MINUTES OF 2013 "AGM" OF THE VANCOUVER SWISS CHOIR
OCTOBER 17, 2013- at BC Assessment Centre- VANCOUVER, BC
Agenda Item
Discussion and Remarks
ACTIONS TAKEN
1. Welcome by Chair Rolf/minutes taker Melanie/apologies/approval of Agenda/Special Guest
Melanie Crook starts AGM 2013 at 7:10pm with welcoming the 24 attending active Choir members; 4 apologies: Margaret S., Alfred E., Hans-Peter Wacker, Kimi H., Karin Kapp. Melanie proposes a less formal form for the meeting: no motions/seconders of motion/votes are used, but after discussions, the Assembly would decide by consensus. She hands chair over to Rolf. Agenda is approved with small addition. Chair welcomes Vice-President of SSV: Mirjam Mai.
ACTIONS TAKEN
•Melanie Crook takes minutes of the AGM.
•Conductor Dubravko Pajalic will join at 7:30pm
•Assembled active Choir members agree to informal process of meting.
•Rolf Brulhart chairs the rest of the meeting.
2. Address by resigning President M.-L.Hanna
•Marie-Louise reads a shortened part of her written report which she will forward to the SSV . She expressed that she is impressed with the way our choir had developed and improved. She is happy to see so many present.
•Melanie C. expresses in the name of all present the deep gratitude to Marie-Louise for her outstanding leadership over the last three years, the many innovations she introduced and being a real friend for whoever needed her help.
ACTIONS TAKEN
•Rolf will attach M.-L. Hanna's entire Report to this AGM minutes.
•Melanie C. gives Marie-Louise Hanna a bouquet of flowers, a gift certificate and the short ceremony was accompanied by a long applause from all attendees.
3. Financial statement & Budget 2013/14
1.With the changes of the Constitution/By-Laws of the SSV in 2012, the two Sections of the SSV (Choir and Outdoors Club) do not have anymore its separate Treasurer; the Treasure of SSV (Connie Buechler) takes care of all. Connie B. apologized for not attending. Melanie C informed that Connie
2.Is is expected to identify clearly the choir part of the 2013/2014 Budget
3.of of the SSV and forward the information to the relevant choir members.
ACTIONS TAKEN
•The Treasurer of the SSV, Connie Buechler will present a financial statement which includes the Choir at the next SSV-Board meeting.
4. Important Liaisons for the Choir
•The continuing Liaison between the Vancouver Swiss Choir and the Board of Directors of the SSV is guaranteed as in the past with the participation of different Choir members in all meetings of the SSV Board.
•Liaison with the 28th USSSPC Sängerfest 2014 in Tacoma is guaranteed re all musical/performance aspects by Conductor Dubravko Pajalic; Past-USSSPC President Rolf B. will be responsible for the duties specified in the USSSPC Constitution re Tacoma. Melanie had previously volunteered to be responsible for all other aspects, but now, due to family commitments, this will be periodic. Andrea S. stepped in.
•Liaison with the "Swiss Herald" and "Swiss Review". The later is essential to reach the thousands of Swiss in the lower Mainland who are not participating in any of the 5 Swiss Organizations. Silvia Schoch, Treasurer of the Victoria Swiss Society is the newly appointed Review-Editor for Canada.
ACTIONS TAKEN
•M.-L.Hanna will continue to attend for one more year; Rolf B. attends as Delegate to the Council of Swiss Abroad in Bern; Karin Kapp will attend as President of the SSV.
•Andrea Stolte and Melanie Crook for a limited time will be responsible for all logistic/administrative aspects and will form in Jan. a "Tacoma-Workforce".
•Melanie C. will write the articles for the "Swiss Herald" and the "Swiss Review". Rolf B. will inform her about the deadlines of the "Swiss Review".
5. Keeper of Trachten & Choteli
The chair informed the attendees that Ingrid Nagy is no more in the position to be the Keeper of the abut 10 Trachten and 7 Choteli. Anne-Marie Spaeti and Margit Moxon may be able to take over from Ingrid but needs to know more details. Rolf's idea to use the newly acquired lookers of the SSV is unpractical since the material needs dry storage locations.
