EPOC Formation  Process
Currently, EPOC exists as a collection of people from across Canada, conducting an ongoing dialog and cooperative activity toward: 
    the formation of a legal entity, and 
     

    the pursuit of common goals associated with shared parenting.

For several months, we can act collectively without establishing the legal entity, and it is this willing formation of a social contract that is actually essential to the existence of EPOC. With or without the legal structure, we can hold to an agreed set of rules for conducting our business, and we are relying on each other to do just that during the formation period. 

Despite anything that you may have heard to the contrary, the process of becoming federally incorporated is complex, and will require several months to complete. 

Fortunately, we do not need to wait for the incorporation process to begin our life as EPOC. 

The initial elections for the EPOC Board of Directors must be made without any pre-existing organizational structure in place. Despite this lack of structure and tradition, the obligations of  EPOC toward the interested people across the nation are essentially the same as they will be when these same people become members. 

EPOC has an obligation to make good faith efforts to ensure that the Individual Members receive adequate notice of elections, an opportunity to vote, a fair restriction of eligibility to vote solely to those who have acted as stakeholders, and sufficient information on which to base a decision. 

EPOC Formation Team suggests the following Election Procedure. Participation in the process will be taken as approval of the process. 
 
EPOC Formation Team Activities Three months before the scheduled date of the next election, the EPOC Stakeholders will confirm an Interim Board of Directors, made up of one member from each of the provinces and territories of Canada, solicited by the EPOC Formation Team. 
  1. An EPOC Stakeholder is any person who accepts the mission and goals of the EPOC, and who is acknowledged in a written declaration to the EPOC Formation Team, by three others who either have, or have applied for, EPOC Stakeholder status.
  2. The EPOC Formation Team shall announce the call for Stakeholders, and shall validate, and maintain records of, all documents used to create the list of Stakeholders.
  3. The EPOC Formation Team shall recruit the Interim Board of Directors.
  4. In the event that no representative can be found for a particular province or territory, the Interim Board of Directors will hold the position open, and appoint a director at it’s own discretion when a suitable candidate can be found.
  5. The wording of the Interim Board of Directors confirmation shall be: "I approve of the Interim Board of Directors, and of the plan published by the EPOC Formation Team for the first elections of the EPOC Board of Directors."
  6. The EPOC Formation Team will conduct the Interim Board of Directors confirmation vote, by announcing the opening and closing of the one-week voting process, validating the votes, and announcing the results.
Interim Board of Directors The Interim Board of Directors shall conduct the pending election, and act in accord with the intent of the EPOC Constitution. 
  1. Members on the Interim Board of Directors shall be ineligible to run in the next election for Board of Directors membership.
  2. The Interim Board of Directors shall elect an Executive Committee from within its own ranks, in accord with the rules given below in the section on "Election of the Executive Committee".
  3. The Interim Board of Directors shall conduct the next election within three months of its confirmation.
  4. The Interim Board of Directors shall assume all responsibilities for the Stakeholders list, continuing the list begun by the EPOC Formation Team.
  5. The Interim Board of Directors shall pursue the registration of the EPOC as a legal entity.
  6. The Interim Board of Directors shall pursue the mission of EPOC.
 
Eligibility to Vote for the Board of Directors Every EPOC Stakeholder who is listed not less than thirty calendar days before the election date, shall be eligible to vote.
Eligibility to Run for the Board of Directors Every EPOC Stakeholder who is nominated by a petition of the lesser of  ten other Stakeholders in the same province or territory, or 

one Stakeholder plus ten percent of the Stakeholders in the same province or territory,

 shall be eligible to run for the position of Director for that province or territory.
Notification and Registration Notification of the election shall be done using telecommunications technology and other methods, as required, to ensure that all EPOC Stakeholders have been issued notice of the election. 
  1. Ten calendar weeks prior to the date of the election, the Interim Board of Directors shall notify the EPOC membership of the election, including a calendar of events in the election, notification that nominations are open, and notification that voter registration is open.
  2. Six calendar weeks prior to the date of the election, the Interim Board of Directors shall notify the EPOC membership of the then current list of Candidates.
  3. Four calendar weeks prior to the date of the election, the Interim Board of Directors shall notify the EPOC membership that the voter registry is closed.
  4. Two calendar weeks prior to the date of the election, the Interim Board of Directors shall notify the EPOC membership of the final list of Candidates.
Voter Information Resources In order to provide the membership with sufficient information to support the decision-making process, the Interim Board of Directors shall regulate, and provide telecommunications access to, materials supplied by the Candidates. The Board will regulate the amount of display resources allocated equally to the Candidates. Excepting cases of legal danger to EPOC, or attacks on any person’s character, the Board shall not regulate the content of materials submitted by the Candidates.
Voting Methods Votes may be cast by electronic mail or by regular mail. 
  1. The use of proxies shall not be allowed.
  2. The Interim Board of Directors may choose to require advance voting by regular mail, in order to produce prompt returns after the close of voting.
  3. The Interim Board of Directors shall maintain records of all ballots.
  4. The Interim Board of Directors shall validate all votes using the EPOC Stakeholders list, and announce all results as soon as possible upon the completion of counting.
Election of the Executive Committee As soon as possible within two calendar weeks after the election of new members for the EPOC Board of Directors, the Interim Board of Directors shall convene a meeting of the new Directors. A designate of the Interim Board of Directors shall preside over the meeting, and the new Directors will elect the Executive Committee.
Conferring of Authority Upon the swearing of the oath of office, the new Board of Directors will be deemed to have taken authority.