Offer to Serve at National Level

SECTION 11 – CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND STANDARDS OF CONDUCT (pgs 45-46) 1. RATIONALE: The Grand Executive, members of Grand Lodge Committees, and the Executive Director (herein after referred to as the EXECUTIVE GROUP), have a fiduciary obligation to maintain ethical behaviour during the course of their affiliation with the Elks of Canada and are bound to act honestly, in good faith, and at all times in the best interests of the Elks of Canada and its membership. The Executive Group of the Elks of Canada is ultimately responsible for the creation of a culture which will permeate the organization and its membership. A strong ethically grounded Elks of Canada is only possible when it is governed by a strong ethical National Executive body; in turn, the strength of the National Executive body is grounded in the ethical conduct and approach of each of its Grand Executive members, its Grand Lodge Committee members, and its Executive Director. 1. Standards of Conduct: The standards of conduct for the Executive Group are based on the governing ethical principles of honesty, benevolence, non-malfeasance, justice, and equity. Recognizing the position of trust in which the membership have placed them, the members of the Executive Group must adhere at all times to the governing principles in all their decision making and recommendations pertaining to any business of the Order. The Mission Statement of the Order, the Vision Statement of the Order, and the direction of the members expressed at a National Convention, provide the DIRECTION in which the Executive Group carry out their leadership responsibilities. The Act of Incorporation, and National Bylaws provide the RULES under which the Executive Group shall operate. 2. Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest is a situation in which an Executive Group member has, in relation to a matter coming before the Elks of Canada, a private or personal interest, sufficient to influence or appear to influence the objective, and open minded, loyal exercise of his or her function as an Executive Group member. The circumstance giving rise to a conflict of interest need not be that of the individual Executive Group member but may be the interest of a person having close family ties to the Executive Group member, a friend, business associate, or colleague of the Executive Group member. There are basically two situations giving rise to a conflict of interest. One is that of financial interest, and the other sometimes not so obvious, is the Executive Group member who through a Grand Executive, committee, or staff position, or on account of some other significant involvement, in another corporation or organization has an obligation of loyalty that conflicts, or appears to conflict with his or her required loyalty to the Elks of Canada. Each Executive Group member is under an obligation to avoid, whenever reasonably possible, a conflict of interest. However, conflicts of interest may nevertheless arise. In such situations the Executive Group member is required to declare the conflict of interest and refrain from voting on the issue in question. He or she is also required by these guidelines to absent himself or herself from the meeting at any time discussions of the matter giving rise to the conflict occurs. In circumstances of conflict of interest, besides declaring a conflict and absenting himself or herself from the meeting and not voting on the issue, an Executive Group member will be expected not to lobby or otherwise participate in the decision making process. Executive Group members shall not allow their loyalty to the Elks of Canada to be compromised by their relationship to or involvement in another organization or corporation. In this regard, the Elks of Canada structure is composed of Lodges and other Chartered Units collectively known as the Grand Lodge of the Elks of Canada and each Executive Group member is required, in order to satisfy membership requirements, to be a member of a Lodge of the Elks of Canada. The fact an Executive Group member owes a duty of loyalty to his or her home Lodge or other sanctioned Unit of the Order by virtue of his or her membership,that in itself is not considered to be a conflict of interest. It is therefore not a conflict of interest for the Executive Group member to have in mind the interests of his or her Lodge when considering a matter before the Executive Group, provided always that the Executive Group member keeps an open mind, and is left free to exercise and DOES exercise his or her judgement, take a position, or cast a vote, that he or she believes to be in the BEST INTEREST OF THE ELKS OF CANADA. 3. Acknowledgement: Each member of the Executive Group shall be required, as a condition of their appointment, to sign the following undertaking: I have read and understand the Order’s Regulations concerning Conflict of Interest and Standards of Conduct. I promise to always act in accordance with them and as well the code of conduct expected of all Elk members as provided for in the National Constitution, Bylaws, and Regulations, and the Rituals of the Order.