Annual General Meeting 2019
MRBS EXECUTIVE LIST 2018-19
The Malvern Red and Black Society, 55 Malvern Ave., Toronto ON M4E 3E4
Email: redandblack@malverncollegiate.com
President; Recording Secretary; Musings Editor and 70s Decade Rep.
Sandra Burk
Vice-President;
Evan J. Butchers (deceased)
Past President; Chair, Archives Committee; Musings Editor and OMF Member
Vandra Masemann
Treasurer; 1940s Rep.; 1960s Rep. and OMF Member
Robert Watson
1950s Rep. and OMF Member
Rod Tennyson
Member at Large and OMF Member
Adele Ashby
Member at Large and Database Manager
Dianne Chadwick
Member at Large and Archives Committee Member
Lois Maxwell
Member at Large and Archives Committee Member
Joyce Heighway
Archives Committee Members
Donna Halliday, Irene Hubel and Erik Malmsten
1903-1939 Rep.; Technical Director and Service Personnel Historian
David Fuller
MRBS Garden Liaison: Volker Masemann, Joyce Heighway
Technical issues, emailing etc.: Tim Daciuk
1980s Rep.: Vacant
1990s Rep.: Vacant
2000s Rep.: Vacant
2010s Rep.: Vacant
Meeting Agenda
1. Introductions
2. 2018 AGM Minutes
3. Matters arising from the 2018 AGM Minutes
4. President’s Report – Sandra Burk
5. Communications Reports
(a) Snail Mail – Vandra Masemann
(b) Phone and Email – Bob Watson
(c) Database – Dianne Chadwick
6. Treasurer’s Report – Bob Watson
7. Service Personnel Historian’s Report – David Fuller
8. Committee Reports
(a) Archives – Donna Halliday and Vandra Masemann
(b) Garden – Volker Masemann and Joyce Heighway
(c) Technical – David Fuller
9. Elections
10. Future Planning
11. Other Business
12. Motion to Adjourn
MRBS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2018
Calvary Baptist Church, Harris Hall,
72 Main St., Toronto
November 10, 2018
MINUTES
Present: Evan J. Butchers (Chair), Sandra Burk, Adele Ashby, Joyce Heighway, Rod Tennyson, Dianne Chadwick, Bob Watson, Donna Halliday, Vandra Masemann, Volker Masemann
Regrets: Lois Maxwell, Irene Hubel
Order of Business:
1. Introductions – no new members or guests
2. Minutes of 2017 Meeting – approved (Volker Masemann, Bob Watson)
3. Matters arising – Item 7 – Finances – A $500 cheque from Evan has still not been banked by the OMF (Lorie to be contacted). Dianne Chadwick suggested we reconsider a previous motion to return funds to subscribers to the Musings because the MRBS is still in existence and they still will get the Musings ( Dianne Chadwick, Donna Halliday – passed). Another comment was raised about members’ accessibility to the archival material and the need for a more public display of items in our collection.
4. President’s Report – Evan J. Butchers – Evan gave an account of his activities on behalf of Malvern in his written report. He had attended a concert of Made for Music on Main at Calvary Baptist Church. He has been raising funds for the MRBS by writing personally to his friends and getting Lorie to send him the tax receipts so that he can include them with his personal thank you letter. He has had a good response. He also alluded to the history of Calvary Baptist Church with its memorial window made from glass shards from the war ruins in England. Vandra seconded by Bob proposed a motion of thanks for all that Evan has done for Malvern over the years and in his presidency – approved.
5. Vice-President’s Report – Sandra Burk – approved as written (Sandra Burk, Joyce Heighway).
6. Communication Reports – approved as written – (Vandra Masemann, Bob Watson). Nickie will cancel the telephone number so we will have to delete it from our publications and website. We need to post an AGM Report on the website. Suggestion was made that we get a Malvern student to help with the website. Approved (Sandra Burk, Joyce Heighway).
7. Treasurer’s Report – Bob Watson. Approved as written ( Bob Watson, Volker Masemann). We need to get an invoice for the emailing of the last Musings.
