The TRIUMF Users' Group is an organization of scientists and engineers with special interest in the use of the TRIUMF facility.     Its purpose is:

(a)

to provide a formal means for exchange of information relating to the development and use of the facility;

 

(b)

to advise members of the entire TRIUMF organization of projects and facilities available;

 

(c)

to provide an entity responsive to the representations of its members for offering advice and counsel to the TRIUMF management on operating policy and facilities.

BY-LAWS

Article I - MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the TRIUMF Users' Group is open to all scientists and engineers interested in the TRIUMF programme. New members will be added by any member of TUEC upon receipt of a written request from applicants.

The membership list will be updated regularly and made available to the members. Commencing in 1997, and in every third year thereafter, each member will be asked to reaffirm his or her intention to remain active, and will be removed from the list unless membership is reaffirmed.
[Note: Article I was amended by the membership at the 1997 AGM.]

Article II - MEMBERS

Section 1 - Place of Meeting

Meetings of the members and of the users' executive (defined herein) may be held at a place designated by the users' executive or by a majority vote of a quorum of the membership with notice given as provided by these by-laws.

Section 2 - Annual Meeting of Members

An annual meeting of the members shall be held in each calendar year between October 1 and December 31. The election of members to the open positions on the users' executive, one of whom shall be the chairman elect, will be conducted prior to the annual meeting as provided in these by-laws.
[Note: Section 2 includes amendments approved by the membership in 1993.]

Section 3 - Notice of Annual Meeting

At least twenty-one (21) days prior to the date fixed by Section 2 of this Article for the holding of the annual meeting of members, notice of the time and place of such meeting shall be mailed as hereinafter provided to each member. An agenda for the annual meeting, containing the matters to come before the membership so far as known, shall be mailed two weeks prior to the date of the meeting. In the absence of any objection from the floor, the chairman (or his designate) may vary the order of business at his discretion.

Section 4 - Special Meeting of Members

A special meeting of the members may be called at any time by the chairman, or by a majority of the users' executive, or by 15% of the membership. The method by which such meeting may be called is as follows:

Upon receipt of a written request containing the date and reason for the proposed special meeting, signed by the chairman, or by a majority of the users' executive, or by 15% of the membership as the case may be, the liaison officer or a designated assistant shall mail notices of the time, place and agenda of the special meeting to all members.

This notice must be mailed at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the date of the special meeting. Only business mentioned in the notice shall be transacted at such meeting.

Section 5 - Authority for Notices

All notices required to be given by any provision of these by-laws shall state the authority pursuant to which they are issued (as, "by the chairman" or "by order of the users' executive" or "by order of the membership", as the case may be).

Section 6 - Quorum at Meetings

At least sixty members or fifteen per cent of the membership, whichever is the lesser number, present in person, shall constitute a quorum.
[Note: Section 6 includes an amendment approved by the membership in 1991.]

Article III - USERS' EXECUTIVE

Section 1 - Number and Term of the Users' Executive Committee

The business and affairs of the TRIUMF Users' Group shall be managed by an executive committee consisting of seven elected members: a chairman, a chairman elect, a past chairman, and four representatives. In addition, there shall be a liaison officer (secretary-treasurer) appointed by the executive committee from among those members who are also TRIUMF staff. The chairman and the chairman elect shall not be from the same university. Normally, the chairman elect will assume the office of chairman at the end of one year, so that he will serve a total of three years, including a year as past chairman. All the other four members of the executive shall serve for a term of two years, except that upon commencement of this system, two of the four representatives shall be elected for only one year, and nominations for these shall be separate from nominations for the two 2-year positions. From then on, representatives Nos. 1 and 3 shall be elected to commence their two-year terms in odd-numbered years, and Nos. 2 and 4 shall commence during even-numbered years. All terms of office begin January 1st of the year following election.
[Note: Section 1 includes amendments approved by the membership in 1993.]

Section 2 - Meetings

Regular meetings of the users' executive shall be held at least four times a year at a place determined by the executive. Whenever practical, notice of the time and agenda of regular meetings of the executive shall be mailed to the membership. The first such meeting at which a liaison officer shall be appointed must be held in January of each year.

Section 3 - Designation and Duties

(a)

The TRIUMF Users' Executive Committee (TUEC) is to be representative of the users as a whole. Each member is to be regarded as a member at large. The users are strongly encouraged to provide frequent input to any of the members of the users' executive so that action can be taken on their (i.e., the users') behalf.

