11 Nov Council Meeting In Ottawa
– by Dorothy LeBaron
Dear Friends,
During Thanksgiving weekend Council members and General Secretary met in Ottawa. We were joined for a day by our administrator. We were warmly welcomed by members in Ottawa, and greatly appreciated our accommodations, a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, and an enlivening meeting with members where we heard how anthroposophy lives in Ottawa, and invited collaboration for reviewing/renewing our statement of purpose.
Council members began work together as we always do, with the reading of the Foundation Stone Meditation. After a check- in with each other and about various activities across the country, we studied the last chapter in The Philosophy of Freedom. As well as the study, artistic work is very important for us. It brings a deeper way of working together. This year we engaged in a biography/art process to help us identify and work with personal challenge. Through being able to perceive our own “shadow,” we are better able to support each other and work as a whole.
We continue to develop our Imagination of the Council, cultivating a culture of communication, of hearing from members, of making our activities and each other visible. It is important to work in a way that creates a mood of the Foundation Stone. How we bring something, how we say it, needs to connect to this impulse. What is anthroposophy today? What is the purpose of our Society becoming? This is a research for us, as we engage with members in a process this year of reviewing the statement of our purpose.
In administrative work, we spent time reviewing and refining proposed new by-laws, a major work for us this year, which is now required to apply for a Certificate of Continuance to keep our status as a not-for-profit organization. We worked with our Administrator to redefine his role, as it moves towards a greater responsibility in the area of communications and outreach.
The council is pleased to announce that we have contracted Lynn Lagroix as the new ASC bookkeeper. Lynn has many years of professional bookkeeping experience and is already helping us update and prepare for our upcoming yearend accounting and subsequent review engagement. She has worked in other organizations on the Thornhill campus.
This new direction for the Society has been taken to respond to the increased complexities that we are facing with respect to Society finances and associated government regulations.
Council, along with Mark McAlister, will help Lynn take on her full role. Please give Lynn a warm welcome in her new position.
Thank-you to our Treasurer Douglas Wylie for his work and commitment to make this needed step.
As we look into the near future, we are actively looking for a Council member from the West. We are still developing our website. Our General Secretary has been very active in inviting visiting speakers from the Goetheanum to Canada, especially when they are already in North America. This is something we want to continue to support. We spoke about Council support for Mystery Drama initiatives. We look forward to meeting with Society members and with Class Holders in Toronto in January.
We are excited by working together and the growing strength of our collaboration in the Society. We thank you for your support and wish you warmth and light at this time of year.
Dorothy LeBaron on behalf of the Council
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