Heritage Community Foundation Presents
Alberta Online Encyclopedia

Standing Committees

The constitution also established a system of standing committees that would help to achieve the Association's various objectives. The evolution of this system is a major part of the Edmonton Real Estate Board's administrative history from 1927 to 1995. The standing committees in 1927 were Appraisal; Arbitration; Membership; Program; Legislative; and Publicity. The only committee not carried forward from 1909 was Finance.

Helping members when problems arose in making an appraisal and responding to requests to the Association for appraisals from an outside body was the responsibility of the Appraisal Committee.

Adjudicated complaints or differences between members, was the responsibility of the Arbitration Committee. The committee only heard cases when the parties involved had agreed in writing to abide by its findings without recourse to any other tribunal, and to pay all costs of the proceedings. The committee functioned in a semi-judicial fashion by obtaining statements under oath from the principals and witnesses. The secretary of the Association gave a written reply within forty-eight hours of the committee's decision. A copy was signed by the deciding members and the seal of the Board attached by the secretary. The committee was required to keep a record of each dispute, the decisions made, and the grounds for the decisions.

The task of building up the membership, maintaining the interest of the members, and having members attend all the meetings was the task of two committees, namely the Membership and Program committees. The Program Committee provided the programs for the meetings that were: "for the best interest and welfare of the Association." Publicizing the activities of the Association was the responsibility of another committee. The Publicity Committee also sought new members.

The Legislative Committee was to: "guard and promote the interests of real estate before all legislative bodies whether civic or provincial ...." This committee was thus responsible for reviewing new legislation and suggesting changes to existing statutes.

This article is extracted from John Gilpin, Responsible Enterprise: A History of Edmonton Real Estate & the Edmonton Real Estate Board. (Edmonton: Edmonton Real Estate Board, 1997). The Heritage Community Foundation and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation would like to thank John Gilpin and the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton for permission to reproduce this material.

Albertasource.ca | Contact Us | Partnerships
            For more on the real estate industry in Alberta, visit Peel’s Prairie Provinces.

Copyright © Heritage Community Foundation All Rights Reserved