2005-2006 President's Report Posted on Nov 28th, 2006
The CANSI Board has continued to be very active since the December 10, 2005 AGM in Winnipeg, Manitoba. My term as President ends at the CANSI AGM on December 2, 2006 so this will be my last report to you. Having said that, a motion has been brought forward to create a new position on the board - Past President. If this motion carries, I will be pleased to offer support and advice to the new President.
When I originally began my tenure as President in February 2004, I established 6 key objectives for my term. At the time, they seemed ambitious, but the direction that the organization needed to take and would offer the membership the tools and supports necessary to help the organization grow. I am very pleased with the progress that has been made to date, and offer the following report on the substantial achievements that has been made on each of these objectives.
1. Improving membership services from the National office
Achieved
We are entering our 3rd season with the Canadian Ski Patrol acting as a contractor for our administrative services. Having a consistent office and staff has addressed one of my original issues with the previous set-up’s. This consistency and expertise has allowed us to stabilize this key components of the Association and allowed us to improve our service to members. An added benefit has been the ability for clients speaking to a staff person in their choice of language, on the phone or on-line, at any time of the year.
2. Revising and updating the instructor manual for Fall 2004 delivery
Achieved
When I started, the manual’s last update was in 1994. Being so long out of date, especially in XC skating technique, made it hard for members to reference it as a reliable resource. Thanks to the hard work of Tiffany Edwardsen there has been an update to the manual every year since 2004. Thanks to Jan Vopalensky for all of his work and expertise to move us forward into the virtual realm by making the manual available as an on-line resource. The French version of the manual still requires update, and it is hoped that this will be completed in the near future.
3. Developing a skills DVD to assist instructors in skill analysis
Achieved
Thanks to the dedication and commitement offered by Mike Lalonde and Xczone, this is now a reality. The XC ski DVD “Ski Your Best” has been released. It is a great partner to our instructors manual.
4. Developing a risk management policy
Ongoing
Due to the enormity of this project, we have only touched the surface. Work continues on our on going liability insurance package for professional instructor members and the introduction of a common waiver. The medical and model release form was completed last season. I look forward to a volunteer stepping forward to lead the work in this important area.
5. Reviewing web based applications for various membership activities and services
Achieved
The Annual General Meeting held in Canmore on December 4th, 2004 passed a motion to move away from regional administration to a model of national administration. This motion became know as the “Canmore Accord”.
I am pleased to report that after much hard work, a new and improved CANSI webpage was launched this fall. Our administration changes will be an evolution a work in progress.
Thank you to CANSI Ontario for their assistance in making this a reality. CANSI Ontario received a Trillium Grant from the province of Ontario in the amount of $92,000. The grant is to be used for rebuilding the CANSI National organization's administrative and volunteer infrastructure in order to meet the increased demand for Nordic ski instruction and certification.
Much thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Firmwater Inc. and to Gary Almond and Glenn Lee for overseeing this project.
6. Updating the strategic and operational plan.
Not a Active File
With the assistance of CANSI Ontario, a strategic plan was started. The Board had hoped that the focus of the board meeting/AGM in 2005 would be strategic planning, but due to lack of funds at the time this project has been put on hold. Again, I look forward to a volunteer stepping forward to lead the work in this important area.
Avalanche Uniforms
Achieved
For several years, Louis Garneau has provided an excellent uniform for Interski. This filled our needs for this event, but we needed an additional uniform for all instructors (XC and telemark) for all types of weather conditions. With assistance from Glenn Lee and our professional staff, we have expanded our general uniforming program with Avalanche ski clothing, which should work well for the future.
Technical Advancements
The Board always ensured that a substantial amount of financial dollars were spent in the area of technical advancement. This may have been in areas such as on-snow technical committee meetings, the production of the new CANSI DVD or updating the manual. It has often been felt that CANSI is very strong in its teaching standards, but weak and behind the rest of the world for not taking into account the latest XC innovations. I believe we have helped change this with our updated manual and new DVD.
AGM
As a further cost cutting measure and to keep our dollars on Technical advancements, the CANSI National Board has decided to conduct the National AGM in conjunction with the CANSI National Technical seminar. This meeting is to be held in Silver Star, BC on December 2, 2006. Tiffany Edwardsen, First Vice President, will convene the meeting. All members are invited to attend. For further information please contact info@pacific.cansi.ca.
I would like to thank the CANSI Board members, especially Tiffany Edwardsen and Ian Hughes (who will be stepping down this year), the Technical Committee and our professional staff at the Canadian Ski Patrol System, for their ongoing dedication and for providing valuable knowledge, skills and forward thinking.
If you have any questions or comments on how your Board and Technical Committee can provide better service to the membership, please to not hesitate to contact me or your local regional representative listed in X-Citation. Better yet, contact me today about becoming a volunteer in your association!
Paul Graner
president@cansi.ca
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