Special General Meeting (SGM) 2026 – Proposed Governance & Bylaws
Dear CMA Members,
We hope you had a wonderful summer with family and friends and are staying warm as we move into the fall season.
As many of you are aware, one of the Calgary Marathi Association’s (CMA) long-term strategic objectives has been to establish greater financial stability through eligible AGLC funding and other government grant opportunities. These efforts are intended to support CMA’s ongoing community programs and, over time, assist the organization in securing a suitable space for Marathi Shaala, storage, community meetings, and group performance practices.
🏛️ Special General Meeting (SGM) Details
Sunday, September 27, 2026
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
New Indo-Canadian Centre
1916A 30 Ave NE Bay 8, Calgary, AB T2E 6R6
Governance Review & Discussions with AGLC
CMA has had a series of discussions with representatives of the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) regarding our governance framework and the requirements applicable to CMA’s funding objectives. These discussions highlighted the importance of having a governance structure with clear lines of responsibility, accountability, oversight, and decision-making authority.
Under CMA’s current structure, certain responsibilities are assigned to the Executive Committee (EC), while other responsibilities and oversight functions are assigned to the Board of Trustees (BOT). Through our review, it was identified that this division can create potential areas of overlap or uncertainty with respect to roles, responsibilities, and accountability.
As part of our due diligence, we also reviewed the governance structures and Bylaws of five community organizations that currently have government and/or AGLC funding arrangements in place. Based on this review, we believe that a single, clearly defined Board governance structure would provide stronger oversight, clearer accountability, more effective risk management, and greater operational coordination. This model also resembles the governance framework used by CMA prior to 2014.
Proposed CMA Governance Structure
CMA is proposing a seven-member Board of Directors with clearly defined portfolios and responsibilities:
Board of Directors – Seven Directors
Executive Leadership (1-Year Terms)
- President
- Vice-President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
Special Advisors (Terms up to 3 Years)
- Special Advisor – Shaala & AGLC
- Special Advisor – External Relations, BMM, Special Events, Dhol Taasha & Charity
- Special Advisor – Fundraising & Internal Audit
Appointed Operational Portfolios
Under the proposed structure, several operational and program-related subcommittee positions would be appointed rather than elected to allow flexible execution based on annual priorities:
- Annapurna Lead
- Cultural
- Programs & Community Engagement (Six major programs/events annually)
- – Kridangan (Sports) / Paalavi (Youth)
- – Newcomer Support / Samadhan (Seniors)
- Web Administrator
- Social Media
📋 Membership Eligibility & Quorum Rules
Eligibility: In accordance with current CMA Bylaws, members must have completed at least 90 days of membership prior to September 27, 2026 (on or before June 29, 2026) to participate and vote at the SGM.
Quorum Adjournment Notice: If quorum is not achieved at 2:00 PM, the meeting will stand adjourned for 30 minutes. The meeting will automatically reconvene at 2:30 PM, and eligible members present at that time will constitute quorum solely for the business set out in the meeting notice.
📄 Reference Documents for Member Review
Members are encouraged to carefully review the proposed Bylaws and Election Procedure prior to the meeting:
Thank you for your continued support of the Calgary Marathi Association.
Sincerely,
CMA Board of Trustees