Month: January 2024

AGM 2023 Minutes

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Click the above link to access our 2023 Annual General meeting minutes. I will put them below as well.

Williams Lake Climbing Association – 2023 AGM

Wednesday December 13th, 2023

Fox Mountain Brewery – 6:00 PM

Attendees: Emma Swabey, Ekai Jorgenson, Daniel Cresta, Sam Wasstrom, Kelsey Miller, Lawrence Kelsey, Mae Frank

Chair: Ekai Jorgenson

Scribe: Emma Swabey

Minutes:

  1. Approval of agenda
    1. Approved by meeting attendees.
  2. Approval of 2022 AGM Minutes.
    1. Approved by meeting attendees.
  3. Financial Report
    1. 2022/23 Financial Report is available.
      1. Summarizes expenses from last seasons:
      1. Climbing Season – Sept 1st – August 31st
      1. Came out of 22/23 with $10,110.
      1. August 31st, 2023 – paid out several expenses:
        1. Clinic expenses
        1. Member reimbursement for clinic expenses
        1. Insurance for 2023-24 season.
    1. 2023/24 Season:
      1. Bank Account is free aside from $1.50 e-transfers.
      1. Annual society fee
      1. WLCF Grant – $6500
      1. Anticipated revenue for this year – anticipating the membership covers the expenses.
      1. Question:
        1. 2024 Climbing Clinic Estimate – for year ahead.
        1. 2023 climbing clinic expenses- unpaid expenses from 2023 season.
    1. ACTION: (Ekai) Post financial report on the climbing club website.
  4. Actions from last year (strike through indicates action was completed, “carryover” will be carried over to next year.)
    1. Gymnastics club collaboration
    1. Carpet piece for ladder – Ekai carryover
    1. Connecting with local mayoral candidates did happen. Awareness theoretically increased.
    1. Rotary club awareness of WLCA
    1. Complete financial reporting. Restructure the financial report.
    1. Sign a new contract with the pool. They further reduced the admin fee taken by the pool.
    1. List of donors to help WLCA cover insurance. Carryover.
    1. Draft and post info to website about non club climbing event scheduling. Carryover.  
    1. Encourage a school climbing club. Keep in minutes, Carryover – ask Rob about appetite.
    1. Talk to RSTBC and WLCF about Esler trails. WLCF didn’t have an issue, submitted an application to RSTBC, no further action required currently.
    1. Connect with other climbing areas about ownership, preservation, use. Mae visited Skeena Valley Climbing Club re: budgets and insurance. Carryover – connect with other clubs about their ownership/participation. Outdoor stewardship, how do associations exist to maintain, claim ownership.
  5. Gym and Bouldering
    1. Season update:
      1. Mid-way through season
      1. New reset of all holds/routes. Thanks to the volunteers that coordinated and made this happen.
      1. Now using colored holds instead of tape to mark routes.
    1. Punch Passes
      1. Have been doing really well.
    1. Info about drop-ins:
      1. Need to make sure volunteers are only allowing 1 drop-in, then requiring purchase of a 5-punch pass.
    1. New membership and pass structure:
      1. Goal was 2900$ with punch passes.
      1. So far have done $2100 dollars.
      1. We are 2/3rds to goal for yearly goal coming to end of first season.
      1. 20 punch passes in total.
        1. 11 punch passes have only seen 1-3 drop ins, the other have used 4-9.
      1. Individual gym users – 41 unique names. Great for 1st half of season.
      1. Pool cut of fees came down by 10 % (to 15%) saving $200 thus far.
      1. How many more punch passes are required to cover our fees:
        1. Need to sell 25*5 punch passes.
        1. Expect to see more 10 punch passes.
    1. Need volunteers:
      1. Daniel can cover Mae’s volunteer shift going into the New Year.
  6. Insurance:
    1. Skeena Club pays per member for insurance.
    1. WLCA was covered by membership last year.
  7. Youth Climbing
    1. Continuing interest in private group events (requests continue to be received by club).
    1. Currently short on volunteer capacity for these types of requests:
      1. When requests come in, we message the “Rock Luvvers” facebook chat to see if anyone is interested in facilitating from WLCA.
      1. Don’t want private group event days to be held on standard programming. Need to be on an “off day” and set up in addition to programming.
    1. Potential event opportunities:
      1. There are several youth support organizations reached out. WLCA can’t access bouldering gym, but WLCA could coordinate an additional day for this group to access outdoor clinic day.
    1. Climbing Clinic:
      1. Could target youth session on the Fridays to encourage higher participation.
  8. Esler Trails:
    1. Applied for S17 Trails Authorization with Rec Sites and Trails
    1. Met with WL Community Forest
      1. Trails that are currently quad trails are intended to be hiking trails not quad trails per Community Forest.
      1. Hiking trails were likely meant as means to discourage quad riders but was not properly communicated with community forest.
      1. Community Forest agrees that they do not want quad trails. Very valuable cultural and ecosystem values.
      1. Need to visually block quad trails and turn them all into single track trails.
      1. Part of 2024 WLCF grant application is for a signboard that can be placed over the quad trail.
    1. Improved trails last year. Feedback?
      1. Looks mint.
      1. Navigation is easier.
  9. Outdoor clinic and trail improvement
    1. 2023:
      1. Hosted a climbing clinic.
    1. Signage:
      1. Any feedback on the wall signage put up in 2023?
        1. Out of town folks are having a hard time finding the signs.
        1. The coming updates to the guidebook should help folks.
    1. WL Community Forest funding:
      1. Need to provide the WLCF with an invoice for work.
    1. Stair building supplies:
      1. There are stair building supplies out at Esler, available for someone to build stairs.
    1. Bolt development fund:
      1. $900 fund for route development, bolts, etc.
      1. The club is going to buy bolts for route development.
      1. Make a secret, secure, hiding stash for bolts.
    1. Species at Risk:
      1. Keep eyes open for species at risk out there.
  10. 2024 Events:
    1. WL Community Forest Funding:
      1. Climbing Clinic
      1. Esler Signage Board
    1. WLCA BBQ & Breakfast
      1. Interest in a social event out at Esler.
        1. Generally, support of this event by AGM members.  
    1. Skeena hosted an outdoor bouldering competition.
      1. How did they get insurance. FMCBC insurance?
  11. WLCA Membership:
    1. A member is someone who likes the WLCA and cares about its ongoing business.
    1. Could sell separate memberships that come with a WLCA sticker.
    1. WLCA will consider potential WLCA membership potential structure and we will schedule a February meeting to discuss this further and start putting measures in place.
    1. Need to make the website updates more distributed. Add a “opt-in to club updates via email” section to the waiver letter, including an opt-out tab.
  12. WLCA 2023 AGM Elections:
    1. President – Ekai Jorgenson elected unanimously.
    1. Treasurer – Lawrence Kelsey elected unanimously.
    1. Secretary – Emma Swabey elected unanimously.
    1. Director of Development – Mae Frank elected unanimously.
    1. Director of Operations – Kelsey Miller elected unanimously.
    1. Director of Esler – Sam Wasstrom elected unanimously.

