R.R. Smith Report 2016
The R.R. Smith Board of Directors were pleased to grant over $22,000 to 19 educational charities this past year. Every request was given some funding. Often grant recipients send updates on their projects to the Board. This past year R.R. Smith has published two newsletters that have contained these updates. Unfortunately, not all members receive these newsletters as they are sent via the B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association email list serve and not all members have an email address or have updated the B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association with their current email address. These newsletters may be read on the R.R. Smith website www.rrsmith.ca or on the B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association website under R.R. Smith. The reports are heart warming and uplifting.
The affinity plan that R.R. Smith has with Enjoy Tours has earned over $1,600 and does not cost our members a cent. Enjoy Tours donates to R.R. Smith whenever a B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association/ R.R. Smith member books a tour or trip and lets them know that they are a member. Some branches are booking tours for their members. Please consider participating individually or as a branch. http://www.enjoytourandtravel.com
There will be discussion of and decisions made at the upcoming AGM that changes the way R.R. Smith is funded. For the past 16 years R.R. Smith has received additional donations from the B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association and branches to fund the many worthwhile educational projects in B.C. and around the world.
According to the B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association lawyer, the B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association may lose their “Not for Profit” status and run the risk of being taxed by Canada Revenue Agency if they make donations to R.R. Smith. In order to continue to support R.R. Smith, the B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association has asked R.R. Smith to charge a membership fee and has split the $40 B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association membership fee so that $38 will go to the B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association and $2.00 will go directly to R.R. Smith. Motions making these changes will be voted on at both the R.R. Smith AGM and the B.C. Retired Teachers’ Association AGM in September and will take effect July 1st 2017.
Between November 28th, 2016 and November 28th, 2018, R.R. Smith will have to transition under the new Societies Act. Any necessary updates and changes to R.R. Smith’s Constitution and Policies and Procedures will be brought to the 2017 AGM for ratification.
I would like to thank Board members Beverly Anderson, Steve Bailey, Dave Carter, Andy Hattrick, Barb Mikulec, and Sheila Pither for their hard work, help and skill needed to run this organization smoothly. Thank you also to Patricia Laursen and Kristi Josephson who so capably handle everything in the office. As well, I would like to thank Anders I. Ourom who so freely donates his time and knowledge to help with legal matters. Thank you also to Dan Carter, a retired CGA, who donates his time and expertise to audit our books.
Respectfully Submitted,
Judy de Vries, President,
R.R. Smith Memorial Fund Foundation
