Annual General Meeting – 2016

November 8, 2016 /

Malvern Red & Black Society
Annual General Meeting
Nov. 5, 2015, 1pm

MRBS EXECUTIVE LIST 2015-16

The Malvern Red and Black Society, 55 Malvern Ave., Toronto ON M4E 3E4,

Phone: 416-393-8683, Email: redandblack@malverncollegiate.com

Acting President, OMF Member, and Chair, Archives Committee

Vandra Masemann

Acting Vice-President, Recording Secretary, and Musings Editor

Adele Ashby

Archives Committee Member and 1940s Rep.

Sonya Munro

Treasurer and 1960s Rep.

Robert Watson

Archives Committee Member

Donna Halliday

Member at Large and 1970s Rep.: Sandra Burk (continuing)

Member at Large, Archives Committee Member: Irene Hubel (last year)

Member at Large, Database Manager: Dianne Chadwick (last year)

Member at Large: Evan Butchers (continuing)

Member at Large and Archives Committee Member: Lois Maxwell (first year)

1903-1939 Rep. and service personnel historian; Technical Director: David Fuller

1940s Rep. and Archives Committee Member: Sonya Munro

1950s Rep. and OMF Member: Rod Tennyson

1970s Rep.: Sandra Burk – see above

1980s Rep.: Vacant

1990s Rep.: Vacant

2000s Rep: Vacant

MRBS Garden Liaison: Volker Masemann

Technical issues, emailing etc.: Tim Daciuk

 

                                                            Meeting Agenda

 

  1. Introductions
  2. 2015 AGM Minutes
  3. Matters arising from the 2015 AGM Minutes
  4. President’s Report
  5. Vice-President’s Report
  6. Communications Reports

(a) Snail Mail

  (b) Phone and Email

    (c) Database

  1. Treasurer’s Report
  2. Service Personnel Historian’s Report
  3. Committee Reports

(a) Archives

  (b) Souvenirs

  1. Future of the MRBS Proposal(s) and Vote
  2. Other Business
  3. Motion to adjourn

 

Malvern Red & Black Society

Annual General Meeting

1:00 p.m. 7 November 2015

Room 110 Malvern C.I.

Present: Vandra Masemann (Chair) A. Ashby, D. Chadwick, D. Fuller, Volker Masemann, R. Tennyson, R. Watson, S. Burk

Regrets:  E. J. Butchers, T. Daciuk, D. Halliday, S. Munro

  1. Introductions

As there were no new faces, introductions were not needed.

  1. 2014 AGM Minutes

Acceptance of the Minutes moved by Adele, seconded by David.  Accepted.

  1. Matters arising from the 2014 AGM Minutes

Vandra noted that the display case that we have been using was returned to use by the school.  Its contents were removed and returned to our archives.  We are still looking for a missing blazer that was brought in for display.

All other such matters were dealt with elsewhere in the agenda.

  1. President’s Report

Vandra noted that her request for members to volunteers to run for office at this meeting did not result in any responses.  She also noted that the OMF needed more members and had  suggested to Carol Stimmel, former editor of the Beach Metro News, that she volunteer to  join it.  Report  moved by Vandra, seconded by Rod. Passed unanimously.

Vandra also noted that the new MP for the Beach is a Malvernite, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith.  Given that our request for conservation of our Big Book was not successful this year, the suggestion was made that perhaps his assistance might be solicited.

  1. Vice-President’s Report

With nothing to add to her report, Adele moved its acceptance.  Volker seconded.  Accepted.

  1. Communications Reports

(a) Snail Mail

Vandra noted that improvements have been made to improve the record of deaths of members, resulting, it is hoped, in fewer bouncebacks of mailed copies of Musings.

(b) Phone and Email

Bob reported that we received a great deal of spam through our accounts.  Suggestions were made about possible solutions.  He will investigate.

(c) Database

Dianne noted that there was always more work to be done on the database. David made the suggestion that our database be checked against the various war lists that have been created.  So moved by Vandra, seconded by Sandra.  Passed.

