OUR BY-LAWS AND CONSTITUTION:

The following may not be the most exciting read on the Site for many Alumni but it will provide you with the best source of OFFICIAL information as to what your Alumni Association is all about.

They were passed unanimously by the Association members present at our Annual General Meeting on May 13, 2011.

If you have any questions, please drop us a note on the 'ContactUs' page.

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By-laws and Constitution of

WHOBA – the Westmount High School Alumni Association

                                                                                                  - May 13, 2011

Article 1 NAME

There is constituted hereby, an organization (Corporation) incorporated as ‘WHOBA – the Westmount High School Alumni Association’ which may also be known as   ‘WHOBA’ or the ‘WHS Alumni Association’.

Article 2 a Purpose and Objects

The purpose is to provide an alumni association for all past students and staff who attended Westmount High School Westmount, QC., which provides for the activities typically associated with such an association including those outlined in the following Mission Statement.

Mission Statement

The objects of the Association are outlined in the following Mission Statement approved by the Board of Directors and members present at the 2002 Annual General Meeting of the Corporation:

- To assure that Westmount High School retains its respected physical presence, its name, its spirit and its high level of scholarship.

-to perpetuate the remembrance of all Westmount High School alumni who served and made the supreme sacrifice in the military service of their country, Canada.

- To support the defined objectives of Westmount High School.

- To encourage and facilitate the ongoing enjoyment and other benefits of high school friendships that were established both during the period we were students at Westmount High School and after.   

 Article 3 Head Office

3.0 The head office of the Corporation shall be in the municipality of Westmount in the Province of Quebec and at such place there in as the directors may from time to time determine. It is presently situated where the Directors hold their regular Board meetings and is consider to be their postal address i.e.  WHOBA c/o Westmount High School, 4350 St. Catherine Street West, Westmount, Quebec.  H3Z 1R1

Article 4 Seal

4.0 The seal, shall be the seal for the corporation and will be maintained for safe keeping by the Treasurer.

Article 5 Membership

5.0 The Alumni membership shall consist of individuals who express interest in becoming a voting member of WHOBA and who are past students and/or staff of Westmount High School, Westmount, QC., Canada.

(a) Full Member – as outlined above and have expressed interest in writing in becoming a voting member of the association.

(b) Associate member - Any interested person (not qualified as a full member) may become an associate member under such terms and conditions as the Board of Directors may from time to time deem appropriate.

(c) Honorary member - Any person, who in the opinion of the Board of Directors has rendered meritorious service to the association.

5.1 Each full member shall be entitled to one vote on each question arising at any special or general meeting of the members of the Corporation. Each member shall promptly be informed by the President, Secretary, Treasurer, administer of the WHOBA web site or any other Board member of his/her admission as a member.

 5.2 Members may resign by resignation in writing including email which shall be effective upon acceptance thereof by the Board of Directors.

Fees

5.3 All members may pay a membership fee of $1 or an amount as determined from time to time as passed at a meeting of the Board of Directors. This fee entitles members to a life membership in the Corporation. This fee may be waived by the Board of Directors.

 Article 6 Board of Directors

6.0 The affairs of the Corporation shall be managed and administered by a Board of Directors consisting of 12 members, all of whom shall be elected members, whom shall be elected for a term of one year at the Annual General Meeting of members present. There is no limit to the number of times Members may offer their name for nomination and be re-elected.

6.1 Directors meetings may be formally called by the President or by the Secretary.

6.2 Notice of such meetings shall be mailed, emailed, delivered, telephoned or faxed to each director not less than 48 hours before the meetings are to take place. The statutory declaration of the Secretary or President that notice, has been given pursuant to this by-law shall be sufficient and conclusive evidence of the giving of such notice. The Board may appoint a day or days in any month or months for regular meetings at an hour to be named, scheduled and all members notified of such regular meeting after which no regular notice need be sent unless a change is necessary to the schedule. A director's meeting may also be held, without notice, immediately following the annual meeting of the Corporation. The directors may consider or transact any business either special or general at any meeting of the Board.

6.3 The President, if re-elected to the Board as past president, will include in his duties the chair of the Nominating Committee for next year’s proposed Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee shall also include the President, the Vice President and two full members elected or appointed at the Annual General Meeting coincident with the election of the new Board of Directors.  

