
• Ensuring that the EDA is ready to fight a Federal General Election
• Coordinating pre-writ EDA elections readiness efforts
• Ensuring, along with the Fundraising Committee, that the EDA has sufficient money to fund an election campaign
• Working with the Regional Organizer and National Office staff to develop and implement election readiness goals
• Setup and maintain an EDA-wide poll organization
Typical tasks performed by the Elections Readiness Committee during any given month include:
• Developing, in conjunction with the Regional Organizer, the pre-writ campaign plan for the EDA
• Assembling a volunteer crew of members and supporters to perform pre-writ elections readiness activities including: lit-dropping, door-knocking, poll organization, and other elections readiness activities
• Conducting poll analysis and the technical analysis of voting results and trends
• Performing various tasks as assigned by Party Headquarters
Vice-President Membership / Membership Committee Chair
The Vice-President Membership / Membership Committee Chair leads the Membership Committee, which is responsible for:
• Managing and updating the EDA’s membership in a timely and regular fashion
• Developing and implementing a membership recruitment, retention, and renewal program at the EDA level
• Working with the Regional Organizer and National Office staff to establish an EDA membership target
• Being the lead CIMS user for the EDA
• Ensuring, along with the Financial Agent, that membership applications are completed accurately and transmitted in a timely manner to National Office for processing
Typical tasks performed by the Membership Committee during any given month include:
• Assembling a phone team and a drive team to renew lapsed members
• Generating a membership list from CIMS for use by the EDA to register members at an EDA function
• Producing membership mailing labels for use by the Communications Committee in a newsletter mailing
• Processing returned mail in CIMS to ensure that membership mailing addresses are accurate
• Completing membership transmittal sheets of completed membership applications and mailing them to Ottawa
Vice-President Fundraising / Fundraising Committee Chair
The Vice-President Fundraising / Fundraising Committee Chair leads the Fundraising Committee, which is responsible for:
• Working with the EDA President and Elections Readiness VP/Chair to establish EDA fundraising targets
• Planning and implementing EDA fundraising events and activities
• Representing the EDA on any regional joint fundraising committee
Typical tasks performed by the Fundraising Committee during any given month include:
• Compiling and cleaning lists of potential donors (individual and corporate) in CIMS
• Organizing EDA fundraising activities including: direct mail solicitation (working with Communications Committee), corporate and small business solicitation, and other fundraising activities
• Liaising with the Elections Readiness VP/Chair to coordinate pre-writ and writ fundraising initiatives
The Conservative Party of Canada has developed a comprehensive fundraising manual, Fundraising Guide for Conservative Electoral District Associations, which is available from the Political Operations Office.
Vice-President Policy / Policy Committee Chair
The Vice-President Policy / Policy Committee Chair leads the Policy Committee, which is responsible for:
• Coordinating the Policy and Constitution development process at the EDA level
• Liaising with the Regional Organizer and National Office Staff to ensure that the EDA is in compliance with all rule and requirements regarding Policy and Constitution development
• Representing the EDA on any regional joint policy committee
Typical tasks performed by the Policy Committee during any given month include:
• Reviewing current CPC Policy and Constitutional documents for possible resolutions
• Assigning interested members with policy and constitution topic areas for review and analysis
• Distributing policy and constitution development information to interested members
• Compiling and transmitting policy and constitution resolutions for submission to National Office
Vice-President Communications / Communications Committee Chair
The EDA Vice-President Communications / Communications Committee Chair leads the Communications Committee, which is responsible for:
• Preparing any and all communications with the EDA’s membership
• Liaising with the Regional Organizer to develop and implement branded communication materials for the EDA and or MP/Candidate
• Representing the EDA on any regional joint communications committee
• Working with the EDA President and other relevant Committee Chairs to ensure that notification guidelines are met
Typical tasks performed by the Communications Committee during any given month include:
• Designing and producing an EDA newsletter (either electronic or print) for distribution to the membership
• Designing and updating an EDA web site
• Assisting the EDA in complying with messaging as developed by National Office Staff
• Producing promotional literature promoting EDA events, fundraisers, and other functions
BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Recruitment of Board Members
One of the cardinal rules of EDA administration is that the Board of Directors runs the EDA with the goal of winning the seat for the Conservative Party of Canada. These individuals receive their mandate from the EDA’s membership, and in fact are elected by the membership. This group should meet on a regularly scheduled basis every month, or more often as the circumstances require.
The EDA Officers (also referred to as the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors) are Directors with special roles, but care should be taken to ensure that this small group does not assume either the authority or the responsibility for running the EDA. Their task is to ensure that the decisions of the Board are carried out. All Board matters are decided by a simple majority vote.
If a Director ceases to hold office, the Board may appoint a replacement Director from the membership.
The term of office of the Directors is one (1) annual term.
All meetings of the Board of Directors should follow an agenda, prepared and distributed in advance by the Secretary under the direction of the President. A sample agenda for Director Meetings is set out in Appendix “E”. A crisp, efficiently run board meeting will improve both attendance and success of the board meeting.
For more information on the composition and governance of Board of Directors, please see the Article 7 of the Interim Constitution of the Conservative Party of Canada Electoral District Associations.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Executive Position Job Descriptions
An elected Executive Committee comprised of not more than seven members of the Board manages the day-to-day affairs of the EDA. This group is elected by the Board of Directors within (14) days of the Annual General Meeting.
