new direction€¦ · chairperson report sport manager report treasurer report 7. budget...

Cross Country Alberta 11759 Groat Road - Edmonton, Alberta - T5M 3K6

Tel: (780) 415-1738 / Fax: (780) 427-0524 / [email protected] / www.xcountryab.net

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April 11, 2018

To all Cross Country Alberta Member Clubs,

We are pleased to invite you to our 2018 CCA Annual General Meeting:

“New Direction”

The Cross Country Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2018 in Edmonton

at Percy Page Centre, 11759 Groat Road, T5M 3K6

Schedule (subject to change)

9:30 – 10:00 Registration and Complimentary coffee & snacks

10:00 Welcome from the Chairperson, Jo Wolach

10:05 – 10:50 Heidi Widmer – The Future of Athlete Training

10:50 – 11:00 Coffee and Snack Break – provided by CCA

11:00– 12:00 Annual General Meeting

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch and Awards – provided by CCA

1:00 – 2:30 Panel Discussion – Membership Fees

2:30 – 2:45 Closing remarks and Q & A

3:00 Meeting adjourned

Thank you!

Please send in your club registration, club proxy form and nominations by Friday, June 1 at

12:00 noon. Registration information is listed below.

We look forward to seeing you at the CCA Annual General Meeting!

Sincerely,

Jo Wolach

Chairperson, Cross Country Alberta

mailto:[email protected]



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2018 AGM Notice & Information Package

1. AGM Registration Information

2. AGM Agenda

3. Votes per Member Club

4. AGM Proxy Form

5. CCA Board of Directors Nomination form

6. Meeting Directions and Maps

7. 2017 AGM Minutes




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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AGENDA

1. Registration

9:30 am

2. Welcome and call for nominations

11:00 am

3. Acceptance of Agenda

4. Acceptance of 2017 AGM Minutes

5. Business arising from minutes

6. Annual Reports:

Chairperson Report

Sport Manager Report

Treasurer Report

7. Budget presentation

8. Election of new officers

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING ADJOURNED

12:00pm




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CCA AGM Registration Form

Please confirm your attendance by Wednesday, June 1, 2018.

Please contact [email protected] if you need assistance

Click HERE to open up the Google Form Registration Link



https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeN9YF1_JKPKuV3n3fqgrBkapI5uQf8aFd4rz-4v5qawYpTAg/viewform?usp=pp_url&entry.2096935170&entry.369636021&entry.1880367283&entry.850439909



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CROSS COUNTRY ALBERTA

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

VOTES PER CLUB

The total number of paid members will determine club representation votes.

No. Skiers in Member Club No. Votes of Member Clubs

0000 to 0020 1 vote

0021 to 0100 2 votes

0101 to 0200 3 votes

0201 to 0300 4 votes

0301 to 0400 5 votes

0401 to 0500 6 votes

0501 to 0600 7 votes

0601 to 0700 8 votes

0701 to 0900 10 votes

0901 to 1000 11 votes

1001 to 1200 12 votes

1201 and over 12 votes plus one vote for each additional 200 (or fraction thereof

persons more than 1200.




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CROSS COUNTRY ALBERTA

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

PROXY FORM

Voting by Proxy

As per Section 4.4.4 “Delegation of Votes” in the CCA By-Laws, “Any Member Club may delegate its

right to vote to any member of Cross Country Alberta as its delegate. Such a delegate must present

evidence of the delegation prior to the opening of any meeting, signed by two (2) officers of the Member

Club they represent.” This in effect gives the right to vote by proxy, following these guidelines. If your

club chooses to vote by proxy, use the enclosed proxy form.

To assist you in selecting a club to carry your proxy, please check the CCA website for a list of clubs who

have registered for the AGM. Your designate must present this form prior to the commencement of the

meeting to the CCA Representative.

PROXY FORM

I, ______________________, being a Board member of_______________________, a Cross Country

Alberta Club, do hereby give permission to _______________________, who is also a member of Cross

Country Alberta, to act on my behalf at the Annual General Meeting, Saturday, June 9, 2018 in Calgary,

Alberta.

