1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TRIBUTES ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3

SAM JACKS, FOUNDER ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 AGNES JACKS, AMBASSADOR ............................................................................................................................................ 3

MISSION STATEMENT ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE ............................................................................................................................................. 7 AGENDA ............................................................................................................................................................................ 8 MINUTES OF THE 2014 ORA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING .................................................................................... 10 ONTARIO RINGETTE ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT TEAM ..................................................................................... 20 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORTS ............................................................................................................................ 22

PRESIDENT..................................................................................................................................................................23 VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATION................................................................................................................................25 VICE PRESIDENT TECHNICAL........................................................................................................................................26 ATHLETE DIRECTOR....................................................................................................................................................27

REGIONAL DIRECTORS REPORTS.............................................................................................................................30

CENTRAL REGION.........................................................................................................................................................31 EASTERN REGION.........................................................................................................................................................31 NORTHEAST REGION.....................................................................................................................................................32 SOUTHERN REGION...................................................................................................................................................... 33 WESTERN REGION........................................................................................................................................................35

PROGRAM CHAIRS REPORTS.....................................................................................................................................36

ADULT DEVELOPMENT..................................................................................................................................................37 COACHING DEVELOPMENT............................................................................................................................................38 ELITE DEVELOPMENT...................................................................................................................................................39 MEMBERSHIP SERVICES...............................................................................................................................................40 OFFICIATING DEVELOPMENT.........................................................................................................................................41 SPORT DEVELOPMENT..................................................................................................................................................44 GAMES AND TOURNAMENTS..........................................................................................................................................44

STAFF REPORTS...........................................................................................................................................................45

EXECUTIVE DIRECOR....................................................................................................................................................46 TECHNICAL DIRECTOR..................................................................................................................................................47

2015 CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS..................................................................................................................................50

2

Sam Jacks, Founder

am Jacks, Director of the North Bay Recreation Department, invented Ringette™ in 1963. Through his

insight to develop a winter team sport alternative to boys’ hockey, Ringette™ has grown into a world-class amateur sport in just 40 short years.

Agnes Jacks C.M., Ambassador

ontinuing the work of her late husband, Mrs. Jacks held the esteemed title of “Ringette Grand Dame” for the role

she has played out of the goodness of her heart for, shall we say, the thousands of daughters she never had (mother of 3 sons). Agnes attended countless Ringette™ functions and events not only in Ontario, but also across Canada and the World, reminding all of us about the history of Ringette™, its purposes and philosophies. In 2002 Agnes Jacks was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada. Mrs. Jacks was recognized for her outstanding efforts on behalf of the sport of Ringette™ in Canada and internationally.

s

c

3

REMEMBERING AGNES JACKS C.M.

A Member of the Order of Canada, Agnes Jacks was the widow of Sam Jacks, who invented the sport of Ringette™ in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario. While the sport lost Mr. Jacks’ guiding hand through his untimely passing in 1975, the Ringette™ community continued to benefit greatly from Agnes’ dedicated and enthusiastic promotion of the sport both within Canada and around the world. Over the years, Agnes proved herself to be truly dedicated, not only to the sport but also to the people in Ringette™. She faithfully attended numerous Ringette™ tournaments and championship events and never failed to provide just the right word of enthusiasm or congratulations to players, coaches, officials and spectators. The Ringette™ community appropriately laid claim to Agnes as their very own goodwill ambassador. “At every opportunity, Agnes told us that we were ‘all her girls’ and we knew she truly meant that. Every Ringette™ athlete, coach, referee, parent, volunteer and fan, truly was like family to her and if you were in that family, you felt Agnes’ love and support,” said long-time Ringette™ athlete Laura Warner. “When she told us to ‘stay out of the penalty box’ we honestly felt a touch more inspired to play Ringette™ in the true spirit of the game. Agnes knew that Ringette™ was a unique sport that offered something invaluable to women. It is a game of unparalleled speed, finesse, and perhaps most importantly, passion. Agnes understood that and did more than anyone I’ve ever met to further infect us all with the love of the game.” In 1998, Agnes Jacks proudly lent her name to a scholarship to recognize Ringette™ players, coaches and officials who demonstrate strong academic performance and a commitment to the sport of Ringette™. The scholarships are awarded annually during the closing ceremonies of the Canadian Ringette™ Championships. Sadly, the Ringette™ community lost their goodwill ambassador on April 1, 2005, when Agnes Jacks passed away in her hometown of North Bay, Ontario. The Agnes Jacks Scholarship Awards continue to live on and while recipients continue to achieve academic excellence and commitment to the sport, they also honour her memory and carry forward her dedication and love of Ringette™. In the years prior to her passing, Agnes had worked very hard lobbying various levels of government to put up signs in North Bay to recognize the town as the birthplace of Ringette™. On December 18th, 2005, the vision of Agnes and Sam Jacks was realized when the signs became a reality. Agnes will be dearly missed and never replaced, but she will always be remembered. “Those of us who were lucky enough to meet Agnes and be touched by her wonderful soul will now take on the responsibility of ensuring that her message and her spirit are carried on in the way they deserve to be,” added Warner. More information on Ringette Canada and its programs can be obtained at www.ringette.ca

4

stablished in 1969, the Ontario Ringette Association is a non-profit amateur sport organization for individuals who

wish to partake in a winter team sport primarily, but not limited to, females. The 12,000 registered participants come from six (6) regions within the province. The Ontario Ringette Association (ORA) is comprised solely of

the membership of the 75 Local Associations throughout Ontario. Local Associations are Registered Members of the ORA and vote on matters pertaining to the ORA at specified meetings or forums (AGM). A Board of Directors is elected by the membership to manage the affairs of the ORA. Standing Committees have been established to administer and review the policies and programs of the ORA and to recommend pertinent changes as necessary. All Standing Committees are responsible to the Board of Directors. The ORA office is responsible to the Board of Directors, performing administrative and financial management functions for the Board and Membership. These functions include accounting and bookkeeping and maintaining and updating a variety of records pertaining to registration, clinics, camps, championships and other programs for Ringette™ in Ontario. Decisions and direction given by the office are based entirely on policies and procedures already in place. Board of Directors approval is required in order to deal with matters that do not fall within established policies.

MISSION STATEMENT RINGETTE™ FOR LIFE!

The Ontario Ringette Association pledges its effort to promote fun,

fitness and friendship in a safe play environment and is dedicated to quality performance and fair play opportunity for all ages.

E

5

6

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Friday, June 12, 2015 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Early Registration 8:00 - 11:00 p.m. President’s Reception

Saturday, June 13, 2015 8:00 - 8:45 a.m. Breakfast 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions 9:15 – 10:30 a.m. Round Table Discussion 10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Health Break 10:45 – 12:00 p.m. Round Table Discussion 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch 1:30 – 2:00 p.m. AGM Registration 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. AGM Meeting 3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Health Break 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Open Forum 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Cocktail (Cash Bar) 6:30 p.m. Volunteer Recognition Awards Dinner

Sunday, June 14, 2015 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast and Socialize 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Board of Directors Meeting

7

ONTARIO RINGETTE ASSOCIATION 207 – 3 Concorde Gate, Toronto, Ontario M3C 3N7

Telephone 416-426-7204 * Fax 416-426-7359

AGENDA – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 1. Formal Opening – Verification of Quorum 2. Adoption of Agenda

2.1 MOTION AGM-15-01 THAT: The Agenda be adopted. 3. Adoption of the Minutes of the 2014 Annual General Meeting of the Corporation

3.1 MOTION AGM-15-02 THAT: The Minutes of the 2014 Annual General Meeting of the Corporation be accepted.

4. Reports from the Board of Directors

President

Vice-President Administration

Vice-President Technical

Vice-President Finance

Athlete Director 4.1 MOTION AGM-15-03 THAT: The published Reports of the Board of Directors be

accepted.

