 |
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
|
Board of Directors - News and Views
PRESIDENT'S CORNER:
The 2008 Association Convention was hosted by Manitoba Division in Winnipeg between June 5th and 9th. It was extremely well organized. A lot of work was done and a lot of fun was had. The Sunday afternoon social program was well chosen and very entertaining. A big thank you to Manitoba Division in general and Host Committee Chair, Don Fleetwood and his committee.
Board of Directors, Annual General and National Executive meeting were held and changes were made: a resolution was passed at AGM to change the Board of Directors to a nine person Board made up of the present members of the National Executive Committee. The Division Presidents, who were National Vice-Presidents and members of the Board, along with the new Board, will in future be known as the National Advisory Council and will meet once a year just prior to our AGM to review Board operations and proposed resolutions for AGM. I see these as very positive steps.
At the National Executive/Board of Directors meetings on June 8 & 9 proposed plans for the next two years were agreed on. They are as follows:
1. To increase Association Membership.
2. To improve Association members and prospective members’ benefits.
3. An Association Advocate who will assist former members of the Force, not just Association members, with any problems they may encounter with their pension, disability pensions, health, life and/or dental insurance plans was established. This Advocate will be appointed by the Board but will operate independent of the Board. Hopefully this will provide a better service to Association members and potential members. It will also hopefully relieve our Executive Director of some of his duties and will enable him to concentrate on his committee work on our behalf with the Force and Veterans Affairs Canada. I hope this move will also encourage former Force members to join our Association as a strong membership will give us a stronger voice.
Past National President Dale Lively, who is very knowledgeable in Association affairs, has been appointed to the position of Advocate and if you want assistance you can contact him by e-mail at: dixndale@nb.sympatico.ca. or call our National Office toll free at 1-877-251-1771 and our National Office staff will have Dale contact you.
Remember: "WE ALSO SERVE AND MAINTAIN THE RIGHT" of all former Force members.
Larry POWER - President
News from the Floor:
Manitoba AGM 2008:
The Manitoba Division started planning the 84th AGM and Conference in June of 2003 with the booking of the Fairmont Hotel. The hotel and their staff related extremely will with the Vets group.
The crew of Vets that assisted getting visitors from the airport did a stellar job and it immediately put the first friendly Manitoba faces in front of every visitor.
The AGM started for the NEC on Thursday with a meeting consisting of the Host Division Organizing Committee and NEC to get both groups on the same page. No problems were found because of good communications back and forth and because of good planning.
The Manitoba Division President’s Reception was well attended by everyone and laughs and conversations were going on everywhere. Local volunteers were assisting with the bar, clothing sales and assisting visitors.
Friday morning brought the Board of Director’s Meeting (BOD). This will be the last BOD with all of NEC and all of the Division Presidents participating as the BOD. The reason for this is the next day at the AGM the structure of the BOD was changed. The former National Executive Committee will be the Board of Directors with the Division Presidents being advisors to the BOD. This was done to eliminate potential liability issues if sued. The BOD only lasted half a day leaving the afternoon for everybody to participate in presentations. The Host Division hosted the BOD lunch because the Host Divisional Commanding Officers can no longer find the money to host the lunch. We will have a talk with the Commissioner to see if something can be done to assist us in this effort.
In the afternoon there were presentations by:
Ms. Sandy Ramos, RCMP Historian, the Oral History Program
Jeff Turner representing the Bruce Dennison Bone Marrow program and the Courier Program,
Vic Huard, President and CEO of the Heritage Centre in Regina inviting visitors
Howard Kearley speaking about getting new members to join the Association
The afternoon proved to be very informative.
Friday evening was the National President’s Reception. It comprised a live auction just prior to it with very tasty finger food served throughout the evening. There was no music or entertainment and this gave those in attendance a chance to talk without being blasted out of the room. It was a hit.
