CANADIAN SOCIETY OF MAYFLOWER DESCENDANTS
Amended Minutes of the Board of Assistants Meeting held at the North York Central Library
August 24, 2013
PRESENT: Gary Bennett, Debbie Clarke, Joyce Cutler, Margaret Dougherty via Skype, Susan
Roser, George McNeillie III, Brent Rutherford, Bob White, Robert White via Skype.
ABSENT: Donna Denison, Lynne Webb, REGENTS - Terry Smith, Gordon Wood,
COUNSELLOR - Sandy Fairbanks QC, SURGEON – George Nye, FORMER GOVERNOR. -
Keith Bain
1.
MINUTES
The minutes of 20 April 2013 with three corrections were approved on a motion by Gary, seconded by George. The three corrections are as follows:

Remove question mark from the sentence in the Librarian’s report. It will now read
“Should the Society become inactive, the collection falls to the ownership of the
Library.” This fact is in our agreement with the Toronto Public Library, North York
Central Branch.

Skype was incorrectly spelled

The database report was omitted from the minutes of 20 April 2013. It can be found attached to these minutes and will be added to the Recording Secretary’s copy of the minutes of 20 April 2013.
2.
GOVERNOR’S REPORT - Joyce Cutler
General Board of Assistants Meeting New Orleans Sept 13-15 -Susan, (Secretary General)
Lynne (Appointed Acting Deputy Governor), and Joyce (Assistant General) will attend.
Joyce has been invited by the Governor General (Bruce MacGunnigle) to serve on the
Nominating Committee of the General Society to choose Society board members who will stand for election at the 2014 Triennial General Society Congress to be held in Plymouth. She has accepted.
3.
DEPUTY GOVERNOR/HISTORIAN REPORTS - Susan Roser
Deputy Governor Report
I have passed out information on our society’s policies which we just started keeping track of the last couple of years. I have passed them out so that thought can be given to them and additions made at subsequent board meetings. All board members should receive a copy as they are updated.
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After our spring board meeting, Margaret and I went to Guelph to meet with JR and Darlene who manage our database. We discussed the options available to us and decided what fields we would like to see and what we would like to be able to do as far as our search options. It is taking JR some time to complete it, but once he does, I think we will all be impressed with how much more user-friendly it will be, including doing searches and sorting by more fields. Margaret will keep us up to date on JR’s progress.
We also discussed designing a new website and since a website comes with our database, we will not have the added expense of paying a separate yearly fee for web space. For a one-time fee, they have worked with Margaret to design it.
I would like to thank Margaret for her outstanding work on the new site. We have long needed a new and improved site and Margaret – you have been like a breath of fresh air! Thank you.
With the Board members present approval Joyce created a Governance Committee (George
(Chair), Brent and Bob) to work on Bylaws and Policies for our Society.
NEW POLICY 5
All officers’ reports by Board members must be emailed to the Recording Secretary before
each Board Meeting. Passed on a motion by Susan, Seconded by Debbie.
Historian Report
We have had only three new members so far this year; however we have several applications which are in progress and nearing completion. I have Judi Archibald in Nova Scotia working with applicants and Donna who is also working on several papers. I very much appreciate their help. We are now up to member #580.
Approval of applications in Plymouth has been slow due to the staff shortage. At the end of May, the Personnel Committee of the General Society let go two employees, one was a verifier and the other was Bonnie Conant, the Executive Secretary. The office was already down two verifiers who retired last fall. None of these positions have been filled. Until they are, approval of applications will take 2-3 months.
4.
TREASURER’S REPORT
In the absence of Lynne Webb, Joyce reported that as requested by the Board members present at the meeting of April 20th, she sent the following letter dated May 11, 2013 to Terry Smith:
Dear Terrance,
The Albert Colony rebate cheque has not been sent because we do not have the name and address of your new treasurer. Our treasurer, Lynne Webb, will be pleased to send the payment when we have this information. In the meantime she will hold onto the payment for the Colony.
Wishing you and the Alberta Colony all the best, Joyce A. Cutler
As yet there has been no reply.
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NEW POLICY 6
The Treasurer must inform the Board of Assistants whenever the Society receives a donation
from one of its members. Passed on a motion by Margaret Seconded by Susan.
5.
RECORDING SECRETARY’S REPORT - Debbie Clarke
Debbie reported that three members have died: Alfred Perry, Elma D. Pawl and Bradley J.
Baker.
NEW POLICY 7
The Secretary must notify the Elder and the Editor of deaths of members so the Elder can
send a sympathy Card to the family and the Editor can publish the information in our
