MVK Newsletter

October, 2008

Introduction

Annual General Meeting

It's election time, not only in Canada and the United States but in Vancouver's Scene too.

MVK announces its second annual general meeting, which includes our year in review, a question and answer session with the incumbent board, and the election for the new board. This is your chance to meet MVK's board, learn what we've been doing for the past year and what we want to do in the future, make your voice heard and help chose the future leaders of your organization.

To run for election, you must have a voting membership, available the day of the election, and a valid nomination form. Self-nomination is allowed. Your nomination must be seconded by another person with a voting membership. Both you and the person who nominated you must be present at the election for your candidacy to be valid. You may apply for a named board position (President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer) or one of the Director at Large positions. In the event you are nominated for a named position but are not elected to the position, you may opt to be placed on the ballot for a Director at Large position. Nominations can be filed via email after September 18th, 2008, during the afternoon session on October 4th or at the beginning of the AGM in the evening.

There will be two rounds of voting.

The first is for the named board positions: President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.  Election will be by secret ballots. In the event there is only one candidate for a named position, there will be a yes/no vote. We will also elect an Ombud position, a community representative to the board of directors.

The second round is for Directors at Large, to a maximum of 5. In the event there are no more than 5 candidates, there will be a yes/no vote.

Voting membership costs $5.00. A voting member may cast one proxy vote for a person who is not present by purchasing a proxy voting membership ($5.00) with a properly signed form.

Time: October 4th, 2008 2:00pm-4:00pm Nominations and orientation with the incumbent board. 7:00pm doors open; 7:30pm-9:00pm Annual General Meeting. Followed by October play party.

Location: Capri Hall, 3925 Fraser Street, Vancouver BC

See www.metrovancouverkink.com/agm for more details, or email contact+agm@metrovancouverkink.com

Events

Westside Munch

MVK presents a casual, low stress dinner gathering for people interested in BDSM, on the first Wednesday of each month. Come out and meet the community. Newcomers welcome.

Location: Boston Pizza, 190-1333 Broadway West, Vancouver

Time: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, October 1st, and the first Wednesday of every month.

October Party and AGM

See above

Eastside Munch

MVK presents a casual, low stress dinner gathering for people interested in BDSM, on the first Wednesday of each month. Come out and meet the community. Newcomers welcome.

Location: The End restaurant, Commercial Drive and E.7th, Vancouver BC

Time: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, October 15th, and the third Wednesday of every month. 

News

NYC dungeon busted on prostitution charges

NYPD's vice unit arrested manager and staff members of Manhattan's Rapture club, despite protests that the club had nothing to do with prostitution

Link

Long Island, NY bondage club receives court summons

Babylon Town officials issued numerous summonses to the owners of the Zodiac Lounge in West Babylon last week after they learned that the owners were operating a “a hot new swingers” and bondage club there.

Link

Editorial

So, it's been a year since MVK was founded in the fall of 2007.  It's been rough at times. I've stretched mental muscles I never knew I had. Parties, workshops, meetings, handing out flyers, a Pride Parade, a couple of bath house nights. On the whole, it's worked out pretty well, and I think it can definitely work in the long run. There's a place in this city's scene for this organization. I've been involved in the Vancouver Scene for about 14 years, one of the longest consistent elements in my life. I never would have thought that, one day, I'd be helping to found and run an organization, but I'm glad I did.

It's also important that MVK is something new in the Vancouver scene. Instead of a business or a privately run non-profit group, it's a society with an elected board, a constitution and bylaws and a policy of transparency. It's meant to be an organization that will allow new people to take over positions when people can't or won't continue, and those new people can benefit from the organization's existing knowledge and infrastructure. Everything is easier if you can build on what people have done before.

I want MVK to be something that will last. New York City's TES was founded in 1971, before 9/11, before the Internet, before HIV, and it's still going. It's contributed to the entire culture of BDSM, and helped untold people make that first step into a larger world. Helping people learn the ethos and culture of BDSM, to pursue pleasure in an ethical structure, is a vitally important service. MVK is a way of helping people live richer, better lives, and that is why I'm am proud to be a part of it, and why I want this to be just the first year of a long life.

Masthead

Publised monthly by Metro Vancouver Kink Society. Edited by Peter Tupper, president and communications coordinator.

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