ACTIONS:

ACTION: (Ekai) Schedule May/June meeting to figure out 2024/25 membership, pass, pricing. Ahead of the rec guide going out and the City pressing us for this.

ACTION: (Lawrence) Tracking system for better sign-in monitoring. Considerations: keep the sign-in sheet right in front of you.

ACTION: (Ekai/Kelsey) Look into insurance for pay-per-member and joining the overarching society (FMCBC) insurance.

ACTION: (Kelsey) Make a “Book a Climbing Event” page to the Private group events can be scheduled with the club based on volunteer & gym availability. Typical availability is Monday, Wednesday, Friday 5:30-7:30. Please email us at email address for more information. Ekai will help with the website part.

ACTION: (Daniel) Draft FAQ content and make associated webpage. 

ACTION: (X) Standard private event email response to event requests

ACTION: (X) Have FAQ response email.

ACTION: (Ekai) Forward correspondence to AGM attendees and core members about the updated Esler Guidebook.

ACTION: (Sam) Take drone photos of the different walls at Esler

ACTION: (X) Let Mark McGirr and Mike know that the WLCA is taking photos for the guidebook.

ACTION: (Mae) Make a Mountain Project page for Williams Lake. Provide link to club website and more information about local climbing.

ACTION: (Sam) Make the garbage bins lockable.

ACTION: (Mae) Make a common Species at Risk for the Esler area (to be used on future board, member awareness)

ACTION: (X) Host a membership structure meeting to figure out how WLCA membership works. Host in February, send out to folks.

ACTION: (X): Add an email sign up notice to the waiver letter form that allows WLCA to send membership emails when folks sign waiver. Include an opt out option.

ACTION: (X) When climbers register, sign them up for website updates using their email.