Minutes of Annual General Meeting
Royal Canadian College of Organists, Vancouver Centre
June 24, 2009 at Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church

Attendees:
Haruyo Abramson, Rachel Alflatt, Martin Anderle, Sam Balden, Denis Bedard, Anita Binnendijk, Peter Cass, Anne Dalton, Frank Ezinga, Henry Hageman, Michael Molnar, Catherine Mountain, Michael Murray, Bob North,
Susan Ohannesian

Business Matters:

1. Rachel Alflatt, president, welcomed the attendees.

2. Copies of the 2008 AGM minutes, prepared by Sam Balden, secretary 2007-2008, were distributed.

Comments:
- The bursary was not awarded in 2008.
- 2008 barbeque party was successful.

3. Copies of the RCCO Vancouver Centre financial report for 2008-2009 prepared by Tamar Genossar, treasurer, were distributed.

Comments:
- The Vancouver Centre receives $10/member.
- A sound technician was hired for the Halloween concert to create spooky sounds in between pieces for mood building.
- The Holy Rosary Cathedral belongs to the Alliance for Arts and Culture which publicizes concerts through 125 media.
- Although the expense for the Halloween concert was significant, the donation income for this concert was significantly more than for other concerts.
-Since 2010 Victoria convention is coming up, the money should be kept accessible.

4. Membership information - Rachel advised that she is awaiting an updated report from the National Office.

5. Review of activities:

- 2008 barbeque
- Halloween concert - not profitable, but drew more than 50 audience.
- Organ crawl
- DVD evening
- Jonathan Oldengarm recital and master class
- Members’ recital at St. Philip’s Anglican Church
- Our website is working well and looking great; thanks to Frank.

6. 2010 Victoria RCCO Convention update:

Dates: July 19 (Mon) – 21 (Wed) in Victoria, July 22 (Thur) in Vancouver

Ideas to be researched and decided:
- Hotel … e.g. Comfort Inn on Granville at Nelson, $189/night
- Transportation … chartered bus? school bus?
- Activities …
o Granville Island
o Holy Rosary Cathedral around 1:30pm for performance by Denis Bedard and organ try out
o Christ Church Cathedral for organ and cathedral history talk.
o Supper
o St. Andrew’s-Wesley for concert and reception
- Display
- Sell CDs?
- End time 9:30pm? Would members from Victoria want to go home instead of staying in Vancouver?
- Lighter concert at St. Andrews Wesley? - a concert with humor, fun, short (15-20 minutes)....looking for ideas.

Attendance: Often 200-300 people attended a major convention, especially in Ontario. However the Victoria convention will be a minor one with no national competition. We can guess the number of people attending Vancouver events would be less than 50.

7. The annual BBQ for the members and spouses will be at Sam and Mary Balden's home. Sam will provide BBQ machine and refreshments. Please bring your food to barbeque, barbeque it by yourself, and also bring a dish for sharing. Sam will send out an invitation with detail and choice of dates from July 25, August 3 and 9. Please respond to Sam.

8. Upcoming activities to be decided:

- Halloween Concert

It should be 1-2 days before the Halloween day. Since Halloween is Saturday this year, perhaps having a concert on Friday night (Oct. 30)? Booking for St. Andrew’s-Wesley should be through Darryl, not through the church office. We should contact Cindy and ask if she wants to organize again. Sam would do MC and also contact the sound person.

- Organ Crawl

Possibilities in the spring (early May):
UBC Recital Hall
St.Mary’s Kerrisdale
Chinese church on 15th Ave.
Michael Murray and Susan Ohannesian will find a date, book, and inform Rachel.

Possibilities in the fall
Westminster Abbey in Mission
Trinity Western University, Church of Good Shephard (White Rock)
We should ask Ron Fawcett to approach Westminster Abbey. Perhaps visit on a Sunday afternoon.

So far, we have been to: Christian Science, St. Phillip’s, Ryerson, Queen’s Ave, Holy Rosary, Gloria Dei, Christian Reform, West Van United, Frank's church.

- DVD Evening

Sam is happy to host again. Late January might be good. Susan will make popcorn. popcorn + wine.

- Traveling Clinician Recital and Workshop

We will have Jan Overduin, an Ontario organist, fairly well known.
Ideas for the workshop/master class:
∑ Something different might be more interesting.
∑ Goldberg Variations might be interesting.
∑ Should find out what his specialties are.

Dates: Victoria branch wants him on Friday evening, and we need to negotiate with Victoria for the possible recital and workshop dates.

- Members’ Recital for Spring 2010

∑ Perhaps at St. Mary's Kerrisdale? New console will be installed by Easter (April 4).
∑ Ryerson possibility?
∑ Haruyo to ask Gerald van Wyck (West Vancouver United)
∑ Do we want a members’ recital when there is the convention? It is good to have one recital a year.
∑ Perhaps late May.
∑ No theme - easier for people
∑ Susan and Robert will organize.

9. Other activities:

- Potluck supper? Maybe tied in with some activity, e.g. AGM?

- Should RCCO do some outreach or presentation event, perhaps calling it Pipes + Pizza, involving young people and music students in order to attract new members?

Ideas to attract new members:
∑ Maybe approach piano teachers and let them send their students to try out organ.
∑ There is an educational resource called POW (Pipe Organ Weekend or Pipe Organ Week) and resources are available from National head office.
∑ Perhaps commission a composer for some choir and organ pieces and do a concert.
∑ Approach choir(s) and build choir+organ piece(s) into their regular concert schedule.
∑ Festival in February, 10 days of interdisciplinary concerts, make an effort to go and hand out our flyer. (PUSH Festival?)
∑ Should make flyers, need to work on text and design. Frank will come up with ideas and Susan will look for the old flyer to help with promotion of the RCCO Vancouver Centre.

10. Election of Officers:
Directors- Bob, Sam, and Michael Molnar (new)
President - Rachel
Vice President - Frank
Treasurer Tamar
Secretary - Haruyo

11. Thanks
Haruyo Abramson, Secretary