  1. Treasurer’s Report

There were no queries about the accounts. Bob moved acceptance of his report, seconded by Adele.  Accepted.

  1. Technical Director’s Report

Shanta has requested permission to make some changes to our website.  It was decided that we ask her to send us a proposal about exactly what she wishes to do, and we will consider it..

David led a discussion about the scanning of Muses, conversion to PDF format, and their being posted on the website.  The motion to do so was moved by David, seconded by Adele.  Passed.

  1. Committee Reports

(a) Sequester Project

Rod had nothing to add to his report and moved acceptance, seconded by Bob.  Accepted.

(b) Archives

With nothing to add to the report, Vandra moved acceptance, seconded by Volker.  Accepted.

(c) Souvenirs

Vandra noted the updated  inventory that formed part of her report. These items are available for sale. She moved acceptance of it, seconded by Sandra.  Accepted.

  1. Service Personnel Historian’s Report

Vandra noted that David had contributed a significant amount of his own money to the Malvern Service Personnel Reports, an estimated $500.  She then moved a motion that the MRBS should cover $250 of those costs.  Seconded by Adele.  Passed.  David volunteered his files to date for our archives.

  1. Elections

Vandra reported that we currently have five members-at-large and that Lois Maxwell has agreed to be added.  Sandra wishes to continue her service, as does Evan.  Irene has one year left in her term as does Dianne.

Given the fact that efforts to recruit new members for the MRBS executive have come forward, Rod moved that all current members of the executive remain in their current positions, with their consent, as “acting” for a period of 1 year.  Seconded by Volker.  Passed unanimously.

  1. Other Business

Vandra recently met the new Beaches MPP, Arthur Potts, and had a discussion with him about how to make Malvern more accessible.  Since accessibility in schools is promoted by the current government, he suggested that letters of support for the installation of an elevator in the school be forwarded to him.  It is hoped that the MTBS, the OMF, and the school’s staff will be forthcoming.

Rod reported that he had submitted a proposal to make our archives more accessible to the staff and students and to the wider world.  A discussion ensued as about ways to do so without overburdening the archives committee.  Adele moved a motion to research ways in which to make the archives more accessible, including finding a good location for display cabinets, finding out what other schools have done, and finding ways to minimize the impact on the workload of the archives committee members.  Seconded by Dianne.  Passed unanimously.

  1. Motion to adjourn: Moved by Adele, seconded by Rod.

President’s Report –Vandra Masemann

At our Annual General Meeting last year, I noted that I would be in violation of our MRBS Constitution if I ran again as President in the MRBS Election at our AGM on 7 November 2015. I said further that we needed new volunteers so that we could hand it on to the next generation. Since no new nominations were made, I was willing to continue in an acting capacity until the situation was resolved. Our Vice President, Adele Ashby, also agreed to do the same.

Now a year has passed with an Acting President and Vice President, and until recently the situation seemed to be no nearer resolution. However, earlier this fall, Rod Tennyson presented a proposal to merge the MRBS into the Onward Malvern Foundation (OMF). Since the OMF has the charitable status, the new organisation would still have the form of the OMF, and the MRBS would be largely a committee dealing with alumni/ae relations. The Archives Committee would continue in its present form within the OMF structure. The MRBS personnel who were willing would take on new roles in the OMF. The MRBS Executive voted to allow Rod to proceed exploring the feasibility of this idea with the OMF and the Malvern Principal. The idea was met with unanimous favour, and at the October 2016 MRBS meeting the Executive voted to bring the proposal to the MRBS AGM for discussion. Other proposals can also be considered at this time. There will then be a  vote on the future of the MRBS.

Once again, this past year, it has been a time of consolidation rather than expansion for the MRBS. Our main activity was in the Archives. (See separate report.) We also continued to revise our database and to encourage members to switch from snail mail to email for the Musings. We helped with the arrangements for the Remembrance Day assemblies last November, and presented two MRBS Awards at the Malvern Commencement. The recipients were Maxine Wright and William McLean. Our historical posters were once again prepared by Bob Watson and Volker Masemann for display in the cafeteria at the Graduation Reception following the ceremony.

