PROBUS CLUB OF VANCOUVER
MINUTES OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MAY 5, 2015
ATTENDEES:
David Scott, Jon Collins, Doug Cucheron, Norm Leach, Brian Maunder, Doug Jones, Peter Scott, Tony Weall, Hugh Lindsay, Roy Williams, Doug Lambert, Rich Carson
Invited Guest Ted Horsey, Counsel
President David Scott called the meeting to order at 9:30 am. Rich Carson acted as secretary.
A quorum of members being present, the president declared the meeting properly constituted for the transaction of business. A number of reports were circulated to members prior to or during the meeting. These reports are not included in the minutes but copies are available from the appropriate committee chairman.
1. All committee chairs were present.
2. A proposal to approve the minutes of the March 3, 2015 meeting, as distributed was made, seconded and passed unanimously.
3. Rich Carson introduced Ted Horsey who attended the meeting to discuss the recommendations of counsel regarding Anti-spam legislation and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). These recommendations had been circulated to board of directors members prior to the meeting. The committee agreed to take the cautious view that some messages sent electronically to members could be considered commercial messages. Accordingly, it was agreed that express consent to receive messages from the club electronically should be added to the new member application forms and that all electronic messages should include an “unsubscribe” option. The committee will consider the 6 point action plan included in counsel’s PIPA memo with a view to adopting as much of the plan as is feasible. Rich Carson undertook to work with counsel, the newsletter and website committee chairmen to propose a plan for consideration by the board of directors. Ted Horsey was thanked for the work by counsel and left the meeting.
4. The Treasurer’s report that reflected financial performance consistent with budget and that was circulated by e-mail prior to the meeting was approved.
5. Norm Leach distributed a list of confirmed and possible speakers. A possible speaker for the Presidents’ Lunch may be confirmed by July. The committee discussed how contacts that club members, particularly younger members, might have with prospective speakers could be identified with no clear conclusion.
6. Brian Maunder reported progress on the strategic objectives of lowering the average age and increasing diversity. Both remain challenging. The timing of informing people on the wait list of possible or probable admission dates was discussed. It was concluded that while a general approximation could be provided, trying to provide specific dates to those on the list would cause more confusion than it would cure. There are presently 18 names on the waiting list.
7. Doug Jones reported that the UBC tour was well attended and enjoyed. The May walking tour and the baseball game on July 22 have attracted interest and limited space remains available. The President’s Lunch will be held on October 13 at the Arbutus Club with arrangements similar to last year. It is possible that the charge will be increased to $30 to permit the buffet to be served in a separate room. The financial implications of a possible September trip to the Sea to Sky gondola were discussed. Subject to expressions of interest at the next monthly meeting, it was agreed that the club should be prepared to make the necessary non-refundable deposit.
8. Doug Lambert reported that he had arranged for assistance with the acquisition and storage of badges.
9. Peter Scott requested that speakers be made aware of the importance of repeating questions to facilitate transcription of the speaker’s full presentation. We also agreed that a limited number of paper copies of the newsletter would be available at the Member service desk prior to each monthly meeting.
10. Tony Weall reported that the club will continue to subsidize member parking by retaining the $5 charge to members notwithstanding the increased charge from Easy Park.
11. Hugh Lindsay summarized the progress of the website subcommittee that met on April 15. Management committee member’s responsibility for website content will be clearly defined and added to the job descriptions. A monthly “website tips” column will be added to the newsletter beginning with the May release. The Home page will be made more user friendly and the font will changed in response to a suggestion from the President.
12. The nominating committee reported that their work was complete and that a new management slate for the next year would be presented in August.
The meeting adjourned at 11:30 am.
The next meeting will be at 9:30 am on July 28, 2015 at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club.