Principles

The Coasters Association was established to represent the interests of all citizens on the Lower North Shore:

• It serves as a link to a network of similar groups throughout Quebec and Canada.
• It facilitates and encourages interaction among all community groups in order to enablethem to act together to respond to the needs and priorities of the region’s communities.

Objectives

The Coasters Association seeks to pursue the following objectives:

• To promote the interests of the population of the Lower North Shore;
• To stimulate public and private interest and participation in addressing matters of concern relevant to the citizens of the Lower North Shore ;
• To encourage a sense of responsibility among citizens for community development at the local and regional levels;
• To increase participation of the general population in the identification of community priorities;
• To be a resource centre for citizens and organizations interested in helping improve the educational, social, cultural and economic life of the area ;
• To study and document the evolution in the population of the Lower North Shore and inform the general public about the impacts of population change in the region;
• To ensure that the population receives relevant and adequate public and community services;
• To promote events occurring within the milieu;
• To facilitate participation in multicultural events;
• To encourage greater participation in Quebec society.

Membership

Coasters Association has five types of members:

• Individual
• Senior
• Student
• Family
• Business / organization.

Annual membership fees are determined by the Board of Directors and approved at the Annual General Meeting. Presently the Coasters Association’s membership stands at 3,542.

Governance

All individual members of the Coasters Association are eligible to be members of the Board of Directors following elections in their respective municipality. The Directors are the primary source of contact with the communities on the coast. They relay to the Coasters Association the concerns and issues of the citizens in their respective municipalities.

The Board of Directors will consist of:

• Two (2) voting members from the Municipality du Blanc Sablon
• Two (2) voting members from the Municipality du Bonne Esperance
• One (1) voting member from the Municipality du Saint Augustin
• One (1) voting member from the Municipality du Gros MecatinaThree (3) voting members from the Municipality de la Côte-Nord du Golfe Saint Laurent. (two members for the Anglophone community and one member for the Francophone community)
• The Past President has a seat on the Board of Directors with non-voting rights
• One (1) youth member residing on the Lower North Shore, between the ages of sixteen (16) to thirty-five (35), with voting rights, to represent the youth of the Lower North Shore.
• One (1) physically challenged member residing on the Lower North Shore with voting rights, to represent the physically challenged population of the Lower North Shore
• One (1) senior member residing on the Lower North Shore, aged fifty-five plus (55+), with voting rights, to represent the seniors on the Lower North Shore

The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee oversees the general operations of the Coasters Association. It carries out all the functions defined by the Board of Directors. The officers of the Executive Committee consist of one member from each municipality and are chosen from the members of the Board of Directors.

Officers of the Executive Committee are:

• President
• Vice-President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• One (1) Member
• Immediate Past President (no voting powers)
• Full-time staff members (Executive Director, Finance Officer, Office Manager) non-voting powers)

President:

The President is the chief Executive Officer of the Coasters Association. He or she presides over all meetings of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, signs all requisite documents, fulfils all the requirements of his/her position, and exercises those powers which may be attributed to him/her by the Board of Directors. In addition, the president certifies extracts of the papers given to his/her care.

Vice-President:

In the absence or the incapacity of the President, the Vice-President may replace him/her and exercise all powers and fulfil all functions of the President.

Secretary:

Under the direction of the Board of Directors, the Secretary is responsible for signing the minutes of the Annual General Meetings, Board of Directors Meetings, and Executive Committee Meetings.

Treasurer:

Under the direction of the Board of Directors, the Treasurer is responsible for Administrative and financial management of the Association