Four directors of the Boundary Museum Society have quit the board following an annual general meeting this month that adjourned without a new board being elected.
But the interim president says he remains optimistic that the society can weather the storm.
On Dec. 13, the museum held an emergency AGM in response to the City of Grand Forks withholding a $23,000 payment to the society, partly because it had not held an AGM in several years. Then-president Joe Tatangelo said they thought they did not need to hold one.
Larry Jmaiff, who has been on the board for the past year and is now filling in as president, says when the meeting came to the election of a new board, a motion from the floor was adopted to adjourn the meeting for three months.
“A lot of that adjournment almost felt like it was more like a vote of non-confidence in the board,” Jmaiff said.
On Friday, the board had a regularly scheduled meeting, where four directors resigned: Tatangelo, as well as treasurer Kathy Rush and directors Laura Lodder and Lyle Burt.
Jmaiff says he was not entirely surprised. “I suspected something like this would happen. After the meeting [on Dec. 13] we had a huddle. Most of the board decided [if there is] no confidence, then we shall leave.”
That left Jmaiff and one other director. Jmaiff is now trying to put together a new board.
“I’m almost there,” he says. “I’ve met some really enthusiastic people who really care about the museum and are willing to come on. Then we’ll have to have a meeting probably right after Christmas.”
The society’s bylaws say it must have a minimum of five directors and a maximum of 11.
Jmaiff says he is “totally optimistic” about finding enough people to serve. Their next job will be to sell more memberships and find more volunteers.
He is hopeful they will be able to conclude their interrupted AGM and reopen the museum in the spring.