5. Reports from the Regional Directors and Standing Committees 5.1 MOTION AGM-15-04 THAT: The Reports of the Regional Directors and Standing

Committee Chairs as published be accepted. 6. Financial Report

Audited Statement

Budget for 2015/2016

Appointment of Auditors

6.1 MOTION AGM-15-05 THAT: The Audited Financial Statement of the Ontario Ringette

Association for the year ending March 31, 2015 be accepted.

8

MOTION AGM-15-06 THAT: Lynne Remigio, Chartered Accountant be appointed

Auditor of the Corporation for the year ending March 31, 2016.

7. Elections – Melinda Suchard, Nominations and Committee Chair 7.1 MOTION AGM-15-07 THAT: Two (2) of _________________,

____________________ and _________________ be accepted as Director-At-Large for the 2015 - 2017 seasons, with one (1) being Director-At-Large for the 2015-2016 season effective June 13th, 2015.

7.2 MOTION AGM-15-08 THAT: ____________________ be accepted as Athlete

Director for the 2015-2017 seasons effective June 13th, 2015. 7.3 MOTION AGM-15-09 THAT: The ballots be destroyed.

8. Recess – Directors Caucus For The Purpose of Election of Officers 9. Reconvene – Presentation of 2015-2016 Board of Directors No submissions received. 10. New Business – from the Membership 11. Adjournment 11.1 MOTION AGM-14-10 THAT: The 2015 Annual General Meeting be adjourned.

9

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE

ONTARIO RINGETTE ASSOCIATION INC.

Oshawa Quality and Conference Center, Oshawa, Ontario

May 31st, 2014 Commencing at 2:00 PM Herein after cited as AGM-14

1. Roll Call President Keith Kaiser

Vice President Communication Byron Johnson

Vice President Finance Nick Sirenko

Central Region Director Jamie Showers

Eastern Region Director Kathy Noxon

Northeast Region Director Susan Weiskopf

Southern Region Director Robert Crandall

Western Region Director Peter Westelaken

Athlete Representative Kim Noxon

Absent Vice President Administration Jo-Ann Wilson

Vice President Technical Mike Chaudet

Northwest Region Director Vacant

Staff in Attendance Executive Director Mike Beaton

Technical Director Karla Xavier

Administrative Coordinator Vacant

1. Verification of Quorum Roll call was taken.

Associations Present – 33 carrying 84 votes

Regional Directors Present – 5 carrying 42 votes

Total vote present 126 votes

Simple majority 64 votes

- Review of Voting Procedures.

The President outlined the business meeting procedures and voting procedures. - Scrutinizers: Brian Shaunessy, Grace Kelly

10

2. Adoption of Agenda

Motion AGM-14-01

“That the agenda be adopted.”

Moved by Western Region , seconded by Sudbury Carried

3. Amendments and adoption of previous AGM Meeting Minutes

Motion AGM-14-02

“That the minutes of the 2013 Annual General Meeting of the Corporation be

accepted.”

Moved by Sault Ste. Marie , seconded by North East Region Carried

4. Reports from the Board of Directors

Motion AGM-14-03

“That the published reports of the Board of Directors be accepted”.

Moved by Central Region , seconded by Ajax Carried

5. Reports from the Regional Directors and Standing Committees

Motion AGM-14-04

“That the reports of the Regional Directors and Standing Committee Chairs as

published be accepted”.

Moved by Waterloo

Burlington Apposed

, seconded by Guelph Carried

6. Financial Report

Nick Sirenko, VP Finance, presented the budget for the 2014-2015 season.

Motion AGM-14-05

“That the Audited Financial Statements and the report of the auditors of the

Ontario Ringette Association for the year ending March 31, 2014 be accepted”.

Moved by Ottawa , seconded by Kingston Carried

Motion AGM-14-06

“That Lynne Remigio, Chartered Accountant be appointed Auditor of the

Corporation for the year ending March 31, 2015”.

Moved by Chatham , seconded by West Ferris Carried

Motion AGM-14-07

“That all regulations enacted by Directors and Officers of the Corporation since the

last Annual General Meeting of the members as recorded in the minutes of the

Directors or Members on the records of the Corporation, excluding Motion D4-13-11

(guarantee maximum four (4) games in a sanctioned event) to be approved and

ratified.”

Moved by North East Region , seconded by Western Region Carried

11

Motion AGM-14-08

“That motion AGM-14-07 be amended to exclude motions D4-13-22 (boys in U12) and

D4-13-23 (U12 implementation plan)”

Moved by Timmins seconded by Richmond Hill Defeated

Recorded vote:

In Favour = 39 Opposed = 87

Timmins – 3

Western Region – 19

Chatham – Kent - 2

Elora Fergus – 2

Guelph – 3

London – 4

St. Marys – 2

Waterloo – 4

Central Region – 3

Ajax – 2

Oshawa – 2

Pickering – 2

Whitby – 2

Eastern Region – 9

Arnprior/McNab – 1

Ottawa – 4

Gloucester – Cumberland – 5

Kingston – 2

Metcalfe – 2

Nepean – 4

West Ottawa – 4

Northeast Region – 1

Sault Ste. Marie – 2

Valley East – 2

Walden – 2

West Ferris – 3

Southern Region – 12

Ayr – 1

Burlington – 2

Caledonia – 3

Cambridge – 3

Etobicoke – 2

Markham – 2

Mississauga – 3

Newmarket – 2

Niagara Falls – 2

Richmond Hill – 3

7. Constitutional Changes

Motion AGM-14-09

“The revised Ontario Ringette Association By-Laws be accepted as presented”.

Moved by North East Region , seconded by Western Region Carried

8. Meeting was turned over to Melinda Suchard, Nominations Committee Chair

Motion AGM-14-10

“ That Janet Logan, Byron Johnson and Kim Noxon be accepted as Director-At-

Large for the 2014-2016 seasons, effective May 31st, 2014.

Moved by Mississauga , seconded by Niagara Falls Carried

12

Motion AGM-14-11

“That the ballots be destroyed.”

Moved by Kingston seconded by Guelph Carried

9. Installation of the Regional Directors

Motion AGM-14-12

“That Jamie Showers (Central Region), Kathy Noxon (Eastern Region), Sue

Weiskophf (Northeast Region), Rob Crandall (Southern Region), and Peter

Westelaken (Western Region) be installed as members of the Board of

Directors for 2014-2015:.

Moved by Elora-Fergus , seconded by Sudbury Carried

10. Recess – Directors Caucus for the Purpose of the Election of Directors

The Meeting took a break while Melinda Suchard, Nominations Committee Chair,

convened a Caucus Meeting of the Executive to establish the Executive Committee

positions. The meeting was called to order

11. Reconvene – Presentation of the 2014-2015 Board of Directors.

12. New Business – from the Membership

President explained that under current bylaws the ORA Board takes into advisement these

motions and will consider them during the board meeting on June 1st.

Motion AGM-14-13

“That The ORA reverse course on its plan to extend co-ed ringette to the U12

Provincial level.”.