 

(b)

The users' executive is intended to act as a liaison between the users themselves and the TRIUMF management, as outlined in Section (c) of this charter. In this regard, TUEC, following each meeting, may draft a memorandum to the Director and to the membership of appropriate committees, in order that the deliberations and policy recommendations of TUEC may be brought before these bodies in a direct and constructive manner. Such memoranda are to be included in the minutes of the executive committee.

 

(c)

It is recognized that it will occasionally be necessary for TUEC to poll the entire users' group to guarantee that its recommendations do indeed reflect the wishes of the majority of the users themselves. In some cases, such a polling may be requested by the Director and/or by the Operating Committee of TRIUMF and/or by a quorum of the users themselves.

 

(d)

At the first meeting of the newly elected executive, one of its duties shall be to approve the minutes of the recent annual meeting and see that they are distributed to the members.

 

(e)

The minutes of each TUEC meeting shall be taken by the liaison officer and distributed, within two weeks, to the membership. In some cases it may be convenient to combine the minutes of more than one meeting.

Section 4 - Power to Appoint Officers and Agents

(a)

The users' executive shall have the power to appoint officers and agents as the executive may deem necessary for transaction of the business of the group. Such appointed officers and agents may be removed by the users' executive whenever, in the judgment of the executive, the best interests of the group will be served thereby.

 

(b)

The users' executive at its first meeting of the year will appoint a liaison officer, with the concurrence of the TRIUMF Director, from among those members who are also main-site TRIUMF staff. It will be the duty of the liaison officer to act as secretary of the group.

 

(c)

The users of TRIUMF, through the instrument of their executive, may submit to the Director members' names for placement on standing TRIUMF committees.

Section 5 - Voting Rights

(a)

In those deliberations calling for a vote, each elected member of TUEC is accorded one vote. The liaison officer will be a full party to any discussion but will not be allowed to vote.

 

(b)

At least four voting members of the users' executive shall constitute a quorum.
[Note: Section 5(b) includes an amendment approved by the membership in 1993.]

Section 6 - Power to Fill Vacancies

The executive shall have the power to fill any vacancy in any office which it has created. In the event that a post of the users' executive (other than that of past chairman) should be vacated during the executive's term in office, the remaining committee members shall appoint a member of the TRIUMF Users' Group to fill the unexpired term. If the position of chairman should become vacant before the annual election, then the chairman elect shall automatically become chairman for the remainder of the year. Whenever the position of chairman elect becomes vacant and is then filled by appointment, then the position of chairman for the following year must be filled during the normal election of officers.
[Note: Section 6 includes amendments approved by the membership in 1993.]

Section 7 - Delegation of Powers

For any reason deemed sufficient by the users' executive, whether occasioned by absence or otherwise, the executive may delegate all or any powers and duties of any officer to any other officer.

Section 8 - Power to Appoint Committees

From time to time, the users' executive may wish to appoint committees from the membership, including the members of the executive, and confer duties and powers on such committees and also revoke such powers and terminate the existence of such committees at pleasure when they are no longer necessary. It may also terminate at will the term of individual members of such committees.

Article IV - OFFICERS

Section 1 - Officers

The officers of the TRIUMF Users' Group shall consist of a chairman, a chairman elect, the past chairman, and a liaison officer. These people are also officers of the executive of the Users' Group, as outlined in Article III.
[Note: Section 1 includes an amendment approved by the membership in 1993.]

Section 2 - Duties of Officers

(a)

Chairman - The chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Users' Group and of the users' executive. He shall enforce due observance of the charter and by-laws. He shall perform duties as directed by the Users' Group or users' executive, or as his office may require. He will be an ex officio member of all committees in which he is not an appointed or elected member.

 

(b)

Chairman Elect - In the absence of the chairman, the chairman elect shall perform the duties of chairman. Otherwise he will provide assistance in conducting the affairs of the Users' Group as requested by the chairman. He shall succeed to the office of chairman at the end of one year.

 

(c)

Liaison Officer - The liaison officer shall keep a complete and accurate record of the proceedings of the meetings of the Users' Group and of the meetings of the users' executive. He shall, unless other persons are appointed to fill any of the following functions, maintain a file of correspondence of the Users' Group, and keep an accurate record of the names and addresses of all members of the Users' Group. When needed, he will request nominations, send, and, in conjunction with the chairman, tally mail ballots.

Article V - VOTING AND ELECTIONS

Section 1 - Who is Entitled to Vote

Each member is entitled to vote as herein provided.

