A Very Youthy AGM

YouthCO's AGM is taking place on the unceded traditional and ancestral Coast Salish territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim-speaking Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). These lands have been taken through ongoing colonial violence, which is directly connected to how Indigenous communities experience HIV and Hep C today.

Annual General Meetings are a part of the way all societies in BC operate. The Societies Act requires YouthCO (and all societies) to host an AGM to connect with our members, share information about our audit process and financial position, and elect Board members to steward our organization. During the AGM, we will highlight some of our work from the past year, elect new Board members, and hear about the ongoing strategic planning process. Come on by, listen to what we've been up to over the past year, meet YouthCO's Board and Executive Director, and enjoy some snacks in great company.

For folks joining us in-person, our AGM includes the opportunity to meet other youth committed to YouthCO and enjoy a light dinner! We will have bus tickets at the meeting, and are happy to get them to you in advance as well. We can also cover parking and mileage for youth within the Lower Mainland. We will also be using Zoom so youth can participate online. 

We'd really love it if you let us know if you are coming by RSVPing below! Doing so will mean that you will receive the materials (like our financial statement) for the meeting by email in advance. We will also have hard copies of these documents on hand on September 26.

If your needs to access this event are not mentioned above, please contact Sarah at [email protected] for more information.

Who can attend YouthCO's AGM?

All youth are able to attend YouthCO's AGM.

YouthCO's bylaws set out information about who can vote in our AGM:

• Youth who were members on or before July 28, and remain members, are eligible to vote in our AGM.
• Quorum (the minimum number of people who must be involved in decisoin making) consists of three members present who have been registered members of the Society a minimum of 60 days prior to the general meeting according to YouthCO's bylaws. 

Board of Directors Elections

At YouthCO, the Board of Directors manages YouthCO's Executive Director, sets the strategic direction of the organization, and supports governance functions like financial stewardship, external advocacy, policy development and fundraising.

Elections take place by acclamation or by ballot. 

• Directors are elected for a two year term that ends on the completion of the second AGM. The term of directors elected in 2019 will end with the AGM in 2021. 
• People aged 18 to 29 years old at the time of the AGM are eligible for election. Directors who will turn 30 within their two year term may be appointed to the Board and may complete their term.
• Two director positions are reserved for youth living with HIV and/or Hep C. If no director shares that they are living with HIV and/or Hep C, two positions will be held vacant.
• Our current bylaws also state that two director positions are reserved for youth aged 18, 19, 20, or 21. If no Board member is within this age range, two positions will be held vacant. At this AGM, the Board is proposing changes to our bylaws that reserve only one seat for a youth aged 18, 19, 20, or 21. 
• At this AGM, the Board is proposing changes to our bylaws that reserve one seat for an Indigenous youth. If no Board member is within this age range, one position will be held vacant.
• The maximum number of directors is 12.
• No director can be remunerated for being or acting as a director. At this AGM, the Board is proposing changes to our bylaws that will allow (but not require) YouthCO to remunerate youth living with HIV and/or Hep C, and youth who are Indigenous who participate in the Board.

YouthCO's full constitution and bylaws can be viewed at this link.

Proposed Changes to YouthCO's Bylaws

YouthCO is pleased to be proposing changes to our bylaws at our 2019 AGM! Here is a copy of our current bylaws with the proposed changes indicated using the "track changes" feature. Here is a text summary of the proposed changes:

• Exchange one of the reserved seats for youth aged 18 – 21 to become a seat reserved for Indigenous youth
  • The effect of this bylaw change is to reduce the number of seats reserved for younger youth from two to one.
• Permit remuneration for directors who are living with HIV and/or Hep C and/or are Indigenous:
  • YouthCO is not required to remunerate directors, but may do so based on financial capacity of the organization
• Merge two sections into Part 3  - Meetings (previously part 3– Meetings of directors and Part 4 – Proceeding at general meetings)
• Formalize the practice that prohibits staff from being members or directors of the Society
• Replacement of mail to include email
• Language and format changes to increase accessibility and readability:
  • Add subheadings
  • Shorten sentences
  • Change the order of existing provisions to group by subheading

At the AGM, we will have a motion to accept all of these changes that will be votedon by current YouthCO members.

AGM Documents

• Draft Meeting Agenda
• AGM Minutes from 2018 (from the AGM in 2018)
• Proposed bylaw changes
• Audited Financial Statements (April 1, 2018 - March 31, 2019)