Membership
Our First AGM on Video!
By John Chalmers, CAHS Member Secretary
On Saturday, June 20, the first Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society was held via Zoom software, courtesy of the Manitoba chapter of the CAHS. Normally the AGM is held live and in person at the annual convention. However, with cancellation of the convention this year due to the pandemic crisis caused by Covid-19, that was not possible. But it was still live!
Attendees connected from their homes via Zoom from Vancouver to Montreal to hold a meeting that enabled members to see each other on their computers. This is the first time such an AGM has been held. Members in attendance also included some who were able to connect via telephone, but were not seen in the video display.
Shown above is a screen image showing some of the participants in the AGM. A yellow frame around a picture indicates the current speaker. In this case, it shows national president Gary Williams at bottom left as the speaker.
Having a quorum for the meeting was not a problem, as all members had opportunity to register in advance to attend. Live at the meeting were 18 members, with another 32 represented by proxy, so quorum was easily met to fulfill our legal obligation to hold an AGM as a non-profit registered society.
Video has provided a new means of communication. Previously, CAHS board meetings have been held by teleconference. Via video, the last two board meetings, most recently on June 13, have been held in this manner. With Zoom, we no longer have to hold a telephone to our ear, but can now see our fellow members speak using a computer’s built-in microphone, and easily know who is speaking!
Shown above is a frame from the PowerPoint financial report presented by national treasurer Rachel Lea Heide, which was shown during the AGM to illustrate the CAHS financial picture. With a video conference, we are not limited to only the faces of speakers! Zoom technology allows the use of resource material to be displayed, such as slide shows, movies and other visual material.
Besides having a new means of contact, another highlight of the AGM was the reports from all CAHS chapters. All are doing great work with featured speakers at their meetings and holding special events which help to keep Canadian aviation history alive. Any CAHS member wishing to see the chapter reports can do so by requesting them from Rachel Lea Heide when you click here.
