mcgill university retiree association minutes...

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MCGILL UNIVERSITY RETIREE ASSOCIATION

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting

June 1, 2017

475 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal

2:00-3:30 PM

1. The meeting was called to order by President Ginette Lamontage

2. Motion to approve the Agenda

Proposed by _Beverlea Tallant

Seconded by _David Brown

Motion carried

3. Motion to approve the Minutes of the 2016 AGM

After a discussion about who did or did not receive the minutes, the motion to approve the

minutes was

Proposed by: Renée Charron

Seconded by: Ron Guttmann

Approved unanimously

4. President’s Report by Ginette Lamontagne

The President, Ginette Lamontagne, reported that it had been a most productive year for MURA.

The Association’s membership has risen to nearly 300 members. MURA held 6 events, 2 activities

and 2 workshops during the year that attracted a total of approximately 300 participants. There are

also ongoing activities such as the Book Club that meets monthly from September to June in each

member’s home or at a designated library. The Cycling Group, coordinated by Joan Barrett and Joan

Wolforth, organizes outings on a weekly basis from the end of May to the beginning of October. Ms.

Lamontagne also reminded the audience that MURA members could join the McGill Gym for half

the staff monthly rate. She encouraged members to take advantage of this offer.

Following on a suggestion by Gregg Blachford at last year’s AGM, a series of pre-retirement

sessions were organized for active employees in collaboration with MUNASA, MUNACA, MAUT

and a session is planned in the Fall with SEU. Colleagues such as Gregg Blachford, Joan Wolforth,

Bob Stanley, Kate Maguire and Steven Blagrave participated in these sessions. Ginette Lamontagne

indicated that it was an area in which MURA could make an important contribution to current

employees who are considering retirement in the foreseeable future.

Ginette Lamontagne announced that there are two permanent partnership agreements with MUNASA

and SEU Trades (downtown) and agreements with MAUT and MUNACA that must be renewed

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annually. In exchange for annual funding, all employees of the four organizations can become

MURA members at retirement without having to pay the annual fee.

Ms. Lamontagne was pleased to report that office space was allocated by McGill to MURA. It is

hoped that MURA will be able to move in by the Fall. She also unveiled a new logo for MURA,

created by McGill’s graphic design department.

The President introduced the members of the Executive Committee, Kate Maguire (VP Internal),

Henry Leighton (VP External) and Robert Stanley (Treasurer) and asked each of them to give their

reports on their various spheres of activities.

5. Vice-President Internal Kate Maguire’s Report

College and University Retiree Associations of Canada (CURAC) Conference

The conference was hosted by the Carleton University Retiree Association on May 24-

26, 2017 at their impressive campus in Ottawa. It was an excellent opportunity to share

and learn about the best practices of Canadian college and university retiree associations.

The associations were very impressed by the pre-retirement presentations prepared by

Gregg Blachford and Joan Wolforth, that were offered at McGill.

The talks that we attended covered a wide spectrum and were very informative and

inspirational. These ranged from Trump’s effects on the Canadian economy, the

diagnosis, treatment and care of dementia, a short history of the Canadian alcohol

industry, the latest nutritional research, to a very worthy project in Ottawa that provides

healthcare that is structured to the needs of those living with dependency issues.

The highlight of the conference for the McGill representatives was when our President,

Ginette Lamontagne, received a CURAC Tribute Award that recognizes an exceptional

contribution and/or achievement by a university or college retiree, at their local

association level. This award also helped MURA our new Association to achieve national

recognition. Kate presented flowers to Ginette in recognition of her CURAC award.

Up-coming activities in the Fall:

• Old Montreal Walking Tour in September.

• Homecoming Reception – there will be another reception & concert as part of the

McGill Homecoming festivities on October 13.

• Love Ella (Nov) – popular singer Ranee Lee will be doing a tribute to Ella

Fitzgerald on November 23rd at Bourgie Hall. Tickets will be about $24.

Complete information will be provided in the next Communiqué.

