Annual General Meeting 2016 EST: 1891

AGENDA Annual General Meeting November 19, 2016 Lions Senior Centre, Edmonton

A. Administration 1. Call to order 2. Attendance / Absent 3. Agenda a. Amendments / Additions b. Motion to adopt the agenda

4. Previous Meeting

a. Review of minutes from November 7, 2015 b. Motion to adopt 2014-15 AGM Meeting Minutes

B. Board Reports and Questions from the Membership 1. President 2. Treasurer 3. Secretary 4. VP Administration 5. VP Ellerslie 6. VP Rugby 7. Director of Discipline 8. ERURS 9. Members at Large Motion to confirm the reports as presented

C. Electi on of Officers / term still remaining

President - 2 year term and open for election Treasurer - 1 year remaining in term VP Administration - 2 year term and open for election Secretary - 1 year remaining in term VP Ellerslie - 2 year term and open for election VP Rugby - 1 year remaining in term Director of Discipline - 2 year term and open for election VP Juniors - 1 year term and open for election Members at Large - maximum 3 positions available - 1 year term

D. Selection of auditor(s)

Motion to Adjourn Bylaws The Edmonton Rugby Union Constitution / By-Laws

1. Name

1.1 The name of the Society is “THE EDMONTON RUGBY UNION,” referred to as the ERU.

2. Objects and By-Laws

2.1 To administer, control, organize, encourage and promote all aspects of the game Rugby Football in Central and Northern at Mini, Junior and Senior levels for both males and females. 2.2 To develop programs that will improve the standard and quality of play, coaching and officiating of amateur rugby football for all age levels. 2.3 To plan, organize and coordinate the various matches, competitions, programs and activities among the member clubs and associated junior levels. 2.4 To encourage fair competition and arrange matches and tours for Representative sides and any other matches which the ERU may deem necessary. 2.5 To obtain income to cover all the annual costs of operating the various activities of the ERU. 2.6 To assist member clubs and recognized affiliates so far as possible in the obtaining of playing fields and facilities.

3. Affiliations

3.1 The ERU shall have power to belong to other societies or associations similar or beneficial to the ERU. The ERU may be a member of the Alberta Rugby Football Union and/or and Rugby .

4. Membership

4.1 Classification of Memberships: The ERU may admit to membership, subject to the following, Persons, associations or organizations including Union Clubs, Associated Members, Honorary Life Members, Affiliated Universities, Colleges or Schools. 4.2 A Member Club: Membership is open to any amateur rugby club or similar organization provided that: (1) A Senior Team regularly plays matches and has done so for two or more complete seasons. A Senior Team shall be defined as a team which pays the appropriate dues to the ERU. (2) It is administered by a Committee appointed by its members at a duly convened Annual Meeting. (3) It conforms with the Laws of the game of Rugby Football as laid down by the International Board, the Canadian Rugby Union, the Alberta Rugby Union, and the Edmonton Rugby Union. (4) It has permanent mailing address being either its premises or a postal box number. (5) It pays any fee required by the ERU. (6) It makes application in writing to the ERU and is proposed and seconded by two member clubs, and is approved by a majority vote of approval at a general meeting. 4.3 An Affiliated Club (1) Membership is open to any Rugby Club which plays its home matches in an area within the jurisdiction of the ERU provided that: It complies with Clauses 4.2.2 to 4.2.6 inclusive and 4.5.1 (2) The affiliate member club pays any annual dues levied by the Board. An Affiliate Member Club shall have the privilege to relieve notice of and to attend all general meetings of the ERU but shall not have any voting rights. 4.4 A Referees Society Membership is open to any referees’ society in good standing provided that: It complies with Clauses 4.2.2 to 4.2.6 inclusive. 4.5 An Associate Member

Page 1 of 8 The Edmonton Rugby Union Constitution / By-Laws

(1) Membership is open to any organization interested in the game provided that: The associate members pay any annual dues levied by the Board. An Associate Member shall have the privilege to receive notice of and to attend all general meetings of the ERU but shall not have any voting rights. 4.6 An Honorary Life Member (1) At any General Meeting the Board may propose to the membership that any individual, because of his interest, support and service to the game and the ERU, be elected an Honorary Life Member. If elected by a simple majority such as an Honorary Life Member shall have the rights of an Associate Member but shall pay no dues. (2) All Life Members currently recognized by the ERU shall have the same privileges and rights as the new Honorary Life Members recognized in 4.6.1. 4.7 An affiliated University, College or School (1) Any university, college, high school or junior high school in central and northern Alberta may become an affiliated provided that: (a) it has one or more rugby teams (b) it pays annual dues that may by approved by the ERU board (2) Such affiliated organizations shall have the same rights as an affiliated member as outlined under 4.3.(2)

5. Conditions for Membership in Good Standing

5.1 A member organization, union club, affiliated club or referees ‘society shall continue in membership and remain in good standing provided that: (a) It pays the annual dues fixed each year by the ERU and pays any monies owing to the ERU within a reasonable time after receipt of notice from the Treasurer. (b) It continues to be involved in rugby at any level: Mini, Youth, Junior, College, University, Senior, and Old Boys/Ladies. (c) It maintains a permanent mailing address and informs the ERU Secretary immediately of any change. 5.2 Persons, clubs, associations or organizations shall cease to be a member of the Union: (1) By delivering a resignation in writing to the Secretary, or by mailing or delivering it to the address of the ERU, or (2) On his/her death, or in the case of associations or organizations, on dissolution, or (3) On being expelled, or (4) On having been a member not in good standing for twenty four consecutive months.

6. Annual General Meeting

6.1 Time of Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the ERU shall be held each during the period from November 1st to December 15th 6.2 Notification All members of the ERU and all members of the Board shall be notified in writing by the Secretary at least 21 days in advance of the time, place and agenda of the Annual General Meeting. 6.3 Voting Rights (1) Persons entitled to make motions and to vote shall be: (a) one representative, to a maximum of five per club, for each member club, based on the number of teams in good standing during the previous season. (b) one representative of each member referees society N.B. (Non-Board) Motions will be circulated, in writing, no later than 14 days prior to a special or annual general meeting to each member organization. Floor motions will be allowed if cosigned by 4 club presidents or their designates.

