415 SQUADRON ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION 

SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION

101.          GENERAL

 1.         In May 2005, the Air Force took the decision to amalgamate 415 Squadron with 405 Squadron and “lay-up” the 415 Squadron Standard.  There being no institute in place to protect and champion the proud history of 415 Squadron, provide oversight of its artefacts or foster camaraderie amongst former members, it was decided to form an Association.  In July 2005, as the Squadron was stood-down, the inaugural meeting of the 415 Squadron Association took place at 14 Wing Greenwood.  Association membership is open to all former serving members of 415 Squadron.  Those members who maintain good standing with the Association are referred to as the Swordfish Alumni.

102.          NAME

 2.         The name of the institute shall be “THE 415 SQUADRON ASSOCIATION”.

 103.     AUTHORITY

 3.         The 415 Squadron Association is established by the former members of 415 Squadron in cooperation with the 14 Wing Commander, the 14 Wing Museum and VP International.  The President will seek CAS approval to have the Association sanctioned as the agency responsible for the safeguarding of Swordfish property.  To this end, the Association will conform to guidance and direction outlined in relevant orders and directions.    To ensure complete transparency and openness, the President will ensure that the oversight and governance of the Association conforms to the extent possible with 14 Wing orders related to financial administrative guidance and direction.  The President will also ensure that a bi-annual independent review of the Association administration and financial status is conducted. 

4.         Related orders and instructions include: 

104.     MISSION

 5.             The mission of the 415 Squadron Association  is to safeguard the heritage, artefacts and memorabilia of 415 Squadron and to be prepared to assist with the re-activation of the Squadron should the welcome need arise.  To the extent possible, the Association will facilitate opportunities for the 415 Alumni to be kept informed on matters of mutual interest and to participate in activities that will maintain the Swordfish spirit and sense of pride in the Squadron’s accomplishments. 

105.     OBJECTIVES 

6.         The objectives of the Swordfish Association are: 

a.       To keep alive the memory of all those members of 415 Squadron who gave their lives in the service of their country;

 b.      To actively seek the membership of all former serving 415 Squadron members;

 c.      To maintain an Alumni list with email addresses, home addresses, telephone numbers and Association membership status;

d.       To maintain and enhance the 415 Squadron Website;

e.       To produce and post a semi-annual newsletter to keep all Alumni informed of Association activities;

f.       To organize annual meetings and dinners, alternating between eastern and western Canada to the extent that is reasonable and possible;

g.      To promote information-related programmes designed to bond the membership of the Association who served during the different aircraft phases of the life of the Squadron;

h.      To participate in the observation of significant Swordfish Squadron events, such as anniversaries, commemorative ceremonies, acts of remembrance, etc;

i.       To maintain a cooperative working relationship with the remaining active Canadian Long Range Patrol Squadrons, based on the mutual understanding that these Squadrons and the Swordfish Association have many shared goals and each can assist the other;

j.       To undertake projects to record and preserve the written and/or oral history of the 415 Squadron; 

k.      To provide an annual award, which recognizes outstanding performance by a member of the Swordfish Alumni, as determined by the Association Executive, in the promotion and preservation of the Swordfish Squadron; and

j.       Develop and maintain and affiliation with a Charitable organization to which an annual contribution can be presented, as determined by the Association Executive, in the promotion and preservation of the Swordfish Squadron.

 106.     SCOPE 

7.         The Association should reach out to all former Squadron members regardless of geographic location, era of affiliation or status while on Squadron.  Further, the Association should actively engage current and future Air Force leaders so that their presence and contributions are made known.  Additionally the membership should maintain an awareness of developments related to the CF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities. 

 107.     MEMBERSHIP 

8.         All former members of 415 Squadron are eligible to join the Association. As a non-profit organization, the annual membership dues will be set at the minimum sustainable level, which will be decided at an annual general meeting of the Association.  Current serving members of the Long Range Patrol community may request associate membership.  Such membership must be approved at the Annual SA Meeting and standard membership dues will be assessed.  Life memberships may be granted via general vote in recognition of service “above and beyond” to support the mission of the Association.  The Treasurer will maintain a separate Life Membership savings bank account and annually transfer to the operating account an amount not to exceed 10% of the said savings account, as determined by the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors may appoint distinguished persons as honorary members.  Widows/Widowers of deceased members will automatically become honorary members of the Association. 

9.         Single members are entitled to be accompanied by one guest to all Association sponsored activities at the published subsidized rate.

SECTION 2 - ORGANIZATION 

201.     GENERAL 

10.       The President is responsible for the administration of the 415 Squadron Association on behalf of the membership. The Executive Authority providing policy and governance over the Association and its activities shall be the Association Executive. The Committee will consist of elected member whose primary duties involve the safeguarding and showcasing of Swordfish Artefacts.  In addition, and to the extent possible, demonstrate an enduring presence through representation at significant Long Range Patrol events, major VPI events and updated displays at the 14 Wing Aviation Museum. 

