Annual General Meeting 2014

Sunday, March 30th, 2014
9:00AM
Cumberland Hall - 2nd Floor, Travelodge Hotel and Conference Centre, 4177 Albert Street South, Regina

MISSION STATEMENT:
We exist to encourage and enhance the art, science and practice of massage therapy by maintaining a high standard of massage therapy; by establishing and maintaining the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan, Inc. as a leading health professional association; by promoting health profession through education, accountability, communication and advocacy, and financial stability.

Plan to make your voice count by attending the 48th AGM at 9:00am on Sunday, March 30th at the Travelodge Regina.  This is your opportunity to assist the Board of Directors in setting direction for the coming year.

RSVP is NOT required for this event - all members are welcome and you earn 3 business credits.

2014 AGM Agenda

Call to order (9:00 a.m.) – President Garret Woynarski

1.0 Housekeeping
2.0 Review/amend/adopt Agenda
3.0 Review/amend/adopt Minutes of AGM March 3rd, 2013
4.0 Business arising from Minutes

Guest Speaker:  Dr. Paul Bruno, DC, PhD (Assistant Professor and Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation Research Chair in Neuromusculoskeletal Health, Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies, University of Regina) - “Evidence-based Health Care”.

5.0 Director’s Reports:
     5.1 President – Garret Woynarski
     5.2 Treasurer – Kyla McDonald
     5.3 Education/Exam – Kendra Pottage/Don Wickstrom
     5.4 Insurance – Julianne Heagy
     5.5 Complaints/Investigation – Gus Giannoutsos
     5.6 Membership – Darlene McCoshen
     5.7 Public Relations – Camille Lapierre
     5.8 Competency – Aileen Tran Mapletoft
     5.9 Research – Donelda Gowan-Moody
     5.10 Executive Director – Lori Green

New Business:
6.0 Amendments to the Bylaws
7.0 Motions from the membership
8.0 Report of the Nominating Committee – Marles Kerns
9.0 Elections
10.0 Date of next meeting: Saskatoon - March 29th, 2015
11.0 Adjournment

2013 AGM Minutes

Please click here to view the 2013 AGM Minutes as a .pdf file.

2013 AGM Attendance List

Please click here to open the 2013 attendance list.

Board of Directors' Reports

PRESIDENT'S REPORT - GARRET WOYNARSKI
The previous year has been full of changes and progression for me as President and for MTAS.  All of which have been positive!
Thank you to Julianne Heagy for having confidence and trust in my abilities to support my election for President.  I take the position of President very seriously, as any association, business or organization needs a visionary leader to inspire members or employees whilst withstanding criticism and negativity. 
Thank you to Christina Battyanie, Don Wickstrom, Darlene McCoshen and Kyla McDonald for your long service on the Board of Directors.  I wish you well in your careers and I have learned many valuable concepts from you directly and indirectly. 
The current state of affairs for MTAS is very bright with all facets of the association running efficiently and communicating effectively.  Lori Green works tirelessly and continually keeps tabs on all of our association issues as Executive Director.  Jayne Little has the Member Services Manager portfolio down to an efficient and structured science that allows the association members to stay current and well organized.  Each Director contributes time, energy and knowledge to the association to ensure that MTAS stays on track with our goals, duties and reputation.  If any one of these key components of MTAS were to weaken or falter, the tangible result may not be palpable immediately; however, the association would suffer long term. 
Most RMTs are self-employed.  I need not reiterate to you the necessity, as an entrepreneur, to systematically review your expenses and income.  Each year, our Board of Directors meticulously does a review of the finances of MTAS.  Our stringent strategy over the last year has been to reduce operating costs and expenditures; unfortunately we are still ending up with a financial shortfall.  As RMTs we raise our fee schedule every few years to accommodate rent increases, wage increases, cost of living increases etc.  The same holds true for MTAS asking members for a small (approximately $4.00/month) fee increase to yearly membership dues.
MTAS is a leader on a national massage therapy level.  My attendance at national meetings has given me awareness to the respect we have earned from other associations and national insurance companies.  At a time when insurance companies are becoming increasingly more strict, you can ensure that your client’s massage therapy receipts are being reimbursed with little to no hassle being placed on you.  Our Executive Director, Lori Green and Insurance chair, Julianne Heagy, are doing a fine job of ensuring that MTAS remains a leader in the compliance arena with national insurers.
One of my goals as President was to periodically update the membership on the latest happenings and issues.  Previously as a member, I felt the Board of Directors to be this ‘magical team’ that updated the membership only once per year, right before an AGM.  I wanted to change that distant communication and so I hope that this year you felt a little more in tune with what issues were at hand for MTAS and the Board of Directors.  A lot of feedback was provided by the membership regarding my updates.  Whether it was positive or negative responses, your comments were always read and taken as a piece of experiential and productive advice. 

