Invitation to a CFHA Threshing Session

Reimagining the Future of CFHA

The new Executive Committee of the Canadian Friends Historical Association invites all interested parties to participate in a broad ranging session to help determine the future direction of CFHA. Rob Leverty, the Executive Director of the Ontario Historical Society, who has considerable experience with organizations like ours, will be present to help facilitate the discussion, and provide information.

The virtual session will take place on Zoom – Saturday, October 22nd at 1pm Eastern Time. Zoom link to follow.

At this time of transition, we are faced with some important questions and considerations:

• While we are blessed with some people willing to serve on the Executive Committee, we do not at present have people willing and able to assume the offices (chair, treasurer, publications officer) that our charter outlines.  How might we address this situation?
• Despite gearing back on expenditures, we continue on a course where our spending is outpacing our income at what might be considered a dangerous rate.  What is the best way to address this?
• With full respect to all of those who have made significant and even sacrificial contributions to CFHA, is it time to ask whether our lifespan run its course? Interest in Quaker heritage may be waning among progressives, and the number of interested parties may no longer be adequate to support the Association (both in terms of volunteer participation, and in terms of financial support).
• Might we envision CFHA as a separate chapter of the Friends Historical Association (run out of Philadelphia—not clear what this would mean for our charitable tax status in Canada), or as an arm of CQLA, in order to share administrative costs and be part of something larger and more sustainable?
• In lieu of adequate volunteer support (which would be the ideal), how do we continue hiring people to get the work done?  Do we, for example, need to replace Chris when he leaves us as our ongoing administrative assistant, or could we hire someone on an “as needed” basis for specific tasks? (For example, hire an accountant for a couple days a year to prepare our financial statements and file our tax returns.)
• What responsibility do we have to our members? The meaning of membership changed when we went digital: one does not need to be a member to access materials. We have not recently been offering the annual historical trips, in-person gatherings, or lunches (especially since Covid). With activities moving online, our historic meeting houses may not be as big a part of our lives. What can/should we revive, and what should we let drop permanently?  What new initiatives might we undertake to energize and serve our membership?

Please consider participating in this important event!