BECS's board of directors is mandated to put in place the conditions necessary to pursue the organization's objectives and to uphold the philosophy and values defined in our general by-laws. As a complement to the code of ethics, and in order to offer members a fair and equitable framework that fosters trust and helps everyone contribute together to the common good, the Board proposes and oversees a set of terms, procedures and obligations aimed at regulating and energizing the group's operations.
Article 1: Welcoming new members
1.1 – Anyone wishing to join the group must first submit their membership application on the becs.ca website, where they are invited to fill in their profile and make an appointment with a welcome coordinator;
1.2 – The welcome meeting is mandatory and is intended to verify that the prospective member's motivation is compatible with the group's values;
1.3 – To prevent any fraud, the prospective member must also present valid, legible photo identification;
1.4 – If all these conditions are met, the new member may then pay their membership fee;
1.5 – Their profile will then be activated and they may begin transacting with a positive balance of 5 hours.
Article 2: Transactions between members
2.1 – BECS administrators cannot offer any guarantee regarding the availability of an offer or the quality of the services and goods exchanged;
2.2 – To value members' talent and know-how independently of their professional qualifications or experience, all services have equal value, and the unit of exchange, the BECS hour, is the same for everyone;
2.3 – No offer of service may be proposed at a value higher than the BECS hour;
2.4 – No exchange may be intended to financially enrich, or enrich in hours, the member offering a service or good;
2.5 – Goods exchanged or offered for BECS hours must be valued fairly and equitably for both parties;
2.6 – A member loses the right to request a service when their account shows a negative balance;
2.7 – Before proceeding with an exchange, it is strongly recommended to verify that the member requesting the service holds a sufficient hour balance in their account;
2.8 – A prior agreement, preferably in writing, should be reached between the parties before any transaction, to specify the time, place and duration of the service, to specify, where applicable, how much time will be counted for travel, preparation and follow-up of the service rendered, to identify related costs in detail, and to provide a means of communication in case of an emergency;
2.9 – When a member offers a workshop or course, they must clearly state their policy regarding the minimum number of participants required for the activity to be held, and determine its duration, related costs, and the number of BECS hours to be shared, which may include preparation and follow-up time, prorated based on the number of participants in the session, with each participant nonetheless assuming a minimum of 30 minutes;
2.10 – From their hour balance, a member may allow someone else to benefit from a service, whether or not that person is a BECS member, provided they personally finalize the prior agreement with the member offering the said service;
2.11 – In a spirit of generosity, a member may draw on their account to offer hours to another member or to obtain the support of other group members for a cause that matters to them.
Article 3: Related costs and expense reimbursements
3.1 – Any materials, products, rental or transportation costs essential to carrying out a service exchange must be accounted for at their actual cost and may be reimbursed in money or converted into BECS hours according to the prior agreement reached between the parties;
3.2 – When a service requires driving, the prior agreement must specify whether mileage costs will be reimbursed in BECS hours or in money, either as a flat amount or according to a suggested rate of $0.61/km for short distances;
3.3 – Any expense related to official activities organized by BECS must be authorized in advance by the Board and will only be reimbursed upon presentation of supporting documents.
Article 4: Complaints, sanctions and penalties
4.1 – The Board reviews any written complaint brought to its attention and intervenes if it deems it necessary to help resolve disputed cases, arbitrate disagreements between members, suggest compensation if a prior agreement was not honoured, or sanction a breach of BECS's operating rules (general by-laws, code of ethics and policies in effect);
4.2 – A first breach of BECS's operating rules is sanctioned by a written warning from the Board;
4.3 – From the second warning onward, depending on the severity of the breach, the Board may exclude or suspend the offending member and impose a penalty in hours;
4.4 – An expelled member may appeal to the Appeals Committee to contest this decision, following the procedure set out in Article 8 of the general by-laws.
Article 5: Annual membership fee
5.1 – To be eligible to renew their membership, each member must have exchanged a minimum of 2 hours of service in the past year;
5.2 – The annual membership fee is set at $20;
5.3 – Before the anniversary date of their membership, each member receives two renewal notices by email — a first notice one month in advance and a second notice one week before the deadline;
5.4 – Payment must be received within 15 days of this anniversary date, failing which their profile will be deactivated on the becs.ca website;
5.5 – Fees incurred by a bounced cheque are the responsibility of the issuer;
5.6 – A member who left the group of their own accord and wishes to become a member again may recover their hour balance, reduced by two hours per year of absence, provided they pay their annual membership fee retroactively.
Article 6: Compensation in BECS hours offered to members in exchange for their collaboration
6.1 – Members who agree to take on a one-time or ongoing responsibility within the group are compensated in BECS hours for the time they must devote to it;
6.2 – Each member who recruits a new member and commits to helping them integrate into the group may claim 5 hours from the Promotion and Recruitment Committee;
6.3 – Each time a member takes part in an official activity organized by BECS, they may claim 1 hour from the Events Committee;
6.4 – A member who agrees to host a potluck meal may claim 3 hours from the Events Committee;
6.5 – After having a piece (testimonial, tips and tricks, etc.) published in the Jongl'heure newsletter, a member may claim 1 hour from the Communications Committee;
6.6 – Members of the board of directors are the only people authorized to validate the actual time devoted by members collaborating in BECS's smooth operation.