Signatures of two (2) Club Officials giving permission:

1. _______________________ ______________________ ____________________

Print Name Club Board Position Signature

2. _______________________ ______________________ ____________________

Print Name Club Board Position Signature

DUE AT CCA OFFICE BY Wednesday, June 1 at 12 noon

(Email to: [email protected], or fax to: 780-427-0524)





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2018 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

CCA BOARD of DIRECTORS NOMINATION FORM

The following CCA Board positions are open for nominations. Please see the CCA Web site for

full description of Board positions. Nominees and nominators must be members of CCA.

CCA BOARD MEMBERS TO BE ELECTED FOR A TWO YEAR TERM:

1. “Treasurer"

I nominate ________________________________________________ for 2018-2020

2. “Director of Human Resources"

I nominate _________________________________________________ for 2018-2020

3. “Director Marketing and Communications"

I nominate ________________________________________________ for 2018-2020

4. “Director of Events and Scheduling”

I nominate _________________________________________________ for 2018-2020

5. “Director of Alberta Ski Team”

I nominate _________________________________________________ for 2018-2020

TO BE ELECTED FOR ONE YEAR REMAINING ON A TWO-YEAR TERM:

6. “Director of Leadership Development"

I nominate __________________________________________________ for 2018-2019

7. “Director of Para Nordic Development"

I nominate _________________________________________________ for 2018-2019

______________________________________________________________________________

Nominator’s full name (please print) Signature Email address

SEND THIS FORM TO THE CCA OFFICE PRIOR TO Wednesday, June 1, 2018

Nominations will be accepted at the June 9, 2018 Annual General Meeting.

(Email to: [email protected], or fax to: 780-427-0524)


http://www.xcountryab.net/contact-us/




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Location

Percy Page Building

11759 Groat Road

Edmonton, AB

T5M 3K6

Free parking available.

Must sign in/out with security guard at back door (entrance) of building




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Cross Country Alberta

2017 Annual General Meeting Minutes

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Calgary, Alberta

Present:

Jo Wolach, Cross Country Alberta

Michael Neary, Cross Country Alberta

Rebecca Reese, Cross Country Alberta

Ken Bagnall, Cross Country Alberta

Aaron Dodds, Cross Country Alberta

Dasha Gaiazova-Atkins, Space Dogs

George Smith, Calgary Nordic Training Group

Peter Atkins, Space Dogs

Chris Jeffries, Alberta World Cup Society

Eric Groeneveld, Foothills Nordic Ski Club

Flora Giesbrecht, XC Bragg Creek

Margaret Barron, Cross Country Alberta

Kevin McLean, Foothills Nordic Ski Club

Sarah Kendall, Presenter

Shane Pearsall, Cross Country Canada

Jean Funk, Strathcona Wilderness Centre

Lynn Bowers, Calgary Ski Club (XC)

Christine Brown, Edmonton Nordic Ski Club

Farley Klotz, Foothills Nordic Ski Club

Ian Murray, Capital Region Cross Country Ski Society

Ryan Murray, Bow Waters Jackrabbits

Cam McGregor, Canadian Birkiebeiner Society

Brian Lucas, Canadian Birkiebeiner Society

Registration - 9:30 am

1. Welcome and call for nominations

2. Acceptance of Agenda

a. Approved by Flora Giesbrecht, XCBragg Creek

b. Seconded by Ryan Murray, Bow Waters Jackrabbits

c. Carried

3. Acceptance of 2016 Minutes

a. Approved by Kevin McLean , Foothills Nordic

b. Seconded by Chris Jeffries, Alberta World Cup Society




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c. Carried

4. Business arising from minutes:

a. Jo Wolach:

i. No bylaw review. CCC is working on bylaws and procedures and

approvals

ii. Collaboration and alignment – each division can use it as a template for

their own division

iii. This is deferred to 2017-2018

b. George Smith:

i. The data entry for Masters points is problematic. It needs to be done

manually. It was not consistently done this year. Ahtletes can see the

points lists (CPL) ahead of time. Midgets don’t need license, it is available

now.

ii. Adding 100 points manually after each event is time consuming. The

question is what is the rational, and what does it accomplish.