The positions (and job descriptions) are:
President
The EDA President is responsible for:
• Chairing all EDA Board Meetings and Executive Committee Meetings of the Association
• Chairing the EDA’s Annual General Meeting
• Supervising all other Executive Officers and Committee Chairs in the performance of their duties
• Liaising with National Office staff and the Regional Organizer on a regular basis
• Meeting all reporting requirements laid out by the National Office and Elections Canada
• Distributing, on a consistent basis, relevant information to EDA Board Members from National Office Staff and the Regional Organizer
• Casting the deciding vote the event of a deadlock (the President, as Chair, does not normally vote at board meetings or move or second motions as per Roberts’ Rules of Order)
Typical tasks performed by the President during any given month include:
• Communicating with the EDA Financial Agent to ensure compliance with Elections Canada guidelines and regulations regarding reporting
• Reviewing documents and messages from National Office and Regional Field Staff and forwarding appropriate messages and documents to Board Members
• Liaising with other Executive Officers and Committee Chairs to ensure that EDA functions are being completed in a timely manner
• Setting EDA and Executive meetings and booking meeting space
• Liaising with the EDA’s Member of Parliament (if applicable) and appraising him or her of riding issues
• Forwarding information from the Regional Organizer and National Office staff to appropriate Board Members (memos, e-mails, guidelines, etc…)
Vice-President(s)
The EDA Vice-President is responsible for:
• Performing the tasks of the President should they be unable to fulfil their role
• Assisting the President with his or her tasks
The EDA may wish to assign Committee Chair positions to Vice-Presidents (Committee Chair descriptions are listed earlier in this manual.
Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for:
• Recording the minutes of EDA Board meetings and EDA Executive Committee meetings, with particular attention to recording expenditure motions on the part of the Board
• Providing notice to the EDA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee of upcoming meetings
• Generating agendas for EDA Board meetings and Executive Committee meetings
• Providing notification, in conjunction with the Communications Committee, to the general membership of the EDA of the EDA’s Annual General Meeting
• Drafting letters and other communications on behalf of the EDA and ensuring their timely transmission
• Maintaining an up-to-date list of EDA Board and Executive Committee contact information
Typical tasks performed by the Secretary during any given month include:
• E-mailing, phoning, and/or mailing EDA Directors regarding upcoming meetings
• Creating and distributing the minutes from the previous month’s EDA Board meeting
• Writing a letter on behalf of the EDA to National Office regarding an interpretation of the Constitution
Financial Agent
The Financial Agent is responsible for:
• Completing all necessary reports as required by Elections Canada and the Conservative Party of Canada National Office
• Maintaining accurate and complete records of an EDA’s financial situation, including a complete record of expenses and donations
• Working with the President to ensure that an annual audit of the EDA’s financial statements is performed and submitted to Elections Canada
• Receiving all donations to the EDA and generating temporary tax receipts for donors while ensuring that these donations conform to all Elections Canada requirements
• Generating and mailing official tax receipts for donations received during the calendar year using Election Canada’s provided software
Typical tasks performed by the Financial Agent during any given month include:
• Writing temporary tax receipts for the donation portions of tickets sold to an EDA fundraising dinner
• Generating expense reimbursement cheques for Directors who incurred authorized and receipted expenses while performing EDA business
• Liaising with the EDA’s Auditor to ensure that the EDA’s Audit is completed by Elections Canada’s deadline
• Generating an up-to-date financial statement for review at the EDA’s monthly meeting
When changes in Officers occur, the EDA must complete form EC 20043 (Report of changes to the information in the Registry of Electoral District Associations) and submit to Elections Canada within 30 days of the changes.
For more information on Board Officers and the Executive Committee, please see the Article 8 of the Interim Constitution of the Conservative Party of Canada Electoral District Associations.
EDA ELECTION READINESS PLAN
The EDA Association is the basic unit of a political party. Only when it is strong, well funded, and active can it be effective in electing and supporting its Member of Parliament who represents its members in Ottawa.
To be strong, well funded and active requires organization and planning, and those responsibilities rest with the EDA’s Board of Directors.
An EDA Election Readiness Plan consists of a set of goals or targets, containing specific programs or activities on a time schedule. Planning should be both short and long-term.
A short-term plan could cover a three or six-month period, while a long-term EDA plan should be for the period between now and the next federal election. Regional Organizer’s will help each board with this process, as will training provided by National Office.
The three primary ingredients in an EDA Election Readiness plan are:
1. Membership recruitment (targets and methods)
2. Financial – filling the war chest (targets and methods)
3. Poll organization / Data management (CIMS)
MEETINGS
Notice of Meetings of the Association
Great care should be taken to ensure that everyone who is entitled to attend a meeting is notified. The provisions of Articles 6 and 12 of the Interim Constitution of the Conservative Party of Canada Electoral District Associations should be carefully followed, with particular attention paid to the number of days of notice that are required for the specific type of meeting. For all meetings of the Association, including Annual General Meetings, notification of the meeting (including notice of the dates, times, locations, and items to be dealt with thereat) shall be given to all Members postmarked not fewer than fourteen (14) days and not more than forty-five (45) days prior to the day on which any such meeting is to be held.
National Council may grant exceptions to this notification rule for specific meetings (e.g.; Delegate Selection Meetings, Candidate Nomination Meetings) as laid out in bylaw or in memorandum.
Annual General Meetings
The Association shall in each calendar year, and no later than fourteen (14) months from the last Annual General Meeting, hold an Annual General Meeting.
At Annual General Meetings the following business is to be conducted:
1. Report by the Board of Directors
2. Presentation of Financial Statements
3. Election of Directors
4. Other business as may be required
These meetings may be held in conjunction with a social or other special EDA event, but care should be taken not to make the special event so long or costly as to detract from the Annual General Meeting.
There should be no cost involved to the members for the business portion of the meeting.
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