Rowing PEI AGM Agenda
Rowing PEI Annual General Meeting
Saturday March 6, 2021 from 10 a.m. to noon.
To be held virtually on Zoom
1. Call to order and roll call
2. Approval of the minutes of the 2019 Annual General Meeting
3. Review of business arising out of those minutes that will not be covered in reports
4. President’s report
5. Strategic Planning process
6. Review 2020 annual statements
7. Appointment of accountant
8. Amendments to by-laws, if any
9. Election of officers
10. Any other business
11. Adjournment
2019 Annual General Meeting – Rowing PEI
Saturday March 7, 2020
10:00 a.m. House of Sport Royalty Centre, Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Minutes prepared by Nancy Russell
Present : Daphne Dumont, Nancy Russell, Brian Higgins, Sparrow McGowan, Alex Forbes, Ernie Morello, Sterling Schnatz, Jamie Moran, Alan Hilburg and Patricia Caporaso (on the phone)
1. Welcome from President Daphne Dumont
2. Confirmation of quorum – according to the bylaws, we need 10% of the membership of 60 members. Eight are present, meeting the quorum requirement.
3. Brief introductions
Jamie Moran – golf pro at Belvedere Golf Club, moved to PEI from Newfoundland. Daughter Kiera is one of our junior rowers.
Patricia Caporaso -has rowed since childhood in Argentina – involved in agribusiness – teaches at Georgetown University
Alan Hilburg – not a rower but has a row boat built by his son – runs a global consulting company specializing in communications, branding and corporate crisis management
4. Motion to approve minutes from 2017 AGM held March 17, 2018
Nancy moves that the minutes be approved as circulated, Brian Higgins seconds.
Carried.
5. Business arising that will not be covered – there was none identified
6. Treasurer’s Report
6.1 Brian Higgins moves to adopt 2019 annual statements prepared by Todd Gaudin
Seconded by Sparrow McGowan.
Carried.
Revenues were generally up, including addition of junior program, more performance funding connected to junior rowers.
Spent $13k on equipment, including $8k on the Wintech trailer.
Spent $48k compared to $24k the year before. Depleted our reserves – spent $6k more than we took in.
Ended the year with $9k in the bank.
Should we be depreciating? Todd suggests we continue doing it as we have.
Equipment disposal – used oars.
Daphne thanked Brian for applying for grants and reporting on them.
6.2 Review of 2020-2021 draft budget
Core and performance funding are a 3 year cycle – we know what they will be for 2020 and 2021 seasons
HST rebate – exceed our goal already and there is potential for more
Membership fees are going up on April 1st to $350
First fee increase since 2016 – what we pay to RCA went up from $20 to $24 per person
Membership fees of $11,800 – that’s conservative
Coaching fees are new this year.
Projected revenues of $41.8k – similar to last year
Yacht club fees – we pay for a corporate membership and two slips
New rowing course installation at Brudenell and Charlottetown – budgeted $2.5k but it will go past that
Thanks to Ernie for applying for the federal job grant and handling for last 4 years
Plan is to find new sources of revenue
Brian motion: to approve the budget as put forward by the treasurer
Seconded by Ernie Morello
Carried
6.3 Motion that Todd Gaudin continue as accountant
Moved by Brian Higgins
Seconded by Alex Forbes
Carried
7. Program reports
a. Masters Competitive program – Sparrow – had 9 people participating in the morning sessions this past year in the mornings. Missed having a coach so looking forward to having a coach.
Competed at the Red Island Regatta.
This year – if the weather doesn’t permit rowing, we will do dryland training instead.
Alex is looking for a location for that training.
They are hiring a new manager at the CYC.
Would love to add more indoor rowing machines.
b. Junior Competitive program and Canada Games planning
Exciting to have a junior program again – beneficial to all of the club. We had 7 junior rowers and have added a few over the winter. We are excited to have Chantelle Hanley as the 2021 CSG coach. We have never had a performance-certified coach and have always had to apply for an exemption. Nancy is manager. We had to submit CSG selection criteria to the PEI government Health Department, Sport Division. The goal is to compete at 3 regattas in 2020 and to continue to bring in new junior rowers, not just for the Canada Games but on an ongoing basis. We will also have a one week summer camp, as a pilot project in 2020.
c. Coastal program
Sparrow and Daphne attended RCA meetings where there is huge interest in coastal rowing. RCA wants to get more rowers into coastal rowing as it is seen as more accessible – want to attract surfers, beach-y athletes.
World Junior Olympics in 2021 – coastal will be an event.
RCA is holding various regattas across the country – Halifax/Kingston/ out west
Liteboats are being purchased and brought to Canada for World qualifying regattas and will be available after the competition for purchase. They are another manufacturer of coastal boats. (Our boats are made by another company in France called EuroDiffusion.) The dream is to have coastal boats someday manufactured in Canada.
Nancy is part of the Row Nova Scotia coastal committee, which is growing the sport in that province. They are planning a coastal regatta on Sunday July 5th in Lunenburg. Their goal is to invest in a trailer of coastal boats that can travel across the province to promote coastal rowing.
d. Red Island Regatta was a success and will return in 2020.
We have installed a 2,000 metre race course permanently on the Brudenell River in front of the resort. Hired a surveyor, so it was more expensive than projected.
Still need to sink the ropes to the anchor screws.
