Minutes 2013-06-26

Victoria Insight Meditation Society (VIMS) 

Minutes of VIMS Council Meeting

 2013-06-26

 

Location      Home of Lawrie Thicke, Victoria,

Attendance

Brock Brown                      president

Grant Smith                       treasurer

Theresa Aspol                    director

Bruce MacRae                    vice-president

June Fukushima     director

Lawrie Thicke                    director

Brian Chapel                      secretary

Call to Order   19:10

 

Approval of the Agenda 

Moved by Theresa.

Carried (Implemented).

 

Approval of the Minutes from the 2013-05-16 Meeting 

Moved by Lawrie.

Carried (Implemented).

Business Arising from the Minutes and Updates 

  1. Heather’s metta retreat

Surplus slightly lower than budgeted.

Attendance about the same as her May 2012 retreat.

Saturday attendance – 48; Sunday attendance – 42.

Thank you to Lawrie Thicke (registrar), Sandra Joy and Theresa Aspol (co-managers) and Blair Pardee (flowers).

Theresa reported that the co-manager model worked very well.

Closed (Implemented).

  1. Sangha social

Coming up on July 10th starting after 5:00 pm.

Bring forward (Develop)..

  1. Ajahn Viradamo

No updates on a possible visit.

Closed  (Set aside).

  • Vancouver Island Thai Association (VITA)

Have not heard back about a possible visiting monk.

Closed (Set aside).

 

Completed Actions 

  1. Changes to signing authority

John Hilditch removed.

Grant Smith added.

Closed (Implemented).

  1. Inter-sangha meeting

Ticket purchased.

Closed (Implemented).

  1. Sister Anandhabodhi

Not coming to the area.

Visit postponed.

Closed (Implemented).

Financial Report

The two most recent retreats had lower than expected VIMS dana, and the travel expense for Howie Cohn will be greater than budgeted, but these factors are more than offset by greater than expected VIMS dana in the first three retreats of the year.

Loss on study group so far this year exceeds budget, but greater than expected dana from Sunday night sits more than compensates.

Grant circulated financial statements up to current date.

General fund balance                 3,759.65 (plus 1704.31 in pre-paid expenses for upcoming retreats)

Discretionary fund balance  3,002.85

Motion by June to accept.

Carried (Implemented).

 

Communications (Bruce, June)

 

  1. 1.    Bruce will talk to Rod about Host Papa account maintenance and payment.

Bring forward (Develop).

  1. 2.    Lawrie will be backup sound person for Bruce but we will need another for next year.

Bring forward (Develop).

  1. 3.    Council expressed gratitude to Anna Merner for her donation of a nice microphone plus books.

Closed (Implemented).

 

  1. 4.    Rod is now answering the Gmail account for the summer. Council thanks Sandra Joy for being the Gmail contact for the past year. Sandra is willing to resume answering the account this fall.

Closed (Implemented).

  1. 5.    Constant Contact numbers are in no danger of going over the limit for our level.

Closed (Implemented).

  1. 6.    Can pay for Constant Contact by cheque but HostPapa requires a credit card so payer has to be reembursed for basic and private domain registration.

Closed (Implemented).

 

2013 Retreats

  1. Howie Cohn on August 4th

Need a title. Suggest: (a) Vipassana/Insight, (b) I/me/mine (West Coast Dharma / Mission Dharma)

Sound: Rod

Manager/Registrar: Isy (Ask if she would like to train a co-manager. Lawrie will ask Blair.)

Plane Ticket: Purchased

Airport Transportation: Brock

Accomodation: Rod and Isy

Bring forward (Develop).

  1. Solwazi Johnson on September 28th and 29th

Plane Ticket: Purchased

Registrar: TBD

Manager: Brock

Bring forward (Develop).

 

  1. 3.           Adrianne Ross on November 2nd and 3rd 

Title: Lawrie will ask Joyce to enquire and indicate that most attendees will not be beginners.

Accomodation: Joyce

Manager: Lawrie will ask Joyce.

Registrar: Lawrie is available.

Bring forward (Develop).

 

2014 Retreats

  1. Heather Martin on January 25 and 26

Confirmed and booked.

Topic: TBD. Event will attract beginners, even if not specified as a beginners’ retreat.

Bring forward (Develop).

  1. Brock Brown for one day in late February

Bring forward (Develop).

  1. Pascal Auclair on April 19 and 20

Confirmed and booked.

Bring forward (Develop).

 

  1. Eve Decker on May 24 and 25

Confirmed and booked.

Bring forward (Develop).

 

  1. Ajahn Sona in June or July

One day, possibly combined with some other activity

Topic: TBD but possibly request bramaviharas or metta

Bring forward (Develop).

 

  1. Howie Cohn on August 3

Not confirmed or booked. Will ask him when he is here.

Bring forward (Develop).

 

  1. James Baraz on September 27 and 28

Confirmed and booked.

Bring forward (Develop). 

  1. James and Jane Baraz on October 4 and 5

Topic: Awakening Joy

Confirmed and booked

Bring forward (Develop).

 

  1. Margo McLoughlin one day in November

Must avoid weekend of Goward House craft fair.

Topic: Possibly generosity

Bring forward (Develop).

 

 

2015 Retreats

Bring forward (Develop). 

 

Sunday Night Sit

Bring forward (Develop). 

 

Study Group

Bring forward (Develop). 

 

Than Geoff Vancouver Workshop

There was consideration of a possible visit from Ajahn Geoff to Victoria in future years.

Closed (Set aside). 

 

Lost and Found Policy

Lawrie reported that it is working well to send out an announcement

after the retreat to let attendees know of lost and found items.

Sandra Joy is willing to store items for pick up. This lessens the

impact on Goward House who will accept our lost and found items but

has limited space.

Council gave approval to Lawrie and June to look at the write-up on

the website and update it if necessary.

Bring forward (Develop). 

 

Lost and Found Policy 

Bring forward (Develop). 

 

Next meeting

At Brock and June’s home on July 18 at 7pm.

 

Adjournment           21 :40