c. Chris Jeffries:

i. It would be nice to do, but is not highest priority. It is hard to update

points during race weekend. Those with CPL are on a list.

ii. Mike Neary asks race organizers to do this during entry. The challenge is

making sure that it is done correctly.

d. George Smith:

i. The AB Cup points should be up and accurate before the races begin.

ii. How do we encourage masters to compete? There are declining masters in

AB Cups.

e. Mike Neary:

i. There are more masters now than in previous years.

ii. We have the same race distance for males and females now, which

athletes have appreciated.

iii. It was mentioned that in Estonia there is a World Loppet Series. Perhaps

we could have an Alberta Loppet Series, or even work with other sports to

have a multi-sport leader board.

iv. Alberta had a loppet series, but it stopped two years ago. MEC was a

sponsor, but they stopped their sponsorship four years ago. There was a

reward for the athlete who did the most loppets, as well as draws.

f. Jo Wolach:

i. CCA will host a meeting to talk about this further.

5. Annual Reports

a. Chairperson Report: See circulated report




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b. Sport Manager Report: See circulated report

c. Treasurer Report: See circulated report

i. Motion for acceptance of the Financial Statements.

1. Moved by Ken Bagnall

2. Seconded by Dasha Gaiazova

3. Carried

ii. The CCA financial statements or the year ended April 30, 2017, as

prepared by Doyle & co. be approved

1. Approved by Ken Bagnall

2. Seconded by Dasha Gaiazova

3. Carried

iii. I move that Deb Whitten be appointed as auditor of CCA for the year

ended April 30, 2018

1. Moved by Jean Funk – Deb accepted via text after the meeting

iv. Jo Wolach: the Board will research the membership fees for 2018-2019,

considering factors such as CCC fees and increase to CCA. CCA Board

will make that decision and present to the membership before Christmas

2017.

v. The 2017-2018 Budget was approved


2. Seconded by Lynn Bowers

6. Budget Presentation

a. We discussed raising the fees for membership, both for individuals and for clubs.

The Board will need to discuss this further and decide what changes to make. We

usually give a year notice for changes like this as a courtesy for the members,

although we don’t have to.

b. I move that the financial budget or the year ended April 30, 2018 be approved.


2. Seconded by Jean Funk

3. Carried.

7. Election of New Officers

a. CCA Board members were elected for a two year term, 2017-2019:

i. Chairperson – Jo Wolach

ii. Vice Chairperson – Dasha Gaiazova

iii. Director of Youth and Athlete Development – Matt Saurette

iv. Director of Leadership Development – Vaughn McGrath

v. Director of Para Nordic Development – Margaret Barron




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Jo Wolach, CCA Chairperson Report, 2017- 2018

It was three years ago when Pierre LaFontaine, CEO of CCC, stood before you and shared a vision – 1

Team-1 Mission-for Canada. Cross Country Canada has come a long way since then. While chairing the

Division Chairs Council I have seen that change. The provinces are engaged, they are sharing, they are

working on new initiatives such as Snow Making, Urban and Rural Lighting initiatives, program ideas for

weather not conducive to cross country skiing etc. Yes, these are grass root initiatives, but we need these

to raise future high-performance athletes. We also need these initiatives to engage recreational skiers,

allow master skiers to train and race, to allow student athletes to obtain education and high-performance

coaching/opportunities. Many provinces are now aligned with the Strategic ENDS that CCC follows.

Shane Pearsall will be sharing further on CCC today.

It is now Alberta’s time to share a vision – 1 Team-1 Mission for Alberta! Where does that start? Today

the board will be sharing a draft of Alberta’s ENDS. Keep in mind – this is only a draft. The vision is to

have a 10-year plan with annual business plans. Our new Managing Director will be working towards

this initiative once he/she is hired.

What has CCA accomplished this past year?

1. Much thought and discussion went into hiring a new Program Coordinator. Communication was felt

to be a key missing ingredient thus the role changed to Program and Communication Coordinator.

We were able to hire an incredible employee – Gabriela Nef Ojeda .

