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By Ellen Davis, October 3, 20171
Attached you’ll find copies of the directors’ report distributed last night at the AGM, as well as the bios for the confirmed, returning, and new directors of the board.
The AGM was attended by about 40 people, and opened with the approval of the [[2016_Halifax_Pride_AGM_Minutes?|2016 AGM minutes]]. The meeting followed a structured agenda and was facilitated by RobertWright. After the presentation of the executive director, chair, and financial reports, the meeting saw a confirmation vote for two directors who were appointed by the board during the 2016-2017 after resignations, and then the regular board member nomination process.
The meeting ended with a discussion of proposed new bylaws, among other topics. Because the current bylaws of the society have been developed over time by various community members, they had some gaps, redundancies, and inconsistencies. A partner law firm consulted on the bylaws and presented Halifax Pride with an updated, more operational version for consideration. Halifax Pride has discussed these new bylaws at several monthly community meetings and they have been developed with input from the governance committee. In November, 2017, Halifax Pride will hold a special general meeting to discuss, approve, or amend the proposed bylaws. They are currently posted on our website at halifaxpride.com/agm2017 and we’re asking as many community members as possible to review them to identify any areas for amendment, with a focus on barriers to participation, accessibility, and underrepresentation of certain groups within the Halifax Pride organization. A concordance table will also be posted shortly outlining any proposed changes.
One important topic in the bylaws is a new proposed membership criterion for the society. After the 2016 AGM, we heard a lot of concerns and demands from community members and groups to revisit our membership process. After a review of different membership criteria from Pride societies across the country, we developed a new membership structure. Our chair, MorganManzer, presented the new structure at a community meeting, and reviewed it again last night. The criteria did raise a discussion about how to balance accessibility with investment in the organization and community. Many important points for consideration were raised. The membership criterion is a part of the proposed bylaws and will be discussed at the November, 2017 SGM.