Beta Sigma Phi Ottawa City Council Meeting October 6, 2016 The President, Amanda Brewster, called the meeting to order at 7:40PM with all present repeating the Opening Ritual. Attendance: 25 Voting Members; 3 Non-voting Members; and 15 Chapters represented Previous Minutes – Amanda Brewster Previous sorority year May City Council and AGM meeting minutes need amendment. As the current executive have been unable to obtain an editable version of the minutes from the previous executive, Amendments to the minutes from those two meetings should be noted as: 1. May City Council Meeting should have been noted as ended, following the closing ritual. After the May City Council meeting ended, the AGM was held. The following motions and their votes should have been shown in the AGM Minutes. 2. Motion: To continue our support of the MS Christmas Party as a Council. Motion carried with 30 No, 27 Yes, 1 Abstention. It was mentioned that anyone, either personally or as a chapter, could continue to support MS in any way they chose either through financial support or with personally helping with the Party. 3. Motion: To no longer support the Ottawa Council of Women. 4. Motion carried with 49 Yes, 7 No, 1 Abstention. President’s Remarks The President welcomed all to the October City Council meeting, including any guests present. A reminder email for this meeting was sent to 181 recipients. 102 opened the email – a 60% open rate, which is consistent with the September City Council reminder email. Recording Secretary – Errors & Omissions 1. Wayne corrected the attendance from the last meeting, latecomers were not added into the total. 20 voting members 9 non-voting members 13 Chapters present 2. The announcement that Laur. Alpha Omicron would be providing the food for the December 8th Christmas Party/Meeting was incorrect. The Recording Secretary apologizes for the error and the resulting confusion. A new volunteer is needed. 3. Shelagh Rolston noted that the date for Founder’s Day was announced at the September meeting and is not noted in the minutes – April 27, 2017. 1st Vice President – Sheri Pendlebury The Vice President’s meeting that was held on September 21st was attended by 7 members representing 7 Chapters. The meeting in brief: 1. Young people today communicate much differently than they did when BSP was formed; 2. Other groups are also struggling to get members as are we – church groups were mentioned specifically 3. “Newcomers” seems to have taken over from “Welcome Wagon” as a first contact for new people in a community. Sheri was given a contact to talk to them about including our name in the welcome package. 4. It was felt that Meetups did not help secure new members. Most indicated that they felt an updated Website or a Blog would be preferable. 5. Sheri was asked if Patti would give a little talk on the Kansas Convention and her tour of the BSP Headquarters. Names of two prospective members were received from International. For privacy reasons, this information can be obtained from the members’ only area of our Website. 2nd Vice President – Heather Murphy We would like to continue with Chapter Entertaining; however, only 5 Chapters have responded and 1 of those does not wish to participate. Please contact Heather so that we can continue this tradition in BSP. Heather Murphy 613 521 8120 Treasurer – Patti Floysvik Patti reported that our current balance is $3886.18. Expenditures/cheques for the month: $30 for Resurrection of Our Lord Church for the VP meeting. $12.60 for postage $60.00 for Pref. Tea Hall Rental City Council Dues are now due. A cheque for our insurance ($43 U.S.) will be written this month as well as donations of $100 each to the Beta Sigma Phi Endowment Fund for Women’s Health at the Ottawa Hospital and the Perley and Rideau Veterans Health Centre. Please make sure that any cheques written to City Council be made payable to "Beta Sigma Phi” with an explanation on the Memo line. Motion: At the September meeting it was moved by Patti and seconded by Netelia Baker: I move that the Budget for 2016/2017 be approved as presented. Motion Carried: 129 Yes; 0 No; 8 Abstentions Corresponding Secretary – Debbie Cameron-Jones To date, the following correspondence has been sent: To Beta Eta Master on the death of their sister, Jackie Clegg To Joyce Rheaume of Beta Rho Master on the death of her sister To Mary Cook – Thinking of you card to her and her husband – medical issues Invitations to the Preferential Tea have been sent to our Honorary Members. Historian - Wendy Russell Wendy reported that she is still missing the Historian Reports for 2015-2016 from Laureate Epsilon Gamma, Xi Chi, Xi Alpha Lambda and Sigma. Phone