I look forward to another busy and creative year as President!
Respectfully,
Garret Woynarski, RMT, D.Ac

FINANCE REPORT - KYLA MCDONALD
Hello Everyone, I hope your year is going along well. Due to the rising cost of operation, the extra expense of upcoming legislation, the need to develop a legal fund and the future expense of developing a college the board believes it is in the best interest of the membership to raise annual membership dues.
After 3 terms on the board I have decided not to run for another term. Serving on the board has been a great experience.
Thank you.
Kyla McDonald

EDUCATION REPORT - KENDRA POTTAGE
Hello to all members!
We had another successful year with our ‘new’ practical exam format.  Now that it has been up and running for a couple of years, we have been able to reflect on the benefits of the new format, and also review the constructive comments regarding the exam from the examiners and the candidates themselves.  We had a productive Education Committee meeting where we were able to discuss our thoughts on the practical exam format, which led the committee to recommend making a couple of small changes.   The goal of those changes is to get the specific information needed for the examiner to deem the candidate as competent.  We will be running this new format at the next set of MTAS qualifying exams.  We look forward to seeing if these changes help the candidate feel more confident in their exam, as well as hearing the feedback from the examiners. 
As for the written portion of the exam, our committee is collecting and evaluating questions from the MTAS data bank.  We have several more questions to add to the bank and all will need to be reviewed, as we are always striving to improve our exams.  Each question needs to be correlated to the national competency document to ensure our exam bank continues to be filled with relevant and necessary questions, and meet the national standard.  As usual, we especially need to thank our Chief Examiner, Cassandra Exner-Williams for all of her work on the exam process!  Also a big thanks to Jayne Little for facilitating the exams and always being so organized!   And we can’t forget our wonderful examiners!  Without them, we would not be able to have such a successful and highly regarded exam!
Don Wickstrom, the former Education Chair, will be stepping down from his position he has held for many years.  He will be greatly missed on the board, but will still be facilitating the cadaver lab workshops at the U of S.  We as MTAS members are very fortunate to have the privilege of taking such valuable Con-Ed courses, like the cadaver labs.  Having Dr. Mohamed there to offer his teaching methods adds to such a valuable learning experience.  We are very lucky to have Don staying on in this role, and we really appreciate him doing so.
We will be having many meetings over the coming year.  Specifically, we will be scheduling roundtable meetings with the three Saskatchewan schools to discuss strategies and concerns.  We are also scheduling meetings with our Psychometrician and our Education Committee to work on the written qualifying exam.  We look forward to these meetings and the positive result they will have on our relationship with the schools, and the efficiency of the exams.
I greatly appreciate all of the help I’ve received from my fellow board members and the MTAS staff, as this is my first time serving on a board.  It’s enjoyable being around people who share your passion about our chosen profession!  I have enjoyed being on the MTAS Board of Directors this past year, and look forward to serving you all on this board for years to come. 

Thank you.
Kendra Pottage, RMT, D.Ac

COMPETENCY REPORT - AILEEN TRAN MAPLETOFT
Happy New Year to everyone!

Welcome to all the new MTAS members – you have worked so very hard to get here and I congratulate you on passing the board exams.
Firstly, I want to thank each and every one of our members for continually supporting MTAS through the rigors of national standardization. As we work towards aligning our standards to that of the National Competency Standards, as well as focusing on research and encouraging an evidence-based practice and treatment approach, the Competency Chair (that’s me) & my committee will centre on bringing in and approving future con-ed courses that adopt this similar philosophy.
I am very pleased to have Robert Libbey back again this year for the L.A.S.T. workshops; Robert has added more hands-on hours to the workshops plus three new 1-day classes.  I am also looking forward to seeing everyone at MTAS’ first ever Interdisciplinary Research Symposium. Here’s a chance to connect and share your expertise with other RMT’s, students, Chiropractors and Physiotherapists. The committee has already approved this symposium for 8 primary credits so get a head start on obtaining your CEU’s now.
If there are any courses or workshops out there that you feel would be interesting, fun, exciting or valuable to our profession, please feel free to contact me or Jayne so we can try to bring those courses into Saskatchewan for you guys.

