Dear Karen,

Hi! A note here to let you know how
much | enjoy the articles by Bob
Kingsmill. Thought the last one was
great - | could identify. The customer
always wants it larger, smaller, a
different colour, and then ends up taking
the first one of four that you made for
that special order! We must keep our
perspectives of why we are doing what
we are. Thanks Bob.

Yours truly,

Pat Munro

(Bob is currently in Ireland, hopefully
enjoying !ots of fine pots and Bushmills, and
promises an article for the next newsletter.
KO.)

Board of Directors Meeting, April 10, 1996

Present: Keith, Tam, Carol, Faye, Darrel,
Gillian,Jane, Pat, June, Ron and Rob Kell
-Accountant for Year End Financial Review

*Minutes of March 26th adopted as written
“Newsletter Committee to meet in May
*Studio 5- this year's recipient announced,
Discussion on Studio 5 re; bettering studio
tabled, publicity discussed.

*A large oval kiln has been donated to the
Northwest Ceramics Foundation, it will be
installed in studio 5

“Carol reported that there were 42
applicants for “Off the Wall’. It was
determined the jurying fee should be $200
*Rob Keil, Accountant, gave a draft report
of the year-end. Recommendations
included keeping better records than
previously (already in process) and to file
yearly tax returns (not previously done).
“Discussion of AGM -Jane presented plan
for annual report

“Faye moved that membership fees be
increased for the year 1997 to cover
increased costs of paper, printing and
postage. The new fees to be $37.38 + GST
to make $40.00 (individual). Pat seconded,
all in favour

““*Next board meeting has not yet been
set, due to scheduling conflicts. It will
be either the end of May or beginning of
June at Keith's house (potluck). Call
Jane at the Gallery for a firm date if you
wish to attend.

The AGM, A Rough Report

Here is a synopsis of the items covered.

1) Minutes of last years meeting adopted

2) Business arising from last AGM:

Jan Krueger is no longer executive director, the Ican
has been activated and is being paid off rapidly.
D'arcy Margesson requested financial statement be
sent out prior to the AGM meeting last year, this was
not possible this year as the accountant was trying to
decipher the financial records. Jane is confident that
next year it will be sent out well in advance of the
AGM.

The assigning of Board Members to different
gecgraphic locations was done with varying results.
3) Presidents Report Keith Rice-Jones reported
that the board had tried to pull together the Icose
ends from last years AGM. The decision to send out
proxies was an effort to emphasize direct
membership action at the AGM. At the mailout of the
last newsletter, there were not enough nominees to
fill the retiring board positions, so sending out a ballot
would have been futile. The proxy vote was to allow
absent members to vote in the event of nominaticns
fram the floor at the AGM. The general mocd of the
Board was upbeat , after a few difficult years.

4) Treasurers Report Pat Taddy reported that the
members equity line had fallen from approximately
$32,000 to about $7,000 this year. This was
primarily due to keeping the Gallery and Guild
finances separate and not factoring in 1996 revenue
in the 1995 financial statement (ie. made in clay fees,
membership dues received prior to January, etc.).
By the end of 1996, the membership equity is
expected to about $20,000. The executive directors
position was eliminated when it became cbvious that
the expected guild revenue increase from innovative
outside sources was not happening so we could not
afford the position. Rob Kell, accountant gave the
annual financial statement in fairly clear language.
(the statement is available at the guild office, and if
you have a buming desire to pour over figures, we
can always mail/fax it to you). Questions were raised
about the unbreakable Xerox contract that our former
director signed, but as previously mentioned, we do
have it until the end of the century.

5) General Managers report Jane Matthews
stated that the Guild ended 95 in deficit position, but
had started to change operating procedures before
the end of the year and will improve by the end of 96.
For the first time, there is a detailed monthly budget
which helps pinpoint the cashflow. It was thought
that the operation would be at a $10,000 loss point
for the end of April (profits usually manifest during
the summer and Xmas months), but we only had a
loss of $5,000. The Granville Island Community
Business Association is sharing advertising and
working as a group to raise their profile. Jane's day
to day role as GM was clarified, re. queries from the
public for artists, lessons etc.

6) Everybody loooves the Newsletter!!!

7) Committee reports were given as outlined in
AGM package (coming to you sconish).

8) New Business The membership fee increase
was approved unanimously by present guild
members, after some discussion as to whether the
increase would decrease memberships.

Election of New Board members Called 3 times
for nominations from floor, no one came forward so
the standing nominees were in by acclaim. The new
name for the Newsletter was voted on, and despite
several ingenious suggestions the old name was
voted in. Thanks and Farewells were given to
outgoing beard members and the new ones were
welcomed in, See the General Managers column for
an intro to our new board members! Any reporting
flaws are mine -Mea culpa, Karen.

The Corner Chair

Have you ever been in that situation when
you think that things just can't get worse,
and then they do? Celia and | are just)
digging ourselves out from under one of)
those times and the catalogue of over |
commitment, illness, accident and clay|
disasters makes me wonder why.

In essence | have a full time teaching job |
compounded by District and Ministry of
Education curriculum initiatives. Fortunately
Celia facilitates this by keeping my classes
covered when I'm not there -but then she's
not in the studio, Bad timing brought Made
in Clay, Off the Wall, the AGM and our
Fountains and Waterfalls exhibition (at the
Gallery through May) all at the same time.
Each year at Made in Clay there's been at
least one accident, this year it was our turn
and we lost a load of pots when rear-ended
on the way to set-up. Miraculously Celia
walked away with only some minor muscle
damage to add to a painful bout of shingles.
Then at Made in Clay, | put out my back &
I'm still recovering . So with a pair of
damaged bodies the brick salvaging
expedition at Cranes booked for this week
had to go, It was a struggle to set up our
show, Fountains and Watertalls can't be
tested until they're finished. That's when the
leaks show... And then there were the firing
disasters; whole shelf stacks coming down,
the warping, the cracking and dropping a
section of my “Off the Wall” piece while
loading it for a refire. The replacement piece
was made, force dried, bisqued and the
inexplicably blew out its whole side and took
shelf supports out with it.

It seems that because there are so many
ways that pots can go wrong, it must be why
our chosen involvement is such a strong
metaphor for life itself. We pick ourselves
up and do it again! There is something
compelling about it all, As it's the end of my
term, | shall.be handing over the chair to
someone else-and despite the challenges of
the past year there have been some
enormous positives and I'll probably be
back. | know that I shall miss being on the
board for the sense of being involved and
doing something for my guild and having
worked with such great people. | hope you
all appreciate the time, expertise and
commitment ‘that people make for our
organization (we do get some strokes). |
wish both the ongoing and new board
members a year of smooth sailing and
consolidation. with Capn’ Jane and the
Gallery crew.

Keith Pice-Jones