Peretz Centre AGM
Sun, Jan 26
|Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture
The Peretz Centre's Annual General Meeting (AGM) is where we share updates and vote in the next Board of Directors.
Time & Location
Jan 26, 2025, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture, 6184 Ash St, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3G9, Canada
Event Description
The Annual General Meeting of the Members of the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture will take place on:
Sunday, January 26th 2025 at 2pm
at the Peretz Centre (Ben Chud Auditorium)
New and returning members are welcome to attend the Peretz Centre's Annual General Meeting. To register, scroll down to the bottom of this page and submit the form. Please email admin@peretz-centre.org if you have questions or need assistance.
Agenda
1. Call meeting to order
2. Confirmation of quorum (at least 10% of voting members)
3. Approval of the agenda
4. Approval of the minutes from the last AGM
5. Report on financial statements for FY2024 (by Omer Riza, CPA)
6. Reports from board and staff
7. Vote on motions to amend bylaws
8. Election (or appointment) of directors to the board (see candidates here)
9. Any other business
10. Adjournment
Voting at the Peretz AGM
At this AGM, we will be voting in at least 7 people to the board of directors and voting on 3 special resolutions to amend our bylaws.
Only members in good standing are eligible to vote at the AGM. If you have not paid membership dues (sliding scale) since September 1, 2024, you must complete registration prior to the AGM in order to vote. Click to renew membership or become a member
Please note that proxy voting is not permitted in the Peretz Centre bylaws.
The proposed bylaw amendments are (click the arrows to see more information):
1) Extending the latest date for the AGM by three months (from Nov. 30 to Feb. 28/29).
Proposed Amendment to 3.1 ("Time and place of general meeting"):
3.1 The annual general meeting of the Society shall be held within six (6) months of the start of the fiscal year, which begins on 1 September of each year, at a time and place to be set by the Board of Directors.
Rationale: The current bylaws require the AGM to be held within 3 months of the beginning of the fiscal year (Sept. 1). The BC Societies Act requires the AGM to be held within six months. With the beginning of fall programs and Jewish holidays in September and October, we propose more flexibility in setting the date for the AGM, especially since this year is the third consecutive year the AGM takes place in January.
2) Expanding the maximum number of directors on the board from 9 to 11.
Proposed Amendment to 4.1 ("Number of directors on Board"):
4.1 The Society must have a minimum of 7 directors and may have up to 11 directors.
Rationale: At the last AGM, we introduced a limit of 9 directors on the board. After a year, we think that raising that limit to 11 will increase capacity and avoid disruptions to board business if multiple directors resign before the end of their term.
3) Introducing staggered, two-year terms to the board of directors.
Proposed Amendment to 4.2 ("Election or appointment of directors"):
4.2 The following rules apply to the election of Directors: (a) Directors shall be elected for two-year terms, unless more than six positions are open for election in any year; (b) If more than six Directors are elected at an annual general meeting, then at the first meeting of the Board the newly elected directors shall choose from among themselves six who shall sit for a two-year term, with the remainder sitting for a one-year term.
Current Version (4.2): "At each annual general meeting, the voting members entitled to vote for the election or appointment of directors must elect or appoint the Board." This implies a default term of one year (from election at AGM until the next AGM).
Rationale: Based on the model used by Pivot Legal Society, we propose to introduce staggered terms as a way to introduce more stability to our volunteer board. With half of the board changing at each AGM, it is easier to establish continuity and institutional memory, while at the same time bringing in fresh perspectives from the community each year.
Get Involved
Call for Board Members:
We are looking for members who are passionate about our community to join our board of directors! While many current board members will be running again, we are seeking new board members to help us continue to grow this wonderful institution. We need committed, enthusiastic, curious people who are willing to learn what this community is and commit their time, talent, and skills to grow together. Learn more about becoming a board member here
Peretz Community Projects:
Members are organizing together on five priority projects in early 2025 (click to see more information).
Peretz 80th Anniversary Working Group
Peretz has historically organized around milestone anniversaries in order to document and share our history and grow/bring the community together. This group will:
Organize events and other initiatives to celebrate/mark the anniversary (like galas, variety shows, archive/stories, publications, film project, etc.)
Labour Solidarity Working Group
Despite our dedication to progressive values, long-term employees with decades of service to the community have stagnant wages and no pensions, job security, or even benefits (3/4 employees have extended health benefits as of Sept. 2024). This group will:
Develop and implement equitable and fair employment changes, policies, and practices (in collaboration with board and staff)
Apply for Living Wage Employer Certification
Accessibility Working Group
Several Peretz members have approached staff about accessibility needs, such as introducing guidelines for wearing masks or staying home when sick, addressing allergen risks, organizing transportation for events, creating more opportunities for online participation, and lowering event and program fees. This group will:
Recommend guidelines and policies to support health & safety at events, programs
Develop recommendations to address other accessibility needs of the community
Peretz Children's Care Group
Children and their caregivers are always welcome at Peretz, but not all programming is engaging to/appropriate for kids. In order to support working parents/caregivers and our youngest members, we need to share the labour/enjoyment of kid care. This group will:
Organize activities for children at events (with budget)
Fundraising Committee
As previous members return to Peretz and new members join, it’s the perfect time to fundraise for projects like building revitalization, growing the Kirman Library, supporting programs, and more. This committee will:
Organize fundraising campaigns (including for the 80th anniversary)
Reach out to past donors
Develop donor materials
To join one or more of these projects, write a comment in the registration form or email us at execdirector@peretz-centre.org