Page 2 of 8 The Edmonton Rugby Union Constitution / By-Laws

(2) Voting by proxy is not permitted. Senior teams from the same club may appoint representatives to carry one vote each, providing the total number of votes does not exceed the number of votes outlined in 6.3.1 (a). (3) Each voting representative, before being entitled to vote shall present to the Secretary a written notice of his/her appointment from the member organization which he/she represents. (4) Any member of the Board shall be entitled to speak to but shall not be entitled to make motions or to vote, except: (a) in the case of the Chairman of the Meeting only as outlined in 6.4.3, or (b) a member of the Board who is a voting representative as described above in Clause 6.3.1. 6.4 Voting Procedures (1) Voting shall be by show of hands, unless a secret ballot is requested by any one voting representative. (2) All motions, unless otherwise required by the By-Laws, shall be decided by a simple majority. (3) In the case of an equality of votes the Chairman of the Meeting shall have the deciding vote. 6.5 Quorum and Procedure (1) The presence of voting representatives holding 51 per cent of the total number of authorized votes shall form a quorum. (2) Unless inconsistent with these By-Laws, procedure shall follow Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (1970). (3) The President of the ERU elected at the previous Annual General Meeting shall be the Chairman of the Meeting or in his/her absence a Vice President and in his/her absence a Chairman shall be elected at the Meeting.

7. Special General Meeting

7.1 Special General Meeting Requested by members The Secretary of the ERU shall convene a Special General Meeting if at any time he/she receives a requisition to that effect signed by not less than 30 percent of the voting membership. 7.2 Special General Meeting Requested by the Board The Board shall have the power at any time to convene a Special General Meeting for the transaction of such business as it considers necessary or expedient in the interests of the ERU’s proposals for revision of the objects and By-Laws. 7.3 Notification of the Special General Meeting All members of the ERU and all members of the Board shall be notified in writing at least 21 days in advance of the date, place and time of a Special General Meeting and of the business proposed to be transacted. 7.4 Voting rights, Procedures and a Quorum at any Special General Meeting shall be as described for an Annual General Meeting in Clauses 6.3, 6.4 and 6.5.

8. Appointment and Removal of Officers

8.1 Officers The ERU shall be directed by an Executive Board which shall consist of the following officers: (1) Officers elected at the Annual General Meeting (a) President (b) Vice President/Administration (c) Vice President/Rugby (d) Vice President/Ellerslie (e) Treasurer (f) Secretary

Page 3 of 8 The Edmonton Rugby Union Constitution / By-Laws

(g) Director Discipline All above positions are subject to re-election after two years. The President, Vice President/Administration, Vice President/Ellerslie, and Director Discipline will be elected in the even years. Vice President/Rugby, Treasurer, and Secretary will be elected in the odd years. (h) Three Directors at Large The three Directors at Large are one-year terms. (2) Officer – President of the Referees’ Society The Referees’ representative on the board will be the President or their designate. (3) Alberta Rugby Union Directors The President of the ERU or their designate shall be the Edmonton representative on the Rugby Alberta Board. (4) Other Officers (a) Immediate Past President (5) Individuals deemed necessary for the effective functioning of the Board to a maximum of three in instances where three Directors at Large are not elected. 8.2 Powers of the Board The Board shall administer and control all of the affairs of the ERU and shall have full power to take such action, including the investment of the ERU funds, as it shall consider necessary to achieve the objects of the ERU, subject to any limitations placed upon it by the membership at a General Meeting. Except with the written consent of 80 percent of the members entitled to vote on the issue, the Board of Directors shall not authorize the ERU to: (a) take or institute any proceedings for the winding up, reorganization or dissolution of the ERU; (b) amalgamate or merge with any person or organization; (c) increase or decrease the authorized or issued capital of the ERU or alter its capital structure in any way except as specifically required by this agreement; (d) enter into any financial commitment of any type whatsoever including, without limitation, any purchase, sale, lease, loan, borrowing or expenditure where such financial commitment, individually, is in excess of the sum of Twenty Five Thousand ($25, 000) Dollars; or (e) purchase, lease or otherwise 8.3 Vacancies on the Board Any vacancy occurring during the year on the Board, for any reason, may be filled by the Board appointing a replacement until the next Annual General Meeting. 8.4 Voting Rights at Board Meetings All the aforementioned Directors of the Board, except any paid employee and excluding those officers described in 8.1.5, shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of the Board. 8.5 Voting Procedures at Board Meetings (1) Voting shall be by a show of hands unless a secret ballot is requested by any one of the voting representative. (2) All motions, unless otherwise required in these By-Laws, shall be decided by a simple majority. (3) In the case of an equality of votes, the Chairman of the Meeting shall have the deciding vote. 8.6 Quorum and Procedure at Board Meetings (1) A quorum at all meetings of the Board shall be one-half of the voting Directors of the Board. (2) Unless inconsistent with these By-Laws, procedure at meetings shall follow Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (1970). 8.7 Nomination of Officers (1) Prior to Annual General Meeting each year the Board shall appoint a Committee to obtain nominations for positions that will be vacant. Nominations from the floor may also be accepted each year for the following officers: (a) President

Page 4 of 8 The Edmonton Rugby Union Constitution / By-Laws

(b) Vice President/Administration (c) Vice President/Rugby (d) Vice President/Ellerslie (e) Treasurer (f) Secretary (g) Director Discipline (h) Three Directors at Large (2) The Chief Electoral Officer appointed at the meeting shall conduct the elections at the Annual General Meeting and shall present the names of officers and directors nominated for election to the meeting. (3) Nominations may be accepted from the floor at the Annual General Meeting for any position provided: (a) the nomination is made by a voting member (b) the nominee, if present, indicates his/her willingness to stand for office (c) the nominee, if not present, has a voting member submit his/her written consent to the meeting. (4) The elections shall be decided by a simple majority and in case of an equality of votes the Chief Electoral Officer shall be entitled to and shall give a deciding vote. 8.8 8.9 Removal from Office The members may, by special resolution at either a General Meeting or a Special General Meeting, remove any officer or director before the expiration of his/her term of office and may elect a successor to complete the term of office.

