Considering running for the Board at the AGM? Here's what's involved.

Submitted by Belle Auld on behalf of the Education Committee

Please consider running for the Board at our annual general meeting – 2 pm, Saturday, October 30th.

Here is a quick reminder about what is involved in sitting on the Sunnyhill Board:

The board of directors is central to the operation of a co-operative business. Directors discuss matters affecting the co-op, make decisions that shape and guide the co-op, and prepare information and recommendations to members to discuss and decide on. Much of what a board does is responsive, reacting to events, ideas, and opportunities facing the co-operative. It’s important for directors to think about the future, and look for ways to improve their practices and the co-op’s well-being.

From Co-op Creator: https://coopcreator.ca/resource/being-a-board-member-in-a-co-operative-business/

For more information, please connect with a board member.

(Editor’s note: for detailed information about Sunnyhill’s Board of Directors, please see our Articles of Incorporation and By-laws.)

Committee volunteers needed!

Submitted by Buzz Viberg on behalf of the Board

Dear members,

We have Committees in desperate need of your participation, not just because it is a Coop responsibility fundamental to your becoming a member of this community but also to build stronger connections. During the Member Selection process, the assurance you gave about joining a committee was one of many qualities that made you a good fit for community living and therefore lead to your recommendation. Committee involvement helps prevent burnout of members already serving and ensures that committees like Buildings, Finance, Grounds and Social (just to name a few) continue to provide a strong foundation, on which our community is built.

Together we are stronger! If you have tried a committee and it wasn't the right fit or if you needed a break, then please consider other options moving forward. It is a great opportunity to make positive connections with people other than your neighbours. Each and every one of us has unique qualities and skills that are needed to help in the smooth running of our Coop. A big thank you to the many members who are working tirelessly on committees. It is appreciated.

Please join a committee, make a friend and make a difference towards positive change to ensure the Coop remains strong. The Board always welcomes member suggestions about ways in which committee involvement could be improved. Please feel free to contact me, Buzz at (403) 283-9443 if you would like assistance with finding a committee that you would feel best suited to.

The Committees most in need of new members that have come to the Board’s attention are:

• Finance Committee (contact Kevin Chaney, (403) 313-5773)

• Social Committee (contact James (403) 585-4247)

• Buildings (contact Heidi Mighaug-Cook (403)-700-8525)

Many thanks,

Buzz (on behalf of the Board)

AGM Postponement and Update on the Coming Months

Submitted by Richard Harrison, Chair, on behalf of the Board

Hello everyone,

I'm writing to let you know that due to the complications created by Andrea's departure at the beginning of May, the materials necessary to close out the co-op's year will not be ready for the end of June. In a year of the unexpected that this one has proved to be many times over, this probably shouldn't be a surprise, and it is not what we wanted. The Board has worked hard to catch up and keep the administration of the co-op on track. Despite the challenges, the co-op is functioning well at present, and, as we've seen many times over, our members are actively contributing to the co-op's good, and our committees are engaged in productive and forward-looking work.

In that light, we have appealed to the provincial government for an extension in order to get the necessary work done. They have been very understanding. Our co-op has an excellent record of fiscal and social responsibility, and we are not alone in needing more time in this regard. We anticipate that our financial documents will be ready by the end of July; to give ourselves room to deal with anything we haven't foreseen in making that estimate, we've requested a deadline that will schedule our AGM at the end of August, which has been granted.

We know that the bylaws calculate the date of the AGM according to the fiscal year and put it at the end of June; however the Co-operatives Act, under which we have requested this extension, takes priority, so we are still operating properly under our governing documents.

That said, the next two months will be busy ones that will set the stage for the end of August to be an excellent time to consider the year ahead. As some of you know, also near the end of June, the Planning and Development Committee were setting up to give us an update on negotiations with the City and a recommendation regarding their offer. The City, however, has delayed their reply to us, so the needed information was not provided in time. We expect that it will be ready for mid-July instead.

We are also looking forward to hearing from P&D regarding the Social Fabric Survey that they conducted over the past few months; the results have been compiled and they plan to hold informal focus groups to follow up. Their work will provide a much-appreciated picture of where we are as a community and inform the discussion of our future directions.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate our way through a year of obstacles that I see us over and over meeting in a truly cooperative spirit.

All the best,

Richard Harrison, Chair,

for the Board.

News about news: Thanks to Erin. Introducing Jessica. And Congratulations to Joe

Submitted by Richard Harrison on behalf of the Board

Hi everyone,

Just to keep you all up to date, the contract for Erin, who has done great work for us in the office on a temporary basis this past month, is up now. The new person, likewise on a short term contract, is Jessica, and we welcome her to the Co-op.

In other news, I just want to draw your attention to the fact that our own Joe Nunn, the man behind the wheel of Joe's Garage and also behind the smooth spinning of the wheels of many of Calgary's bicycles ridden both for business and pleasure has a feature in this month's Avenue magazine has a piece on his work (pages 11 and 12). And not only there. A recent issue of the Globe and Mail contained an article on him in its insert section. Congratulations, Joe.

