Langri Tangpa Centre Inc. Annual General Meeting 2017 Minutes Venue: Langri Tangpa Centre, 535 Old Cleveland Road, Camp Hill Date: Saturday, 25 November 2017 Time: Attendance: Chair: Minutes: BUSINESS Meeting opened at: 2:00pm, Miffi Maxmillion, Sherryn West, Ven. Lhagsam, Ven. Trin- la, Ven Gyaltsen, Ven. Tenzin Drolka, Carolyn Mason, Delma Dewar, Lauren Maidens, Anisha Dhungana, Helen Jones, Russell Williamson, Bron Travis, Sal French, Jane Morgan, Bruce Monley, Katherine Webber, Maureen Lillie, Meta Ransome, Eddie Peet, George Palmer, Gayle Zander, Laura Laakso and Peter Leach Delma Dewar No. 1 Director s opening remarks Jane welcomed and thanked everyone for coming to the meeting. She confirmed with the secretary that the quorum had been met. Miffi lead prayers and set the motivation by reciting the Prayer to Generate Bodhicitta. 2 Apologies Tracey Sofronoff, Helen Canning, Heath Goldfinch, Edwina Murfet, Peter Narloch, Helene Holland, Jaimee Treloar, Barbara Duffy 3 Minutes of previous Annual General Meeting (10 December 2016) Jane moved that the minutes of the previous AGM be read and accepted as a true and accurate record. Seconded by Helen Jones. All accepted and motion carried. 4 Director s Report Program Highlights Geshe Tenzin Zopa teachings. Establishing Langri Tangpa Centre Gold Coast Outreach Group. Langri Tangpa Centre (LTC) Forum 2016. Buddhism for beginners and balancing emotions courses. Community Highlights Hosted FPMTA National Meeting (co- hosted with Karuna) in October 2016. Held our second Open Day in May 2017. Volunteer "Thank you" dinner with Geshe Tenzin Zopa.
Place Highlights New YouTube channel. Increased Facebook advertising. Library has 3000+ books catalogued. Grant for the new storage shed. Garden beautification project. Financial Highlights Positive financial result with a net surplus of $27,641. Paid $47,125 off the mortgage. We are on track to pay out the mortgage in seven years. The mortgage is coming down quickly. 70% of the mortgage is funded by donations. $6,360 donations made on behalf of LTC members. Rinpoche's Five Pillars Dharma - LTC program, entry level, in- depth study, puja and retreat. Universal Education for Compassion & Wisdom- Balancing Emotion series. Social/Community Service - Festival of Tibet, Dharma Wheels road trips. Interfaith - Visiting school groups. Revenue Generating Activities - Yoga hall hire & CD royalties. Looking Ahead Lama Zopa Rinpoche retreat in Bendigo and in- house teachings beforehand by Eddie. Volunteer recruitment. FPMT- Q meetings. Garden beautification project. Jane moved that her report be accepted, seconded by Russell Williamson. All accepted and motion carried. Jane moved that the Annual Report be read and approved. Seconded by Ven. Trin- la. All accepted and motion carried. 5 Treasurer s Report For the financial year ending 30 June 2017. Sherryn West 2016/2017 Financial highlights Positive overall surplus of $27,641. Income consistent with activities. We paid $47,125 off the mortgage. (The mortgage is now less than $325K!) Fortunate to receive a grant from the Lord Mayor's Suburban Initiative Fund grant of $2,000 for the storage shed. On track to pay out the mortgage in 7 years. 70% of payments funded by regular donations. Sherryn summarised that we have a lot to rejoice about. Other positive financial facts $6,360 to FPMT projects and other causes - Office of HH Dalai Lama
