Chair of the Board of
Directors Report
AGM 2006
The 2005 year has been one full of all the emotions sport can bring - from the wild euphoria of a successful performance to the quiet reflection of what might have been.
On behalf of all of us at B.C. Athletics I would like to thank Peter Ogilvie for the work he did in his short tenure as Manager of Power and Speed. We all wish Peter the best of luck in his new role of Executive Director of Athletics Alberta. In his place I would like to welcome Ron Bunting to the position of Technical Manager Track & Field and Director Power/Speed Events. Ron is well known and highly respected as a coach and organizer of Track and Field in the province. Ron has also served for many years as Chair of Juvenile, Junior and Senior Track and Field Committee.
My thanks and appreciation to Katherine Ruffin, who as our contracted bookkeeper, assists us in the financial management of B.C. Athletics. With Katherine's advice we have managed to achieve a positive balance for the fiscal year 2005 and move forward in an effective reporting and financial management processes.
With the help of a bilateral financial agreement between the Federal and Provincial Governments we have able to hire Thelma Wright to coordinate the Run, Jump, Throw program and provide an administrative assistant for this program through contracting Rachel Corbett. Thelma has already run a number of clinics for coaches, teachers and elementary school children and is now looking to extend the program to all parts of the province.
As with the excitement generated with new personnel to B.C. Athletics we also are saddened by the losses of those who contributed to athletics in their lifetime in the province of B.C. We remember those coaches, officials, athletes and administrators who gave so much to our sport. We remember and thank them very much.
Our membership numbers were about the same as 2005 at approximately 4000 members. We did initiate a change to the name of "supporting member" to "training/social affiliate". The number of member clubs has remained constant at approximately 70, which includes special designation for societies, colleges and universities and other organizations such as B.C. Secondary School T&F Association.
The Canadian Cross Country Championships were awarded to B.C.
Athletics for 2 years and the 2005event at Jericho Park was a great
success.
Over 600 athletes from across the country took part in the
championships. It was cold but dry, sunny, no snow on the ground but a
few ice puddles to break through for the leading runners. Again B.C.
Athletics continues to reinvest money by awarding a total of $3500 in
prize money at the B.C. Cross Country Championships held in South Surrey
in October. Road running continues to remain strong within the Province
with the Vancouver Sun Run attracting over 47,000 runners, Times
Colonist in Victoria pulling in over 10,000 runners and the Haney to
Harrison Road Relay having over 300 teams running the 100 km relay race.
The planning committee has been working on the Strategic Plan for 2006-2012 and is now in the position to ask various committees, clubs and individuals within B.C. Athletics to provide input. The Strategic Plan foundation has been developed to coordinate and mesh with the Athletics Canada Strategic plan and will provide a framework for athletic development for the coming quadrennial.
My thanks go to all the members of the Board of Directors and the BC Athletics Committees for their support and guidance through this last year. Your contribution is over and above what you offer to your clubs and communities and for that we are all very appreciative.
Thank you to all the many volunteers, coaches, officials, administrators and clubs that work so hard on behalf of Athletics - Road Running, Track & Field, Race Walking and Cross Country Running in their communities, towns and cities across British Columbia. Your strength is critical to the overall success we all share in.
Submitted by
Tom Hastie
Chair of the Board of Directors