Council of Nova Scotia Archives Constitution

 Last revised May 2024 

Article 1: Name

1.1.  The name of this body shall be the Council of Nova Scotia Archives/Conseil des Archives de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CNSA).

Article 2: Objectives

2.1.  The aims of the Council are to promote standards, procedures, and practices among archival repositories in Nova Scotia, to provide members with a common meeting ground for discussion of archival issues, to exchange ideas on archival matters, to provide a network for archival cooperation throughout the province, and to provide liaison with the Canadian Council of Archives (CCA).

Article 3: Membership

3.1.  Institutional membership shall be open to any institution housing archival records and meeting requirements defined by the CNSA.

3.2.  Each Institutional member shall be permitted to send one voting delegate to the Annual General Meeting of the Council.

3.3.  Associate Institutional membership shall be open to any institution not meeting Institutional membership requirements and wanting to support the aims and objectives of the CNSA. Associate Institutional members may attend all meetings and events of the Council of Nova Scotia Archives but may not vote. Associate Institutional members will be placed on the mailing list and will receive all CNSA and CCA publications.

3.4.  Membership shall be open to any individual who supports the aims and objectives of the Council. Individual members may attend all meetings and events of the Council of Nova Scotia Archives but may not vote. Individual members will be placed on the CNSA mailing list and will receive all CNSA and CCA publications.

3.5.  A reduced-rate Individual membership shall be open to any student, senior, retired or unwaged individual who supports the aims and objectives of the Council and has proof of status. These members receive the same benefits as Individual Members.

3.6.  Honorary members may be appointed by the Executive on recommendation by the membership in recognition of outstanding contributions to the archival community. Honorary members are the equivalent of individual members but pay no dues.

3.7.  Sustaining members are individual who want to further support the aims and objectives of the Council through a financial contribution to the CNSA. Sustaining members will receive the same benefits as individual members.

Article 4: Executive Officers

4.1. The Officers and Executive of the Council shall be:

  • President
  • Vice-President
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Member at Large - Communications/Awards
  • Member at Large - Nominations/Membership
  • Member at Large – Emerging Professional

4.2. Term of Office: The term of office for positions shall be two years except for the Treasurer which shall be for three years. and the Member at Large – Emerging Professional, which shall be one year. The Vice-President shall assume the office of President at the end of the two-year term.

4.3. Election of Officers:

  • A Vice President shall be elected in each odd calendar year.
  • A Secretary shall be elected every even calendar year.
  • A Treasurer shall be elected every third calendar year.
  • A Member at Large – Communications/Awards shall be elected every odd calendar year.
  • A Member at Large – Nominations/Membership shall be elected every even calendar year.
  • A Member at Large – Emerging Professional shall be elected every year.

4.4. Duties of Officers: The officers shall perform duties pertaining to their offices as outlined in the CNSA Governance Manual.

Article 5: Committees

5.1.  Standing Committees – Terms of Reference:

a.  Education Committee – To coordinate those activities of the Council of Nova Scotia Archives which promote the training, education, and professional development of its members.

b.  Preservation Committee – To promote accepted preservation procedures in the archives of Nova Scotia and to act as liaison with the Preservation Committee of the Canadian Council of Archives.

c.  MemoryNS Committee – To oversee the development and promote the use of the Council’s database of members’ archival descriptions.

d.  The Council may at its general meeting establish other standing committees as it deems fit.

e.  The chairperson of each standing committee shall submit an annual report to the President at least three weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting. Chairs should report regularly to the Executive.

f.  Membership on standing committees shall be for a period of two years, once renewable, from the date of the annual meeting. The Executive may, under certain circumstances, extend the terms.

g.  Additional guidance for committees is provided in the CNSA Governance Manual.

5.2.  Select Committees: The Executive Committee may, from time to time, appoint select committees as it sees fit. Such committees will cease to exist at the termination of the next Annual General Meeting.

Article 6: Meetings

6.1.  There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Council. Other general meetings shall be held from time to time as required.

Article 7: Management

7.1.  Executive:

a.  The administration of the affairs of the Council shall be vested in the Executive.

b.  The Executive shall have power to fill all vacancies in office pro tem, the person so appointed to serve only until the next Annual General Meeting of the Council.

c.  Meetings of the Executive may be called by the President at such times and places as he or she may designate and shall also be called upon the request of a majority of the Executive.

d.  A majority of voting members shall constitute a quorum for the Executive.

7.2.  Finances:

a.  It shall be the duty of the Executive to review and approve the financial report of the Treasurer.

b.  Signing powers for all financial documents shall be vested in the hands of the Treasurer and either the President or the Secretary. At the discretion of the Executive signing powers may also be accorded other members of the Executive.

c.  The Treasurer shall submit the financial statement and propose the budget for approval at the Annual General Meeting of the Council.

7.3.  Records of the CNSA:

a.  The archival records of the CNSA will be housed at the Nova Scotia Archives in accordance with the terms and conditions of a record of gift agreement between the CNSA and the Nova Scotia Archives.

b.  Officers: Retiring officers and chairpersons of CNSA positions and committees should pass on their official CNSA files to their successors in office.

7.4.  Fiscal Year:

a.  The fiscal year of the Council shall be from 1 April to 31 March.

Article 8: Amendments

8.1.  The constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote taken at the Annual General Meeting provided that notice of any motion is given by the President no less than two months prior to the next General Meeting. It shall then be the duty of the President to advise the membership of any proposed changes at least one month prior to the A.G.M.

Article 9: Affiliation

9.1.  This Council may affiliate itself with such organizations as it deems fit, upon consent given by the vote at the Annual General Meeting. It may elect representatives and pay any membership fee which may be required by the said organizations.

Article 10: By-Laws

10.1.  By-laws may be adopted and amended by vote of the Council upon the written report of the Executive or of a special committee appointed by the Executive to report thereon.

10.2.  The Executive may amend, suspend, or add to these by-laws, such changes to be ratified at the next General Meeting of the Council.

10.3.  Membership Fees:

a. To remain in good standing members must pay fees within three months of the commencement of the fiscal year of the Council.

b. The annual fee may be revised only by a majority vote at the Annual General Meeting.

c. The annual fee shall be $65.00 for Associate Institutional members; $50.00 for Individual members; and $25.00 for student, senior, retired, unwaged members.

d. The Institutional membership fee is a graduated fee based on an institution’s total operating budget, including salaries.

Budget                                 Fee

Under $25,000                 $85.00

$25,001 to $100,000       $140.00

$100,001 to $250,000     $195.00

$250,001 to $500,000    $330.00

More than $500,001        $440.00

10.4. Special meetings of the Council may be called by the President or upon the written request of twenty-five percent of the voting membership. At least one month notice of the meeting shall be given, and only the business specified in the notice shall be transacted.

10.5. Nominations and Elections:

a.  The Member at Large – Nominations/Membership shall report its nominations to the President at least one month prior to the Annual General Meeting.

b.  Further nominations may be placed on the floor of the Annual General Meeting provided the written consent of the nominee has been obtained.