2. After 15 years, Michael Neary is venturing out in a new direction. He will be staying in Alberta and

be available for contract work in various cross-country areas such as conducting coaching courses and

evaluating, officiating etc. This means CCA will be hiring a Managing Director soon.

3. The two-year Korean Exchange was completed in December 2017 with 10 athletes being able to train

and race at the Olympic Site.

4. The AST participated in an international trip that allowed the athletes to train and race in Austria,

Switzerland and Germany as part of “Team Canada” (British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta and

Quebec).

5. With two international experiences we had coaches that were able to gain greater leadership

experiences.

6. Trail Net has an active CCA Rep who has begun initiating discussions with the organization to

enhance and create multi use trails that could be used for cross country skiing.

7. Through the World Cup Society, legacy funds have allowed for further coaching development,

officials development and athlete development. As Chair, I am part of this committee and able to

provide CCA input.

8. As Chair of CCA, I was able to obtain a “place at the table” at the High-Performance Meetings in

April. As a team we prepared a presentation, outlining what Alberta has been doing in High

Performance. These were valuable meetings as much was learned from all. One thing that stood out




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was that Alberta was the only province of the “Big Four” that did not have a provincial or high-

performance coach on staff.

9. Our Marketing Director obtained sponsorship through Fountain Tire and with the improved

communications we have had requests for advertising on Nordic News thus an advertising price

schedule has been drawn up. Rod would like to continue a Marketing Committee to further develop

sponsorship opportunities.

10. The interim Alberta Ski Team Director has logged countless hours communicating with athletes and

coaches. She has developed the AST/ADT plans for this season, developed an application process for

coaches to apply to lead camps etc.

11. A Concussion Policy was written a year ago, and is now a standard that others are looking at in their

policies.

12. An updated Technical Package has been completed that includes Roller Skiing and inclusion of

Banners for both Small and Large Clubs at Youth Champs.

13. CCA now has an Athlete Representative.

14. Alberta has athletes that have been designated NEX GEN for 2018/2019 as well as athletes that have

been recognized for their personal achievements (IPB’s)

What is next?

1. The HR Committee will be hiring a Managing Director.

2. The Board and HR Committee will be hiring a part time Provincial/High Performance Coach or

similar using a High-Performance Development Coach Grant from ASC.

3. Our first sanctioned Roller Ski Race will be in early July, utilizing the CCC roller ski fleet.

4. The board will have working committee with the new Managing Director to develop our 10-year

plan. New policies and procedures will be worked on.

5. A call for By- Laws Committee is out at this AGM as it will be necessary to align with our changes.

6. Further alignment with other provinces. This would include international trips, races schedules, and

training opportunities to name a few.

7. To continue working with Ian Reade from University of Alberta as he has been instrumental in

assisting the board this past year on developing long-term strategic direction.

8. Developing stronger communications and working relationships amongst all clubs, University

Programs, the training center etc. in Alberta.

9. Increasing membership through a strong membership drive and sharing the benefits of being a

CCA/CCC member.

10. Improvement of our Para Nordic development.

11. Augmenting program for First Nation communities through Ski Fit North, in partnership with Spirit

North.

12. Continuing strong ties with the World Cup Society as they work to bring – High Level events to

Canmore for all – Para, Able Bodied, and Masters.

13. Continuing to provide for skill development, officials development and coaching development.

In conclusion, will this happen in a year? No, I would suggest that this will be a two to three-year project

with strong commitment from all.

Finally, I would like to thank Mike Neary for everything he has put into our sport over the years and wish




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him the best in his new venture. As well, many thanks to our directors who have put many valuable

volunteer hours in over the past year. And to all our volunteers in the sport – thank you, we cannot do it

alone!

Jo Wolach

CCA Chairperson




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Dasha Gaiazova, CCA Vice-Chairperson 2017-2018

This was my first year in the role, and as the year progressed, I was able to assist with various tasks,

where help was needed.

