VIMS Council Meeting Minutes
Friday February 28, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.
Meeting at home of Brock Brown, in Victoria, BC
One member via Zoom
Present:
Brock Brown (chair), Rhonda Duncan (Director, via Zoom), Kevin Keliher (Secretary), Joe
Barrett (Director) and Bruce MacRae (Vice-President).
Absent: None
Agenda Items:
1) Review and Approve Agenda.
Motion from Kevin to approve the agenda. Carried.
2) Approve Minutes of Previous Meeting October 29, 2024
Motion from Joe to approve October 29th, 2024 amended minutes. Carried.
3) Business arising from the Minutes and Updates.
a) Margo McLoughlin one day Retreat February 22nd at Goward House
Thanks to Joe Barrett & Carol-Anne Owen (Managers), Rhonda Duncan & Kiko
Brown (Co-Registrar), Bruce MacRae (Sound) & Brock Brown (Retreat
Coordinator). Thank you also to Louise Takeda (Retreat Operations). Would be
helpful for the manager to know the number of registered participants ahead of
time, to determine the number of chairs to set-up. Retreat Sign-in sheets to be
filed at Brock Browns’ home.
Total number registered: 81
In-Person attendance: 59
b) Remembering June Fukushima and her contributions to VIMS. We will miss
June’s presence and we recollect all the positive contributions she made in her
life including her contributions to making the dharma available to so many. In
loving memory.
4) Financial Updates
a) Coast Capital Account Statements
Accounts January 31, 2025
Chequing: $ 5,726.90
Savings: $ 6,051.59
TOTAL: $11,778.49
Notes: Outstanding cheque to Suzan Denis $125 (not cashed yet). Cheques
issued for insurance ($750), HostPapa & MailChimp ($386.10) & Sunday Night
Sit (March-May) and Goward House rent
b) Financial Reports for January 2025 were sent by email.
c) Motion from Bruce to approve January 2025 Financial Report. Carried.
d) Motion from Kevin to accept revised 2025 Budget. Carried.
5) Sunday Night Sits (SNS)
a) Update from Joe regarding Sunday Night Sits. Joe reported the number of
participants and Dana received continues to be strong. Joe will start forwarding
Kelly Arason’s SNS monthly Financial Summary to council members. George Nyi
has taken on maintaining SNS’s presence on Social Media.
6) Communication – Newsletter, Website, Social Media, MailChimp
a) Bruce reported that audio recordings were temporarily removed and will be
returned shortly. The email sign-up feature on our website was malfunctioning,
but has also been repaired.
7) 2025 Completed Retreats: Margo McLoughlin’s February retreat has been completed.
8) 2025 Upcoming Retreats: at Goward House unless indicated otherwise. Plan is to have
the first three retreats In-Person only. This will simplify volunteer requirements and
overall workload. Bruce agreed to get others (e.g., Metta or George) to manage Sound
when he is unable. This will most likely be the last time Christina will visit Victoria.
Rhonda to transport Christina from Parksville and back. Thank you Rhonda.
2025 Upcoming
Retreats
Date Teacher
Confirmed (Y/N)
Venue Format Notes
April 12 & 13 Tempel Smith
(Y)
Goward
House
In person
only
Joyce Elliott (Manager),
Bruce (Sound), Kiko &
Rhonda (Co-Registrars).
May 10 & 11 Kristina Bare (Y) Goward
House
In person
only
Mary Ann Enthoven
(Manager), Kiko & Rhonda
(Co-Registrars), Bruce
(Sound).
June 14 & 15 Christina
Feldman (Y)
Shoal Centre
in Sidney
To Be
Determined
Louise Takeda (Manager),
Brock (Host), Kiko &
Rhonda (Co-Registrars),
Bruce (Sound).
Sept 20 & 21 Tuere Sala (Y) Goward
House
Online Only Metta VanderVliet
(Manager), Kiko & Rhonda
(Co-Registrars), Bruce
(Sound).
Oct 18 & 19 Howie Cohn (Y) Goward
House
To Be
Determined
Rhonda Duncan
(Manager) , Kiko &
Rhonda (Co-Registrars),
Bruce (Sound).
9) Discussion regarding whether to have Christina & Howie’s retareats hybrid or in-person
only. Leaning toward in-person only. To be determined.
10) Louise Takeda is doing an excellent job as head of the Retreat Operations Committee
(ROC) and as Volunteer Coordinator. June’s passing has left a vacancy. Motion from
Kevin to invite Louise on council. Carried.
11) Next Council Meeting date: April 22nd, 2025 6:30 p.m.