During the year, Rod and Vandra participated as members at meetings of the Onward Malvern Foundation with Lorie McCauley as Chairperson.  An appeal was made to parents and alumni/ae to help with funding for extras for the school that would not normally have been publicly funded. Several grants were made to teachers in the areas of music, sports, math, languages, and science. The funds were generally used for ways of enhancing the regular curriculum. A call was put out in Spring of 2015 for funds to repair the Malvern Band uniforms. While some funds were indeed donated, the most constructive proposal came from Barbara (Williamson) Farrow of the class of 1956 who offered to take all of the uniforms home during the summer and repair them with the help of volunteers. This project was successfully completed by 22 August 2016. All Malvernites owe her and the volunteers a huge vote of thanks.

Two projects that we had hoped to fund are still on hold. We did not start up another funding campaign to restore the cenotaph following the latest act of vandalism in the theft of the sword from the statue, mainly because we are not able to get assurances that the security is up to par. There has been some interest expressed recently in restarting the fund-raising campaign, but we have to defer that until the future of the MRBS has been decided.

We have also had to continue putting on hold our World War II Big Book and Doris McCarthy Memorial Book restoration as we did not have sufficient funds to carry out the project. It would have cost $12,000 or more. So far, we have not been able to secure external funding for restoring those books. We submitted an application to the Canadian Conservation Institute that was turned down as it did not fit their priorities for the funding year.

We made an appeal in the Spring 2015 and Fall 2016 Musings for donations to help us survive financially. As we do not charge for membership, all donations are eligible for tax receipts. The generous response in May and June 2015 from Malvernites made it possible for us to carry on through 2015. But our funds are seriously depleted, and we have had to cash in our reserves just to pay the bills for the Fall Musings. Once again, Malvernites responded with donations. But this time our finances are so depleted that we will publish one more MRBS Musings sent by snail mail in spring of 2017. In the future, the new OMF Musings will be sent by email only, or by paper to subscribers only.

I conclude my terms as President by thanking all of those who have volunteered on the Executive and at events, and who have donated to the MRBS and the OMF. We really appreciate all of your assistance. It has been a pleasure to help support the present school and to preserve its historical memory.

Vice-President’s Report – Adele Ashby

As MRBS acting vice-president, I have served as part of the executive team to support the on-going activities of the society, taking part in decision-making for the short and long term, having signing authority for cheques, and standing in for the president when necessary.  In addition, I also serve as recording secretary and editor of our newsletter, Musings and of the AGM documents.  As recording secretary, I prepare the minutes of each executive meeting for approval at the next one.  After approval, paper copies are files in the archives, and they are posted on the  MTBS web site.  As editor of Musings, I am responsible, with assistance from other executive members, for the creation of content and production of two regular spring and fall issues, which are sent to our members in paper and electronic form and posted on the web site.  In addition, I am responsible for the creation of special issues for events such as reunions.  As editor of the AGM documents, I produce the minutes from the previous AGM to be voted on and accepted that the next one and compile and edit the year-end reports from the members of the executive who are responsible for them.

  1. Communications Reports

(a) Snail Mail:  1 November  2015 – 31 October 2016  – Vandra Masemann

There was a significant response to our request in April 2016 for donations to assist the MRBS and to help repair the Malvern Band uniforms. This may have happened in response to the Spring Musings which was devoted to Music at Malvern in honour of the 90th birthday of former Malvern music teacher and band leader George McRae.  We have also had a similarly generous response to the request in the Fall 2016 Musings to help defray the expenses of mailing out the Musings twice a year, doing a mass emailing, and keeping our website operational. In all, the OMF reports 30 responses during this period: 25 for the MRBS totaling $1725, 5 for the school totaling $395. In the last part of 2015 there were 7 responses; donations were for the MRBS $200 and $75 for the school.