We will have sprints on Saturday morning, long coastal races Saturday PM. (4 kms) Beach sprints Sunday morning, 8 a.m. until noon.
Linda Lee will again be the Chief Umpire.
The start is closer to the Island.
Have to decide how to use the 2km course.
The only other 2k course is in Cape Breton and it’s not always in so this has huge potential.
Thanks to Alex and Brian and Stephen Murray for their hard work – the “ice team”!!
E. Indoor Rowing – First ever Indoor Rowing Day in Canada was a huge success.
PEI had 50 participants who rowed more than 200 kilometres.
Want to “own” indoor rowing. Connected to our rowing community but also outreach.
e. Umpire development training
Report from Mary-Lynne Bruvels, our umpire coordinator, who was selected to be an umpire at the Canadian University Rowing Championships. This was a huge coup for PEI. Stephen has put his name in for the National Rowing Championships in September 2020.
There is also an online training session available to anyone who is interested.
f. Coach development and participation
Jordanne Buote is a candidate for the Canada Summer Games Women in Coaching Apprenticeship program.
Sparrow McGowan, Cassidy Doucette, Corinne Giasson-Jean and Nancy Russell are trained as Learn to Row coaches and have done RCA Coach Weekend One.
RCA Every Coach Certified will require criminal record checks and online training for all coaches.
g. Learn to Row program
We will now start in May at Synergy. Have created L2 training to follow Learn to Row.
Goal is to create “community” to support goal of retention
Have a “fun” excursion as their final row.
h. Registration date – Saturday April 25, 2020 10:00 a.m. to noon at House of Sport. This will be more of an “open house” as most people register online. We will do free lessons on the indoor rowing machine.
9. Other Reports
a. National RCA issues – Sparrow and Daphne reporting on national conference in Ottawa
Need concussion policy and pre-season education.
Will be posted on our website.
b. Infrastructure committee – has been established
Made repairs to dolly for coastal quad
Creating new metal racks for flatwater boats
We have a second outboard engine- 6 hp
Discussed a second safety boat
CYC spent $250k dredging – marina wants to lease more spaces
There are some murmurings of moving Rowing PEI to C dock – offering us 60 linear feet of launching space. We are on a CADC water lot – the federal government owns the water – in this case, CADC owns the land where we are.
We will send a letter to the board of the Charlottetown Yacht Club outlining the positive benefits of our relationship and potentially meet with the board.
c. Planning session with Karolyn Godfrey – very successful – hope to generate more volunteers this season
d. Shannon MacAulay – Invited to a Rowing Canada training camp in February 2020, may compete internationally. Shannon is a well known athlete and a Kid Sport ambassador supports our goal of raising the profile of rowing on P.E.I. She is being encouraged to compete in coastal rowing.
e. Rowing the World – tour group July 20-24 2020 in Charlottetown and Brudenell . This is the third tour organized by the private company, operated by Ruth Marr. Last year, there were 7 participants from the US and Denmark. We have a capacity of 12 seats. Rowing PEI leases the boats to RTW and we are also paid a guide fee per day. Last year, we made about $700. It’s also a good promotion for Rowing PEI.
f. Charlottetown harbour safety committee – continuing in 2020. The goal is to have a speed limit/no wake zone in the harbour. The committee has been working with Transport Canada. Have been told to have an education campaign first, with signage and posters in 2020.
G. Future partnerships to explore – Sparrow and Corinne went to a women in sport event, talked to people in rugby. They are based at Queen Elizabeth Park. Could we work together to build a clubhouse. They also helped us moving boats. Keen to do things with us. We’ve started to pay them for moving our boats.
H. Summer student application – Brian has put in the application. We have a junior rower, Sohrab Saegh, who is graduating from Grade 12 and would be an excellent candidate.
10. Nomination report –
Slate: New president Sparrow McGowan, past president Daphne Dumont, secretary Nancy Russell, treasurer Brian Higgins, Alex Forbes member at large.
Members at large – Jamie Moran, Alan Hilburg.
Daphne asked three times if there are any further nominations. There were none.
Moved by Daphne – slate is accepted as presented.
Alan will be on PEI from April 1-10, then second week of June until November 1st.
Thanks to Daphne who has been part of Rowing PEI since incorporation in 2011.
Has offered to help as needed in the years ahead. Daphne has been a wonderful ambassador for rowing.
11. Any other business – First meeting of the board will be Thursday April 2nd, details to follow. Nancy will prepare a contact list for the new board.
12. Thanks and adjournment
Daphne adjourned
Minutes prepared by Nancy Russell
Bylaw amendments 2021
PROPOSED BY: Board of Directors
That the by-laws of Rowing Prince Edward Island be amended as follow:
Section 3:
The head office of the club will be at 40 Enman Crescent, Charlottetown, Queens County, Province of Prince Edward Island, C1E 1E6.
Section 6 (b):
All officers shall serve terms of one year and may not serve more than three consecutive terms (2011), except for the Treasurer and Secretary, who may serve five consecutive terms (added 2015 and 2021).
That the following addition be made to the by-laws of Rowing Prince Edward Island:
Appendix “A”, 6 (g): In between Annual Meetings, the Board of Directors may appoint an individual or individuals to vacant member-at-large and/or officer positions on the Board of Directors up to the maximum allowable number of board members. The term of any such interim appointment shall run until the next Annual Meeting, and shall count as a one-year term if the interim appointment is longer than six months.
