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Minutes From The DCF AGM - June 25, 2019
MINUTES OF THE DCF 2019 AGM
Held on June 25, 2019 at 7:00 PM ET
DCF Board Meeting May 5, 2005
Douglas-Coldwell Foundation Board Meeting
May 5, 2005
Ottawa, ON.
Present:
Tessa Hebb, Pat Kerwin, Kealey Cummings, Marion Dewar, Fraser Green, Doug Massey
By Phone:
Anne Scotton
Regrets:
Robert Needham, David Mackenzie, David Woodbury, Ted Jackson, Lynn Williams, Joy Langan, Howard Pawley, Jill Marzetti, Allan Blakeney
Meeting called to order by Tessa Hebb at 11:00 a.m.
1. M/S/C Approval of agenda
2. M/S/C Minutes from previous meeting approved.
available online at www.dcf.ca
3. President's Report
Tessa Hebb welcomed new administrative assistant, Doug Massey. It is great to have him onboard. Doug also works here at NDP Federal office. Doug has strong bookkeeping skills, web and organizational skills which have greatly helped for a smooth transition from Audrey Moey. Doug has also brought our new office together. We have a full set up with a new computer and bookkeeping software . We are also now paying rent since we have a full office assigned to us.
Tessa was also very pleased to welcome Pat Kerwin as our new Treasurer.
4. New Projects Report
Ted Jackson has sent his regrets and could not make it today.
However Tessa and Ted have reviewed all the requests received to date and make the following recommendations to the Board. These requests were also tabled to the recent Officers with their recommendations given.
Request for Grants:
1. Students Taking Actions in Chiapas
Young students working cross border with local group in Chiapas - interesting project but not recommending at this time due to our funding limits.
2. Theatre Direct Canada request “the Demonstration”
a nice project - certainly within our mandate
Unfortunately not going to be recommending due to our funding limits.
3. CCPA - looking for support for their 25th dinner - funding request of $2,000
not recommending - fundraising event - will encourage all Board Members to attend.
4. Maquila Solidarity Network - Anti Sweatshop campaign
have funded them $25,000 over the last three to four years
Although a great cause - we are not recommending due to our funding limits.
5. Ottawa: Our Diversity City
This project follows up our discussions a year ago to seek projects from the multicultural community in addition to those projects engaging young people in social democratic activity. It is from the Catholic Immigration Centre, is a very strong project, hosting a series of roundtable discussions on multicultural issues in Ottawa. They have already held a few sessions and they were very successful.
They are asking us to either sponsor a roundtable in the fall or help with publication of materials when the project is completed. They are seeking a grant of $5,000 for each project.
The New projects Committee and Officers recommend that we sponsor one of the events, and have the DCF be present with materials.
To date in 2005 we have disbursed $ 15,500 in grants as well as additional money in on-going scholarships, as a result we are close to our maximum grant distribution for 2005.
M/S/C the DCF provide a grant of $5,000 for Ottawa: Our Diversity City to host the Labour Roundtable in the September 2005. That this be the only additional grant we make before Nov. 2005.
We will inform the remaining 5 projects that while extremely worthwhile, unfortunately we have allocated all our funds for 2005.
New Business
Pat Kerwin suggested we look into a fundraising project capitalizing on the Greatest Canadian - a Tommy Douglas DVD of speeches. He feels the Foundation is not well known and we need to take action on media releases. He would like to see us doing news releases on things we are doing i.e. sending notices to the CALM network including our contact details, as well as NDP newspapers and magazines across the country..
It was suggested that the Officers get a proposal to the Board within the next month or so. This may well be a time when we have to spend a little money to make money. The Officers will investigate these ideas and bring forward a budget for Board approval.
Scholarship Update
University of Regina has been given out regularly -- $1500 given at the beginning and $1500 at the end of each scholarship.
UofT - Woodsworth College again has been given out regularly - with wonderful scholarship recipients who send letters of thanks.
Carleton University - has been giving out the Kalman Kaplansky scholarship. Beverlee Bell scholarship needs to be publicized better - maybe a poster put up.
President's note: on follow up with Carleton University in th summer of 2005 I learned that both the Kaplansky Scholarship and the Beverlee Bell Scholarship have been awarded in each of the last two years. Our confusion in thinking they had not been awarded was that Carleton University had failed to invoice us for the scholarships. As of Sept. 2005 they have now done so.
Membership:
Doug Massey made the membership report on behalf of Anne Scotton. He reported that the Board members appeal to their own donor lists has been very successful. There were 35 members at the end of last year. In May of 2005 we have 52 paid members, with 12 people to renew. We have added many things to assist us with membership processing - forms are available online - also people can donate by Visa or Mastercard through our secure web page - we've also added the convenience of letting people pay monthly by Visa or Mastercard - due to the costs associated with setting up monthly chequing donations - it's not recommended at this time. In 1985 there was about 450 members - people have mentioned that the "old timers" have passed on but there are "new timers" and new "old timers" that we can find to bring membership numbers up again.
Nominating Committee
Pat Kerwin has agreed to join the Board as Treasurer. Alexa McDonough has been asked to join the Board of the DCF, we are awaiting her response.
New Nominations:
Frank Saptel - with the Machinists union and previously with the Ontario NDP
Ian Capstick - Communications Officer for NDP Caucus Services
Diane Alexopoulos - Director of Development - Canada's NDP.
Officers recommendation is Frank Saptel - to assist with donation and membership drive. Frank would also bring diversity to the Board.
M/S/C Frank Saptel be asked to join the Board as a new member. Ian and Diane be encouraged to continue their interest in the DCF.
M/S/C Board Meeting adjourned at 12:05.