Death notices come to us via the Facebook Page, by email, and by snail mail. They are noted in each issue of the Musings. This year we had news of the passing of 23 Malvernites, although we may have missed hearing about more. We send our condolences to their families and friends.

Most address changes and registrations now take place via email. We had about 15  returned envelopes each from the Spring and Fall mailings in 2016.  Except for donations, most communication is now made online rather than by mail.

(b) Phone and Email: 1 November  2015 – 23 October 2016 – Robert D. Watson

During the period following the 2015 AGM, there have been 5 hotline calls, 51 emails to the Red & Black account, and 0 to the 1940s and 1960s accounts.

(c) Database: 1 November  2015 – 23 October 2016 – Dianne (Renwick) Chadwick

As of the mailing of the 2016 Fall Musings, our updated membership databases are as follows:

Master database = 2630, Email database = 782, Snail Mail database = 497.

The MRBS membership database was first established at the 100th reunion in 2003, and remains a valuable tool for staying in touch. We have members from all decades, including our most senior members who graduated in the 1930s.

The membership total of the email and snail mail databases is currently much less than the MRBS master list. Husbands, wives, children, etc., who are at the same address are only mailed or emailed once to keep expenses down. In addition, we have lost contact with some members who have not notified us when they have moved or changed their email addresses. Others have unfortunately passed away.

Maintaining the MRBS databases is an ongoing process. We receive updated contact information regularly. New members contact us to be added, primarily through the MRBS website. Other members have requested that they be contacted by email rather than by post. Nonetheless, we do get some return-to-sender notices after each newsletter mailing, as well as bounce backs after emailing. We try to contact these members to get updated contact information. Members are also encouraged to provide their express consent and keep their contact information up to date in order to stay in touch with fellow Malvernites through Musings and other email from MRBS.

Treasurer’s Report – Robert D. Watson

The following is a balance statement for the MRBS account for the financial year: 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 (Revised)

Balance forward June 30, 2015 – $3,739.35

Revenues                                 Expenses

MUSINGS:

2015 Fall Issue ($1,004.34)

Envelopes                                                                                                                0

Printing                                                                                                           $307.13

Postage                                                                                                            $499.46

Emailed Musings                                                                                             $197.75

2016 Spring Issue ($1,160.80; *1,358.55)

Envelopes                                                                                                          $38.31

Printing                                                                                                           $400.00

Postage                                                                                                            $722.49

(*Emailed Musings $197.75 paid July 20/16)

 

MRBS Awards                                                                                                $200.00

Donations via MRBS                           $150.00

Donations via OMF                             $500.00

Archival/Office Expenses                                                                               $675.08

Archival Expense off Account July     $2, 2015                                             $194.30

Archival Credit (Via OMF)                  $375.00

MCI Environmental Club                                                                               $300.00

Military Research                                                                                            $250.00

Other Postage (Via OMF)                     $125.00

Other Postage                                                                                                  $23.49

Web Consult – 2014-15                                                                                  $137.56

Web Consult – 2015-16                                                                                  $236.11

Muse Copies                                           $42.60

Bank Fees                                                                                                         $23.40

 

Total                                                  $1,192.60                                          $4,205.08

Total Plus Balance Fwd                     $4,931.95

 

Net Account Balance Fwd                                                                             $726.87

Notes:

  1. The balance forward as of 30 June 2015 does not include Cheque No. 237 for $194.30 payable to TDSB for Office Expenses issued 17 June 2015 and paid 2 July 2015 (shown above).
  2. The balance forward as of 30 June 2016 does not include Cheque No. 257 for $61.59 payable to Vandra Masemann for Office Expenses issued 22 June 2016 and paid 22 July 2016.
  3. Additions to the report ending 30 June 2016 to cover the period from 1 July to 31 October 2016: cashing of GIC $1,020, OMF payment to MRBS $400, donations, $165.
  4. Committee Reports

(a) Archives — Vandra Masemann and Donna Halliday

We have continued to work on the Archives one day a month from September 2015 to June 2016. We are making progress but much still needs to be done. Organizing the archives is an ongoing job, as new items are always being added to the Malvern collection.  We continue to get donations of team wear, books, pins, certificates, and so on, from former Malvernites.

