Steps to follow
- Interested women submit motions to their. Locals, e.g., “Be it resolved that our Local initiate steps to form a Regional Women’s Committee in (name of region)”
- Where the Local belongs to a Component, the Local President writes to the Component President to request the Component seek approval from the Regional Executive Vice-President to form a Regional Women’s Committee.
- In the case of “Directly Chartered Locals” the Local President writes to the Regional Executive Vice-President.
- When at least three Components or Directly Chartered Locals have submitted a request from a given geographic area, the Regional Executive Vice-President approves these requests.
- Once approval is granted, all Locals in the jurisdiction of the proposed Regional Women’s Committee are notified. Also at this time, the Committee may request a start-up grant to cover the expenses of initial organizing activities. A grant of $500 is available for this purpose.
- A founding meeting of the approved Regional Women’s Committee is held. At this meeting, the Committee receives its charter and officially becomes an established Regional Women’s Committee. The women members in attendance decide who will be the official representatives from Components and Directly Chartered Locals. They also choose a Chairperson, Treasurer, and Secretary.
Operating a Regional Women’s Committee
Annual Budget
Central to a Committee’s effective operation is the annual budget. This determines the amount of funds the Committee will require to carry out its activities. The budget should be prepared for a fiscal period January 1 to December 31, and should include meeting expenses, operating expenses including lost wage requirements and project costs. Project costs should be itemized separately and priorities identified if more than one project is planned.
The proposed budget is submitted to the Regional Executive Vice-President for approval. A first budget should be submitted as soon as possible after the Committee is established. For subsequent years, it is recommended that the annual budget be submitted, along with the year-end financial report and bank book balance, by mid-December in order to allow sufficient time for the approval process.
Accounting and Reporting
Each Committee is responsible for submitting quarterly financial statements to the Regional Executive Vice-President.