In review, since we are into a new window, all RMT’s will need to get the following CEU’s before October 31st, 2015:
40 TOTAL CREDITS, of which 28 are PRIMARY credits, plus 5 for CPR/SFA and 7 BUSINESS credits. 

This does not apply to the new members who have just graduated from a 2,200 hour massage program (you have a 2-year grace period). Please refer back to your Con-Ed / Competency Handbook, visit our website (www.saskmassagetherapy.com) or call the office for more details.
Thank you everyone for your dedication in keeping up with the most current developments and trends in massage therapy.  This passion guarantees that all your patients and clients will receive the best possible course of treatment. That’s the hallmark of a MTAS RMT. Good job everyone!

Sincerely,
Aileen

MEMBERSHIP REPORT - DARLENE MCCOSHEN
Hello All!
Well I hope that  2013 was great for you all!  It was productive for myself with helping promote the MTAS Association and our fantastic profession. As it stands to date we have 814 members, which includes 54 non-practicing, 4 honorary and 1 educator member, plus 755 practicing members.  MTAS is pleased to have gained a total of 42 new members over the year. So how great is that!  At the time of this report, we have 3 members who are currently suspended due to failure to comply with the Bylaws 11.1 Eligibility for membership and insurance requirements.
We were saddened at the loss of members Dave Stadnyk, Bev Mercier and Lana Goodman this year.
I have always had a passion for seeing our profession become legislated and as time goes on, we see more and more progress. I am still applying any Public Relations I can do in the city of Prince Albert and good results always follow.
I will be stepping down following the AGM but will continue do my part in the city I am in and our province. The years I have been on the board of directors have been nothing but a pleasure and an adventure seeing our forward progress. I thank the board for giving me this opportunity and wish them nothing but continued success for our great profession.

Darlene McCoshen
Membership Director

LEGISLATION REPORT - GARRET WOYNARSKI, RMT, D.Ac
I am happy to report that much of the momentum created in the previous year has been maintained or increased in the most recent year.  Conversations with MLAs have been occurring to promote and bring awareness to the desire of MTAS to become a self-regulating profession.  I have developed a strong and respectable rapport with our Health Minister Dustin Duncan, Premier Brad Wall and leader of the NDP, Cam Broten.  These cultivated political relationships will serve a monumental purpose when the time is needed. 
In the spring of 2013 we submitted our revised and update Legislation proposal to the Ministry of Health.   More specifically, we met with Rebecca Baylis, who is the senior policy analyst, and Brad Havervold, who is the Executive Director of the workforce planning branch of the Ministry of Health, and handed them our proposal.  We had a very positive response from these individuals regarding our document. 
In the fall of 2013 we received notification from the Ministry of Health that our legislation proposal was satisfactory, however we were asked to provide further research-based evidence regarding the risk of harm for massage therapy.  To summarize, the Ministry requires further evidence that there is a risk to the people of Saskatchewan if they do not self-regulate our profession.  Thankfully, our Research chair Donelda Gowan-Moody was able to investigate and compile a risk of harm document inclusive of 30 reported incidents that were discovered and reviewed.  We submitted this document to the Ministry of Health in January, 2014 and are waiting to hear a response.
On December 13, 2013 the province of New Brunswick Legislature gave the 3rd and final reading with Royal Assent for the Massage Therapy Act of New Brunswick.  This means that the 3 associations in New Brunswick have now achieved their goal of becoming a self-regulating profession! This is excellent news and all provincial massage therapy associations across Canada have sent congratulations to New Brunswick RMTs. 
The next steps in our legislation process will be to wait to hear back from the Ministry of Health regarding the status of our risk of harm document.  I plan on contacting the necessary MLAs and Health Minister to make them aware of the current status of our proposal. 
The pace of government is extremely slow.  This can be frustrating; however I truly feel we will be stronger provincially and nationally within our profession once legislated.  I will continue the pursuit!

Respectfully,
Garret Woynarski, RMT, D.Ac

COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATION REPORT - GUS GIANNOUTSOS
Hello All,
Well another busy year has come and gone. I hope the New Year brings joy, health and prosperity to everyone.
This is my second term as Complaints and Investigation Chairperson. Although the number of complaints have risen since my first term, no major disciplinary action was needed.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind the membership to review our Bylaws, etc. and to be professional when dealing with the public; whether it be via contact, verbal and social media. You directly represent OUR Association, so please keep that in mind.

