Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 11/98) - It's spring cleaning time for the NWT registrar of societies.

Responsible for keeping track of the 1,100 incorporated community groups in the territories, the registrar has assembled a list of 134 societies that may soon fade into oblivion.

"We make every attempt to contact these groups to give them the opportunity to revive the organization if they plan on operating it," said registrar Tom Hall.

Once a society goes, however, its name goes with it.

The main benefit of society status is a limit on liability, sparing individual members from personal responsibility for their organization's debts or litigation.

"The Societies Act does not give a group non-profit status," noted Hall. "That's something they have to do federally, with Revenue Canada.

To keep their status, societies must file financial statements and a list of directors each year. All of those on the list have failed to live up to those requirements.

The list includes such notable organizations as the Keewatin Chamber of Commerce, Fort McPherson Hunters and Trappers Association, and the Hay River branch of the Elks Club.

Some of the societies on the endangered list disbanded long ago. Others, like the Denturists Society of the NWT, never got off the ground.

Organized "to promote and increase the knowledge, skill, proficiency and efficiency of its members in all things related to dental prosthesis," the Denturists first applied for societal status in June of 1982.

The deputy registrar pointed out a snag in their application -- "According to the bylaws of the society, only one subscriber will be eligible for membership in the society."

The five people who attempted to form the group included one denturist, two teachers, a lawyer and a waitress.

Nothing was heard of the group after the deputy registrar pointed out the group's fatal flaw.