Book – Wendy Russell Wendy sent an email to every chapter President asking for changes to be brought to the meeting tonight. If you have forgotten to bring the updated sheets tonight, please mail them to her by Thursday, October 20. Her address is Wendy Russell, 1044 Rick Hansen Crescent, Greely, Ontario K4P 1M4. The phone book will be available at the November City Council meeting. I am collecting $4.00 per book tonight for those who want additional copies. After this you will have to make your own copies. Website Sheila advised that the ncf website is compatible with the privacy laws and allows for 2-way communication between members, whereas the Mailchimp account allows for one way only communication. Sheila reported that the bspcc ncf email distribution list allowed members to unsubscribe and that tool was intended to let members email that distribution list, although some attachment sizes prevented this and required Sheila's approval to send. Carleton University Bursary Fund A copy of the report that was to have been in the last minutes and did not reach the Recording Secretary in time, has been put in each of your Chapter folders. For those of you not at the meeting tonight a copy is at the end of the minutes. (My apologies for any “scrambling” of the content, but the information was not sent to me in an electronic format and I did the best I could.) Endowment Fund for Women’s Health Audrey was unable to make the meeting tonight and forwarded us the following report on the Endowment Fund. Old Business 1. Debbie reported on plans for the Christmas Party and Silent Auction. It was noted that there is an error on the flyer being circulated – the date is December 8th. 2. It was again pointed out that we require a Chapter or an individual to come forward and provide the food for the Christmas Party. 3. Each Chapter folder has had a supply of BSP Ottawa letterhead placed there by Carol Dunn. 4. Carol noted that the MS Society has requested that we provide chocolates or shortbread as gifts for the patients. 5. Carol has a supply of socks for the street women since MS does not want them for their clients. 6. Carol Dunn reported that she has sold only 19 Entertainment books out of the 40 required. Please try and get your Chapter sisters to support this venture and buy new Entertainment Books. New Business 1. Amanda reported that the Website survey has received 20 responses in 5 days. The survey will stay open until the November City Council meeting. All responses will be collated and used to decide on the new website content. Feedback will be shared with the membership 2. Preferential Tea: Tickets - $15; Date - November 13, 2016; Time: 2-4pm; Location: Resurrection of Our Lord Church, 1940 Saunderson Dr. Mary Cook will speak. Cut off for sale of tickets will be the November City Council meeting. 3. Wendy Morrell was unable to attend tonight’s meeting but forwarded a flyer for all chapters. In summary, the first RADD Session will be held on October 23rd, 6:30-8:30pm, Bells Corners United Church. Come out, participate, share in the experience, and share the journey of this year’s RADD sessions. This session will be for Sorority Sisters only. The next sessions will include potential members for their opinions. 4. Amanda has been asked by numerous Chapters and individuals for City Council’s response to International’s request for members to give up their lifetime memberships and pay $15.U.S. each year. The Executive have discussed this matter and feel that this is a voluntary, individual decision. City Council will not express an opinion in this matter. 5. During the review of the By-laws, the Committee noted that there was no mention of Online Chapters. The matter was referred to Amanda, who reviewed the available information covering the governance of that Chapter format. In summary, Online Chapters are covered by a Cyber Council and are not eligible to be part of a Land City Council. This was confirmed to Amanda by International. Amanda contacted Sheila who provided the following information: In 2013, a meeting was held between Laura Ross Wingfield and Sheila Brown. Sheila requested approval from International for a Land Chapter that was permitted to operate as an Online Chapter. This would allow for members to participate in Beta Sigma Phi even though they were unable to attend regular meetings, e.g., disabled people, those working shifts, those heavily involved with children’s activities, etc. The format was approved by International and in 2014, a Charter was given to Ontario Sigma, officially a land chapter but conducting meetings as an online chapter. Attached is a page from the Torch explaining this information.