New Directions, New Directors at the BCHFS Annual General Meeting

On a rare rainless Saturday in Vancouver, the BC Heritage Fairs Society held its annual general meeting, kindly hosted by the Vancouver Maritime Museum. Regional Fair Coordinators and members shared ideas, learned about the Society’s many initiatives and planned how best to work together to make history useful and engaging for students. Guest speaker Paul Gravett, Interim Director of Heritage BC, “was struck by struck by the openness and inventiveness of each regional representative.”

Paul gave us an overview of the challenges of being a non-profit organization and suggested directions. The Society directors gave presentations on a draft curriculum resource for teachers called “Inquiry in Action”, the new Fairs website, the work of the Alumni Team over the past year and the Stories of BC Heritage Resource Project. Coordinators explored a variety of ways to support teachers and students and involve the community in their Fairs. We hope to share these initiatives with you on the new website in the coming months.

One challenge often mentioned was the Society’s need to find sustainable sources of funding. An exciting though small towards that end was the creation of a scholarship for a student to attend the Provincial Fair that was presented as an award to retiring Society President Michael Gurney.

The new board of directors for 2016-17 is:

• President: Britney Quail
• Vice-President: Evan Fryer
• Treasurer: Judy Dunn
• Secretary: Carol Ballard
• Directors: Kelsey Beaudre, Art Blackwell, Becky Burns (on leave), Lorenda Calvert, Mary Campone, Penney Clark, Deborah Holmes, Jennifer Iredale, Cindy Rowell
• Past President: Michael Gurney