Moved by Waterloo , seconded by Burlington Carried

The roll call was repeated, it was established a quorum was present

Melinda Suchard Nominations Chair presented the Executive committee:

President Keith Kaiser

Vice President – Administration Janet Logan

Vice President – Finance Nick Sirenko

Vice President – Technical Kim Noxon

Vice President – Communications Byron Johnson

13

Recorded vote:

In Favour = 104 Opposed = 22

Central Region – 3

Ajax – 2

Oshawa – 2

Pickering 2

Whitby – 2

Arnprior/McNab – 1

City of Ottawa – 4

Gloucester – Cumberland – 5

West Ottawa – 4

Nepean – 4

In Favour Continued

Northeast Region – 1

Timmins – 3

Walden – 2

Southern Region – 14

Ayr – 1

Burlington – 2

Cambridge – 3

Markham 2

Hamilton – 2

Mississauga – 3

Newmarket – 2

Niagara Falls 0 2

Richmond Hill – 3

Caledonia – 3

Western Region – 19

Chatham – Kent – 2

Elora – Fergus – 2

Guelph – 3

London – 2

St. Marys – 2

Waterloo - 4

Eastern Region – 9

Kingston – 2

Metcalfe – 2

Sault St. Marie – 2

Sudbury – 2

Valley East – 2

West Ferris - 3

Motion AGM-14-14

"That Section 8.1 of the Games and Tournaments rules be amended as follows:

Where procedure violations occur, they should be communicated to the Regional

or Provincial association convener, or to the regional G&T convener, who will

counsel/warn the offending party/association and also notify both the appropriate

Regional Committee and the association executive. An association will be fined if

there is an out-of-pocket cost which results from the infraction, which is then

repaid through the fine. Otherwise, rules violations will result in a warning. A fine

will result if, after a warning, a subsequent procedural violation is brought to the

attention of the Convener and/or Regional Committee and/or there is a history of

violations by an association from year to year”.

Moved by Waterloo seconded by Sault Ste. Marie Carried

14

Motion AGM-14-15

“That the Provincial/University Open A (18+) teams cannot earn points towards their

provincial ranking in tournament games against teams registered at University/Open

B (18+) teams”

Motion withdrawn.

13. Adjournment

Motion AGM-14-16

“That the 2014 Annual General Meeting be adjourned”.

Moved by Cambridge Carried

Adjourned at 6:12 p.m.

15

U19A Jacks Provincial Gold Medal Winners and

Eastern Canadian Gold Medalists Team Ontario (Exeter-Seaforth)

16

18+ A Jacks Gold Medal Winners and Eastern Canadian

Championships Gold Medalist Team Ontario (Toronto Adult)

17

U16A Jacks Provincial Gold Medal Winners and Eastern Canadian Championships Silver Medalists

Team Ontario (Timmins)

18

U19AA Jacks Provincial Gold Medal Winners and Canadian

Ringette Championship Participants Team Ontario (Guelph)

19

Ontario Ringette Association Management Team

2014-2015

20

Executive

President Keith Kaiser

Vice-President Administration Janet Logan

Vice-President Technical Kim Noxon

Vice-President Finance Nick Sirenko

Vice-President Communications Vacant

Athlete Director Megan MacDonald

Regional Chairs

Central Jamie Showers

Eastern Kathy Noxon

Northeastern Susan Weiskopf

Northwestern Vacant

Southern Robert Crandall

Western Peter Westelaken

Standing Committee Chairs

Adult Development Lori Pasanen

Coaching Development Kathy McCaw

Elite Development Mary Kaiser

Games and Tournaments Yvan Belanger

Membership Services Kelly Sitland

Officiating Development Karen Meek

Rules Development Rob Evans

Sport Development Daniel Wood - Saloman

Office Staff

Executive Director Mike Beaton

Technical Director Karla Xavier

Administrative Coordinator Rose Snagg

21

Executive Committee Reports

22

President Four Years and 9 days ago, at the June 4, 2011 AGM, the members of Ontario Ringette elected me as a Member at Large to the Ontario Ringette Board of Directors. While I had served on the board previously it had been a few years since my involvement at this level. At the subsequent caucus meeting the Board itself entrusted me with the position of President. Since that AGM it has been a four year experience full of ups and downs but always pointing forward and always striving to make our sport better for our players. I have been blessed with a hardworking caring Board of Directors who have worked as a team when it counts and created challenges when the situation demanded. While there have been changes the goals have remained constant and the support active. From that first Board meeting Sunday June 5, 2011 only two members and one regional director have changed thus the solidity of the team has been there to allow us to make effective and progressive improvement for Ringette. A review of the minutes over my two terms have led to the astonishing fact that the Board has held 24 official meetings (not counting conference calls, executive meetings and finance committee meetings). During the chairing of these meetings we dealt with a total of 806 motions, a few tabled and sent back for revision and some defeated. The rest helped us accomplish progress. The board listened. During this time we met and dealt with challenges, we brought matters to the membership that have helped the sport and also matters which were rejected. Most notably was the encouragement of the board to consider provincial level boys up to U12. Twice this came forward and twice the membership rejected consideration. As a board we have a long list of accomplishments. Through the committee process we helped the sport an our members celebrate our 50th anniversary starting with the World U19 Championships in London and ending at the World Championships in West Ferris birthplace of Ringette. In the equipment area we have made Ringette Pants mandatory at the Provincials adding a visual symmetry to our sport and adding to its identity. On the safety side we have now mandated and put in place enforcement methods for Shoulder Pads throughout the complete minor system. On the playing side we have, standardized the on ice rules for U8, added a third level Provincial Event for U12’s, expanded the opportunities and the participants’ at all provincial levels and responded to the need for a high end 18+ with creation of the Jacks Division for this age bracket. During these changes we have also implemented compliance with the CS4L and LTAD philosophies. Among other advances slowly the “U” age definitions are replacing the traditional age group names. Included in the adoption of these sport development structures we have given members the tools of Skills Matrix expectation and training plus online skill videos to use as teaching and standardization tools.

23

While maintaining a firm control on player movement we have understood the needs and expanded the closest association concept to included “current” association. With the support of the full board a complete revision has been accomplished on the policies involving discipline, complaint and appeals. Along with bringing fairness and sports law standards to these functions we have also understood need and implemented expedited policies for those situations where time is of essence. While these are confrontational situations the creations of policies that allow fair and appealable decisions will allow for reasonable solutions. At the board table we instituted many minor changes to make our actions efficient, and knowledgeable. We brought in a staff person to be the official recorder. Previous one of the duties of the VP Communications was to take the minutes. This in effect removed one of 5 members at large from the decision process as taking minutes and participating in the discussion is next to impossible. In addition it then added tremendously to the time commitment to compile and circulate the meeting records in a timely and accurate mode. We moved the actual motions to be dealt with to the agenda itself speeding up the efficiency and improving the flow of the meetings. For the most part this simple modification has led to one day board meetings. This was a lot of paper shuffling that is now presented in the proper action format. Also as an efficiency step we have started catering lunch during the board meeting rather than everyone fending for themselves and the inherit problems with establishing a firm resumption of business process. By far our largest accomplishment as a Board and as a team with our professional staff is in our constitution, bylaws and regulations. With Canada and Ontario both implementing new and significantly changed rules governing non-profit institutions Ontario Ringette had to redo our complete structure. To accomplish this we brought in our legal consultant and worked with the board detailing all that needed to be done. The board working in this team atmosphere was able to translate our needs to the new regulations. Our staff was able to document the process and convert the project to working documents presented back to the board and reconsidered into a complete constitution and set of bylaws. This has then gone back to the staff and in particular our Executive Director and now exists on the web as reformatted and smooth flowing operating guides and manuals. Following on these process subsequent guidelines have gone through revision and implementation including policies on Social Media, Fair Play, Anti-Doping, Financial and Signing Officer, Standing Committee, Nominations Chair, and changes to the definition of members and the proxy and voting process at the AGM. A full two years have been expended with this AGM being the accumulation of all the changes into the first Annual General Meeting conducted fully under the new rules. All of this was accomplished without impacting the day to day operation of Ringette. Great job everyone. Not all of my term of office has been all work with no play. In the past four years I have had the pleasure of attending a World Championship. I enjoyed Canadian championships in Burnaby BC, Fredericton NB, Regina Sask. and Woods Buffalo Park AB. During these CRC’s I had the privilege to cheer on 17 Ontario Teams to 5 medals in the U16 and U19 divisions. Ontario hosted the 2014 Eastern Championships and I was fortunate to attend the

