Guide to BCRTA Zone Meetings

1 Purposes

  1. To improve communications among the branches, and between branches and directors.
  2. To recognize and build on branch presidents’ experience and expertise.
  3. To enhance the BCRTA’s ability to provide services to its members.
  4. To strengthen BCRTA networks in order to be more effective in our work on behalf of our members.

2 General

  1. If a majority of presidents in a zone decides not to participate, no meeting will be called.
  2. A branch president may designate a substitute to attend in his/her place, at BCRTA expense.
  3. The BCRTA will also fund the attendance of a second representative from each branch.
  4. Zone meetings are not official parts of the BCRTA decision-making structure. A resolution coming out of a zone meeting may be forwarded as a recommendation from the zone for consideration by the Board of Directors.

3 Director attendance

At least one director will be assigned to each zone.

4 Meeting location

A zone meeting must be held within its geographic area, except those zones in which the majority of branch representatives would have to travel more than 150 km to attend a meeting at a common location within the zone may organize a zone meeting in conjunction with the BCRTA AGM.

5 Cooperative planning

Date, time, place and agenda should be cooperatively planned among the participating branch presidents and zone directors.

  1. Expenses
  2. BCRTA rules and rates for expense reimbursement apply.
  3. Claimable expenses guide for zone meetings:
    1. for all BCRTA-paid participants: travel, lunch, and coffee/tea/snacks at the meeting
    2. for those who drive 175-249km to the meeting site: 1 night hotel + dinner+ breakfast; consideration will be given for exceptional circumstances
    3. for those who drive 250+ km to the meeting site: 2 nights hotel + 2 dinners+ 2 breakfasts; consideration will be given for exceptional circumstances
    4. the most time- and cost-effective mode of travel will be reimbursed, and car-pooling is expected where it is reasonably possible.
    5. the rate for hotel accommodation shall be paid for a standard room in a 3- or 4-star hotel (a union hotel is preferred).
    6. the cost of meeting space

6 Branch presidents (or their designates)

  1. are asked to bring to their Zone Meetings information about their branch operations and activities, to share with other meeting participants;
  2. should share with their executive committees and their branch members matters of interest arising at their Zone Meetings; and may be asked to cooperate in provincial BCRTA activities, projects or campaigns.

BCRTA Zones

Metro West

Northern

Sunshine CoastNorth Coast
North ShoreKitimat
VancouverPeace River North
BurnabyPeace River South
New WestminsterPrince George
RichmondQuesnel
Prince Rupert

Metro Fraser

Cariboo-Chilcotin
DeltaBulkley Valley
Surrey

Thompson-Okanagan

CoquitlamKamloops
Ridge MeadowsShuswap & District
MissionVernon
LangleyCentral Okanagan
AbbotsfordSouth Okanagan
ChilliwackNicola Valley

North & Central Island

Wine Country
Campbell River

Kootenays

Powell RiverBoundary Area
Parksville-QualicumElk Valley
AlberniCranbrook
Van. Isle NorthCreston
Comox BranchKimberley

South Island

Kootenay-Columbia
Nanaimo-LadysmithKootenay Lake West
Cowichan ValleyColumbia Valley
Gulf Islands
Lower Vancouver Isl.

The Board may approve the attendance of representatives of “virtual” branches.

Suggested Agenda

  1. Welcome, introductions
  2. Preliminaries (descriptions, explanations)
    1. Meeting facilities
    2. Expense claims
    3. Evaluation forms
  3. Adoption of the agenda
  4. Sharing (info. about the branches; ideas that might help)
    1. Membership count
    2. Executive positions (and recruiting methods for Exec)
    3. Communication method(s) with members (including reaching out to isolated members)
    4. Number and types of meetings each year
    5. Member recruitment and retention activities
    6. Scholarships, bursaries, fundraising – compliance with tax and gaming rules
    7. Activity successes, highlights, etc.
  5. LUNCH
  6. BCRTA director’s report/update
    1. Office and staff-services
    2. Board of Directors-current objectives, activities
    3. Pensions and Benefits
    4. Insurances (incl. travel medical, home, long term care)
    5. Committees: Membership, Heritage, Member Wellbeing, Advocacy, Excellence in Public Education, Finance, Postscript, Communications
    6. Affiliations: RR Smith, ACER/CART, COSCO, NPF
  7. Discussion
    1. Are there any issues affecting your members that you think the BCRTA ought to tackle provincially?
  8. Evaluation of the meeting
  9. Adjournment

BCRTA ZONE MEETING EVALUATION

(Please complete after the meeting and hand-in to your zone director.)

Directors attending:

______________________________ ______________________________

Zone: __________________ Date of Meeting: _________________

Your Branch: _______________ Your Name: ___________________

Your comments are appreciated on each of the following:

Date and time of meeting

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Suitability/adequacy of the meeting location

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Bodily comforts (room temperature, refreshments, lunch arrangements, etc.)

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Agenda items

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

General comments about this meeting:

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

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