5.1	Annual General Meeting
5.2	Special Meetings
5.3	Notice of Meetings
5.4	Duties of Voting Representatives
5.5	Policy Resolutions
5.6	Introduction of Policy Resolutions in Emergency
5.7	Saving Clause
5.8	Life of Policy Resolutions
5.9	Voting
5.10	Quorum – General meetings

5.1              Annual General Meeting  The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year on such date and at such place as determined by the Board of Directors.  Notice of such Annual General Meeting must be appropriately communicated by the President to each Member not less than twenty-one (21) but not more than fifty (50) days in advance thereof. 

5.2              Special Meetings  Special Meetings may be called by the Board or any ten (10) Category 1 Members.  Notice must be appropriately communicated by the President to each Member not less than twenty-one (21) but not more than fifty (50) days prior to the date of such meetings, which notice must specify the purpose for which the meeting is called, and no other business may be transacted at such meetings.

5.3              Notice of Meetings  Notices of the Annual General Meeting and of Special Meetings shall be appropriately communicated to each Member to such address for the Member as appears on the books of the Manitoba Chambers or, if no address be given therein, then to the last address of such Member known to the Corporate Secretary.  Where the provisions of this subsection as to notice have been duly observed the non-receipt of any notice by any Member will not invalidate any proceeding or transaction at any meeting.

5.4              Duties of Voting Representatives  It shall be the duty of the voting representatives at each Annual General Meeting to: 

(a)                review, and if deemed proper, approve the annual financial statements for the Manitoba Chambers’ immediately preceding fiscal year, and the Auditor’s report thereon; 

(b)               consider, and if deemed proper, ratify and confirm the decisions and actions of the Board since the last Annual General Meeting; 

(c)                elect the Officers and Directors as required; 

(d)               review the existing policies in relationship with new and changed circumstances since the time the policies were established; 

(e)                delete policies which: 

(i)                  are no longer applicable or consistent with the objectives of the Manitoba Chambers, or

(ii)                have become redundant either through the  passage of time or their purpose having been satisfied; and 

(f)                 adopt and/or establish policies based on events, circumstances and activities that have occurred since the last Annual General Meeting.

5.5              Policy Resolutions  No policy resolution may be discussed at any Annual General Meeting unless:

(a)                it is provincial or national in character, timely in importance and general in application to both economic and public well-being; and 

(b)               has either: 

(i)                  been submitted by a Category 1 Member in writing to the Policy Committee at least sixty (60) days before the Annual General Meeting, and approved by the Policy Committee for compliance with subsection 5.5(a) hereof; or 

(ii)                is proposed by the Board or the Executive Committee or the Policy Committee; and 

(c)                has been appropriately communicated to all Members at least twenty-one (21) but not more than fifty (50) days prior to the Annual General Meeting. 

5.6              Introduction of Policy Resolutions in Emergency  Notwithstanding any provision contained herein, in the case of an emergency, a Local Chamber, the Board, the Executive Committee or the Policy Review Committee may introduce policy resolutions to a duly constituted meeting of Members without previous notice to Members.

5.7              Saving Clause  At the Annual General Meeting or a Special Meeting, any subject, even though it has not satisfied the requirements of these by-laws for presentation to the meeting, may be brought to the floor of the meeting for discussion if a motion to do so is carried by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the votes cast. If the subject is then placed on the floor of the meeting, and a motion is introduced, then such motion will require a majority of not less than two-thirds of the votes cast for passage. Such motions shall be prefaced with an explanation for the failure to meet the normal requirements.

5.8              Life of Policy Resolutions  Policy resolutions adopted by an Annual General Meeting become policy of the Manitoba Chambers for one (1) year; provided that such policy resolutions may, on submission made in accordance with section 5.5 hereof and passed as a resolution at the next Annual General Meeting, be amended or updated and continue to be the policy of the Manitoba Chambers for successive one (1) year periods.  Any policy that is not amended or updated at each Annual General Meeting held following its initial adoption ceases to be policy of the Manitoba Chambers at the end of such meeting.

5.9              Voting  Voting will normally be by show of hands, but on the request of three (3) or more accredited voting representatives, voting will be by: 

(a)                roll call; or 

(b)               ballot; and 

(c)                unless otherwise stated in these by-laws, a simple majority vote will carry any motion or resolution.

5.10 Quorum – Meetings  Accredited voting representatives from at least fifteen (15) Category 1 Members will constitute a quorum at any Annual General Meeting or Special Meeting of the Manitoba Chambers.