6.4 The elected Board of Directors shall elect the President, vice President, and Officer from among the Board members by a simple majority vote at the first Board meeting after the General Meeting at which they are elected. All directors must be active full members. Board members shall determine by a simple majority vote, whether or not a Board member has a conflict of interest. A Board member who declares conflict of interest or who has been declared so by the Board shall not enter into debate or vote concerning the matter.

Vacancies

6.5 Vacancies on the Board of Directors, however caused, may so long as a quorum of 50% plus one of the directors remain in office, be filled by the directors from among qualified full members of the Corporation, if they shall see fit to do so. Otherwise such vacancy shall be filled at the next general meeting of the members at which the directors for the ensuing year are elected. If there is not a quorum of directors, the remaining directors shall forth with call a meeting of the members to fill the vacancy.

6.6 If in the opinion of the Board a member is not acting in the best interests of the WHS Alumni the Board may by a simple majority vote, call an extraordinary meeting of the Board to determine whether or not the member concerned shall be dismissed from the Board. Any board member missing three (3) consecutive meetings of the board without notice of intent to be absent, may be removed from the board.

6.7 The members of the Corporation may by resolution passed by a least two thirds of the votes cast at a general meeting of which notice specifying the intention to pass such resolution has been given, remove any director before the expiration of her/his term of office, and may by a majority of votes cast at that meeting, elect any person in her/his stead for the remainder of her/his term.

Quorum and Meetings

6.8 A majority of directors (50% plus 1) will form a quorum for the transaction of WHS alumni business. Except as otherwise required by law, the Board of Directors may hold its meetings at such place or places as it may from time to time determine. No formal notice of any such meeting shall be necessary if all the directors are present, or if those absent have signified their consent to the meeting being held in their absence.

 Voting

6.9 Questions arising at any meeting of Directors shall be decided by a majority of votes. All Directors may vote on any question. In case of an equality of votes the motion shall be defeated. A declaration by the President or chairperson that a resolution has been carried and an entry to that effect in the minutes shall be admissible in evidence as prima facie proof of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution. In absence of the President, her/his duties may be performed by the Vice President and in their absence by any such other directors as the Board may from time to time appoint for the purpose.

Article 7 Errors in Notice, Board of Directors

7.0 No error or omission in giving such notice for a meeting of directors shall invalidate such meeting or invalidate or make void any proceedings taken or had at such meeting and any director may at any time waive notice of any such meeting and may ratify and approve of any or all proceedings taken or had there at.

Article 8 Powers

8.0 The Directors of WHOBA may administer the affairs of the Corporation in all things and make or cause to be made for the Corporation, in its name, any kind of contract which the Corporation may lawfully enter into and save as hereinafter provided, generally, may exercise all such other powers and do all such other powers and do all such other acts and things as the Corporation is by its charter or otherwise authorized to do.

8.1 The Board may lease property for a certain period from or to any party upon the authorization of a simple majority vote at a meeting of the Board upon terms and conditions determined by the Board.

8.2 The Board may appoint any person or persons to perform any function for which they deem necessary to conduct efficiently the WHOBA Corporations business. The Board will be responsible for the hiring and releasing of all necessary paid or volunteer employees.

8.3 The Board shall set up such standing and temporary committees which they deem necessary to adequately serve the needs of the Corporation. Each standing or temporary committee shall consist of a Chairperson to be named by the Board and committee members, recruited by the chairperson, other committee members and subsequently approved by the president and a majority of the Board.  A temporary committee shall exist only so long as it serves a current, useful purpose. A temporary committee may be dissolved by the Board if in the Board's opinion it no longer serves the current, useful description above.

Article 9 Remuneration of Directors

9.0 The Directors shall receive no remuneration for acting as such except repayment of reasonable expenses incurred by them in the normal course of their duties as approved by the Treasurer and the President.

 Article 10 Officers of Corporation

10.0 There shall be a President who serves as Chairperson, Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and Directors as the Board of Directors. All of the Board members must be full member of the Corporation. The President and other officers shall be elected at a meeting held soon after the Annual General Meeting and shall be on the Board of Directors, and no person shall serve as a Corporate Officer if after election he/she has been disqualified as a member of the Board.

