Official VFC Report on Annual Meeting
Rory Bowman
Posted: March 31st, 2009 @ 4:56pm
In case you missed it!
The annual meeting really was fantastic.
Glenna Rose
On March 31, 2008, there were 147 members (from the VFC newsletter).
With 62 new members as of March 31, 2009, wouldn't that make a total
of 209 owners in a year?
Anja Larson
time constraints but because I didn't want to ask the board why they
suddenly decided to refund my money
(requested many months ago at which time I was told to fill out a form
relinquishing all right, to a refund) and right before the election.
They do not have my agreement with their action until they explain
themselves.
I did talk with one of the newer members on the first and she seems
reasonable, hope Dana stays.
> We had an exciting and productive Annual Meeting at St. Luke's on
> Sunday night (March 29, 2009).
>
> The meeting gave us the opportunity to review our collective Results,
> Goals, Updated Bylaws, and Board Candidates. It was highlighted by the
> chance to evaluate an invitation for prospective VFC retail presence.
>
> Important notes from last year include:
> * 62 new members, totaling 178 members to date, and growing daily.
>
> * Continued increase in funding over 2007, driven primarily by new
> members
>
> * Creation of Action Teams to better coordinate activities between
> groups and the board, streamlining decision making
>
> Our 2009 Goals
>
> * Continued growth in membership, with a goal of an additional 150 new
> members
>
> News/Accomplishments
>
> * VFC's Articles and Bylaws were updated and approved, including some
> changes since the member mailing; update to be released soon. You can
> access the newly restated bylaws here![PDF]
>
> * Four candidates announced their run for Board openings: Marj
> Casswell, Tom Miewald, Don Orange and Greta Lavadour
>
> * VFC is evaluating an invitation to establish an initial presence at
> August Moon; members are invited to check it out at our next Member
> Meeting. The meeting will be held at the August Moon location on
> Wednesday April 1, 2009 at 6 pm.
>
> August Moon's address:
> 111 W. 39th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660.
>
> We want to thank everyone who attended, and even those that couldn't.
> Please look for more information and details to be released. And, as
> ever, if you have questions, please send them
> toque...@vancouverfood.coop
> . Or, deliver them in person at the next meeting! Without YOU, there
> is no cooperative.
Rory Bowman
"62 new members, totaling 178 members to date" presumably means that
they lost 31 members (25%?)
"Continued increase in funding over 2007" presumably means that they
barely brought in more than the previous year, and still had a net loss.
"Creation of Action Teams" means yet another committee, albeit one
with a snazzier name.
A 2009 "goal of an additional 150 new members" means they cut the goal
in half, yet again.
"VFC's Articles and Bylaws were updated and approved" means that their
unilateral actions in August were ill-advised, and that many (such as
the "member equity unit" verbage) had to be reversed. This deserves an
article in itself, but when board members won't even read their own
minutes, I won't bother. Have minutes for January, February or March
been posted yet?
"Four candidates announced their run for Board openings" means that
they have a third as many candidates as last year, and will only fill
two-thirds of available openings. With a board of nine, they lost
seven since their first elections.
"VFC is evaluating an invitation to establish an initial presence at
August Moon" means that they have made no substantive progress, so
decided to go with a plausible option despite a lack of any business
plan and less than a third of the previously-discussed capital before
beginning a site search. The former proprietor of August Moon, Quinn,
approached them over a month ago. This was last-minute, "hail Mary"
stuff. My guess is that they hope Quinn will do all the work.
"The annual meeting really was fantastic," indeed.
Fantastic (adjective): (1) imaginative or fanciful; remote from
reality (2) of extraordinary size or degree : the prices were
fantastic, far higher than elsewhere. (3) bizarre or exotic; seeming
more appropriate to a fairy tale than to reality or practical use.
[*** SNAP! ***]