(hide this)
1. Membership in the George Street
2. Members must comply with the Certificate of Incorporation and the By-Laws of the George Street
1. The obligations and rights of membership are defined in Article I, Section II and Section III of these By-Laws.
1. The maximum number of Members shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the
1. The classification of households by size or other criteria may be set by the Board of Directors or by the voting households of the
1. Each member shall satisfy the equity requirement by either fulfilling the equity payment requirement, the basic amount to be determined by those members or households voting at the
2. The equity payment consists of two parts:
a. a refundable deposit as detailed below;
1. Deposits will be refunded within 90 days from the date that a member fails to renew, withdraws or is terminated and requests a refund by submitting to the
2. If any member has an unpaid debt with the
b. a non-refundable fee.
3. Sweat Equity
a. A person can join the
b. Sweat Equity is defined as member-labor performed in lieu of the equity payment requirement and is non-refundable.
c. The eligibility for Sweat Equity shall be determined by a vote of the membership or the Board of Directors.
1. Each member shall pay a renewal fee, the amount of which is to be determined by those members or households voting at the
2. The renewal fee shall be paid by the member’s anniversary date, and in accordance with the household’s classification.
1. A member shall be considered in good standing only if:
a. they are up to date with equity requirement;
b. they are up to date with the renewal fee, and;
c. they are not suspended or terminated by the Board of Directors.
1. Members are expected to stay informed of
2. Members are encouraged to attend all membership meetings.
3. Members are encouraged to exercise their voting rights.
All members in good standing are entitled to receive a discount on store purchases at the rate established in the current discount policy.
1. Each member in good standing is entitled to cast one ballot in all
2. Each member in good standing is entitled to cast one vote on each question scheduled for a vote at all general or special membership meetings.
3. Voting by proxy is not permitted.
1. Members in good standing may seek election or appointment to the Board of Directors of the
1. Members in good standing are eligible and encouraged to serve on
Members may receive credit towards their discount rate for subsequent months for hours worked in advance at the discretion of those designated by the Board of Directors to approve work hours.
1. Non-compliance with the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Co-op may result in:
a. suspension of membership rights by the General Manager or the Board of Directors until compliance is achieved or;
b. termination of membership by the Board of Directors. Termination shall be by resolution of the Board at a regular Board meeting and shall take place only after notification of the intended Board action is made to the affected member. Prior to any Board action, the affected member shall be provided an opportunity to address the Board.
1. Suspension of membership rights by the General Manager may be appealed to and stayed by the Board of Directors upon personal presentation of the case by the affected member at the next regular Board meeting following the suspension.
2. Suspension of membership rights or termination of membership by the Board may be appealed to the general membership in compliance with Section II, Section I B of these By-Laws.
Deposits will be refunded within 90 days from the date that an individual fails to renew, withdraws or is terminated and requests a refund by submitting to the
If any individual of a household has an unpaid debt with the
An individual who withdraws or is terminated, shall return to the
Non-compliance with the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the
(1) suspension of membership rights by the coordinator or the Board of Directors until compliance is effected or;
(2) termination of membership by the Board of Directors. Termination shall be by resolution of the Board at a regular Board meeting and shall take place only after notification of the intended Board action is made to the effected household. Prior to any Board action, the effected household shall be provided an opportunity to address the Board.
Suspension of membership rights by the coordinator may be appealed to and stayed by the Board of Directors upon personal presentation of the case by the effected household at the next regular Board meeting following the suspension. Suspension of membership rights or termination of membership by the Board may be appealed to the general membership in compliance with Article II, Section I:B of these By-Laws.
Two general membership meetings shall be held each fiscal year. The date of each meeting shall be determined by the Board of Directors and publicized at least one month in advance of the meeting.
The agenda shall be posted at least two weeks in advance of the general membership meeting. Items may be placed on the agenda by resolution of the Board or by a membership petition proposing the item(s) for the agenda. Petitions shall be submitted to the President of the Board no later than two weeks before the meeting and must be signed by representatives of at least ten households in good standing at the time the petition is submitted.
Ten percent of the households in good standing at the time of the general membership meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
A general membership meeting will be held in the spring of each year and shall constitute the
Special meetings of the
Petitions shall be submitted to the Board and must be signed by representatives of at least ten percent of those households in good standing at the time the petition is submitted.
The Board resolution or membership petition calling for the special membership meeting shall specifically state the issue(s) for which the meeting is called.
The agenda shall be posted at least two weeks in advance of the special membership meeting. Only the issue(s) for which the meeting is called shall be scheduled for the agenda of the special membership meeting.
The provisions of Article II, Section I:C shall govern the quorum and structure of special membership meetings.
The referendum shall be overseen by the Meetings and Elections Committee and shall be decided by a simple majority vote of those households participating in the referendum unless otherwise stated in the Certificate of Incorporation and/or these By-Laws.
