From the Branch level to the National level, Pony Club is run by elected volunteers, many of them parents or grandparents of Pony Club members, or former Pony Club members themselves.
The "grass roots" of the Pony Club is the local branch, of which we have about 110, plus an additional 10 riding centes. Each Branch has its own name and colours, runs its own education and instruction program, and frequently puts on competitions some of which are restricted to members only and others of which may be open to the public.
Each Branch is run by a Branch Committee headed by a District Commissioner. The size of the Branch Committee varies according to the needs of the Branch but is usually between 5 and 10 persons. Each member of the Branch Committee is elected by the Branch members and/or parents. One of the Branch Committee members is elected to be the District Commissioner who is the chair of the Branch Committee and the representative of the Branch at the Regional level. One of the other Committee members will be selected as the Assistant D.C. and the others will usually each take on the responsibility for one or more of the activities in which the Branch participates.
Each Branch can set its own Branch membership fees and those fees vary widely depending on the services provided by the Branch as part of the fees. Please refer to the individual Branch pages for specific information.
Often, local branches organize supplementary activities. Events such as fun days and camps assist the local branches in meeting both individual member's needs and Pony Club's overall aims and objectives.
Branches are organized geographically into Regions, of which there are 12 across Canada. From west to east, they are British Columbia Islands, British Columbia Interior North, British Columbia Lower Mainland, Alberta North, Alberta South, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Western Ontario, Central Ontario, St. Lawrence and Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia.
Each Region is run by a Regional Committee which is again made up of a varying number of people depending on the size and needs of the Region. The D.C. of each Branch in the Region is part of the Regional Committee and there is always a Regional Chair and a National Director (may be the same person). Usually the Regional Committee includes coordinators who are elected for each activity in which the Region participates and several other positions such as Treasurer or Communications. Most Regions elect several Visiting Commissioners who are usually very experienced in many aspects of Pony Club operations. Any Visiting Commissioners are also on the Regional Committee. In some cases, one person takes on 2 or more of these responsibilities. Committee members other than the D.C.'s are usually elected by the D.C.'s and the remaining or outgoing Committee members.
Large or widespread Regions sometimes create a "Regional Executive" to handle normal operations because meetings of the entire committee are hard to organize and may be very large.
The Regions are responsible for overseeing the operations of each of the Branches in their area, of providing help with education and other activities which may be beyond the resources of some individual Branches, and for promoting the growth of the Pony Club by assisting with the organization of new Branches. Most Regions also organize several competitions between their Branches each year. Which activities are included will depend on the Region.
Each Region also sets fees to support its operation. Again, the fees vary widely depending on the services included.
The Director of each Region sits on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Pony Club. The CPC Board also includes a National Chair who is elected from among the Directors. In order to maintain Regional representation, any Region whose director is elected to the Chair may elect a replacement Director. There are also two Active Member directors who are elected by the Board from among nominations sent in by the regions.
The Board of Directors is responsible for all operations of the Pony Club, sets the achievement standards for Canada, maintains National competition rules, and holds some responsibility for national and international Pony Club competitions. It is the final level of authority in Canada. There is an association with the British (and other) Pony Clubs, however that association does not include the Pony Club in any country having authority over the Pony Club in another country.
The Board of Directors sets an annual membership fee to be paid to the Head office. This fee is in addition to any Branch or Regional fees. Please refer to Regional and/or Branch pages to determine what your total membership fees might be and what services you can expect.