Duties of President  

10.1 The President shall, when present, preside at all meetings of members of the Corporation. The President shall also be charged with the general management and supervision of the affairs and operations of the Corporation. The President with the Vice-President and other officer's appointed by the Board for the purpose shall sign all by-laws. During the absence of or inability of the President, the Vice President shall act on his/her behalf with the approval of a majority of the Board.

10.2 The President or, as authorized by him/her, the Vice President or another Director, shall be the official spokesperson for releasing information to the public. Only the President may delegate this authority.

Duties of the Secretary

10.3 The Secretary will be the official Contact Officer, who will be responsible generally for the drafting of all corporate correspondence and literature at the direction of the Board unless another Director is so delegated by the Board. Notification of meetings to Board members may be executed by telephone by the Secretary. All correspondence received by the Secretary must be presented at the next applicable meeting. The Secretary will take the minutes of each meeting and will present them at the subsequent meetings at the direction of the Board. The Secretary shall assure that all official records of the Corporation including copies of all Board and membership meetings and financial reports are secured in a safe location in proximity to the Headquarters of the Corporation.

Duties of the Treasurer

She/he will be responsible for the safe custody of all corporate books, financial records and the corporate seal and must release no information from these books and records except as authorized by the President and the Board as required by statute.

Article 11 Annual & Special Meetings of Members

11.0 The election or any other general meeting of the members shall be held at the head office of the Corporation or elsewhere in Quebec as the Board of Directors may determine and on such day as the Directors shall appoint.

11.1 A general meeting shall be held a minimum of once (1) a year unless requested by two thirds (2/3) majority of the membership at such date, time and place as chosen by the Board.

11.2 The annual general meeting shall be held within one hundred and fifty (150) days following the end of the fiscal year which shall be at the end of January.

 11.3 At every annual general meeting, in addition to any other business that may be transacted, the report of the directors, the financial statement, and the minutes of the previous General Meeting the election of Directors and the report of the auditors shall be presented. The auditors shall be appointed by vote for the subsequent fiscal year.

11.4 The Secretary may call a general meeting on the written requests of a Director and four full members; or call a meeting of the Board at the verbal request of the President and any member of the Board.

11.5 The Secretary may call a general meeting on the written request of the Board of Directors. No public notice or advertisement election or general, shall be required, but notice of the time and place of every such meeting shall be given to each member by sending the notice by prepaid mail, telephone or email , ten days before the time fixed for the holding of such meeting; provided that any meetings of members may be held at any time and place without such notice, if all members of the Corporation are present there at, and at such meeting any business may be transacted which the Corporation at election or general meetings may normally transact.

11.6 A person nominated by a member for any office of the Corporation must be in attendance at any meeting for this purpose. Each nomination must be seconded by a member.

11.7 The Secretary may call a general meeting on the written requests of the President and 10% of the paid up full members. No public notice or advertisement of members, meetings election or general, shall be required, but notice of time and place of every such meeting shall be given to each member by sending the notice by prepaid mail, email or telephone, ten days before the time fixed for the holding of such meetings; provided that any meetings of members may be held at any time and place without such notice.

Article 12 Errors of Omission in Notice

12.0 No error of omission in giving notice of any election or general meeting of any adjourned meeting, whether election or general, of the members of the Corporation shall invalidate such meeting or make void any proceedings taken there at and any member may at any time waive notice to any such meeting and may ratify, approve and confirm any or all votes or proceedings taken there at. For the purpose of sending notice to any member, director or officer for any meeting or otherwise, the address of any member, director or officer shall be his last address recorded on the books of the Corporation.

Article 13 Adjournments

13.0 Any meeting of the Corporation or of the Directors may be adjourned to any time and from time to time and such business may be transacted at such adjourned meeting as might have been transacted at the original meeting from which such adjournment took place. No notice shall be required of such adjournment. Such adjournment may be made notwithstanding that no quorum is present.

Article 14 Quorum of Members

14.0 A quorum for a general meeting and for transaction of any business at such meeting shall be at least three directors including the President if available and 25 full members.

 Article 15 Voting of Members

15.0 Subject to the provisions, if any, contained in the letters patent of the Corporation, each member of the Corporation shall at all meetings of members are entitled to one vote.