8. Service Personnel Historian’s Report – David Fuller. Approved as written with query about the restoration of the Big Book (Rod Tennyson and Donna Halliday).
9. Archives Committee Report – Vandra Masemann and Donna Halliday – Approved as written.
10. Garden Report – Volker Masemann. Approved as written (Volker Masemann, Evan Butchers).
11. Elections – The slate nominated and elected unanimously was as follows:
President – Sandra Burk
Vice President – Evan J. Butchers
Treasurer – Bob Watson
Members at Large – Dianne Chadwick, Adele Ashby, Lois Maxwell, Joyce Heighway
12. Future Planning – Discussion. Rod Tennyson raised the matter of his proposed Water Barrel and Bake Sale to raise money for his Trans-Africa Pipeline project. It was agreed that further investigation needed to be made of the logistics – place, time, TDSB rules re vendors, etc. Evan offered to facilitate it through his church. Evan and Rod agreed to work together on this.
There was a brief discussion about the charitable number – on hold at this time.
A brief mention was made of the possibility of another Reunion.
13. Other business. Sandra read a poem in conclusion.
December MRBS meeting is to be held on December 12 at the Beacher Café.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m.
President’s Report – Sandra Burk
I joined the Malvern Red and Black Society (MRBS) in 2008 and have served as a member of the Executive and as the 1970s Decade Representative. In the fall of 2017, I was elected Vice-President and when President Evan Butchers stepped down the following year, I was elected President. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience.
The MRBS has accomplished a great deal over the years. We organized a special gathering of Malvernites from the 1920s, 30s and 40s and arranged for those who left school early to join the war effort in WWII to receive honorary high school diplomas; we raised over $44,000 to restore the Malvern war memorial and in 2011 had the memorial rededicated; we organized the MCI 110th reunion in 2013; we helped the community fundraise and submit a proposal to the TDSB that helped save the school’s pool; we planted and maintain gardens along the school’s frontage; we established an archive of Malvern artifacts and memorabilia; we awarded scholarships to graduating students at MCI commencement ceremonies; we published the Musings newsletter for alumni; we set up an MRBS website and created a Facebook group; we provided Malvernites with photocopies or scanned copies of old Muse yearbooks upon request and, of course, helped connect members with former classmates they’d lost touch with.
In the 2018-2019 term, our efforts were focused mainly on archives activities and on recruiting new members and volunteers through our website and Facebook page. Our Facebook group now has nearly 600 members, and the archival records are now being digitized. Of particular note, our Archives Committee members were responsible for MCI being the first high school in Toronto to hand over an archives database to the Toronto District School Board to be digitized in The Museum System high quality software programme. This is quite an achievement and would not have been possible without a lot of hard work by Donna Halliday.
I would like to thank the members of the Executive for their support. They are a group of dedicated people who volunteer their time and effort to helping Malvernites keep in touch, and many of them have been serving for a number of years. Also, I would like to pay tribute to Evan Butchers, our Vice-President and former President, who passed away in March 2019. He was a proud Malvernite and a generous supporter of the MRBS, and is very much missed.
If the MRBS is to continue, we need your assistance. Alumni are requested to help out by volunteering to serve as Decade Reps (especially for the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s), Secretary, or Vice-President. We welcome your participation by serving on a reunion sub-committee or, if you have IT/web design experience, helping to update our website.
Communications Reports
(a) Snail Mail – Vandra Masemann
After the death of Sonya Munro last May, we received several donations in her memory. Some were by snail mail and some were via Canada Helps. These entered our books mainly at the beginning of the 2018-2019 financial year. After our Fall 2018 Musings went out, we also received a few donations by mail. But basically since we did not send out a Spring 2019 Musings, our mail was significantly less than in any preceding year. Since Evan Butchers had directed that his donors communicate directly to him, so that he could thank them in a personal letter, our donor mail was very small. The popularity of electronic means of donating has also curtailed our paper mail. On the other hand, our Facebook page is growing in popularity with nearly 600 members. It provides an easy route to communicate quickly with members.
