VIMS Council Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
Meeting at June and Brock’s, Victoria, BC
Present:
Brock Brown (chair), Rhonda Duncan (Director) (via zoom), June Fukushima (Treasurer), 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 July 19th, 2023
Motion from June to approve October 10th, 2023 minutes. Carried.
3) Business arising from the Minutes and Updates.
a) Tempel Smith October 22nd – One-Day Hybrid Retreat at Goward House.
Thanks to Brock Brown – Retreat Coordinator, June Fukushima – Registrar,
Joyce Elliott – Manager, June Fukushima and Jess BaldwinZoom Coordinator,
Bruce MacRae – Sound. RETREAT STATS: Goward House: 67 attended; 85
registered. Online attendance: 28 attended; 52 registered.
b) Howie Cohn November 11th & 12th – Two-Day Hybrid Retreat at Goward
House. Thanks to Brock Brown – Retreat Coordinator, June Fukushima –
Registrar, Kathy Jago and Josephine Tobin – Managers, Metta VanderVliet –
Zoom Coordinator, Bruce MacRae and Jonathan Mark Huot – Sound. Special
thanks to June & Brock for hosting Howie. RETREAT STATS: Goward House:
Sat: 70; Sun 70 attended; 89 registered. Online attendance: Sat: 30, Sun: 22
attended; 44 registered. 5 people registered for the online option thinking they
had registered for the in-person option. Howie mentioned that if he had known
ahead of time he would have invited members of his large online community. In
future VIMS will send teachers links to the online registration ahead of the
retreat.
c) Several people emailed giving praise to Suzan Denis for her professional Zoom
hosting Howie’s retreat and to the technical team.
d) 911 was called at Howie’s retreat to attend to a participant who lost
consciousness for a few minutes on Saturday morning. The participant was
attended to by retreat participant Dr. Miguel Lipka prior to and while emergency
services attended to the participant. The participant declined going to Emergency
and continued to attend the retreat on Saturday and Sunday with no further
medical incident.
e) Medical Events: Some discussion regarding how to respond if there is another
such event at future retreats. It was decided an Emergency Procedure Protocol
needed to be created as soon as possible.
f) Feedback from a participant on single-use washrooms at Goward House. This
individual cannot use stairs and was therefore restricted to the downstairs
washrooms. As is common some people forgot to secure the door open when
leaving causing long waits for others. Council recommended placing a sign inside
the washroom door reminding one to secure the door open upon exiting. Also,
the manager will make sure to remind people to knock if they are waiting awhile.
4) Financial Updates
a) Coast Capital Account Statements
Accounts October 31, 2023
Chequing: $ 6,649.99
Savings: $ 5,938.84
TOTAL: $12,588.83
Accounts November 27, 2023
Chequing: $ 7,776.25
Savings: $ 5,938.84
TOTAL: $13,715.09
b) December Expenses: Suzan Denis (Howie’s Retreat): $525 ($150 admin; $375
Zoom Hosting). Brock Brown (Howie’s retreat food costs):$107.50;Sunday Night
Sit (Helga Beer Yoga Studio December rent): $121.50
c) December Income: Sunday Night SIt (2 evenings)
d) Year-End Balance for 2021: $17,245.38 and 2022: $15,768.70
e) Coast Capital Statements (October & November 2023) will be available for
viewing at a future meeting.
f) Financial Reports: sent by email to council members.
g) The 2024 Budget was reviewed. Motion from June to approve the 2024 Budget.
Carried.
h) Gifts to Charities: It was decided to postpone gifts to charities at this point.
i) T2 Return: Pat Conroy to be hired again.
5) Sunday Night Sits
a) Update from Joe regarding Sunday Night Sits. Joe felt this was very successful.
14 participants this past Sunday. Half of these new attendees are coming each
week. The team model is working well. Kevin to contact Victoria Camera Club to
see if we can again borrow their digital projector for January 28th.
6) Communication – Newsletter, Website, MailChimp
a) Bruce records the teacher's talks and uploads these to the VIMS website. He
includes relevant information from the Q&A sessions while protecting the privacy
of the speaker. It was suggested participants could forward their questions in
writing if they wish to remain anonymous. Suzan’s sound recordings function only
as a backup.
7) Procedures for Dana Collection:
a) Rhonda provided a written 8 point procedure for Dana collection. Some revisions
were suggested (e.g., designate one council member to handle VIMS Dana, and
another person to collect theTeacher’s Dana). Rhonda will make necessary
changes to this new protocol.
8) 2023 Completed Retreats:
2023 Completed
Retreats
Date Teacher
Confirmed (Y/N)
Venue Format Notes
Mar 4 & 5
Completed
Margo
McLoughlin (Y)
Goward House Hybrid Kevin Keliher (Manager)
Apr 1 & 2 Tuere Sala (Y) Goward House Hybrid Also March 31, 7-8:30
Zoom evening session.
Tuere stayed at Brock &
June’s. Manager: Louise
Takeda, Sound: Bruce,
Zoom Coordinator: June
Zoon Host: Suzan Denis
Apr 29 & 30 Jeanne Corrigal
& James Lowe
(Y)
Goward House
April 29. Mary
Lake Sanctuary
April 30
In person
only
Jeanne & James stayed
at Josh S.'s home.
Manager: Rhonda & Liz
(Sat), Joe (Sun). Sound on
Saturday: Bruce,
May 20 & 21 Ajahn Jotipalo
(Y)
Goward House Hybrid Ajahn Jotipalo to stay at
Brock/June’s. Manager:
Joe (Sat), Mary-Ann (Sun),
Sound: Brock (Sat), Bruce
(Sun), Zoom Coordinator:
June (Sat), Kevin (Sun),
Zoon Host: Suzan Denis
June 11 Ajahn
Tiradhammo (Y)
Goward House Hybrid June F (Manager), Metta
(Zoom Coordinator), Bruce
(Sound). Housed at June
& Brock. June 12 meal
offering Mary Lake
Sanctuary
June 12 Ajahn
Tiradhammo (Y)
Mary Lake
Sanctuary
In-
Person
only
Dana Meal Offering
Sept 23 Brock Brown (Y) Goward House In-
Person
only
Rhonda (Manager), Bruce
& Brian Chapel Sound
Oct 22 Tempel Smith
(Y)
Goward House Hybrid Joyce (manager), June &
Jessica (in training) Zoom
Coordinator, Bruce Sound
Nov 11 & 12 Howie Cohn (Y) Goward House Hybrid Josephine Tobin & Kathy
Jago (Managers), Metta
Zoom Coordinator. Bruce
Sound. Housed at June &
Brock’s home
9) 2024 Upcoming Retreats:
2024 Upcoming
Retreats
Date Teacher
Confirmed (Y/N)
Venue Format Notes
March 16 & 17 Margo
McLoughlin (Y)
Goward House In
Person
Only
Managers: Louise Takeda,
Jessica Baldwin, Sound:
Bruce MacRae
April 27 Adrianne Ross
(Y)
Goward House In
Person
Only
Manager, Sound.
May 25 Kristina Bare (Y) Goward House In
Person
Only
Manager, Sound.
Aug 17 & 18 Ajaan Geoff (Y) UVIC
Conference
Room
Hybrid
Sept 14 & 15 Kate Davies (Y) Goward House In
Person
Only
Manager, Sound.
Oct 19 & 20 Howie Cohn (Y) Goward House Hybrid Manager, Sound.
Nov 23 Brock Brown(Y) Goward House In
Person
Only
Manager, Sound.
10) Next Council Meeting: Tuesday, February 20th, at 6:30 p.m.