202.     415 SQUADRON ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE 

11.              The 415 Squadron Association Executive will consist of the following positions (terms of reference are attached at the Annexes): 

a.      President; 

b.      Vice-President; 

c.      Secretary;  

d.      Treasurer;

e.      Alumni/Membership Coordinator;

f.       Communications Coordinator;

g.      Artefact Coordinator;

h.      Museum LO; and

i.             VPI LO. 

12.          The 415 Squadron Executive will welcome: 

a.      Volunteer Alumni members to offer their services to the Association;  and

b.      Ex-Officio Members from 14 Wing Staff including: 

                        i. 14 Wing Museum Director;

                        ii. 14 Wing Corporate Services Officer; and

                        iii. NDF Accounting Representative. 

13.         The formation of the Association Committee shall observe the following guidelines: 

a.      The Association will be managed by an elected Executive and volunteers filling Liaison and Coordination positions as listed above;

b.      The election of the President will be conducted by the immediate past-President and carried out by soliciting members for suitable candidates.  The election process will normally be by secret ballot;

c.     Ideally, up to three of the Coordination positions will be filled by current serving Alumni members (the COs of 404, 405, and 407 Squadrons have agreed to recognize these positions as assigned Secondary Duties);

d.      The Association may choose to create a new Liaison or Coordination position by vote at an annual general meeting;  

e.      When elected, the new President will seek the consensus of the new Committee on the establishment of his advisory body from among the Committee members;

f.      Should a vacancy occur on the Committee, the President shall seek a consensus of the Committee on a suitable replacement; and 

g.      To the extent possible, the Committee shall represent all levels of the squadron work life and the different aircraft phases and shall serve at the discretion of the President and his advisory committee.

 204.     SPECIAL COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS

 14.       From time to time, special committees and/or working groups may be established to advise and assist the Executive in its responsibilities for the effective administration of events and/or development of proposals to enhance the Association.

 15.       As a minimum, sub-committees shall be comprised of the following members: 

a.         Assigned Chairman from the Executive; and 

b.        Members as determined by the sub-committee Chairman and the level of volunteerism. 

16.       The sub-committee Chairman will be provided with:

a.       A mission statement; 

b.      List of deliverables; and 

c.       Suspense date.

SECTION 3 – ADMINISTRATION 

301.     MEETINGS 

17.       The 415 Squadron Committee will meet, at the call of the President, normally in conjunction with the annual Association Conference.  A minimum of 51 percent of voting members and the President must be present to constitute a quorum.  Association members shall have an equal vote on all motions brought before the meeting, except that the Chairman may cast his vote only in the event of a tie.  Specialist advisors, including ex-officio members, and representatives of special-interest groups may be invited to attend but shall not have a vote. 

18.       The Secretary will advise Committee members of the time and place of meetings not less than one month in advance and will accept agenda items until two weeks before the meeting.  Non-agenda items may be brought before a meeting only at the discretion of the President. 

19.       The order of business shall be as follows: 

a.    Review, amend as necessary and approve previous minutes; 

b.    Review and approve proposed changes to the SA Constitution; 

c.    Review and approve financial statement; 

d.    Review the action list resulting from last meeting; 

e.    Discuss business arising from previous minutes; 

f.     Discuss new business;  

g.    Determine annual membership fee; and  

h.    Adjournment.

 302.     MINUTES 

20.       The Secretary will record and keep the minutes of all Committee meetings. 

21.       Minutes will be produced by the Secretary in a format consistent with current Staff Procedures and Military Writing for the CF.  An Action List will be provided as an Annex to the Minutes and will clearly indicate who is responsible for taking action on outstanding items of business.  The Executive will review, comment as necessary and sign the minutes before they are submitted to the President for approval. 

22.       Once approved by the President copies of the minutes shall be distributed, as soon as possible, after the meeting, to all members.  In the interest of keeping the Swordfish Alumni aware of the operations of Swordfish Committee the Minutes will be posted on the Swordfish website. 

303.     CORRESPONDENCE 

23.       All correspondence initiated on behalf or in the name of the 415 Squadron Association shall be routed through the Secretary, who is responsible for proper processing and filing.   

304.     MAKING A MOTION 

24.       A motion is a proposal that the 415 Squadron Association Committee take action or that it expresses itself as holding a certain opinion.  Any member other than the Chairman may make a motion.  The person proposing the motion shall first seek the Chairman’s recognition; after having done so, he will state his proposal, prefixed by a statement “I move that…” or “ I move to…” (Etc).  Before any discussion can take place on the motion, another Committee member must second it – if this is not done, the Committee may carry on with other business. 

25.       Prior to discussion of a motion, the Chairman must consider whether the motion is in order, which is to say that there is no fundamental or regulatory reason why the proposed motion could not be implemented.  If the motion is out of order, the Chairman will state his reasons for making that determination to the Committee.  No motion is in order that conflicts with the avowed purpose of the 415 Squadron Association or concerns a matter over which the Association has no jurisdiction. 

