Approved by the Board of Directors on July 20, 2004
Article 1: Mandate
1.1 Purpose
The Windmill Weekly (the Weekly) exists to further the goals of Windmill Line Co-operative Homes (the co-op). It does this by regularly publishing a short newsletter that is distributed to every unit in the co-op.
1.2 Scope
The Weekly operates as a committee as outlined in Article 9 of the co-op's Organizational Bylaw (By-law No. 28).
1.3 Composition
All members of the co-op can volunteer for the Weekly; they do not need to be appointed by the co-op's Board. The Weekly consists of at least one editor. The editor is responsible for publishing each issue and making sure that the Weekly's policies and procedures are followed and are up-to-date. If there are several editors, they can divide these responsibilities amongst themselves. The editors can also recruit non-editor volunteers to do other tasks, such as copying, cutting or distributing issues.
Article 2: Operations
2.1 Schedule
The Windmill Weekly editors must set a regular publication schedule and keep members, staff and committees informed of it. The editors must try to minimize disruptions to the schedule, and inform the co-op of them, ahead of time if possible.
2.2 Submission Deadline
The editors can set a deadline for submissions to be published in the next edition. If there is a deadline, the editors must keep the co-op informed of it.
Article 3: Content
3.1 Legibility
The Weekly must make reasonable efforts to ensure that each issue is legible.
3.2 Editing of Submissions
All submissions can be edited by the editors for legibility, length, grammar, spelling or appearance, as long as the meaning of the submission is unchanged.
3.3 Acceptance of Submissions
All submissions received must be published if they meet the criteria set out in these policies and in the Weekly's published procedures. If a submission is refused for any reason, the editors must make reasonable efforts to inform the submitter that their submission was refused and why.
3.4 Who can Submit
All co-op members, committees, staff, registered long-term guests, and the board of directors, can submit material to the Weekly; they do not need to volunteer for the Weekly to do this. The editors can refuse material if it is submitted from outside these groups.
3.5 Length
Submissions will not be refused due only to lack of space in an issue. However, the editors can refuse any submission if it is over 125 words in length.
3.6 No Anonymous Submissions
Any submission that is not received with the submitter legibly identified must be refused. Members must include their name and unit number; staff must include their name and position; committees must include their name and the name and unit number of their contact person. The editors can publish this information or not, or allow publishing under a pseudonym, at their sole discretion. If an item is published anonymously or pseudonymously, the original submission (or a printed copy in the case of electronic submissions) including the identity of the submitter must be permanently kept on file at the co-op's office. Submitters are encouraged, but not required, to include their telephone number or other contact information; this contact information must not be published unless the submitter requests it.
3.7 Repeated Submissions
There is no limit to the number of times an item can be submitted. Unless requested, each submission is only published once. Submitters can ask that their submission be repeated up to three times (meaning it will be published four times in total); they must include an additional copy of the submission for each requested repetition. The editors can refuse to repeat a submission without it being re-submitted if it is over 75 words in length.
3.8 Submissions for Future Publication
Submitters can ask that their submission be published in a future issue. They must specify what date they want it to be published. The date requested must be a valid one according to the Weekly's published schedule; otherwise, the editors can choose a publication date that in their sole opinion seems reasonable. The editors can refuse to publish a submission if the requested publication date is more than 2 months later than the date the submission is received.
3.9 Objectionable Content
The editors can refuse to publish any material that in their sole opinion is hateful, crude, incendiary, nonsensical, or is disrespectful to a person or group based on any of the grounds in the Ontario Human Rights Code (including the receipt of public assistance).
3.10 Stale Content
The editors can refuse to publish any material that will be out-of-date by the Weekly's publication date.
3.11 File Content
The editors can keep material indefinitely if the editors believe it would be of continuing interest to members; submitters can also ask that their submission be kept for this purpose. A printed copy of this material must be kept on file at the co-op's office. All file content can be printed and reprinted in future issues at the sole discretion of the editors; the Weekly makes no guarantee that any filed item will be reprinted.
3.12 Lack of Content
If no submissions are received by the submission deadline, the editors can choose not to publish that issue. A notice must be posted informing the co-op if this happens.
Article 4: Reporting
4.1 Reporting
In addition to regular committee reporting requirements, the Weekly must publish its policies and procedures to members once a year. The editors must immediately inform the board of any change in Weekly policies or procedures, and must also keep the rest of the co-op informed of any changes.