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Ottawa Service Attachés Association (OSAA) Constitution The OSAA is an Association of Advisers/Attachés and Assistants accredited to DND Canada. The purpose of the Association are: - to stimulate comradeship and conviviality among its Members; - to promote and enhance their cordial relationship with both civilian and military Officers of the DND/CF and Officials of other agencies of the Government of Canada.
The Dean of the Association is selected by DND among the senior Advisers/Attachés resident in Ottawa. The Dean is the highest Officer of the Association and it is his privilege to take action or give advice on important aspects of its activity. When planning to be absent from Ottawa for an extended period, the Dean will designate an acting Dean for that period of absence.
The E. C. shall consist of the Dean, who shall preside over the meetings, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Protocol Officer. The E. C. will meet approximately once every two months or at call of the Dean in order to conduct the business of the Association.
The Secretary of the Association shall be appointed by the Dean, upon approval at a General Meeting. The Secretary shall assist the Dean in the handling of all correspondence pertaining to the Association and shall be responsible for the General Meeting minutes and for informing the Members of the decisions taken.
The Treasurer of the Association shall be appointed by the Dean, upon approval at a General Meeting. The Treasurer’s account shall be audited at least annually, as well as on the termination of his/her appointment, in the occasion of the General Meeting.
The Protocol Officer shall be appointed by the Dean, upon approval at a General Meeting. The Protocol Officer shall take care/ provision of the necessary protocol business and will assist the Dean in the arrangement of the related events of the OSAA.
A General Meeting will be held at least once per calendar year. If necessary the E. C. may call an Extraordinary General Meeting to deal with urgent matters concerning the Association. Amendments to the constitution must be approved at a General Meeting. If a vote is required, the decision will be carried by the majority vote of only the Members attending.
Dues are intended to subsidize the cost of the Annual General Meeting, operating expenses of the Association, or other items approved by the E. C.. Association fees shall be paid upon commencement of the Member’s tour of duty. The fees include purchase of: an OSAA tie and lapel pin, a spouse gift, a farewell gift and a farewell luncheons for the Member and Spouse. In addition, Association dues are charged at the rate of $20 per married Member per year, or $10 per single Member per year. If a Member does not wish to pay the Association fees, it will be assumed that he/she does not wish to be a Member of the Association and further notices of the Association activities will be discontinued. Current fees are: Married Members Single Members OSAA tie $ 45.00 $ 45.00 OSAA lapel pin $ 5.00 $ 5.00 Spouse gift $ 85.00 Farewell gift $ 45.00 $ 45.00 Farewell lunches $ 70.00 $ 35.00 Dues (per year) $ 30.00 $ 30.00 Members based outside Ottawa do not pay OSAA membership fees. Instead, these Members will pay separately for any OSAA event attended.
Several luncheons and other social events, with the participation of the spouses, will be held each year as agreed by the E. C. Every month, with the exception of July, August and December, a luncheon will be organized and hosted by one of the Attaché Office based in Ottawa. At the moment the fee for this event is 35$ per person, and may be adjusted annually at the General Meeting. The Secretary will receive the luncheon proposals from members and add them to the OSAA schedule. A Member wishing to bring a Guest to a social event, when Guests are specified, must notify the Secretary. The Member will be billed a pro rata amount to cover the cost of his Guest. A Holiday Ball will normally be held, at which the most Senior Offices of the DND/CF, and their spouses, are invited as official Guests of the Association. The fees for the Ball will be announced prior to the event. All Members will be required to contribute in the form of “wine donation”.
After the payment of the initial fees, all Members will be presented with a tie and a lapel pin; the spouses will be presented with an arrival gift. Upon leaving Ottawa, all Members will be presented with a suitable engraved gift from the Association. Gifts may be presented to Members at a luncheon or, if it is not practical, when they call to take leave of the Dean. Farewell gifts to high ranking Officials of DND/CF may be authorized by the Dean as proposed by the E. C.. Members of the Association shall inform the Secretary of the date of their departure at least one month in advance, in order to provide for the engraving of the farewell gift.
OSAA has its very own web page to keep its Members informed. It can be found at www.geocities.com/osaacanada and includes such features as the schedule of the events, for Members and Spouses, notes from the Dean, dress code directory with pictures. Members should check this page frequently, especially before scheduling any social events such as National Day or Armed Forces Day receptions, or home dinners, to avoid conflicts with events already scheduled. Members planning to hold a reception or other large events are asked to contact OSAA secretary at least six weeks prior to the event, so that adequate notice can be provided to all members. The Secretary shall maintain the OSAA web page. Members wishing to make additions or suggestions should contact the Secretary. Ottawa, 24 October 2003.
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