24

2015 Eastern’s in Moncton NB. In the AAA program I have watched all Challenge Cup games and all Ontario Winter Games. In total I was able to represent ORA at 10 Provincial Championships AA, A and U12 plus participate in the opening ceremonies. Finally I was able to attend one OAIC and four Regional Championships. I also get to see as many games as I can squeeze in for my granddaughter. Finally, as a board we are passing on to Ringette and to the 2015/16 Board of Directors and our membership a legacy. A reserve has been created to establish a Sport Growth and Promotion fund. Through a balance budget this year and a fee increase for next year the Board of Directors will have a seed fund to grow the sport. A very personal thank you for four exciting and wonderful years to be a part of the sport we all love. Ringette has been and will continue to be a large part of my life and the life of our Family. With the support and partnership of Mary and the cooperation and teamwork of the Ringette Community we have seen the transformation of sweat suits and coloured sticks to beauty on ice. I cannot wait to see the speed and grace that the U12’s showed in Oshawa this year in 6 years when they compete in the CRC’s at the U19 level. Each year it just gets better and better. See you in an arena Keith Kaiser ORA, President

Vice-President Administration

AGM reports can be tough to write some years and this is one of those years. I have made a number of starts but I get a few lines in and I hit delete. This AGM we will see a number of changes to the Board of Directors…not a bad thing but it is sad to be saying goodbye to a number of friends. We don’t always agree on every issue but we are always working to make Ringette better for every participant. This season I oversaw four committees, they were Games and Tournaments, Officiating Development, Elite Development and Adult Development. Thank you to Yvan Belanger, Karen Meek, Mary Kaiser and Lori Pasanen for the work done by yourselves and your committees throughout the year. Your dedication to the sport is truly incredible. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend a special thank you to Yvan, who has chaired the G&T Committee for the past 5 years. Yvan, you have worked tirelessly and many times thanklessly to make the sport of Ringette better and for that we all owe you a great deal of appreciation. There is a thread that has occurred as I write this report and that is the time and energy put forth by a group of very dedicated volunteers. This sport thrives because of our volunteer base, whether at the Local Association, Regional or Provincial level. We need to remember that and realize that as we are expecting others to do their part so must we do ours. Thank you also to Karla, Rose and Mike in the ORA office for helping to keep all of us volunteers on task.

25

In closing a final thank you to Keith Kaiser, I am truly grateful for your help and insight. Respectfully Submitted, Janet Logan

Vice President Technical As Vice-President Technical, I work closely with Coaching, Membership Services, Rules Development and Sport Development. This was not a year for the Rules Development Committee which is active every other year. Coaching, Membership Services and Sport Development were very busy throughout the season. Coaching is kept busy verifying that all bench staff members are properly qualified and that coaching courses happen as required. A very successful training session was held the last weekend in May for all Coaching Facilitators across the Province. These facilitators were trained according to the new guidelines described by the Coaching Association of Canada following the NCCP guidelines. The Learning Facilitators received core training and content specific training for both the Learning Facilitator and Coach Evaluation streams. Experienced Learning Facilitators are considered “trained” and have yet to be evaluated to be certified. New Learning Facilitators are considered to be “in training” until they have the opportunity to co-facilitate the CSI or CI courses. Membership Services continues to work to insure that all players are properly registered and that the necessary paperwork is completed. The volunteer recognition awards are an area where the committee requires input from the membership. There are lots of volunteers very deserving of recognition and everyone is encouraged to submit names for the awards. Sport Development has a lot of policies and procedures that have been in place long enough that time was spent this year evaluating how successful these were and if they should remain as they are or be modified for moving forward. Player development, the best way to enhance player development and growth of the sport continue to be the primary concern. The fourth annual Leadership Camp was held the second last weekend in May. The camp has grown from twenty five participants in the first year to sixty four this year. Many campers have attended for multiple years moving from being delegates to apprentices to skill builders who are the group leaders. It is a great experience. I would like to thank all of the Committee Members for their dedication and work that they put into helping to make the sport of Ringette a wonderful experience for the athletes. I would especially like to take this opportunity to thank Kathy McCaw, Chair of Coaching and Kelly Sitland, Chair of Membership Services. Both of these ladies will be stepping down from their positions this year after many years of outstanding service, not only as Committee Chairs, but as Committee Members and a multitude of other volunteer positions within the sport. It has been a pleasure to work with both and I wish you all the best! Kim Noxon

26

Athlete Director

At this AGM, my term as Athlete Director for the ORA Board will come to an end. This past year has been a great experience. As Athlete Director, I was automatically a part of the Sport Development Standing Committee. It has been great to see how this group was able to solve problems and work together to continue to develop the game, while at the same time taking into account what is best for the players involved in this amazing sport. I am pleased to say that we have the largest enrollment for the leadership camp to date with 55 participants signed up for this year’s camp. Kim Noxon has been a tremendous support. Without her this camp would not be the great leadership opportunity it is today. One of the main projects I looked to develop during my term as Athlete Director was to find a way that members of the Ringette community (especially players) would be able to interact more directly. I wanted to bridge the gap between associations, boards and ages. The result is a Facebook page, that will have posts on athlete wellness, nutrition, training and mental toughness. It will hopefully go live later on this year under the new Athlete Director. As Athlete Director, I had the honor of chairing the Jackie Lajeunesse Scholarship committee. I was blown away by the submissions this year. As a student myself I know how hard it is to manage your time effectively. Each of the applicants was outstanding in her academic studies, while also presenting impressive Ringette resumes. It is amazing to see the influence our sport has on the lives of our athletes - from teaching teamwork, time management and commitment, to enhancing mental toughness and physical well-being. We have incredible athletes and people in this sport, and I was lucky enough to have a small taste on how special they really are. Their dedication to this sport is wonderful to see. This is an amazing sport and I am happy to be part of it. I cannot wait to see what this new board will do to grow the sport that we all love. Megan MacDonald

27

U14AA Jacks Provincial Gold Medal Winners and Eastern Canadian Championships Participants

Team Ontario (London)