• First annual Christmas luncheon (Dec) – to be held at the École des métiers de la

restauration et du tourisme de Montréal. It is conveniently located on De

Maisonneuve West near St. Mathieu street. We are hoping to have it the first

week of December.

• Reminder June 6th Luncheon- Lecture: "Water, Agriculture & Food Security,” by

Chandra Madromootoo, James McGill Professor of Bioresource Engineering,

formerly Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

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Communiqués and Newsletter

Communiqués are being sent on a monthly basis and contain the latest news about

MURA events and activities. A MURA Newsletter, edited by Joan Wolforth, will be

distributed in the fall. We encourage members to submit stories, articles, poetry, etc. to

Joan.

Facebook – we now have 45 members on this page. We encourage you to join as it is an

excellent tool for sharing information and news with each other.

MURA Survey Results

A nine-question survey was sent to members to discover what members would like

MURA to do. There were 71 people responses. Those who responded were entered in a

draw for a $25 SAQ gift card. A short summary of the responses follows:

Events/ Where and When: Members prefer events to be held during the week on

campus, in the afternoon

Events/ Which types: Luncheon/lecture series are the most popular events, followed by

information sessions on healthcare & CPR, and the fall concert/reception.

Activities: Gourmet luncheons, museum visits and day trips topped the list.

Members locations: 94% live in the Montreal area, with the rest of the respondents

living in the West Island, Laval, South Shore and Eastern Townships.

Issues: Healthcare is the top priority of members. Members are urged to check the HR

website for complete information.

Website & Facebook page: members are very happy with these forms of

communication. If enough members request another Facebook workshop, one will be set

up.

MURA Communiqués: these are very popular and a great way to learn about current

events and activities

Newsletter: a newsletter will be published yearly with Joan Wolforth as editor. A request

was made for members to submit stories and articles about their retirement experiences.

Prize drawn by Nick Acheson in response to the survey – Winner of the SAQ certificate:

Jim McVety.

6. Proposed Changes to the Constitution by VP External Henry Leighton.

Art. 3.1

Current Text

Regular Member. Membership in the Association is open to all McGill University retirees

upon payment of the annual membership fee.

Proposed Text

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Regular Member. Membership in the Association is open to all McGill University

retirees.

Art. 3.2

Current Text

Associate Member. Any person who is the spouse or partner of a regular member is

eligible to become an Associate Member. Associate members are not eligible to vote on

matters related to Association business. If, after the death of a regular member, an

Associate Member continues to receive McGill Benefits, he/she may opt to become a full

member.

Proposed Text

Associate Member. Any person who is the spouse or partner of a regular member is

eligible to become an Associate Member. Associate members are not eligible to vote on

matters related to Association business.

Motion to approve all constitutional changes together in one lot

Proposed by Bev Tallant

Seconded by David Brown


7. Proposed Changes to the MURA By-laws by VP External Henry Leighton

By-law 6b

Current Text

Members of the Executive shall serve a term from the end of the Annual General Meeting

at which they were elected to the end of the following Annual General Meeting. Members

of the Executive may not hold the same position for more than three consecutive terms.

Proposed Text

Members of the Executive shall serve a three-year term commencing at the Annual

General Meeting at which they were elected to the date of the Annual General Meeting

three years hence. Members of the Executive may not hold the same position for more

than two consecutive terms.

By-law 6c

Current Text

Each year, by November 15th, a Nominating Committee of three regular members shall

be appointed by the Board. They will prepare a list of candidates for the Executive for the

following year and report this to the Past President by February 1st. There shall be at

least one nomination for each office. The nominees must acknowledge their willingness

to accept office if elected.

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Proposed Text


be appointed by the Board. They will prepare a list of candidates for any terminating

Executive positions and report this to the Past President by February 1st. There shall be

at least one nomination for each vacant office. The nominees must acknowledge their

willingness to accept office if elected.

By-law 7a

Current Text

Eight regular members in good standing may be elected to the Board.

Proposed Change.

Delete By-Law 7a and renumber the subsequent sections of By-Law 7.

