The Children’s Bridge Annual General Meeting – November 10/07 (& random info)
The Children’s Bridge Annual General Meeting – November 10/07
In attendance at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que.: Rick Kenny, Gail
Carruthers, Lianne Thompson, Young Lee, Paul Thompson, Loyde Henriques, Arnold
Park, Lianne Thompson, Calum Massarella, Martha Maslen, Kate Maslen, Krista Shibata,
Carlos Martins, Cathy Murphy, Krista Nicholl, Bonnie MacGregor, Brian MacGregor,
Anick Maranda, J.F. Lefier, Olwyn Walter, Rosemary Thompson, Matthew Kunica,
Andrew Bilsky, Shelley Page, Andre Maynard, Cynthia McLellan, Jennifer Rodman (m)
By teleconference: Liz Morrison, Richard Norman, Nick Paonessa
The meeting was called to order at 2 p.m.
1) Introductions and Welcome
Rick introduced himself and the members of the board, indicating that he is the
out-going Board President and introduced in-coming Board President Young Lee.
2) Review and acceptance of the minutes of Nov. 11/06
Moved by Lianne, seconded by Calum.
The motion was carried unanimously.
3) Election Report – Governance Committee
Richard provided a brief overview of the election of the two new officers – four
positions were posted in all. There were two returning officers and two new
officers proposed for election/acclamation, specifically: Gail, Loyde, Carlos, and
Krista.
Rick proposed a motion that the committee elect the nominees by acclamation –
seconded by Calum.
The motion was carried unanimously.
The total slate of directors now stands at 10. Rick explained that the total board
membership has increased as a result of impending turnover and the need to
maintain a degree of board wisdom. 3-4 members will be elected each year.
4) Treasurer’s Report
Audit statements were circulated. Loyde explained that the newer growth
programs have not produced as much revenue as anticipated, Vietnam being the
primary concern.
There have been encouraging results in terms of post-adoption support programs.
The agency has a commitment to providing these services regardless of surplus or
The Children’s Bridge
deficit, and in fact the goal is for this program to be self-sufficient, however this
year turned a slight profit.
Loyde presented a motion to accept the audit statement of – seconded by Paul
Thompson.
The motion was carried unanimously.
Loyde presented a motion to appoint next year’s auditors as Raymond Chabot
Grant Thornton, seconded by Lianne Thompson.
The motion was carried unanimously.
5) Executive Director’s Report
Martha highlighted the fact that the face of international adoption is moving out
of Asia and into Africa. This speaks to the ability of the Asian countries’ ability to
look after their children, which is very satisfying. The Children’s Bridge is
therefore positioning itself to make this move. The Asian programs may not close,
but will certainly decline. At this time China is declining by about 30%/year.
Domestic adoptions are declining as well, the province of Ontario is anticipating
that about 200 private adoptions will be finalized this year.
There is also an impact on adoption training with the mandate from the province
regarding PRIDE training for all potential adoptive parents. This means that CB
will be forced to abandon its very successful AdopTalk series in favour of PRIDE.
The overall picture means that there will be longer waits, higher costs, different
places to adopt from and more government requirements.
Martha further commented that there is hope on the horizon for those families in
queue for Vietnam. Tan Ngo is on the ground at this time and it is hopeful for
those families.
Martha confirmed her impending retirement and that this will be her last AGM.
Question from the floor regarding Vietnam;
Q: What exactly is the issue with Vietnam?
A: There was an understanding of how Vietnam was going to operate and this in
fact did not happen, we had to re-learn the program, there was no one on the
ground that was effective, and this cost CB a lot of time and money. The hope is
to conclude the adoptions of the families currently waiting.
The Children’s Bridge
Rick presented a gift to Martha in recognition of her time with CB on behalf of
the staff and the Board. He acknowledged her tremendous role in “Making
Families Happen”.