Thank you,
Gus Giannoutsos

PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT - CAMILLE LAPIERRE
This year, the board had decided to separate the membership and PR chair.  The responsibilities are still a work in progress but that hasn't limited me in getting involved where I've been needed in promoting MTAS to future student members, the public, and being a liaison to our very own existing members.

This spring, I attended the Robert Libbey workshops and took the opportunity to survey the attending RMT's as to how MTAS should promote themselves to the current massage therapy students.  The feedback was much appreciated and helped boost our approach in upcoming school presentations.

These presentations were first on my agenda.  This fall, Lori and I visited both Saskatoon schools.  The students were very polite, respectful and provided good interaction.  We've explored the presentations themselves and adapted them to our target audience.  Promoting the massage therapy profession and encouraging success to the 1st year students while adding a little more political content to the 2nd year students.

I have also been involved in the last 3 Board examinations as a practical examiner.  Upon the candidates achieving a successful examination, it has given me some insight into who our future members are and the calibre of education they are receiving. 

I have been a part of the planning committee for our first MTAS Research Symposium.  I can honestly say, in all my years of practice, I have never felt more proud and more solidarity among my fellow RMT's in the continued advancement of our profession.
I look forward to reporting on its success in next year’s Annual Report.

So far, in my first term on the board, I've experienced quite the learning curve! My fellow board members as well as the MTAS staff have been most helpful.  Help and words of encouragement have been abundant and most appreciated.  My plans are to continue as the PR chair and continue developing my roles and responsibilities.

Thank you.
Camille Lapierre

RESEARCH REPORT – DONELDA GOWAN-MOODY, RMT, BA(Hons), MSc, PhD student

This has been an exciting year within this newly emerging and evolving research directorship. It has been a delight serving on the Board of Directors of the MTAS. My goal for the year was to draft an initial description of the role of the Research Chair and then to begin carrying out those duties. The role of the Research Director can perhaps best be envisioned as the promotion and facilitation of knowledge translation and knowledge transfer. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) defines knowledge translation as "the exchange, synthesis and ethically-sound application of knowledge - within a complex system of interactions among researchers and users - to accelerate the capture of the benefits of research for Canadians through improved health, more effective services and products, and a strengthened health care system".(1) It is about "making users aware of knowledge and facilitating their use of it; closing the gap between what we know and what we do; and moving knowledge into action.(1) It is said to be "the bridge between discovery and impact" and it directly relates to closing the gap between research and practice or policy. (1) CIHR uses the following definition of knowledge transfer that it "is about transferring good ideas, research results and skills between universities, other research organizations, business and the wider community to enable innovative new products and services to be developed." (1)

Several activities undertaken to act on knowledge translation and transfer over the year have accelerated the MTAS research portfolio into high gear right off the starting line. This includes a commitment to participate in the development of a Canadian Massage Therapy Foundation in collaboration with the Massage Therapists' Association of British Columbia (MTABC). The MTABC has a well-developed, dedicated and funded research department and is generous in sharing its resources and vision for the future of massage therapy in Canada as an evidence-based health profession. Another important task, in support of the work of the legislation committee, was the preparation of an evidence brief for the Ministry of Health. This is a good example of an effort to close the gap between research and policy. The brief described the compelling evidence that massage therapy is not without risk of harm to the public. Clinical case reports and case series published in the medical literature from 1974 to the present describe an array of serious adverse events that have occurred. The evidence summary also served to communicate to the Saskatchewan government that along with increasing evidence to support the benefits of massage therapy is an increase in the use of the therapy among the population.  Important points drawing attention to the use of massage therapy among those with chronic ill-health (a prevalence rate that is increasing in Saskatchewan) and among seniors and children (two growing demographics in the province) was made. Also the policy brief served to remind government decision-makers of the expanding influence of quality massage therapy care on health promotion and improvement of the health of the Saskatchewan people.

Perhaps the capstone in MTAS research activities for this first year is the planning of the First MTAS Interdisciplinary Research Symposium. The enthusiasm and positive regard for research-related information and education among the MTAS organization, the planning committee, the research community within Saskatchewan Universities, prestigious, influential, and generous event sponsors, and the membership of the Association has been so encouraging. To take off from the ground with a ground-swell of momentum has been gratifying and speaks to the emerging capacity within this province and this profession to move forward as health care providers with acknowledgement of the importance of research for practice, education and policy-making.

I look forward to continuing to serve as Research Director in the coming year.

Respectfully submitted,
Donelda Gowan-Moody

(1)  CIHR "what is KT" Available from http://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/33747.html

INSURANCE REPORT - JULIANNE HEAGY
I was unable to attend the Strategic Planning meeting for our board this year due to a family health crisis but did attend all other face-to-face meetings and teleconference meetings.