Section 2 - Voting at Users' Meetings

Each member present at any meeting of the membership at large is allowed one vote on any issue. Voting by proxy is not permitted. Voting will generally be by show of hands but may also be accomplished by secret ballot when the occasion demands it. In such cases, the chairman elect and the liaison officer shall act as scrutineers, and the results of the vote shall be announced during the course of the meeting.
[Note: Section 2 includes amendments approved by the membership in 1993.]

Section 3 - Nominations and Elections

(a)

Before August 15 each year, TUEC shall appoint a nominations committee consisting of a chairman and two other members, all of whom are members of the Users' Group but not of the current TUEC. This committee shall seek nominations, using appropriate and democratic procedures to ensure that users' suggestions are received and that nominees are willing to stand for election. The committee shall, before September 30 of the same year (or by such other date as TUEC may specify), provide the chairman of TUEC with the names of one or more nominees for each of the TUEC positions that will fall vacant at the end of the year. Nominees shall be members of the Users' Group, but not of the current nominations committee.

 

(b)

Nominees for the position of chairman elect shall not have the same university affiliation as the current TUEC chairman elect.

 

(c)

A nominee shall not stand for more than one position at a time. However, the positions of the two representatives elected each year are identical, and for their election, each member of the Users' Group shall be entitled to vote on one ballot for any two of the slate of nominees. The two candidates with the largest number of votes shall be declared elected.

 

(d)

In the event of a tie in the vote for chairman elect, those candidates tied for first place will be invited to stand in a new election but will be given the option to withdraw. In the event of a tie in the vote for the two representative positions (either a three-way or greater tie for the highest number of votes, or a two-way or greater tie for the second highest number of votes), those candidates involved in the tie and any with more votes will be invited to stand in a new election but will be given the option to withdraw. Any new election must be called within a month after the annual meeting and be conducted in a manner similar to the original election.
[Note: Section 3(d) inserted and approved by the membership in 2005.]

[Note: Section 3 includes amendments approved by the membership in 1993.]

Section 4 - Election of TUEC by Mail

(a)

A ballot, clearly defined and containing the names of all nominees for the next users' executive, shall be prepared by the current executive and mailed to the users not later than one month prior to the holding of the annual meeting.

 

(b)

Ballots must be returned (normally to the liaison officer) not later than one week prior to the annual meeting. The current chairman and liaison officer shall act as scrutineers. The results of the election shall be announced as one of the items of business at the annual meeting, as provided for herein.

 

(c)

At least one hundred ballots or twenty-five per cent of the ballots mailed, whichever is the lesser number, must be returned to guarantee the successful election of the new executive. The return of less than this number will require the re-opening of nominations and a call for new elections.
[Note: Section 4(c) includes an amendment approved by the membership in 1991.]

Section 5 - Voting on Issues by Mail

The users' executive may wish to sample the opinion of the users from time to time, and the procedure for doing this shall be to mail a questionnaire to each user. The deadline for the return of each questionnaire shall be stated on the questionnaire, but normally the time sequence outlined in Section 4 shall be followed. The results of the questionnaires will be sent to the users in the TUEC minutes or in the TRIUMF newsletter.

Section 6 - Use of E-Mail and Other Means of Communication for Election of TUEC or for Voting on Issues

Alternatively, TUEC may, when appropriate, direct that questionnaires or election ballot forms be distributed by e-mail or other means to the membership, and that members shall have the choice of returning their votes by ordinary mail, e-mail, or other means to the officer supervising the election (normally, the liaison officer). In this case, the officer shall take all reasonable precautions to ensure the authenticity and validity of the votes received, and shall maintain the secrecy of such votes to the greatest extent possible. Votes received by e-mail or other means shall have the same validity as mailed ballot forms, and shall be counted in the determination of whether the required proportion of ballots had been cast as required by Section 4(c). In the event of any challenge to the authenticity or validity of such votes received, the officer and the TUEC chairman shall, in consultation, decide the matter.
[Note: Section 6 inserted and approved by the membership at the 1995 AGM.]

Article VI - AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

Section 1 - Amendments - How Effected

These by-laws may be amended by a vote of the members, including the fixing and altering of the number of members of the executive. A proposed amendment shall be introduced at the annual meeting. The vote will be taken either on the floor by show of hands or by mail ballot and must be accomplished within a month of the time the amendment was introduced. A two-thirds majority of the members voting is required for passage of the amendment.

Last modified: Fri Feb 18 12:36:28 PST 2005 by Martin Comyn