28

U14AA Jacks Provincial Bronze Medalist and Eastern Canadian

Championships Bronze Medal Winners Richmond Hill

29

Regional Director Reports

30

Central Region No report

Eastern Region

Another action packed year in Eastern Region! We regret to say good bye to Shelley Stairs as the Officiating Coordinator for the Region. Shelley has done a wonderful job during her time in the position. Not only is Shelley great in her role, but as well, whatever task she undertakes is always done with a huge smile. One of Shelley’s undertakings was an officiating development program. She worked on this with Rob Hanson and it is very beneficial to the officials in our Region. We look forward to having Rob Hanson join the Eastern Region Board as the Officiating Coordinator. Rob has had lots of experience in every aspect of officiating in our region including on ice, off ice, officiating development, RIC for GCRA and for NCRRL. The upcoming season will see new presidents in Arnprior, Metcalfe, Upper Ottawa Valley and West Ottawa. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of Eastern Region to say a special thank you to the Standing Committee Chairs who won’t be returning. Kathy, Kelly and Yvan – it has been a pleasure to work with you and as a region, we truly appreciate all of the time and effort that you have invested into making this great sport even better! Thanks to Nepean, City of Ottawa, Arnprior, Gloucester-Cumberland, Kingston, West Ottawa and GAARA for hosting awesome tournaments, yet again! The League Championship Day hosted in Arnprior was a highlight for many of the local athletes and the year-end Bunny Party hosted by Metcalfe was an excellent end to the season for these young athletes. Special thanks to the volunteers and for their many hours of work that are required to make these events happen. The City of Ottawa Ringette Association is gearing up to host the 2016 U12 Petite Provincial Event.

31

The AAA team has been selected and they are busy planning for the upcoming Challenge Cups. Many thanks to all who were involved in the selection process. Several Eastern Region teams came home with medals from various tournaments, including the 2015 Provincial Events. Of equal importance, many teams earned the Sportsmanship Award in their division. Moving forward, particular attention will be paid to growing the sport – with an emphasis on retention as well as recruitment, development of goalies and improving communication at all levels. As always, it has been a privilege to work with the amazing volunteers in Eastern Region for another season and it is my most sincere hope that everyone finds some time to relax with family and friends over the summer! Kathy Noxon Regional Director Eastern Region Ringette Association

Northeast Region

The Northeast Region is very pleased to welcome attendees to the 2015 ORA AGM in the Greater Sudbury area. It is a great time of year to see nature blossom into greenery all around us. The 2014-15 season saw some innovative development in our region that will greatly assist with elite development within our geographically-challenged region. Player numbers and travel distances of anywhere from 2 to 5 hours to our 4 major centres typically make icing anything higher than A level teams a challenge. Allowing A-AA two-team agreement exceptions made it possible for U14AA and U16AA development in the past season. This has assisted greatly in the prospects for our upcoming AAA program, where the goal is to be competitive with other region teams. Many thanks to the ORA board for allowing this development to occur.

32

Special thanks to Laura Caldwell, Bruce Graham and Luc Delarosbil for working together to make the programs successful. The Timmins U16A team travelled to the Eastern Championships to represent our region and brought home silver. Way to go Timmins!! Timmins is very excited to host the A provincial championships next spring and share their travel adventures with all other teams in the province! Associations in the Northeast are working hard to build their membership and increase participation at the grass roots level – special recognition of these efforts go to Timmins and Sault Ste Marie who have excellent recruiting and retention programs that they are sharing with other associations in the region. They are showing very clearly that girl’s hockey does not dominate ice team sports in their cities. The Northeast has a full board of volunteers for the upcoming season, including incoming president, Terry Ablett. Terry and his wife, Marilyn, have been involved in the West Ferris association for a number of years, supporting the growth of the sport and enjoying the sport with their daughters Megan and Erin, who have also been playing for years. Susan Weiskopf Outgoing NER President

Southern Region

Highlights of the year

We had eleven invitational tournaments plus our Regional Championships this year. 502 teams attended with 7,530 players and 2,510 bench staff.

Newmarket hosted the Provincial A’s this year – the first time in a long time in Southern.

We held two L1 officiating clinics (45 participants) and three level 2/3 clinics (21 participants) this year. Four officials upgraded to/in level 3 and eight upgraded to/in level 2. We struggled to fill all the spots in the CORL officiating schedule though.

Four players from Southern were selected from last year’s AAA program to be members of Team Ontario during the 2014-15 season. They participated in Challenge Cups in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec and earned a silver medal at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, BC.

33

Some of the Team Ontario players were active contributors in Southern Region, helping at various club team practices and speaking to groups of players or parents. This shares expertise and helps to provide younger players with role models and promotes interest in elite Ringette.

The Richmond Hill U14AA won a bronze medal at the AA Provincials and earned a chance to participate in the Eastern Canadian Ringette Championships where they also won bronze and were the highest finishing Ontario team. A gold medal at the event was claimed by the Toronto 18+ A team with a dominant performance.

Our coaching clinics were well filled. CSI had 40 participants, CI-1 had 42 and CI-2 had 77. A total of 17 evaluations were also done.

Our membership was stable to slightly negative this year for a total of 144 TRFs (down one from last year). We had 104 releases within the region, 4 to outside the region and 1 incoming release. There were 20 two-team contracts. Our members held a total of seven Come Try Ringette events this year.

My sincerest thanks go to everyone who worked so hard at all the different jobs to make this year a success for the 2,000 Ringette players in Southern Region. It was more than worth it for all of us. Rob Crandall Southern Regional Director

Northwest Region Vacant

34

Western Region

Six years ago I was elected to be the Chair of Western Region. Lucky for me my name was the only one on the ballet that night. I am proud to say that I wanted to fill the position rather than being that someone who steps up to fill the position simply because no one else wanted to. Prior to filling the Directors position I had spent a number of years as President of the Western Ontario Ringette League and as President of the St. Marys Ringette Association. Prior to that I was an energetic parent and coach learning the sport form the grass roots level in arenas all across Ontario. I got to the point where I wanted to learn more about the administrative aspects of the sport. The position of Chair of Western Region gave me that opportunity. As Chair of a Region you automatically become a member of the ORA Board and it is at the Board level where the majority of the sport administrative decisions are discussed and made. I can say without hesitation that it was one of the best decisions I have made. I’ve learned so much more about our sport. There have been decisions made at the ORA level over the past 6 years that I am sure have made our onlookers scratch their heads and wonder “what the hell ???” but in retrospect there have been a number of decisions we have helped make that have improved our sport. After 6 years or three terms as your Chair it is time for me to step down and let a sharper mind with new perspectives fill the role. For those of you who believe that you’ve seen the last of me I can safely say you are wrong. I am not done paying it forward. The sport has been very good to me and my family and I am still in debt to it. It has been an honour to work so closely with all of you and for that I thank you deeply. I want to thank all of you for the support you gave me over the years. It was very much appreciated. Now from a Western Region perspective: I am very proud to say that the 2014-2015 season for Western Region was very successful. Our Regional teams were well balanced resulting in an awesome Regional Tournament. Our A and AA teams also represented us well and their respective Provincial events. And our upcoming AAA team is looking very promising. And once again I can proudly say that we did not have a single Tribunal concerning player movement this year. Yayyyyyyy! I attribute that to the transparency of our A/AA Tryout and Selection Process that is governed by our Western Ontario Ringette League. Thank you very much, enjoy the ORA AGM and have a safe and enjoyable summer. Peter Westelaken Director, Western Region