Other than the meetings, the following is a report of my activities for the year:

WCB/SGI RATES
I am pleased to report that the following WCB rates are now in effect (SGI is using the same rate scale):

Click here for the link to the rates chart - taken from the WCB website.

In November, our executive director (Lori Green) and president (Garret Woynarski) attended a meeting with WCB and SGI to begin discussions on the 2015 rates.

Canadian Health Care Anti-Fraud (CHCAA) Conference
Lori Green and I attended this conference Sept 30th - Oct 2nd. Again there was very positive feedback from the attendees that the Canadian Massage Therapy Alliance (CMTA) is staying visible and transparent at this conference.  Lori Green and Brenda Locke, BC Massage Assoc. Executive Director, gave a presentation on massage. Very well received!

Although the Standard Receipt for massage was introduced at last year's conference, there was concern that the insurers aren't seeing this receipt being used by RMTs. Please contact our MTAS office and find out how you can get the necessary template to start using this standardized receipt.

TELUS Health Solutions
Lori Green and I reviewed the TELUS Health Solutions Memorandum of Understanding and have signed the agreement. You have already received information from TELUS Health on how to register for the program.  

CHIEF EXAMINER REPORT - CASSANDRA EXNER-WILLIAMS
This year has been a good year for exams and the new format practical exam is going well. A committee is preparing to work with the exam bank and the National Competency Standards document in preparation for the future.
We will be having another Examiner Training session sometime this year; however I am not sure of when at this time.
There were four sittings of the exam in 2013 - the first in March in Saskatoon; the second and third in June in Saskatoon and Regina; the fourth in August in Saskatoon.

2013 Examiners:
Duane Banman; Carmen Bartko; Deveny Braun; Lara Brierley; Erin Butler-Marshall; Monty Churchman; Briana Descalchuk; Kelly  Downes; Kyle Flaman; Amy  Galiegue; Lynne Granberg; Rhonda Hill; Brenda Hourie; Camille Lapierre; Michael Litschko; Guylaine Loiselle; Judy Osmachenko; Kendra Pottage; Shalla Riemer; William Schiffner; Kerri Schultz; Barbara  Schultze; Karen Tegenkamp; Angela Thul; Lynne Topping and Dani Winstanley.

Exam statistics:
• March 2013: 3 candidates - all 3 passed both written and practical.
• June – Saskatoon: 12 candidates – 11 passed both written and practical; 1 failed both exams.
• June – Regina: 22 candidates – 16 passed both written and practical; 4 failed both, 1 failed written only and 1 failed practical only.
• August – Saskatoon (rewrite): 6 candidates – 3 passed both written and practical; 3 failed both.

We gained 36 new members as a result of the 2013 exams. 
Thank you.
Cassandra Exner-Williams R.M.T. - Chief Examiner

NOMINATIONS REPORT - MARLES KERNS
At the writing of this report the Board of Directors can accept up to 15 directors However it is important to note that we do have an amendment to that bylaw today. Board terms are for 2 years and have no maximum length of term.
The following Board members are returning to complete their term: Garret Woynarski (President), Marles Kerns (Vice President), Aileen Tran Mapletoft (Competency), Gus Giannoutsos (Complaints and Investigation), Donelda Gowan-Moody (Research), Camille Lapierre (Public Relations), and Kendra Pottage (Education).
We currently have three MTAS members seeking election:  Mandy McLaughlin, Jordan Smith and Robin Claus.

Robin Claus:
Robin came to Saskatchewan form Northern Manitoba in 2006.  During the move she was involved in a serious MVA that required abdominal surgery and extensive rehabilitation.  Her passion for the healing process was inspired by the range of other injuries she saw being exercised carefully at the physiotherapy gym.  An education in massage therapy was the next logical step for the young woman who had been massaging family members since she was old enough to grip a foot.  Robin enjoys recreational co-ed soccer and dodge ball games.  In Saskatchewan’s beautiful summer months you can find her walking or biking along the river bank or taking in local theater productions, live music or slam poetry.  On weekends, she pilots sail planes with the Prince Albert Gliding and Soaring Club out of the Birch Hills Airport.  She is an active member of the 722 Breakfast Club – a small business networking group that meets bi-monthly.  She now offers a hot stone massage at Orchard Chiropractic Care and is studying myofascial research and therapies to better serve her current and future clients.|

Mandy McLachlan:
I graduated from the McKay Massage and Hydrotherapy Program in June 2010.  In September 2010 I began my Massage Therapy career at Symmetry Therapeutics and have continued to build my practice there.
I am self-motivated, hardworking, I give 100% to whatever I am doing and I work well with others.  I am eager to learn and constantly looking for an opportunity to learn more, especially within the profession.
Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my fiancé, Matt, and my dog, Moose.  I also enjoy spending time outdoors, at the gym and reading.

