Board Meetings

Regrets:
John Braithwaite
Gary Fumano
Laura McDiarmid

• The board agreed on the amount available from the Vancouver Foundation for this year’s scholarships. David Angel would confirm these with the Principal, including confirming that Kersti Krug would be present at the ceremonies to pass on the scholarships to the School’s winning graduates.
• The board also resolved to accept the awarding of John Gellard Scholarships for Creative Writing in a similar manner as our existing scholarship fund.
• The board confirmed that KSSAA had received nine $500 Chair-ity plaques, plus one at $1,000 to be placed on the first 3 rows of auditorium seats. Angel agreed to prepare a letter for Krug to announce these arrivals to the alumni members.
• KSSAA will again participate at Greek Days, falling this year on Sunday, June 23rd, for which more volunteers were needed to ensure that 3 people would sit at the table for the whole day. Amyn Khimji and Krug agreed to contribute again to Angel’s table.
• The board then agreed to hold our AGM at 1:00 pm on Saturday, November 23rd, either at the Kitsilano Community Centre of Kitsilano Neighbourhood House.
• The board also agreed to reduce the number of board meetings per year.

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
John Braithwaite
Colleen Garbe
Dave Pym

• The board was reminded that KSSAA is suffering from a significant drop in contributions and therefore increasing lack of success in supporting student scholarships. The board agreed to seek advice from individuals who had been active and strong in creating and running KSSAA. A strategy meeting was suggested for 7:00 pm, Wednesday, October 10th. David Angel would draft an invitation letter and Kersti Krug would confirm space in KCC as well as circulate the communication to those on the list. (Note that this meeting did not occur given the lack of responses.)
• The board suggested that Krug take on changes within the BC Society Act, and seek advice from John Braithwaite who was instrumental in the creation of KSSAA within this Act.
• The board raised concerns about the changed relationships with the school and the community, topics appropriate for the strategy meeting.
• KSSAA had not heard yet about its share of funds from the school’s centennial celebrations. Angel would follow up.
• Angel suggested listing donors in small and large categories on our website, with names mentioned only if people were willing to be identified this way.
• To increase memberships and donations, it was suggested that KSSAA put something in local newspapers. Laura McDiarmid agreed to arrange such a write-up in the Courier.
• The board had yet to hear about joining other alumni associations, so Amyn Khimji agreed to check.
• Depending on the strategy meeting suggestions, the board would either continue to meet 4 times a year or only continue with annual AGMs. The upcoming AGM would occur on Saturday, November 17th in the KCC.

Guest: Michelle Barile

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
John Braithwaite
Colleen Garbe
Samantha Kerr
Dave Pym

• The board was delighted to welcome Michelle Barile, Executive Director of the West Broadway Business Improvement Association to develop positive working relationships with the community. The board learned that BIA covered a 10-block area of Broadway from Collingwood to Larch Streets, as well as covering the neighbourhood, not just Broadway. Its goal is to develop and engage community partnerships and liaison with the city. They can spread the word for us, raise awareness in shop windows, and work together on festivals and events.
• David Angel again updated the board on the June 24th Greek Day event.
• Kersti Krug announced that 1,500 people attended the school’s centennial celebrations on Saturday, May 12th. Although the event was positive, board members were critical of some aspects, such as the pancake breakfast, lack of advertised products and names on the walls, problems with registering, putting the centennial rooms on the third floor while the elevator was not working well, etc.
• Krug suggested that KSSAA expand its role from raising scholarship funds to mentoring and providing support for student careers. The topic was dropped.
• Angel questioned the frequency of board meetings, suggesting that we move to quarterly meetings that would include the November AGM – so February, May, and September. The board agreed.

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
John Braithwaite
Samantha Kerr
Dave Pym

• The board again began the meeting with updates on the centennial event. It was agreed that David Angel, Colleen Garbe, Amyn Khimji, Kersti Krug, and Laura McDiarmid would spend time at the table to attract more members to the association.
• A silent auction is being organized by PAC with help from the school. KSSAA will bring objects for sale as well as offer volunteers. Krug agreed on contacting some current members who volunteered to help at the event.
• To highlight donors, Angel suggested classifying them by gold (over $5,000), silver ($1,000), and bronze (smaller donors). Khimji agreed to pull together all donors and amounts from the Vancouver Foundation’s secured list.
• Again, the financial distribution between school, PAC, and KSSAA remains unclear, though PAC and KSSAA should be 50/50.
• Greek Days on June 24th will be supported by most board members once Angel and Khimji have set up banners and tables.