15.1 At all meetings of members every question shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members present in person or represented by law. Every question shall be decided in the first instance by a show of hands unless a poll is demanded by any member. Upon a show of hands, every member having voting rights shall have one vote, and unless a poll be demanded a declaration by the President /Chairperson that a resolution has been carried or not carried and an entry to the effect in the minutes of the Corporation shall be admissible in evidence of prima facie proof of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes accorded in favour of or against such resolution. The demand for a poll may be withdrawn, but if a poll is demanded and not withdrawn, the question shall be decided by a majority of votes given by the members present. Such poll shall be taken in such a manner as the Chairperson shall direct and the result of such poll shall be deemed the decision of the Corporation in a general meeting upon the matter in question. In case of an equality of votes at any general meeting whether a show of hands or at a poll, the Chairperson shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.

Article 16 Financial Year

16.0 Unless otherwise ordered by the Board of Directors, the fiscal year of the Corporation shall terminate on the 31st day of January in each year.

 Article 17 Duties of Other Officers

17.0 The duties of all other officers of the Corporation shall be such as the terms of their engagement call for or the Board of Directors requires of them.

Article 18 Execution of Documents

18.0 Deeds, transfers, licenses, contracts and engagements on behalf of the WHOBA Corporation shall be signed by either the President or the Secretary or Treasurer, and the Secretary or Treasurer shall affix the seal of the Corporation to such instruments as require the same.

18.1 Contracts in the ordinary course of the Corporation's operations may be entered into on behalf of the Corporation by the President, Vice President or Secretary or Treasurer of by any person authorized by the Board.

18.2 A Chairman of appropriate WHOBA Donations, Financial Management and Awards Committees  created for the purpose and appointed by the President and at least 50 % of the Board of Directors of the WHS Alumni Association, may purchase, transfer and sell any all shares, bonds, or other securities from time to time standing in the names of the Corporation in its individual or any other capacity or as trustees or otherwise and may accept in the name and the behalf of the Corporation transfers of shares, bonds, or other securities from time to time transferred to the Corporation, and may affix the corporate seal to any and all instruments in writing necessary or proper for such purposes including the appointment of an attorney or attorneys to make or accept transfers of shares, bonds or other securities on the books of any company or corporation. The Chairman of the Committee shall report all activities promptly to the President who intern will notify the Board of them at the next regular Board meeting or Special meeting called for that purpose.  

18.3 Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in the by-laws of the Corporation, the Board of Directors may at any time by resolution direct the manner in which, and the person or persons by whom any particular instrument, contract or obligations of the Corporation may or shall be executed.

 Article 19 Books and Records

19.0 The Directors shall see that all necessary books and records of the Corporation required by the by-laws of the Corporation or by any applicable statute or law are regularly and properly kept.

Article 20 Cheques

20.0 All cheques, bills of exchange or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation, shall be approved and signed by the Treasurer and one other Corporation Officer and any one of such officers or agents may alone endorse notes and drafts for collection on account of the corporation through its bankers, and endorse notes and cheques for deposit with the Corporation's bankers or the same may be endorsed "for Collection" or "for deposit" with the bankers of the Corporation by using the Corporations rubber stamp for the purpose.

 Any one of such officers or agents so appointed may arrange, settle, balance and certify all books and accounts between the Corporation and the Corporation's bankers and may receive all paid cheques and vouchers and sign the entire bank's forms or settlement of balances and release verification slips.

Article 21 Borrowing

21.0 The Directors may subject to Article 8 herein:

(a) Borrow money on the credit of the Corporation, or

(b) Issue, sell or pledge securities of the Corporation, or

(c) Charge, mortgage, hypothecate or pledge all or any of the personal property of the Corporation, including book debts rights, powers, franchises and undertakings, to secure any other obligation or liability of the Corporation, or

(d) Conduct lotteries in accordance with applicable existing provincial statutes.

21.1 From time to time the Directors may authorize any director, officer or employee of the Corporation or any other person to make arrangements with reference to the monies borrowed or to be borrowed as the aforesaid WHS Alumni Association and as to the terms and conditions of the loan thereof, and as to the securities to be given therefore, with power to vary or modify such arrangements, terms and conditions and to give additional securities for any monies borrowed generally to manage, transact and settle the borrowing of money by the Corporation for its purpose to be invested in any investments that are authorized for the investment of trust funds in the Province of Quebec; and sell, transfer and assign such investments from time to time, for which purposes the signatures of the Secretary/Treasurer and the Chairperson shall be sufficient.