9. Exercise of Borrowing Power

9.1 In order to carry out the purposes of the ERU the Executive Board may, on behalf of an in the name of the ERU, raise or secure the payment or repayment of money in such manner as they decide. 9.2 The members may by special resolution restrict the borrowing powers of the Executive Board as outlined in 8.2

10. Duties of the Board Officers

10.1 The duties of the officers and directors of the Board shall be defined in the ERU Policies and Procedures Manual.

11. Committees

11.1 The Board, or the President, may if they consider it necessary appoint standing or subcommittees to which may be delegated such specific objectives as they consider proper. 11.2 Such committees may: (1) be delegated specific powers by the Board or the President in order to obtain their objectives, such powers not to exceed those of the Board or the President. (2) be required to consider and make recommendations regarding their objectives to the Board or the President.

12. Discipline and Disputes

12.1 The Board shall have the power to discipline: (1) any member club team or club official (2) any player, referee, touch judge or spectator (3) any officer of the Board (4) any employee or individual member of the ERU (5) any member of a visiting club or team

Page 5 of 8 The Edmonton Rugby Union Constitution / By-Laws

For infringement of any ERU By-Law, Law of the Game or for any conduct or behavior which in the opinion of the Board is prejudicial to the interest of the ERU or the Game. 12.2 The Board may act as a discipline committee or the President may appoint and delegate a separate discipline committee composed of members of the Board and/or others to administer discipline. 12.3 The discipline committee shall have the power to: (1) determine its own procedure and what evidence it will hear with the exception of player discipline on the field, in which case the current ERU discipline procedure as outlined in the ERU Policies and Procedures Manual will apply. (2) call witnesses, hear representations, and may at its own discretion hear statements from any other person or persons relating to the incident in question. (3) proceed in the absence of the accused party if satisfied that such party has had sufficient notice of the time and place of the hearing (4) decide upon what action, if any, is to be taken. A decision of the majority of the committee shall be the decision of the committee 12.4 The Board may delegate its power of discipline for: (1) all matches and activities under its jurisdiction (2) all club and representative matches (3) all matches with visiting clubs or teams except the Board shall: Hear and rule on appeals against the disciplinary decisions of its own discipline committee. 12.5 Misconduct A person or party is subject to any one of the following: (1) An absolute discharge: wherein no further action is to be taken and the proceedings not referable in any subsequent hearing. (2) A conditional discharge: wherein no action is to be taken but the incident is recorded and may be taken into account in any subsequent proceedings. (3) Fine: wherein the accused party is required to pay a fine in money. (4) A period of suspension: wherein the accused party is prohibited from playing and/or taking part in the administration of the game of rugby for a specified period of time and may be required to comply with additional terms and conditions. (5) Expulsion: wherein the accused party is prohibited from playing and/or taking part in the administration of the game of rugby and is expelled from membership. 12.6 Appeals (1) The discipline committee may take disciplinary against any member club or individual member of such club for actions that are deemed detrimental to the sport of amateur rugby football. Any disciplinary action taken may be appealed to the full committee of the Edmonton Rugby Union, and if satisfaction is still not received, to the Board of Directors of the Alberta Rugby Union. 12.7 No club or player shall knowingly play in any match with any fixture with a club which has been formed by members of one suspended or expelled by the Board. 12.8 Expulsion A member may be expelled by a special resolution passed by three quarters of the voting members present at a Special General Meeting. 12.9 The discipline committee must examine any written discipline complaint brought to its attention within 14 days.

13. Termination Of Existence

13.1 In the event of the dissolution of the ERU, all assets, after the discharge of the liabilities and payment of all debts, any remaining money or assets of the ERU shall be distributed as follows: (a) If the game of amateur rugby football is being played in Edmonton or within 25 miles of the boundaries of Edmonton at the time of dissolution, liquidation or winding up, the assets of the ERU shall be distributed for the purpose of advancing the game of amateur rugby football;

Page 6 of 8 The Edmonton Rugby Union Constitution / By-Laws

(b) If amateur rugby football is no longer being played in Edmonton or within 25 of the boundaries of Edmonton a the time of dissolution, liquidation or winding up, the assets of the ERU shall be distributed or disposed of for the purposes of advancing amateur sport or to charitable organization or to other organizations, the objects of which are beneficial to the community.

14. Interpretation Of The Objects And By-Laws

14.1 Any difference of opinion which may arise as to the meaning of any part of the Objects or By-Laws shall be resolved by the Chairman at a General Meeting. Such resolution shall be deemed to be the meaning of that part of the Objects or By-Laws until such time as the majority of members voting at a General Meeting otherwise direct.

15. Amendment of The Objects and By-Laws

15.1 The Objects and By-Laws shall only be amended at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special Meeting called expressly for the purpose. 15.2 Suggested amendments must be proposed and seconded by two members and submitted in 28 days before the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be presented. 15.3 Notice of the suggested amendments must be sent by the Secretary to all members and members of the Board with the notice of the General Meeting. 15.4 No motion proposing the amendment of these Objects or By-Laws shall be passed unless it receives the consent of two thirds majority of the votes at a General Meeting.

16. Remuneration

16.1 There shall be no remuneration of officers, directors or members.

17. Books and Records

17.1 The books and records of the Edmonton Rugby Union shall be audited annually. The selection of an auditor shall take place at the Annual General Meeting of the Edmonton Rugby Union. The books and records of the Edmonton Rugby Union may be inspected by any member of any member club at the Annual General Meeting or upon giving reasonable notice and arranging a time, satisfactory to the Treasurer. Each member of the Union committee shall at all times have access to such books and records.

