1. Introduction. In accordance with Section 47 of the Cross Country Canada (“CCC”) bylaws (the “Bylaws”), the Executive Director, with the approval of the Board of Directors of CCC, hereby forms a Women’s Committee (the “Committee”) as an operational committee of CCC.
2. Purpose. The Women’s Committee is formed to provide advice and support to members of the CCC Management Committee in creating programs, policies and plans with the objective of ensuring that CCC programs, policies and plans:
a. provide equal opportunity and benefit without discriminating on the basis of gender; and
b. encourage the participation of girls and women in achievement of CCC’s strategic objectives.
The work of the Women’s Committee will be fully aligned with initiatives, goals and objectives of Cross Country Canada as identified from time to time in CCC’s Strategic Plan.
3. Accountability. The Committee will work collaboratively with management Committee Members and will be accountable to the Executive Director of CCC.
4. Mandate. The Committee will contribute expertise, human resource capacity, and regional perspectives to the process of developing CCC programs, plans and policies in effecting the purpose set out above. In general, this will involve:
a. developing subject matter expertise by engaging committee members and other resources to cultivate an understanding of best practices;
b. gathering relevant feedback and ideas from members and experts (always in compliance with CCC policies and communication objectives);
c. attending Management Committee meetings and working collaboratively with members to incorporate expert advice and feedback in programs, plans and policies;
d. managing partnering initiatives that will advance the purposes and mandate of the Women’s Committee;
e. developing annual operational plans for the Women’s Committee and fulfilling the objectives and tasks identified in such plans;
f. contributing to an annual program evaluation to confirm that objectives are being met and results achieved; and
g. facilitating communication, cooperation and coordination between the different program areas and participants (i.e.: CCC national, divisions and clubs) in effecting the mandate and the purpose of the Women’s Committee.
5. Membership
a. The Committee shall be composed of, when reasonably possible:
1) an athlete representative;
2) the Executive Director (ex-officio);
3) a member of the Board (ex-officio), if one is appointed by the President;
4) staff persons who may be assigned by the Executive Director to support the activities of the Women’s Committee (ex-officio);
5) such other members as the Executive Director in consultation with the Committee Chairperson may determine are beneficial to the function of the Committee; and
6) representatives from any of the five (5) Regions (Atlantic; Quebec and Nunavut; Ontario; Manitoba and Saskatchewan and Alberta and NWT; British Columbia and Yukon) that wish to participate on the Committee if such Regions are not already represented by members identified in this list.
b. Those committee members referred to in Subsections 5.a)4) – 5.a)6) hereof shall be appointed by the Executive Director. When a Region is not represented, the Division Chairpersons of that Region may recommend a candidate or candidates to the Executive Director and the Committee Chairperson. The Executive Director, in consultation with the Committee Chairperson, shall determine whether a recommended candidate will facilitate the advancement of the mandate and purposes of the Committee. If, in the discretion of the Executive Director, a suitable candidate is not recommended to represent a region, the Committee may continue to function until a suitable representative is recommended and appointed.
c. The athlete representative shall be appointed by the Athlete Director in consultation with the Committee Chair and the Division Chairpersons of the Region with which the athlete is associated.
d. The term of a Committee member appointment is two (2) years and is renewable.
6. Committee Chairperson
a. The Chairperson(s) of the Committee shall be appointed by the CCC Board on the recommendation of the Executive Director. The Chairperson may be any member(s) of the Committee.
b. The Chairperson is responsible for:
1) providing leadership to the Committee (i.e.: convening meetings; developing agendas; assigning, supervising and coordinating the Committee work); and
2) representing the Committee in communication.
c. The Committee Chairperson shall attend Management Committee meetings and the CCC Annual General Meeting.
7. Decision-Making. The Committee shall endeavour to make decisions by consensus. In case of disagreement, committee members shall cast votes. The Committee Chairperson(s) shall cast one vote in the case of a tie vote among the other Committee Members.
8. Meetings. The Committee shall determine a meeting schedule that will facilitate achievement of the Committee’s work plan, which shall include at least four meetings per year. Directors and Committee Chairpersons of other CCC programs will be invited to attend meeting that may have implications for their program areas or where there advice is indicated. Committee meetings may be in person or by any other means that facilitates communication of all attending Committee Members simultaneously. Minutes that reflect all significant decisions of the Committee shall be kept at all regular meetings. Minutes shall be provided to the Executive Director.