Commodore’s Corner
I wish to thank the in-coming Committee of Management and HYC membership for your help this month in assisting me navigate my new role of Commodore. These are busy days.
We have just had our Annual General Meeting and recommended researching and exploring projects that extend Highland’s culture inviting member ingenuity to enhance our collective community and boating experience through listening to each other’s ideas.
I have been associated with Highland since the mid-’90s, and have discovered that it is truly one of those rare human experiments that has been able to uphold the spirit of its objects and keep them at the forefront over its 42 years. This expresses our purpose as a community. This does not change under ONCA. Our bylaws though, do need updating to be compliant with ONCA.
As was mentioned at the AGM, we also find ourselves facing an inflection point around our bylaws, policies and procedures. This year we will be building on the bylaw review process conducted last year. The Ontario Not-for-profit Corporations Act (ONCA) came into effect in October of 2021, and has necessitated some changes in the way the CoM reports on and understands its role. ONCA replaces the Ontario Corporations Act, that was in force in the ‘80s, and has been tailored to not-for-profit (NFP) corporations. All NFPs are going through this review. Fortunately, we, as a yacht club, are not alone in facing this. I will be working with other clubs to share information and solutions around this process.
As stated above, all NFPs, (Highland included) need to update their bylaws to come into compliance with ONCA. This year we will be coming together as a club to review our by-laws, ensuring that we are in compliance and to clarify some policies and procedures to better protect members and HYC as a whole.
This will be a year for holding true to the spirit of the Objects of HYC as an open and transparent organisation promoting economical boating, fostering responsible, knowledgeable boaters who conduct themselves ethically and with pride in all that is done.
As part of our adherence to the principle of openness and transparency, all members are encouraged to engage in various research groups looking to explore projects for Highland’s Budget meeting in February and the “Town Hall” sessions, in-person or virtual (as circumstances dictate) to explore the implications of ONCA and to prepare to deliver a “made in Highland” rendering of our updated bylaws before October 2024’s deadline.
My thanks again for the hard work put in by the Bylaw review committee, and its CoM, Review and Member participants. On behalf of the CoM, we look forward to working together on this and on keeping Highland that truly successful human experiment. Happy Boating!
