Minutes for Haven Foundation Board Meeting

November 30, 2004

Whitaker Room, The Haven, Gabriola Island

 

Attending: 

Board:  Paul Robillard, David Raithby, Mark Gunderson (Acting Chair), Laurie Kelley

Advisory Council: Randy Wong, Rick Jackson, Linda Nicholls, Gerry Owen

Management: Ernie & Cathy McNally

Guests: None

 

Apologies:

Dick Sass, Connie Munro

 

Call to Order at 9:30am, Acting Chair, Mark Gunderson.

 

1. Minutes of October 22, 2004 - approved.

 

2. Chairperson’s Report.  Mark Gunderson provided opening remarks including noting the current health issues of one Director’s husband.  Best wishes from the Board to them both.

 

3. General Manager’s Report, and Marketing Report.  Cathy and Ernie McNally reported, in addition to their written report, that:

 

1. New home webpage will be ready in a couple of days
2. Interim funding is almost secured for producing 6 Haven books;  a book-writing weekend will be held Dec 18-19/04
3. Management will be meeting with Linda Moore this week re: how The Haven property might be developed.  Following this Ernie, a Board member and a faculty member will meet with her as a group to continue discussions.

 

There was discussion re: preferred format for the GM report, and the general view was that in addition to the activity information, focus on specific targets and results achieved would also be useful.  There was also discussion re: lines of communication, and avenues for consultation, between Management and the Board.

 

4. Financial Report.  The financial report was reviewed.  There was general discussion regarding the tension that must exist between revenues and expenditures to maintain and/or build a business.

 

5. Development Committee Report.   There was discussion re: the donor letter which was to have been sent out after the last Board meeting.  The preference was that it go to Ben and Jock, Board, Advisory Committee, Management and Faculty.  There was discussion regarding the draft minutes from the first strategy meeting for the January 2005 Planning Session; it was resolved that this is not part of the Development Committee and that the minutes should be revised to reflect this.

 

6. January 2005 Planning Session.  Rick Jackson summarized his draft email and discussion paper for the January 2005 planning sessions.  The discussion paper outlines three sessions issues:

 

1. Vision, Values, Mission and Overall Goals
2. Operating model for core programs
3. Governance and management

 

General consensus was that this draft document shifts the tone and clarifies the purpose of the planning session.  It is important that the initiative is focused, coordinated, and that all stake-holders, including core faculty and staff, be considered.

 

 

Board Meeting went in-camera at 11am.

 

Following discussion, it was unanimously resolved that the Board accept the suggested salary increase for the General Managers as shown in the budget and as well instruct the Governance Committee to continue to prepare and develop the job description, evaluation and expectations for and together with the General Managers for presentation to the Board at its next meeting.

 

Following lengthy discussion regarding how to improve communications and to increase the quality of decisions made, it was unanimously resolved that the Governance Committee prepare a draft communications policy for review by the Board at its next meeting. Laurie Kelly agreed to dig up a draft that she had for the committee's information.

 

Board Meeting reconvened by Mark Gunderson at 12:10pm.

 

7. Governance Committee Report.

 

Laurie Kelley left meeting at 12:30pm.

 

1. Institute Committee.  David Raithby reported on discussions re: the involvement of core faculty in Haven affairs.  The proposal is for there to be an “Institute Committee”, replacing the current “Standards and Ethics Committee”, which would be comprised of four appointed members:  two Board members (the Chair or “Dean”, and the alternate Chair), the Director of Education, and one other faculty member.  The current “Standards and Ethics Committee” members will appoint the four members, and the Governance Committee will report back to the Board at its next meeting.

 

Laurie Kelley returned to meeting at 12:55pm.

 

2. Board Appointments.  Mark Gunderson reported on names gathered to-date for new Board appointments, as well as other options the Board might wish to consider such as keeping the Board or its equivalent more stream-lined.  The report was tabled for further refinement.  The usefulness of having an orientation package for new Board members was discussed.