newsletter. Passed on a motion by George, seconded by Gary.
Note. The Elder does not have access to the database so he will also need the mailing address of the deceased.
6.
PUBLICITY CHAIR – George McNeillie III, Captain
Due to preparation for, and recovery from, hip replacement surgery in June, I have not been able to accomplish much since our April meeting. Still outstanding are the following items:
application to the Canadian heraldic Authority for a grant of arms and badge
Facebook page
Twitter feed
I should be able to attend to these matters over the next couple of weeks.
In terms of publicity, we distributed a news release last year for Canadian Thanksgiving. It did not receive much pick-up for a number of reasons: more lead time was required and the subject was not 'controversial' enough to interest the media. I recommend that we try again and distribute the release at least 10 days in advance of Thanksgiving and try to make our approach a little more controversial (Canadian academics have virtually ignored the Pilgrim connection and cited instead other English and French examples -- not recognizing the huge influence of American
Loyalists in bringing their traditions to Canada) . I will have a draft for the Board of Assistants to review by early September.
7.
ELDER’S REPORT
- Bob White
There were three deaths among our membership. Alfred Perry died 27 April 2013. Elma D.
Pawl, died 25 Mar 2012 and Bradley J. Baker died 5 Nov. 2010
8.
LIBRARIAN’S REPORT-
Brent Rutherford
Overview: The CSMD has deposited some 370 books and 20 periodicals at the North York
Central Library, Canadiana Room. The sole guide to this collection is four index paper files
(shelf id number, author, title and subject). Information about each book was keyboarded four
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separate times for each index file. The overall goal has been to make the collection available to library users as part of the Library’s web-based catalog and for future CSMD Librarians, to be able to add new items with a single entry rather than four.
Librarian activity: The CSMD Librarian met with Andrew Lofft, the Head Librarian, and
Canadiana Collection in June to discuss how the CSMD collection could become part of the
Toronto Public Library catalog. He explained that only books that are owned by the Library could be included in the Library’s catalog. Nevertheless, if a search does not find the book in the catalog, their system will search “adjacent materials” to see of the book might be found there.
Thus, if the CSMD collection was “catalog ready,” it could be made available to anyone using the web catalog.
To prepare the CSMD collection to be catalog ready, EndNote was identified as an excellent bibliographic computer program. Book information can be entered manually and, for certain libraries, their complete catalog information for an item can be imported into EndNote. The
National Library of Canada, the US Library of Congress and the New York Public Library were identified as having extensive genealogical collection and whose catalog entries could be collected into Endnote.
It appears that the “tables” functionality of Microsoft Word would serve future CSMD Librarians well, as the table can be sorted by any column. When printed, the single source (the table in
MSWord) can be ordered to serve the needs of the current four indices (the shelf id number, author, title and subject). (The steps from Endnote to MSWord is not direct, but requires a tab separated file from Endnote to be drawn into MSExcel and then to be inserted into a table in
MSWord – a bit messy, but feasible.)
Approximately 80 per cent of the current collection was collected directly from one of the three identified source libraries and inserted into EndNote with full library bibliographic information, e.g. title, author, date, publisher, publisher location, subject keywords, IBSN number, call numbers, etc. The balance of the CSMD collection includes typed manuscripts and privately published items that are not generally found in library catalogs. These materials were manually entered into EndNote.
The full current CSMD collection is now entered into EndNote.
Objectives: The CSMD EndNote file needs to be carefully reviewed and edited.
New materials (the April 2013 additions) need to be added to EndNote.
How to index periodicals needs to be determined.
I am not confident that the subject keywords from the three libraries meet the needs of likely
CSMD users, and the subject-topics of the current catalog might be improved. This needs to be settled.
Liaison with Mr. Lofft and the Canadiana librarians will be maintained. The EndNote CSMD file will be output to meet the needs of the Toronto Public Library catalog link.
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The EndNote CSMD file will be manipulated to create a master table for MSWord.
The hard copy indices will be updated and provided to the Canadian collection.
NEW POLICY #8
The Librarian must up-date the website when new material is added to our Library. Passed on a motion by Susan seconded by Margaret.
9.
MEMBERSHIP DATABASE - Margaret

