Notice: Change to AGM Date

On Thursday, June 25, 2009, at the Board of Directors meeting, the  Board voted unanimously that, notwithstanding section 5.1 of the  Bylaws of the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts, the Annual General Meeting should be moved to September 23, 2009, at which time the membership will consider a motion to allow for a permanent change to the Bylaws to accommodate Autumn Annual General Meetings in future.

The Board was clear in the reason for the change both in this instance and for a permanent change. At our Annual General Meetings (AGM), some members, rightfully, have commented on not having sufficient time to properly consider the reports that come from the Chair, the Executive Director, and the Auditors, as well as other information provided. The Board is committed to ensuring that members are allowed sufficient time to consider these materials, and expresses a desire to engage the membership in informed discussions about the Council and its future.

At the same time, the Board recognizes that the Spring presents complex challenges in the Council’s workload and commitments, making it difficult, if not impossible, for the Board and staff to present the information to the membership in a timely, and well considered, manner. They also recognize the difficulty of attracting the membership to the AGM once the nice summer weather has arrived.

Additionally, the Board recognizes that the membership has expanded greatly over the last five years, and expresses a sincere desire to engage these members in informed discussions. When the Board and staff are obliged to spend the weeks and days leading up the AGM on purely administrative matters, there is little time to prepare to properly engage and consult with the membership.

Therefore, they present to you this motion to be considered by the membership at the September AGM:

That in section 5.1 of the Bylaws of the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts which reads

 “The Board shall call an Annual General Meeting within 90 days of the close of the fiscal year and General Meetings at other times in the year as circumstances dictate in the judgment of the Board of Directors.”

the “90 days” be struck and replaced with “one hundred and eighty days (180)” such that the amended sections reads

“The Board shall call an Annual General Meeting within one hundred and eighty (180) days of the close of the fiscal year and General Meetings at other times in the year as circumstances dictate in the judgment of the Board of Directors.”

This motion with then allow for additional latitude in preparing and holding the meetings, as well as allowing additional time for the audit to conclude, the reports to be written, and for all the materials to reach you, the members, in plenty of time in advance of the AGMs.

The reports I mention above will all be available shortly for download in PDF format from our website under the “Membership” section. If anyone would like a paper copy, please call our office at 902-620-3416 (leave a message) and we will be happy to print and send on demand, understanding that not all members have easy access to computers and printers.

The Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts (PEICA) was established in 1974 to serve the Island’s vibrant arts community. The PEICA, a non-profit charitable organization, aims to promote culture and the arts across the province. “To make the Arts integral to the lives of all Prince Edward Islanders,” is the prime objective of the PEICA. The PEICA encourages education in and through the arts and supports a variety of programs which assist and raise the profile of the arts and artists within this province.

The PEICA works hard to represent Island artists at all levels of government, advocating for the interests of the arts community. We also provide important grants to artists through a bi-annual process of peer adjudication; these grants are vital to the ongoing support for creation of new music, dance, visual arts, craft, theatre, writing, film and video and more.

Your membership is important, as the collective voices of our membership help lend importance and credibility to the messages we carry on your behalf to City Councils, the Provincial Legislature as well as national level meetings with Federal arts funders. Additionally, only members are eligible to receive nominations to our Board of Directors and vote on issues at our AGM, and members receive the Members-Only Edition of the Island Arts Newsletter filled with opportunities and events occurring on Prince Edward Island.

The P.E.I. Council of the Arts is funded by the provincial Department of Culture, Heritage & Recreation Division, but operates at arms length from the Government. Active Council members vote for a board representative in their discipline. In turn, the Board of Directors makes all policy and planning decisions after close consideration of the needs of the artist and the community as a whole. All Council members may participate in general meetings and are encouraged to keep informed and involved.

If you provide an email address, you'll receive our weekly "Members Only" newsletter with the most up-to-date listings of arts and culture activities available. The "Members Only" edition also provides a one-week advance notice on upcoming calls for submissions, job opportunities, and other important information for artists.

On top of the benefit of supporting the Arts lobby and advocacy through your membership in the Council, and receiving the exclusive Members-Only Edition of the Newsletter, Members can benefit from increased visibility on the PEI Artists Directory web site (registration required). Member artists are be indicated by an icon beside their name, and member listings appear above non-member listings providing a distinct advantage in visibility.