Board Updates

The following motions passed by the Board of Directors that concern the public are
summarized as follows.

Board Quorum.
Bunny Raddis has agreed to joint the Board, which was voted by Brenda and Lou. Bunny has served the Society for more than two decades as a volunteer and Board member.

Signing Authority.
While Lou is treasurer without signing authority, and bills need to be paid, it as moved that Brenda and Lou contact the Credit Union to receive signing authority.

Board Expansion.
It was agreed that a committee be formed of current members to meet for the purpose of identifying individual members to fill the remaining positions on the Board, and that the committee meet within the next two weeks.

Memberships.
The Board is opening up Society membership to everyone, while a membership audit will be forthcoming. New members must be careful with the ‘family’ designation. A family membership allows all family members free access to the Museum and its events. But for voting purposes, if two members are to vote then both names must appear on the form, as that form is the official electoral registry for Registered Members.

Audits.
The Board approved of Lou contacting appropriate auditing firms to see what options are out there to provide financial and operational oversight of our processes and procedures, including potential costs.

Local History Lecture Series.
The Board has approved the Society’s first local history lecture series at the library, sponsored by the Creston Historical Society. It is being organized by our noted resident author Luanne Armstrong with the assistance of Lou Knafla. The lectures will take place in November-December 2023, and March-May 2024, every other week. The Society will pay each speaker an honorarium of $100, with expenses for any out-of-town speakers. Luanne will handle the dates and library arrangements, and Lou will handle the Society’s work for the events.

The lectures proposed to date are as follows: 1. The geology of the valley: with Wayne Choquette; 2. The history of Kootenay Lake: with Luanne Armstrong; 3. The greatest sternwheeler of all, the mighty Nasookin with Michael Cone; 4. The history, culture and stories of the Yaqan Nukiy, with Chief Chris Luke Senior; 5. The Diking of the Creston Flats: with Luanne Armstrong; and 6. The Bluebell Murder Trial: with Dr. Louis Knafla. A few others may follow.

The Special General Meeting of September 11 was held at the Trinity Church Hall at 7pm. John Hudak, a former cabinet minister and Cranbrook mayor, served as chair. There was a discussion concerning various lists of Society memberships. Motion one: The Chair showed letters of resignation by Luke Kurata, Duncan Simpson and Doug Smith. The motion for dismissal passed 20-5, and Paul Dort was also dismissed. For items 2 and 3, no motions were involved, and thus the meeting was adjourned at 8:25pm.

The following motions passed by the Board of Directors that concern the public are summarized as follows.

The Board will explore the creation of a committee entitled something like: “Friends of the Historical Society”. This committee will be comprised of significant community members who wish to advance the goals of the Society in a rational and sustainable manner, and make advice, suggestions and recommendations that represent issues of concern in the wider community. Membership in the Society will not be required. Proposals for the committee will be made to the Board at its September meeting.

The Board will cancel this coming Saturday’s Museum hours, allowing employees to work from home. While it is expected that the concerned citizens planning to march to the Museum will be peaceful, there are concerns over a number of threatening remarks that have been shown upon social media. Thus, as a precaution, police standby has been requested to help keep everyone safe and the property free from potential damage.

We have hired Tim Ryckman’s IT company to provide the Website Server and Domain, website and email management for the Society which provides it with up-to-date security and oversight. The domain transfer comes as KES closes down its own provisions due to a drop in funding.

The Rita Patstone Professional Corporation has been contracted to serve as its bookkeeper, accountant and provider of the annual ‘Audit Letter’. We have worked with Rita for many years. This will bring us a seamless financial system with oversight by the treasurer. Next month the website will contain the past year’s financial statements for full public transparency, as well as the annual reports, for the first time.

The Board has passed these motions concerning memberships on advice from legal counsel. (a) “WHEREAS the society faces potential litigation; (b) AND WHEREAS the directors are of the view that pausing all non-essential functions is necessary to allow time to stabilize the organization and to protect the society’s best interests; (c) THEREFORE, be it resolved that the society’s board temporarily pause all considerations of applications for membership until such time as the directors are of the view that the society is sufficiently stabilized.”

A major cleanup of the main floor Office area will be planned, taking to the landfill site all matter that is not personal nor ticketed for accession. Alyson, Brenda, Lou and Paul will be responsible for this project. They will also engage interior designers as volunteers to make recommendations for renovating the floor as well as the entrance, which recommendations (with costs) when completed will be submitted to the Board for discussion and approval.

The Museum and grounds will close for daily access as of Monday, September 5, due to the loss of our wonderful summer students, until the year-end holidays. The Archives will be open for researchers on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and tours will be provided for visitors on Wednesdays from 10am to 2pm, and on Thursdays from 12 noon to 4pm.

Arrangements can be made for researchers who require other days for their work, and visitors who request an appointed visit.

As the Society has had no secure place for documents that are personal and confidential, such as membership and financial records, the Board will implement sturdy locks for such filing cabinets to house and protect all documents of a personal and confidential nature as recommended under the Societies Act.

The Board has been in regular communication with Jim Raddis in regard to cutting the Museum’s downed trees for the Train Engine cover and associated costs. As a result, the work on this project has been authorized by the Board. We thank Jim for his generous work, and look forward to implementing this badly needed project.

Finally, the Board has decided to make a proposal for awarding a book contract to Luanne Armstrong to complete her major history of the Creston valley for a celebration of its 100th anniversary. Lou will draft the contract with Luanne, which will include publication by a professional publishing house. The project will be put to the Board for discussion and approval at its September meeting, and may include some special days on the museum grounds where people can get together and share their stories as part of the valley’s incredible history.