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Board Briefings In her opening statement at the Open Annual Meeting at the Kempenfeldt Conference Cen- tre in Barrie, FWIO President Christine Fteaburn remarked that within the structure of the Women‘s institute. the Board directs and pro~ tests the organization. She expanded by saying that the Board directs by setting policies, which lay out the roles and responsibilities of the Board. Coordinators. Provincial Advisory Councillors (PAC). the Committees of the Board and the Provincial Office. To this end. she noted that in recent months. the Policy and Procedures Manual has been updated, the Board is currently working on a Strategic Plan for 2001 to 2003 to be followed by a Business Plan, and three of the four Coordinator’s manuals are being revised. Fleaburn explained that the Board protects the organization by ensuring that the assets are wisely and sater invested - in accordance with the rules that govern not~for-profit groups and in accordance with FWIO policy - to realize a good rate of return. The Board monitors the budget to ensure that the Women's Institute receives full I measure for every dollar spent. The Board con» tinues to steer a path to financial selfâ€"sufficiency as the fundraising campaign progresses. For more information on the items covered at the Annual Meeting refer to the printed Annual Report sent to each Branch. or ask your PAC member or your Board Director. Recognitions Presrdent Reaburn noted that while each of the outgoing Board Directors Pat Salter and Donna Vlfillows brought different strengths to the Board. both were fervent ambassadors for the Women's Institute. She acknowledged Rosella Clancy for her four years as Provincial Tweedsmuir Curator and for renewing the enthusiasm lorTweedsmuir books among the Branches. Heaburn remarked on the work of outgoing Public Relations Coordi- nator Carol Heifenstein by noting her continued efforts to promote new technologies among members. The outgoing Provincial Advisory Councillors were recognized for the time and effort they gave to their various roles. and espe- cially for their key rote as "communicators." 4 Home 8. Country, Spring 2001 Lobbying The following resolutions were sustained at the Annual Meeting: 1. a) That FWIO urge the Minis- ter of Health to make livestock rabies vaccine available at no cost to livestock producers imâ€" mediately upon report of a rabies outbreak in that part oi Ontario; b) that FWIO urge the Ontario Minister of Natural Resources to be authorized to cover all affected and outlying areas with airdrops of rabies vaccine bait pellets immediately upon report of a rabies outbreak in any part of Ontario; and. c) that FWIO request the Ministry of the Envi- ronment to be aware of all implications of an outbreak of rabies in any pan of Ontario and to immediately coordinate with the Ministry of Health. the Ministry of Agriculture. the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines and other related agencies to curb the spread of this disease. 2. That FWIO lobby the Ministry of Health to institute, under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. a screening procedure formale prostate cancer. Communications Workshops On the day following the Annual Meeting, a se- ries of workshops were organized for the Provincial Advisory Councillors (PAC). the five Coordinators. the Committees of the Board and the Provincial Board of Directors. Past President Arthena Hecker reviewed and clarified the roles and responsibilities for PAC. Outgoing Board Director Pat Salter facilitated discussion among the Coordinators and the Committees of the Board. while President Reabum led discussion among the Board of Directors. Improving communications and the flow of in- formation between the various levels of the organization was again a prime concern. To work towards this end. Board Directors personally call The members of the FWIO Board (left to right in the back row) are: Elsie Stephanso Evelyn Peck, Car. Force, Ruth Crump. Fran Farrell, Faith Nelms, Angela Oberg and Joan Folkard. Seated from left to right are Past President Arthena Hacker, Presi- dent Christine Fleabum and President-Elect Dianne Orr. The F wro Coordinators In the back are Anne Dyas (left) - Lobbying and Lynn Flulgrok (right) - Finance. In the framers Kelly Robson (left)- Tweedsmuir and Joan King (right) - Education. each of the PAC members underthem aftereach Board meeting. All Directors relay the same i. formation to PAC from a list that they make up the end of each Board meeting. The Board Brief- ings follow with additional information. In turn. PAC is to relay the information to District Presi- dents. who then relay it to Branches. Likewise. information from a Branch member should flow back up to the Board level. Managing Finonres Outgoing Board Director Pat Salter and Presi- dent-Elect Dianne Orr facilitated the last session of the day entitled Managing Finances. Modeled after the popular TV game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?." Salter and Orr played host on their version titled "Who Wants to Manage a Million?" Three members from the audience were arbitrarily selected to answer the carefully Crafted questions on the FWIO Headquarters Fund. The “fun and frolic" was followed by a more serious session on budget preparation and track ing for committees and Coordinators. The workshop facilitators emphasized that every committee and Coordinator needs to prepare an itemized budget and stay within that budget. The discussion included clarification of justifiable ex- penses.