By-law 7b

Current Text

Members of the Board shall serve a term from the end of Annual General Meeting at

which they were elected to the end of the following Annual General Meeting. Members of

the Board may serve up to a maximum of three consecutive annual terms unless

subsequently elected to the Executive of the Association in which case he or she may

serve in this new role for the term designated in the by-law for Executive positions.

Proposed Text

Members of the Board shall serve a three-year term commencing at the Annual General

Meeting at which they were elected to the date of the Annual General Meeting three

years hence. Members of the Board may serve up to a maximum of two consecutive terms

unless subsequently elected to the Executive of the Association in which case the member

may serve in this new role for the term designated in the by-law governing the term of

Executive positions.

By-law 7c

Current Text


be appointed by the Board. They will prepare a list of candidates for the Board for the

following year and report this to the Past President by February 1st. There shall be at

least one nomination for each office. The nominees must acknowledge their willingness

to accept office if elected.

Proposed Text


be appointed by the Board. They will prepare a list of candidates to fill any terminating

Board positions and report this to the Past President by February 1st. The nominees for

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the vacant Board positions must acknowledge their willingness to sit on the Board if

elected.

By-law 7e

Current Text

If there is no more than one nomination for each office, the nominated slate of officers

will be acclaimed at the Annual General Meeting.

Proposed Text

If there is only one nomination for each vacant position, the newly nominated Board

members will be acclaimed at the Annual General Meeting.

By-law 7f

Current text

If there is more than one nomination for any office, voting will occur by ballot, ballots

being distributed to all members by the Vice-President (External) at least 30 days before

the Annual General Meeting.

Proposed text

If there are more nominations than vacancies, voting will occur by ballot, ballots being

distributed to all members by the Vice-President (External) at least 30 days before the

Annual General Meeting.

By-law 8 Membership Dues

Current text

A membership fee shall be levied, the exact amount to be determined and approved each

year for the succeeding year at the Annual General Meeting. Membership dues will be

payable annually by September 1st. These dues are levied to cover the costs of

administering the Association from September 1st until the following August 31st.

Proposed Text

Membership in the Association is contingent on payment of a membership fee, the exact

amount to be determined and approved each year for the succeeding year at the Annual

General Meeting, or on a membership fee waiver. Fee waivers may be provided to former

members of employee groups that have negotiated fee waiver agreements with MURA.

Membership fees will be payable annually by September 1st.

By-law 9 Association Activity Fee

Current Wording

Any events or activities organized by the Association by, or on behalf of members are

expected to be self-sustaining. The Association will not be liable for financial shortfalls

incurred by members during the exercise of activities.

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Proposed Wording

Events and activities organized by the Association by, or on behalf of members are

normally expected to be self-financing. The Association will not be liable for financial

shortfall incurred by members during the exercise of activities. However, certain events

(such as but not limited to the Annual General Meeting), upon approval of the Executive,

may be financed completely or partially by the Association.

By-law 11 (In effect for the years 2015-2017)

Current Text

In order to ensure continuity of membership on the Executive, for the inaugural two years

of the Association the President and Treasurer will be elected for a two year term in

2015, renewable for one year, and the Vice Presidents Internal and External will be

elected for a one year term, renewable for one year.

Proposed Change

This by-law will be removed.

Motion to approve all by-law changes together in one lot.

Proposed by Jane Amro

Seconded by Linda Jacobs Starkey

Approved Unanimously

8. Presentation of the Financial Review for 2016-2017 by Treasurer Robert Stanley

The report dated May 10, 2017 by Pierre Gagnon CA of Services administratifs et

comptables D.G. Inc(Appendix 1), was presented and discussed, for the year ending

March 3, 2017.

Total Revenues $12,213.

Total Expenses $ 7,983.

Excess of Revenues over expenses $ 4,230.

Net Assets Beginning of Year $ 7,488.

Net Assets End of the Year $11,718.

Motion to approve the financial review dated May 10, 2017 –

Proposed by _Kathy Mayhew

Seconded by _Linda Montreuil


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9. Resolution on the Annual Membership Fee – by Robert Stanley

Be it resolved that:

The annual membership fee for individual memberships in MURA for the year beginning

September 1, 2017 shall be Twenty Five Dollars ($25.00).

