Well, we have arrived mid-year in a Calgary summer with another AGM come and gone, some new and some re-elected Directors at the ECA Board table, and resumption – in one form or another – of social proximity. As we stumble towards a new normal, wondering how close to stand to be ‘safe but sociable’, let’s all resolve to ‘cut each other a little slack’! Always thought that phrase was an oxymoron referring to rope, but it actually relates to sewing and tailoring where it makes complete sense, as in “cut the cloth a little larger to give my summer girth a titch more room”.
It has been quite a few years since ECA members have been able to meet together at an AGM. At this moment, the election results are not available to the author, yet there is always a useful blend of experience and innovation on the ECA Board. At this point, there are no retiring Directors and it is a pleasurable duty to thank the current Board of Directors for their dedication and good humour. ECA did have one resignation from a very busy Director, and I would like to officially thank Min Cao for her help and insight during her time on the Board in 2021.
AGMs are roughly the equivalent of that Annual Physical we all put off; except a Not-for-Profit Society cannot defer an AGM. Members are needed to provide a quorum of decision makers and it is appreciated that ECA members step up and attend. Membership has other advantages too. For one, apart from the many free events ECA hosts, there is a Members and Non-Members fee at some of the paid events. Participate in enough of those and the cost of a membership will diminish to inconsequentiality.
Looking back further than the AGM, it was great to see the involvement of so many at the ‘Mother’s Day Tea’ on May 7. Moving ahead, the ECA is extremely happy to welcome another summer season of the YYC Food Trucks, happening the last Thursday of each month, and equally pleased to see this event augmented by the ECA Farmer’s Market every Thursday of the summer. Come out and enjoy the spectacular view from the ECC as you partake of slightly more exotic fare for dinner while adding to the larder with some ‘15-kilometre diet’ local produce!
This very month, June 25 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, plan to be at the Edgemont Community Centre to attend the Nordic Rodeo!! With our partners, ‘Calgary Nordic Alliance’, the secret underpinnings of Ski Jumping, Cross Country Skiing, and Biathlon will be laid bare. Try out all those Winter Olympic sports without that messy and complicated ‘winter’ stuff. Seriously, you will get to physically experience the basic skills and G-forces that are usually only the purview of much more talented individuals!
Next month, the ECA’s sights are set for a first ever ‘Car Boot’ Sale on July 9 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm! Come out and rid yourself of those pesky small items that don’t add up to a full garage sale. The entry fee is $10 for ECA Members and $12 for Non-Members. For those of you who have long since passed your Canadian Citizenship without benefit of a historical connection to Jolly Olde England, the boot is the Britishism for a car’s trunk. This may, or it may well not, make a little more sense when we realize the Brits call the front of a car the ‘Bonnet’. “From Bonnet to Boot”, meaning the entirety of something – is actually a thing in the Commonwealth.
The saga of the exterior repair of the ECC has been prolonged and altered by cost and supply chain issues. ECA confidently expects you will see fencing, digging, and general destruction this summer. Impact on the services and rentals in the ECC are expected to be minimal, but ‘Dig we must’. Your Building Administration Committee, ably marshalled by Elaine Scobie, has cajoled the sometimes-frustrating process along and there will be a much-needed renewal of the structure in the near term.
Looking forward to seeing more residents and ECA members which this cautiously optimistic lifting of COVID-19 restrictions will provide.
Have a great summer and visit the ECC or Skating/Basketball area and see what the ECA has been able to retain and enhance during 2019/2021 – the “Winters of our Discontent.”
