In the spring of 2001, Tom McMahon became interested in doing volunteer work on the Vars web site and perhaps starting an email newsletter, to be called Vars This Week. The domain name Vars.ca had already been registered, and Tom discovered that the Union des Cultivateurs Franc-Ontariens had obtained a grant from Industry Canada to create a Community Access Program for Vars, Marionville and Fournier. A Community Access Program is designed to ensure that there is free access to the Internet in as many places across Canada as possible. The local web site is a secondary objective. On March 23, 2001, Jean V. Renaud sent an email to Tom and others describing what might be needed to create a Vars committee to run theVars Community Access Project.
Shortly afterwards, Tom approached VACA (Vars Area Community Association) to see if it would assume a lead role with respect to the web site. At that time, Tom did not have much information about what VACA was and asked for information relating to VACA’s structure. It was at that time that Tom discovered that VACA has no formal, written structure, that in the past year its meetings had been infrequent with various offers to resign (and some actual resignations), and that only about 5 individuals had the right to make decisions within the informal VACA structure. In fact, only these 5 individuals were told that VACA meetings were to be held, and no formal communications of these meetings were ever dispersed outside of this small group. Apparently, VACA had begun as a way for the heads of those Vars-area service groups that chose to participate in VACA to meet to ensure there were no conflicts between each organization’s activities. Tom started to look into whether other community associations were structured in this manner, and could find no other community association with such a structure, and in fact, almost all community associations, whether incorporated or not, have a constitutional document that provides for all residents to be equal members of the association, with annual public elections for the executive committee.
At a VACA meeting in the fall of 2001, Tom suggested that VACA adopt such a structure. Tom gathered constitutions from neighbouring community associations, and hosted the meeting, attended by Ernie Coumont of the Lions Club, Alex Reid of the Optimists Club, Paul Lacroix, and Bob Dore of the Scouts, to discuss this idea and to pursue the drafting of a constitution for VACA. At that meeting, Bob Dore expressed his disagreement with the idea of have a written constitution. The meeting resulted in an agreement that there should be a community meeting held to discuss these ideas. Here is the email sent on December 13, 2001 that summarized the meeting: Schedule a town hall meeting to coincide with the next bean supper, which is January 4. The idea would be that we would convene a meeting in the library of the school at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the community association. The reason we would have it on the same night as the bean supper would be to encourage as many people as possible who attend the supper to stay for the town hall meeting. We would a few parents in the gym to supervise the kids. Phil McNeely would be invited to attend to speak about the value of a community association, and we would try to identify another person who could tell us about a positive experience with another community association – explain how their community association works, how it has made a valuable contribution to their community, and what they have put in place to make the association a success. We would then introduce a few ideas about what kinds of projects might be a good idea for a Vars community association to work on, and then try to recruit volunteers for different projects.
That meeting was held in early January 2002. A flyer announcing the meeting to be held on January 11, 2002 was mailed to every house in the Vars and RR3 Navan delivery areas. The flyer was paid for equally by the Vars Lions Club and the Vars Optimist Club. Vars This Week (Jan. 18, 2002) reported the results of the January 11, 2002 meeting as follows: A public meeting was held on January 11, 2001 to discuss the future of the Vars community association. At the meeting, a document was presented that set out the objectives of VACA as an organization. Among the objectives is for VACA to represent residents of Vars (not just those of the service groups that have participated in VACA to date). Another objective is to communicate with the residents of Vars through a quarterly newsletter in both French and English, listing a calendar of events for VACA, a listing of all clubs and associations in the Vars area.
At the meeting on January 11, City Councillor Phil McNeely explained that for a community association to be formally recognized by the City of Ottawa. (document provided by Brian Tyrer, Manager, Community Funding and Development, City of Ottawa)· A Democratically Elected Executive Body which maintains a minimum membership of four (4) (e.g. President/chair, Vice-President/Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and/or members at large). The executive must be residents of the City of Ottawa. Councillor McNeely also presented a document from the City of Ottawa that explains how to start a community association. The City of Ottawa document highlights a number of advantages if community organizations choose to incorporate. Perhaps most important, some funders, such as the Trillium Foundation, will not provide funds unless the group is incorporated. Another important advantage, also tied to fund-raising, is that it is necessary to be incorporated to become a registered charity.
Councillor McNeely advised that the City of Ottawa has staff that would be able to facilitate any community meetings developing a constitution. A flyer was mailed to all homes in the Vars and RR3 Navan delivery areas announcing meetings on April 11and 25 concerning the formation of a community association The costs of incorporation will be paid by AndréRollin ($150) and by cash donations by a number of individuals.
Meeting of April 22, 2002: At this meeting, a small group of persons attended to discuss the various clauses that should go into the constitution of the new Vars Community Association. After reaching agreement on the various items that should be included in the constitution, Tom McMahon wrote up the proposed constitution so that it could be presented for discussion and ratification at the community meeting on April 25, 2002.
Meeting of April 25, 2002: Proposed constitution for the new Vars Community Association. Clause by clause review and discussion. The constitution was unanimously approved.
Special Edition – new constitution for the Vars Community Association
Vars has a new constitution for its new community association ! You are a member and you can vote. Make this association work for you by ensuring that your concerns and desires for local improvements are communicated to the right people. It was unanimously agreed to hold an election of the first Executive Committee in May 2002. At that meeting, suggestions for amendments to the constitution of the new Association can be put forward. The task of the first Executive Committee is to incorporate the Association, apply for grants, represent the Community Association, and organize the first Annual General Meeting in September, when new elections will be held and the Association will begin to follow the calendar set out in the constitution.
Meeting of May 23, 2002: Proposed amendments to the constitution reviewed one by one and adopted (moved by Tom McMahon and seconded by Dennis Baribeau, all amendments adopted unanimously). (Amendments sent on May 24, 2002 by Tom McMahon to Bryan Tyrer, City of Ottawa Manager for Community Development and Funding for translation by the City of Ottawa translation staff.)
Vars Community Association first ever election was held. Bryan Tyrer served as the Chief Election Officer: President: John Tossounian; Vice-President: Carole Roy; Secretary: Tom McMahon; Treasurer: Alex Reid; Directors at large: Barb Lavictoire, Anne Sabourin, Carl Roth
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VCA Letters Patent / Lettres patentes ACV- Pas disponible en français : VCA Letters Patent
VCA / ACV – Constitution : VCA-Constitution
Insurance Policy / Police d’assurance : Insurance