Jordan Smith:
Always having an interest for massage therapy, I began to pursue my career in 2009.

Even as a student, I began to realise there is a lot more to this profession than we were taught.  I have never been afraid to think outside the box, nor am I timid to ask questions when needed.

What I bring to the Board is a new perspective of thought and insight.  I may be only going into my third year in the field, but I love to better myself and find a way to better others.

If elected to the Board, I will constantly bring a hard determined work ethic and will always find a way to grow the field of massage therapy, and awareness for our members by using all the resources available.

In terms of our membership, I am truly thankful for all that goes on behind the scenes that the current Board does for us. I have a taste for their Board’s work by being on the competency committee.  It has really increased my desire to be a Board member. I would be honoured to be a MTAS Board member.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT - LORI GREEN
This year has been another exciting year for the Office and Board of Directors.   We have embarked on furthering the profession through offering 18 workshops, 14 were delivered and 4 cancelled due to low enrollment.  We continue to provide “free” access to Touch U online, and have introduced business credits into the competency profile.  Those of you attending the AGM this year will receive 3 business credits towards completion of the current competency window requirements.
Shortly after the Annual General Meeting of MTAS in 2013, Julianne Heagy – President, decided that due to unexpected events in her life, she would prefer to continue on as Past President and Insurance Chair.  The Board was happy to elect and welcome Garret Woynarski as President.  Garret has had a steep learning curve and has handled the challenge of leadership with poise and skill.  I thank Julianne for her leadership and her support through the past 2 years; her commitment and keenness to the Association was obvious and valued by those of us who got to work with her.
The Board met for Strategic Planning in April of 2013.  This is always a very informative and intense weekend of brain storming, dialogue, education and team-building, to set direction not only for the current fiscal year, but also long range plans.  The MTAS Board was very pleased to incorporate a committee specifically dedicated to research, chaired by Donelda Gowan-Moody.  We continue to learn and grow in this area, which has resulted in our first-ever Research Symposium occurring this weekend.
The Board’s three-pronged initiatives - regulation, membership and marketing - continue to be the principal direction for the Association.
Our priority direction in 2013-2014 continued to be on the regulation of massage therapy in our province.  Through considerable discourse, our President Garret Woynarski, and myself, have entered into a comfortable dialogue with the Ministry of Health and continue to have a positive outlook on the future for legislation.
I have continued to represent MTAS at the national level through my involvement as Chair of the National Insurance Committee, Vice Chair of the CMTA, and as the representative on the Founder’s Committee for National Accreditation.  Through this national collaboration, MTAS has made valuable connections with other provincial associations, stake holders, and workshop providers.   MTAS was pleased to be chosen as the first non-regulated massage association to provide online billing with TELUS health and to help develop the template contract for all other non-regulated massage associations.
Our marketing has continued to focus on radio advertising and we continuing to advertise with Direct West (Yellow Pages).  The circulation in 2012 with Direct West advertising totaled 796,600!  Rawlco Radio also has significant reach in the province, allowing us the best use of our marketing dollars. 
We have participated in various promotional and educational activities throughout the province:  Saskatchewan Urban Municipality Association (SUMA), Prince Albert Grand Council Urban Services, St. Mary’s High School (Prince Albert), SIAST Kelsey Campus, and of course through our ongoing presentations to our future members at all three schools in Saskatchewan.  A big thank you also goes out to those members who have worked in their communities to promote massage therapy and MTAS.  I would like to remind members that if you are doing anything to promote the profession in your area, MTAS has promotional and educational materials, and a pop-up display that we are able to ship for use at your event.
The office continues to evolve into more electronic communications with our membership.  This has cut costs significantly in postage and office supplies (stationery,paper, toner etc.).  We are very pleased that we now have only 1% (12 members) that still receive hard copy.
Jayne continues to provide superb service to our membership and provides vital and invaluable support to myself and the committees of the Board with her expertise.
I have now entered my eighth year with the Association and still find myself steeped in learning more and delivering more to the Association.  Many of the Board members have been there almost from the beginning with me and I am sad to see them step down this year - Don Wickstrom, Christina Battyanie, Kyla McDonald and Darlene McCoshen.  I wish them good luck in their future endeavors, and will keep them close on my speed dial for consulting purposes.  I look forward to working with new and enthusiastic members and returning Board members. It is often a thankless job for volunteers at the Board level; the hours and phone calls, and your support is appreciated.  I believe that it is imperative that associations learn and grow from their membership and the enthusiasm that MTAS members have shown through their Board and committee involvement is appreciated.  Not to be discounted is a thank you to all of the members who have called the office, dropped in or sent e-mails with your concerns and praise - both are welcome.

