Minutes Semi Annual AGM

Friday, January 29th

5:00 pm Pacific/6:00 pm Mountain/8:00 pm Eastern Time/9:00 pm Atlantic

Zoom Link: https://queensu.zoom.us/j/96389519304?pwd=ellMelMxbGtPTDNRdDdKNXovSkludz09

Password: CURA2021

1. Call to Order

a. President welcome and introductions

2. Establish Quorum

Jen Durward (Ontario Tech), James Dyer (Trent), Lisa Kates (Calgary), Dan Bechard (Western), Dave

Leger (Guelph), Katie Edwards (St. Fx), Mark Williams (Toronto), Walter Martindale (Alberta), Stu

McKenzie (Ottawa), Mike Pearce (UBC), Ed Fournier (Carleton), Swede Burak (Brock), Craig Pond (UBC),

Barney Williams (Victoria), Aalbert Van Schothorst (Victoria), Matthew Waddell (Western), Peter

Somerwil (Brock), Mark Laidlaw (Calgary), David Gilmore (Nipissing), Vince Amodeo (UBC), Katie

Bruggeling (Queen’s)

3. Approval of the Agenda

MWilliams/DL

4. Approval of Previous Meeting’s Minutes

a. Business arising from the previous meeting’s minutes

SB/JDyer

5. Executive Reports

a. K. Edwards

KE: NextGen Hubs – continued conversations with RCA. Communicated issues. No significant progress

and possibly more considerate in the future. Outlined future expectations regarding collaboration.

LG: Has anything been discussed re: FISU?

KE: Later in agenda.

WM: RCA statistics re: history of national team athletes

KE: Discussed with RCA.

CP: Relationship evolving.

SB: Let them come to us.

AV: Our organization has grown up and become more independent.

KE: Feeling of burnout/odd year – busy-ness of 2020 prevented self to do in-depth review of procedures

Annual Meeting Agenda

and construct future plans. Intends to pick that work back up. Send KB emails team leaders and their

contact information.

b. D. Bechard

DB: Passed regulations last meeting and outlined future championship hosts. Questions re: 2021

championship. Will have to determine in future. CURA, NSO, PSO, and host will have to determine. Must

support the host; Pete. More information to come.

c. C. Pond

CP: Playing regulations committee to form and need volunteers. VA has volunteered so far. Need to

determine VP, CURC. No nominations so far.

d. D. Leger

DL: Minimal to report. If competition happens this year, will follow the eligibility protocols. No eligibility

consumed this year.

6. Regional Updates

a. Atlantic: K. Edwards

KE: Concerned re Atlantic teams. NB/St. Thomas stuck in litigation. Dalhousie has no coaching. St Fx has

nearly 40 athletes training in person. Worried about future years.

b. Central: P. Somerwil

PS: TBD about OUA location.

MWilliams: Meeting of various ADs re: return. UofT was slated to host next OUAs, but given COVID UofT

is not committing at this time.

PS: Unclear re RowON is involved. Asked OUA/RO whether it would be hosted in Welland. Currently, all

proprietary regattas of RowON must be hosted in Welland. No answer yet.

WM: Heard from US athletes coming home?

PS: Schools honouring scholarships.

c. Prairies: M. Laidlaw

ML: Not much to add. In lockdown.

d. Coastal: M. Pearce

MP: Looking forward getting Western CUs going again.

7. Committee Reports

a. No reports

8. Proposals/Nominations

a. Nominations for VP CURC

KE/CP: Nominations for VP CURC?

DB: Happy to continue, but slightly overwhelmed between hosting and fundraising events. Can continue

but open to others and encouraging others to step up.

9. Voting

a. VP CURC

CP: Thanks for staying on board. Welcome back.

10. New Business

a. FISU (Laidlaw)

KE: FISU near/long-term. Need clarity on role with RCA.

ML: Not included in RCA NextGen strategy. It is planned for this year. Are we doing anything this year?

KE: RCA has not forgotten- they would like us to take a more significant role.

