[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 61-01, January - March, 2007 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Got any plans?

By Neal Shafto, Ontario COTS Co-ordinator

I have just received the information from the financial report and am concerned about the losses we have incurred over the years. We now face a new challenge before us, that being, a new way to design and run an efficient COTS school from this year 2007 and beyond.

We have some ideas and suggestions from concerned individuals and the committee needs to come up with a concentrated approach to the next planning for the running of the venue. We have some challenges ahead and the planning for future schools depends on many factors, including the following.

• 1. Where do we go for the training?
• 2. Do we keep the same structure we have had for the past years?
• 3. Do we split the schools by district and hold more schools in smaller venues?
• 4. Do we use our own talented district members to teach?
• 5. Do we get professionals in their perspective fields to teach the classes and increase the registration fees to cover the costs of those professionals, as suggested by one of the great planners in our district?
• 6. Do we run the schools by prepared materials and classes recorded and sent to the chapters on DVD or CDs and let the district run the showing and questions and answers from the programs presented?
• 7. Do we increase the cost of the schools to cover the losses?
• 8. Do we make changes to the schools to reduce the cost and lower the cost of registrations to attract more students to attend?
• 9. Do we invite non-members of the Society to attend and charge them accordingly?
• 10. Do we leave the decisions to be made by the committee and accept what they agree on as a solution?

All of the above points need our immediate attention and the committee has to get started as soon as possible to resolve the issues. The feedback we get from those concerned in the future of the schools and the efficient running of the Society depend on a feasible resolution of the above. Please send any ideas and suggestions to Neal Shafto at nshafto @ sympatico.ca or telephone 1-519-426-5661.  k