35

Program Chairs Reports

36

Adult Development

2014-15 has been a great, but challenging season. Adult play has grown in the province. I would like to think that it is all the work of the ADP committee and take the credit, but I know all the associations that have 18+ Belles moving up and still want to play, are supporting the 18+ age groups. This is GREAT! We have also seen a growth in the Developmental (formally Recreational) group. These are new recreational players who have never played Ringette or have played some ice sport and are learning Ringette. Moms of bunny/novice players and grandmothers who want some physical activity. This group of women opens up future growth in the minor ranks by bringing in more daughters and granddaughters to play the sport. Playing Ringette whether in tournaments, league games or scrimmage, the more the merrier, is what all players sign up to do. ADP knows that there are issues, (cost, schedule and, travel to name a few) and we are working towards solutions. Our own Ontario Adult Invitational Cup (OAIC) in Niagara Falls was a huge success. The tournament is growing and ADP wants to develop it into a Provincial event. Dates for 2016 would be April 8-10 or April 1 – 3. We need a host. Please contact me for information. Remember this is an adult only event. The ADP Committee, your regional coordinators, want to continue growing the sport in the adult divisions. We ask you: What can we do to help and support your development? Give us your ideas, concerns, criticisms, good or bad. We need that input to keep moving forward. We also need volunteers to help in your associations coordinate this influx of players. Any association with 18+ teams should have an Adult Coordinator on their board to help with the differences in adult play. Read the Adult section in the ORA manual for updates and changes. Every association should be aware of the skill divisions, affiliate player rules, TRF adjustment and substitution rules, as they apply to adult play. Thank you to all the regional coordinators for their job well done this year: Nanci Laroche - Eastern, Christine Spence - North Eastern, Amanda Good - Central, and Johnny Uildersma – Southern. Please get to know them and work with them for our next season. We need co-coordinators for North Western and Western and would appreciate anyone from those regions stepping up. Have a great summer and hope to see you all on the ice next season. Lori Pasanen Chair ADP

37

Coaching Development A big thank you to the Coaching Development Committee – John Mezenberg (Western), Gerald Lamoureux (Southern), Bruce Graham (Northeast), Don Grant (Eastern), and Grove Bennett (Central) – for all their hard work this past year. The Regional Coaching Coordinators had a busy fall as usual organizing the many Community Sport Initiation (CSI) and Competition Introduction (CI) clinics that we offer across the province. Over 400 coaches attended training this past season. Ringette Canada continues to work to revise and enhance the Ringette-specific portions of the coaching clinics to make them as relevant as possible to our coaches. Many thanks as well to our Master Learning Facilitators and Learning Facilitators for the time they dedicate to training our coaches. We are excited that nearly all of our 25 Learning Facilitators from across the province are being brought together for a training weekend at the end of May in Toronto. This training will help ensure that all Learning Facilitators are fully up to date on the latest clinic materials and help ensure that there is consistent clinic delivery across the province. Thank you also to the ORA Technical Director for taking on a more significant role with respect to the checking of coaching qualifications. Centralizing this very time consuming activity will help alleviate the administrative burden at the regional level; however, it must be stressed that the responsibility for ensuring coaches are properly trained rests with the associations and with the coaches themselves. We are fortunate the ORA Executive Director was successful again this year in securing Quest 4 Gold funding to offset the cost of all the CI Evaluations performed this season as well as subsidize the cost of CI training for female coaches in the amount of $21.25 per coach. These funds have been sent to the Regions for dissemination to the relevant associations. To all bench staff and other team volunteers - thank you for your hard work and dedication and for instilling in our athletes a lifelong love of Ringette! Have a wonderful summer! Kathy McCaw Chair, ORA Coaching Development Committee

38

Elite Development The 2014-15 season began with try-outs for Team Ontario. The all players were chosen from the AAA teams. The coaches of Team Ontario were present at each Challenge Cup, scouting the players and then assessing them with the scouting reports used to help pick the players for Team Ontario Try-outs. The final result was 18 super players having the experience of a lifetime. The team participated in Challenge Cups in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. This was an excellent training opportunity. Off the team and coaching staff went, flying to Prince George, British Columbia. This team had their own cheering section as parents also went. As the games progressed to the Championship round, Ontario won the Silver Medal. This was an excellent accomplishment for these talented players from Ontario. Regions benefit, Associations benefit and Teams benefit from the experience these players have had this season. Congratulation to the Coaching staff: Colleen Hagan –- Head Coach Carrie Lugg -- Assistant Coach Jennifer Hartley – Coach in Training Lindsay Wheelens -- Mentor Coach Stephanie Laurin -- Manager. A job well done by all!!! While the Team Ontario players were busy recuperating from the Canada Winter Games, their home teams were anxiously anticipating their return as they prepared for the Provincial AA Championships held in London. There was excellent Ringette all weekend and many spectators were amazed at the speed of the game. Ontario would have two excellent representative at the U19 division and one excellent representative at the U16 division at Nationals in Fort Murray, Alberta and the U14AA first and second place team along with the U18+ attended the Eastern Canadian Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick. Quite an adventure for all the teams involved. London was an excellent host and the event ran very smoothly. In 2016 London will host the Nationals. A great opportunity for Ontario to see Ringette from the other Provinces. The Ontario Ringette Provincial A Championships was held in Newmarket. The tournament was held in different arenas to give the parents, fans and players a chance to see the area. Excitement was in all arenas every day from morning 'til night. Excellent Ringette and great speed were always present. The U16 and U19 winners would travel to Moncton, New Brunswick for the Eastern Canadian Championships. The teams played very intense Ringette throughout the four days. All Associations should be very proud of their teams' accomplishments. Nationals were exciting to all who attended, players, coaches, officials, parents and supporters. Each team played their hearts out in every day. Close games made for Nationals are a very exhausting week for the players, coaching staff, officials, parents and

39

fans. Pride in our Ontario Teams was very evident each time the teams went on the ice or entered an arena. Congratulations all representing Ontario so well. The Elite Committee of Christi Lindensmith, Steven Welch, Laura Caldwell, John Voss and Paula Richardson have had a busy 2014-1015 season. The upcoming season will present new challenges to this committee with Challenge Cups and the Ontario Winter Games. Thank you to the committee for all your help this past season. Mary Kaiser, Elite Chair

Membership Services

In Ontario, we have a total of 9,347 players playing the fastest game on ice. This is a decrease of 260 players since last year. Regionally, there has been a decrease in players in each Region over the past 10 years. The decrease in the number of bunnies playing is an area we have to address. The only area which is increasing yearly in our Province is 18+. I am moving on from my present position as the Chair of Membership Services. I have been a part of Membership Services for almost 10 years and have enjoyed it immensely. I would like to thank all of the MS Regional Coordinators for their dedicated work for Ringette. I congratulate the Committee for improving the administration of Ringette in Ontario. The positive changes in registration and documentation have made our registrars jobs less difficult and allowed for better tracking of players, team and injuries. All this was accomplished while ensuring that all the rules are adhered to in order to make Ringette in Ontario fair for all. Several key areas which I think Membership Services will continue to address are growth of the sport and recognition of our volunteers and players successes. I think the Membership Services Committee can assist in the growth of the sport by concentrating on retention of the present players and growth at the U8 level. Membership Services could focus on interviewing participating players and also those who have left the sport to assess what makes our sport appealing to players and what positive changes could be made to encourage families to choose Ringette as their sport. As the 18 + division is the only place where we see real growth occurring I think we could use our survey software with players in this division to assess what has kept this age group playing and what has attracted the new players. It would also be interesting to find out why these players are still playing and have increased numbers joining yet they do not register their own children at the same rate. The shortage of goaltenders is also an issue that Membership Services would like to help address as it has an effect on all areas of our sport. This committee will continue to strive for greater participation in the Volunteer Recognition Program by our membership. We have requested that a simpler nomination form be available for submittal online. I wish to thank Jo-Ann Wilson for her dedication to the awards section of our program. I hope that she will continue to try to improve participation and

