Greetings to Vintage Characters. I hope you are enjoying this wet, but largely pleasant summer. Some Vintage matters in the summer of ’26.

The Board of Directors 

As most of you know, the Society of Vintage Characters is managed by a Board, consisting of 7 members, a President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary (the Executive) and 3 Directors, Casino, Event Coordinator and Membership. The Executive positions are elected to 2 year terms and the Director positions are appointed by the Board to a one year term. None of these positions are paid.  

Over the years, individuals have served, resigned and been replaced. It has been a seamless process. It is important to note, however, that we have always had individual Vintage members step forward to fill vacancies. We will have at least 2 significant openings on the Board this year, President and Membership Director. These are important positions. It is for this reason that we want to give the Membership advance notice of these opportunities to serve. Please consider whether you have the interest or background to be a member of the Board and offer your names for consideration of these openings. 

The Board meets about 6 times a year. Meetings are about 2 hours in length. I have been a member of the Board for many years. It is a harmonious and efficient group. Most members find it a reasonable workload and an enjoyable experience. More information to come in the next few months. Please consider. 

For more information, contact me:

Dave Colburn - President, Society of Vintage Characters

davecolb@yahoo.com

Welcoming and caring environment

The Board has recently been discussing the importance of reaching out to new members attending their first events, and making them feel welcome and comfortable. We are considering a formalized process to accomplish this but recognize that all of our members can make a difference. If you become aware of a new member experiencing a Vintage event, we encourage you to welcome them and ask if they have any questions. We can make a difference for new members!

Volunteerism

Our volunteer activities at the Food Bank and Hope Mission are going well. Both are very popular and well supported. We have a monthly volunteer session at the Hope, alternating between downtown (food service) one month and Girard Rd (sandwich making) the next. We volunteer at the Food Bank every 6-8 weeks. If you are interested in volunteering be sure to register promptly after you receive the invitation. 

The Board recently underlined the importance of volunteerism for Vintage Characters by creating a new position of Volunteer Director. This appointment will be filled at the January, 2027 AGM.

Event Planning

With a growing membership, event planning has become a full-time job. Previously, Vintage had an Event Director who handled all event planning (tip of the hat to Gerry Hofs who did yeoman’s work). Now, we have a 3-person committee managing events. 

Still, it is complicated work. Events have to be selected, scheduling has to take place, costs assessed, invitations sent, the Board advised, registrations tracked and event hosted. Whew! I’m exhausted simply talking about this.  

As membership increases, it becomes an increasingly delicate process to balance the number of tickets purchased vs estimated cost. We have a limited budget based largely on our casino fundraising. The event committee has to estimate interest and cost and buy tix accordingly. We usually purchase between 25-50 tickets per event, occasionally more, for popular events (eg. Winspear Xmas concert). We know tickets are not always available for members. Sometimes the event committee can purchase additional tickets at the last moment to accommodate high interest. Sometimes not. A tip of the hat to the Event Planning Committee for their excellent work selecting unique, diverse and engaging events.

For more information or suggestions, contact:

Roberta Babcock - Event Planning Committee, “Society of Vintage Characters”