Dear Students,
On March 1, 2023 the Iyengar Yoga Centre of Victoria held its 45th Annual General Meeting. Laine Canivet (President) and Leslie Hogya offer a summary of its activities and volunteers. We salute you all!
Iyengar Yoga Centre – 2022
We are unique in the yoga sector in that we are a not for profit as well as a registered charity. As a charity, we must comply with CRA regulations governing, among other things, fund raising and issuing tax receipts. Our classes and workshops must be available to all who require them, hence our pay what you can option. We are governed by a board of directors and at the AGM earlier this month, all current board members agreed to serve another year. We owe a great debt of gratitude to our board members who help guide and steer our centre.
The centre, founded in 1978 under the Society Act of BC by Shirley Daventry French, Dr. Derek French and others, is the longest operating yoga studio in Victoria. Our purpose is to encourage the physical, mental, and spiritual growth of our members. Inspired by BKS Iyengar’s method, our teachers meet international standards and are certified under the Iyengar Yoga Association of Canada. In 2022 our teachers were Leslie Hogya, Ann Kilbertus, Ty Chandler, Lucie Guindon, Marlene Miller, Gary Wong, Adia Kapoor, Johanna Godliman, Britta Poisson and Wendy Boyer.
As general manager, Wendy reports to the board, closely monitors the centre’s finances and responds to challenges including the recent shifting demands of the pandemic, the occasional fire or flood, and daily operations. Britta, our office manager, organizes office operations, procedures, and communications and works with the staff – Hilary McPhail, Bob Maher and Billie Essa – to ensure that the whole office is running smoothly. Bruce Cox manages our website and Theron Morgan is our bookkeeper.
With the support of the staff and board, many volunteers carry out myriad tasks. Last year our dedicated team of volunteers kept the props in order and cleaned the lobby and studios each week. Thanks to Annie Kitchen, Caroline Meggison, Laine Canivet, Laura Fellman, Barbara Preston and Wendy Wimbush.
All this makes a community – a community dedicated to spreading the light of Iyengar yoga to all.
Namaste, love
Wendy and Britta