The referendum may be called by resolution of the Board of Directors or by a two-thirds majority vote of those households voting at a general or special membership meeting.
Voting shall begin no less than two weeks or more than six weeks from the date of passage of the Board resolution or membership vote calling for the referendum. The Board shall set the exact date for the start of the voting.
Notification of the referendum and a sample of the official ballot shall be posted in the
The voting period shall extend at least one but not more than two weeks from the date set by the Board. The Board shall determine the exact length of the voting period.
One representative from each household in good standing at the time the voting begins shall be entitled to cast one ballot during the voting period. The Meetings and Elections Committee shall determine validity of all ballots cast. Completed ballots may be cast in person at the
The Meetings and Elections Committee shall tally the ballots and post the vote totals in the
All decisions made by the membership at general and special membership meetings and by referenda shall be upheld in the letter and spirit by the Board of Directors and the
The Board of Directors shall consist of not more than twelve persons elected or appointed from the general membership.
The term of office for Board members shall be three years, with the terms staggered to allow four positions to come up for election each year. New Directors take office on June 1.
Any individual from a household in good standing shall be entitled to seek election or appointment to the Board of Directors, except that only one individual who is an employee of the
Candidates for the annual Board of Directors election shall declare themselves by submitting to the Meetings and Elections Committee a petition signed by the representatives of ten or more households in good standing at the time of the submission.
The nomination period shall be for one month and will begin on or about February 1 of each year. If at the end of this period there is less than the required number of candidates to fill the ballot, the Board may choose to extend the nomination period for not more than two weeks.
An election newsletter shall be published and each candidate encouraged to contribute a statement concerning his/her candidacy for the Board. The Meetings and Elections Committee shall determine the maximum length of the candidate statements.
Elections for the Board of Directors shall begin not less than four weeks or more than six weeks after the end of the nomination period. The Board shall set the date for the start of the voting.
A sample of the official ballot shall be posted at least two weeks before the voting begins.
One representative from each household in good standing at the time the voting begins shall be entitled to cast one ballot during the voting period. The Meetings and Elections Committee shall determine validity of all ballots cast. Completed ballots may be cast in person at the
The voting shall extend at least one but not more than two weeks. The Board shall determine the exact length of the voting period.
The Meetings and Elections Committee shall tally the ballots and post the vote totals in the
If at the end of the extended nomination period there is less than the required number of candidates to fill the ballot, the Board may choose to conduct the elections at the upcoming annual membership meeting and suspend the use of ballots.
If after an election not all twelve positions on the Board are filled, the Board shall follow the procedure for filling unexpired terms, as defined in Article III, Section VI:A of these By-Laws.
As elected representatives of the membership, the Board of Directors shall formulate
Specific duties of the Board of Directors shall include:
(1) hearing reports from
(2) approving new
(3) reviewing and approving the
(4) voting on additional financial expenditures during the year;
(5) hiring, supervising and dismissing
(6) creating, modifying and terminating
(7) serving on
The Board of Directors may delegate responsibility to
The Board of Directors shall hold regularly scheduled Board meetings, a minimum of one each month.
Notice of all Board meetings and an agenda for all meetings shall be posted in the
A quorum for the transaction of Board business shall consist of one-half of the current Board membership. All issues shall require a majority vote of the Directors present for passage.
Unexcused absence from a total of three Board meetings in any year shall constitute voluntary resignation. Acceptance of voluntary resignation shall be by resolution of the Board.
Members of the
All policy decisions by the Board shall be made by the following procedure, except for emergency actions:
(1) The decisional process shall begin with a first reading, which shall consist of the introduction of a proposal by a Director.
(2) Upon being seconded, there shall be the opportunity for discussion of the introduced proposal.
(3) Upon the close of discussion of the introduced proposal, no vote shall be taken but a date shall be scheduled for a second reading and Board action, which shall not be sooner than the next regular Board meeting.
(4) All proposals due for a second reading shall appear on the agenda of the Board meeting for which the Board action has been scheduled.
(5) At the second reading the proposal shall be read, but before a final vote or other Board action is made on the proposal, discussion by the Board and membership in attendance shall be permitted.
In an emergency situation, the Board may act without a meeting upon notice to all Board members. An emergency action may be initiated only by the President, or Vice-President acting in the President’s absence, and requires a majority vote of the current Directors for passage. Such action shall be filed in the minutes of the next regular Board meeting.
All resolutions of the Board affecting
Any decision of the general membership overruling a Board decision must be submitted to a referendum in which at least fifty percent of the voting households participate. The referendum shall be called after submission of the question at a general or special membership meeting in accordance with Article II, Section I:B of these By-Laws.
