March 2024
Exciting Times with Spring, Health, & Relations With BCRPVPA & BCPVPA
The beautiful weather encourages everyone to get outside. What a great opportunity to get exercise by walking, cycling, even running a bit.
A major focus in BC is safety with fires. Hot weather is approaching.
Much has passed since the last newsletter.
1) The bcrpvpa.ca website enables applications for new BCRPVPA Members and Grade 12 Scholarships, to be filled out and sent in easy steps. We are working on updating our Google provider.
We are receiving numerous Grade 12 Scholarship applications.
2) So far, we’ve had 830 “hits” on our website in the past 2 months. The most viewed are scholarships & the BCRPVPA home page. Also, many of our Members have questions about Affinity, Benefits, & Pensions. Our V-P Marsha Arnold does a great job resolving these.
3) VOLUNTEER is a strong focus this issue. Our guest speaker at the upcoming General Meeting Thursday, March 28, is on “Volunteers”. Also, please see the article on VOLUNTEERS, later in the Newsletter.
4) Relations with BCRPVPA and BCPVPA:
Magdalena Kassis (Acting Executive Director), & the BCPVPA President, Brian Leonard, met with BCRPVPA Executive Members Ted St. Pierre (President), Marsha Arnold (Vice-President), & Christine Johnson (Past President). Magdalena presented the recent decisions of the BCPVPA Board of Directors:
- FINANCES:
Effective April 01, 2024, the BCPVPA will no longer hold the finances or assist with accounting services for the BCRPVPA. We can provide suggestions of accounting firms and/or banking institutions you may wish to consider.
Effective March 25, 2024, we have received no suggestions regarding finances as promised! I have requested many meetings to discuss this issue. No reply. - STAFF ASSISTANCE & SUPPORT:
Effective immediately, the BCPVPA will not provide staff support for the BCRPVPA’s technical, clerical, accounting, & financial requirements.
Staff at BCPVPA received gift cards for their excellent few minutes of support. We were told payment should have been to BCPVPA. - CONTACT INFORMATION:
The Board recognized that the BCPVPA does not have the staffing capacity to answer phone calls or take messages on behalf of BCRPVPA. The BCPVPA Staff received 7 phone calls from July 2023 to March 20, 2024.
We’ve removed BCPVPA phone numbers, address, from every aspect of the website bcrpvpa.ca. - CHAPTER COUNCIL ATTENDANCE:
One BCRPVPA representative will be invited to one Chapter Council meeting each year, to increase BCPVPA members’ awareness of the BCRPVPA. Invite is Saturday morning only, with a 5-minute talk. - MEETING SPACE BOOKINGS:
Bookings at the BCPVPA must be subject to cost, liability, equity, and finance. Requests as to what costs will BCRPVPA be subjected to for meeting costs, coffee, and technical assistance have not received a single reply. A BIT FRUSTRATING!
Meetings have been requested with BCPVPA Members: (President; Accountant) with no response April 6.
The BCRPVPA Officers are exploring alternatives if BCPVPA will no longer accept our Association as a vital professional partnership.
Ted St. Pierre, BCRPVPA President