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
Samantha Kerr

• The board began with updates on the school’s Centennial event decisions for Saturday, May 12th, where KSSAA needs tables and props, copies of membership forms, an information package, etc. David Angel suggested that key information be put on a poster, including KSSAA’s history, purpose, and website. Dave Pym offered to blow up such information to poster size, as well as make multiple copies of the history.
• The board then turned to the distribution of funds raised by the school, by PAC, and by KSSAA, though no decisions had yet been made. Kersti Krug agreed to contact David Eby to make a presentation at the school, but also contribute financial support by the province.
• The board agreed to include names of major donors at the event given that the school had removed such names from the gym. A history of teachers (e.g., Parfitt, McKenzie, George Puil,) would also be good to put up.
• Pym offered to find out whether Vancouver had a high school alumni association as do West Vancouver and the Okanagan. He offered to put together a workable contact list.
• Laura McDiarmid will follow up about contributions from the Greek business association to KSSAA, including featuring such a relationship with the Vancouver Foundation’s journal and/or website.
• Angel confirmed our involvement at Greek Days on Sunday, June 24th. He would be there from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and was looking for help to set up and run the table that day.
• Colleen Garbe and Kersti Krug were asked to inform the upcoming centennial meeting that several people were having trouble registering for the event.

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
John Braithwaite
Colleen Garbe
Samantha Kerr
Dave Pym

• The board needs a schedule of all events taking place at the school’s centennial celebrations on May 12th. It expects to have a table or booth for new memberships and donations, and capacity for accepting credit cards.
• To highlight donors on both our website and at the centennial event, the board needs a list of all donations from the Vancouver Foundation.
• Dave Pym offered to find out whether there is a high school alumni association in Vancouver that can help raise more funds to our school’s scholarship fund.
• Laura McDiarmid reported on her connection to the Greek community to help set up this summer’s Greek Days.
• Amyn Khimji, Dave Pym, and Kersti Krug are defined as authorized cheque signatures, and so will soon confirm that with the Royal Bank.
• Krug agreed to have the school invite McDiarmid to its next Centennial committee meeting.

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
John Braithwaite
Samantha Kerr

• The board was directed to visit the school’s website for updates on centennial events. One of these is a car show taking place on Saturday. KSSAA would be given a table to attract members and donations.
• The board reinforced the desire to have alumni stories on our website to attract more stories and become a permanent archive. Kersti Krug agreed to check with people’s willingness to be named on the site.
• To strengthen fundraising for scholarships, the board discussed joining alumni associations with other schools. Also, a poster should be created to sell scholarship goals, including a kit for people to take home and acceptance of credit cards.
• Finding Kits grads successful in their lives would be highly valuable. So KSSAA would focus on fundraising after the centennial events.
• The board agreed to meet at 10:30 rather than 11:30 to remains in daylight and let those with jobs lose less time.
• The board also agreed to require two signatures on every cheque, with Amyn Khimji, Kersti Krug, and Dave Pym as signatories.
• The board agree that scholarship recipient letters of thanks should be place on the website. Laura McDiarmid agreed to take on the role of website management.

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Samantha Kerr
Laura McDiarmid
Dave Pym

• The board learned that the school’s registration list would be available on Thursday, also that both Musqueam and Coast Salish people would be at the opening ceremonies.
• People who want to volunteer for the centennial celebrations should be sent to Norma Biln and Ranjit Bains. The board also agreed that stories sent in by alumni should be hung on the walls of decade classrooms as well as placed on the website.
• Sharing fundraising dollars during these events among the school, PAC, and KSSAA remains unclear. Donations can come from the donor wall, room names, and bricks. Currently PAC is working on these and might be able to include alumni.
• Changing meeting times to 3:30 from 11:30 would be better for Ranjit Bains, but the problem in winter is driving in the dark.
• The board still awaits a time when enough are present to be photographed and placed on the web. For now, David Angel took photos of those at this meeting for Kersti Krug to post on the web.
• The renovated auditorium in the original building has an opening from 7:00 to 9:00 pm on Thursday, February 1st. Naming opportunities are possible here. Krug agreed to send a list of alumni members to Biln to promote this event to everyone.