18. Indemnity

18.1 Subject to the limitations contained in the Societies Act, the ERU shall indemnify a Board member or Officer, a former Board member or Officer, or a person who acts or acted at the ERU’s request as a Board member or Officer of a Society of which the ERU is or was a member or creditor, or a person who undertakes or has undertaken any liability on behalf of the ERU or any such Society, and his heirs and legal representatives, against all costs, charges and expenses, including an amount paid to settle an action or proceeding to which he is made a party by reason of being or having been a Board member or Officer of the Corporation, or undertaking or having undertaken any liability on behalf of the Corporation or any such body corporate, if; (a) he acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the ERU; and (b) in the case of a criminal or administrative action or proceeding that is enforced by a monetary penalty, he had reasonable grounds for believing that his conduct was lawful.

Page 7 of 8 The Edmonton Rugby Union Constitution / By-Laws

19. Ellerslie Rugby Park

The Edmonton Rugby Union acknowledges that it hold title to 10950 Ellerslie Road, Edmonton (Plan 2146 T.R., Block 2, Lot 22) as trustee for the benefit of Ellerslie Rugby Park Incorporated only, and that the Edmonton Rugby Union will transfer title to the property for One ($1.00) Dollar to Ellerslie Rugby Park Incorporated forthwith upon written notice from Ellerslie Rugby Park Incorporated of its request for transfer of title. This Resolution is irrevocable. Nb: Transfer of title includes all encumbrances.

These By-Laws were adopted by special resolution passed at a meeting of the members of the Edmonton Rugby Union on November 26, 2011 at Ellerslie Rugby Park and were endorsed by the following Board Members:

President Ron Allen Vice President/Administration Kady Martin Vice President/Rugby Jo Reinbold Vice President/Ellerslie Judy Seddon Treasurer (vacant) Secretary Nikki Cloutier Director Discipline Mike Dowell Director at Large Chuck Bonsant Director at Large Brent Gallagher Director at Large Trevor Macaulay

The Registrar of Companies of the Province of Alberta issued a Certificate of Incorporation under the “Societies Act” on October 9, 1991. Registration number 50004708.

Page 8 of 8 2015 AGM Minutes Title: Edmonton Rugby Union Annual General Meeting Date / Time: November 7, 2015 Location: Ellerslie Rugby Park – 11004 9 Ave SW, Edmonton, AB Recorder: Stacey Gallagher President Mike Brown ü VP Ellerslie Judy Seddon ü Member at Large Jasmine Fleming ü VP Rugby Treasurer Jordan Stinn ü Jo Reinbold ü Member at Large Peter Weran ü Board of (Senior) Directors: Secretary Stacey Gallagher ü ERURS Paul Cassidy ü Member at Large Cam Wilton ü Director of VP Admin Michael O’Connor ü Ron Allen ü Discipline ITEM DISCUSSION GENERAL Tamara Kulyk (Clan), Alexa Fleming (Pirates), Anna Lawton (Pirates), Sean LeLacheur (SARFC), Aaron Tackel (Clan), Adam Bolton (LA Crude), Brent Gallagher (Druids), Robert Burstall (Pirates), Ryan Winterton (LT’s), Cam Wilton (LT’s/AJRA), Ashley Holtz (NWAA), Judy Seddon (Cold Lake), Jeremy Kyne (Druids), Michael Cannon (Reapers), Cassidy Dueck (Reapers), Jordan Stinn (ERU/LT’s), Danielle Weran (Guest), Jasmine Fleming (SARFC/ERU), Jacqueline LeBlanc (LA Crude), George Thomlison (NWAA), Julian Gauthier (Sharks), Jeff Berg (NWAA), Levi Fournel (Pirates), Anibal Parisi (Pirates), Clayton Brower (Pirates), Ravin Ahrens (Druids), Juliette Bradley (SARFC), Cam Reirson (LA Crude), Ron Allen (Clan/ERU), Matthew Dean (Clan), Steff Hoffman (LT’s), Attendees: Kim McAthy (LT’s), Devin Vandenberg (Clan), Liam Mills (Druids), Paul Cassidy (ERURS), Gary Wald (Clan), Steve Saunders (Clan), Mick Graham (ERURS), Terence Chan (LT’s), Stacey Gallagher (Druids/ERU), Michael O’Connor (Sharks/ERU), Brittany Demers (NWAA), Jo Reinbold (Rockers/ERU)

Regrets: Axmen (1 Vote), Centaurs (3 Votes),

• Meeting call to order at 1:15 p.m. • Motioned by Peter Weran, Seconded by Mike Brown Administration • Quorum has been met • Motion to accept 2014 AGM Minutes • Motioned by SARFC, Seconded by NWAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President • See attached report

Treasurer • See attached report

ERU Meeting Summary Page 1 of 3 December 3, 2015

Secretary • No report to give

VP Administration • See attached report

VP Ellerslie • See attached report

VP Rugby (Seniors) • See attached report

Director of • See attached report Discipline ERURS • See attached report

Members at Large • No report to give (Jasmine) Member at Large • See attached report (Cam) Member at Large • See attached report (Peter) • Following a motion by the Druids, seconded by GP Centaurs and Parkland Rugby Club, the ERU By-Laws were amended to include a By-Law Amendment new officer, the VP Juniors. Members at Large • Jeff Berg • Tamara Kulyk • Danielle Weran Secretary • Jasmine Fleming and Stacey Gallagher nominated Nominations and • Vote taken – Jasmine Fleming fills position of Secretary Voting Treasurer • Juliette Bradley VP Rugby (Senior) • Jo Reinbold and Brent Gallagher (nominated by Ravic Ahrens, seconded by Liam Mills) nominated • Vote taken – Jo Reinbold remains in the position VP Rugby (Junior) • Peter Weran (nominated by George Thomlison, seconded by Jasmine Fleming) and Cam Wilton (nominated by Pirates, seconded