One of the major projects that we tackled this year HR-related. Our previous office admin, Laura,

resigned past September. When we were going through the process of hiring a new office admin, we

looked at our entire organization, and tried to identify how the needs of our organization have been

evolving, including the long-term vision of operations, that we have for CCA. At times, we referred to

CCBC, and their successful, growing organization, to see how they have been expanding their office, and

what kind of key operations enabled the biggest successes to their skiing community.

A considerable effort was put into the hiring process, resulting in hiring Gaby. In the relatively short time

that she has been working with the association, Gaby has been a tremendous addition to our operations.

We are extremely happy having Gaby take over the office duties at CCA, and we hope you have had a

chance to meet her in person at some of the AB Cups last year, or “meet” her over the phone.

At the end of April, we also said goodbye to Mike Neary. Mike has been the face of our organization for

over a decade, and we wish him all the best in his new endeavours. We will miss his bubbly personality,

and his presence at the office and at the ski events.

Because of his departure, we have again taken some time to re-evaluate what kind of support our

provincial skiers and club members require and appreciate the most. We have been putting a considerable

effort into re-designing the job (including working with HR and Recruiting specialists, and Sports

Organizations Governance Experts). We will be looking for a new person to fulfill the needs of our ski

association very soon.

In the long-term, we would like to see our office staff expand, to continue striving for excellence in

servicing skiers and clubs across the province. It has been a challenging process, but we are confident that

these new directions will result in a positive, lasting impact on skiing in Alberta.

If you would like to offer your help, or have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via email:

[email protected]

Yours in skiing,

Dasha Atkins

CCA Vice-Chairperson





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Rod Neander, Communications and Marketing Director Report 2017-2018

Accomplishment – Increased revenue from new source to reduce pressure on traditional funding sources

like casinos and government grants.

Sponsorship – Fountain Tire

Using information gathered over previous year on skiers, developed a sponsorship proposal based

on the value of Alberta skiers to mainstream industry (non-ski industry).

Cold call to Fountain Tire in Fall 2017 using research that shows skiers drive about 50% more

than the average couch potato

Developed a proposal with Mike Neary to create strong visibility for Fountain Tire over 12

months, negotiated the contract and received the full contract amount upfront (December)

Worked with Mike and Gaby to fulfill the contract visibility: on CCA website, Nordic News,

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and at race events.

In April 2018, made proposal to Fountain Tire to add a new sponsorship element (sponsored ski

ties) in Alberta for the coming season. Proposed CCA coordinate distribution in BC and

Saskatchewan.

Advertising – Nordic News

With re-launch of Nordic News, developed limited advertising opportunities competitive with

other sports e-newsletters.

Negotiated with Fernie Tourism for 6-month contract

Advertising and revenue to start in August 2018

With Gaby, developed an editorial and advertising calendar for Nordic News

Policy

Wrote a sponsorship and advertising policy for CCA to ensure:

o Sponsors fit with CCA values

o A desired balance between member information and sales is maintained

o Fairness is maintained for competing ski industry retailers and manufacturers.

Governance

Attended the majority of CCA meetings and provided opinions, insights and voted on issues.

I believe the 2018-2019 sponsorship and advertising support will grow to a significant amount. For

example, it should be the equivalent of a staff person’s salary.

Rod Neander

Communications and Marketing Director




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Allison McArdle - Alberta Ski Team Director Report 2017-2018

Selection Criteria:

ADT and AST Selection Criteria was reviewed by the Technical Committee and circulated for Coach and

member feedback in November. The Technical Committee (TC) received some valuable feedback from a

few coaches that was taken into consideration and the criteria was modified by the Sport Manager and

AST Director. The updated criteria for the 2018-2019 AST and ADT was posted on the website, prior to

the first Alberta Cup Dec 2nd

.

Canada Winter Games selection criteria have been reviewed by the TC. In December a survey was set up

to collect feedback from athletes on coaches on the structure of the CWG program and also criteria for

selection. It was decided that selection of athletes would occur based on results from AB Cup and NorAm

events before Christmas. The designated selection races will be decided when the race calendar is

finalized.

