To: MNO citizens, Community councils and PCMNO
From: France Picotte, MNO Chair
Date: June 29, 2016
Subject: Deadline for special business resolutions – 2016 AGA
The 2010 MNO Annual General Assembly (“AGA”) passed a unanimous resolution that all future resolutions brought to MNO AGAs, which propose changes to the MNO’s governance structures, policies or bylaws, must be provided to MNO citizens for review thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the AGA. The intent of this resolution was to provide all MNO citizens with the opportunity to review, consider and investigate important resolutions prior to an AGA.
In order to implement this resolution, MNO Policy #2011-002 (the “Policy”) was adopted. This Policy sets out a formal process through which all MNO citizens can submit “special business resolutions” to be considered by MNO AGAs. Click here to view a copy of this Policy [PDF]. If you would like to receive a hard copy or a PDF version of this Policy please contact the MNO’s Head Office at 1-800-263-4889 or email Mike Fedyk, MNO’s Director of Communications at mikef@metisnation.org.
It should be noted that “special business resolutions” are only those resolutions that propose to change the MNO’s foundational principles, by-laws or policies that have been previously adopted by an AGA. All MNO citizens attending AGAs can still bring forward other non-special business resolutions to the AGA (i.e., policy directions for the MNO, statements of support for specific initiatives, etc.) without having to comply with the thirty (30) day notice requirement.
This memo is formal notice to all MNO citizens wanting to put forward special business resolutions at the 2016 MNO AGA that they must submit these resolutions to the MNO on or before Friday, July 22nd, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. EST. It is important to also note that in order for any “special business resolution” to be considered by the 2016 MNO AGA, they must comply with the Policy. Please review the Policy prior to submitted a resolution.
All special business resolutions must be emailed, faxed, mailed or couriered to the location below and must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, July 22nd, 2016. No late submissions will be posted or considered by the upcoming MNO AGA. Please send special business resolutions to:
Métis Nation of Ontario
Attention: France Picotte, MNO Chair
500 Old St. Patrick Road, Unit 3
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 9G4
Fax: 613-722-4225
Email: resolutions@metisnation.org
As noted in the Policy, submitted “special business resolutions” must include the name, MNO citizenship number and signature of the proposed mover and seconder. The MNO does not require original signatures, however, the information provided by fax or a PDF scan must be legible so the MNO can verify that it has been submitted by a MNO citizen. A “special business resolution” may be submitted by multiple movers and seconders in order to ensure that a eligible mover and seconder are present when the resolution is put to the AGA.
All special business resolutions received on or prior to the July 22nd, 2016, deadline will then be posted to the MNO website for review by citizens and circulated to PCMNO and Community Councils on or before July 25th, 2016 (i.e., in order to comply with the Policy’s 30 days notice requirement). For ease of reference, the following sets out the relevant dates for this process:
| June 29, 2016 | Formal call for special business resolutions issued |
| July 22, 2016 | Deadline for receipt of special business resolutions |
| July 25, 2016 | Posting and circulation of special business resolutions |
| August 27, 2016 | Start of 2016 MNO Annual General Assembly |
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to seeing everyone at this year’s AGA.