2017/07/20 VIMS Council Minutes

VIMS Council Meeting Minutes (approved)

Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

Brian’s home

Present:

Brock, June, Sandra, Bruce, Brian

Absent with Regrets:

Rhonda.

Agenda Items:

  1. Review and Approve Council Meeting Agenda:

An addition (point 3 last item) to the distributed agenda was proposed to address the planning of the Victoria IMS Social. Motion from Sandra to approve the modified agenda. Carried.

  1. Approve Minutes of Previous Meeting (May 11th, 2017):

There were no changes to the distributed draft minutes from the May council meeting.  Motion from June to approve the minutes.  Carried.

  1. Business arising from the Minutes and Updates:
  • Ayya Medhanandi retreat update (May 27/28): There were 62 participants over the two days. Good feedback was received after the retreat and Ayya has agreed to return to Victoria in 2019. Thanks to all those who supported this retreat: Coordinators: June Fukushima and Brock Brown; Co-managers: Rhonda Duncan and Lise Bernard; Registrar: Sheila Whincup; Sound: Bruce McRae and Metta Vandervliet.
  • Victoria IMS total retreat participants between January and May 2017 was 226.
  • Victoria IMS Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on May 25, 2017. Draft minutes have been prepared and reviewed by Council. After some minor edits the minutes will be distributed to all founding members and redistributed to Council.
  • The annual Society fee has been paid.
  • The annual Victoria IMS social will be on the 27th October, 2017 and the Garry Oak room at the Fairfield Gonzales Community Centre has been reserved. Thanks to Isy and Rod House for agreeing to plan and support this event again this year.
  1. Finances:
  • June reported on the May-June financials (report was distributed to council members prior to the meeting).

Account Balances as of June 1st, 2017:

Chequing:         $5,784.16

Savings:           $6,771.51

TOTAL:            $12,555.67

Account Balances as of July 1st, 2017:

Chequing:         $3,658.51

Savings:           $6,772.90

TOTAL:            $10,431.41

Motion from June to receive the May-June 2017 financial report. Carried.

  1. Bylaws and Constitution:
  • The Council will start reviewing this. June motioned that we amend our constitution to be in line with the new Societies Act regulations. Carried.
  • The current Victoria IMS Constitution is shown below in italics text. The changes agreed to at the Council meeting, in accordance with the example from the new Societies Act Transition guide are:
    • Items 1 and 2 of the existing Victoria IMS Constitution will become the new Constitution;
    • Items 3, 4 and 5 of the existing Victoria IMS Constitution will be added to the new Victoria IMS By-laws together with the following statement after each item: “This provision was previously unalterable” (this statement will replace the current statement which reads “This provision is unalterable”).
  1. The name of the Society is Victoria Insight Meditation Society
  2. The purposes of the Society are:
  3. To promote Buddhist teachings and meditation practices as taught in, but not limited to Theravada Buddhism.
  4. To provide access to the practice and study of the dhamma, the Buddha’s teachings.
  5. To facilitate the growth and sustenance of a sangha, the community of Buddhist practitioners.
  6. to promote the cultivation of insight, generosity and kindness in order to awaken heart and mind and to foster the possibility of freedom from suffering for all.
  7. to encourage a personal meditation practice and the embodiment of the dhamma in daily life.
  8. to do those things incidental and necessary to promote and attain the foregoing purposes, which shall include but not be restricted to the promotion, organisation and conduct of Buddhist meditation retreats, instruction, study and practice groups in British Columbia, primarily in the Greater Victoria regional district.
  9. Upon winding up or dissolution of the Society, the assets, which remain after payment of all cost, charges, and expenses which are properly incurred in the winding up shall be distributed to a registered charity or registered charities as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada), as may be determined by the members of the Society at the time of winding up or dissolution. This provision is unalterable.
  10. The above purposes of the Society shall be carried out without purpose of gain for its members, and any profits or other accretions to the Society shall be used for promoting its purposes, and all the above purposes shall be carried on in an exclusively charitable manner. This provision is unalterable.
  11. No Director or Officer shall be remunerated for being or acting as a Director or Officer, but a Director or Officer may be reimbursed for all expenses necessarily and reasonably incurred by him or her while engaged in the affairs of the Society. This provision is unalterable.
  1. Sunday Night Community Sit:
    • Margo has suggested doing a Solstice evening at the Yoga Studio on Friday evening December 22nd between 7 and 9pm. Sandra will speak to Margo about the logistics related to this evening.
    • Brock gave Council an update on changes to the format and management of the Sunday Night Community Sit for 2018. The first six months of 2018 are already scheduled and Brock and Sandra will be the primary coordinators for this program in 2018.
  2. Communications:
    • Website: A meeting was held on April 22nd to discuss potential changes to our website.  As a result of this June created a Google Doc for us to log the various changes we would like to see.  To date there has been no further activity on this item.
  3. 2017 Programs/Retreat Operations:
    • If a retreat coordinator is not on Council we need to assign a dedicated council member to liaise with that coordinator in the time leading up to the retreat: Bruce is confirmed as the council liaison for Adrianne Ross’s retreat and Brock for Steve Armstrong’s retreat.
    • Council had an initial discussion on a suggestion made by a participant of Tuere Sala’s retreat in April. The suggestion: at the start of our retreats, we include an acknowledgement of being on First Nations territory. The discussion will be ongoing.
    • Upcoming retreats/events:
      • Aug 19/20 – Ajaan Geoff – registration opens July 24, 2017
      • Sep 16/17 – Adrianne Ross – registration opens Aug 21, 2017
      • Oct 14/15 – Steve Armstrong – registration opens Sep 18, 2017
      • Nov 11 – Brock Brown – registration opens Oct 16, 2017
    • Retreats completed:
      • January 21/22 – Heather Martin
      • February 19 – Margo McLoughlin
      • March 18/19 – Howard Cohn
      • April 30 – Tuere Sala
      • May 27/28 – Ayya Medhanandi
  1. 2018 Programs:
  • January 20/21 – Heather – confirmed – Goward House reserved
  • February 23 – Margo McLoughlin – confirmed – evening talk – Goward House reserved
  • February 24/25 – Margo McLoughlin – confirmed – Goward House reserved
  • March 31/April 1 – Pascal Auclair – confirmed – Goward House reserved
  • May 26/27 – Susie Harrington – confirmed – Goward House reserved
  • June 23/24 – Ajahn Viradhammo – likely – UVic conference room reserved
  • September 15/16 – Brock Brown – confirmed – Goward House reserved
  • October 13/14 – Christina Feldman – confirmed – Goward House reserved
  • Nov 10/11 – Carol Wilson – confirmed – Goward House reserved
  1.  Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.

Next Meeting

September 14th, 2017
7:00-9:30p.m.

Sandra’s home