Next meeting: November 29th 11 pm NDP Federal Office Boardroom, Ottawa, ON
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DCF Board Meeting - February 27, 2020
DCF Board Meeting
Thursday, February 27th, 2020
19:00 ET
Location:
By Telephone
Attendance:
Karl Bélanger, Melissa Hunter, Mohammad Akbar, Rebecca Blaikie, Jon Weier, Derek De Vlieger, Diana Idibe, Chirs Markevich.
- Adoption of Agenda
m/s/c
2. Adoption of minutes
Minutes of the July 23rd, 2019 meeting
m/s/c
3. President’s report:
Hope everyone is well. Mayor of Ottawa has asked people to stay home because of the coronavirus, thankfully we can hold our meeting by phone.
Transition has been happening. Our new treasurer will give us an update.
The group “Nos Communes, Our Commons” appears to have gone dormant. We were wise to set conditions to go along with the grant approval.
Work has been done to update our registration with Industry Canada. No progress has been made on the Stokoe bequest. 4Executive
4. Secretary’s Report:
Anne Scotton is unable to join us and send her regrets.
5. Treasurer’s Report:
Transition has been happening. Priority now is on issuing tax receipts. We have to handle a few manually. We have a lot of different systems which are more or less
compatible with each other, but things seem under control. We are issuing cheques to catch up on some accounts due.
5. b) Fee structure at Scotia McLeod
Good discussions with Scotia McLeod about our assets. They remain healthy.
Their proposed new fee structure, SM would be much more nimble in the markets as there are no commission minimums on trades. Currently, the commission minimum is $175. That does limit profit taking opportunities and specific positions when considering weighting in the portfolio, which we must do as our assets are now stock-heavy.
Motion: BIRT the Board authorizes ScotiaMcLeod to move the Douglas-Coldwell Foundation wealth management account into a Partnership Plus account, which modifies the fee structure from a Per Transaction formula to an annual fee based on the DCF assets.
m/s/c
5 c). Adoption of Treasurer’s report.
m/s/c
6. Progress Summit
The Progress Summit will be held in Vancouver. We will have a booth. Looking for volunteers, so if anyone is attending, please let us know.
The next TDI Institute will be held in May. Theme is Our City & the Green New Deal. We have been invited to take part once again.
7. Office Space
Mohammad Akbar has raised the issue of the DCF securing a new permanent space by buying a building. The CFS building is no longer on the market. Board members express general interest in doing so sometime down the road.
8. DCF 50th Anniversary
Next year is the 50th anniversary of the DCF. It is a good opportunity to complete the reboot of the DCF and move forward with the plan adopted by AGM two years ago. We should have a year of activity of events, maybe a gala? Jon Weier volunteers to coordinate the DCF planning.
The Institute for Change Leaders (ICL)’s proposal to create a multimedia project that tells the story of progressive campaigns, driven by Olivia Chow, is moving forward, with Tim Harper on board. Another application will be forthcoming at the next board meeting. Board members expressed once again their support in principle for this proposal.
9. Next Meeting
Board members agreed to look for a suitable date in late April/early May.
10. Other business
The Institute for Change Leaders (ICL)’s proposal to create a multimedia project that tells the story of progressive campaigns, driven by Olivia Chow, is moving forward, with Tim Harper on board. We are still awaiting their next application.
We have received news from Beryl Young that Tommy's Dream, a children’s book that tells the story of how Tommy Douglas's childhood experience with his own health inspired him to work toward establishing universal health care, is now going to be published by Louis Anctil, the publisher of Midtown Press in Vancouver. Target is the spring of 2021. An update application will be forthcoming before the next meeting.
11. Adjournment
m/s/c
DCF Board Meeting - July 23rd, 2019
DCF Board Meeting
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2019
6:00 ET
Location:
By Telephone
Attendance:
Karl Bélanger, Melissa Hunter, Mohammad Akbar, Rebecca Blaikie, Diane Idibe,
Jon Weier, Amy Boughner, Jay Ramasubramanyam, Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah.
Non-board member: Josh Bizjak
Adoption of Agenda
m/s/c
2. Adoption of minutes
Minutes of the previous meeting are read and adopted.
m/s/c
3. President’s report:
Karl mentions that there was a significant turnover of Board Members at the AGM, which is interesting and challenging.
The two committees charged by the previous AGM to review governance issues and the DCF by-laws made limited progress.
The DCF received a nice letter from a scholarship recipient and was read. The DCF needs to revisit its links with the different universities to strengthen the relationship and increase awareness.
4. Financial Report: No official report as the position is vacant, following the resignation of Emilie Taman. Karl gives a general overview of the financial situation. Our assets remain healthy. The DCF raised more money in the past year, thanks notably to a generous donation from the Flanagan Institute.
Minimal progress has been made on the transition. A full audit needs to be conducted before the end of the year.
Karl had a meeting with Scotia McLeod about our assets. They are proposing a new fee
structure, in essence moving to a fee-based structure from a per transaction cost. With the fee-based structure, our investors pledge to make himself available for board meetings and consult on the construction of a new investment policy statement. With a fee-based structure, we would be much more nimble in the markets as there are no commission minimums on trades.
Motion moved to ask the new treasurer to review, met with Scotia McLeod and report to the Board on a recommendation for the proposal.
m/s/c
5. Election of officers
President: Karl Bélanger
Vice-President: Rebecca Blaikie, Derek DeVlieger
Executive Secretary: Anne Scotton in abstentia, pending her acceptance;
Mohammad Akbar as alternate.
Treasurer: Melissa Hunter
6. Staffing
Chris Markevich has moved on from his position but has been elected to the Board, which will be helpful for institutional memory. Josh Bizjak has been helping out on a volunteer basis.
Motion moved to regularize Josh Bizjak’s situation by compensating his work on a similar contract as previous assistant, to be negotiated with the President.
m/s/c
7. Correspondence
