The new executive is:

Keith Harris - President (click for e-mail)

Art Lowe - VP (click for e-mail)

Moray Benoit VP (tel: 250-480-0939) 

Harvey Maser treasurer 250-380-0870 

The meeting was quite well attended and approx 10 new directors were also elected including David Campbell, Rod Keays, Avi Tal, Bob Waters, Joe Maiello, Barry Dempster, Mike Jebbett, John Hedlin & Rejean Bussiere. Guy Thisdelle will be a counselling and program advisor.

The minutes will be available one day......

Victoria Men's Centre Society Box 8082, Victoria, B.C., V8W 3R7

October 21st, 1999

Victoria Men's Centre - Annual General Meting

Presidents' Report

Good evening gentlemen and welcome to the annual general meeting of the Victoria Mens Centre Society. We have had an extremely busy year. I will summarize some of our activities of the last 12 months. I would also like to thank the directors of the past year for their (almost always ) unflagging support ! I will ask some for them to report on their activities. We continued our direct support of the Talking Circle, Fathers for Equality, the Well Foundation and the Island Mens Network.

I would like to take this moment to thank all of the directors for supporting men as much as has been possible including manning the phone line, pickling up the mail. I note Rejean's musical support and the continuation of the Collective Submission. Mike and John's court watch and meetings with the police on family violence policy. Bob Waters' contribution to the Communications Plan despite seemingly overwhelming personal challenges. David's 11 year support for "Fathers for Equality" and the new library, Harvey's ongoing support in just about every area, Rod keeping us focussed on "Wellness" and the Foundation's activities and the recent Wellness Conference; Avi Tal's untiring support on communications; Mike Tromp's counselling at the Talking Circle. Ken Wiebe's work of the new Website, and not to forget Kelly's support as treasurer, "Dick Freeman" and Moray Benoit for their support. Finally I would like to recognize three exceptional individuals who are not (yet) members o! f the VMC:-

- Art Lowe who has supported FFE for many years now and has been working very hard on human rights complaints; - Gord Knox who has administered the website from the earliest days. We made a small award in the summer in recognition of this; and finally, - Guy Thisdelle, Guidance Counselor Extraordinaire who has rightly received the CGCA award this year for his book and offered so much support for the VMC, men and fathers.

Chronology of Major Meetings and Activities:

1998

Oct 17th., hosted Erin Pizzey and Senator Anne Cools at St. Anne's Academy October 29th, 1998, meeting with Keith Barnard and staff, Ministry of Children & Families; ../2

- 2 -

November 5th., request for funding sent to Minister Boone for a transition house for men; November 10th., meeting with Family Maintenance Enforcement Program; November 12th., speech to Health Employees Union; November 24th., met with President of the B.C. Law Society;

December 10th., Press Release drafted following the Release of the Joint Senate/Commons Subcommittee on Custody and Access.; December 11th., radio interview in Vancouver; December 14th., met with Noreen Marshall, Ministry of Attorney General

1999

January 5, strategic planning meeting January 27th, host BC "summit" with groups for across BC including groups from Vancouver, Abbotsford & Kamloops; January 28th., meetings with Gordon Wilson PDA, the Liberal Caucus and the Ministry of Attorney General and presented Federal Government Submissions; Press Release on BC Government's policy on Family violence

February 16th., meeting with Lois Boone, Minister of Children & Families; Met with the Deputy Children's Commissioner VMC meeting with Jason Bouchard of the NAANCP, Ottawa

April 14th., Kelly NSPA and I met with Linda Reid, MLA on shared parenting issues; April 28th., meeting at Chapters with Greg Marchand of Focus on Women;

May 2nd, letters to Justice Minister; May 13th, to May 17th., National Shared Parenting Conference at Regina, various meetings with Paul Forseth MP, Roger Gallaway MP and Danny Guspie, President of the NSPA, Mike Laberge, Pres. ECMAS, Alberta;

June 19th Attended Real Women Conference in Vancouver met Senator Cools June 20th., Fathers Day Rally, Victoria June 24th - June 26th, Symposium on the Rights of the Child - staffed a table for two days; June was invited to join the Equal Parenting of Canada committee

July, meetings with Gord Knox, Ken Wiebe, Harvey Maser and self to transfer responsibility of website and modernize it;

August, chaired Fathers for Equality

September 9th, interview with Platinum Magazine; September 10th, host Paul Hildebaugh and BC contacts from Kamloops, Prince George, Vancouver, September 11th, put on "Nurturing Fathers" training course September 24 - 26: Men's Wellness Conference, Camp Thunderbird, Sooke ../3

- 3 -

October 5th. Met with Tony Coe of the Equal Parenting Party of the UK

October 21, 1999 VMC AGM

November 21, 1999 - Warren Farrell "Women Don't Hear What Men Don't Say" at the "Y" Tickets available.

In addition we provided as much support as was possible for the Mens Transition House on Pat Bay Highway.

Plans for 2000:

- Continue to inform government of areas we deem as unfair, unjust or biased against men; - Continue to Monitor the progress of the Shared/Equal Parenting initiative, provincially, nationally and internationally; - Explore every option to make a men's centre a physical reality and support men's wellness as far as it is in our power; - Offer a Nurturing Fathers Program and possibly other courses; - Maintain and improve our current services; - Continue to improve our communication with other similar organizations and with government to further our objectives; - Broaden our membership base and the financial strength of the centre; - Improve the website; - Develop our strategic plan for the next millennium;