6) Strategic Planning Update
Gail confirmed that the format is now complete and that the three main priorities
are;
? Program Development – the slowdown of China requires the
ramping up of other programs, most immediately Ethiopia and
South Africa,
? Succession Planning – this has been put to the forefront given
Martha’s impending retirement, and
? Governance – there is a great opportunity to take on governance
issues in conjunction with the appointment of a new E.D.
Rick cautioned that the strategic plan is not published to the website because the
document is quite large and not conducive to email, however a brief summary can
be made available to the membership, and those that wish to read the entire
document can contact the CB office.
At this time the members of the Children’s Bridge Foundation Board left the
meeting.
7) Board President’s Report
Rick highlighted the one true constant in the adoption world, specifically change.
He made reference to the rapid changes in China, the difficulties in Vietnam, and
how to keep things in perspective and keeping agency viable. He referenced the
unfortunate need to increase fees as necessary and appealed to the members and
staff of the organization to continue to support the Board. He welcomed
participation by way of input, suggestions, volunteering, etc. as we try to navigate
these waters for the organization. Our mission will always be to bring families
together and through the Foundation to better the lives of children who remain in
the countries that we serve.
Rick turned the meeting over to Young as the in-coming Board President. Young
shared that he and his wife adopted boy from S. Korea who is now 3 ½, and they
are awaiting notice of their return for their next child. Young talked about the
need to anticipate the issues of the children within our families. This is a year of
transition, and we need to ensure that the staff and membership are well taken
care of through this process. This is an opportunity for the Bridge to morph itself
beyond making families into more emphasis on supporting families as the
children grow older.
The Children’s Bridge
Comment from the floor; There is the need for greater post-adoption support as our
children move into their teenage years. There was general acknowledgement that issues
get more difficult rather than easier as children age.
Question from the floor;
Q: Is post-adoption support a growth potential? Could this be a standard source of
meaningful revenue for the Bridge?
A: We need to examine cohorts of kids (i.e. ages, programs) and anticipate what the
needs are going to be. Programs have tended to be geared towards parents and their
learning curve, but he Bridge does have programs for kids up to latency age (12). Cathy’s
team is attempting to augment this to address teen issues. A problem that the team is
facing is filling the seats when seminars or programs are announced. Perhaps we have
looked to more established agencies in the States for their experiences – Holt in particular
– i.e. exploring summer culture camps. The Hague Convention reflects that the local
regulatory body is responsible for post-adoption support (The Ministry of Children and
Youth). Does this open a door to apply for funding?
Cathy Murphy advised the group that the Holt Board is comprised of adoptive parents,
adult adoptees and birth parents based on the adoption triad. These people can come from
streams other than international adoption. She presented this as something that the board
may wish to consider in the future.
8) Other Questions from the membership. There were none.
9) Other Business
Young thanked those who attended in person or by phone, and moved to adjourn
the meeting, seconded by Andre Maynard.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:10.
http://www.childrensbridge.com/pages/gov_agm.html
"Age, though, is an issue. After 40, adopting a Canadian child is challenging. China is particularly flexible in this regard, but prefers applicants younger than 45 and refuses those over 55. Park asked a Chinese official to intervene in order to adopt Lily. The couple arranged financial trusts for the girls, and one of their adult sons has agreed to be the girls' guardian, in the event something happens to them. Not that Park thinks anything will. "My father died when he was 93," he says. "He built a house when he was 85. My mother is 87 and she's still going strong. At least from a gene point of view, there's reason to hope I'll live awhile."
"Park's enthusiasm for adoption is not confined to his daughters. He serves on the board of directors of Children's Bridge, and he signed on as president of a related non-profit organization, the Children's Bridge Foundation."
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/managing/ceo_interviews/article.jsp?content=20060717_79429_79429
Arnold G. Park - Past President
arnoldpark@cbfoundation.com
As President and CEO for McCain Foods (Canada), Arnold Park was responsible for the McCain food business in Canada, including McCain Foods (Canada), Wong Wing Foods Inc., Charcuterie la Tour Eiffel Inc., and Belleisle Foods. Mr. Park retired from McCain Foods in December 2005. A native of Longlac, Ont., Mr. Park attended Lakehead University, earning a bachelor of arts degree in 1971 and a graduate diploma in business administration in 1972. He received a master of business administration from the University of Windsor in 1973.