I continue to look to the future with the continuing confidence of promoting the profession of massage therapy in Saskatchewan and Canada.
Lori Green

CANADIAN MASSAGE THERAPY ALLIANCE (CMTA) REPORT - LORI GREEN
The CMTA continues to be busy working at the national level with the insurance providers to establish and maintain protocols that will ensure that Canadians receive bona fide medically necessary massage therapy treatments.

This year, Brenda Locke (RMTBC) and I represented CMTA at the Canadian Health and Life Insurance Association (CHLIA) meeting in Vancouver in May.  Once again we were welcomed, and we met informally with many third party insurers.  They shared their concerns and support in achieving regulation across Canada and have offered to support the Association in achieving our goal.

In Toronto, CMTA participated in the Global Healthcare Anti-fraud Network (GHCAN) in a panel discussion “Beyond the Data – Medical Reality: Why Fraudulent Over-consumption is an Issue.”  It was an honour to participate with health care administrators from Europe and Australia at the invite-only Conference. 

Following the GHCAN summit we were tradeshow participants and session presenters at the Canadian Healthcare Anti-fraud Association (CHCAA) Conference: “Health Care Fraud: A Crime without Borders.”  We continue to support our members in using the national standard receipt template.  Those members who have websites hosted by MindZplay Solutions will find that is now incorporated into their system programming.

Just after the year-end, Garret Woynarski and I attended the CMTA meetings in Kananaskis, which were held in conjunction with the Massage Therapist Association of Alberta (MTAA) conference. The CMTA was happy to have guests from RMTAO (Ontario Association), MTAM (Manitoba) and another Association from New Brunswick (ANBMT). We hope that we will soon see these Associations join as active participants in the Alliance.  Together we are stronger.  At this meeting we re-affirmed our commitment to work with the insurance Associations, thus maintaining our relationship and communications in an effort to ensure third party benefits.

We will continue our knowledge transfer between Associations, and our collaborative efforts to work together to share human resources and best practices in massage therapy.

We also continue to be participants at the national level, with a representative in the Founders Council on Accreditation - see report below.

CMTA has reaffirmed the necessity for those of us in non-regulated provinces to continue to work towards legislation, and to count on those provinces already legislated to assist us in attaining that goal. 
Congratulations to New Brunswick for their swift achievement in obtaining regulation through a Private Members Bill this December.  The CMTA will celebrate and meet in Shediac, New Brunswick, this fall to continue to work together on shared interests.

NATIONAL ACCREDITATION REPORT - LORI GREEN
In October of this year, 68 participants gathered to discuss and contribute to the work of the National Accreditation Planning Committee for the accreditation process for massage therapy education programs.

The benefits of national accreditation programs in health care are well established:
• Promoting a common level of service provision nationally (benefits clients/patients);
• Practioner mobility (benefiting massage therapists, regulators and the national economy;
• The availability of objective information about program quality (benefiting students) and
• Improved access to education resources (benefitting program).

The profession has talked about this for several years, but with the changes made through the Agreement on Internal Trade and the development of the Inter-jurisdictional Practice Competencies and performance indicators, support for the accreditation initiative has grown.

The stakeholder’s meeting resulted in the formation of the Founders Council, comprised of FOMTRAC (Corinne Flitton), CCMTS (Randy Ellingson) and the CMTA (Lori Green) to begin the initial formation and incorporation of the Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation (MTCFA), under the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act.
You can see the full report at www.saskmassagetherapy.com

The roll-out of national accreditation has been projected over ten years with full capacity being reached in year four.  Non-regulated provincial accreditation is anticipated to begin in 2016.

It is important for the membership to realize that there will be an expectation to assist in the initial funding of the accreditation process.  It is assumed that in regulated provinces either the Association or College will be a revenue source; in the case of non-regulated provinces, the primary Association will be asked to assist with the preliminary costs of the MTCFA.

Financial Statements

Please click here to view a .pdf file of the audited financial statments.