Here is an account of the specific activities of the Archives Committee members. As always, we are very grateful for all their work, especially to Donna Halliday for her leadership.

Sonya Munro is still collecting obits and news articles about Malvernites and Malvern, as well as tracking down missing members from postal bounce backs of the Musings.

Irene Hubel continues to update all the lists of Malvern award and scholarship winners, and has collected news clippings and cut, labelled, and filed them.

Lois Maxwell is in the process of collating the labels for all the file folders and hanging files.  Copied paper files have been placed in binders by category and the originals are safely in acid-free folders in the same order.

Bob Watson has started doing the huge task of duplicating all the paper files for which we do not have copies. He also receives archival inquiries from Malvernites that come through the MRBS webmail and responds to them.

Volker Masemann has put label holder frames in each cupboard to indicate the years of the Muses housed on each shelf.  Large, clear frames will be purchased into which we can place the lists of what is housed in each locked cupboard.

Vandra Masemann handles inquiries to the Archives that come through the school, and arranges visits for interested Malvernites. She is the liaison person for Malvern staff who want to arrange projects for their students, or organise Remembrance Day or any other events. She also brings requests for funding for archival supplies to the MRBS and OMF meetings for approval.       Donna Halliday has co-ordinated the ongoing archival tasks. She has placed the soft covered Muses in book files so the covers are protected.  She has started to place pins, medals and crests in archival plastic zip lock bags, inside archival boxes.  They will all need to be labelled to match the entries on the database. Accessioning and data entry are ongoing.

Aside from updating the staff lists, someone suggested making a database of all students who attended MCI.  Names could be taken off the graduation programmes and/or out of the Muses.  (Are there any takers for doing all that inputting?)

We have continued the work of building the Malvern Archives. The main remaining task is the digitization of our holdings. We are still awaiting instructions from the TDSB on how this might be undertaken.             We thank all of those who have donated funds to support the Malvern Archives, who have donated archival files, photographs, vintage clothing, and school memorabilia, and those who have worked over the years since 2002 on the archival collection.

 (b) Souvenirs — Vandra Masemann

We still have a supply of Malvern Centennial 2003 and Malvern at 110 books in stock. They are for sale at $10 per copy. We did not offer any other MRBS souvenirs this past winter. A few of the Malvern Centennial 2003 books were given away for public relations purposes.

Souvenirs still in stock:

26 Malvern Centennial 2003 books – $10 each

21 Malvern CI at 110 books – $10 each

11 Registration kits for MCI at 110, which include a bag, MCI at 110 book, and pen – $10 each

2 bags MCI at 110 – $2 each

1 MCI at 110 T-shirt with black logo, size M – $10.*

*Numbers will be checked for final totals after the AGM. There will be little change.

Service Personnel Historian’s Report – David Fuller, Decade Coordinator 1903-1939

The research on Malvern’s veterans has continued, although at a slower pace due to the failure of a hard drive where much of the organized material was stored. The original documents are preserved (more on this below). I have given talks at a couple of historical meetings using information about the men and women listed in our “Those Who Served” database. In the spring of this year, I spoke at The Beaches East Toronto Historical Society (TBETHS) on “Recruiting for the Great War.” I have also spoken about the research at meetings of the Central Ontario Branch Western Front Association, an affiliate of the UK-based WFA, which is dedicated to researching the First World War. I will be speaking to the TBETHS at the Beaches Library again on 15 November. The topic will be “Researching Your Military Ancestor,” using Malvern men as examples. I am also scheduled to speak to the group in April 2017 about the 100th anniversary of the Battle for Vimy Ridge and the Malvern men involved.

Work on updating the new database of veterans has consisted of online searches for information, unfortunately, mostly obituaries and death notices.   Plans to make this database available to archives visitors and the general public still need to be discussed.