Representative ($108); Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Long Life Puja ($1,080); Donations to every one of Rinpoche's projects - rejoice!; Supporting our Sangha to attend Rinpoche's Long Life Puja in Singapore ($500); Miffi's FSS training in Freance ($311) and Festival of TIbet ($108). Four Mala Club donations of over $1,000 each. $2,054 in donations collected for the Western Teachers' Fund. Dharma Wheels Sutra Road Trip donations of $155. Gompa Fund $66,706 paid in loan repayments. 48% of that was by donations. 56 regular Wheel Turners. Workplace GIving contributions of $720. Copies of the audited reports are available for Members to review. Working capital $13,190 Library fund $34,690 Holy s and Offerings fund $10,598 Shakyamuni Buddha Consecration Fund $2,751 Stupa fund $108 Gompa fund $5,120 Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Merit Box donations $1,389 Lama Yeshe Statue Fund $2,547 Impermanence Fund $45,944 Future Growth Reserve $108 Maintenance $108 Resident Western Teachers Fund $2,054 The bottom line: Financial Performance is positive. Financial Position is resilient. Financial Resources are efficient and effective. We continue to grow each year, with a solid financial foundation to support our mission. LTC is well placed to continue flourishing for many years to come. Sherryn thanked her team of volunteer support - Bron Travis for help with stocktaking, Carolyn Mason for such great grant writing success and Anisha Dhungana as our new Wheel-Turner Co-ordinator. Sherryn moved that the financial report be accepted, seconded by Carolyn Mason. All accepted and the motion carried. Sherryn moved that the audited Final Report be accepted. Seconded by BronTravis. All accepted and the motion carried. Sherryn moved that David Hartmann s audit report be accepted, and moved that David Hartmann be retained as the auditor for 2018 Seconded by Ven Trin- la. All accepted and the motion carried. 6 Sangha Care Report Who are our Sangha? A Langri Tangpa Centre monk or nun (ordained Sangha) is a member of Langri Tangpa Centre who offers service to the centre on an ongoing basis no matter Ven. Trin- la
where he or she resides. LTC's Sangha are Ven. Lhagsam, Ven. Trin- la, Ven. Drolka, Ven.Tongni and Ven Gyaltsen. Profiles and details are on our website. What do our Sangha do? Lead meditations, weekly classes and day courses. Ven. Drolkar has led more than 50 classes at both LTC and as outreach activities. Provided spiritual counselling on over 40 occasions. House blessings, baby blessings,wedding blessings and prison visits. Spoken to school students as part of their Study of Religion assignments. Community events - Sutra Road trips, Festival of Tibet and LTC's Open Day. How we support our Sangha LTC supports the sangha in various ways, including - money offerings at pujas, offerings on holy days, honorariums for leading courses and classes, reimbursing petrol costs, membership discount, attend teachings free of charge, sponsorship for Nyung- nes, monetary support via website donations to attend Lama Zopa Rinpoche's pujas and retreats, accommodation at LTC, annual offering to IMI, sangha lunches with visitng Geshes and teachers, Sangha afternoon teas. Offerings from all outreach activities (blessings, workshops etc) are solely for their own use and not shared with LTC. Sangha Care Highlights Hosting Geshe Zopa, Geshe Sherab, Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Tashi Tsering, Geshe Tsultrim, the Tashi Lhunpo Monks and many, many visiting Sangha! We welcome Ven. Lozang Gyaltsen our newest Sangha member, and wish her the greatest happiness in her ordination. This year has brought a stream of blessings to LTC and its members and the Sangha, whose role it is to joyfully offer service to sentient beings. Ven. Trin- la moved that the Sangha Care report be accepted, seconded by Ven. Gyaltsen. All accepted and the motion carried. 7 Spiritual Program Coordinator s Report Miffi went through our Program highlights Special Events: SPC Puja Training workshop led by Geshe Tenzin Zopa with over 30 nuns, monks and SPC attending from all around Australia. Virtual Pilgrimage on the Day of Miracles, with eight altars around the gompa New to the Program: Buddhist Mothers Day, celebrating Buddha s Descent from Tushita, with White Tara practice and white, pink and red flowers for all mothers Practices for Rinpoche s Long Life as requested by Khandro- la, with recitations of the Diamond Cutter Sutra and Praise to Dependent Arising, and new long life prayers Miffi Maxmillion
