March 21, 2004
Location: St. Eleanors Rec Centre
Chair: Vicki MacEachern
Minutes: Karen Noonan
1. Welcome
2. Approval of Agenda
Barb Jones moved and Diane Minick moved the adoption of the agenda.
Motion carried
3. Approval of Minutes of the March 30, 2003, Annual General Meeting held March 30, 2003. Barb Jones moved and Ron Curtis seconded the approval of the minutes as circulated. Motion carried.
4. President’s Report presented by Vicki MacEachern (see attached).
5. Committee Reports:
- Spay/Neuter Committee: Dr. Peter Foley reported on the statistics he has been gathering on cats seen in all Trap-Neuter-Release clinics on Prince Edward Island, since the inception of Cat Action Team. He reported on the number of cats presented and the prevalence of Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (report attached). Positive comments were received from members and Peter about the educational benefits for students who work at the TNR clinics at the Atlantic Veterinary Clinic.
- Fundraising: will be addressed under Financial Statements
- Public Relations: Eriena O’Riley reported on CAT’s very successful public awareness program on PEI in cooperation with National Feral Cat Day.
- Education: Eriena O’Riley reported that an educational awareness program on feral cats had been requested from the United States.
- Cat Shelters: see President’s Report
- Food: CAT is receiving quarterly shipments of cat food.
- Chapter Meetings: Chapter Meetings are held the third week of every third month in Queens, Kings, and Prince counties.
6. Audited Financial Statements:
Beverly Hillier, Treasurer, presented the Financial Statements audited by MRSB Chartered Accountants (attached). CAT benefits from a grant received by the AVC from the Sir James Fund for feral cat TNR clinics and from a grant received from the Pegasus Fund through the Peninsula Community Foundation.
7. Monthly Budgeting – estimates/averages (see President’s Report attached)
8. By-Law Amendments (1): the following amendments were read to be voted on at the next general meeting:
- Current text: By-Law No. 8.05 Meeting of Members
The quorum required for any meeting of the membership shall be two thirds of those members entitled to vote.
- Proposed text: By-Law No. 8.05 Meeting of Members
The quorum required for the annual general meeting of the membership shall be 25% of the general membership of those members entitled to vote, including 60% of the board membership.
It was agreed to change the wording of the above proposal to be:
The quorum required for “any” meeting of the membership shall be 25% of the general membership of those members entitled to vote, including 60% of the board membership. Informational meetings where no official business is decided, are excluded.
A member asked if this amendment is acceptable with CAT being incorporated. Beverly Hillier agreed to look into this. It was further recognized that the bylaw can be amended by a vote at a general meeting with 30 days’ notice, so will be sent out and voted on at each general meeting.
9. Report of Nominations Committee – Board of Directors
There being no nominations from the floor, Barb Jones moved and Colleen Pidgeon seconded, the following applicants to the Board be appointed by acclamation:
Dr. Peter Foley
Frank Honisch
Bryan Langlois
Eriena O’Rielly
Karen Noonan
Joy Tremblay
Motion carried.
10. Success Story—a story from the Nov 10, 2003, issue of The Guardian was circulated. The heart-warming story was about a stray cat rescued by a CAT member that was eventually reunited with his young owners.
11. Adjournment