The new CSMD website, www.csmd.org
, replacing the site maintained by Susan Roser for several years, went live on August 13. Email notification was sent to all current, not current, prospects and applicants with email addresses in the database. The broader membership will read about the new website in the fall newsletter. I’ve had responses from some current and not current members saying how much they like the website. In addition to the email blast, I’ve added posts about the new website to many genealogy group pages on Facebook, and also tweeted about the new site from my personal twitter feed. The tweet has been re-tweeted several times.

The Board of Assistants can help create greater awareness of the website. Please include the web address www.csmd.org
in all CSMD business correspondence that you send.
This can be as a footer to your document for instance, or simply after your name at the end of an email. If there is an opportunity at the General Board of Assistants meeting in
New Orleans in September to mention our new website that would be fabulous. It would also be helpful if the site can be mentioned at the fall meetings of the Alberta and Nova
Scotia colonies.

Links to the new CSMD Twitter feed and Facebook page being set up by George McNeillie will be added when these are available. Using the Twitter and Facebook communication tactics will give the CSMD exposure to a broader demographic and potentially lead to new member applications. WordPress is the basis for the website. It is very intuitive – and easy to learn. I can provide editing instructions to anyone interested and welcome content suggestions.

The membership database is up to date. Please remember to let me know when changes are made to the list of current members – so that I can maintain our email distribution list. Of
251 current members, we have email addresses now for 132. This remains a work in progress. The email notification of the new website proved an opportunity to further update the email addresses in all categories of the database.

A new membership database remains in progress with our web host. I anticipate this will be live this fall. The new database application will be more robust and current than the existing database, which is built on an obsolete platform from the last millennium, and will have greater functionality, including the ability to produce mailing labels, search by member name, sort, and to once again post member headshots.
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
As our membership remains low, the cost of mailing hard copies of the Canadian Pilgrim newsletter and other mailings is not an effective use of our funds. I am sensitive to the reality that many of our members are elderly and don’t use email, but I strongly believe that the
Board of Assistants needs to use email as much as possible to more effectively communicate with members and to keep costs down where possible. This is consistent with many organizations similar to the CSMD. A note to this effect ran in the Canadian Pilgrim several years ago, but was never implemented. Use of email will also enhance our profile among members and position us as being proactive and modern.

Not current membership email outreach: Using the Governor’s letter drafted in the spring, a message was emailed to all non-current members for whom email addresses were listed in the database. A good number of messages were returned because the email address was no longer current and the database was updated accordingly. Some people did respond by email indicating they wanted to renew their membership and were directed to send a $45 cheque for 2013 to the Treasurer.

