CPABC in Focus September/October 2014 | Page 8

NoTES & NEwS CPA Canada’s Community Connect Program The mission of the CPA Canada’s Community Connect Program: Adult and School is to give Canadians—from schoolchildren to senior citizens—the knowledge and confidence needed to make the best possible financial choices for their circumstances, and to help individuals achieve the level of prosperity needed to accomplish their life goals. Through this initiative, CPA members are able to step up and play leadership roles in their communities by delivering financial literacy sessions to local groups and organizations, using materials prepared nationally. CPA Canada held two “Train the Trainer” sessions this spring—the first in Victoria (May 14) and the second in Vancouver (May 15). Both sessions were well-attended, with a total of more than 150 members turning out. Facilitated by Margaret Hope, of Lions Gate Training Ltd., and two CPA Canada staffers—Cairine Wilson, vice-president of member services, and Li Zhang, financial literacy program manager—the sessions outlined the various resources available. To get involved in the Community Connect Program, register using the following link: http://cica.ems01.com/CommunityConnectProgram/CCP_Volunteerform_EN.pdf. (You must be registered for the Community Connect Program to access program materials.) Representing CPA Canada (l to r): Financial Literacy Program Manager Li Zhang and VP of Member Services Cairine Wilson. CPABC Forum Events Auditor General for Local Government Meets with CPABC GoAA Forum On June 4, Basia Ruta, CPA, CA, British Columbia’s auditor general for local government (AGLG), served as the guest speaker at a meeting of CPABC’s Government Organizations’ Accounting and Auditing (GOAA) Forum. The office of the AGLG was created in 2012 by the provincial legislature to carry out performance audits of local government operations and provide these local governments with information and advice. Ruta provided GOAA Forum members with an update of her office’s activities, including highlights from her first performance audit report as AGLG, entitled, Learnings from Local Government Capital Procurement Projects and Asset Management Programs; the report, which audits the performance of the City of Rossland, was released in April 2014. Ruta also provided an overview of the AGLG Perspective Series—a series of booklets designed to help local governments account for how well they take care of public assets and achieve value for money in their operations. The AGLG’s reports and other useful resources can be found online at www.aglg.ca. L to R: Acting Auditor General of BC Russ Jones, CPA, CA; GOAA Forum Chair Archie Johnston, CPA, FCA; and AGLG Basia Ruta CPA, CA. Young Professionals Forum: Getting on Board (Encore Presentation) On June 18, the Young Professionals Forum hosted a second “encore” presentation of “Getting on Board,” led by Michael Blatchford, a lawyer with Bull Housser LLP. This complimentary educational session covered a variety of board basics, including how to find positions on notfor-profit boards and the duties of board members. For those interested in board governance, CPA Canada is offering a complimentary breakfast seminar on “Governance for Not-for-Profit Organizations” in Vancouver on October 22. This session will focus on helping board directors understand how to ensure that the organizations they serve are equipped with good governance frameworks. Participants will receive a complimentary copy of CPA Canada’s practical guidance publication, Governance for Not-for-Profit Organizations: Questions for Directors to Ask. Space is limited, so be sure to register early through the CPAstore at www.castore.ca or via the Member/Events tab at www.bccpa.ca. 8 CPABC in Focus • Sept/Oct 2014 Michael Blatchford reviews the basics of board service.