Annual Conference Meeting Notes - December 4 2021
Meeting Notes
Annual Conference
G. R. Pearkes Recreation Centre
George welcomed all people in attendance from Vancouver and across Canada and did a brief overview of what is going to happen today.
Everyone has a copy of the handouts, which included the Agenda, President’s Report, and Yearly Financial Report.
President’s Report for 2021. George highlighted the President’s Report for 2021 and discussed the deferral of our 2020 yearly meeting under the Society’s Act due to Covid.
Jamie highlighted our yearly financial report along with the graphs showing how our book sales, donations and other monthly expenses that we currently have.
During the nomination process for the upcoming board for 2022 George described how our bylaw and constitutions review should be one of the main focusses of the new board. The bylaw and consitutions outline how the board operates and under what boundaries. Another item is the focus of acquiring more volunteers. We also talked about how the secular community promotes itself in our communities along what LifeRing offers.
All volunteers present at today’s meeting communicated their nominations for the new board. During this process we nominated current President, George Gidora; Vice President, Barb Ross; Treasurer, Jamie Itterman. We also nominated Jill McClary, Director. Kevin Jones offered to assist with a list of duties for website adjustments, and promotional activities.
We welcome to our new Board of Director’s for LifeRing 2022.
Since Covid closed most of our face-to-face meetings, we transitioned to mainly on-line meetings. Barb opened a discussion on what is working and requested feedback on what needed improvement. We discussed the need for a women’s meeting, and why is it apparent that most attendees are men. Do we need to offer a women’s only meeting that confirms our anonymity in our groups so that it would attract more women? Our only advertisement is via our website and promotional handouts, communications via emails. The LifeRing website appears too busy and needs simplicity. The use our website could enhance what LifeRing offers and how people hear and see our corporate message of LifeRing philosophy. Our website is working but needs some enhancements that is more appealing to visitors to the site. It could also use some blogs that could corporately advertise what LifeRing has to offer.
There should be more consideration to addressing the special needs of the LGBT and women’s community by examining focused meetings for them. We have had a women’s’ meeting a few years ago but it has fallen away. We need to look at re-establishing this meeting and others.
The advertisement within Facebook social media platform was started back in 2015/16 but was never maintained because there is no one to consistently carry this out. We could have announcements and promotions done via Facebook, like celebrations, or donations days with links to easily donate to LifeRing a flat denomination $5, or $10, etc. A Go Fund Me page via Facebook is another suggestion that was put forward to promote donations.
The issue of fundraising and donations has always been a task that is on the agenda and that struggles. We continue to have our convenors talk about how donations keep the day-to-day operations and pay the monthly bills for LifeRing, but other than that there is next to nothing for donations. Sometimes attendees can’t afford anything but are never judged for that.
The government grant application is a process that can be very detailed and is something that George has been trying to accomplish. He will be approaching another society’s grant writer to assist him in writing a grant application for funding through the BC Government.
George thanked everyone for attending today and closed the AGM for 2021.