Home Office: 2149 Hubbard Crescent Ottawa, ON K1J 6L3
Fair Office: 4837 Albion Road Ottawa, ON K0A 1X3
Tel: 613-741-FAIR (613-741-3247) Fax: 613-744-2672
www.capitalfair.ca info@capitalfair.ca
Revised: March 2nd, 2020

Gloucester Agricultural Society

New Director Manual and Code of Conduct

Rev 2018.2.18

Table of Contents

Page 2 New Director Welcome Guide Intro
Page 6 Code of Conduct (All GAS Directors/Associate Directors)
Page 12 Emergency Plan (Authority and Level Assessment)
Page 13 Fairgrounds Map
Page 14 Emergency Response Manual (Action Plan)
Page 16 Excerpt from Ontario Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (Governance)
Page 17 Public Relations Crisis Management Guide
Page 20 Public Relations Crisis Action Plan

Welcome Guide to New Associate & Board Directors

INTRO:
The Capital Fair is the result of over 40 years of tradition, born from the City of Gloucester’s original “Festival of Friends” which was developed by the City’s Recreational Department to bring the business community and neighbours together in a municipal celebration. The event quickly became so popular that it outgrew the City’s ability to run it and a volunteer Board of Directors was invited to take over. Thus was born “The Gloucester Fair”.

In 1984 the Fair achieved Ontario “Ag status” and became the Gloucester Agricultural Society. It has since dedicated itself to the promotion of agriculture and it’s interaction with our urban community.

Challenged by City site expansion, the Fair relocated from the Earl Armstrong Arena to the Rideau Carleton Raceway in 1998 and in 2014 it changed dates to the end of August for a 10 day show to be henceforth known as “The Capital Fair”.

GOVERNANCE:
In accordance with the Gloucester Agricultural Society’s Constitution & Bylaws (rev February 2020) the Society is governed by the Board of Directors subject to the following;

BECOMING AN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR (AD):

The Society’s Board of Directors may nominate any Society Member to the position of Associated Director (AD) at any time. All nominations are considered and voted on by the Board. All Associated Directors must agree to comply with the Society’s Code of Conduct (see below).

Once confirmed, AD’s are encouraged to assist with the program(s) of their choice and learn the range of responsibilities that the program entails. This will allow both the AD and the Board to assess fit and suitability.

AD’s are the lifeblood and future of the Fair and their input at Board meetings is both encouraged and appreciated. ADs are expected to attend all Board meetings. Constitutionally, at Board meetings, ADs have a voice on any issue, but cannot vote.

Associate Directors, under the direct supervision of their Program Directors can assist with research, make program recommendations and participate in the development of the program but CANNOT COMMIT TO CONTRACTS/AGREEMENTS OR SPEAK ON BEHALF OF EITHER THEIR SUPERVISING DIRECTOR, OR THE BOARD.

Associate Directors who become active members in the Gloucester Agricultural Society can be nominated to the Board of Director after serving at minimum, one season at the Fair.

Areas of Involvement: AD’s are welcome to delve into all areas of the Society’s planning for and execution of programs at the Fair.

Skills: An AD does not require any specific skills and can expect to be trained on the job.

BECOMING A DIRECTOR OF THE BOARD:
The Gloucester Agricultural Society Board of Directors has 12 directorship positions, all with 2 year terms of office. To encourage continuity, half the Board is elected one year and alternatively the other half, the next.

The Board is elected at the Society’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), typically in February of each year. All Directors must agree to comply with the Society’s Code of Conduct (see below)

Any Society member that has served as an AD for one complete Fair may be nominated as a candidate to the Board of Directors at that time. Once nominations close, at the Chair’s discretion, either an open vote (show of hands) or secret ballot will confirm all positions.

Immediately after the AGM, a special Board of Directors Meeting is convened to select the Board’s Executive. The executive is comprised of; President, 1st Vice-President, Past President (automatic), Treasurer and Secretary. Selection is done by nominations and majority vote of the Board.

If at any time a Board position becomes available, the Board may appoint a suitable AD of their choice to fill the vacancy, regardless of the AD’s tenure. When such an appointment is made, the new incoming Director assumes the remaining term of the departing Director.

Most Directors will be appointed to specific programs of personal interest. Once appointed, Program Directors are responsible to plan and produce their specific program. The Program Directors report on their progress at each Board Meeting (typically one per month with increased frequency as the Fair dates approach).

Program Directors may negotiate contracts and expense monies within the confines of a financial budget that the Board approves for each specific program. Expenses that exceed the program’s approved budget must be presented to the Board for consideration and approval before they are permitted.

Contracts that exceed $3,000 must require two signatures, including the Program Director and/or another Board Member and/or the General Manager. No Director may be party to any contract or dealing that can be constituted a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is simply defined as “an arrangement of any kind where a principal stands to gain any personal advantage, financial or otherwise”. For more specific detail see Section #3 of the GAS Code of Conduct (page 8)

To pay our suppliers, contracts and invoices are to be submitted to the Fair administration along with complete supporting documentation in as timely a fashion as possible. Payments may be delayed in the event there is incomplete documentation, missing invoices, receipts, etc. All payments require the signature of two duly authorized signatories typically including; the President, the Treasurer, an authorized Past President and/or the General Manager.

No payment may be authorized by or signed by an individual to whom the payment is to be issued.

From time-to-time, Director’s programs require the receipt and collection of admission or ticket funds. These may be in cash, electronic ticketing, cheques, etc.

A Director has the authorization to coordinate the collection of funds for the program to which they are responsible. The Board also has the ability to authorize through a resolution for another Director to be responsible for the collection of funds for which they are responsible. All funds that are collected must be remitted to either the Treasurer or the General Manager. No payments may be made from the cash collected from a particular activity without the express permission of the Treasurer.

All financial aspects of the Fair are routinely under audit and may require rigorous reporting to be provided from any financial activity within a program, whether it is for example; expensing cash prizes or collecting membership dues. In all circumstances the utmost care is to be given to ensure the Society can account for all transactions.

Emergency Procedures
Emergencies can occur from time to time and we must prepare to deal with them.
Please refer to both the Emergency Plan and the Crisis Management Plan (below) for comprehensive details.