Get Involved

Meeting Notes

Wednesday December 5, 2018, 7 – 9 pm
Harbourside Cohousing

AGENDA
Includes our Christmas Social!

1) Introductions

2) Additions to the agenda

3) Our Human Resources

How about hiring someone to act as our Website Manager?
Still looking for a trustworthy person to become treasurer
Social Media Coordinator needed
Thanks to those who have stepped forward
Remove Jeff’s name as president on website

4) What’s next? – review Michael’s list

Identify what needs to be done in the meantime
Make decision about Earth Day involvement
Jeff mentioned Plastic Bag and Pesticide Bans – any champions?

5) Miscellaneous

Financial Report and Finance Agreement with WWS
Banner issue
SRMBI forum report to be sent out soon
Progress of Website Re-org Group

6) Anything else?

8 pm Adjourn for Christmas Social.
Please bring Christmas goodies to share.
Tea will be available.

DIRECTIONS TO HARBOURSIDE COHOUSING:

Turn down Murray Road towards the harbour at the traffic lights at Sooke Road and Otter Point Road. Go past the Anglican Church and turn left onto Horne Road. Harbourside is the big building on the right. The entrance is obvious and the great hall is on the left as you enter the lobby. Parking is OK on Horne Road (observe no parking area) and there is a public parking area at the corner of Horne and Murray Roads.

November 7, 2018

Transition Sooke (Sooke Transition Town Society)

OPEN STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING NOTES

Attendance: 21
Present: Bernie Klassen, Moki Tacon, David and Carol Mallett, Jo Phillips, Wendy O’Connor,  Alan Dolan, Bev England, Susan Clarke, Wynn LeComte, Kara Middleton, David Merner, Brian White, Lily Mah-Sen, Robin Zabloski, Mick Rhodes, Jack Gegenberg, Hester Vair, Sinclair Philip, Ron Ramsay, Anna Kenklies

Called to order: 7:10 pm

Report on the Meet the Candidates event in regards to the municipal election:
– Very well received by attendee
– Appreciated by candidates
– Suggestion that next time we add the candidates for Regional Director as well (general agreement on this point)

Report on the Mayoral Forum
– Went well, well received
– Strong on fairness in reply time by each candidate—no one dominated
– Perhaps too many questions? (some agreement on this point)

Report on the Eco-Home Tour
– Some snags this year (i.e., tiny house was unfindable)
– About 60 people attended
– Down from last year
– Made for a more relaxed and accessible day

Report on Site C Dam evening
– Middle of the municipal campaign
– Over 30 people attended
– Very positive response from Amnesty International (Canada)
– Follow up in Sooke paper

Report on the Sooke Regional Multi Belief Initiative forum at Baptist Church
– About 50 people attended
– Intent was to develop several Compassionate Action Plans, particularly around homelessness, affordability challenges, social isolation, medical services, communications, cooperation, advocacy and awareness
– Report to come from forum, which will be posted on website and members informed

Report from the Website Re-Org Group consisting Alan, Paivi, Sue, Hester and Paula
– Group meeting to determine problems with the current website
– Design solutions and approaches brainstormed
– Recommendations to come forward at nest TS meeting

Question from the floor: “Should the press be invited to meetings as well as events?”
– General feeling was “no”
– Better that they are asked to events—events are the public face of TS; meetings are member-oriented

TS roles that still need to be filled:
– Roles don’t take much time
– Roles sometimes challenging but become simpler to fulfill
– Role descriptions will be put out to the mailing list
– Template will be developed, in order that coordinators have a simple way to post volunteer requirements to the website
– Lily volunteered to be the publicity coordinator (with help from Jeff and Jo)
– Kara expressed interest in coordinating volunteers (with help from Hester)

TS information table:
– Set up at the meeting so any issues about how it looked could be addressed
– Where’s the banner? (last seen on Earth Day)
– Bernie is making a banner for Sooke Zero Waste—when it’s done, design will be presented to TS meeting for discussion and possible adoption

TS Book Club
– First book of season to be The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
– Link to the book trailer: http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1190467139607/
– Copies of The Marrow Thieves are available from the library—the library book club pack should be in soon, and copies will be available from Paula Johanson
– First meeting in January
– Contact Paula Johanson (paula.johanson@gmail.com)

New Business
Climate Change evening
– Proposed for either February 19
– Dr. Peter Carter and his wife will be staying in Colwood—we can piggy-back on that to bring him to Sooke
– Author of “Unprecedented Crime” with Elizabeth Woodworth
– Could/should be the kick-off event for local Climate Change action
– Could be a lead-in to Earth Day, 2019
– We can link up with Sooke Life-long Learners group for the evening
– Strong support from the floor

We need to talk to Modo about what it takes to set up a car share cooperative
– Do we need a permanent transit group?

Housing—both affordable and attainable
– Sooke Affordable Housing committee is to meet November 13
– Sooke municipal council initiative
– TS involvement is held in abeyance for now

Next Repair Cafe scheduled for Sunday, 21 April 2019

Treasurer’s Report
– Martin, the current treasurer, would like to step down at the Annual General Meeting
– Remaining money after last Earth Day event is about $4258.00
– Jo is still working on spending $2400 for locally placed recycle bins
– 20% of final total is to be transferred to Sooke Zero Waste for their current and future projects

From the floor: Kara – NEB review
– There is a 20 November deadline to comment on the new Trans-Mountain Expansion review
– Public comments are being accepted BUT by mail or fax only
– How to submit? Here’s the link: https://www.neb-one.gc.ca/prtcptn/hrng/tlbx/prsnttn/lttrcmmnt-eng.html#s1

Whales and salmon
– We need to hold an Orca and Wild Salmon town hall
– There should be a political component
– There are multiple people available for such an event
– proposed for March—as part of the lead-up to Earth Day

From the floor: Susan Clarke (with help from Jo)
– Re: Climate Café
– Hosting coffee meetings (at people’s homes or in cafés) consolidating and addressing concerns about fossil fuels
– Approved to go forward under the TS umbrella

From the floor: Moki
– Re: Proportional Representation
– referendumguide.ca has a five-minute quiz that helps define what your preferences are
– Discussion around pro-rep followed

From the floor: Carol Mallett has offered to coordinate the speaker series (yay!) with help from David and Moki

Meeting adjourned at 9:05 pm. Discussion followed, and the meeting room had to be forcibly emptied at 9:30 pm. A great success, pats on the back for all concerned.

Notes prepared by Bernie with some editing by Moki and Alan.