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
John Braithwaite
Colleen Garbe
Bud MacKenzie
Garth Wheeler

• As the number of directors was so limited, the only discussion revolved around the AGM, including reminding people to come as well as to RSVP so that enough refreshments could be provided.
• The board was also reminded of the critical importance of seeking more local support as well as those with fundraising and other critical skills.

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
John Braithwaite
Bu MacKenzie

• A long discussion about the viability of KSSAA launched this meeting. Issues arose regarding the lack of board members living close to the Kitsilano community to build relationships with the school and its family, with the community and its organizations. As a result, KSSAA was not achieving the goals for growing the scholarship fund, but instead, as one board member put it, “dying and going nowhere.”
• The board agreed that we need more local people with roots in the community and local contacts, as well as more energy and experience to raise funds and provide support.
• Kersti Krug was asked to draft a message to members inviting to the upcoming AGM meeting (Nov. 4th), pointing them to the issues, and encouraging them to offer their energy, connections, and skills. The AGM would bring up the lack of fundraising at the AGM.
• Chris Atkinson and Ellen Roberts, former Principals of Kits should particularly be sought out for advice.
• With Garth Wheeler stepping down as Treasurer, Amyn Khimji agreed to take over the role of Treasurer given that no other alumni with accounting experience had been found.
• On the membership form, members should be asked to give permission for KSSAA to list them as “Permanent Supporters” on the KSSAA website if they had made a very special donation.
• The photo update of the board for the web continues to await more board members being present.

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
John Braithwaite
Samantha Kerr
Amyn Khimji
Bud MacKenzie

• The board heard that an alumni basketball tournament organized by the Meraloma’s Club will join the anniversary event dates. They would be joined by food trucks. For a BBQ, September is their next date.
• To raise funds from organizations in the Kits neighbourhood, KSSAA should find out what promotes them best in exchange for fundraising support, e.g., publishing their contributions in Kits annual reports or newsletters, as were done for the 75th anniversary, or charging for ads in such publications.
• Garth Wheeler reported that KSSAA now had 627 alumni members.
• In the board’s search for a Treasurer to replace Wheeler who is stepping down, Wheeler noted that he had gone through all the alumni application forms to discover 4 people who could be interested. But when contacting them, three turned down this invitation, and he waits to call the fourth.
• The board agreed that we need fresh blood, including affluent people, on the board.
• Our AGM was set for noon on Saturday, November 4th, with Krug agreeing to contact the Kits Community Centre to house our meeting. Krug also agreed to write to all board members to confirm who is staying on as directors and/or officers. She then agreed to promote this meeting to all alumni members.

Regrets:
Helen Antoniak
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
Samantha Kerr
Bud MacKenzie

• The board was asked to offer ideas of who might be put forward as speakers at the 100th anniversary events. A speaker such as Chris Atkinson was strongly supported by all.
• David Angel, Amyn Khimji, Kersti Krug, and Garth Wheeler reported on their positive meeting last week with the Vancouver Foundation on donation ideas and options. Donating in wills or selling shares, which would provide tax receipts as well as avoid paying taxes on profitable stocks, were two positive ideas. Krug agreed to put the Foundation’s directions on our website.
• Fundraising events, such as pub nights at the Meraloma’s Club were suggested, including adding silent auctions to such events. A list of objects or clothes should be sought from the school Principal.
• The board also acknowledged that attending reunions and seeking memberships and donations at such events were helpful approaches.
• This year’s Greek Days festival is taking place on Sunday, June 25th from 8:30 to 5:00. Gary Fumano agreed to participate at the tent, and Krug agreed to send current membership forms to Wheeler and Angel.
• The photo update of the current board to place on the web awaits the presence of most board members.