40

recognition of volunteers and players in our sport. In closing, thank you for the assistance of the Regional MS Coordinators, the Technical Director, Karla, the Executive Director, Mike Beaton and Rose, the Admin at ORA. I look forward to continued involvement in the game of Ringette. Kelly Sitland

Officiating Development

Another successful season is in the books for the Ontario Officiating Development Program. Although, it wasn’t as busy as last season, there were still lots of development opportunities for our striving officials. PROVINCIAL OFFICIATING DEVELOPMENT – POD PROGRAM In the fall, we started the POD program with 10 participants. Ideally, we prefer to have two officials from each region, but sometimes we allow for a couple of extras if one region isn’t able to fill their quota. This is a two year program and it is hoped that by the end of the second season, we will have been successful in upgrading these officials to a 3C ranking. If the officials are developing quicker, they have the opportunity to upgrade and graduate from the program early, in January of that season. This year, we had two officials graduate, leaving the focus on the remaining eight. These officials are required to attend two mandatory tournaments per season and officiate a minimum of 50 games. This year, we tried a different approach; we had the second year participants attend the Oshawa tournament where they were exposed to primarily “A” level of play. There were several evaluators in place, so that each participant was able to receive lots of formal and informal feedback. The first year officials then attended the Pickering tournament where they would see more “B” level of play with some introduction to “A”. Again, numerous evaluators were on hand to help out with feedback and development. For the second mandatory tournament, we allow each participant the flexibility of attending either Richmond Hill or Ajax. At these tournaments, they do individual sessions with the POD Manager. During these sessions, they go over their goals for the season to see if they were able to attain them and discuss the items that they need to continue working on in order to maintain a sufficient course of development. Once again, there are numerous evaluators present to assist in this process. The committee receives a very detailed report from the POD Manager twice per season. At this time, we have two more officials ready to upgrade to a 3C ranking and one who will leave the program with a 2B. This allows five openings for new officials to be recruited for next season.

41

COMMUNITY EVALUATOR CLINIC – NOVEMBER Ideally, we rotate between Regional and Community Evaluator clinics each season. However, it was determined that we didn’t have enough people ready to take the regional level of clinic, so we offered another community level. We had eight participants registered for the clinic, unfortunately, two dropped out on short notice due to personal issues. I’m very pleased to say that, as a result of this clinic, we have six new evaluators that have been very active this past season. LEVEL 4 CLINIC – DECEMBER Ringette Canada hosted a Level 4 Clinic in Ontario in December. It was an extremely detail-oriented clinic demanding a lot of participation and interaction from the officials attending. Ontario had 15 participants in attendance. Of the 15, 9 were automatically upgraded to a level 4 ranking upon the successful completion of the classroom component, as they had, each, already achieved their required on-ice evaluations for that level. CANADA WINTER GAMES – FEBRUARY The CWG’s were held in Prince George, BC. These games take place once every four years and you must be a Level 5 Official in order to be selected. It makes me very proud to say that 7 of the 8 officials selected from the nationwide pool, were from Ontario. Ontario officials covered 3 out of 4 positions for the semi-finals, as well as being represented by one official in the Bronze game and two officials in the Gold medal game. PROVINCIAL “AA” – LONDON We had 27 officials and 6 supervisors in attendance for the Provincial “AA”s. We were a very “green” crew with many new faces in our lineup. I used this opportunity to mix our veteran officials with our less experienced officials and was able to push both groupings beyond their comfort zones. Although, this isn’t always ideal, things ran smoothly and I was happy with the overall performance of our crew. PROVINCIAL “A” – NEWMARKET The Provincial “A” event is always more of a challenge than “AA”s. This year we had 34 officials and 7 supervisors in attendance. Ideally, we should have had 38 officials at this event. Having 38 officials, would allow each of them to skate 3 games per day in a condensed schedule. It also allows leeway for any injury, illness or unforeseen circumstances. Of the 34 officials that we had in attendance, 17 of them were either first or second year officials. This makes it very challenging for scheduling, again pushing all officials beyond their, and my, comfort zone.

42

CANADIAN RINGETTE CHAMPIONSHIPS – MARCH We saw 10 officials and 1 supervisor travel to Fort McMurray, AB for the Canadian Ringette Championships. Of the 10 selected, two of the Ontario officials were new to this event. Although, Ontario still had the largest representation of officials, our numbers were down from previous years. This can be attributed to injury, pregnancy and officials not having enough vacation time to take a week off for CWG’s followed by CRC are four weeks later. Even though we were smaller in number, we still managed to be selected for some big assignments. Ontario had four officials skate semi-finals, four officials skate Gold medal games, two skate Bronze medal games and one on a consolation championship. It is clear, that our province is still developing elite level officials on the National stage. U12 PROVINCIAL EVENT – APRIL The U12 Event was once again hosted by Oshawa. We had 15 officials and 5 supervisors in attendance. Although, this is a much smaller venue than our other Provincial Events, we treat it with the same respect. The officials receive informal feedback after each game and are expected to follow the same expectations as the larger Provincial events. As this is perceived as an introduction to Provincials to our U12 players, we also use it as a stepping stone and natural progression for our up and coming officials. The selection of officials for this event is primarily offered to our POD officials, then filled with either graduated POD’s that haven’t yet made it to Provincials, or finally, to younger officials at the discretion of their Regional Coordinators. This event takes place during University and College exams, thus making it difficult to target our younger, developing officials, including those within the POD program. EASTERN CANADIAN RINGETTE CHAMPIONSHIPS – APRIL Traveling to Moncton, NB for the Eastern Canadian Ringette Championships was four of our promising officials. These four had a great weekend both on and off the ice and were treated to some Eastern hospitality that was second to none. All of them found themselves assigned to a Gold medal game while three of them were also selected for semi-final games. EVALUATORS AND EVALUATIONS We still remain determined to have off-ice supervisors attend as many tournaments as possible throughout the season. In the past, we have targeted a lot of the “A” and “AA” tournaments. Continuing that, we also focused on our “B” and “A” tournaments this past season. This way, we were able to utilize more of our Regional and Community Evaluators and have a wider selection of officials evaluated. Pat Turcotte continues as our Evaluations Manager. He is in charge of tracking all of the evaluations and upgrades that take place within the Province. This season, we performed 475 formal evaluations. This doesn’t include the 50 informal evaluations that were completed with the POD officials. Last season, we completed 411 formal evaluations

43

and 48 informal POD evaluations. Our numbers are also rising in upgrades. Last season we had 35 officials upgraded compared to this year where we saw 78 upgrades. In closing, our main focus still remains on development and progression of our officials at all levels. This is evidenced in our early graduation of POD participants, our record number of evaluations and upgrades, as well as reflected in our assignments at National events. We are doing the job that our title indicates, we just need time and opportunity to develop adequately. Karen Meek, Officiating Development Chair

Sport Development The Sport Development Committee has had a busy year. We have met three times this year, twice at the SCMs and one teleconference. One of our first challenges was getting use to the smaller committee size. After that we had to set our focus for the upcoming year. This year we reviewed the how the skills matrix was working out and some of the challenges face by associations in its implementation. Further we looked at how the Fair Ice Policy was being implemented and the procedures with how it was being monitored. We also took a look at how we can grow our sport in Ontario. This is a work in progress and we hope to develop a short term and long term plan for growth. We would like to thank the Board, Staff and Associations for their support this year and we look forward to continuing our work next year. Daniel Wood-Salomon Sport Development Chair Games and Tournaments No report.