ERU Meeting Summary Page 2 of 3 December 3, 2015

by LA Crude) nominated • Vote taken – Peter Weran fills position of VP Rugby (Juniors) Auditors • Alexa Fleming (Pirates) • Gary Wald (Clan) CONCLUSION Adjournment • Not recorded

ERU Meeting Summary Page 3 of 3 December 3, 2015

2016 ERU Club Votes

Axmen - 1 vote Centaurs/Sirens - 3 votes Clansmen -4 votes Druids -4 votes Knights - 1 vote LA Crude -3 votes Lep\Tigers - 4 votes NWAA -4 votes Penguins - 1.5 vote Pirates -2 votes Reapers - 1.5 votes Riggers - 1 vote Rockers - 1 vote Sharks - 2 votes St Albert -3 votes TOTAL = 36 2016 Director’s Reports

2016 Presidents Report

2016 was a great year for rugby in and around the ERU, we had many successes on and off the pitch.

Our Junior program is one of the best in the country, we have dedicated staff and volunteers that provide opportunities to many young adults and children to evolve through our pathway. The junior rugby administration team should be commended on their tireless efforts to grow the game within our union and region. The constant battle is competing programs within our union that continually compete for our athletes based on promises of identification and opportunities that seldom come to fruition. Moving forward the new executive needs to be clear of the pathway and how best for our young athletes to progress through regional, provincial and national ranks.

Senior Rugby numbers have plateaued in most areas and constant attention needs to be given to the people who commit many hours and efforts to sustain the involvement of senior rugby registrations. As always gender equality needs to be at the forefront as Women’s rugby is a growing demographic that brings attention to the game through National Team success at the World Cup and Olympic 7’s. Giving our senior players the opportunity to play at a high level whether it through bringing competition in or creating tours will keep senior ERU teams strong and create a form of community among the clubs. Bringing in the Blues to play the Alberta Selects is a perfect example of how we can provide a platform for our young players to gain opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t have presented themselves.

Judy and the staff at Ellerslie Rugby Park should be commended for their great work once again. We have one of the best facilities at our disposal and events continue to be booked within and outside of rugby. Edmonton Rugbyfest 7’s was a success despite the weather, City Championships weekend, Super Saturdays and many other big rugby weekends are always a success because of the professionalism and commitment of everyone at the ERP.

I have sat on the ERU board for the last eight (8) years and it has been very fulfilling and rewarding. Unfortunately with a young family and a growing business outside of Edmonton I wasn’t able to commit the time and energy the Presidents position deserves and demands. The success of the union is attributed to the efforts of the board, they are the people behind the scenes that make everything tick, without them we are nothing. I would like to personally thank all members of the board for carrying my weight the last six months, it was a privilege to work beside you and I wish you all continued success. I hope to see all of you on a touch line soon and look forward to the ERU being on the forefront of rugby for years to come.

Yours in Rugby,

Michael Brown President ERU

I am happy to report that 2015-2016 was a great year to be the VP Admin! Our board worked very collegially together, and my duties as chair of our meetings were a breeze. Chairing the meetings included running them, circulating requests for agenda items, circulating final agendas, as well as taking part in the distribution of draft & completed minutes. I undertook these last four duties with the capable assistance of our Secretary. This is only one example of the collegiality of our board. I believe that the ability of our board to work so well together helped us all to do good work, and ultimately enabled us to advance the interests of the Edmonton Rugby Union, and promote our great sport within northern Alberta.

Along that vein, I can say that I fielded many emailed inquiries from parents of prospective players who wanted to know where they could register their children. While telling them it did not really matter which team they registered with, I generally referred them to the team that they were in closest geographical proximity to. It was truly heartening to see that so many new people were interested in rugby union.

Unfortunately, on the other hand, I did receive what I perceived to be more requests for funding or reimbursement. I suspect that, at least in some cases, this was a reflection of diminished economic circumstances in the province. As a member of the board, I assisted with evaluating each application against criteria for funding or reimbursement which I drafted, and the board helped refine. As VP Admin, I was responsible for letting applicants know if their submissions were successful or not. At the end of the day, we tried to help promote access to the game & opportunities for our members to advance their skills but, we could not meet every request. In instances where applications were denied, I referred applicants to other sources of potential funding. I am hopeful that unsuccessful applicants were able to get some funding through these other sources.

On a more pleasant note, a large part of my duties as VP Admin involved acknowledging the achievements of our ERU members through trophy collection, maintenance, and updating. I was pleased to see individuals and clubs succeeding and, in this capacity, I was constantly reminded of the amount of talent and number of committed people we have in the ERU.

I am not standing for re-election for 2016-2017 but, I know that the board remains in capable, committed hands. I would like to thank my colleagues over the past 4 years for how they accepted, mentored, and encouraged me, and I wish all of them ; along with new board members, success in the coming year.

Michael O’Connor

VP Admin

Ellerslie Rugby Park 2015/2016

The following chart shows the locations of the 339 regular league & playoff games in the various ERU age grades; U21, U17, U19, Senior Men and Women.

301 League & Playoff Game for teams in ERU Sr Men & Women, U21 Men, Boy & Girls U17 & U18 Airways 26 Lep/Tigers 24 Cold Lake 9 Lloydminster 7 Drayton Valley 2 NorWesters 30 Edson 6 Pirates 9 ERP 55 Southern Alberta 46 Fort McMurray 0 St Albert 28 Grande Prairie 16 Stony Plain 0 Leduc 12 Strathcona Druids 31

In addition the ERP provided fields for: . 33 High School Games . Rugbyfest 7’s Tournament . EPSB Junior High Flag Tournament . Challenge Cup (juniors) . 10 Saturday morning Junior (Mini) Festivals . Touring sides (Bedford School x 3 teams and Ontario Selects Sr. men) . 3 Saturday sessions for Junior Fall 7’s

The Ellerslie Rugby Park Inc. supports rugby the best it can by means of its catering and rental operations. Unfortunately the rugby side of the business comprises ~80% of the expenses and less than 20% of the revenue.