(b) Phone and Email – Bob Watson
There were 20 valid emails received for Red & Black between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. All have been responded to or forwarded internally. There were 3 emails for 1960’s group. The hotline telephone was disconnected in early January 2019 as there were few pertinent calls for the MRBS.
(c) Database – Dianne (Renwick) Chadwick
The MRBS membership database was established in 2003 and is comprised of the following four parts:
- Master database = 2,586 members;
- Emails =788 members;
- “Snail” Mail list =471 addresses (454 Canadian, 14 US and 3 international); and
- Deceased members = 266
The Master database contains our membership list (first last and maiden names, address, graduation year, role e.g., student, teacher, other staff, email and phone number). The second part is an Email list of members who have consented to receive electronic communications from us. The third list is used to send correspondence by mail. And the fourth part contains a list of Malvernites and staff who have passed away.
Maintaining the membership database is an ongoing process. We receive updated information through our website, from personal communication and from posts on the MRBS Facebook page. Over the years, a number of members have been lost to follow-up, and some have passed away. Members are encouraged to keep their contact information up-to-date and consent to receive Email communication by visiting the registration page on our website: https://malverncollegiate.com/registration-page
Treasurer’s Report – Robert D. Watson
The following is a balance statement for the MRBS account for the financial year: July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019:
Balance forward June 30, 2018 $2,070.44
. Revenues Expenses
Fall Musings 2018 ($1,271.23)
Printing $ 525.45
Postage $ 518.67
Envelopes $ 29.36
Email Distribution (Inbox) $ 197.75
MRBS Award* $ 100.00
Donations Received via MRBS $ 425.00
Donations Received via OMF $2,604.20
Archival/Office Expenses $ 733.83
Gardens $ 67.80
Evan J.Butchers Memorial $ 150.00
AGM Report $ 200.00
Bluehost Usage– 2 years $ 287.76
Bank Fees $ 23.40
Total $5,099.64 $2,834.02
Net Balance as of June 30, 2019 $2,265.62
Notes:
* MRBS Award Cheque dated May 16, 2018 for $100.00 was not cashed until August 9th, 2018, after the June 30th 2018 fiscal year end. The MRBS Award for 2019 was not issued until July 6th, 2019, after the 2019 fiscal year end.
Service Personnel Report – David Fuller, Historian
Service Personnel Research, Decades 1903-1939
In a quiet year following the end of events marking the 100th anniversary of the Great War Armistice of 1918, there were fewer calls for articles and presentations on service personnel. Beach Metro News did run a story about the end of the First World War featuring some details of Malvernites in November 2018, and I wrote about the anniversary of the D-Day invasion that featured Malvern men for a story that appeared in June 2019. I have responded to a few queries through Ancestry and emails with information on the men and women whose family trees I maintain on Ancestry.
Photos from the “Big Book” (a book of photos from the Second World War) need to be scanned and the book itself preserved in archival condition before we reapply for a grant to restore the book.
The database of Malvern Service Personnel (“Those Who Served”) now sits at 1301 as follows:
- 1914-1918 Honour Roll & War Memorial: 25
- 1914-1918 Those Who Served: 130
- 1939-1945 Honour Roll: 103
- 1939-1945 Those Who Served: 1037
- Post-1945: 6
With the handing over of the archives inventory database to the TDSB Museum System, it might be time to create a database for posting these lists online. The goal would be to make it publicly accessible and open to contributions from family members and others with information. This is commonly done on many sites with historical databases. I will look into the guidelines for creating this kind of resource and bring it to a future meeting.
Committee Reports
(a) Archives Committee Report – by Donna Halliday and Vandra Masemann
We have continued to work on the Malvern Archives from September 2018 to June 2019. We have purchased much-needed archival supplies, and now almost all of our collection is housed in suitable acid-free boxes, folders and covers. Thanks very much to those who donated specifically to the Malvern Archives. We are very proud of the progress we have made in the past fifteen years.
Souvenirs
We still have some Malvern Centennial and Malvern at 110 books in stock. They are for sale at $10 per copy.