2018-2019 AST and ADT programs:

Alberta Ski Team: Based on the 6 different selection criteria 16 athletes were nominated to the Alberta

Ski Team for the 2018-2019 programs, with 8 females and 8 males accepting their nominations. With this

season being a Canada Winter Games year the program will be able to draw on specialist services

provided by Alberta Sport Connection such as Media training, Sports Psychology, and Nutrition that will

be incorporated into the camp schedule. Two testing camps and an on-snow camp have been planned for

the AST. Testing will be performed at the CSI in Calgary with additional workshops and training

opportunities being organized to complement the testing. The main focus of the program is to build a

strong Team Alberta and develop the athletes as a whole, not just focusing on physical performance.

The AST and ADT camp outlines were put together after discussions with the coaches over the weekend

of the Western Canadian Championships and some of the feedback from the survey in December.

Alberta Development Team

25 athletes have been selected to the Alberta Development Team, 12 females and 12 males met the

selection criteria and an additional male was added to the team based on a force majeure Provincial Coach

Experience (PCE)

The ADT and AST camps need to be an opportunity for coaches to share as well as give developing

coaches an opportunity to lead provincial camps. Suggestions from coaches came that the staffing at

camps be an open process to give coaches from Club’s an opportunity to gain experience. This year the




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Provincial Coach Experience program is being reintroduced. A list of camps and a PCE form was posted

on the website and emailed out to coaches

Canada Winter Games Program:

In December a survey was sent to athletes and coaches to help steer the structuring of the program. There

were 23 people who attempted the survey, not all completed it, and the responses along with the

additional comments were discussed and changes were made to the program to incorporate some

suggestions from the community and with a focus to promote “Team Alberta” and design a program that

is meaningful to athletes and helps CCA achieve it’s Mission. A 3 camp program was devised.

The program is a compromise based on coaches concerns and athletes wants. The Committee felt it was

pertinent to provide opportunities for the team to be, a team, but with minimal disruption to Club

programs. The TC felt that providing the coaches and support staff with an opportunity to work with the

athletes prior to the CWG was essential and that and we are still looking at different possibilities for this.

The selection process for the CWG is still to be determined but the TC have begun discussions based on

the responses in the December survey.

The coaching and support positions associated with the CWG were posted in April. The TC will meet in

June to discuss and appoint people to the positions. Those appointed to the positions will be expected to

attend a camp and also the competition trip.

Provincial Coach Experience (PCE) program

The PCE in being reintroduced in 2018-2019. This program allows coaches in the province to gain

experience organizing and coaching at Provincial level camps, AST and ADT. Camps provide a great

opportunity for coaches to share knowledge and develop new ideas so getting coaches together at camps

will give the Province more opportunity to build the skill level and develop the confidence of coaches

which in turn benefits the athletes. The program was also reintroduced based on feedback from coaches

who thought the Provincial program should involve and ‘belong’ to the Clubs.

In April a calendar of dates and an application form was posted on the CCA website and sent out to

coaches. At this point we have only had 1 formal application and 2 inquiries.

Allison McArdle

Alberta Ski Team Director




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2018 Special Resolution – Strathcona Wilderness Centre

Whereas: Cross Country Alberta is the provincial sport governing association of cross-country skiing

Whereas:

The Board is responsible for the governance of Cross Country Alberta, in accordance with Bylaw 5.5

“Governance by the Board” of the CCA Bylaws, approved May 23, 2015.

Whereas:

The members of Cross Country Alberta require adequate information about the qualifications, experience

and goals of candidates for the Board of Directors.

Be it resolved that:

The Cross Country Alberta Board of Directors appoints a committee or sub-committee to review the

Bylaw 5.4 Nomination of Director Candidates and provide recommendation to the members at the

2019 Cross Country Alberta Annual General Meeting.

Background:

The current Bylaw does not require candidates to be screened nor provide a presentation of their

qualifications, experience and goals for their term on the CCA Board. The Nomination Committee is not

required to provide information on the state of the candidates.




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Allison McArdle, Alberta Ski Team Director Report 2017-2018

Allison McArdle

Alberta Ski Team Director

Aaron Dodds, Events Director Report 2017 – 2018

Aaron Dodds

Events Director


new direction€¦ · chairperson report sport manager report treasurer report 7. budget...

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