One person living in Australia suggested that PayPal would be far less expensive an option for her (writing cheques in Canadian funds on an Australian bank account is very expensive) and ensure that she renewed her membership.
 Suggestion: to encourage new blood on the Board of Assistants, I’d like to propose that we had a blurb to the board of assistant’s page on the website to actively solicit new board members. The language could for instance say something along the lines of “The Board of
Assistants strikes a nominating committee each year to fill upcoming vacancies. If you’re interested in joining the Board of Assistants, please contact us.”
NEW POLICY #9
Motion: Starting in January 2014, the CSMD will use email exclusively wherever possible to communicate with its membership, applicants and prospective applicants, including distributing the Canadian Pilgrim newsletter and that by December 2014, regular mail will be used only for those members who do not use email or by request
and will not be as an add-on to what is sent by email. Passed on a motion by Margaret
seconded by Gary.
There will be a note in the fall Newsletter asking members to let us know if they don’t
want their newsletter sent to them by email.
NEW POLICY #10
Motion: That the Treasurer set up a CSMD PayPal account as an option for members, and applicants to pay dues, fees and annual meeting and Compact luncheon and other costs securely online, rather than by cheque and that a PayPal link is added to the CSMD
website to facilitate such Payments. Passed on a motion by Margaret seconded by Susan.
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.
NEW POLICY # 11
Motion: I n addition to the Fall newsletter announcement, current members with email will be reminded annually on November 1 st of the deadline to renew their CSMD membership for the following year and that regular mail is used to remind those
members who do not use email. Passed on a motion by Margaret, seconded by Gary.
NEW POLICY #12
The web address of the Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants must be included in all business Correspondence sent by the Board of Assistants to create greater awareness of our organization.
This can be as a footer to your document for instance, or simply after your name at the end of an email Passed on a motion by Margaret
seconded by Gary.
10.
EDITOR’S REPORT – Robert White
Robert is in the process of finishing the fall edition. The content deadline is August 30. Robert has received nothing as yet from the Alberta Colony and but has a report from Nova Scotia
Colony. Debbie said she would send him the Necrology. Brent said he would send him the librarian’s report. Susan and Joyce said they would send him information on the GG visit and the meeting in New Orleans.
11.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE - Gary Bennett
The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the nominees that will be put forward for the elections to be held at the Compact Luncheon and Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of
Mayflower Descendants. Those who have accepted our nominations are:

Governor – George McNeillie

Deputy Governor – Margaret Dougherty

Historian - Susan E. Roser

Co-Historian
– Donna Denison

Corresponding Secretary – Gary Bennett
The following positions do not yet have any nominees:

Treasurer

Member at Large
At the moment those interested should contact Gary Bennett, chair of the Nominating
Committee.
12.
NEW BUSINESS
BYLAW AMENDMENTS
Susan tabled the following report from Counsellor Sandy Fairbanks:
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We have until the 17th of October 2014 to submit our bylaws and supporting documents to the
Federal government. I of course think it best to submit prior to that time. The review has taken some time but I hope the typist will have it ready for you shortly. We can pass our bylaws first and then submit them to the General Society and then to the Feds. which I believe to be the best course .There is nothing that I note that would cause the General Society to have concerns but if there are any we can change only that part of our by law before sending the material to the Feds.
Because we need to add the position of Co-Historian to our Board as soon as possible, the following amendments to our Bylaws will appear in our 2013 fall newsletter and will be voted on at the Annual Fall Compact Luncheon in Toronto. There will also be a ballot included with the fall Canadian Pilgrim so our out-of-town members can vote on this matter.
The proposed amendments, to be voted on at our Annual Meeting in Toronto on October 19,
2013, are as follows:
ARTICLE II Section 1.
From: The Board of Assistants (Corporate Board of Directors), hereinafter referred to as the Board , shall consist of the Officers of the Society and up to six others who shall be known as Assistants or Members-at-Large, not to exceed sixteen in total.
To: The Board of Assistants (Corporate Board of Directors), hereinafter referred to as the Board , shall consist of the Officers of the Society and others who shall be known as Assistants or Members-at-Large, not to exceed twenty in total.
ARTICLE II Section 2.
From: The Officers of the Society shall be: Governor, Deputy Governor,
Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, Elder,
Captain, Surgeon, Counsellor, Deputy Governors General, and Assistant
Generals. Former Governors who are members in good standing of this Society may be ex-officio members of the Board.
To: The Officers of the Society shall be: Governor, Deputy Governor, Recording
Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, Co-Historians, Elder,
Captain, Surgeon and Counsellor. Former Governors who are members in good standing of this Society are ex-officio members of the Board.
Membership Outreach/Renewal
Debbie reported that between seven and ten members rejoined our society after following a campaign over the spring and summer.
Treasurer Position
This position will be vacant effective January 1, 2014. A notice will be posted in the newsletter and on the website and emailed to all current members for whom we have an email address.
Because of the successful use of Skype at this meeting, it is not required that the Treasurer live in
Ontario.
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Volunteers Needed

