ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - 2008

Thursday January 29, 2009

Dufferin Square Conference Room, Perth

3:00 to 5:00pm

MINUTES OF THE MEETING

Documents displayed at meeting:

1.         Agenda

2.         Minutes of AGM for 2007

3.         List of Association Activities in 2008

4.         Financial Statements (including 2008 Statements and Proposed Preliminary 2009 Budget)

5.         Board of Directors Slate for 2009

Copies of these documents are available on the Association website, by clicking on any item in the above list if you are on line,  and paper copies may be obtained by sending an e-mail to info@tayriver.org.

1.         Welcome and Introductions

The meeting began at 3:05 with a welcome by President, David Taylor.  As 21 members were in attendance, a quorum was in place.

Members of the 2008 Board in attendance were introduced.  The 2008 Directors were thanked for their advice and assistance to the organization over the past year.  In attendance were returning Board members Susan Brandum, David Crowley, Carol Dillon, Karen Hunt, Chris Stone, Colin Stephenson,  Bob Sneyd,  and David Taylor and new Board members Taro Alps, Debra Bellevue, and Gillian Scobie.  Also in attendance was former Board member Andrea Klymko from RVCA. Unable to attend were: Matt Craig, Annie Dalton, John Gittens, Shannon Goltz, Jim Humphrey, Doug James, Lynn Preston, and Jeff Dean (for Jim Peden).

Again this year, the association reduced the paper handouts and the presentations were based on Power Point summaries.  However, a full set of the documents was available at a display table, and paper versions offered if desired (no requests received). A complete set of the documents is posted on the website.

2.         Approval of 2007 AGM Minutes

The Minutes for the 2007 AGM, held on January 29, 2008, at the Dufferin Square Conference Room were reviewed briefly.  As there was no discussion on this, they were approved by motion from the floor.

Motion:           That the final Minutes for that AGM, dated February 4, 2008, be accepted                      as presented.

            Moved:            Colin Stephenson

            Seconded:       Chris Stone

            Motion passed (unanimous)

3.         Review of Association Activities for 2008

A complete list of activities for 2008 is included at Appendix 3 and on the FoTW website

at www.tayriver.org/documents/activities.php.  

Carol Dillon provided a summary of the activities for 2008 and highlighted five activity areas:

•        Speakers’ Series – Perspectives on Water

The Series began in 2007 with a First Nations' Perspective on Water and followed this year with talks by Ducks Unlimited, Maude Barlow, and the Superintendent of the Rideau Canal speaking about the upcoming Tay Canal 175th anniversary.

•        Watershed Education & Outreach

This is an important part of our mandate and much time is dedicated to these activities. Activities include the Festival of Maples in April, All About Being Green in July and our very successful Watershed Discovery Evening in November

•        Ongoing Regional Lake Management Activities

The FoTW has played a multi-year, ongoing role in the fostering and development of lake plans in the watershed.  Celebrating this year is the completion of the Otty Lake plan.

•        Celebrate the Tay

Several projects undertaken by the association encourage enjoyment and celebration of the Tay Watershed.  In 2008, these included the building and installation of a kayak dock in the Perth basin, sponsorship of a Tay canoe paddle and shoreline cleanup in September and leadership in the upcoming Tay Canal 175th celebrations.

•        Funding Grants

Projects require funding, and considerable time is spent procuring grants for projects.  Complementing the very successful funding for lake management planning are two successful grants this year -- $18,500 for the Tay Canal celebrations and $7,000 for production of a revised Tay Tabloid.

4.         Presentation of 2008 Financial Statements

Treasurer Colin Stephenson presented a summary of the Association’s financial report for 2008. He noted that the audit had not yet been completed on the 2008 records and that, while he believed the numbers to be accurate, if there were any changes as a result of the audit the members would be notified.

Colin noted that the Association ended the year with just over $12,000 in cash balances, or almost $7,000 more than anticipated. He attributed this situation to a postponement of some planned expenditures to 2009, particularly with respect to the completion of the Lake Management Planning program and the revision of the Tay Watershed Times Tabloid. The cash inflows and outflows associated with other programs were close to target.

            Looking Ahead to 2009 – Activities  and Budgets

Colin Stephenson noted that in prior years we have set out our full program plans for the coming year in the fall and then we have sought approval of the plans at the AGM, as well as submitting a budget for approval to cover the plans. He indicated that this year we would be taking a slightly different approach. He noted that we have identified a number of ongoing plans and activities, but that we were proposing to get the Board together for a visioning / planning meeting in April to chart the future direction of the Association and to review major objectives and plan key initiatives.  

Colin then presented a budget for 2009, based on the known programs and ongoing activities (see attached Financial Statements). The Budget is essentially balanced except for the expenditure of about $5,500 for programs carried over from 2008, for which funding had been raised in earlier years. He expected to end the year 2009 with about $6,500 in cash.  He noted that the budget might need revision following the visioning exercise planned for April, which will plot future direction for the Association.

            Motion:           That the 2008 financial statements and the 2009 budget be accepted as                                                 presented.

            Moved:            Karen Hunt 

            Seconded:       David Crowley

            Motion passed (unanimous)

5.         Election of 2009 Board of Directors and President

David Crowley introduced a proposed slate for the Board of Directors for 2009.  

            As there were no additional nominations from the floor, the nominations were closed.

            Motion:           That the proposed slate for 2009 be accepted as presented.

            Moved:            Bob Sneyd

            Seconded:       Annie Dalton ?

            Motion passed (unanimous)

            A copy of the new slate for Board of Directors is included at Appendix 5.

            President David Taylor announced that he would be stepping down from the leadership of         the Association - a position he has held since its inception in 2001.

            Carol Dillon thanked David for his many years of dedicated service to the FoTW.

David led the work to form a watershed association from an idea first expressed in the Perth Strategic Plan in 1995.  He was responsible for the development of the structure of the Friends including its constitution, mandate and objectives, for gaining registered charitable status, and he was instrumental in acquiring grants to further the work of the organization.  His vision, leadership and hard work have made the Friends of the Tay a robust organization and his leadership will be missed. As past president, he will continue to lend his expertise and enthusiasm to the stewardship of the Tay through participation on the Board of Directors.

5.         Presentations on Selected Watershed Issues and Programs

Also highlighted at the meeting were four key programs:

Water Connections - a review of the recently developed national water information portal presented by Bob Sneyd;

Tay Canal 175th Anniversary 2009 - an announcement of plans and programs to mark this important anniversary of the watershed presented by David Taylor; 

Source Water Protection - what it will mean to Perth and the watershed presented by Carol Dillon; and

Lake Management Planning Program - a summary of the multi-year program to date presented by Andrea Klymko. 

6.         Thanks to Volunteers 

            The Board expressed thanks to several volunteers who have assisted the association

often throughout the past year.  In particular, the Board again noted the contribution of: Helen Park, who organised the mailings and retired from that position last year; Mel Dillon, Frank Roy, and Dave Martin for assistance at many of our projects such as the building of the kayak dock, and Ruth Craig for housing the St. Lawrence skiff.  

7.         As the AGM agenda was completed, a Motion for adjournment was made, at 5:10 pm.

            Moved:            Karen Hunt

            Seconded:       David Crowley

            Motion passed (unanimous)

Minutes: Draft 1 CD February 6, 2009

                 Revised CD Feb 24/09