5. Executive Reports

5A. President (Graeme)

Report submitted:

Action Items Completed:

• Chronicle article submitted promoting the AGM.

Action Items Not Completed:

• Continue to actively work with the AGM committee.
• Have approached several members about their interest in running for the board. I would encourage all board members to approach multiple members about running for the board.
• Coordinating a meeting for returning board members.

Announcements to the board and committees:

• Looking for support in developing the board of director’s orientation for early November. Things that need to be developed are an orientation package, developing goals and objectives for the board orientation, develop agenda for the board orientation and food and logistics for the AGM. Although it was a lot of fun in the past year, I will not be preparing the food for the future board events. I would like to suggest a potluck for the meeting.
• Is there a need for a member relations committee? This committee would focus on the developing and supporting member relations.
• Do not forget to ensure that your committee and executive reports are submitted to the AGM committee by October 5.

Questions for the board:

• Should we have a full board meeting before the AGM? Is there a need and what is the past practice?
• Do any board members expect to miss the AGM?

Discussion

Graeme reminded board members of the need to spread the word about the need for new board recruits.

He noted that board members should start thinking about the new board orientation and how to upgrade it and the handout materials.

Graeme suggested tabling the idea to strike a communications committee until the new board’s term.

5B. Vice President (Andy)

No Report Submitted

5C. Treasurer (Geoff)

No Report Submitted

Discussion

Sarah noted that Victoria had said that the audited financial statements had appeared to be consistent to her.

Motion to send the audited financial statements to the AGM for membership approval (September/Stephenson) passed unanimously.

Geoff noted that sales below budget but higher last year. Sarah said may want to revise budget regularly (quarterly). Graeme suggested having Sarah recommend adjustments to the Finance Committee for their approval so a revised budget can then go to the new board.

5D. Secretary (Christie)

Report submitted:

Action Items Completed:

• Draft August 2004 board meeting minutes and distributed to directors for review
• Amended June 2004 board meeting minutes and submitted for website posting
• Checked Karma board email account for messages intended for the board

6. Committee Reports

6A. Annual General Meeting Committee (Christie)

Report submitted:

Date of last meeting: August 24th
Date of next meeting: Not set - mostly use email

Action Items Completed:

• Written waivers for receiving notification via email are now being completed at the checkout
• The Palmerston location has been fully paid for ($200 by Jason Diceman)
• Chronicle article submitted
• Notice about board nominations and requests for questions are posted by-laws reviewed

Action Items Not Completed:

• Booked the facilitator
• Secured food and drinks
• Secured child care
• Secured all A/V materials
• Finalize and clarify the agenda and procedures
• Pre-package to be published
• Notice to be sent out and posted

Announcements to the board and committees:

• We need a volunteer to do data-entry for the waivers
• We need volunteers for child care
• Get your AGM reports into agm2004@karmacoop.org by Oct 5th.
• We will be using dot-mocracy to provide improved member participation
• We also aim to use an alternative process to Robert's Rules

Questions for the board:

• We need board approval of the by-law amendment proposals!! Please visit http://karma.1coop.ca/tiki-index.php?page=2004+By-law+Review+Report and add your comments and edit in your suggested changes
• What is the status of the Property Management and Planning committee? Will Grif be submitting a report to the AGM?
• We need to decide by whom and how questions will be answered at the AGM.
• Are there any resolutions to be presented at the AGM (outside of the by-law amendments)?
• Could we suggest any specific questions to be addressed in the reports/presentations?

Discussion

Question as to whether board has to approve proposed bylaw. Jason said yes, Andy confirmed that is what bylaws say.

Jason reported that Brian Iler had said that obvious bylaw typos did not require member approval.

There was a question as to whether the board had to approve proposed bylaw changes before they went to the AGM. Jason and Andy both confirmed this was not the case.

Agreement by consensus that if a suitable Karma member could not be found to facilitate the AGM, that an outside facilitator could be used.

Jason explained the Dotmocracy process.

Jason reported that the tradition was to use Roberts Rules of Order and there was a discussion about other possible rules of order that might be more accessible. Agreement by consensus that there could be flexibility as to what rules of order were used at the AGM.

There was clarification that committee reports should cover the period up to October 5th and not just up to the fiscal year end.

6B. Business Planning Committee (Graeme)

Report Submitted

Date of last meeting: September 14, 2004
Date of next meeting: September 28 and October 14, 2004

Action Items Completed:

• Discussed the idea of adding the mandate of the property management committee to the business planning committee. See property management committee for further information.

Action Items Not Completed:

• Committee report for AGM.
• Look for business plan services and consultants.
• Locate grants and other sources of funding for developing an organizational review.
• Developing goals and stakeholders for Karma.
• Developing Web Binder use and content.
• Contact old members to determine what happened with last organizational review

Announcements to the board and committees:

• The purpose of the committee is to create a business plan for board approval and also a subsequent implementation plan.
• We would like to collect info on member skills.

