Directors of GHCS & GHCF are NOT Members of the Societies they Represent

The question of the nature of the membership lists for both the Gabriola Health Care foundation (GHCF) and the Gabriola Health Care Society (GHCS) came under question at the January 6, 2011 extraordinary meeting of the GHCF.  There has been much concern in the Gabriola community as to how the GHCS/GHCF could, according to their constitutions, simply conscript all residents of Gabriola Island into membership in their societies, without even consulting anyone.  That is, though, the basis on which these two societies are operating.  This means that everyone who is a resident of Gabriola, be it full time, part time, property owner, renter, or long term visitor is a member of both the GHCS and the GHCF.  However, when questioned further at the Jan 6/11 meeting about the exact structure of their membership list, Brenda Fowler, president of both societies, admitted that they don’t really maintain actual membership lists.  She stated instead that, “The telephone book is our membership list”.  Okay, so be it, the Gabriola telephone book, not residency, is the basis for their membership lists. 

HOWEVER:

The Gabriola Health Care Society lists a total of nine members on their Board of Directors.  Of those nine members, only four names appear in the telephone book, while the remaining five do not.  That is, according to the president’s statement about their membership list being the telephone book, only 44% of the Board of Directors of the GHCS are actually members of the society.  The remaining 56% are not members!

The Gabriola Health Care Foundation fares a little better.  They list a total of fourteen members on their Board of Directors, of which eleven names appear in the telephone book, and three do not.  That means, according to the president’s statement, 79% are members and 21% are not.

How can these people claim to represent the best interests of the community of Gabriola Island, via their position as Directors of the GHCS and GHCF, when a large percentage of them are not even, by their own definition, legitimate members of these societies?

Verna Gregson