CP: RCA has it on their radar, but they have postponed making decisions because of ability to travel.

FISU lower priority and RCA is waiting further direction from Sport Canada.

ML: Not mentioned in documentation. Is there desire for this year?

MP: Value in it. RCA does not add value. Need autonomy. Still need their endorsement.

KE: Like the idea in theory of being autonomous. But CURA lacks things like bank accounts, budgets,

travel, etc. Need to have a conversation about capacity.

CP: I have high faith.

MW: Would CURA’s involvement be more than if you win CUs than you host it at your club?

KE: Open to ideas. Previously, RCA helped with selection dates and travel logistics. We could come with

a proposal about how we want it to look.

WM: I think there are good coaches who can select and find funding for our team. Why not do it with

our own coaches?

KE: Have we not used CURA coaches?

ML: Not recently, but in past.

KE: If some miracle occurs and it is possible to travel to FISU this year, are we capable?

ML: Owe to our athletes to try.

CP: May be last opportunity for racing.

Annual Meeting Agenda

KE: If you say yes, you have to organize.

CP: Fair. Can agree on concept and put proposal together for RCA.

KE: MP, would you be able to lead and assemble team (Marks)?

CP, ML, & MW: Yes.

KE: Sketch out 2021 plan outlining a skeleton of duties and deadlines.

LG: FISU committee?

KE: Informal working group.

KE: MP lead. Send email to MP if interested.

PS: 2010 CURA ran FISU team.

b. Non-Olympic Worlds Support (Somerwil)

PS: Previously, RCA pulled back support for lightweights, before 2024 lightweight announcement. It used

to be that clubs used to run non-Olympic boats (aka lightweights). Asked RCA re: plan for St. Catharines

World Championships with no/limited answers.

c. Virtual Competitions (Edwards)

KE: From last meeting, we have a strong interest and have some ideas for virtual challenges. Keep it

simple and flexible. Goal is engagement and the exec has ideas; wide submission date of the last 2

weeks of March; each event is open and could take top 8 of each events and/or full team average

including everyone. Mainly ideas re: distances ex. 5k, 2k, 1’.

ML: At Calgary they’re doing a multi-week challenge with seeding event and racing people above or

below you. Lots of ideas out there.

KE: Other thoughts?

MWilliams: With ergs?

KE: Yes.

MWilliams: Has issues with erg access. Good but might be difficult to do.

KE: What about no equipment event?

ML: Last May Brentwood did their submission as erg or run.

KE: Must be simple.

KE: Flip it to student leaders?

ML: Enough time?

KE: Yes. Will send out ideas and try to discuss adding something alternative to ergs.

SB: 5k run?

d. CURC 2021 and Decision-Making (Edwards)

KE: Decision-making framework – should be talking to PS re drop-dead date as a framework and guiding

decisions. World Rowing uses 3 months.

PS: Plan as if it’s a go and spend no money. By September we should have a good read on where the

country is with vaccinations. Would there be any appetite to run a competition without official empires

but could be trained? Thinking of things ex. portables per large team, shelter, sanitation stations, etc.

ML: If we can train, we can race in rowing.

KE: The decision will probably not be ours. The issue is not racing; it’s travel and crossing provincial

boundaries.

KE: Continue to monitor situation. What happens if this drags on for another year? Teams, employment,

motivation, etc.

PS: Going to keep pushing ahead to prepare and will have a clearer picture in September. Possible dropdead

date in September.

e. Committee Formation (Pond)

CP: All resolved earlier.

f. Eligibility – 60% Rule (Leger)

DL: Found 60% average for incoming athlete rule in CURA regulations. U Sports are the same thing. First

thought, is universities would have a higher cut-off point anyways. Issue is we may not check it.

g. Update on U Sports Application (added by MP)

MP: Updates re U Sports application?

KE: Submitted last spring and U Sports delayed everything for a year. Will check-in and see if there’s

anything we need to do.

MP: Would help to send note.

11. Adjournment

KE: Thanks everyone for you time. We’ll be touch.

WM/SB