6C. Chronicle Committee (Anil)

No Report Submitted

6D. Finance Committee (Geoff)

Report Submitted

See attached:
0408-FinancialStatements.xls

Approval of Audited Financial Statements

Please review the attached documents Statements 1 DRAFT.jpg through Statements 9 DRAFT.jpg. These were not included in this package, as I believe all board members received these recently. If you have not please contact the president.

6E. Food Issues Committee (Justin)

Report submitted:

Date of last meeting: 13 September 2004
Date of next meeting: 11 October 2004

Action Items Completed:

• Rowe Farms questionnaire produced happy results: The naturally raised turkeys are found to be of acceptable standards (humane husbandry practices, free-run, free of antibiotics & hormones, pesticide-free vegetarian feed, etc).
• Conventional laundry powder research: The ingredients are proprietary and therefore not available. Colgate Palmolive suggested that they “strongly support environmental protection”.
• A new edition of  “Harvest Thyme” will be available to members within the next two weeks.

Action Items Not Completed:

• The Product Rating System is an outstanding project which the committee intends to complete in the coming months.
• Find out CFIA definition of “naturally raised” to confirm Rowe Farms questionnaire results.

Questions for the Board:

• Should Karma carry a product whose manufacturer refuses to provide an ingredient listing? If yes, how can it be reconciled with the Product Policy?

Discussion

Justin asked if the board felt it was alright for Karma to carry a product if we could not verify that the ingredients complied with the Product Policy. As suggested that in such cases, that a notice be posted to indicate the manufacturer’s lack of disclosure. Justin noted the question arose after a member complaint about a product.

6F. Member Labour Committee (Aysa & Lachlan)

Report Submitted

Dates of last meeting: September 16, 2004
Date of next meeting: October 20, 2004

Action Items Completed:

• August member card reconciliation completed
• The committee has begun to identify the main areas it wants to work on over the coming year. These include
  1. Data gathering/collection of member labour stats.
  2. Various aspects of member labour process
  3. Ensuring maintenance and distribution of proper co-op documentation on member labour policies, and committee info – paper, web-site, web-binder, etc.
  4. Develop material and system to ensure that Karma committees track and communicate their membership and hours more effectively.
  These areas will be prioritized over the coming month.

Action Items Not Completed:

• AGM report is being written

Announcements to the board and committees:

• Discussions with staff about division of (member) labour are ongoing. This process appears to be going smoothly.
• The committee feels that there is still the need for a Member Labour committee over the coming year – particularly to follow through on the changes that have been made to membership regulations.

6G. Orientation Committee (Anil)

No Report Submitted

6H. Promotions Committee (Andy)

No Report Submitted

6I. Property Management and Planning Committee (Grif)

Report Submitted

Date of last meeting: N/A
Date of next meeting: N/A

Action Items Completed:

• Discussed the idea of adding the mandate of the property management committee to the business planning committee. Both liaisons (Grif & Graeme) agree that the mandate of the property management committee should be included in the mandate of the business planning committee.

Questions for the board:

• Does the board support the concept of adding the mandate of the property management committee to the business planning committee?

Discussion

Graeme suggested that this question be addressed at a subsequent board meeting.

6J. Supervisory Committee (Graeme)

Report Submitted

Date of last meeting: September 16, 2004
Date of next meeting: September 30, 2004 and October 14, 2004

Action Items Completed:

• Signed GM contract.

Action Items Not Completed:

• GM performance evaluation and goals

6K. Web Committee (Aysa)

Report submitted:

Date of last meeting: September 20, 2004
Date of next meeting: to be determined (following AGM)

Action Items Completed:

• Posted May and June board meeting minutes to the Web site
• Posted AGM notice to the Web site
• Redistributed new e-mail access instructions to Promotions Committee

Action Items Not Completed:

• Reconfigure email set-up on staff computers and for other karmacoop.org email users, and provide training as required
• Split News and Events into two separate pages on the site, and provide interface to Promotions Committee for updating the Events page (in progress)
• Redesign the layout of the Chronicle Committee section of the Web site (in progress)

Announcements to the board and committees:

• The Web Committee Chair has resigned from the committee and another committee member, Neil Benvenuti, has agreed to fill the position. The committee is seeking new members.
• The e-mail address webmaster(at)karmacoop.org has been deleted and replaced with web(at)karmacoop.org. Karma members and staff should use this new address to contact the committee.

Other Notes:

• The Web Committee submitted questions to this year's membership survey, and is looking forward to using the results to plan long-term goals.
• Direction from the board regarding priorities will be required.

7. Business Arising

8. Adjournment

Agreement by consensus to adjourn.