November 2025 Meeting Minutes

Semi-Annual General Meeting 

Date: Monday, November 3rd, 2025

Time: 8AM Eastern Standard Time
Location: Cafeteria of the Quartier des Athletes at the Olympic Basin

In Person/Online

Meeting URL:

https://uvic.zoom.us/j/85228211277?pwd=QYgSPDu5Uotb8xsF7LihnILnm899AC.1

Meeting ID:

852 2821 1277

Password:

795676

1. Call to Order

   1. President welcome and introductions

2. Establish Quorum

• Quorum established

3. Approval of the Agenda 

• Motion to approve the agenda by DB

• Second by CP

4. Approval of Previous Meeting’s Minutes

   1. Business arising from the minutes

• Motion to approve from DB

• Second by AVS

5. Executive Reports

   1. President – D. Bechard

• Thank you to current CURCs host (McGill)

• Updated governance, financial review, met regularly on proposals 

• Usport update: $1500-4500 annual fees

• Licencing and application fees

• Large draw of getting the USport Brand

• Use their national based eligibility system

• No policy within uSports within institutions to spend a minimal base funding

• The inclusion would be for a 3 year cycle if accepted 

• Sub-committees will be doing a look at

2. VP, Eligibility – J. Durward

• Less schools sending in preliminary rosters

• Would be best to have one signed roster instead of the two

• Need the entire roster, not just the athletes racing at CURCs

• Gaps are with schools who don’t race at CURCs every year - still need rosters from these schools

3. VP, CURC – Z. Lewis

• Record highs in terms of athletes attending at schools attending

• Need to look at financial sustainability of the event

• Identified about a $10-15k deficit without financial support from institutions

• Review of the exhibition 2x coming up in May meeting

4. Secretary – J. Gumley

5. Past President – K. Edwards

• Two of the executive positions are at the end of their term - VP CURCs and VP of Eligibility will be voted on 

6. Standing Committee Reports 

   1. FISU Subcommittee - M. Pearce

      1. updates

• MP: Costs became an issue last year for FISU - mainly a large fee from uSport

• MB: Had a lot of support from uSport which was encouraging 

• MB: looking at the process and trying to formalize - knowing what the FISU committee roles are and RCAs roles are.

• MB: FISU committee will continue to select boats/roles based on resume - will move away from spring trials. There will be an expression of interest and an athlete portfolio

• MB: hosting/training locations - want coaches to feel supported to do this 

• MB: RCA very interested about the coach development side of this

• DB: trying to build something that is predictable 

2. confirm current committee members 

• Confirming members: M. Pearce, M. Buchanan, Z. Lewis, M. Williams, J. Gumley

3. fill in vacant spots  

• No spots to fill

2. Eligibility committee - J. Durward

   1. updates

• None for now

2. confirm current committee members 

• Confirming members: S. Feddery, C. Pond

3. fill in vacant spots  

• No spots to be filled

3. Governance committee - M. Waddell

   1. updates

• None for now

2. confirm current committee members

• Confirming members: K. Henry, P. Schacter

3. fill in vacant spots  

• No spots to be filled

4. Playing Regs committee - Mary Buchanan

   1. updates

• MB: Rule review went well

• MP: weigh-in wording/process needs to be looked at again

• MB: can you enter more than one boat per institution 

• CP: new transfer policy, will be looking at this new uSport rule

• ZL: suggestion to mandate multiple scales for weigh-in

• AVS: recommend exceptions to the rules of racing - take particular things to the umpires (ex. Coxies have their own separate line)

2. confirm current committee members 

• Confirming members: A. Van Scothorst, K. Rankin

3. fill in vacant spots  

• No spots to be filled

7. Regional Updates 

   1. Atlantic – Alex Brandt

• 5 universities attended Atlantic Champs

• Lots of growth for the schools in the Atlantic 

• Hitting record number of entries for regattas

2. Central – Scott Feddery

• OUA - lots of positives and very competitive. Quality was very high 

• Schools entering events they haven’t usually in the past

3. Prairies – Pascal

• Three universities competing at CURCs this year

• Numbers are a bit lower for some programs - all are self funded 

4. Coastal – Mike Pearce

• Held WCURCs at Burnaby lake - one of the best they’ve had

• 5 programs attended - growth from UFV, SFU and Calgary

8. Unfinished Business 

   1. Fee Structure Adjustment & Long Term Planning

      1. Proposal - Z. Lewis

• Purpose is for long term planning

• Proposal to adjust the fees

2. Subcommittee Recommendation - M. Buchanan

• Subcommittee supports the proposal

3. Executive Recommendation - D. Bechard

• Two portions to this; so this will be split into two votes

• Frist will be for one fee increase

• Second will be for the year by year increase

4. Discussion

• KB - curious about changing it for smaller schools who aren’t bringing as many athletes

