Chuckwagon 8's Annual General Meeting

Thursday, November 20, 2014

At Burnaby Lake Pavilion

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen and welcome!

Once again Elaine and I have been pleased to work with a very competent and talented Executive. They have made this year a good one for the Club. Kudos are extended to:

Vice President couple Brain and Gerry Catterall - bookies par none. They have  seen to it that Club dates have been set for both levels and if need be extension of times for special Club events. Gerry is also the guiding hand behind our Club roister, something she has done for years.

Treasurers Don and Diane Allan have seen to it that the buck stops here. We are in good financial hands.

Secretary couple Keren and Dan Carter have spent hours seeing that the minutes have been as correct as possible without second guesses having to take place. It was a pleasure watching Keren's flying fingers while Dan provided comic relief.

Jack and Yvonne are the Power driving our A2 evenings. Jack does a great job finding stories to share.

Plus Co-ordinators Chuck Sheehan and Daphne Green are number one in Club events and their generosity is unstinting.

Second to none are their partners Dave and Jenny Knee. They deserve a bow as well for all they have done.

Continuing Social Conveners Bert and Marilyn Koll store not only Club decorations but do an excellent job making sure our food supply is stored for our stomachs pleasure. Another generosity they offer is their home for meeting purposes for which we thank them.

Past President couple Bob and Barb Brisebois are from Burnaby and all those B's should instead be an A for the quality of Ad work they put into the Valley Circle.

We continue to be well served through the talents of Ray, Brent and Alison. All of them create challenges for dancers both  physically and mentally. For some of us being mentally challenged is the more obvious one. All the while they correct dancer moves while denying any errors on their part.

As to the Club itself we are doing well. Financially we remain in the black and through extra ordinary efforts by the Plus Coordinating team Plus has come close to achieving a cost / expense balance. This is most impressive considering the times we live in. Extra kudos are given to that hard working team. Fun wise in 2014 we have enjoyed several special dance evenings, excellent Robbie Burns nights highlighted by the piping of Larry Gillott, another great Bowling / Pizza outting organized by Doug and Susan Hopkins and yet another successful Pub Night. Many others quietly work behind the scene, putting up decorations, bringing goodies, etc. All help to keep the Chuckwagon wheels turning for which we extend our thanks.

As you know we were unable to offer a Toys for Tots dance last year because of hall problems. In spite of this Elaine and I were able to deliver over $1000 worth of donations as well as the Club's continuing gift of $500 cash raised through our 50 / 50 draws. This year we have the go ahead for December 6th. This non profit charity dance we have hosted over the years adds much to the Burnaby Xmas Bureau and allows us to give something back to the Community. Callers and cures donate their time to make a memorable evening. This year we will hold our twenty-second dance. The modest cost of $5 per dancer is offset by the request for gifts for the needy. 

To give you an idea of how wonderful this dance can be, a repeating benefactor started this years drive with a $1000 cheque designated for toy or teen purchases only.  May I remind you that while it is mainly for the younger ones we do want you to consider the teen population as well in who you buy for. We also ask Chuckwagon members to bring a wrapped, unused something or other so that we may give to dance participants a gift as well on the dance night itself. 

This year, 2014, the Club celebrated its 45th Anniversary, a major accomplishment. Presentations from the Fraser Valley and other Square Dance organizations paid tribute to the Chuckwagon's. We look forward to our 50th and given how we are going this is a goal that is within our reach. 

On behalf of the outgoing Executive we wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy 2015.

Barry and Elaine Bentley

President couple 2013 - 2014

 
Mea culpa

In the AGM report I had sent to members about the Executive it was brought to my attention by Phil and Kathleen that their efforts were not mentioned. This is, of course, Elaine's fault as she failed to catch this omission in her proof reading.

Because we do not wish the Summers to go through a winter of discontent we want it to be known that we considered Phil and Kathleen the 'write' people at the right time. They did a first rate reporting of people and events in the Valley Circle and the behind scenes of the Fraser Valley. Their presence, like my oversight, shall be missed.

Barry