44

Staff Reports

45

Executive Director

Last year at this time I reported on an organizational review conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sport on Sport Alliance Ontario. Things were going to be different moving forward and we were waiting to see what direction SAO operations and services would take and how we would be affected. Nobody was prepared for the decision made by the MTCS upon review of the new business and strategic plan created by SAO. At the end of March this year the Ministry informed the SAO that effective June 30, it would cease funding to SAO to deliver certain programs including the Ontario Games Program, The Ontario Sports Awards Program, Team Ontario and the Team Ontario Development Grant. In addition, the ministry would no longer fund the SAO for the business of “facility and client services” which provides sport and recreation tenants, one of which is the Ontario Ringette Association. SAO reaction was swift. The Board of Directors resigned, the organization declared bankruptcy and officially closed on April 10, 2015. Sport Alliance Ontario had been around since 1970 in one form or another, with various names (Ontario Sports & Recreation Centre) in five different locations. During the early ‘70s I did a student placement in the building at 559 Jarvis Street for the Ontario Hockey Federation. There were only six resident sports at the time. The Ontario Ringette Association, along with thirty eight other provincial sports organizations and six national sports organizations were tenants of the Sport Alliance of Ontario. We received a number of facility and client services/ programs through the SAO including: lease, parking, meeting and conferences, benefits, printing and mail services. What direct impact does this have on the ORA and its future? The Ministry will take back in-house the Games Programs, Awards and Team Ontario. The Sports Awards are cancelled for 2015 and will be revived next year with a different focus. No announcements regarding the next Ontario Winter Games host have been made. Former SAO staffs have been offered interim contracts to continue working on the Games Program. The immediate impact is that we find ourselves along with the other 44 tenants without a lease and the other benefits listed previously. The immediate concern was to ensure we would have access to our office and communications systems. The former tenants have formed a group to work collectively not only with the landlord but with the MTCS. It is through the MTCS where we will feel the impact on our organization. First off the rent subsidy we received through SAO has ended. Once new leases are worked out with the landlord, MTCS has promised bridge funding for rent in 2015-2016 only. The second area affects our base funding. We apply every three years for annual funding. Last year we received notice that base funding was being extended for a fourth year while the MTCS reviews its programs and services. SAO’s demise was the result of these

46

reviews. Whenever the Ministry says it is reviewing its programs and their focus expect changes to the current funding model. Current Ministry priorities for sport focus on capacity, excellence and Pan/Para Pan Am Games. We have been told that all current funds, including the SAO budget will stay within the sport sector. We will have to wait for next year to see what the new priorities are, however it would be best to make contingency plans if the result is reduced base funding. The Ontario Ringette Association management team has also been very busy, not only administering our sport but looking to the future. The Corporation Bylaws were updated last AGM. Policies and procedures are regularly being reviewed and revised. The Program Committees regularly update their sections of the Operating Manual. This year will see many new faces on the Board of Directors. One of their challenges along with learning the roles and responsibilities within the organization is to review and update these responsibilities. While the Sports Administration section has been cleaned up, duplicate information removed, similar policies lumped together, and much of the content has not changed. We are no longer working with the decades old Constitution and Bylaws, however many Board job descriptions and responsibilities including the annual business plan have not been updated for 20 years. I would be remiss not to mention all those who work tirelessly and for the most part unrecognized at the provincial, regional and most importantly, the local level. We are and continue to be a sport that relies almost exclusively on volunteers and their passion, skills and dedication. Thank you for being a part of and contributing to our great sport. Mike C. Beaton ORA, Executive Director

Technical Director

Congratulations to all coaches, players, officials and volunteers for the completion of yet another successful season of Ringette. A special thank you goes out to all committee members who took time out of their lives to make Ringette so successful this season. Without your time and effort we would not be able to run such great events all season long for the players. As usual it has been a busy season with three Provincial Events, Regional Events, the Canadian Ringette Championships and the Eastern Canadian Championships. Some thrilling Ringette has taken place this season and Ontario was incredibly successful

47

capturing Gold in the U19AA Division and Silver in the U16AA Division at the CRC’s hosted in Fort McMurray, Alberta and capturing Gold in the U19A and 18+ divisions as well as Silver in U16A and Bronze in the U14AA divisions at the Eastern Canadian Championships hosted in Moncton, New Brunswick. Congratulations to all the teams that represented their associations and the province so well. Ontario continues to be a very competitive and exciting place to play Ringette. Ringette for Life!

Karla Xavier

ORA, Technical Director

48

U19AA Canadian Ringette Championships Gold Medal Winners

Nepean

49

2015 Championship Results

50

U12 PROVINCIAL EVENT

Gold Silver Bronze Sportsmanship

Bennett Richmond Hill Nepean - H Chatham Forest

Cockburn Guelph - C Waterloo - N Kitchener Markham

Gough Sault Ste. Marie Whitby - G UOV &

Oshawa - L Oshawa - L

Jacks Burlington Nepean - F Oshawa Ottawa - L

Lajeunesse Waterloo - P GCRA - Alt West Ottawa - Y Ottawa - K

McCarthy London Metcalfe Ottawa - B Cambridge

PROVINCIAL “A”

Gold Silver Bronze Sportsmanship

U14 Jacks Forest GCRA St. Catherines London

U16 Jacks Timmins Forest Clarence Rockland West Ferris

U19 Jacks Exeter-Seaforth Mississauga Elora Fergus Timmins

18+ McCarthy GAARA Cambridge Hamilton GAARA

U14 McCarthy Waterloo Sault Ste. Marie Nepean Whitby

U16 McCarthy Kitchener Mississauga Ajax GCRA

U19 McCarthy Guelph Richmond Hill Forest Newmarket

18+ Lajeunesse

Mississauga Durham Region Nutri-Lawn Panthers Kingston

51

PROVINCIAL “AA”

Gold Silver Bronze Sportsmanship

U14 Jacks London Ottawa Richmond Hill Kitchener

U16 McCarthy Whitby West Ottawa Mitchell Cambridge

U16 Jacks London Waterloo Guelph London

U19 Jacks Guelph Pickering Waterloo GCRA

18+ Jacks Toronto Adult Jordan Waterloo D Toronto Adult

EASTERN CANADIAN

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Gold Silver Bronze

U14 AA New Brunswick New Brunswick 2 Richmond Hill

U16 A Nova Scotia Team Ontario -

Timmins PEI

U19 A Team Ontario

Exeter-Seaforth PEI New Brunswick

18+ A Ontario – Toronto Adult Quebec Nova Scotia

U14AA 4th Place: Team Ontario (London)

52

CANADIAN RINGETTE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Gold Silver Bronze

U16 Manitoba Team Ontario London Alberta

U19 Team Ontario Nepean Alberta 1 Alberta 3

NRL Cambridge Richmond Hill Edmonton (Alberta)

U19AA 5th Place: Team Ontario 1 NRL 6th Place: Ottawa Ice NRL 7th Place: Waterloo NRL 8th Place: Gloucester-Cumberland

CANADA WINTER GAMES

Gold Silver Bronze

Manitoba Ontario New Brunswick

53

Ontario Ringette Association Annual General Meeting

Sudbury, Ontario June 12

th – June 14

th, 2015