Dear Editor
After reading your article in Friday's Record (What does future hold for Hyack?), I would like to correct some of the misinformation set out in it.
Most directors of the Hyack board were aware of the numerous points the executive committee were working with when preparing an “employee review” for Douglas Smith, the former executive director, prior to his departure. The immediate past president was the board member who did not allow the committee to present their findings to the board on July 30, after he raised an “incorrect” point of order, which abruptly ended the meeting and prevented the board from considering all of the evidence available to it.
With respect to the Oct. 22 “gathering” that 25 individuals had at the Columbia Theatre, it was not a sanctioned meeting of Hyack.
The comments that have been made by persons at that meeting were only the opinions of those individuals and did not reflect the views or opinions of the Hyack board and the association itself.
A number of them were "brand new members" who had been recently signed on only to further the ends of the dissident directors. These people had little independent information or knowledge or information about our association.
At an official special general meeting, only fully paid members are allowed to vote and only the items on the agenda can be discussed. As well, one long-time Hyack member was turned away at the door by one of the dissident directors when he attempted to enter. This was obviously not an open gathering but rather a partisan group of people with a closed agenda.
The letter sent out by those five dissident members, who had earlier resigned from the board, contained other instances of untrue or misleading information.
In particular, the letter implied that the parliamentarian Eli Mina "… resigned due to repeated interference and unilateral and illegitimate actions by the president …" That statement is very misleading and is completely incorrect. At no time did the parliamentarian ever indicate such a position or anything remotely close to it.
Finally, in The Record's opinion piece, "Time for the city to take Hyack in hand" the article is very misleading to your readers and, I believe, it should show some balance in its editorial content. It doesn't.
The meeting at the Columbia Theatre was not a legal meeting and no resolutions made at it have any force or effect.
Hyack continues to have a fully functioning board, with an executive committee and an interim executive director. The parade committee continues to meet and is fully prepared to finalize the organization of the Santa Clause Parade of Lights.
Planning for many of next year's events is well under way including the Northwest Festivals Hosting Association annual general meeting set for January 17, 18 and 19 at the Inn on the Quay in New Westminster. This event alone will bring upwards of $50,000 in economic benefits to our city in the middle of January. Representatives from 10 cities and 14 organizations will arrive here on Friday and stay until Sunday. Some of the attendees have already indicated that they will come earlier or stay later to enjoy our hospitality.
Should you have any further inquiries about the New Westminster Hyack Festival Association business, please defer to the authorized spokesperson, myself, Gavin Palmer, president, for accurate and up-to-date information.
In closing, the positive overall impact of the resignation of the five members and the stability now achieved by the board has improved Hyack's circumstances immensely.
Our hardworking directors, members and volunteers are looking forward to rebuilding this organization to a level that will provide the service and benefits for New Westminster as it has done for the last 40 years.
Hyack is a volunteer organization built on community pride, working in concert with the citizens and the City of New Westminster, the many business and community sponsors and our membership and hundreds of volunteers as a whole.
With a 42-year record of success, we will continue to do so to ensure the events, festivals, parades and programs mandated to do in the community and beyond are accomplished with the positive involvement and enjoyment of all.
Gavin Palmer, 2013 Hyack president
