After two years of holding the general assembly virtually, The Zoroastrian Association of Ontario held this year’s meeting both virtually and in person, on Sunday, July 17, 2022, so members could participate in this meeting as they wished. Although the restrictions of COVID-19 pandemic have become much more lenient the Association still provided this choice to members to participate in person or online. Before addressing this annual general assembly, it is worthwhile having some general information about the Association:
This Association was established in the building known as Guive Darb-e-Mehr, in the city of Toronto, which was founded by Rostam Guive and his wife, Morvarid in memory of Mehraban Giv. The association’s building includes a space for prayers and the fire, and a conference hall.
The Zoroastrian Society of Ontario was first registered under the Charities Act of the federal government of Canada on April 1, 1978, and is governed .by the same act plus its own constitution (1). This association is classified as Advancement of religion, and according to the law of “charitable organizations” and its internal statute, it must hold an annual general assembly every year. Information about this association is available to everyone on the federal government of Canada website in the “Charities” section (2).
The Association has only to hold an annual general meeting, according to the law, and update its financial and administrative information on the same website of the charitable organizations, so that it is clear that it is active and all its affairs are managed according to the laws of “charitable and non-profit organizations.” The main body responsible for supervising charitable organizations is the Canada Revenue Agency, and there is no need to receive any license or approval from any other government agency.
Every year, at least one month before, the board of directors of the association must send to the members of the association who have paid their membership fees and so-called active members, a print of the following documents: 1- The report of last year’s general assembly 2 – The association’s financial year report prepared by an independent certified accountant 3- The agenda of the general assembly 4- Candidate nomination sheets for possible vacant positions 5- The sheet related to proxy to another active member for the right to vote in the assembly. All dates and regulations are written in this collection. On the day of the same general assembly, the election supervisory board, consisting of a group of the “active members” of the Association supervises the assembly proceeds, voting, counting votes, and signing the final report. There is no representative present from any government organization.
The financial year of the association is March 31. The treasurer of the association and the board of directors are responsible for the financial and accounting affairs of the association throughout the year. However, every year before the annual general assembly, a certified accountant must audit all accounts and prepare a report for the approval of the general assembly, so that it is received by the active members together with other documents, one month in advance.”
“Active member” of the association is a member who has paid his annual dues on the due date. This date is usually equal to the financial year of the association, on which date members must pay their membership every year. But if a member pays his membership fee up to seven days before the annual general meeting, he is considered an “active member” and has the right to participate. Only active members can volunteer for a board position, attend the annual general meeting, vote, and receive the association’s newsletter and emails. For community programs, if an entry is received, a smaller amount is usually considered for active members. Any active member on the forum website can enter his profile. The association does not issue any kind of “Zoroastrian card.” However, a section in each active member’s profile indicates that this person is an “active member” of the association.
In the association’s annual report, the number of active members is usually specified. For example, in the statement of 2022, the number of active members of the association was announced as 599, and it was also pointed out that this number has decreased by 35% in the last two years due to various reasons resulting from Covid-19, including the closure of Dermehr and not having programs. For this reason, the Association tries to inform and encourage members and make membership easier by creating online payment methods. The annual fee for the family is $100.
This amount is insignificant for a family and will not be a capital for the Association. However, according to the law, and methodically, the number of “active members” is significant for all charitable associations, including the Zoroastrian Association. Charitable associations encourage people to pay their dues on time by creating dialogue and awareness. In the case of the Ontario Zoroastrian Association, it is estimated that it has about four hundred “inactive” members, so the total number of members is about 1000. A clear and methodical definition of “member” is one of the important features of this Association.
The board of directors of Ontario Zoroastrian Association consists of 7 members and includes the president, vice president, treasurer, assistant treasurer, secretary, executive officer 1, and executive officer 2. Each title on the board of directors is considered a position and is for a period of two years. After two years, or if a post becomes vacant for some reason earlier, in that case, at least two months in advance, this issue will be announced to active members, and an active member can volunteer. Members vote for candidates for the same post on the day of the annual general meeting. For example, if the term of the Association’s president has ended, members must volunteer for the same post, the same members vote for the candidates for the same post. In other words, it is the direct vote of members that determines the candidates for a post, unlike the method of Iranian associations, where after the election, the people of the board of directors choose the positions (chairman, treasurer, etc.) from among themselves.
To volunteer for the association’s board of directors, it is only necessary for the member to fill out the Nomination Form and specify which position the person is volunteering for; After that, two other “active members” of the forum also support this person by signing that form. In other parts of this form, the volunteer writes a summary of his previous activities, his work and academic history, and a description of his goals for the information of others. All information about each candidate is sent to every participant in the same postal package. For example, for this last assembly, 7 forms were sent in a package. No validation by any government or non-government body is needed.
Eleven committees are defined in the Association’s structure that help the Association’s board of directors in congregational affairs. The committees are supervised and managed by the association’s members, and of course, a Liaison from the board of directors is also present on each committee. Among the association’s committees are religious classes, celebrations, entertainment, charity, lectures, library, newsletter, religious affairs, calendar and date of programs, etc. One of the association subgroups included in this group is the “Cultural Center of Iranian Zoroastrians.” This center pays special attention to the Persian language and Iranian culture.
The association has an active and up-to-date website, which has received much attention, especially in the past few years, and a lot of effort has been made to improve it. This website has a public section that anyone can visit to learn about the association and its programs. In the same way, every “active member” of the community can also enter their profile and access more information. Through this website, you can learn about the history of the association and upcoming programs, as well as pay membership fees or other donations. During the covid-19 pandemic, the association regularly informed about the covid-related information and schedules. The association is in contact with its “active members” through phone messages and e-mails, and it sends programs and news, and members can also be in touch with the official e-mail of the board of directors.
