2011 AGM

[BANS]

Annual General Meeting Information



Date
2011 AGM - October 16th, 2011


Time
11:00 am at the location listed below


Location



DNR Training Room - Shubenacadie
In the Driveway for the Wildlife Park, Turn left at the brick building
Next brown building past the East Hants Field Office, NS

All welcome - BUT BANS members only have a vote

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS

[noluck]

What do you need help with? I am going to try and book the day off to go, but I will not know for a week or so.

[noluck]

Is there a guest speaker this year?

[ARROW SLINGER]

Sounds like a good place to meet!

[acadianarcher]

I had hoped to attend tomorrow's meeting but a 4 hour drive each while trying to assist the girlfriend's eldery grandfather with home care makes that impossible at this time. I do, however, have some concerns BANS. I believe I have expressed many of them publicly before but here I go again.

BANS does good work but we are doing a very POOR job of promoting ourselves. I see other groups like the bear hunting associaton and the X bow association promoting themselves at different events and on websites. They put on various draws which brings some funds in to them and raises their profile in the hunting community. We, on the other hand, seem to work in the dark.

At the various bow courses I take part in I tell the students to get involved in hunting groups to help protect our hunting sport. I encourage them to get involved. I understand that many of the ten dollar memberships are not renewed.
Has anyone asked why?

I believe I know why. A card and a deer crest is cute but just doesn't cut it with todays youth. People, especially new members, want to feel involved and part of something. At the end of the year when it's time to renew they ask themselves what they "got for their money" and a large percentage feel a deer crest is not enough.

People get more information regarding BANS by visiting Nova Scotia Hunting so why should they join BANS. In todays world is it so hard to send a group email to all the members giving them some information first instead of posting on NS hunting??? New and existing members would feel engaged, part of something. The way it seems to be working is send in your money and "we" will take care of it.

This is the 21st century and we need to change or we will become less and less relevant.

some comments I have seen on Nova scotia Hunting :

"HW, I am very interested in BANS but never hear of anything up my way. Not saying that nothing happens, it is that I just don't hear about it. I would be more than more than happy to volunteer when I am at home, donate cash and would very much enjoy getting involved in training new bowhunters. I guess what I am asking is if there is anything in CB that I can be a part of?

"Posted 18 September 2011 - 11:04 AM

I started poking around on the BANS site a few weeks ago. Honestly its seems dead..

No im not a member of BANS but I figured I would go on and see what it was all about and maybe it would be worth while. Can anyone tell me how many members BANS has.

BANS sounded good when I took the course but It doesnt really look like they do anything. I hope im wrong"

These views are typical of what I have encontered in southern Nova Scotia. It may come as a shock to some people but Nova Scotia does occupy territory outside of the Truro/HRM area and these people can play an important role in hunting association IF they can be engaged.

Were members informed when BANS supported the bowhunter in Bridgewater??? I didn't get any info but it did make Nova Scotia hunting. That's a good example of the things that matter and they would go a long way to silence the critisism in those comments I picked as examples from nova scotia hunting.

I was shocked that we weren't at the outdoor show in halifax? WHY did me miss an opprotunity to possible make some money and at the very least gain some valuable exposure?? Was money a problem? why? Volunteers??? A mass email might have brought some people out. I know I would have been available for a few hours since I was up there for the day? I'm sure others would have done the same. I realize that all associations have an executive but shouldn't such an important matter be discussed with the membership??? I know there a general meeting but you can't always make the ONE yearly meeting.

Some people may be getting tired of my recent rants regarding these issues but I am concerned that we are headed to becoming irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. In my opinion we need to change course or we run a significant risk of having our voice lost in the growing crowd of groups out there.

We need to get out in all areas of the province, to engage people and make them feel that they should join and stay as members. In my opinion we are NOT DOING THAT and it will potentially cost us dearly as time goes on.

I'm not anti NS hunting (I'm on there a lot) but I feel that members of BANS having to go there to find out things regarding BANS or bowhunting is a disgrace. We need to change or we risk irrelevancy.

I'm posting this and email some people in the hope that my concerns get discussed at tomorrows meeting.

Sincerely,

Kevin Lombard

[noluck]

It appears that I am not going to the agm this year either, a family thing has come up. Still sick kids. Atleast it isn't like last year when we discovered that she was pregnant again with the twins only 4 1/2 months old!
I have to agree that BANS seems to keep a low profile. But the problem becomes who is going to give up their time to really drive the BANS image? The current members of the board do alot considering what they have going on personally. Everyone has things going on and to give up the massive amount of time to organize and arrange events something has to be neglected, most likely family. We have a very small membership and even fewer are active, how many years go by that we can't even get enough people together to hold a proper agm and have to reschedule?
On a slightly related side note, I spilled tea all over the laptop last weeek, so I picked it up to clean the counter and there was an envelope stuck to the bottom of the computer. It was last years check and membership renewal for BANS. Whoops! That (or actually an up to date renewal) will be in the mail this week. I had hoped to hand it in myself today, but that's not going to happen.

[noluck]

I don't frequent NShunting.com as often as I used to, so I didn't realize that I had echoed what some others had said. I apologize if I sounded like I was jumping on the bandwagon.

[acadianarcher]

APOLOGIZE NO NEED TO. I have expressed these concerns before and that's why (to get a response)I posted them here, on NS Hunting and Atlanticsoutdoors.net

as I said I wanted to start a dialogue, to get some esponses from BANS AND members, perspective members and former members.

We need to get onthe bandwagon before the wagin leaves down. CHange is initiated by people communicating in person, on the phone , in email, etc. and not behind closed doors.

Bandwagon? PLAY AWAY !

I hope many or all my concerns were, at least, discussed . I, and hopefully many members, look forward to hearing what went on at the meeting. what is the status of these unknown projects to me projects, how we are going to or not address the concerns, in a timely manner so we can move on and get on with the business of representing the interest of all Nova Scotia bowhunters.

I would hope that the results would be posted on our website for all members to see.

Keep it up No Luck.

[bobleblanc]

Yes...they were discussed, acadianarcher.
I think we can all recognize the need to become more apparent.

We had a poor turn-out (numbers, not quality )...and didn't reach quarum, so the Association business aspect of the meeting could not be carried out.
There will be an email or snail-mail coming out that will address some issues, to the membership...so please ensure your email addresses, or mailing addresses are up to date with Connie.

Also, there is intent to resurrect the Association Newsletter...with a spring and fall edition...so keep your stories from this year, or make some up !! ;D ...we're going to want input.

[acadianarcher]

quality people for sure sure but given the centrist structure and lack of information the poor showing is a symptom of the problem which is likely to become worse as time goes on.. Encouraging more local area involvement, chapters, zones, etc whatever you call them, could bring about new interest and keep people engaged throughout the province. This could help bring more people out to the annual meetings as well as make it easier to get local members have their concerns/questions brought to light.

emails are a great start and members should be asked what we want from BANS, how it can be improved, memberships goal and benefits. We need goals to be established, people to volunteer and specific time tables and updates on how we're doing.

I understand we have proposed projects but have all memebrs been advised of what they are? their status?? Like many volunteer organizations we all have great intentions but unless some goal posts exists projects or proposal can take eons to get implemented and by the time they are they are often irrelevant.

sounds like the meeting did have some positive outcomes regarding the problems and possible solutions.