The AGM, started on Saturday with the Mace being paraded in by the Sgt. at Arms George Frame. The usual movements and adoptions of reports took place. Rather than read out all of the reports that had been sent to the Divisions to review before the AGM they were just voted on and passed at the AGM. We saved a good half hour of rehashing previously read information. The election of new officers for the Board had candidates give a presentation before votes were held on Vice President and Director’s positions. President Larry Power and Secretary William (Bill) Maxwell were voted in by acclamation. Just before lunch Dal Langenberger gave a lengthy presentation about the history of the Tip Staff before donating a beautiful Tip Staff to the Association. Dal hand-crafted the Tip Staff. At this point the Mace was retired by the Sgt. at Arms and the Tip Staff was presented to the National President Rick Morris. President Morris accepted the Tip Staff on behalf of the Association and had the Sgt. at Arms put it in place in its cradle. We broke for lunch and everyone had a luncheon of Manitoba fare. After lunch Resolutions continued to be handled and were well discussed and voted on. The old Mace of the Association was presented to Sandy Ramous to be taken to the RCMP Museum and to be registered as a Force artifact.
Resolutions:
#1 RCMP Members Transition to CSIS – Withdrawn
#2 National Grave Inspection – Defeated
#3 Change of Fiscal Year – Carried Unanimously
#4 Board of Directors reconfiguration – Carried Unanimously
#5 National Executive Committee formation – Carried Unanimously
We congratulate everyone in attendance for their intelligent input to the discussions. A presentation was made to Jim Forsyth for his hard work on behalf of the Association with his VETNET. Frank Richter and Jack White will receive a presentation at a later date in appreciation from the Association for Frank’s Facts and Funnies and Jack’s detailed history of members of the Force.
National President Larry Power was sworn in by outgoing President Rick Morris and President Power was presented the National President’s Medallion and the Tip Staff. The newly elected Senior Vice President of the Association Tim Hoban, National Secretary Bill Maxwell and Directors Nick Shaigec and Jim Forsyth were sworn in by President Power to serve the Association for two years. President Power thanked everyone who put their names forward to stand for office.
The spousal program had the ladies go to Canadian Polo Park and had a luncheon and entertainment.
Saturday evening kicked off with a cocktail hour then a very nice meal in the Winnipeg Ballroom. Speeches were given by President Power, Commissioner Elliott, the ADM Criminal Justice Division of Manitoba Justice and the CO “D” Division. Mercifully they were fairly short. National President Power presented Commissioner Elliott with his President’s Medallion for being the Honourary President of the Veterans’ Association. He wore his Medallion proudly. Many people had an opportunity to talk with the Commissioner. The Canadian Forces Air Command Rhythm & Blues Band supplied music until midnight.
On Sunday morning an Ecumenical Service was arranged and well attended. Then buses were supplied to transport attendees to Club Regent Casino in Transcona, Manitoba for lunch. A musical presentation took place on stage during lunch and entertained those in attendance. The hit of the luncheon was the antics of ten Manitoba Vet wives that performed “Seven Old Ladies Caught in the Lavatory”. It brought many to tears with laughter. Some in attendance used the opportunity to try their luck in the casino. The return to the Fairmont Hotel brought the AGM to an official end. Those who required rides to the airport were assisted on their way. Feedback indicated that those who took part in the AGM were all very happy that they had attended.
The National Executive members would like to thank the Manitoba Organizing Committee and its chair Don Fleetwood for an extremely well run and friendly AGM. Manitoba proved to be a great place to visit especially because of the fine people and the great food.
The AGM 2009 Whitehorse Committee welcomes your attendance next year from May 28th until May 31st in Whitehorse, Yukon. The chairman of the AGM is Ron Pond at 867-2886 or email: ronpond@northwestel.net. Details can be found at www.yukonrcmpvets.ca.
The National Executive Committee members wish you all a happy healthy summer and we look forward to being in contact with you in September 2008.
Produced by: COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Rick Morris, Immediate Past President and Committee Member