Powers of Members
a) The Members do not directly run the business of the Co-op; this is the role of the Board.  However, the powers of the Members include 

• electing Directors under 6.4 of this by-law

• removing Directors under 6.12 of this by-law

• approving the budget and housing charges per the Occupancy By-law

• requisitioning Directors to act under Article 6 of this by-law, and

• appointing the auditor each year under 12.3 of this by-law.

 b) The Act allows Members to make decisions in Members’ meetings if 

• the by-laws or the Act say that something must be decided by a Members’ meeting

• the by-laws or Act give Members the right to overrule a Board decision, or

• Members follow the procedures in the Act and in Article 5 of this by-law

 
Requisition for Passing a By-law or Directors’ Resolution

• Ten (10) percent of the Members can requisition the Directors to approve any by-law or resolution.  The Members must sign and deliver a notice to the Co-op’s office.  The notice must state the wording of the by-law or resolution.

• The Board does not have to comply with the notice.  If it wishes to comply, it must approve the by-law within twenty-one (21) days of receipt of the notice.  The Board must also call a Members’ meeting, where the Members will vote on the by-law or resolution, within the twenty-one (21) day time limit, or put the matter on the agenda of a meeting that has already been called.  

If the Board does not wish to comply with the notice, any of the Members who requisitioned the meeting can call a Members’ meeting for that purpose, to be held within 60 days from the date of deposit of the requisition.  This Members’ meeting has the full power to pass the by-law or make the decision.  This is the only way that Members can adopt a by-law that the Board has not approved.

• The rules for these requisitions are in section 70 of the Act.

Requisition to Put a Resolution on the Agenda for Members’ Meeting
a) Five (5) percent of Members can requisition the Directors to put a resolution on the advance agenda for the next Members’ meeting.  They must sign and deliver a notice to the Co-op’s office.  The notice must state the wording of the resolution.  This notice may include an explanation of the resolution of no more than one thousand words.  The Board will include this explanation with the notice. 
b) This procedure allows the Members to remove a Director under 6.12 of this by-law. 
c) Members can have any item put on the advance agenda for a Members’ meeting as stated in 4.6(d) of this by-law. 
d) The rules for these requisitions are in section 70 of the Act. 
e) This procedure does not apply to the Members in 

• passing a by-law, unless the Board has already approved it OR

• making a decision unless the Members already have the right to make it without a requisition