Ottawa, April 25, 2022
NOTICE: CMA Annual General Meeting May 25th
The 75th Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Museums Association will take place at the following date/time:
1 p.m. (ET)
Meeting registration begins at 12:30 (ET)
May 25th, 2022
Virtual Meeting (details to follow)
Unvarnished: The CMA at an inflection point
The CMA has been part of Canada’s arts and cultural landscape for the last 75 years. For much of that time, it played a pivotal role in advocating for and advancing the interest of Canada’s museum community. But as it enters its 75th year, the CMA is facing strong headwinds that have taken it off course.
There is no doubt that the pandemic upended the best laid plans and caused the CMA and the rest of our community to hunker down to weather the storm. But the challenges faced by the organization predate COVID-19 and have been years in the making.
Since our last Annual General Meeting, the focus of CMA’s Board and staff leadership, has been on helping the organization find its bearings. That has meant reconnecting with its members, repairing strained relations with partners inside and outside our community, addressing chronic financial difficulties, and giving it a sense of purpose again.
Why your participation matters
Legally, the CMA is a non-profit organization; in fact, it is a community. It is from that sense of community that it derives its purpose. Likewise, its AGM is more than an annual housekeeping and governance exercise; it is a town hall and an exercise in collective accountability and engagement.
Today the organization faces several challenges that will require honesty, imagination, courage, and solidarity to overcome. This is where you come in.
In addition to the election of the members of the Board that will lead the CMA, the AGM will provide a venue for members to take stock of the CMA’s organizational well-being, engage with staff and Board members, and most importantly, share perspectives that will inform our priorities and our action for the next 12 months.
As we look forward to better days for the community and organization we cherish, please make some time in your busy schedules to attend our AGM so that together we may benefit from your experience, your vision, your passion, and your support.
Sincerely,
Massimo Bergamini
Executive Director and CEO (Interim)
Below you will find some key dates and information related to the meeting.
Related documents
The following documents will be released in the member portal starting on May 11 for member review prior to the meeting:
- Meeting Documentation
Includes the 2021 meeting minutes, audited financial statements, and any resolution received by the CMA secretariat within the prescribed guidelines.
- Nominees for the Board of Directors
Includes the CMA’s Nominations Committee Report and recommended slate
- 2021 Annual Report
How to vote
Members with voting rights (see sections 7.2 - 7.5 of the CMA bylaws) will receive their voting credentials by May 11.
Note that credentials will be sent to the primary address on your CMA member account. Please review and, if necessary, update your account accordingly no later than May 9, 2022.
NOTICE: Replacement of Auditors
One of the areas of CMA operations where the new Board and staff have been particularly focused on has been financial management and oversight. With Frouin Group having served as CMA auditors for almost 10 years, the Board decided that it would be appropriate that a new auditor bringing a fresh set of eyes and perspectives to the organization’s financial operations be engaged to report to members at the next AGM.
Frouin Group was informed of the Board’s decision and graciously agreed to resign their mandate. Following a competitive recruitment process, and in accordance with the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, the Board appointed Marcil Lavallée, an Ottawa-based accounting firm with extensive not-for-profit experience, to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term of the resigning public accountant (until the 2022 AGM).
The Board of Directors will bring forward a recommendation for the appointment of a permanent replacement at the AGM.
Disponible en français.