Food Secure Saskatchewan - Members Working Together

General membership is open to any Saskatchewan resident who supports our goal and purposes.
The membership will include representatives of community based organizations, Aboriginal groups, government departments, education/research (universities), and food production sectors that support our goal and purposes.
A membership fee schedule has been established. (see Membership)

The purpose of the coordinating committee is to facilitate the work of the group and to monitor the work in order to improve effectiveness.

10-12 members representing organizations actively engaged in front line food security work, and preferably each from a different jurisdiction. These members will need to be drawn from all areas of the province. (e.g. If the health region map is used, communities in or around Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Weyburn/ Estevan, Regina, Rosetown/ Kindersley, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Battlefords/ Lloydminster/ Meadow Lake, Prince Albert, Melfort and, in the north, the west side, the east side and the far north would be represented.) These members may be selected by the communities/areas they represent. -
2 Aboriginal agencies or governments, both First Nations and Métis
2 universities/research organizations
2 growers and food production organizations
3-4 municipal, provincial or federal government departments (These members have voice but no vote. Their role is advisory. Their departments will not appear on Food Secure Saskatchewan letterhead.) The departments represented will each have significant involvement in food security.

A quorum will be 50% of the coordinating committee members.
Membership on the coordinating committee will be reviewed annually.
Reasonable and advanced notice of all meetings will be sent to all members of the coordinating committee. The coordinating committee will meet by telephone at least three times per year, between meetings of the group at large as well as other times at the call of the co-chairs.
Executive roles of the Coordinating Committee will be:

There will be two co-chairs from among the coordinating committee members representing organizations in front line food security work from different areas of the province. (The group of 10-12 identified above.)
Co-chairs will be voted for at the annual general meeting, (E.g. Prince Albert, Melfort, Moose Jaw, etc.) Each co-chair will serve for1 year. Terms of the co-chairs will be staggered.
Co-chairs will chair meetings of the coordinating committee and the members at large.
Co-chairs may speak for the group, usually with consultation.
Official correspondence will be signed by one of the co-chairs with agreement from the other co-chair.
The secretary/treasurer function will also rotate among the coordinating committee members. An election will be held after the annual general meeting. This position is responsible for having the minutes taken and distributed. Although the group’s purpose is not to be a funding conduit or to solicit funding on behalf of the group, funds may be required from time-to-time to facilitate the work of the group. The financial resources will be handled by this position.

Participate in the work of the group. Ability to contribute time and resources will vary.
Participate in three meetings/year. Two will be by conference call or some other means of distance communication. One will be face-to-face meeting will rotate locations so travel is as equitable as possible. E.g. Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw or Regina over three years.
Decisions will be made by consensus whenever possible. (Consensus is considered, “Can you live with the decision?”) When this is not possible, for reasons of impasse or time, a majority vote will be called. Co-chairs will not vote unless there is a tie.

Individuals are accountable to their own organizations and the communities they represent.
Individuals are accountable to Food Secure Saskatchewan to participate in the work of the group.
Each member will be asked what he/she can contribute to the group and every effort will be made to accommodate and support their ability and interests in contributing.

Minutes will be distributed electronically as quickly as possible after each meeting. Minutes will be brief but detailed enough for those who did not attend to clearly understand what happened.
An email network, with other back-up means of communication for those without email, will be established.
Telephone communication will be necessary. The group will need to explore audio/video internet software packages and other solutions that will make meetings affordable for everyone.
Meetings will be conducted in cost-effective ways so as many as possible can participate. Reasonable and advanced notice of all meetings will be sent to all members. (Effective meetings have a purpose, an agenda, involve everyone who attends, are clear in decision-making methods as well as what decisions were made, and the actions agreed at the meeting are completed.)

The following sub-committee working groups have been established to undertake specific tasks:

Each group may include members at large, members of the steering committee and people not in either group.
Each working group will need to establish terms of reference and their operating structure.

In all regions of the province there are actvities related to Food Security. To find what is happening in your region, contact your Health Region office and ask to speak to a nutritionist, all of whom keep informed regarding work being done in schools and communities in their respective regions.

This site made possible with the support of the United Way of Regina Tomorrow Fund