Bylaw Amendments

Amendment #1 - Records Management
(8) Records Management 
(a) Client records will include a signed consent form and a client health history form (see examples in Appendices ‘A’ & ‘B’).
(b) The Member will safeguard and keep verbal and written client information confidential. Written authorization is required and will be obtained prior to all communications concerning the client’s records.
(c) Stewardship of client records is the Member’s responsibility. The contents of a client record belong to that client. The client is entitled to a copy of their record’s contents, at their own copying expense.
(d) Client records will be stored with locked security that can only be accessible to authorized personnel:
(i)   Storage location for patient records is the responsibility of the Member.
(ii) Client records must be kept for a minimum amount of time after the last appointment date as is legally required in the province of Saskatchewan, after which they may be destroyed.

Motion to add:
(e) If the member has died, his or her estate will have a trustee appointed who will store the records and respond to client requests for information.  The trustee may choose to transfer the records to another individual who will act as custodian.

• Kerns/McDonald

Amendment #2 - 3.1 Number and Term of Board Members 
Motion to strike: The Board shall consist of not less than nine (9) Board members, five (5) of whom shall also be the officers of the Association and no more than fourteen (14) Board members.
And replace with: The Board shall consist of not less than five (5) Board members, four (4) of whom shall also be the officers of the Association and no more than nine (9) Board members.

The Board shall consist of not less than nine (9) Board members, five (5) of whom shall also be the officers of the Association and no more than fourteen (14) Board members. Subject to the Act and the Articles, the Members may, by ordinary resolution passed at an annual general meeting, increase the number of Board members. Each Board Member or Officer (herein collectively referred to as “Board Members”) shall hold office for a term of two (2) years commencing on the date of election. The offices of the Association shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Past-President. The Board of Board members at the first meeting of the Board shall choose the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The first board meeting will occur after the Annual General Meeting.

Notwithstanding Section 3.3, the Member who held the office of President of the Association for the term of office immediately prior to an annual general meeting at which a new President is elected shall, if willing to do so, continue to act as a Director/Officer of the Association, without election by the Members, for the next ensuing term of office and shall hold the office of Past-President.

• Kerns/McDonald

Amendment #3 - 11.5: Membership Fees and Annual Dues
(a) The Membership fee and the amount of annual dues for a Practicing Member shall be recommended by the Board and approved by the Members at the annual general meeting. The Membership fees and annual dues of all other classes of Membership shall be based on the Practicing Member Membership fee and annual dues and shall be determined annually as follows
Motion to increase fees:  The practicing membership fee will be $405.00 for the 2014-2015 fiscal year and non-practicing membership will be $202.50 for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

• McDonald/Kerns

Rationale:  An approximate increase of $4.17 per month.

Amendment #4 - 11.2 Competency of Members
Motion to strike 11.2 (a)  Competency of Members
(a) All practicing Members must obtain a minimum number of forty (40) competency credits, at least thirty-three (33) of which shall be primary credits and seven (7) of which shall be business credits, over a three-year period to maintain registration and/or license with the Association.
And replace with:
(a) All practicing members must obtain a minimum of forty (40) competency credits over a three year period to maintain registration and/or license with the corporation. Required competency credits may be obtained as 40 primary credits OR a combination of 33 primary credits and 7 business credits totalling the required 40 competency credits.

• Baun/Johnson

Amendment #5 - 11.2 Competency of Members
Motion to add 11.2e: All practicing members must have up to date CPR level C and Standard First Aid certification.

• Tran Mapletoft/Wickstrom

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Motions from Members

Motion:
When a participant in a MTAS workshop cannot attend due to circumstances beyond their control (verified), MTAS will credit the full amount of the workshop fees to be used for future workshops or MTAS membership future renewal.
Moved by: Diane Townsend
Seconded: Stan Hingston

Description of circumstances would be, but not limited to:
Death in the family; hospitalization; premature birth of child; medical emergencies or hazardous road conditions.

Rationale:
I wish to put this motion forward so members in the future will have a clear understanding of policy.
I could not attend a class at the last AGM due to hazardous road conditions: travel advisory, people in numerous accidents with fatalities in our area of Saskatchewan.
My fee was not refunded and no credit was given at that time (one day notice given).
I feel that when “life” happens and there are ways to soften the blow that the Association should do what they can for the membership.
Sincerely,
Diane Townsend
Received November 25th, 2013

AGM Forms

Here are the forms you may need before the AGM:

1. Motions form - click here.
2. Nominations form - click here.
3. Proxy voting form - click here.