Regrets:
Ranjit Bains
Norma Biln
John Braithwaite
Samantha Kerr
Bud MacKenzie

• The board heard that the school had moved from a single day’s event to two days: Friday, May 11th and Saturday, May 12th, 2018. KSSAA will await the final notice before communicating these changes with alumni members.
• KSSAA was asked to arrange a speaker series at the event drawing on important alumni.
• The question of how and what to charge for the event(s) remains unanswered.
• More photographs and videos of the school’s history must be gathered, edited, and digitized.
• A car show for the centennial celebrations would be followed up.
• The President would prepare a fundraising message to distribute to alumni members.
• Since the establishment of the new KSSAA website, 4 new members have been added.
• The plan to update a photo of the board members was held up because several directors were absent.
• Student Director Helen Antoniak agreed to gather e-mail address of this year’s graduating class to become new, unpaid members.
• Kerri Waite of the Vancouver Foundation agreed to meet with KSSAA on raising funds. There is already a section on the website that takes their advice about donating in people’s wills.

Regrets:
Helen Antoniak
Ranjit Bains
John Braithwaite
Bud MacKenzie

• The board received confirmation about the centennial event of the school now taking place from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Friday, May 11, 2018. Doors will open at 12:30 with two formal presentations taking place at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Food trucks would be available and after parties would likely follow closure.
• Throughout the day, classrooms would show detailed histories of each decade, thereby seeking memorable items from all alumni.
• KSSAA’s fundraising plan would now require a stronger donor communiqué, which Angel, Wheeler, and Krug agreed to create.
• The Greek Day booth on West Broadway this year would run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Angel, Garbe, and Khimji would organize the event on behalf of KSSAA.
• Membership forms should include at the bottom the date of the last update.
• Also, the school’s mailing address will remain on Trafalgar Street even after the original building is finished.
• Angel and Krug would join the class of 46 at lunch on Thursday, May 4th at the Van Dusen Gardens restaurant.
• Krug agreed to provide updates on all board member business cards, including updating the web address
• And finally, Krug would send out a notice seeking a new Treasurer given Wheeler’s plans to step down in fall.

Regrets:
David Angel
Ranjit Bains
John Braithwaite
Samantha Kerr
Amyn Khimji
Garth Wheeler

• For the school’s 100th anniversary, the board agreed on the priority of setting up one or more fundraising events. PAC was already working on a carnival, fashion show, and a gathering at Sympatico, with all KSSAA alumni receiving invitations.
• The next centennial meeting will take place at the school library on Wednesday, March 8th.
• The board also learned that the major ceremonial event of the school’s 100th anniversary would take place on the weekend of May 11/12, 2018 given that the school would be unable to handle anything large in fall of 2017 given the start of school and moves back to the renovated old building.
• The KSSAA fundraising plan was left to the next meeting given the absence of many board members.
• For the new KSSAA website, adding photographs and stories would be good, as would finding a a way to allow grads to arrange reunions and connect with old friends.
• Given the high level of activities in the coming year, KSSAA meetings should be more frequent and regular.

Regrets:
Amyn Khimji
Samantha Kerr
Bud MacKenzie

• The board warmly welcomed Helen Antoniak as the new Student Director (grade 12), and looked forward to the presence of Samantha Kerr (grade 11).
• The same officers as last year were put forward at the AGM, then confirmed at this meeting
• For this special year, all will seek major donations and create events such as an open house, a gala, a carnival, Kits concert bands, fashion show (for each of the 10 decades), a “hall of fame”.
• Seeking support from Federal and Provincial governments can be done once specific events have been decided.
• Dates suggested for the fall included the weekend of October 14th (2-3 days), but also one in the spring given the expectation that by then the new building construction would be finished.
• The urgency of planning and celebrating the 100th anniversary moved KSSAA to contact a PAC recommended web creation to develop our own as fast as possible.
• Garth would seek an update from the Vancouver Foundation regarding the minimum amount for a tax receipt, now that operations are taking $10, not $5.
• As KSSAA and the school need a large presence of members at centennial events, we can e-mail our existing members and encourage them to go to our websites for news.

