Haysboro Needs your Help: Call for Board Members
Dear Neighbour,
Our community needs your help. Giving back to our neighbourhood through volunteering has been one of the most rewarding choices I’ve ever made. It started when I was part of the natural playground committee, and now I’m in my last year as President. I’ve met people from across the city, been invited to join in large city building conversations, and have shared our Haysboro success stories across multiple channels.
In a community of over 7000 residents, we have eight people sitting on our board currently. There are a lot of vacancies, and this leaves us in a precarious position. The board is full of young, bright, talented people; some are expecting new babies, others just had them. I’m proud of this group for continuing to step up, but I see how their time is tied up. I don’t think there is anyone over 45 years old on the board, nor is there anyone younger than 30. Our split is fairly even, female to male. We’re all Caucasian. We’re fairly well positioned through the community in single family homes. These stats matter. We need to ask ourselves if we’re representing our community. There is no one on the board from London Towers, The Pinnacle, Hays Farm. We have no diversity in ethnicity, no seniors (our seniors resource group chair isn’t included in the eight people), no youth voice.
The current director-at-large members are sitting on various committees to support the operations of the association. Their individual capacity to take on executive roles is either limited by time (currently fulfilling other roles), or talent (though they’re all talented in their own right). To be a sustainable association, we need three people in the roles of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Past President. We currently have two.
The greatest risk is that if we can’t meet the terms of our bylaws, we would have to dissolve. Our association would have to forfeit the building and all our assets. We risk losing our casino dates, which contribute over $60,000 every 18 months to our operating budget. We’ve taken steps to mitigate this, as one of our directors-at-large has stepped in to be interim Treasurer. There is support for the treasurer position in the form of a financial committee, which would help with the budgeting, bookkeeping, and grant writing. Ideally, a treasurer would have good accounting knowledge, some familiarity with the CRA, including GST filing and non-profit rules; however, there are dedicated courses and resources available to help anyone fill this role.
As this is my last year as President, there is also need for succession. Stepping into the Vice President role is a commitment to taking on the presidency. I then step into the past president role to continue to support the organization. I will sweeten the deal – most of the large infrastructure projects will be completed in the next year, the business plan was just updated, and the board is eager to continue and support the next president. If you’re a bold visionary with a large heart for community building, let me take you for coffee.
Lastly, we need some MVEP’s. These are the Most Valuable Engaged People to help with Membership Volunteers Events and Programs. These roles are about supporting our neighbours, and ensuring our community remains a vibrant and active place to live.
The ask is simple. Join us. There’s even free trials! Come to a couple board meetings and test out if it’s for you. We meet the second Tuesday of the month from 7:00 to 9:00 pm (no meeting in August). If you have any questions, please reach out by email or phone.
Kourtney
