FECHIMM: A GENERATOR OF VALUES

Transcription

1 INFORMATION KIT 2015 AGM FECHIMM: A GENERATOR OF VALUES PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL 2015 AGM ACTIVITIES ARE IN FRENCH A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear co-operators: It is under the theme «FECHIMM, the creator of values» that we gather here today for this first General Meeting of the Federation since its emancipation from the CQCH. As we have been saying for the past three years, breaking our ties with the Confederation was never a goal in itself, quite the contrary. However, it became more and more logical and inevitable that FECHIMM had to end its partnership with the CQCH, and also the Board of directors and the employees at FECHIMM foresaw the opportunities from this option for the Federation and the entire co-operative housing movement It is this leap forward that the Federation wants to put into perspective with this theme of value creation. Of course, values first and foremost in the best sense of the term, that of principles and ethical and ideological choices that guide us and that now, fully independent, we can put forward in all aspects of our work: the services we offer to members in the development of community life through our social and political action. So there are new alliances that are built with our allies and friends of the movement to defend the rights of tenants and round tables on housing in the Laval and Lower Laurentian districts or getting closer to our members by setting up interco-op committees by districts. The Federation now equipped with exceptional communication tools (a new website, its own high quality magazine, CITÉCOOP, FECHIMM Express...) can 1

2 discuss directly with all of its members and the Quebec movement of housing co-operatives and assert itself as an indispensable interlocutor, representing a significant trend among Quebec co-operatives. Values also in the sense of collective wealth, greater social benefit that our new status allows us to create and distribute for the benefit of the members. The Federation, on its own basis, not only proved it was able to offer members the same services and benefits existing before its disaffiliation from the Confederation, but it is more dynamic and is even better in terms of quality and costs. We could not give you a better example of this evidence than mentioning the new free management and communication services recently put at the disposal of the members and the new purchasing groups negotiated directly by the Federation. At the forefront of these purchasing groups, ASSURANCES COOP, the new insurance company used by FECHIMM, more complete and more economical than that proposed so far, concretely demonstrates, if necessary, how the assertion of our principles was done, not at the expense, but rather for the benefit of the members of the Federation. Finally, concerning the projects that interest us and that are holders of promises, I must mention FECHIMM moving into its new location at 7000 Park Avenue. More than a simple move, this installation represents the culmination of a long-term project to strengthen the co-operative movement in Montreal, bringing together as partners in the same building, several organizations including the Coopérative de développement régional Montréal-Laval. Also, FECHIMM S new premises are now accessible to people with reduced mobility. 2015, an asset enhancement year in every sense of the word! Excellent work by the employees, and I would like to thank them for their unwavering commitment, by the activists of the Political Action Committee and the members of the board that I salute. We will hardly have time to rest on our laurels in the months and years to come. We were already facing Ottawa s disengagement following the end of the operating agreements with co-operatives under federal subsidies, we must now face the austerity wind that blows from Quebec. We will have to show solidarity in defending the principles and values that we believe in, in the hope to convince the governments to revise their plans. In solidarity, Luc Brisebois, chairman of the Board of directors 2

3 WHY YOUR CO-OPERATIVE SHOULD PARTICIPATE? Take advantage of the free workshops on Friday afternoon in order to gain additional knowledge on the most popular topics Take stock of the Federation s 2014 activities and situation Elect your representatives on the Federation s Board of directors Discuss proposals in order to decide the Federation s guidelines Interact with members of other housing co-operatives on topics you will choose yourself in open forums Meet some of our key partners in the group purchasing plan Your co-operative should attend FECHIMM s annual general meeting because it is the place to prioritize housing co-operatives like yours in the metropolitan area. This is also where you elect the directors who will realize these priorities throughout the year. The Federation has more than 460 member co-operatives. Depending on the needs and priorities expressed by the Assembly, it offers your co-operative support, training and representation with elected officials so that it can better manage itself and continue to offer quality housing at a low cost. Your positions expressed at the assembly have a real impact. For example, at the 2014 assembly, the cooperatives asked FECHIMM to promote universal accessibility. FECHIMM has made a dramatic gesture: it moved into a wheelchair accessible building. It now carries the torch of universal accessibility in all its public communications and includes it in all the briefs submitted at various public consultations. More than that, it has strengthened its ties with the Ex Aequo organization, a partnership which materialized in the joint drafting of a guide on universal accessibility, which will be launched at the AGM. Another example: the members had asked FECHIMM to stand against smart meters and support the cooperatives who refuse their installation. The Federation has continued to inform co-operatives, in the FECHIMM-Express newsletter and through its Facebook page, on the evolution of this subject. And following its meeting with Hydro-Quebec, we were assured that a request would be submitted to the Régie de l énergie for a review of the costs of the withdrawal option. This request was made by Hydro-Québec. The Régie ruled that the reduction of fees proposed by Hydro-Québec was not enough, and imposed an even larger reduction. These are only two examples among many. The ideas adopted in the democratic debates of the annual meeting direct the activities of the Federation. Democracy is the basis of the co-operative model and your Federation is committed to having its actions always in line with the resolutions adopted by the Assembly. All resolutions will not necessarily be achieved overnight, but their existence will guide at one time or another the actions made by the Federation and the allocation of resources. THIS IS WHY YOUR COOPERATIVE SHOULD PARTICIPATE. This information kit will help you prepare for your participation in the democratic exercise that is the annual meeting. It will help you understand the issues that will be discussed, will give you advice and practical information on how to register and on how to get to the Collège de Maisonneuve in addition to putting together the necessary supporting documentation. Good preparation for you all! 3