All the best,

Richard Harrison, Board Chair.

Coop Housing Board of Directors Descriptions

Submitted by Belle Auld on behalf of the Education Committee

(Editor’s note: the Board of Directors descriptions in this article do not refer specifically to Sunnyside Housing Co-operative but to housing co-operatives in general. For information about Sunnyside’s bylaws, please see the documents page on our website. Marion Gauzer, Communications Committee)

• Chair: this position provides leadership to the board and the co-operative. The chair serves as chair for all board and general meetings, maintains a strong relationship with management, and often serves as the face of the organization. The chair should be familiar with important policies and procedures governing co-operatives.

• Vice-chair: this position is tasked with fulfilling duties assigned by the chair or filling in when the chair is not available.

• Treasurer: this position is often combined with the secretary position. The duties of the treasurer require some understanding of financial reporting and accounting practices and are often given to a manager or hired expert (e.g. an accountant) that can perform them efficiently. The treasurer often oversees the co-operative’s finances, filing the annual return, preparing a budget, and keeping the board and shareholders informed on financial matters.

• Secretary: this position maintains the records of the co-operative including policies and procedures, meeting minutes, and an up-to-date membership list. In many co-ops, the secretary serves as a point of contact for members on matters including share redemption, submitting resolutions, or concerns with the co-op.

Coop Housing Board of Directors Responsibilities

The board of directors is central to the operation of a co-operative business. Directors discuss matters affecting the co-op, make decisions that shape and guide the co-op, and prepare information and recommendations to members to discuss and decide on. Much of what a board does is responsive, reacting to events, ideas, and opportunities facing the co-operative. It’s important for directors to think about the future, and look for ways to improve their practices and the co-op’s well-being. This list gives an overview of the important responsibilities of the board of directors:

1. Manage financial matters of the co-operative: It’s important for the board to have a strong understanding of the co-op’s financial position. This can be done with support from staff or an accountant (depending on the size of the co-op). The board should lead the creation of an annual budget, monitor revenue and expenses, and present the annual return and budget back to the members at the annual meeting. Some members of the board will have signing authority on the co-op’s accounts and their signatures will be required for items like cheques, agreements, chequing accounts, annual returns, and applications.

2. Strategic Planning: The board provides leadership to the organization and shapes its direction. It creates, updates, and maintains strategic plans that include the co-op’s agenda, goals, and key opportunities. The board should regularly identify projects and manage the co-op’s investments.

3. Create policies and procedures: The board will create policies when first incorporating the co-op, and on an ongoing basis. Some policies will be created in response to the co-op’s business, or as challenges and opportunities arise. These policies relate to things like finances, membership, conflict of interest, information and technology, safety, and elections.

4. Give the co-operative a voice: Both the board and the management will promote the co-op to the public. The board, as representatives of the members, should speak on behalf of the co-op when working with partners, funders, media, or other audiences. They should provide information to members at meetings and give direction to staff. It’s good to have a communications strategy for the board and management that outlines how the co-op communicates with other parties, so everyone is sharing a consistent message.

5. Management: Depending on the size of the co-operative, the board may directly manage the day-to-day affairs. In larger co-ops, the board usually provides oversight to managers or an executive team. The board will have the final say on many important decisions and may have to deal with conflict or debate that could arise. For example, it’s the board’s job to decide how to allocate the co-op’s profits. To do this, it needs to take a number of things into consideration: adding to reserve funds, investing in the co-op, and distributing profit to members. Decisions like this can lead to conflict, but the co-op can help avoid this by including members in the discussion (and listening to their ideas).

6. Engage the members: At the end of the day, the co-op exists to serve its members. The board should engage members in important decisions and happenings with the co-op. The board can help ensure members have a sense of ownership with their co-op by communicating openly with them

 https://coopcreator.ca/resource/being-a-board-member-in-a-co-operative-business/

Webinar Series: Board Governance for Not-or-Profit Organizations

Submitted by Brenda Willman

I offer this piece of information to the coop, noting that the full link is available at https://www.lesaonline.org/product/webinar-on-demand-board-governance-for-not-for-profit-organizations-4-day-series/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DMMar22_WOD

I believe one may need to be with a legal firm to access LESA material, but if so, that's something we could ask 'our lawyer' to set up for our Board (which they should be able to do for a minimal fee, if any at all). Perhaps the Day 1 and 3 webinars might prove most useful to an actual person serving on a Board (as opposed to being useful only to counsel serving a Not-for-Profit Organization).

Please consider this in the thoughtful and knowledgeable way in which it was intended. I have worked in the legal profession for 25+ years and know there are resources out there that lay people can understand without the benefit of a Law Degree. I shouldn't have to say so, but this is not a finger-pointing exercise. Many people took to these pages to opine on how/why we should move forward. I am suggesting that our Board could get a start on managing their own dysfunction, and that can dovetail into managing dysfunction within the coop at large. We have to start somewhere...