Phone Call Committee to phone members before meetings - Gary volunteered

Someone to call/email Toronto Public Library room bookings unit one year in advance to book Board meeting room for April and September meetings on a Saturday (include letter of mandate) at North York Central Library -. Margaret volunteered

Compile and keep current a membership/mailing list of current members. Corresponding
Secretary will be responsible for this task.
 Compile and update the membership “paid to” date of members on their address labels.
TBD after Digital Administrator discusses with BBS42 (web host) twice yearly (see newsletter for example).

Arrange for printing of newsletter; label, stamp and mail newsletter. Gary volunteered

Prepare Canadian membership certificates and mail to members (requires signature of both Governor and Historian) will remain the responsibility of the Historian.
33 rd Annual Meeting and Compact Luncheon
This is scheduled for Saturday, October 19, 2013, at Toronto Cricket Club. The cost of the speaker is $100. The cost of the luncheon is $46.14. It was decided by the Board members present that we would charge members $40 and absorb the balance of the cost. The agenda will include:

Welcome - Joyce

Reading of the Mayflower Compact - George McNeillie III

Ancestral Roll Call - Debbie

Necrology - Bob

Reports of Officers

Grace - Bob

Toast - Keith

Introduction of Speaker - Joyce

Speaker - Richard Collins: Lighthouses around the Great Lakes

Thank you to speaker - Lynne
Semi-annual Spring Meeting
Because GSMD Governor General Bruce MacGunnigle will be visiting the Canadian Society, a meeting will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 5 p.m. at the Toronto Cricket Club. Joyce has booked the Blazing Fiddles to entertain us at a cost of $800.
Itinerary for Governor General’s visit in addition to the meeting:

Friday evening - cocktail reception

Saturday will be spent touring the city (maybe Niagara Falls, Fort York)

Sunday - departure
Spring 2014 Ontario Genealogical Society Conference
The spring OGS conference is scheduled for the weekend of May 3, 2014. Since this is the same weekend as our semi-annual meeting, the CSMD won’t be able to participate. It was agreed to try for 2015.
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Next Board of Assistants Meeting
Saturday, April 5, 2014 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the North York Central Library
Attachment: Report on database and web from April 2013 meeting
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DATABASE AND WEBSITE from April 20, 2013 meeting
Susan Roser
I phoned BBS42 in Guelph last week and spoke with JR. Our database website was down; it had actually disappeared so I phoned JR. It turned out the domain renewal had not gone through.
They corrected it the same day I called.
JR would like us to upgrade the program we use for our database. He says the new program is more users friendly, has more bells and whistles and will allow us to do more. It will also allow us to upload pictures which we cannot do now. This new program will cost about $100. JR would like our Database Administrator and someone else to come to his office in Guelph and see the new program and what it can do.
He also let me know that website space comes with our database. I was not aware of this before and he said that Dale was never too interested in using the website space. I suggest that we use this space since we are already paying for it. With this in mind, I asked JR about the cost if he designed a website for us. He said it would be approximately $300-600 to design a site. The site would be a CMS site (Content Management System) so that we could update and manage it ourselves.
I have also given him passwords and logins for our four new board members. Margaret and
Donna will have editing privileges while George and Gary will have viewing privileges.
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