The Purpose and Operation of the National Horticultural Credit Association (NHCA)

The Constitution states, “The name of the Society is National Horticultural Credit Association.” NHCA is a non-profit Society.

NHCA was registered in British Columbia as a non-profit Society in September 1999.

The purpose of the Society: “The members of the National Horticultural Credit Association are committed to a constructive exchange of information which pertains to their delinquent accounts receivables and members’ credit policy.” (Western Nurserymen’s Credit Reporting Service merged with Nurserymen’s Credit Exchange Inc. Ontario under the new name of NHCA in January 2000.)

NHCA is operating in accordance with BC’s New Society Act (2018).

The By-Laws call for a minimum of 3 Directors to a maximum of 11: President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer (or secretary/treasurer) and other persons in accordance with the stated minimum and maximum of Directors. NHCA currently aims for 6 Directors.

Ideally, for Directors to carry out their work effectively for the NHCA, members should elect 3 persons from eastern Canada and 3 persons from western Canada at the AGM. A quorum is the greater of 3 members or 10% of the total membership. (Note: At Jan. 9, 2001 AGM it was moved, seconded and carried that at least 1 Director from each Chapter be in attendance.)

Annual General Meetings shall alternate (if possible and in accordance with members’ wishes) between eastern Canada and western Canada.

Directors shall retire from office at each AGM when their successors shall be elected. If no successor is elected the person previously elected or appointed continues to hold office (requiring a vote by the members). The members recommend that for continuity the Directors hold office for no less than 2 years.

The Directors may at any time and from time to time appoint a member as a Director to fill a vacancy in the Directors. A Director so appointed holds office only until the conclusion of the next AGM of the Society, but is also eligible for re-election at the meeting.

The Directors carry out the wishes of the members as voted upon and recorded in the AGM minutes.

As NHCA is registered in the province of British Columbia and the Treasurer resides in BC for banking purposes. NHCA files an annual report to the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Relations each year through NHCA’s lawyer, Sukhminder S. Virk of LK Law, whose office is in Langley, BC. A prospective member becomes a member of the NHCA when the membership has been notified and no member opposes, the member’s annual dues cheque and Application for Membership has been received, and the NHCA Directors give final approval.

Members report delinquent accounts, over 90 days and over 6 months, at the end of each month. Reports are entered into the database and the compiled reports are emailed to all members monthly.

As directed by the President, the administrator is responsible for all communications to members—email, receiving and entering into database Delinquent Accounts, compiling and sending reports to all members, keeping members informed of all meetings, sending out agendas and minutes of meetings, keeping up-to-date lists and records of members addresses, phone, fax, email addresses, etc., providing updated membership lists, and other responsibilities relative to the association.