Articles, Constitution, and Bylaws of Saskatoon Métis Local 126
Saskatoon Métis Local 126 has split the governing documents into the articles of incorporation, a constitution, and accompanying bylaws.
In the hierarchy of corporate governance documents, articles of incorporation are at the top, then the constitution, then the bylaws, then special rules, then standing rules, and then policies and procedures. We are in the process of revising our special and standing rules and our policies and procedures.
Articles of incorporation
Articles of incorporation, also known as a corporate charter, are for creating the corporate entity of the Local, and these are filed with ISC. In practice, the articles of incorporation are rarely if ever changed after a company is incorporated.
Constitution
Constitutions contain the most basic rules and structure of the organization, providing the foundational, overarching rules and purpose for a corporation, including its high-level goals and structure—the fundamental framework of the organization. Constitutions are considered so important that they are not meant to be changed often, so they are deliberately made difficult to change, requiring greater-than-normal notice requirements and a vote threshold higher than a majority. They must also comply with provincial and federal laws and the articles of incorporation, and Métis locals in Saskatchewan must also comply with the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan constitution and legislation and the decisions of the regional council where they are located (for Local 126, this is Western Region 2A).
Though it is not common for Saskatchewan companies to have a constitution in addition to bylaws, we chose to create a constitution to align with the wording of the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan constitution and to more explicitly enshrine some structures as part of the fundamental framework of Local 126.
Like all constitutions, the Local 126 constitution is intended to be implemented as a living tree, flexibly and with a view to its primary purpose, which is to lend legitimacy to the Local and provide clarity about roles, responsibilities, and processes, and is subject to development through usage and convention and with regard to Métis practice.
Bylaws
Bylaws are the internal, legal operating manual that sets the rules for how an organization is governed, detailing procedures of its board of directors, officers, and members to ensure accountability and maintaining a mission-focused operation. Bylaws have to comply with with articles of incorporation, the constitution, provincial and federal laws, and in the case of a Métis local, the constitution and legislation of Métis Nation – Saskatchewan, and we also have to comply with the regional council that governs Western Region 2A.