 Article 22 Bylaws, Resolutions and Amendments

22.0 Additions, amendments or alterations to this by-law shall be made by a two-thirds majority at a general meeting. Not in any way derogating two-thirds majority from the fore going, Article 8 shall not be added to, amended or in any way altered except by a unanimous vote.

22.1 Subject to the foregoing, The Board of Directors may with proper notice propose additions, amendments or alterations to by-laws at a duly held meeting. This by-law does not apply to proposed amendments authorized by the Board of Directors covered elsewhere in the Corporations by-laws.

Article 23Repeal of Previous By-laws

23.0 When approved by an Annual General meeting of this organization this shall here forth be regarded as the Constitution of the WHS Alumni Assoc. And the previous constitution and amending by-laws thereto are repealed.

Article 24 Liabilities

24.0 Every Director and every officer of the Corporation and heirs, executors, administrators and other legal personal representatives shall, from time to time and at all times, be indemnified and saved harmless by the Corporation as follows:

a) Any liability and all costs, charges and expenses sustained or incurred in respect of any action, suit or proceeding that is proposed or commenced against a board member for or in respect of the execution of duties of office: and

b) All other costs, charges and expenses that a member of the board sustains or incurs in respect of the affairs of the Corporation except by his own wilful neglect or default.

24.1 No Director of officer of the Corporation shall be liable for the acts, receipts, neglects or defaults by any other director or officer or employee, or for joining in any act of conformity, or for any loss, damage or expense happening to the corporation through the insufficiency or deficiency of title to any property acquired by order of the board for or on behalf of the Corporation or for the insufficiency or deficiency of any security in or upon which any of the monies of or belonging to the Corporation shall be placed out or invested or for any loss or damage arising from the bankruptcy, or insolvency of any person, firm or corporation with whom any monies, securities or effects shall be lodged or deposited or for any loss occasioned by any error or for any other loss, damage or misfortune whatever which may happen in the execution of the duties of his respective office or trusts or in relation thereto unless the same shall happen by or through his own wilful act or default.

24.2 Any act or proceeding of any director of the board shall be deemed invalid or ineffective by reason of the subsequent ascertainment of any irregularity in regard to such act or proceeding or the qualifications of such director or directors.

24.3 Directors may rely upon the accuracy of any statement or report prepared by the Corporation’s auditors and shall not be responsible or held liable for any loss or damage resulting from acting upon such statement or report.

PASSED by the Board of Directors and Members:

 Date: May 13, 2011

PRESIDENT: Steve Brewer_____________________________

SECRETARY: Joseph Pleet_____________________________

BOARD DIRECTOR: per the roster of WHOBA Directors for the year 2010 include:

 Deborah MacDonald, Richard Lord, John Bishop, Ed Kalil,  Bob Binmore, Jim Liddell, Peter Haldimand, Jonathan Smith, Jeremy Lapin, Blake Beamer.

SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARDS

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

At the September 23rd meeting of the Alumni Board of Directors, the following resolutions were submitted by Past Pres. Steve Brewer and were unanimously approved by the Board of Directors, to be effective immediately and to remain so until the Alumni  Board of Directors meeting following the AGM on May 10, 2012.

1)Alumni Phil Johnston, Steve Brewer and Peter Haldimand are appointed as the official members of the Alumni Scholarship and Awards Board of Trusteesand to serve respectively as the  chairs of the  following three sub-committees,

Investment, Fundraising and Scholarship Program.

 Jeremy Lapin, Alumni Pres. will serve as ex-officio (non-voting) member of the Board.

  2)  Rempart Asset Management Inc. Of Montreal will manage the assets of the WHOBA Scholarship Fund on behalf of the Board of Trustees.  

3)   $25,000 of WHOBA's existing securities will be deposited in a seperate Trust Account to be known as the WHOBA Scholarship Fund

by December 1^st, 2011. It will serve   the exclusive purpose and under the exclusive control of the Board of Trustees to be administered in accordance with the Scholarship and Awards Program as outline elsewhere on this site and as approved by the members present at the AGM of the Alumni of May 15, 2010. 

program

-as presented by Director Peter Haldimand and approved by the Members present at the AGM of the Alumni on Friday, May 13, 2010.

The Corporation:

WHOBA -the Westmount High School Alumni Association is a non-profit organization registered with the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada.