26.       A motion may be altered by proposing amendments to it and voting upon them.  The amendments are to be voted upon in reverse order to their proposal; namely, the last amendment made will be voted upon first.  An amendment to a motion may be withdrawn at any time.  A motion duly proposed and seconded must be put to a vote following discussion if there are no amendments proposed. 

SECTION 4 – FINANCIAL 

401.     SOURCES OF REVENUE 

27.       The 415 Squadron Association Fund revenues are derived from: 

a.       Initial “seed” money provided by the Squadron on its disbandment; 

b.      An annual assessment as determined by the SA Committee each year at the annual meeting; 

c.      Assessments against individuals participating in or attending an Association activity for which funds are administered through Association; 

d.      Assessments against Association activities to recover funds advanced by Association Fund for facility rental or capital purchases; 

e.      Public and non-public fund grants and allowances; and  

f.       Any other NPF revenue or contribution received by the SA Fund. 

402.     FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 

28.       The funds held by 415 Squadron Association must be accounted for by the NPF Accounting Representative in accordance with NPF directives, and reported in annual Association Fund financial statements.   

29.              The Treasurer, will prepare an annual budget detailing planned revenues and expenditures for the forthcoming fiscal year for approval by the Association President. The fiscal year is 1 March – 28 February.  The budget will normally be approved at the annual meeting held in the summer prior to the beginning of each new fiscal year. 

30.              Sub-Committees are required, as part of the Association Fund budget cycle, to submit individual budgets to the Association Committee for approval. The Treasurer will ensure that these inputs are captured in the overall Association fund budget.   

31.              Approval of the Association Fund budget by the President constitutes authority for the Association Committee and its subordinate organizations to expend funds within the limits and for the purposes detailed in the budget.  Un-forecasted expenditures or the allocation of funds to other purposes must be submitted to the Association Committee, normally through the Treasurer, for consideration.  The President and Vice-President are authorized to approve at their own discretion non-recurring, non-capital expenditures to a maximum of $500 CA.  Such discretionary expenditures shall take due account of the current Association Fund financial position and be reported at the next Committee meeting. 

403.     EXPENDITURES 

32.       All money received by 415 Squadron Association Fund shall be used for the benefit of the membership. 

33.       Funds may be used for donations to charitable organizations or other appeals for assistance or to any NPF activity that is not specifically part of the Association. 

34.       Expenditures on behalf of Association Fund will be made through the Treasurer in accordance with current Association authorities, NPF directives and local instructions issued by the Corporate Services Officer.   

404.     FINANCIAL AUTHORITIES 

35.       The Association Executive will establish standing authorities as required for expenditures and write-offs that mirror the parameters set out in CFAO 27-6. 

405.     INSURANCE 

36.       NPF properties and facilities are covered under the NPF Consolidated Insurance Program, details of which are found in Chapter 20, A-FN-105-001/AG-001. 

406.     LOSS OR DAMAGE – NON-PUBLIC PROPERTY 

37.       All losses or damages to 415 Squadron Association non-public property shall be investigated and reported to the Association Committee. 

38.       Write-offs of Association property shall be authorized by the Association Executive and processed in accordance with Chapter 19, A-FN-105-001/AG-001. 

SECTION 5 – AWARDS & CONTRIBUTIONS

501.     SWORDFISH OF THE YEAR 

39.       Any member of the Alumni may nominate another Alumni member for the Swordfish of the Year Award.  As a minimum, each nomination should include a letter of recommendation and proposed citation.  Nominations should be received by the Association Secretary no latter than 60 days prior to the Annual Committee Meeting. 

40.       The Association Executive will review all nominations and is responsible for the selection of the Swordfish of the Year.  The announcement shall be made at the Annual Committee Meeting and a presentation made at a suitable venue as determined by the President. 

502.       CHARITABLE AFFILIATION

41.          The 415 Squadron Association will maintain an affiliation with a charitable organization as selected by the Association Executive.  Annually the Executive will re-confirm the affiliation and determine the type and size of gift, which will be sponsored by the Association.

42.          Any member of the Swordfish Alumni may forward a proposal for affiliation and/or a recommendation concerning the annual gift or donation.  The Executive will review all such proposals and is responsible for the selection and presentation of gifts and/or donations.

SECTION 6 – CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS 

601.     CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS 

43.       Proposals to amend the Association Constitution will normally be made in writing to the President, through the Secretary, at least thirty working days before the next scheduled meeting.  This will permit time to research the proposal and ensure there is no legal impediment to its passage; further, the subject can be included in the agenda so that informed discussion can take place at the meeting. 

44.       Implementation of an amendment to the Constitution will require the following: 

a.         Support of the amendment motion by a simple majority as stipulated in Article 301, paragraph 1; and 

b.         Approval of the President (acknowledged by his approval of the minutes in which the motion is recommended). 

45.       The effective date of an amendment to the 415 Squadron Association Constitution is the date that the President approves the minutes recommending the amendment.