ACTIONS TAKEN
•Elisabeth Appenzeller will contact Ingrid N. to get the exact numbers of Trachten and Choteli and will inform Anne-Marie Spaeti and Margit Moxon .
•Elisabeth/Anne-Marie/Margit will report back to the Choir timely.
6. Music Archive
•It is the feeling of the attendees that Margaret Spengler will continue as Archivar of all music notes of the Choir and Dubravko P. expressed his thanks to Margaret and hope that she will continue.
•There is still the cabinet full of Swiss Music at the German Alpenclub. The key was lost and the cabinet is locked. Nobody took yet the responsibility to check it out.
ACTIONS TAKEN
•Marie-Louise Hanna and Elisabeth Appenzeller will talk to Margaret Spengler and report back to the Choir timely.
•Mirjam Mai agreed to do that contact the Vancouver Alpenclub and verify the Cabinet etc.
•Margeret Spengler will decide after analyzing the content at Alpenclub whether of not we need an alternative storage.
7.Coordination Mechanism to replace the President's function
The Chair reported that nobody stepped so far forward to take over the Presidium of the Choir from Marie-Louise H. or the Secretary position or any other former "Executive-duty". As a possible coordination mechanism, Rolf proposed that for the time being the Liaison individuals with the Board of the SSV will meet at the date/time of the those meeting earlier to coordinate main aspects. The Secretary of the SSV, Alexandra B. may be willing to become the "Corresponding Secretary" of the Choir. Marie-Louise H. insists that somebody or something has to coordinate/keep together everything the Choir does. At least a "Rooming file" has to be maintained by somebody which includes mainly any correspondence pertaining to the entire Choir. However, she will not act as "Secretary". Melanie suggested that every "Event Group" will be fully responsible for action of their event from beginning to end; and presented a sign-up Board for it.
•Since presently is no functioning Executive, no future meeting has been arranged.
ACTIONS TAKEN
•Rolf B. will contact the Secretary of the SSV, Alexandra B. and report back to the Choir timely.
•The surge for a Choir President continues by Rolf and others.
•Judy Boxler, computer scientist, offered to create a electronic tool which becomes the warehouse for our emails and perhaps photos etc.
8. Secretary
See above under 7.
See above under 7.
9. Three Christmas Performances
Dubravko P. informed Assembly that all the Christmas songs has been selected by some members of the Choir and him.
•Seniors' Christmas Luncheon Concert on Saturday, Dec. 7th at 11 am.
•Vancouver Christmas Market Performance on Thursday, Dec.12th at 7pm.
•VanDusen Botanical Gardens Performance on Thursday, Dec.19th at 7pm.
ACTIONS TAKEN
Dubravko will work closely together with the following lead-persons:
•*Riccarda Willi offered to be lead-person for Seniors' Christmas Luncheon perform.
•Melanie Crook offered to be lead-person for the Vancouver Christmas Market perform and coordinate all aspects.
•Andrea Stolte offered to be lead-person for the VanDusen Botanical Garden and coordinate all together with Dubravko P.
10. Annual Spring Concert
Dubravko P. suggests that the date of the Spring Concert is in the right distance to the Tacoma Saengerfest July 10-13th, 2014.
•Rolf suggests to invite the Austrian Vancouver Melodie Choir and hold the concert at their location since our musical repertoire will be mostly from the 2014 Tacoma Songbook and therefore liked by Swiss-Canadian as well as Austrian-Canadian audiences. The Hall of the Vancouver Austrian Club in Richmond has kitchen, stage and great dance floor.
•Dubravko P. proposes as possible alternative to perform in a Church in Burnaby to hold the cost of renting low.
ACTIONS TAKEN
•Riccarda Willi offered to start the contacts with "the Austrians" with the help of her husband who often meets with his Austrian counterparts and report back to the Choir timely. Marie-Louise Hanna and Andrea Stolte offered to support Riccarda Willi and for a small "Choir Concert 2014Task-force". They will report to Choir timely.