Death over Dinner 3 courses and a discussion hosted by Ven. Trin- la. Visiting Presenters Geshe Thubten Sherab in February 2017 giving talks and teachings on overcoming dissatisfaction, and a Medicine Buddha mantra blessing. Geshe Tenzin Zopa in November 2016 and May 2017 giving public talks, weekend courses, and a volunteers evening. Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Tashi Tsering continued his commentary on the lower tantras. Regular Teachings Mind Training Like Rays of the Sun with Geshe Tsultrim on Friday fortnights and Geshe Soup. Balancing Emotions Series with Miffi Maxmillion and Carolyn Mason. Beginner s Courses and meditations with Ven. Drolkar and Miffi Maxmillion. Discovering Buddhism enters its 12 th cycle with Eddie Peet. Community Children s Parade for Saka Dawa on Buddha s Birthday organized by Demi Kehoe, Christina Smerdon and Ven. Drolkar. Family Retreats as a secular activity based on 16 Guidelines, also led by Ven. Drolkar and Demi Kehoe. Tsa- tsa paining once a month brings new faces to LTC and joy to partcipants. Annual Events All- night Tara Puja had over 40 people attend, one from Cairns, and 12 completing the final session at 5.30am. Christmas Eve Puja attracted over 60 people. Christmas and Easter Nyung- Ne continue to be booked up months in advance. Fire Purification Puja attracts many non- Buddhists for the ritual, with over 30 people attending on the afternoon. Personal Highlights Foundation Service Seminar in France made connections with centres from around the world including Russia, Germany, France, Belgium and England. SPC Teacher Training in New Zealand intergrating Buddhist philosophy and best practice educational presentation. The people s nose (aka Eddie) had a second very successful operation! Coming in 2018 Geshe Sherab will have two public talks in February. Lama Zopa Rinpoche Retreat in Bendigo from 30/3/18 to 12/5/18. Preparation classes for Rinpoche s retreat with Eddie beforehand. Livestream Long Life Puja right here in the LTC gompa on 12 May. HH Dalai Lama will be in Australian 19-27 June 2018. Ven. Robina Courtin is visiting in early July.
Big heartfelt thanks to Sunday meditation leaders Ven. Lhagsam, Ven. Trin- la, Ven. Tongnyi and Ven. Drolkar. Class leaders Eddie Peet, Ven. Drolkar and Carolyn Mason. Yoga team Amanda Lynn, Cindy Hartigan and Jill Shaw- Feather. Library team Bron Travis, Meta Ransome, Lyndon Norton and Anisha Dhungana. Lyndon Norton for leading prayers at teachings and Helene Holland for helping with tsa- tsa paining. Miffi moved that her report be accepted, seconded by Kathryn Webber. All accepted and motion carried. 8 Election of committee Jane advised that as a new management committee for the year ahead, all current members of the committee hereby step down and she handed over to our esteemed acting chairperson Bron Travis to facilitate this section of the meeting election of the committee. We have same number of nominees as positions on the committee. Director: Treasurer: Spiritual Program Coordinator: Secretary: Elected member 1: Elected member 2: Elected member 3: Elected member 4: Sherryn West Miffi Maxmillion Delma Dewar Venerable Lhagsam Venerable Trin la Carolyn Mason Vacant As the number of nominations received is equal to the number of vacancies to be filled, the persons nominated are taken to be elected. The new management committee were welcomed with applause from the members. 9 General Business Jane thanked everyone coming to the AGM. Jane asked the secretary if any items of general business were received. No other general business was raised prior to the AGM. 10 Next Meeting The Committee will meet on Saturday, 9 December 2017. 11 Close Jane thanked everyone for coming to today s AGM. Miffi lead dedication prayers, meeting closed at 3.13pm.