4 AGENDA, FRIDAY, APRIL 24, :00 p.m. Welcome, registration, coffee 1:10 p.m. Your choice of Education workshops: Conflict resolution Planning and financing of renovation works 2: 40 p.m. Your choice of education workshops Methods and strategies for rent collection FECHIMM s web page - a tool for your co-operative 4: 10 p.m. Plenary workshop for all participants: The consultative and co-operative leadership 5 : 30 p.m. Supper for members who took part in the afternoon activities (mandatory ticket issued at registration) 6: 00 p.m. Welcome, registration, coffee and FECHIMM s booths 6: 15 p.m. Optional: questions-answers on basic assembly procedures (new delegates) 7: 00 p.m. 1. Opening of the assembly, a word of welcome Introducing the guests Explaining the AGM procedures Introducing our AGM partners 2. Appointment of a president and of a secretary for the assembly 3. Adoption of the agenda 4. Adoption of the minutes of the 2014 AGM 5. Presenting the 2014 annual report 6. Presenting the auditor s report for 2014 and appointing the auditor for Current climate and outlook 8. Adjournment and reminder of tomorrow s activities 9: 00 p.m. Cocktail, snacks and official launching of the ASSURANCES COOP program 10: 30 p.m. End of the evening 4

5 AGENDA FOR SATURDAY, APRIL 25, : 00 a.m. Welcome: coffee, pastries and registration Receiving late proposals (registration table) Receiving nomination ballets for various vacancies (registration table) 9: 00 a.m. Back to the assembly and a word of welcome Introducing the attending guests Reminder of the procedures for the day s activities and information on: activities during the lunch break receiving and dealing with the proposals elections on the board of directors and the nomination period elections for the credit commission open forums 9: 15 a.m. 9. Open forums 11: 00 a.m. 10. Back in plenary and dealing with the proposals 11: 50 a.m. Launching the guide on universal accessibility for housing co-operatives 12: 00 p.m. LUNCH Partners booths 1: 30 p.m. Dealing with the proposals (continued) 4 : 00 p.m. 11. Elections 11.1 Elections at the board of directors 11.2 Elections at the Credit commission 4: 30 p.m. 12. The floor is yours Your co-operative s good deeds Invitation to community or activist activities Any other interventions 4: 45 p.m. 13. Closing the assembly Drawings Closing word and thanks 5