Bookings remain strong; the facility face-lift has folks booking immediately after a viewing with no hesitation. Most of the weekends in 2015/16 are already sold and these are booked one to two years in advance. Dates for Super Saturdays, Rugbyfest, City/Provincial Finals and historical dates for club annual dinners have been blocked off.

We are blessed with a long-standing, efficient and supportive employee team that provides our membership the ability to concentrate on the sport, long-term goals and not worry so much about day-to-day operations. I know you join with me in saying a great big “thank-you” to Manager Carmen Maday and her staff.

Judy Seddon VP Ellerslie

2016 Registration Numbers by Club, as provided by Rugby Alberta

U7 U9 U11 U13 U15 U17 U18 U19 Senior Coaches Referee Masters Visitors Rec League Total # FMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMby Club CLUB Antediluvians 0000000000000000000000038000038 Clansmen 56474107189130404900408657000031412294 Cold Lake 00000000000000001734000000000051 Druids 3 9 1 11 1 11 3 15 9 20 9 28 3 10 0 0 32 54 160000322211264 Edson 0000000000000000033000000110035 Ft. McMurray 0000000000000000215010000160025 Gr. Prairie 00000000000000003151000000351017117 Leduc 0100010042000000841000000290068 Lep/Tigers 00004140000000000617133010362211190 Lloydminster 0000000000001100234000000590052 Nor'Westers 8 17 1 12 4 19 3 22 8 18 32 26 11 11 0 0 25 89 0600028900331 Pirates 13331000100100002929110000461488 Riggers 00248100000400000060001000170052 Rockers 4000000010000000240100000303238 Sharks 0336110000001430012290000001530191 St. Albert 16 41 10 21 8 32 8 27 20 21 6 5 12 18 0 0 30 68 3 10 000072100384 Airdrie 00000000001000006110001001100 21 Banff 00000000000000000350000000800 43 Canucks 12113217125338000450008815010001100254 Cobras 00000000000000000000000200100 21 Bow Valley 81231421711911743118000340500005954182 Hornets 71662452992613440334410005178013010061600431 Irish 2911021325613027281600347500010042500273 Lethbridge 00000000000040002037001000181000 90 Lions 2811001411416230017290002501000022000183 Cgy. Knights 00000000000000000430200000100 46 Rams 0000000010002700059861101007400187 Saints 1188242254341250011400337701010041110285 Saracens 41641677454300002408384818000031200239 Titans 1801361301514250029230031510400005923252 Medicine Hat 000000000000020001900100001000 32 RAMOA 00000000000000000000860000000 68 Rugby Alberta 000000000000000013350004243871131

U7 U9 U11 U13 U15 U17 U18 U19 Senior Coaches Referees Masters Visitors Rec League Total # FMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFM/Union Male Female ERU 37 80 24 64 31 98 21 82 52 74 51 100 45 52 0 0 313 640 14 34 0 2 0 43 61 144 18 38 2118 1451 635 CRU 26 89 24 124 26 135 22 143 59 215 5 63 161 171 0 8 272 707 3 50 2 6 0 20 55 148 8 7 2549 1886 663 Rugby Alberta ALL MINORS ALL JUNIORS SENIORS COACHES REFEREES MASTERS VISITORS Rec League 758 1324 1932 101 78 63 408 180 Total: 4844 Comparative Registration Report by Year

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 All 3416 3389 3506 3626 3914 4083 3589 4286 4722 4844 Minors 496 439 402 433 450 499 483 542 673 758 Juniors 986 947 943 972 1497 1520 1327 1365 1501 1324 Seniors 1934 1837 1858 1870 1922 1964 1701 1900 1811 1932 Visitor 00000033165127408 Masters 0 0 0 64 45 50 84 70 37 63 Rec League 180

Graph showing Club Registrations Comparative Registration Report by Year

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0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

All Minors Juniors Seniors Visitor Masters Rec Leauge

VP Rugby 2016

2016 saw some growth with clubs and some other clubs were struggling. The fires in Fort McMurray took the Knights out of the league but I am confident they will be back next season, strong and united.

The U21 league continued with 5 clubs participating this year. I believe this division is getting stronger and helping to transition some young players into the senior divisions. The plan was to have some U23 GOLD games again this year but the CRU and the other prairie provinces were not as organized as we were and we only had the one game against the Mavericks which we won.

Our senior men’s and women’s leagues are struggling for numbers and clubs are having a difficult time fielding 2-3 teams on the same day. This is one of the reasons that when teams drop out of the league or default games clubs end up with 4 week breaks. Once the clubs get stronger and can field multiple teams on the same day then the schedule will not be so spread out because of travelling teams.

The Canadian Rugby Championship for senior men saw 7 players from the ERU represent the Prairie Wolf Pack this season. We narrowly lost the league to Ontario by one point. This league is still important to as they select new players for the fall and spring ARC games.

The senior women played as the Prairie Wolf Pack team with 13 players from the ERU. They did not have a great tournament and placed 4th out of 5 teams.

The national women’s 7’s team won the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics and our own has become an international hero. She has inspired female athletes to be strong, fit athletes and will continue with the team this winter on the World Rugby 7’s series. I am extremely proud of her and her accomplishments.

In closing, I would like to thank the players, coaches, referees, trainers and administrators who enjoy this great sport and work diligently to keep it on the field. Thanks to the ERU board for all your support throughout the season and your commitment to rugby. To the Ellerslie Rugby Park staff – you are by far the best in the country and go beyond your duties to assist us in showcasing our game. Thank you for your efforts in making this a world class facility.

