Parents' associations that are incorporated with the provincial registry of societies have to make sure that they are in compliance with the new BC Societies Act.

Many parents' associations that are members of the Fédération des parents are incorporated; including all of those that manage services such as preschools, daycare facilities, or after-school programs.

These associations must take all steps necessary to be in compliance with the new Societies Act.

In a nutshell, all incorporated parents’ associations must:

• enroll with the new online registry at BC Registries and Online Services;
• make some mandatory changes to their constitution and bylaws*, before or after signing up with the online registry.

Even though incorporated associations have until November 2018 (the end of the transition period) to comply with the new law, they must take into account the fact that it may be necessary to have some changes adopted at an annual general meeting (or special meeting).

It is therefore recommended to undertake the necessary steps as soon as possible, in order to have them completed before the November 2018 final deadline.

What About Parents’ Associations that Aren’t Incorporated?

Parents’ associations that aren’t incorporated don’t have to enroll in the new online societies registry -- but that does not mean that they are not affected by the new Societies Act.

Whether incorporated or not, a parents’ association must have a constitution and bylaws, according to the BC School Act. The constitution and bylaws define the way a parents’ association operates. It’s a critical document that members of a parents’ association need to know about and refer to regularly. A “living” document, it should reflect the association’s current situation; which is why it’s important to keep it up to date with revisions when necessary.

Therefore, unincorporated parents’ associations should also make the changes to their constitution and bylaws, as required by the new Societies Act.

The coming into force of the Societies Act provides an excellent opportunity for parents’ associations that are not incorporated to examine their current documents, and to check whether they still correspond to their current situation — a situation that might have changed over time, especially if the constitution and bylaws were last updated more than three or four years ago.

Resources and Support for Parents’ Associations?

The Fédération des parents francophones has prepared two resources for its members to support them in their efforts to comply with the Societies Act :

1. a list of the steps to take to be in compliance with the new Act;
2. a “Guide de rédaction et de révision pour statuts et règlements” (a guide for creating and revising constitution and bylaws) conforming to the requirements of the new Societies Act. This resource will be useful for both incorporated associations and unincorporated ones that want to update their constitution and bylaws.

These resources are available on the Fédération des parents website (insert link) or on request by contacting us at  info@fpfcb.bc.ca or 604-736-6066 / 1-800-905-5056.

The Fédération des parents can also provide customized support to parents’ associations during the transition period brought about by the new Societies Act. Please contact:

• Josée Martel, for parents’ associations (APÉs) (jmartel@fpfcb.bc.ca);
• Michelle Marsan, for parents’ associations managing a preschool centre (mmarsan@fpfcb.bc.ca).

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* The constitution (in French: statuts) defines the reasons that a society exists and what its goals are.

* The bylaws (in French: règlements) establish the society's rules of conduct and how the society should be managed. For example, bylaws might set out the rules governing the convening of a general meeting, the holding of elections, the management of meetings, the roles of directors, etc.