Regrets:
Jim Burnham
Amyn Khimji
Bud MacKenzie
Garth Wheeler

• The PAC representative offered information about how they support the school and its students, often in seeking out large donors; as KSSAA concentrates on building scholarship funds, we could one day get more involved in such non-scholarship support.
• Re: the upcoming AGM, opening the school on Saturday was overly expensive, but also moving the meeting to a late Friday afternoon would not be comfortable for all alumni to attend at this dark time of the year; free space in the Kitsilano Community Centre was suggested.
• The AGM agenda would begin by seeking nominations from the floor, provide a financial report, list all directors (here the board approved the appointment of Norma Biln as a director, which she accepted), and seek volunteers for supporting 100th anniversary events.
• Wheeler and Krug would meet with the Vancouver Foundation regarding the 100th anniversary activities to seek their ideas and potential support.
• Bailey reported that he has three students on the student council and one in grade 11 who would be interested in sitting as Student Directors on the KSSAA board; In his role as interim Principal, he noted that he is in that position until December 16th.

Regrets:
John Braithwaite
Jim Burnham

• The KSSAA website is moving forward, with planned links to class photos, and the addition of PayPal, shortened minutes of board meetings, etc.
• Magee’s successful anniversary celebrations offers ideas on what worked and what did not, e.g., seeking wealthy organizations or individuals to set up a scholarship in their name, or put their names on rooms, etc. Also the Vancouver School Board should get involved in supporting the School’s 100th anniversary, including the involvement of the First Nations band in which Chief Khatsahlano lived.
• This 100th birthday celebration at Kits can launch our future fundraising work with one major event per year.
• The Principal offered to provide a list of 2016 graduates to become full alumni members at no cost, as well as student directors from grade 12 for the board, with another from grade 11 to build experience.
• The following notice for the upcoming 2016 AGM would be sent to members:
  We are holding our 2016 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 1:00 PM on Saturday, November 19th at Kitsilano Secondary School’s new wing. Free parking in the school lot. Please join us for what will be a most exciting discussion on how we can collectively contribute to the school’s 100th anniversary in the fall of 2017.
• The Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, which annually attends the 4th Avenue Days, becomes a potentially stronger contact for KSSAA to participate next year.

Regrets:
Jim burnham
Bud MacKenzie

• This year’s Greek Days event were very successful, so do it again next year.
• With regard to the 4th Avenue event, Angel had not heard back from their organizers. So Krug offered to contact the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House on how they manage this event, and whether KSSAA might combine our presence there with them.
• The Vancouver Foundation has developed a means for people to donate in their wills; so Wheeler will contact VF to see how we can put this on our website.
• Garbe was able to distribute PAC’s copy of “Fundraising Plans for the Kitsilano Secondary 100th Anniversary” which delivered a detailed selection of fundraising ideas.
• Braithwaite asked that the school provide a formal statement regarding what’s available at this event for KSSAA given that not all priorities of different groups are compatible; seeking the School Board’s rules would be sought.
• Approaching the Province and Feds once we had laid out our specific plans, as well as involving the Khatsahlano Band to seek their presence and support would be done.
• Krug and Wheeler had attended the graduation ceremonies for the class of 2016 held at the Orpheum Theatre to pass out KSSAA scholarships. In future years, we will prepare a letter about the alumni association to include in students’ grad packages.
• As soon as we develop our plans, we can let our members know what’s happening, as well as seek volunteers.

Regrets:
Chris Atkinson
Bud MacKenzie

• As the thumb drives of the school video tour are expensive, but as the video is accessible on the school’s website, then the board will not order any.
• KSSAA’s society act filing status is up-to-date.
• The relationship with PAC is now positively arranged, including involving them in our meetings and such events as the Greek Days, and connecting our website with theirs to promote various events.
• A fundraising momentum (e.g., an annual gala) will be strengthened.
• KSSAA currently holds $274.22 in the bank.
• The market value of our scholarship fund held by the Vancouver Foundation is now $63,506.99; with the capital balance at $58,982.49.
• KSSAA agreed to stay with the Royal Bank for the coming year.
• Committees will be arranged for the Kits anniversary celebrations, with a need to seek media coverage and publicity, canvas our membership, and get closely involved with more than one of our partners by the fall of 2016
• Inviting former Kits grad, Ryan Reynolds, to join us at these ceremonies; inviting other famous grads was also suggested.
• The school will set up committees as well to raise money for a “wall of fame”, beer gardens, and naming rooms and even classrooms after donors.
• A revised plan for organizing the KSSAA website was offered, with a detailed list of content.

