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Charter

An Act to Incorporate the Seminary of Christ the King

[Assented to 1st April, 1966.]

WHEREAS the Benedictines of Westminster Abbey, located in the Municipality of the District of Mission, in the Province of British Columbia, have established the Seminary of Christ the King as an institution of learning in the humanities, liberal arts,and theology, in the municipality:

And whereas the Abbot and Community of Westminster Abbey have represented that they desire to incorporate the Seminary of Christ the King:

And whereas it is expedient that the incorporation be granted: Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:-

  1. This Act may be cited as the Seminary of Christ the King Act.
  2. The Seminary of Christ the King is hereby constituted a body politic and corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal by and under the name of “Seminary of Christ the King” (hereinafter called the “Seminary”).
  3. The Seminary may acquire, by gift, purchase, or any other manner, and hold, for the purposes of the Seminary, any and all property of every nature and kind whatsoever, either within or without the Province, and especially lands and tenements necessary for use and occupation as Seminary buildings and offices, playing-fields, residences for professors, tutors, students, and officers, with gardens or pleasure-grounds pertaining thereto, together with libraries, furniture, and fixtures used in connection therewith.
  4. The Seminary may mortgage, sell, transfer, lease, or otherwise dispose of any or all of its property.
  5. The Seminary may
    1. borrow such sum or sums of money from time to time as may be necessary for its purposes, either with or without security;
    2. mortgage or pledge any or all of its lands, buildings, or any other of its property for securing any sum or sums of money so borrowed; and
    3. issue and sell or pledge bonds, debentures, and obligations upon such terms and conditions as the Seminary may decide.
  6. The Seminary may invest for the benefit of the Seminary all or any sums of money belonging to it and available for investment in such manner as may seem best to the Seminary.
  7. All deeds, transfers, mortgages, instruments, or documents required to be in writing, and to which the Seminary is a party, shall be deemed to be properly executed by the Seminary if the corporate name and seal are affixed and are witnessed by the signature of the Chancellor or another person authorized by the Board of Governors.
  8. The Seminary may pass on and entrust to a trust company all or any sum or sums of money belonging to the Seminary, to be held, con­ trolled, administered, and dealt with by the trust company, for such time and in such manner as the Board of Governors may from time to time direct.
  9. The Seminary may grant degrees in the various branches of the­ ology, including honorary degrees, diplomas, and certificates of proficiency.
  10. The Seminary may confer the Bachelor of· Arts degree on students who have successfully completed the required courses in the Faculty of Arts.
  11. The Board of Governors of the Seminary shall consist of the Chancellor and six other members to be appointed by the Chancellor, four of whom shall be members of the Senate.
  12. A member of the Board of Governors shall hold office for three years and until his successor is appointed.
  13. The management and administration of the property, revenue, business, and affairs of the Seminary are vested in the Board of Governors. Without thereby limiting the general powers conferred upon or vested in the Board by this Act, the Board of Governors may
    1. enact and repeal and amend by-laws, rules, and regulations governing the operations of the Seminary;
    2. make rules and regulations for the meetings and transactions of the Board;
    3. from time to time establish such boards and appoint such committees as shall be deemed useful or necessary for carrying on the work of the Seminary;
    4. with the approval of the Senate, erect buildings and other structures of whatever sort as may be considered necessary for the purposes of the Seminary;
    5. equip, furnish, and maintain all buildings or other structures, campuses, and grounds as may be deemed necessary, and make such rules as to management and control thereof as may seem meet;
    6. exercise the power conferred upon the Seminary in sections 3, 4, 5, 6; 7, and 8 above, subject, however, to the approval of the Senate whenever it is a question of the purchase or disposal of property or of borrowing money;
    7. enter into agreement or agreements with any university, college, or other institute of learning, or with any person, body, or corporation, whether public or private, respecting co­ operation in the exercise of any rights, powers, privileges, or functions of the Seminary, not without approval of the Senate in the case of affiliation;·
    8. establish and maintain such faculties, schools, and institutes as may be determined by the Board and approved by the Senate;
    9. select a seal and arms for the Seminary and have custody of the seal.
  14. There shall be established an Auxiliary Board of Governors consisting of not less than seven members appointed by the Chancellor for a term of two years, and members are eligible for reappointment after a lapse of one year.
  15. The function of the Auxiliary Board of Governors is to advise the Board of Governors on all matters relating to the business and financial affairs of the Seminary and its development, public relations, and educational needs, and to make recommendations in relation thereto.
  16. The Auxiliary Board of Governors shall elect its own Chairman from among its members and meet at such times and places as it shall determine.
  17. The governing Abbot of Westminster Abbey, who is the superior of the religious community of the Abbey, shall be the Chancellor of the Seminary.
  18. The Chancellor shall appoint the President of the Seminary, and in case of the absence of the President or his inability to act, or in vacancy of that office, may appoint an Acting President, who, during the period he is appointed, has all the powers, rights, and privileges of the President.
  19. The Chancellor, after consultation with the President, has power to appoint the Dean of Studies, deans of all faculties, the Librarian, the Registrar, the Bursar, the professors, lecturers, instructors, and other members of the teaching staff of the Seminary, and all such officers, clerks, and employees as may be deemed necessary for the purposes of the Seminary, and to define their duties and their tenure of office or employment.
  20. Should the office of Chancellor become vacant by reason of death of the Chancellor, or his ceasing, from any cause, to be the governing Abbot of Westminster Abbey, the office of Chancellor shall remain vacant until the election of another Abbot of the said Abbey. In the interim, the Administrator of Westminster Abbey may perform the necessary functions of the Chancellor.
  21. The President of the Seminary, also called the Rector, shall be the chief executive officer of the Seminary, and he shall generally super­ vise and direct the academic work of the Seminary, the teaching and administrative staffs, and student discipline.
  22. There shall be constituted a Seminary Advisory Board, with members appointed by the President for terms of two years, to advise the Seminary in matters that have bearing on enrolment.
  23. The Senate shall consist of the chapter members of Westminster Abbey, who are qualified by permanent attachment to the Abbey to vote in the election of the Abbot and on the business matters which from time to time require the common decision of the members of Westminster Abbey.
  24. The Senate shall meet from time to time as summoned by the Chancellor, who presides at the meetings.
  25. The real property which is at any time vested in the Seminary shall not be liable to be entered upon, used, or taken up by any municipal or other corporation, or by any persons possessing the right of taking lands compulsorily for any purpose whatsoever, and no power to expropriate property hereafter conferred shall extend to such real property unless in the Act conferring the power it is made in express terms to apply to such real property.
  26. The real or personal property owned by the Seminary or leased to the Seminary and used for educational purposes is exempt from taxation under the Municipal Act, the School Act, and the Taxation (Rural Area) Act.
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