It encourages and solicits donations for the Westmount High School Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. These donations qualify as Tax Deductions for which the Corporation provides tax receipts to all eligible donors who have expressed interest in receiving them.

General Statement

Presently, the Westmount High School Alumni Association has approximately $ 28,000 in their Scholarship fund and pays out annually two $200 and two $500 scholarships for a total of $1,400 at the School’s annual Graduation Ceremonies in the Fall.

Other awards and prizes are also given to deserving students by other Associations, Governments, Organizations and members of the Community.

Frequently, one student will be the recipient of several awards. Approximately 50% of which include some sort of cash incentive.

Recommendation

The Board of Directors proposes that WHOBA - the Westmount High School Alumni Association formally establish a ‘trust fund’ and independent Board of Trustess for the exclusive purpose of securing and investing funds for the following awarding of Scholarships including the funding necessary to meet the following new objectives:

to solicit donations in order to establish two new separate fund of $15,000 (minimum) each, for a total of $30,000, in order to establish two new scholarships to be awarded annually commencing at the 2012 Graduation Ceremonies in the Fall of 2012.

Each scholarship will be valued at $1,000 each, to be awarded annually, for a total of $2,000 and they will be guaranteed for a minimum period of 15 years.

Ideally the annual scholarship awards of $1000 each for the new Scholarships would be paid for out of the compound interest earned on the donations of a minimum of $15,000 each having been invested in secure investments by the Scholarship Board of Trustees, however, in today’s economy it is questionable that they will experience this sort of return and it therefore may be necessary initially to partially fundthem from the donations made for this purpose.

No doubt the initial funds will need to be further and continuously enhanced with addition donations in order to assure that the capital funds continue to grow over time enabling further expansion of the number and/or value of the Scholarships hopefully eventually reaching a fund approximating $300,000.00.

Organization

The Board of Directors further recommends that in addition to the existing Board of Directors, the Corporation establish an appropriate separate organization to manage the Scholarship Fund e.g. made up of three Committees, each being accountable to but operated at arm’s length from the Board of Directors and in turn from the WHOBA Membership at large.

1. Donations Committee: Chairman plus up to 4 other qualified alumni.
2. Financial Management Committee:Chairman, WHOBA Treasurer and 1 other professionally qualified alumnus.
3. Awards Committee: Chairman, School Principal and 1 other qualified alumnus.

All activities of the organization including the Board of Directors, Scholarship Organization and the members at large will be subject to an annual audit by an auditor appointed annually at the AGM of the Westmount High School Alumni Corporation by the members at large.

All members on the Board of Directors as outlined on its letters patent will be elected annually in accordance with the Westmount High School Alumni Corporation by-laws and will, along with all members of the above Committees be subject to ratification by the WHOBA membership at the AGM.

Note: the above organization is an example of a structure that will be considered by the Membership and the Board and either approved or subject to modification by the general membership before it are established.

It may subsequently be modified and improved upon as the members of the Committees see fit subject to ratification by the Board of Directors and subsequently by the membership at the following AGM.

Conclusion

Positive results in establishing the two new scholarships consistent with the above plan of action and organization in the first 12 months of operation, will be encouraging and will indicate that the Association membership recognizes and is willing to actively participate in satisfying the need to increase this financial support at WHS and it will also create new and ongoing energy within the organization in order to fulfil this aspect of its Mission.

Proposed New Scholarships

Of, course our four existing scholarships will continue to be supported and awarded annually and in addition, following are the types of scholarships towards which new donations may be made.

Donations are encouraged by WHS Alumni but also from parents, families and friends of WHS students who have benefited from the services and support of the School.

The following are intended to demonstrate the types of Scholarships that may be considered however they are in no way intended to limit the possibilities that can be considered and implemented.

Honorary Scholarships

 Donations to these scholarships may be made to honour individuals, families, institutions etc., and will be for a minimum amount of $15,000. Awards in their name will be made annually for a minimum of 15 years depending on compound interest earned from the fund.  Donors, families etc., may wish to make special arrangement for contributions and/or to extend the life of the fund with the Financial Management Committee

General Scholarships

Anonymous, including other donations will be accumulated to create a scholarship to be named to honour teachers, staff, students etc., at the discretion of the Funding Committee and input from the General Membership.

