Calgary Regional Women’s Committee Minutes – November 7, 2018

Regional Women’s Committee Minutes – November 7, 2018

In Attendance:

Deb Kosteniuk UTE 30024

Tabassom Javadi Doudarani UNE 30040

Kirsten Strachey UTE 30024

Shohreh Movahedi CEIU 30856  

Regrets:                                                                                 PSAC Regional Representative(s):

Hazel Buchanan  USJE                                                          Dolly Ablitt

Jennifer Jurca UCTE 30318                                                   Diane White

Stephanie Hooper CIU 30036

Alin Ibrahim CEIU 30856

Lissette Serrano, UVAE 30032

A. Administrative

The Meeting was called to order at 5:37 p.m.

1. Agenda was amended to include Kairos Blanket workshop, amended Agenda approved by consensus

2. Minutes from previous meeting: Oct 15, 2018 were approved.

B. Old Business

3. Scotiabank Marathon: Vicky Norris was not at the meeting; we need her receipts from the Marathon to reimburse her.  The cheque is done.  Deb will reach out to her.

C.  New/Current Business

4. Group Christmas Activity/Women’s Centre Toy Drive and Toy Room Night:

We are booked to volunteer in the Toy Room 5:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. December 13, 2018.   Training for the Toy Room duties is scheduled for 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. November 26, 2018.   We need two or three to attend and they will “train” the others.  Jenn has done a draft poster and it was reviewed with some changes recommended.  Deb will do the changes and try to get the poster etc to the RO for email distribution this week or early next week.   We will have the Toy Drive go from November 13 to December 12.   We will let locals set out their own drop off person/area.  With respect to the poster – It can go out on the 13th, with a reminder to locals on Nov 19th and 30th with a final notice December 10th that reminds them that toys are to be dropped off at the Regional Office on December 12, 2018.

5. Movie night: Thursday November 15. Eileen (Alin) has purchased a Norma Rae DVD and Dolly confirms it works.  Poster is done and has gone out by email blast by the Regional Office.   Eileen (Alin) will buy the snacks for the night as well.  RWC will reimburse her the costs of the DVD and the snacks, as discussed at our Oct 15th meeting.

6. 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence:   This starts November 25th. Deb asked for “factoids” at the October 15th meeting, so far Stephanie Hooper and Kirsten Strachey have provided them as requested.   At our October 15th meeting Deb asked for factoids by November 4 and has not received them.  Deb will do a follow up email and will get a poster ready for locals (poster about how to be an ally with respect to gender based violence).

7.  Phoenix/Here for Canada Rally:  Deb advises Area Council is meeting tomorrow, November 8, 2018 and will be discussing putting on a Rally.   Update:  CAC is planning a Rally in January or February of 2019, date and location to be announced (more than likely it will be the Harry Hays Building).   They have asked for all the support the RWC can give them.

8. AFL Childcare Lobby Day: Tuesday Dec 4, by the Alberta Federation of Labour, in Edmonton.   We have three women chosen:  Kirsten Strachey (Red Deer), Danielle Poissant (Medicine Hat) and Eileen (Alin) Abrahim (Calgary) that will give us excellent Southern Alberta representation.   The women will travel up Dec 3 to Red Deer and stay overnight so they are in Edmonton for the 8:00 am. start on Dec 4, 2018.   More details will be provided to the lobbyists about travel, etc. once it’s confirmed with the REVP.  

9. Dec 6 Day of Remembrance:   Our next RWC Meeting will be December 6th, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.  We will watch the NFB film “After the Massacre” (27 minutes) and then debrief.  We will then hold a candlelight vigil remembering the 11 women murdered in the 1989 massacre.    Dolly suggested using silhouettes to represent the women and each of us standing in front of a silhouette and saying the name of one of the women.  

10. No More Fairy Tales – The Next Chapter:

Deb is working on a conference call with all RWC chairs/executives to discuss making the relaunch of No More Fairytales a region wide campaign.   She hopes to have the conference call done before the end of November.    We will start with the postcard campaign; we want to expand it with some videos and maybe a colouring contest.   

11.  Report on PRC Meeting:  Deb reported there are issues with Minutes from all Councils and Committees in the region.  The REVP is supposed to receive meeting minutes within 30 days of the meeting.  The accepted practice has been that she reads them on the PSAC website rather than insist we email them to her.  But some minutes are missing or have never posted by some committees.   The REVP outlined the process we can use to ensure minutes are approved and posted to the website within the 30 day timeframe.  Minutes should be sent out to ALL MEMBERS THAT ATTENDED THE MEETING for review by the Secretary (or in her absence, the person acting as Secretary for that meeting).  Deb would like to see review of the draft minutes completed within 10 days of them being sent out.   Once any revisions, amendments, corrections have been sent to the Secretary, she will finalize the minutes and send them to the Chair.  The Chair will then send out the finalized minutes and poll members for approval. Members must respond by email of their approval – Deb would like to see this done within 5 days of their receipt of finalized minutes. Once the Chair confirms the majority approve the Minutes, the Chair will forward them to the RO Admin for website posting.  Minutes from a previous meeting will be provided to all who attend the next meeting, but the Chair will simply note copies of the approved minutes are on hand.   Deb advised the REVP did not speak about the priorities for Councils and Committees at the PRC meeting – Dolly advised the retreat where this is decided may not have happened yet.

12.   November 24, 2018 Connecting with Indigenous Members Workshop:    This is a pilot course and it features the Kairos Blanket Exercise.  To be successful, the course needs 20 to 21 participants.  Right now we have 8 registered.   Please talk to members about attending this course.  It is only open to members within 100 kms of Calgary and the hope is that next year or sometime in the future facilitators would take it “on the road” to members in Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, etc.  

Round Table:

Tabassom stated a shared calendar with dates for meetings, deadlines for projects/events, education/conferences would be helpful for her and many RWC members.   Deb will see about creating one.  Tabassom and Dolly discussed bank statements; some appear to be missing.  If we cannot locate them in the RO, Tabassom will ask the bank about printing them.

Shohreh expressed her interest in learning more about the RWC; Dolly will provide her with material, particularly the handbook.

Dolly Ablitt - Do we want to have a Seasonal Social?    It was decided that we will use the toy drop off date to hold a bit of a seasonal social.  We will serve hot chocolate and have some treats (baked goods, etc) and offer that to every local that drops off toys for our toy drive.   Drop off date is December 12, 2018.

There are some extra funds left in the budget from the 2015 to 2017 three year cycle.  Dolly wanted some suggestions on how to spend it.   So we could buy a button making machine; paper folding machine for envelope stuffing; buy a real popcorn machine that could be used on movie nights/committee/council/ meetings or a local’s AGM held in the boardroom/courses etc;  we could take out the small table in the kitchen and put in an island with seating; replace the Keurig with a professional/business coffee machine (i.e. Bunn); get a turkey sized slow cooker to use for meeting meals, workshop lunches, etc.; could get some rolling supply units. 

Next meeting, December 6, 2018

D. Administrative

Meeting adjourned at 6:40