At the first meeting of the Board, following the annual elections and subsequent installation of new Directors, the Board shall nominate and elect a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Officers serve one year and may be re-elected to another term.
The duties of Board officers are as follows:
(1) The President shall be responsible for preparing and posting the agenda for each meeting of the Board.
(2) The Vice-President shall assume the President’s duties in the event of his/her absence or unavailability.
(3) The Secretary shall be responsible for recording the minutes of all Board meetings and posting them in the
(4) The Treasurer shall be responsible for presenting monthly and annual
In the event that a position on the Board becomes vacant (upon resignation or vote by the Board or membership), the remaining Board members shall publicize the vacancy for a minimum of two weeks. After publicizing the vacancy, the Board shall fill the vacancy by appointment or schedule a special election to fill the vacancy by a vote of the membership.
In determining the method of filling the vacancy, the Board shall take into account the demand for the position, the qualifications of the applicants, and the time remaining before the next annual Board elections. Positions filled through a special election shall be held for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Positions filled by appointment shall be held only to the next annual Board elections.
Election procedures for filling unexpired terms are set forth in Article III, Section II of these By-Laws.
Members of the Board may be removed from office only by the voting membership through a recall referendum.
The recall referendum shall be initiated only through the agency of a general or special membership meeting, and shall be placed on the agenda of the membership meeting only by the petition procedures set forth in Article II, Section I:B or Section II:A of these By-Laws.
Properly placed on the agenda of a membership meeting, the recall referendum shall be authorized only by an affirmative vote of the majority of the voting households present.
The recall referendum shall be overseen by the Meetings and Elections Committee and shall follow the procedures set forth in Article II, Section III of these By-Laws, except that ten percent of the
The fiscal year of the
In order to plan a sound financial base for the operation and growth of the
The operating budget shall relate projected operating expenses to the projected operating revenues for the next fiscal year and shall provide the framework for the day to day operations of the
Operating expenses are defined as non-capital expenditures associated with the provision of goods to the
The capital budget shall relate projected capital expenses to a capital fund. The capital budget shall provide for:
(1) repayment of outstanding loans for previous and projected capital purchases during the next fiscal year;
(2) the outright purchase of new capital items during the next fiscal year and;
(3) the establishment or contribution to funds needed for any planned future capital purchases.
Capital expenses are defined as major physical improvements, equipment purchases and the purchase of real property.
The capital fund shall be established from revenues, including but not limited to, fees, deposits, loans and operating budget surplus.
The proposed annual budget shall be prepared by the
The proposed annual budget shall be reviewed by the Board prior to the annual membership meeting. At the annual membership meeting the proposed budget will be presented for discussion and comments. The proposed budget will then be scheduled for the agenda of a regular Board meeting for amendment and ratification. Ratification of the operating budget and capital budget may be independent of each other.
There shall be the following standing committees for the
(1) Responsibilities: The Personnel Committee shall:
(a) Review, develop and revise personnel policies as needed, submit to attorney for review as needed.
(b) Oversee management’s compliance with personnel policies.
(c) Research and provide information on personnel issues as requested by BOD, e.g. salary surveys, alternative benefits, job descriptions, performance evaluations, etc.
(d) Carry out grievance process as stipulated in employee manual.
(e) Conduct exit interviews with employees, following established policy.
(f) Provide and update job description of General Manager including delineation of decision-making authority of Management in relation to the Board of Directors. Any proposed changes to be approved by the Board.
(g) Assist the Board of Directors in hiring process of General Manager.
(h) Oversee evaluation of General Manager.
(1) Review and develop evaluation instruments and criteria.
(2) Discuss evaluation criteria with Manager in advance.
(3) Distribute and collect evaluation forms from participants.
(4) Review evaluations and report summarized findings to the Board of Directors.
(i) Keep detailed minutes of committee meetings and activities. Chairperson shall present summarized reports at each monthly board meeting.
(2) Composition: The Personnel Committee shall consist of a Board member appointed as Chair, a recording secretary, a maximum of 2 staff members, one of whom shall be the General Manager or their designee, and selected working members, as need dictates.
(3) Frequency of meetings: The committee shall meet in general, once a month.
(4) Relationship to the Board of Directors: The Board may provide direction to the Personnel Committee, as the Board deems necessary. The Board may also veto or otherwise modify decisions of this committee.
(1) Responsibilities: The Finance Committee shall:
(a) advise the Board on financial matters concerning the
(b) review and evaluate all financial reports and statements prepared for the
(c) prepare an annual budget and an annual financial report;
(d) prepare other oral and/or written presentations on financial matters at the request of the Board and;
(e) prepare regular financial reports of income, expenditures and outstanding debts, to be presented at the first meeting each month of the Board;
(2) Composition: The Finance Committee shall consist of a minimum of four
(1) Responsibilities: The Meetings and Elections Committee shall:
(a) organize and publicize all general and special membership meetings according to procedures set forth in these By-Laws;
(b) organize, publicize and conduct all elections and referenda according to the procedures set forth in these By-Laws and as may be established by the Board and;
(c) prepare periodic reports of this committee’s activities to be presented at Board meetings.