Citations and Prizes

Individual families, outside organizations, Governments, institutions etc., may wish to make yearly contributions to honour deserving students within a particular discipline e.g. sports, music, citizenship etc...  They would require a commitment for a minimum of three years and be in the minimum amount of $250

A major program of incentive awards already exists in the School and should be available in all areas of the School’s education program. It is equally important to recognize a deserving student who has chosen to follow a vocational career as any other are of study. Particular emphasis is often encouraged to recognize and award improvement as well as overall achievement. 

The work of the Scholarship and Awards Committee is essential in forming a successful partnership with the School through the Principal and input from the Staff and student body e.g. Student Council etc..

Individual, families, groups, institutions, corporations etc., are encourage to make application by contacting WHOBA’s Scholarship in any number of ways including in writing to WHOBA c/o of the School, through the web site etc..

It is important to understand that the above is modelled after a process that has been operating successfully for many years in the Lower Laurentian communities and as similar as they may be in the public schools, student numbers, financial circumstances, and the needs of individuals there are no doubt differences when it comes to Westmount High School. And these circumstances are always changing, hence, the need for the consideration of other models and structures on a go forward basis within the organization and process that may result from this proposal. 

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Background Information 

WHOBA – The Westmount High School Alumni Association has sustained annual scholarships as their primary service to Westmount High School students for  over 75 years since it was officially established in 1936 in the dining room of Ogilvies Department Store in Montreal.

Prior to that, the “old boys” had an informal social and service organization which lent support to the School and the students in furthering their athletic, educational and career objectives. 

It was during and following World War 11 that the returning veterans continued to meet yearly at the WHOBA Annual Dinners, share their life experiences and together became actively involved in and committed to the remembrance of their fallen comrades. The contribution of the WHS veterans will always serve to illustrate how wonderful Canada is.

Over the last 75 years, it is quite remarkable how the Association has succeeded in carrying on its traditions including the awarding of scholarships for academic excellence at Westmount High School.   All aspects of the WHOBA Mission Statement remain important but in particular the tradition of supporting the Scholarship Fund in recognizing the achievements of the School, staff and in particular its students seems to have sustained particularly well.

Of late,  the Board of Directors and the general membership have grown to realize, particularly with recent changes in the world Economy, that just keeping up with existing scholarships and awards has caused the WHOBA Scholarship fund to gradually diminish.  The Association is facing the reality that, in not too many more years, unless significant stimulation occurs, it will not be able to sustain its scholarship support let alone meet the continuing need for growing the existing ones plus continue to reward improvement in the growing number of disciplines and activities that are available in the School.

Recommendations:

At the WHOBA Annual General Meeting in May, 2009, the above observations were clearly brought to the attention of the members, when alumni Peter Haldimand, class of ’55 and past Chairman of the Laurentian School Board, made a presentation outlining the achievements of the Scholarship Fund at Laurentian Regional High School which also has a student population of approximately 850 students and serves the Community of Lachute, QC.,   and others in the Lower Laurentians.

Their Scholarship and Awards Fund of approximately $150,000, has been built up and sustained by the communities in many ways over the past 75 years and the managers of the Fund have met the many challenges of difficult times and benefited from the good times to insure its sustainability.

 Needless to say, all the WHOBA members of the Association in attendance at last year’s Alumni Dinner were disturbed to hear the possibility that the Association may not be able to sustain its contribution to scholarship and awards for too many more years unless something different was done.

The clear consensus was that the Association needed to take the necessary steps, and sooner rather than later, to rebuild the WHOBA Scholarship and Awards Fund in order to sustain its presence in the School and to be able to reward the demonstrated successful level of excellence and achievement evident throughout the School’s many scholastic programs.

 it was moved by alumni  Director  Peter Haldimand and seconded by alumni  President Steve Brewer  that  the above proposal  be approved. The members indicated their unanimous approval. 

__________________________________________________________________

The President then  indicated that the vision and actions of the Alumni Board of Directors must continue to reflect the wishes of its present and future members.

 He pledged that the Board would therefore take the necessary steps to meet the challenge of implementing the above Program.

He indicted that we all can be very proud of Westmount High School; the oldest high school in continuous and successful operation within the Montreal English School Board with an established and demonstrated level of superior academic achievement, a very qualified and inspired Administration and Staff and a growing student population unlike any other on the Island of Montreal and concluded that they therefore have more than shown that they deserve a Scholarship and Awards Program of this calibre.