• CP - how did we arrive at 3%

• ZL - guess on inflation

• ZB - why not go about actual inflation

• CP - it may not go with inflation

• KB - there is a lot of strength in predictability 

• DB - trying to get to a point where we know our hosts 3 years out

• LR - concerts about athletes dropping off because of this - this is a $500-600 increase

• CP - it comes down to how can we run the regatta - USport championships are 3-4x more expensive

• AVS - institution fee is to pay the RCA hosting fee ($500); could decrease the institution fee and instead pay for coaches at the banquet - possibly moving into a coach registration for the banquet

• SF - at one point schools were capped at how many coaches they could bring 

• KH - asking for a breakdown of where the costs are coming from and what it all covers

5. Voting for one increased athlete fee

• Motion Passed

6. Voting for increases year by year

• Motion Passed

2. FISU Fee

   1. Proposal - D. Bechard

• Review of the proposal

2. Subcommittee Recommendation - M. Buchanan

• MR: recommends that institutions with less than 

• MW: any thought to lowering the fees to people who raced CURCs

• ZB: why an institution fee instead of a per athlete fee: it is not equitable 

• AVS: what are the mechanics of it

• DB: the host school would collect, it would get moved to RCA after the regatta

• TH: In order to get rid of this barrier for a lot of people we need some sort of support

• SF: doesn’t seem like a whole lot - it’s not a meaningful amount of money to really change someone’s mind when it would change the cost by only 5-10%

• MP: FISU plays a significant role in growing rowing

• ZL: change the fee to a $10 per athlete fee

• DB: amended to a $10 per athlete fee as well that it will be directed to CURA rosters

3. Executive Recommendation - D. Bechard

• The executive support this proposal

4. Voting for amended FISU Fee

• Motion passed

3. CURCs Strategic Plan

   1. Proposal - UVIC/UBC (C. Pond)

   2. Subcommittee Recommendation - M. Waddell

• No constitutional issue

3. Executive Recommendation - D. Bechard

• Proposes that Zak (the VP of CURCs) leads the committee along with other board seats: 5 people total

• Recommending interview process, complete a SWAT analysis, host town hall with CURA coaches with a draft strategic plan prior to May AGM

4. Discussion

• TH: Will this impact the uSport discussions that we are already having

• CP: concerns about only 5 people

• DB: wants there to be people to steer the group

• TH: Is may realistic?

• CP: if we don’t put a timeline on it, it won’t happen

• MW: what mandate are you looking for from the group with this proposal

• CP: looking for acceptance 

• MB: looking at a subcommittee or a working group

5. Voting

• Motion passed

4. Clarification of Novice rules

   1. Proposal - Durward

• Clarification of the proposal

• Should novices be charged a year of eligibility if they compete at CURCs in their novice year

2. Subcommittee Recommendation - J. Durward

3. Executive Recommendation - D. Bechard

• Executive agrees with this

4. Discussion

MP: sees this as a negative for developing programs

SM: this was done before

JD: standard practice - hit and miss with novices added on the roster. This proposal will make things more clear

SF: becomes a question on participation vs performance. Would rather see the performance level go up

CP: at UBC they wouldn’t have an option but to be charged a year if they get put on their roster

MP: what happens if smaller school have 7 athletes and they need a novice to fill in

MH: as a small school, I support the proposal

MW: the rules as written allow for 5 years of eligibility. We should recognize that Jenn’s proposal is to clarify and align with our existing rules

5. Voting

• Motion passed

9. New Business

   1. CURC Hosts for 2026, 2027 and 2028

• DB: 2026 is designated in the east as the start of our next 5 year cycle; proposal to host in London by Western; need the fee structure increase (which has been approved) and needs a small school to help - looking at working with Waterloo; looking for any other applications at this time

• CP: the west coast is prepared to step up if there was not a solution, but it sounds like there is a workaround

• DB: would like to get to point where we know where the regatta will be 3 years out. Asking West coast to look at 2027

• CP: looking at a potential to host with multiple schools (UBC, SFU, UFV, UVIC) - and host every 2 years out of Burnaby. Potential for funding from the city and more participation from schools; proposing it would be in Burnaby for 2027

• DB: the problem with the same place is the lack of balance with schools travelling across country. There seem to be other schools like McGill that are able to step up and organize. 

• SM: same situation with small schools helping to host. 

• KB: Brock is happy to be part of the 5 year rotation

• KH: more opportunity for hosting opportunities

• DB: will this be more difficult for a host that could commit to a 2 year block

• MB: for the small schools, going across country two years in a row could be an issue. Would that be an issue?

• KH: knowing in advance will make it ok. Knowing far in advance will make it easier to fundraise

• TH: Could this be part of our strat plan?

• CP: yes, that is the goal

• KB: can we establish that 2027 will be hosted in Burnaby

• CP: yes.

• DB: yes.

• AVS: can we confirm the dates for next year

• MW: CURCs must be hosted on the first full weekend in November; Nov 7-8 2026; Nov 6-7 2027. 

10. Adjournment

• DB motion to adjourn the meeting

• Second by C. Pong - UBC