On December 21, 2017 CAPhO was incorporated under the British Columbia (BC) Societies Act as a member-funded Society. As an incorporated not-for-profit (NFP) corporation, CAPhO is now a legal entity, and recognized by the legal system as having rights and responsibilities. Prior to incorporation CAPhO was an agreement between members with no legal status.
Incorporation allows CAPhO to enter into contracts, purchase assets, own property, borrow money, and generally conduct business. The incorporation limits the liability of you, our members, who are not personally liable for the debts of the corporation.
Other advantages of incorporation include:
- The continuity of the organization is assured, even if there is a change in membership;
- The organization has the ability to initiate legal action in its own name; and
- The chances of receiving grants are greatly enhanced due to the perceived stability and structure as a corporation.
CAPhO’s governance model will change from an Executive Committee consisting of appointed Committee Chairs and an elected Treasurer and President-elect to a Board of Directors elected by the members. The Directors will appoint the Officer positions of President, Vice-President, and Treasurer, as well as committee chairs as required. The Past President is also an officer and automatically moves into the position after serving as President.
A full election of the Board of Directors of the newly incorporated CAPhO will take place electronically during a two-week period in April 2018 and after a two-week call for nominations this month. Stay tuned for more information about the election and the nomination process.
Also, part of the incorporation process required that the bylaws be updated according to the BC Societies Act. The bylaws are posted on the website and can be viewed at: www.capho.org/about/bylaws.
Questions on all of the above? Find the answers in our FAQs or contact me at president@capho.org.
Mark Pasetka, President
president@capho.org