6 DETAILED PRESENTATION OF THE ACTIVITIES FRIDAY, APRIL 24, : 00 p.m. Welcome, registration, coffee 1 : 10 p.m. : Your choice of workshops Workshop on Conflict resolution This workshop aims to better understand the nature, dynamics and evolution of the conflicts. The participants will find solutions to help them resolve these conflicts in order to prevent them from escalating into major crises affecting the quality of life of the members of the co-operative. Workshop on planning and financing of renovation work Preventative maintenance of the buildings is one major way to ensure the sustainability of the co-operative housing stock. The workshop will provide information to the participants for the actions they need to take to preserve the integrity of housing developments and will highlight the importance of good financial planning in this matter. 2: 40 p.m.: Your choice of workshops - continued) Workshop on methods and rent collection strategies An essential operation for the sound management of a housing co-operative, collecting rents is a task that can seem challenging mainly because of the sources of tension it can cause. The workshop explores different methods for the co-operative to collect those needed revenues, all the while maintaining a healthy environment for its members. Workshop on FECHIMM s web page as a tool for your co-op Your co-op now has its own page on fechimm.coop. It also has access to a wealth of documents (guides, models and tools) reserved exclusively to members. In this workshop, participants should be able to familiarize themselves with the management tool enabling them to update their co-operative s page and download different documents. 4:10 p.m.: Plenary workshop for all participants The consultative and co-operative leadership We do not talk very often about power, authority or leadership in housing co-operatives. However, commitment issues, involvement and participation are common to many of them. These motivation questions do not only have leaderhip as their only response, but the climate in a co-operative is a major asset to promote and encourage the involvement of members. In addition to having discussions between the participants, the workshop will offer solutions to promote a healthy climate in co-operatives. 7: 00 p.m.: Opening of the assembly, annual activity report and auditor s report The annual general meeting is primarily a time to present reports. Delegates will be able to go back to 2014 at FECHIMM by attending a multimedia presentation of the activity report, presentation to be followed by a question period and discussion. Thereafter, the treasurer and FECHIMM s head of accounting along with a 6

7 representative of the accounting firm Gosselin and Associates will present a summary of the 2014 financial statements. The formal part of the first day of the meeting will conclude with a discussion on the situation and prospects FECHIMM faces. 9: 00 p.m.. : Cocktail, snacks and official launching of the ASSURANCES COOP program Following its separation from the CQCH, the Federation has called for tenders in order to find a new partner to maintain the insurance service provided to co-operatives and their members. The financial services firm Dale Parizeau Morris Mackenzie won the bid by offering a more favorable and cheaper service than what existed before. The cocktail at the end of the day on Friday will be dedicated to launching the new ASSURANCES COOP program. A representative will be on hand to answer your questions. SATURDAY, APRIL 25, :00 a.m.: Free discussion on Saturday morning with coffee and pastries (optional) You're an early bird? To enable you to freely exchange with other delegates or employees of the Federation, the doors of the Collège de Maisonneuve will be open at 8 a.m. Pastries and coffee will be served. Your morning discussions lead to interesting ideas? You can propose them in an open forum. Loose sheets will be put on the wall so you can write your proposal or put your name in the subject that interests you most. 9:00 a.m.: Back to the assembly and open forums We introduce the guests and the Federation s partners. We present the procedure for the day, especially the activities during the lunch break. Explanations are given on the five open forums which are small discussion groups gathered around different themes. It is possible that the suggestions made in a forum are subject to late proposals, but it is not an obligation. The primary purpose of open forums is to allow co-operative members to exchange ideas on issues of common interest. 11:00 : Back to the plenary and processing of proposals Your proposals will be dealt with according to the rules on receiving and dealing with the proposals adopted by the Assembly in the fall of 2013 (see page 18). Proposals received from boards of directors of member co-operatives before March 15, 2015 are recorded in the book of proposals (see annex). Those received after this date are "Late proposals" and will need a majority vote by the assembly in order to be discussed. Co-operatives wishing to submit a late proposal can send it to lconstantin@fechimm.coop, by fax at or at the reception desk of the AGM. The processing of proposals will continue at 1: 30 pm. 11: 50 : Launching of the universal accessibility guide FECHIMM will launch a guide providing information and tools for administrators of housing co-operatives in order to promote universal accessibility in the management of co-operative living environments. This guide, produced in collaboration with Ex Aequo will also equip disabled persons and persons with various disabilities for them to be able to exercise constructive leadership in their community and the co-operative movement. 12:00 : Lunch, booths with our partners, the political action committee and FECHIMM services 7

8 After lunch, the participants will be able to get more information on products and services of the AGM partners, on FECHIMM services and the role of the Political Action Committee. 4:00 p.m.: Elections Co-operators wishing to get involved in the mission of the Federation are invited to submit their application for one of the different positions. Candidates for a position as an administrator will get a free workshop, Tuesday, March 31, and a visibility for their application on FECHIMM s web site by submitting it before April 17 at noon. The future candidates can register for the workshop on fechimm.coop or contact the Federation at , ext. 246, before 31 March : 30 p.m.: The floor is yours This period is to allow members of the assembly to freely discuss topics of interest. Good deeds, invitation to community activities... the representatives of the participating co-operatives can talk. The activity will start during the counting of the votes for the elections. Co-operatives wishing to speak are invited to let us know before the meeting by writing to lconstantin@fechimm.coop or during the meeting at the registration table. 8