(2) Composition: The Meetings and Elections Committee shall consist of
(1) Responsibilities: The Newsletter Committee shall:
(a) prepare, have published and distribute to the membership a periodic newsletter containing information of
(b) prepare, have published and distribute to the membership, before the annual Board elections, an election newsletter containing candidates’ statements and information about the election and;
(c) prepare periodic reports of this committee’s activities to be presented at Board meetings.
(2) Composition: The Newsletter Committee shall consist of
(1) Responsibilities: The Orientation Committee shall:
(a) prepare orientation materials for new
(b) organize, publicize and conduct on a regular schedule, orientation meetings for new and old
(c) prepare monthly reports of this committee’s activities, including an account of new memberships, to be presented at the first meeting each month of the Board.
(2) Composition: The Orientation Committee shall consist of
(1) Responsibilities: The Outreach Committee shall:
(a) coordinate and organize
(b) conduct special events for the purpose of raising funds for the
(c) conduct social, educational and recreational events to benefit
(d) prepare periodic reports of this committee’s activities to be presented at Board meetings.
(2) Composition: The Outreach Committee shall consist of
(1) Responsibilities: The Facilities Committee shall:
(a) maintain the store premises and equipment in good working order so as to provide a safe efficient environment for the operation of the store and;
(b) plan and implement all changes (excepting Technology changes) to the physical plant of the George Street
(c) operate subject to the full authority of
(d) report its activites and plans to the Board of Directors at each monthy Board of Directors meeting, and to consult with the same.
(2) Composition: The Facilities Committee shall consist of
(1) Responsibilities: The Membership Committee shall:
(a) Manage processes, policies, and structure of a membership database which will track membership status, worker status, equity status, and membership information.
(b) Communicate policies and use of the database to
(c) Communicate methods of report generation to committee heads, Board members, and
(d) Define member labor responsibilities in cooperation with
(e) Develop, maintain, and document membership policies, as approved by the Board of Directors and membership.
(f) Manage the process of membership renewals.
(g) Support the Board of Directors, committee heads, and
(h) Prepare a monthly report of committee activities and hours to be presented at Board of Directors meetings.
(2) Composition: The Membership Committee shall consist of
(1) Responsibilities: The Technology Committee shall:
(a) [Scope] Limit itself to operational and technical issues around computer hardware and software; computer peripherals; networks and firewalls; data services including databases, security, printing, backup, internet access, email and website hosting; phone system; copier; fax; surge suppressors; member services like member area computer, stereo, television, VCR; and new technology initiatives such as point-of-sale systems.
(b) [Knowledgebase] Maintain a knowledgebase accessible to management and other committees consisting of: all inventory (see (a)); applicable vendor contact info; and registrations, warrantees and service agreements (see (a)); contact sheet (see (c)); advice (see (e)); and policies (see (g)).
(c) [Contactsheet] Maintain a contact sheet for management in the event of technology problems, including vendor contacts and committee member contacts categorized according to areas of competence.
(d) [Infrastructure] Purchase, maintain, repair, replace, upgrade systems and services, according to management and Board business and mission priorities.
(e) [Technical Advice] Work with management, the Board, other committees and stakeholders to identify business and mission priorities, investigate possible solutions, and advise on cost and risk of those solutions. Guide the development, implementation, and deployment of new and ongoing technology initiatives.
(f) [Education] Raise the level of competence, comfort, and access of non-technical users to technology through ongoing education, explanation and engagement, where appropriate and desired.
(g) [Policies] Participate with management and other committees in the development of policies pertaining to the definition of roles and associated responsibilities of committee members. These policies will be subject to approval by the Board and will have the effect of clarification of this description of the committee's Duties.
(h) [Accountability] Prepare a monthly report of committee activities and hours to be presented at Board of Directors meetings.
(2) Composition: The Technology Committee shall consist of
(1) The purpose of the Product Committee will be as follows:
(a) To facilitate processes by which the values regarding products in the Bylaws are reflected in the products in the store.
(b) To create policy and guidelines for products carried in the store.
(c) To create processes and discussions which solicit feedback from members and shoppers about products sold at the
(d) To act as a mechanism by which feedback about products in the store from members and shoppers is communicated to the store management, staff, and the Board.
(e) To educate members, shoppers, and the Board about issues related to products, including those sold at the
(2) The committee will meet monthly and will report to the Board monthly.
The By-Laws of the George Street
[Also see Article IV, Section III for the budget presentation process at this meeting.]