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Letter From the President - Summer 2018
2018-08-30
Dear Members of Halifax CITY Soccer Club,
I write as the Acting President and on behalf of the other members of the Board. As the summer season comes to a close we want to express our gratitude to the staff and volunteers who supported our players.
Our teams represented City well this year and we are proud of the growth and development and the spirit they bring to the game. It reminds us all what is most important.
We have heard from many of you over the past two months expressing concern about the departure of our Head Coach. We have been heartened as board members by the level of commitment, passion and connection that has been evident in these communications.
Above all else, City has always been a club founded on the strength of the relationships among its members and their commitment to being part of this community. While we can feel the care and commitment, we have also heard members’ deep concern and frustration with the prospects of more transition at the Club and with our inability as a Board to share more information.
Board members are also committed to secure strong and stable support and leadership for the Club. We appreciate that this situation is frustrating and upsetting for staff, members and volunteers. We take our responsibilities as Board members for the care of the wellbeing of the club and its members very seriously. Ensuring a strong and healthy future for City requires careful consideration of our history and our present of where we have been and where we are so that we can get to where we want to be in the future.
This is an important time in the life of our Club. As we look forward, we must consider what leadership is needed to get there. The Board has begun this process. We have started by considering our own leadership, our governing structure and ways of working. We have determined that the ways we have operated in the past are not serving us well now. The Board has committed to a process of renewal in our governance and leadership. It is essential, though, that such renewal is focused on what matters most – our relationships with our members.
The Board is committed to listen, reflect and learn from members, volunteers, coaches, players and staff to support necessary renewal and transformation. Between now and the Annual General Meeting (when we hope to introduce a new governance structure to members) we will undertake a process to hear from members about what City needs to be better and stronger in the future. We want to do this in a way that builds deeper understanding and connection among members, so we have decided to take a restorative approach. We will be supported in this process by a team of facilitators who are volunteering their time to support our Club.
The process will provide a chance for coaches, players, parents, volunteers, board members and staff to be part of discussions that will inform decision-making about the future governance and leadership of the Club. We hope this will build a stronger connection and community at City in the process.
We will provide information in the next couple of weeks about the process and opportunities to take part. In the meantime, we are taking steps to ensure there is interim support and leadership for the fall team placements and the start of the winter soccer season by hiring a new Head Coach on an interim basis. A posting for this position will be out shortly. The position is interim because we see a new redesigned position coming out of our governance work, and meetings with members, coaches, and staff through the restorative approach.
There are many changes happening within the Club and at Soccer Nova Scotia that provide us with an opportunity to look at ourselves as a Club and chart a new path through this restorative approach. We have challenges ahead but many of you have expressed a willingness to assist and devote time and energy to producing a quality Club that our membership deserves. With your help we will reach our
goals.
Sincerely,
John Bodurtha
Acting President, HCSC
I write as the Acting President and on behalf of the other members of the Board. As the summer season comes to a close we want to express our gratitude to the staff and volunteers who supported our players.
Our teams represented City well this year and we are proud of the growth and development and the spirit they bring to the game. It reminds us all what is most important.
We have heard from many of you over the past two months expressing concern about the departure of our Head Coach. We have been heartened as board members by the level of commitment, passion and connection that has been evident in these communications.
Above all else, City has always been a club founded on the strength of the relationships among its members and their commitment to being part of this community. While we can feel the care and commitment, we have also heard members’ deep concern and frustration with the prospects of more transition at the Club and with our inability as a Board to share more information.
Board members are also committed to secure strong and stable support and leadership for the Club. We appreciate that this situation is frustrating and upsetting for staff, members and volunteers. We take our responsibilities as Board members for the care of the wellbeing of the club and its members very seriously. Ensuring a strong and healthy future for City requires careful consideration of our history and our present of where we have been and where we are so that we can get to where we want to be in the future.
This is an important time in the life of our Club. As we look forward, we must consider what leadership is needed to get there. The Board has begun this process. We have started by considering our own leadership, our governing structure and ways of working. We have determined that the ways we have operated in the past are not serving us well now. The Board has committed to a process of renewal in our governance and leadership. It is essential, though, that such renewal is focused on what matters most – our relationships with our members.
The Board is committed to listen, reflect and learn from members, volunteers, coaches, players and staff to support necessary renewal and transformation. Between now and the Annual General Meeting (when we hope to introduce a new governance structure to members) we will undertake a process to hear from members about what City needs to be better and stronger in the future. We want to do this in a way that builds deeper understanding and connection among members, so we have decided to take a restorative approach. We will be supported in this process by a team of facilitators who are volunteering their time to support our Club.
The process will provide a chance for coaches, players, parents, volunteers, board members and staff to be part of discussions that will inform decision-making about the future governance and leadership of the Club. We hope this will build a stronger connection and community at City in the process.
We will provide information in the next couple of weeks about the process and opportunities to take part. In the meantime, we are taking steps to ensure there is interim support and leadership for the fall team placements and the start of the winter soccer season by hiring a new Head Coach on an interim basis. A posting for this position will be out shortly. The position is interim because we see a new redesigned position coming out of our governance work, and meetings with members, coaches, and staff through the restorative approach.
There are many changes happening within the Club and at Soccer Nova Scotia that provide us with an opportunity to look at ourselves as a Club and chart a new path through this restorative approach. We have challenges ahead but many of you have expressed a willingness to assist and devote time and energy to producing a quality Club that our membership deserves. With your help we will reach our
goals.
Sincerely,
John Bodurtha
Acting President, HCSC