Jo Reinbold November 2016

National Players Women's 7's Jen Kish Rockers Men's 15's Kyle Gilmour St Albert Women's 15's Chelsea Guthrie Druids U20 Women Savannah Dubien Rockers Mckenzie Pusch St. Albert

Prairie Wolf Pack – Senior Men

Casey Reed – Clansmen Rugby Club Peter Houlihan- Druids Rugby Club Jonny Clarke – Druids rugby Club Kyle Morrison – Nor’Westers Rugby Club Adam Bontus - St. Albert Rugby Football Club Jake Robinson - St. Albert Rugby Football Club Matt Harrison - St. Albert Rugby Football Club

Prairie Wolf Pack - Senior Women

Karlee Walters – Pirates Carmen Hobbs – Strathcona Druids Abby Duguid – Strathcona Druids Sara Haring – Strathcona Druids Elizabeth Steele – Lep\Tigers Chelsea Guthrie – Strathcona Druids Allison Fairbairn - Strathcona Druids Rebecca Fairbairn - Strathcona Druids Haley Khalib – Lep\Tigers Janelle Romanchuk – Lep\Tigers Amanda Smith – Lep\Tigers Janine Martin – Lep/Tigers Stephanie Hoffman – Lep/Tigers

U21 MEN'S DIVISION Team W L T Bonus PTS PTS Division

Clan U21 4 0 0 4 20 4-0-0

Druids U21 2 1 1 2 12 2-1-1

SARFC U21 2 1 1 2 12 2-1-1

NorWesters U21 1 3 0 3 7 1-3-0

Lep/Tigers U21 0 4 0 2 2 0-4-0

ALBERTA CUP - MEN'S FIRST DIVISION Team W L T Bonus PTS PTS Division

Hornets AC 12 0 0 11 59 12-0-0

St. Albert AC 9 2 0 12 48 9-2-0

Nor'Westers AC 7 4 0 11 39 7-4-0

Canucks AC 6 6 0 10 34 6-6-0

Druids AC 5 5 1 9 31 5-5-1

Rams AC 5 6 1 8 30 5-6-1

Clansmen AC 3 8 0 5 17 3-8-0

Irish AC 2 10 0 9 17 2-10-0

Saints AC 2 10 0 9 17 2-10-0

MEN'S 2ND DIVISION Team W L T Bonus PTS PTS Division

Lep/Tigers E2 7 1 0 8 36 7-1-0

LA Crude E2 6 2 0 4 28 6-2-0

NorWesters E2 4 3 0 5 21 4-3-0

Centaurs E2 2 5 0 2 10 2-5-0

Clansmen E2 0 8 0 3 3 0-8-0

Knights E2 0 0 0 0 0 0-0-0

Men's 3rd Division

Northern AB Men's 3rd Division - 2016 Regular Season Team W L T Bonus PTS PTS Division

Axmen E3 8 3 0 9 41 8-3-0

Sharks E3 8 3 0 9 41 8-3-0

Lep/Tigers E3 8 3 0 9 41 8-3-0

Reapers E3 7 3 1 7 37 7-3-1

Clansmen E3 6 4 1 7 33 6-4-1

Pirates E3 6 5 0 9 33 6-5-0

Druids E3 6 5 0 8 32 6-5-0

NorWesters E3 5 6 0 9 29 5-6-0

LA Crude E3 3 6 2 8 24 3-6-2

Centaurs E3 3 6 2 7 23 3-6-2

St Albert E3 2 9 0 8 16 2-9-0

Penguins E3 1 10 0 3 7 1-10-0

Alberta Women's Premier Division

Team W L T Bonus PTS PTS Division

Hornets AWP 12 0 0 11 59 12-0-0

Druids AWP 7 5 0 9 37 7-5-0

Lep-Tigers AWP 5 7 0 7 27 5-7-0

Rams AWP 0 12 0 2 2 0-12-0

Women Div 1

Team W L T Bonus PTS PTS Division

Pirates EW1 9 3 0 12 48 9-3-0

St Albert EW1 9 3 0 10 46 9-3-0

Clanswomen EW1 8 4 0 8 40 8-4-0

Crude/West EW1 3 9 0 4 16 3-9-0

Sirens EW1 1 11 0 6 10 1-11-0

Women Div 2

Team W L T Bonus PTS PTS Division

Lep/Tigers EW2 8 1 1 9 43 8-1-1

Druids EW2 7 2 1 8 38 7-2-1

Rockers EW2 6 4 0 6 30 6-4-0

Crude/West EW2 3 7 0 3 15 3-7-0

Penguins/Reapers EW2 3 7 0 3 15 3-7-0

Sharks EW2 2 8 0 6 14 2-8-0

2016 ERU AGM VP Juniors Report At the culmination of last year’s AGM the role pf VP juniors was set to take on an interim first year of focus on the unions junior programs. The year was set to determine both the validity of the role and its evolution for the coming years. I can confirm that this role is a vital necessity for the growth of our union and it is my opinion that the ERU should maintain it moving forward. In addition, the scope of the role continues to grow in relation to our need for expansion of junior rugby in

our province and union. I have broken down my report into three areas of focus. Each that originated with a goal at the beginning of the year, has been enacted and reflected upon, and has have a plan moving forward. Focus #1: - Goal: Growth of the Edmonton Gold junior rep program. As a member at large last year with a focus on junior rugby my report identified that we had a need to support and grow the Edmonton Gold junior programs by increasing the number of games offered for the teams, supporting and growing our winter academy program and the growth of player participation in our gold programs. - Reflection: This year saw reasonable success for all of these items to varying degrees. The number of the games for the Edmonton Gold programs increased significantly in this past year. Formerly only playing 1 game last year at all age grades and genders. This year the games played by the ERU teams increased to at least 5 games per team, to upwards of 8 games for some of them. This year’s Gold academy is also off to a strong start with increased enrollment from last year. As well as the introduction of a higher level academy for girls with the hopes and likelihood of an expansion to a higher level boys’ academy in the future. Finally, this year saw vast growth in the number of players attending and participating in the Edmonton Gold Junior programs. With over 60 participants at U18 girls, U16 girls and U16 boys. Due to the success of growth of these programs, there have been many positive outcomes including competition against other sub unions and regional teams. Most notably our U16 boys and U18 girls winning the ARC tournament, and our U16 girls finishing second by a single try. Our Union winning the junior Challenge cup for the first time. And having a significant increase in players selected to Alberta, Wolf Pack and Canada Camps and programs. Many of these accomplishments are due to our Representative Program DirectorRandi Ross Hamre and her vast amount of work.

