From: Elizabeth Chabassol, AHA Secretary
Volunteers are the heart blood of the Alberta Herbalist Association. Everything from the Board
of Directors to committees to our events is organized and run by volunteers. The time
commitment for volunteers varies depending on the position. Volunteering to become a
member of the Board of Directors requires nomination and election at the Annual General
Meeting, however, participation within a standing committee or helping with an event does
not.
**Nominate Yourself or another AHA Member for AHA Board Position Using this Form for 2022 Elections.**
Any member of the AHA can volunteer to work with a committee or event. In some cases,
the chair of an event may place a limit on volunteers due to the number of positions/jobs
involved. Below is a brief overview of our committees and board positions that are filled by
volunteers.
Committees
The AHA currently has 4 standing committees:
- Membership Committee
- Marketing Committee
- Events Committee
- Policy & Bylaw Committee
The Membership Committee is responsible for processing membership applications,
vetting professional applications to ensure compliance with educational standards,
sending out professional certificates, and dealing with questions related to membership.
This committee works closely with and is usually chaired by the Registrar.
The Marketing Committee is responsible for promotion of the association, especially
with respect to membership, advertising of events, professional member profiles (as
permitted by the member), promotion of business members and production of the
quarterly newsletter.
The Events Committee is responsible for the creation and organization of all AHA
events. Past events include: the Alberta Herb Gathering, Photo Contest, Herb Mixer,
Herb Walks, AHA Picnic. This committee works very closely with the Marketing
Committee.
The Policy & Bylaw Committee is responsible for creating board policy and
reviewing/updating the Bylaws of the AHA. This committee attempts to ensure that
policies and bylaws are followed and should a bylaw be ambiguous or conflict with
another seeks a solution. This can take the form of a new policy, changing a policy, or
presenting bylaw changes to the membership at the AGM.
The AHA also has 2 seasonal committees:
- Alberta Herb Gathering Committee
- Nominations Committee
Alberta Herb Gathering Committee is responsible for the organization of the annual
Alberta Herb Gathering. The formation of this committee is usually around
January/February and remains active until the event in July at which time it is dissolved
until the next year.
Nominations Committee is a seasonal committee responsible for collecting board
nominations from the membership and preparing the voting process for the election
held during the AGM. It is active in the months prior to the AGM usually from August
until October.
The Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is the engine of the AHA. The board deals with all the of the day-to-day tasks necessary for the Society to function and remain in good standing with Alberta Corporate Registries. This includes, but is not limited to, answering questions, dealing with finances, ensuring the preparation of yearly Tax Returns, Financial Statements and Annual Returns, and monitoring the activities of committees.
The board consists of 9 positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar, and 4 Members-at Large. Each is an elected position and has a two-year term. The President can not serve more than 2 consecutive terms in 6-year period. Activities and duties of the Board are designated in the Bylaws.