2022/03/17 VIMS Council Minutes

VIMS Council Meeting Minutes
Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. Online Meeting
hosted in Victoria, BC

Present:
Brock Brown (chair), Brian Chapel, Rhonda Duncan, June Fukushima, and Kevin Keliher (secretary)

Absent with Regrets:
Bruce MacRae.

Agenda Items:
1. Review and Approve Agenda
Motion from Brock to approve agenda. Carried.

2. Approve Minutes of Previous Meeting January  20th, 2022

A change in the circulated draft minutes was noted in item #3b: $250 USD for Dharma Seed was changed to $200 USD for Dharma Seed. Motion from June to approve minutes. Carried.

3. Business arising from the Minutes and Updates.

    1. No new business

4. Financial Updates

    1. Coast Capital Account Statements
      Accounts January 31st 2022
      Chequing: $1967.37
      Savings: $13,793.78
      TOTAL: $15,761.15

Accounts February 28th, 202
Chequing: $2,417.37
Savings: $13,794.84
TOTAL: $16,212.21

The CRA sent notice of completion of filling of the T2 for the 2020 fiscal year. Pat Conroy’s bill was $630 includes tax. 

5. Sunday Night Community Sit:
Due to the COVID-19 situation the in-person Sunday Sit remains on hold. This decision will be revisited in the fall.

6. Communications – Newsletter, Website, and Constant Contact.

    1. Motion from June: Victoria IMS contract with Suzan Denis to provide services related to setting up the retreat registration process and emails at $25 per hour. The contract will include training time with Brian Chapel. Carried.
    2. Constant Contact now requires two-factor authentication. This has complicated sharing the registration process with different registrars. Contracting with someone like Suzan Denis to be the permanent registrar would simplify this process. Another option is to change from Constant Contact to Lu.ma. June suggests using Lu.ma software for the May retreat as it is free and has a simpler authentication process June is also willing to coordinate the next Constant Contact registrar process for the April retreat as she is the Registrar. To re-evaluate this in a few months.

7. 2022 AGM.

    1. Reports due before the next Board meeting, by May 5th.
    2. Nominations for new Board members. Council considered potential board members. Brock Brown to follow up with one person who was nominated.
    3. Change date of AGM to June 9th, 2022 at 6:30.
    4. June suggested that new members be considered. Two potential members will be contacted. Adding new members is a Board decision.

8. 2022 Completed Retreats: 

    1. February 19th – Margo McLoughin – Joanna Stonechapel Registrar, Kevin Keliher Manager. Online 9am – 4 p.m. Attendance Saturday: 40

9. 2022 Retreats:

  1. May 21, 22 retreat is planned as a hybrid. This will include an in-person component. With the BC government changes in COVID-19 related safety protocols, Council reviewed the decisions for in-person retreats. Council agreed to:
  • Participants will be required to be double-vaccinated
  • Maximum registration of 50 participants with the expectation that 30% of those registering will cancel and that the number of participants will be approx. 35.  Goward House maximum is 110.
  • Chairs/meditation sitting will be set up 2 meters apart.
  • Masks will be required except for when seated in meditation.
  • A door will be left open for air circulation.
  • Hand sanitizer will be available in common areas – supplied by VIMS.
  • The downstairs men’s washroom will be single-use for all genders. A stool will be used to prop open the door to indicate it’s not in use.
  • A kettle will be available for those wanting to make tea. No other supplies will be set out.
  • Participants eating inside will be asked to sit apart from one another.

Kevin shared documents from the Victoria Camera Club that could be used as a template for securing  participant’s consent with Victoria IMS retreat COVID-19 protocols.

Rhonda has prepared new dana boxes that have slits on the top to minimize handling of the dana boxes when placing donations in the boxes,

All events at Goward House unless indicated otherwise.

 

2022 Upcoming Retreats
Date Teacher Confirmed (Y/N) Venue Booked Format Notes
Mar 19/20 Tempel Smith (Y) Online Online Joyce Elliott Manager. Sheila Whincup Registrar
Apr 9/10 Tuere Sala (Y) Online Online Friday evening talk. Metta Manager, June Registrar
May 21/22 Brock (21) & Margo (22) Goward House Hybrid Manager Margo (21) & Brock (22)
Jun 25/26 Bonnie Duran(Y) Shoal Center Hybrid David Axon Manager
Sep 17 Brock Brown (Y) Goward House Hybrid
Oct 15/16 Christine Feldman (Y) Goward House Hybrid
Nov 12/13 Ajahn Candasirii (Y) Goward House Hybrid Nun coming from Scotland, Katherine Leslie Manager

10. Next Council Meeting: Thursday, May 12th at 6:30 p.m.