- Future Plans: Due to this year’s vast growth, new challenges will be arising for our representative programs. With this increased demand for the continued support and growth of the Edmonton Junior Gold we will need to begin looking at allocating more resources to the programs. We need to identify and train a pool of coaches who can take on coaching roles in gold programs and operate them with integrity and transparency. There will also be a need to continue building and supporting our connection to the player pathway outlined by Rugby Canada and Rugby Alberta to help prepare our athletes to achieve higher level representative participation at an increased rate.

Focus #2: - Goal: Assessment of the status of our junior league and RDO program. With the newly created Junior Development Director position this year, we set out to understand the needs and strengths of our junior league and its operation. In addition to this we wanted to assess the status and effectiveness of our RDO program.

- Reflection: There were a number of challenges to our league this season. We found that we currently have limited resources available for the full operation and growth of the league. We are limited on available referees and athletic trainers to facilitate our games. Growth in these areas will be necessary if we hope to increase the size and depth of our junior leagues. In addition to this we have found that a reassessment of our RDO structure will be required in an effort to increase the growth of the number of youth and clubs participating in our junior leagues. While we do have the strength of being able to field teams in all of our age grades. Unfortunately, we do not have enough clubs participating in our junior leagues. Currently our league structure makes it somewhat difficult for clubs to start programs at most age groups. This past year was handled very well by our Junior Development Director Alanna Fittes

- Future Plans: Continued support of developing new referee numbers to increase the amount of referees available for our junior league. Inquiry into contracting a clinic to provide trainers for junior games. Reassessment of our RDO structure will be required in an effort to increase the growth of the number of youth and clubs participating in our junior leagues. Assessment of our league structure to provide more opportunities for clubs to start new junior programs to build off of and become successful.

Focus #3: - Goal: To develop a culture of cooperation among the clubs of the ERU for the growth of junior rugby. In order for our sport and programs to grow it is necessary for the clubs within our union to come together and work towards common goals. The initial focus for this first year was to unite our clubs behind the Gold programs and the player pathway. - Reflection: This year there have been significant strides in the growth of club support for ERU programs. Club representation was up across the board for all Edmonton Gold Rep teams, in players, coaching, and managing. For one of the first times it felt like all clubs had some form of a vested interest in the Gold programs. Many of our young players also began to hold the Edmonton Gold, and therefore the ERU as part of their identity. While we do not yet have full cooperation between our clubs, some major steps were taken to unifying our union in the pursuit of growth.

- Future Plans: While this year’s cooperation was focused primarily on our representative teams we would like to build upon this theme within our junior league as well. We need to find ways to help support the growth of rugby in our union for years to come. If we are able to provide growth to our representative programs through cooperation, we should be able to do the same with our junior league.

Needs of the union moving forward

The ERU has experienced many junior successes and challenges this past year. However, one major challenge currently stands in the way of our unions stability and growth. At all areas of junior rugby there is currently a lack of registered players and a lack of clubs fielding teams at the junior level. The primary focus of the VP of Junior Rugby moving forward, must be addressing this issue. A union wide strategy must be created to increase the number of registrations, and league structures need to be managed in a way that allows for the involvement and growth of new teams.

Peter Weran

VP Juniors

ERURS President’s Report 2016

It’s been another busy year for the Referee’s Society. We presided over more than 400 games as well as various tournaments and Mini’s Festivals.

My focus as President this year has been on development and recruitment. These elements go hand in hand and I am happy to say we have made progress on both fronts. We have had 33 formal coaching reports this year and well over a hundred informal coaching/mentoring sessions. We have also ranked all of the active referees so that we know where to most strategically apply coaching resources next year. There are some gaps in our capabilities that have come to light as a result of this process. I would like to acknowledge Dave Crisp’s mammoth efforts in leading these initiatives.

Our most significant recruitment success has been the Level 1 course we held exclusively for women. It has been a major step forward in raising the numbers of our tiny contingent of female match officials. Kristi Forsyth was the driver behind this course and received tremendous support from Randi Hamre. We look forward to repeating this course regularly.

Other milestones for 2016 are the purchase of new radios and the six-week development trip to Australia and New Zealand that we sent Robin Kaluzniak on. Both investments have paid dividends and will continue to do so.

Mick Graham

Treasurer's Report

This year is characterized by some strong investment in rugby programs with a 30% increase on the previous year. Highlights include: • Two members of staff responsible for the development of junior programs in the City, both regular and representative. • Supporting our elite athletes who are training, playing & travelling under the "Pay-to-Play model" by providing assistance with funds and by purchasing a new set of playing jerseys.

Whilst the spending of accumulated gaming funds, as mandated by the AGLC, is both positive and legitimate, and whilst we remain in a comfortable financial position, we cannot maintain this level of spending indefinitely, given that we also expect to see a sharper decrease in gaming revenue (bingo in particular). For the 2017 season, I am committed to investigating other income streams with my Board colleagues and / or looking at ways that we can cut expenses without compromising our rugby programs.

Juliette Bradley, ERU Treasurer November 15, 2016 2016 Financial Statements Please send an email request to the ERU Treasurer 2016 Election of Officers

President - 2 year term VP Admin - 2 year term VP Ellerslie - 2 year term Director of Discipline - 2 year term VP Juniors-1year term Members at Large - maximum 3 positions available - 1 year term

2016 Review of Continuing Executive

Treasurer - Juliette Bradley - 1 year remaining Secretary - Jasmine Fleming - 1 year remaining VP Rugby - Jo Reinbold - 1 year remaining