The residents of waterfront property in the area from the dam between Dam Lake and Lake Brassard to the beginning of Lake McGregor form an Association known as the Association Lake Brassard Association. (ALBA). Its purpose is to preserve and maintain the quality of life, to protect the environment, to preserve the beauty of the scenery and to maintain the ecology and natural flora and fauna of the lake and its surroundings.
To achieve the above objectives, the members of ALBA agree to respect the guidelines and conditions laid out in the agreements to purchase. These include the following, many of which accord with municipal bylaws:
In accord with municipal bylaws, ALBA members also undertake:
In addition, to preserve the health of the lake and its flora and fauna, and enhance the enjoyment of the environment by the residents, the members agree to:
The address of the Association would be the address of a member of the Board of Directors, preferably one who resides on the lake.
Membership is open to anyone over 18 years of age who resides or has property in the area defined above and who has paid the annual membership fees proposed by the Board of Directors and approved by the membership at its Annual General Meeting. There are three categories of membership: regular members, associate members and honorary members.
Regular members are registered owners of waterfront property in the area defined, to a maximum of two per property, who pay the annual fees. Members have a light to vote.
Associate members are others who live in the area defined above or who live in the immediate vicinity and have use of the lake and/or its surroundings. Associate members pay associate membership fees established by ALBA and are non-voting members.
Honorary Members are organizations or individuals who perform notable service to the Association. Honorary members pay no fees and are non-voting members.
All voting and non-voting members must pay an annual fee set by the Association in accord with the current budgetary needs. Normally the fees will be set, approved and collected at the Annual General Meeting.
An annual general meeting will take place at a place and hour determined by the Board of Directors and indicated in the notice for a meeting.
A special general meeting can be called:
On receipt of the request, the Secretary/Treasurer shall call a meeting.
Notice of the call for a special general meeting must be accompanied by an agenda and nothing other than what is indicated on the agenda will be discussed.
Notice of calls for a general or special meeting, signed by the Secretary/Treasurer and indicating the place, time and goal of the meeting must be posted at appropriate places or communicated to members according to procedures chosen by the Board of Directors. Ten (10) days' prior notice shall be given to each member. For purpose of notifying any Association member, the address of the member shall be the last address recorded with the Lake Association. No error or omission in giving notice of a meeting shall invalidate such meeting or void any proceedings taken provided appropriate efforts have been made to reach people.
In general members in good standing who are present shall constitute a quorum. If less than 25% of the members in good standing are present, then decisions shall be treated as provisional until the next meeting of the general assembly or of the Board of Directors, whichever comes first, which shall review, ratify or amend if necessary the decisions taken.
Each regular member in good standing who is a registered owner of property within the defined area has the right to vote, with a maximum of two registered owners voting per property. There shall be only one vote per owner regardless of the number of lots owned. Voting at general meetings shall be by hand count unless a member requests a secret ballot The President shall not vote unless there is a tie in which case the President casts the deciding vote. Proxy voting shall be allowed only for paid up regular members on motions where advance notice in writing has been provided to the membership. Each question shall be decided by consensus or a majority votes unless otherwise specifically provided by statute or by these by-laws.
The Association will be administered by a Board of Directors consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and two members at large. At the discretion of the Board in anticipating the upcoming work load, an additional two members at large may be elected, ensuring an odd number total. Members are encouraged to select a board that best represents the membership and its various needs.
Members of the Board of Directors are elected at the annual general meeting. In general Directors will serve for two years from the date of election or until their successors are elected or appointed in their stead. To assure both continuity and turn-over, two members of the first Board of Directors shall be appointed exceptionally for one year terms.
If by default or any other reason, a vacancy occurs in the Board of Directors, the Board can fill the post and the person so named will assume the duties, rights and privileges of a Board member. If a Director misses more than three consecutive meetings, the Board may choose to replace that Director.
Written nominations signed by both nominator and nominee must be presented to the Secretary/Treasurer at least one week before the general meeting. All candidates must be members in good standing of the Lake Association. In the absence of sufficient nominees, . the Board of Directors will encourage nominations.
The Board must meet at least once a year and as often as needed to fulfill its responsibilities to the Association. The meeting will be called by the Secretary/Treasurer at the request of the President or of three members of the Board. Any resolutions signed by all members of the Board of Directors are valid and take effect as though they had been adopted at a meeting of the Board, duly called and held.
Each Board member must be notified of the place and time of a meeting of the Board. Efforts will be made to set a time and to provide sufficient notice to facilitate attendance.
A majority of the Board of Directors constitutes a quorum. The quorum must be present during the entire meeting.
The President sets the date, the hour, the method of calling the meeting and the conduct of the general meeting. The President presides at meetings. In the President's absence, the Vice President assumes these responsibilities. All members of the Board have the right to vote. Decisions are taken by a majority of those present. In the case of a tie vote, the President casts the decisive vote.
The Board of Directors selects from among its members the President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer.
The President is the official representative and chief executive officer of the Association. The President must preside over general meetings and meetings of the Board. The President and/or the President's delegates are responsible for the proper conduct of all Association business and transactions.
The Vice President must in the absence of the President for whatever reason assume all the rights and duties confided in the President by the Association. In an emergency where neither President or Vice President can attend, another Director may be asked to act on behalf of the Association.
The Secretary/Treasurer is the guardian of the funds, investments, debts and all documents of value of the Association that must be deposited in the name and to the credit of the Association in a bank or Caisse Populaire designated by the Board of Directors. The Secretary/Treasurer prepares and submits to the Association an annual financial statement and maintains an up-to-date list of members in good standing. The Secretary/Treasurer takes the minutes of all meetings. If the Board wishes, this responsibility may rotate among its members.
The Directors shall perform such duties as may be delegated to them by the Board of Directors or the Association.
The Board of Directors may appoint committees for particular tasks.
Members of the Board of Directors shall not be remunerated. They shall be reimbursed for legally incurred expenses while performing Association business; such reimbursement must be approved by the Board of Directors.
Checks and other documents may be cashed, accepted, endorsed and signed by the Secretary-Treasurer, the Vice President or the President. Documents requiring Association signature must be signed by two of the three above Directors.
Amendments to the Association Constitution and Bylaws must be proposed in writing by the Board of Directors or by a group of no less than 5 members in good standing to the Secretary/Treasurer and approved by a two-thirds majority of members present during a General Meeting or a Special Meeting called to discuss the proposed amendments. A copy of the proposed amendments must be submitted to all members of the Association at least 10 days before the meeting.
An annual financial statement shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting or may be presented at a special meeting called by the Board of Directors.
The fiscal year-end of the Association shall be December 31st.