Committee Members
Vandra Masemann chaired this committee and performed all of the liaison functions with the Principal, the Librarian and other staff. She approved all expenditures on archival supplies. She has been approached for information by alumni from other Toronto high schools for assistance in setting up their archives. She deals with inquiries relating to the Malvern Cenotaph and Remembrance Day. She relayed inquiries from Malvernites to committee members for research on school history, relatives and other Malvernites. She helped with routine tasks when possible. She prepared a Power Point presentation on the Malvern CI Archives for the Malvern Parents’ Council at their June meeting and answered questions. She is working on the future plans for making the collection more accessible to students and staff.
Volker Masemann helps with routine tasks of the committee. His main focus is the gardens in front of the school (see Garden Liaison Report).
Irene Hubel is still collecting obits and news articles about Malvernites and Malvern, and has compiled two binders of obits. She has also updated all the lists of Malvern award and scholarship winners, collected news and cut, labelled and filed it.
Lois Maxwell has cut, labelled and filed paper items, and is still working on bringing the files up to date and duplicated.
Bob Watson has worked on many items and copied reams of articles for us.
Joyce Heighway has worked in the archives wherever the need, especially on the vertical files. She also works on the school gardens.
Erik Malmsten has done a lot of research for us and is compiling a db of illustrious Malvernites. Erik wrote an article about “Beaches Chess Club” that was posted online last October.
David Fuller has done extensive research on Malvernites, staff & students in the Armed Forces and written articles on his findings.
All of the above jobs are ongoing and change as the need arises.
Donna Halliday has compiled the archival db and accessioned all items on it. She has created a db for staff, sports, Muses, Malvernites in the Armed Forces, etc. She handed over the first version of the database to the Manager of the TDSB Archives Dept. in October 2019, to be fed into the museum-quality software they have acquired for digitization of archival collections. The main db has been completed with over 5000 entries, which have been transferred to a flashdrive. All items on this db have been accessioned so they will be easier to find and easier to return to their proper location. From now on, any new items which come in will be placed on a db and when there are 100 entries, they will be sent to the TDSB archives for inclusion in their db.
Sadly, we lost one of our members, Sonya Munro nee Thomas, just over a year ago. Aside from working tirelessly for us, she also contributed quite a variety of memorabilia, stories, artifacts, etc., and her family donated several more boxes of Malvern items from her estate. We also received monetary donations in memory of Sonya so we can continue to preserve Malvern’s history through its archives.
We continue to get donations of team wear, books, pins, certificates, etc. from former Malvernites or their estates, Malvern staff or their estates, etc.
Jobs to be done
- running off duplicate copies of all news and paper items
- updating all lists, including staff, sports, drama, etc.
- adding more info to the archive db
- labelling all photos
- scanning more of the Muses
- creating a db of all Malvernites from 1903 to the present
- creating a db of all Illustrious Malvernites
Organizing the archives is an ongoing job, as new items are always being added to the Malvern collection. We would never get all this work done if it were not for all the volunteers who have given us so many hours over the years. More volunteers are always welcome. Thank you all.
(b) Gardening Subcommittee Report -Volker Masemann and Joyce Heighway
In November 2018, the north and south beds were cleaned up and “put to bed” for the winter. In the spring, we cleaned up debris and pruned and tidied up winter damage to the roses and elder bushes. As well, in May we planted red petunias, although they could not be admired by visitors to Graduation this year, as the venue has been moved off-site. During the summer, the gardens thrived with little attention, and the weeds thrived even more. Our first efforts in the fall were devoted to extensive weeding. In late October 2019, a new planting of tulips (red Darwin “Apeldoorn” and “Non-stop Red” tulips, interspersed with some dark, near-black “Queen of the Night”) was carried out, since a refresher of the original Malvern Colours tulip bed was sorely needed. We are hopeful of alumni financial support for this venture, which caps off our gardening year. We enjoy the work outdoors and appreciate the positive comments we receive.
c) Technical Report – David Fuller
The website continues to function and has been updated with the most recent minutes of MRBS meetings. Ownership of our domain name was been renewed by Vandra for a few years and our hosting service subscription is up to date.