•Dubravko Pajalic will provide detailed information re Church in Burnaby. He will inform the "Choir Concert 2014 Task-force"
11. 28th Sängerfest in Tacoma, July 10th -13th
•Dubravko P. is pleased about what he has achieved until know with us and will continue the rehearsals re 2014 Tacoma Songbook in January 2014 again. He is confident that we have still plenty of time re preparation of our performance on Saturday, July 12th, 2014. He asked Rolf B. to find out from "Tacoma" when the Practice files will be on their Festival Website.
•Rolf suggested that he will handle all the issues between the 2014 Tacoma Executive Committee and Sunday, July 13th;
•However, a Liaison Person in addition to Conductor Dubravko P. is needed for the time being; and
•In Spring 2014 a "Tacoma-Team" has to be formed.
•Soon, the Choir has to negotiate with the SSV a "Tacoma Budget"
ACTIONS TAKEN
•Rolf will contact 2014 Tacoma Festival President Greg Vesey re Practice files immediately. The website of the Festival ishttp://
swiss-sangerfest-tacoma-2014.org/
•Rolf is liaison between 28th Sängerfest Executive Committee of Tacoma and our Choir;
•Andrea Stolte will be the Liaison Person for all not-music and not Sunday July 13th related issues;
•Karin Kapp will forward the issue of a "Tacoma 2014 Budget for the Choir" timely.
12. Swiss National Day Celebration 2014
Special Guest, Vice-President of the SSV, Mirjam Mai, informed the Assembly about presently ongoing reflections within the Board of Directors of the SSV regarding the 2014 Swiss National Celebration(s). Dubravko P. mentioned as one possibility a Public Park which would be free. Rolf warned re hasty decisions!
ACTIONS TAKEN
•Karin Kapp will keep the Choir informed about the development of this discussion re 2014 specifics of the Swiss National Day Celebration.
•Rolf B. will stay involved re this issue.
13. President/Secretary
The Chair urges the Assembly again to come forward with nominations for a President and nominations for a Secretary. No results …..for the moment.
•See above under 7.
14. Other issues
•Dubravko Pajalic, Conductor of the Choir, thanks all attending and is convinced that the Vancouver Swiss Choir will improve even more.
•A special Thanks goes to Rosi Schuepbach for all the hard work she does for the choir, for her reliability and commitment. Rosi urges the "Choir" to inform her for logistical reasons far earlier when time of meetings are changed! She further informs that the auditorium will be fumigated re bed bugs and should be available next week.
•Dubravko expressed interest in singing a the Plaza of Nations where we even may get paid; or/and on Saturdays at Granville Island, where the Canadian Government pays a stipend.
•Many members would like to start rehearsal earlier during Winter.
•Melanie C. suggests extra rehearsal may be needed. Dubravko offered his house for specify Voice-Practices.
•Mirjam Mai urges the Choir to participate again in the 2014 European Festival on Saturday, May 31st/Sunday, June 1st, 2014. Choir members/performers are entering free as do Voluneers working 4 or more hours. Dubravko P. says it is good exposure.
•Marie-Louise H. will provide Melanie C with the list of cookie bakers who she will phone, and Riccarda will provide her home and lunch for packers on Dec. 3rd.
•Chair thanks again retiring President Marie-Louise H. and all the Executive members who work so very hard for us all and all the Singers who came in such large numbers!
•The Chair thanks conductor Dubravko Pajalic in the name of all active Singers for his restless search for new Swiss music.
•The Choir/Executive/delegated person will follow Rosi Schuepbach's demand.
ACTIONS TAKEN
•Rolf and Mirjam M. will maintain the direct contact with the Board of the EurofestBC Society and the Vancouver Swiss Choir incl. SSV.
•The "Valley Group" will decide what suits them best and report timely to the conductor Dubravko P. and the Choir.
•Choir has to follow up on Dubvravko's offer re Voice-specific practices in his home.
•Melanie Crook and Riccarda Willi are organizing details regarding "Christmas Cookies" for Seniors Christmas Luncheon bags.
15. Adjournment of 2013 AGM of Choir
No other issue was brought forward and everyone was eager to start the rehearsal of the Christmas Songs!
•The 2013 "AGM" of the Vancouver Swiss Choir was adjourned at 7:55pm.