 

3. 2005 Board Meeting Schedule.  After discussion it was resolved that the meetings will typically be Mondays, once per month commencing sometime after February 15, 2005, and one-third of them will be held in Vancouver.

 

8. Audit and Finance Committee.  Paul Robillard presented his report on the proposed 2005 budget.  The Board had an in-depth discussion and brainstorming re: its overall philosophy on the management of The Haven and how this might be reflected in a realistic budget.  Ideas were organized under two columns:

 

            “Suck” (save, cut)                                             “Blow” (spend)

            * felt pens – conserving attitude             *merit increases

            *efficiency, priority of spending,                        *sales & marketing

            productivity:                                                      *facilities

                        i. elimination of redundancy                   *no more deferred maintenance

                        ii. efficiency expectations                       *FUNDRAISING

                        iii. day-to-day consciousness                 *program expansion

                        iv. job descriptions                                *timely spending $ to maximize opportunity

            *prioritizing capital expenditures                        *strategic planning

            *don’t give free stuff to people who                  *donor recognition

            can afford it (no free lunches)

            *re-design of website

            *tender/recruit – market competition

 

            It was resolved that the Board wants the budget to reflect both columns e.g. a “spirit/attitude of growth”, and that the draft budget will therefore require adjustments.  The draft 2005 budget was tabled for revisions.  It was noted that a Business Development Plan is critical to considering an appropriate budget package.

 

9. Next Meeting – February 2005 (specific date to be announced) at The Haven.

 

Meeting Adjourned at 2:30pm.

 

Action Items

• GM to provide Gerry Owen with details of possible interim funding so that he can insure all arrangements are appropriately handled from a legal perspective.
• Carole Ames to advise as to the status of the donor letter requested at the last Board meeting.
• Laurie Kelley will provide, by email, suggestions for a communication policy.
• Carole Ames to revise minutes from strategy session for 2005 Planning Session, deleting reference to Development Committee
• Governance Committee to prepare a job description and evaluation for the GM, in consultation with the incumbents.
• Standards and Ethics Committee to appoint four people for the new “Institute Committee”.  Governance Committee to report back to Board on this at next meeting.
• Governance Committee to revise the Board Nomination Report to include all names considered, and bio’s for those being recommended at this time.
• Mark Gunderson to determine which Board Candidates have been contacted by Dick Sass.
• Rick Jackson to contact Dick Sass re: go/no-go numbers for the 2005 Planning Session.
• Rick Jackson to revise the draft email and discussion paper for the 2005 Planning Session and re-distribute.
• Carole Ames to consult with Dick Sass re: a budget for the 2005 Planning Session.
• Mark Gunderson to prepare, with assistance from Carole Ames, a 2005 meeting schedule.
• Management to revise draft 2005 budget and present at next Board meeting.
• All Board members, directors and advisors are invited to submit their individual thoughts on the proposed financial direction for The Haven to Paul Robillard, for distribution to all.
• Paul Robillard to prepare a Business Development Plan.

 

Action Items – carried over from October 22, 2004 meeting:

• Mark Gunderson to re-draft “Statement of Governance Guidelines” within two weeks, and provide to David Raithby for review/input
• Dick Sass to send out Donor letter
• Governance Committee to consider a policy that all Board and Committee members attend at least one Haven course per year
• Cathy and Ernie McNally to provide the draft privacy policy documents (prepared with Connie Munro) to the Governance Committee.
• Development Committee to review and refine Fundraising Strategic Plan and present for adoption at next meeting.
• Cathy and Ernie McNally to design financial aid application.
• Jonathon Diderich to provide more specificity and focus to Dick Sass by selecting and prioritizing 5 or so tasks in an upside down triangle.
• David Raithby to arrange for meeting between members of core faculty (e.g. Linda, David and Joann) and board members, including Mark Gunderson in the second week in November.

 

Minutes recorded by Carole Ames.

Minutes adopted – February 18, 2005