Regrets:
Chris Atkinson
Art Bates
John Braithwaite

• KSSAA will participate in the Greek Days event on June 26th.
• KSSAA will begin working with PAC to develop events in support of the school and its students.
• The membership application form was updated to meet the $25 minimum requirement of the Vancouver Foundation to provide tax receipts.
• KSSAA currently holds $275.72 in the bank; the Vancouver Foundation has $2,271.64 available to pay in scholarships this year; the board therefore authorized $2,000 for the school to allocate.
• KSSAA had just received a donation of $5,000.
• Kersti Krug and Garth Wheeler would represent KSSAA at the Kitsilano Secondary School graduation ceremonies at the Orpheum on June 29th.
• The planning group to organize the school’s upcoming 100th anniversary would be set up shortly.
• A new website, linking KSSAA to other related sites, is now well underway for development.
• The 110 names collected at the school’s 2015 spring open house will be contacted re: KSSAA and upcoming events.

Regrets:
Chris Atkinson
Art Bates
Amyn Khimji

• Garbe noted that a representative from PAC was expected to meet with us last month, so we can work together to arrange fundraising events. Some of these might take place at the Vancouver Yacht Club – Krug to explore.
• Funding support from governments for Kits 100th anniversary would be desirable, but first we must define our activities.
• KSSAA would commit $2,000 to the school this year for student scholarships.
• The Vancouver Foundation presentation would take place on April 13th at which Wheeler, Angel, and MacKenzie would attend.
• Braithwaite recommended adding active individuals to the board as volunteers, rather than mere strategists to deliver more activities.
• Burnham reported that they would create a planning group soon.
• MacKenzie added that he has 100 names collected from the school’s spring 2015 open house to contact regarding our events.

Regrets:
Art Bates
John Braithwaite
Bud MacKenzie

• KSSAA must plan more elaborative fundraising events, including PAC and school families, to be held annually in local halls or pubs or the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. Burnham suggested running a silent auction.
• The board should highlight the grade 11 student who filmed the entire school building to sell at the fundraising event as DVDs or thumb drives. Atkinson agreed find out how to make copies and then sell them.
• Krug noted that she was awaiting the creation of KSSAA website to begin sharing stories with alumni and the community.
• She also reported that she had contacted David Eby and Joyce Murray (Provincial and Federal representatives of this riding) regarding potential support from governments for KSS 100th anniversary in 2017, though they needed a detailed description of the events and what funding was required.
• Burnham offered to set up student directors for next year, beginning with introducing a grade 11 student now.
• Khimji reported that he had found someone to do much of the work in setting up a revised website, using the address of the existing one set up by Judith Bowers.

• Garbe’s arrival on the board brings strong fundraising experience to build KSSAA’s drives / events each year.
• Important to contact the family community by working through PAC – Burnham agreed to invite a representative to next meeting, put notices on KSS website, and include in quarterly newsletters.
• Membership Update: As of Jan.7/16 – 205 full members, plus 183 2014 grads and 211 2015 grads.
• KSSAA will strongly support for school’s 100th anniversary in 2017 which coincides with Canada’s 150th, including seeking funding support from the Federal Government.
• There was also a need to create a committee to work on anniversary celebrations (Garbe to be chair), with PAC, the School, plaques, sale of seats, finding famous grads (e.g., Ryan Reynolds), etc.
• Khimji agreed to also check the alumni group active on Facebook, as well as link our website to KSS.
• David Angel will continue as President, with Colleen Garbe as Vice President. Garth Wheeler offered to take on Excel data base management and Vancouver Foundation contacts formerly done by Secretary Krug, thereby allowing her to take on communications and marketing work now more critical for KSSAA presence. She would continue taking minutes.