I attended my first YogaBC AGM last week, June 13, 2009. I have attended many Annual General Meetings and sort of assumed I knew how this would go - presenting of annual reports and financial statements, amending bylaws, motioning, approving, and abstaining, all combined with an anticipation of heated discussion.
Essential stuff for an organization. Interesting? That all depends.
However, as we took care of business, along the way we engaged in a few passionate discussions. As we moved to pass our first code of ethics for registered teacher members of YogaBC a conversation around its value arose. If it is not possible to enforce a code of ethics, if it cannot be enforced, is a code of ethics of any value? You can imagine the spectrum of thoughts and beliefs that came forward. Some felt this is a place to start, to open up to community for discussion in order to find a way to create an infrastructure of enforcement tools before we adopt the document. Others felt this document represents principles to live by and want to know that their colleagues are aspiring to the same standards. In signing it we agree to a shared professionalism outlined by a code. This is a point of reference document to ‘bump up against’ as issues arise. In the end, we adopted the Code of Ethics with provision for annual review.
Another issue that came up during the presentation of the program reports was around the teacher registry. To be a member of YogaBC as a teacher the minimum requirement is a practice for two or more years, graduation from a recognized 200hr teacher training program and current First Aid/CPR. There is a lot of discussion around attaining documents; for senior teachers it is difficult to attain documentation at all. Does checking all the boxes mean you are a yoga teacher? After some discussion, the point was made that there are requirements to be a YogaBC teacher member, and therefore a part of a provincial and professional association. These requirements give the Association the ability to, and are for the purposes of, moving forward the goals and interests of yoga teachers and studio owners in BC while safeguarding the public trust with education and information.
So after these two issues were presented and discussed, where there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers, I better understood the importance of these meetings (no matter how dry they can be); they are a part of a much needed structure to house the issues that will shape the future of yoga in BC.
Thoughts? Share them here.
Thanks,Simone
However, as we took care of business, along the way we engaged in a few passionate discussions. As we moved to pass our first code of ethics for registered teacher members of YogaBC a conversation around its value arose. If it is not possible to enforce a code of ethics, if it cannot be enforced, is a code of ethics of any value? You can imagine the spectrum of thoughts and beliefs that came forward. Some felt this is a place to start, to open up to community for discussion in order to find a way to create an infrastructure of enforcement tools before we adopt the document. Others felt this document represents principles to live by and want to know that their colleagues are aspiring to the same standards. In signing it we agree to a shared professionalism outlined by a code. This is a point of reference document to ‘bump up against’ as issues arise. In the end, we adopted the Code of Ethics with provision for annual review.
Another issue that came up during the presentation of the program reports was around the teacher registry. To be a member of YogaBC as a teacher the minimum requirement is a practice for two or more years, graduation from a recognized 200hr teacher training program and current First Aid/CPR. There is a lot of discussion around attaining documents; for senior teachers it is difficult to attain documentation at all. Does checking all the boxes mean you are a yoga teacher? After some discussion, the point was made that there are requirements to be a YogaBC teacher member, and therefore a part of a provincial and professional association. These requirements give the Association the ability to, and are for the purposes of, moving forward the goals and interests of yoga teachers and studio owners in BC while safeguarding the public trust with education and information.
So after these two issues were presented and discussed, where there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers, I better understood the importance of these meetings (no matter how dry they can be); they are a part of a much needed structure to house the issues that will shape the future of yoga in BC.
Thoughts? Share them here.
Thanks,Simone
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