First World War Alumni

In addition to digital files I possess on CD, Library & Archives Canada has been digitizing the personnel service records of members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1918. To date, 85 Malvern men, from Charles W. Abbott to James Eric Mader have been scanned. The remainder of the files is scheduled for scanning over the next two years, and a new batch is released every two weeks. These records are available as PDF files, online and free of charge, at:

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/canadian-expeditionary-force.aspx

Second World War

Access to personnel service records for men and women who served from 1939-1945 is restricted to those who have been dead for 20 years or more. I have in my possession numerous paper copies of partial files of Malvern men listed on the Honour Roll 1939-1945. There is no digitization project for these files as yet, since some of the people are still living or have died only recently. The maintenance of the database with dates of death will facilitate the collection of records that are accessible.

Family Trees

I continue to receive occasional messages from family members of the men and women veterans, via approx. 200 family trees created on Ancestry.ca and from visitors to forums where I have posted requests for information. These have yielded photos and personal information on the men.

PROPOSAL TO MERGE MRBS WITH OMF

Rod Tennyson 12 Sept.  2016

Background

There exist two separate organizations dedicated to helping the MCI students (OMF) and promoting MCI alumni/ae “staying in touch” (MRBS). These activities are pursued  by means of fund raising for specific MCI objectives and requests to support school activities, departmental needs, and by means of a newsletter (Musings) published by the MRBS for alumni/ae, with occasional reunions. In addition, the OMF sponsors fund raising events such as the Spring Boardwalk Ball, and several “fairs” held at MCI.

One major activity by the MRBS is the sustained work by the Archives Committee to collect and record past and present noteworthy events by MCI students, their accomplishments, and the collection of memorabilia and publications by MCI.

Issues

The MRBS is finding it difficult to maintain its financing of the Musings.

Few donations are coming into the MRBS, insufficient to maintain its operation in general.

  • The MRBS Executive is finding it difficult to recruit new alumni to help in the activities of MRBS.
  • The demise of MRBS is seriously being discussed.

Proposal

Merge the MRBS into OMF as a single organization, maintaining the name OMF and its charitable status.

Organizational Structure

  1. The current OMF executive committee remains as is, with the addition of the MRBS executive as members of this new OMF constituted Executive Committee (OMF/EC).
  2. The President of the OMF remains President of this new OMF Executive Committee, with a vice-president from the current MRBS executive.
  3. The OMF/EC will continue with the current OMF mandate, with a subcommittee of MRBS members responsible for “alumni relations,” operating under the management of the new OMF/EC.
  4. The current Musings publication will be maintained under the guidance of the OMF/EC with an appointed editor. It will now include OMF/MCI news and Alumni news in one document, to be published twice a year.
  5. All fund-raising activities will now be co-ordinated by the new OMF/EC based on priorities that include current OMF projects and objectives, publication of the Musings, events aimed at the community, school parents/students, alumni/ae and maintaining the Archives Committee activities.

Benefits to OMF

  1. MRBS data base will allow all fun- raising activities to reach a broader audience.
  2. Merging MRBS with the OMF presents a more focussed MCI student/alumni organization to the public, school administration, parents and alumni.
  3. The number of appeals for funding from two different organizations with different objectives would be reduced. They are confusing to potential donors. All appeals will now be prioritized and co-ordinated into one presentation.
  4. An established publication (Musings) with editorial staff experienced in its compilation and publication with a large MCI alumni/ae readership; this data base can be expanded by adding the MCI student parents on an annual basis.
  5. An established MCI Archives with a dedicated group of alumni/ae who have made this an exemplar for Toronto secondary schools. This provides a student resource unavailable anywhere else: a major service to the school. A dedicated school  room is available for the Archives work and for committee meetings.
  6. Dedicated MRBS personnel on its current executive can enhance the activities of the current OMF.
  7. The MRBS can offer experience in organizing alumni/ae reunions.

 

 

 

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