Mr. Park served as a marketing Product Manager for several Canadian companies and as account supervisor with a major Toronto advertising agency. He joined McCain Foods as a Group Product Manager in 1978 and held this position in the company until 1982.
He was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with Cobi Foods Inc., 1982 - 1989, before he accepted the post of Director of Marketing with McCain Foods Inc. in the United States in 1989. Mr. Park was promoted to Vice President Marketing of McCain Foods Inc. in 1990 and accepted the position of Vice President Marketing of McCain Foods in Canada in 1993. In 1995, he was promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager of McCain Foods (Canada). Later that same year, he was named President and Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Park and his wife Sandra reside in New Minas, Nova Scotia and are the parents of four grown children, and three little girls that they adopted from China, through Children's Bridge. Sailing, fishing, skiing, travel and reading are among his favourite leisure activities.
Arnold Park is featured in the cover story of CARP Magazine's December 2006 issue. Click Here
Arnold Park is featured in the cover story of Canadian Business Magazine's August 2006 issue. Click Here
http://www.cbfoundation.com/data/cbf_AnnualReport-2005-2006_rev1.pdf
The Children's Bridge, one of Ontario's largest international adoption agencies, is now actively steering parents away from its China program and toward others, including two new ones in Ethiopia and South Africa.
Cathy Murphy, the agency's executive director, says that despite the need in Africa, the chances of its becoming the next China will be limited by the extent to which African countries embrace the practice of international adoption. Right now, the majority do not: Some countries, such as Nigeria and Sudan, forbid it, while others, such as Kenya and Uganda, allow it, but put such heavy demands on prospective parents - such as a requirement that they live in the country as long as six months - that it is effectively impossible.
It will also depend on how Canadians want to build their families, she said. "What I try to convey to parents is, there are still many options open to you," Ms. Murphy says. "It just may not be a 10-month-old Asian baby."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Thompson
Rosemary Thomson- secretary at Children's Bridge.
"Thompson comes from a family of successful broadcasters, her sister, Virginia Thompson is the executive producer of Corner Gas a top-rated sitcom on CTV. Her cousin, Shelagh Rogers is the Host of Sounds Like Canada on CBC Radio. Her brother owns several restaurants in Vancouver.
Thompson is a director of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, is on the board of the Children's Bridge Foundation, and volunteers for the Famous Five Foundation.
In 2002, Thompson and her family moved to Ottawa where she continues to work for CTV News, her husband is a gifted teacher at a private school in Ottawa. She is a mother of three children, two boys and a girl adopted from China. Her youngest son died in an accident in 2002."
Is adoption door closing?
Shelley Page, CanWest News Service
Shelley Page - Director of Childrens Bridge
Brian Stuy is quoted in this article and so is Childrens Bridge. I would have never assumed it was written by a Children's Bridge director...
Andrew Bilski - Director
andrewbilski@cbfoundation.com
Andrew Bilski has been a journalist for 25 years, covering international news for Maclean’s magazine and business and investing news for Canadian Business magazine, where he is senior features editor. Andy and his wife, Pam Bruce, live in Toronto with their daughters Emma, 15, and Nina (Bahua), 7, whom they adopted from China in 1999 (Group 57).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wei_Chen_(journalist)
honorary advisor
Sonja Smits
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonja_Smits
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC (born November 27, 1952)[1] is a Canadian journalist and former politician.
Copps is a second-generation member of a political family that has dominated Hamilton-area politics on the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Her father, Victor K. Copps, was one of the most influential mayors of the City of Hamilton; the city's landmark sports arena, Copps Coliseum, is named in his honour. Her mother, Geraldine Copps, was a Hamilton city councillor.
Considered a prominent left-wing member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Copps has been an advocate for women's and minority rights, and protection of the environment. Her combative style and reputation for flamboyance were trademarks of her political career.