Proposed by: _David Brown

Seconded by: _Johanne Hebert


10. Presentation of the Budget for 2017-2018 by Robert Stanley

The proposed budget dated May 17, 2017 was presented and discussed (Appendix 2).

The budget shows anticipated revenues of $12,259 and anticipated expenses of $11,350.

Robert Stanley explained that additional revenues might be forthcoming once the

contractual agreement currently being finalized with MAUT is ratified. This addition

revenue for 2017-2018 could be as much as $2,000.

A motion was proposed to adopt the budget dated May 17, 2017.

Proposed by __Joan Hagerman

Seconded by __Kathryn Peterson

Approved unanimously.

11. Presentation on behalf of the Nominating Committee by Linda Jacobs-Starkey

The President indicated that a nominating committee, composed of Honora Shaughnessy,

Linda Jacobs Starkey and Linda Montreuil was struck last Fall to oversee the election of

new members to the Board. She asked Linda Jacobs Starkey to give the report.

Dr. Jacobs Starkey announced that two members were leaving the Board: Nick Acheson

and Myron Frankman. A search was made to find two colleagues to replace them on the

Board: James Coulton and Eduardo Pereira were asked to serve and responded

positively. She proposed that the two members be acclaimed by the Assembly. The

2017-18 Board members are the following:

Ginette Lamontagne, President

Kate Maguire, Vice-President (Internal)

Henry Leighton, Vice-President (External)

Robert Stanley, Treasurer

Steven Blagrave

James Coulton

Maria Keenan

Kathy Mayhew

Allan Oliver

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Eduardo Pereira

Judy Pharo

Beverlea Tallant

The 2017-18 Board was elected by acclamation.

12. Presentation to Nick Acheson for his service on the Board

Ginette Lamontagne thanked Nick Acheson for his support for MURA from the initial

launching meeting of the association in June 2015. MURA was grateful for his two-year

service as a Board member, and for looking after the interests of retirees as a MAUT

representative on the Staff Benefits Advisory Committee. She indicated her appreciation

for his efforts in enhancing the collaboration between the retirees’ section of MAUT and

MURA. Nick Acheson was presented with a McGill memorabilia gift as a token of

appreciation from all the members.

The President also thanked the coordinators of activities and all the other MURA

volunteers. She expressed her gratitude to the Board members for all their work and the

remarkable Executive members for their outstanding contribution. Finally, she thanked

all the members of their participation and their support. She invited all the members

present to the celebration of MURA’s 2nd Anniversary.

13. The meeting as adjourned at 3:30 PM.

Note: Appendices 1 and 2 are filed as separate documents.

MURABudgetApril1,2017-March312018

16-May-17

2017-2018 2016-2017

Revenues

IndividualMemberships40x$25.00 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$

AssociationMembershipAgreementsSEU800 100x$6.76 676.00$ 676.00$MUNASA 782x$6.50 tobeupdated 5,083.00$ 5,083.00$MAUT tobeconfirmed 1,800.00$ 1,800.00$MUNACA 2,500.00$

ActivitiesandEvents(ReceiptsfromMcGill) 1,200.00$ 800.00$

Total 12,259.00$ 9,359.00$

Expenses

Travel(meetingsandconferences) 2,500.00$ 1,800.00$Fees,Bank,PaypalCharges 50.00$ 100.00$OfficeandPostageexpenses 3,000.00$ 1,000.00$Audit-FinancialReview 850.00$ 850.00$Insurance-DirectorsandCivilLiability 1,150.00$ 1,150.00$MeetingExpenses included 500.00$Activities&Events (includesMeetingExpenses) 3,000.00$ 1,000.00$CURACMembership 300.00$ 300.00$Contingency 500.00$ 500.00$

Total 11,350.00$ 7,200.00$

Surplus(Deficit) 909.00$ 2,159.00$

RobertStanleyTreasurer

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