Our Keepers of the Vision (board) provide vision and leadership for the life and work of SSSC and support our mission and ministry.
Interested in joining the Keepers of the Vision? Contact us to learn more.
Membership
The Keepers of the Vision shall have eight members elected by the Friends, one Student Representative chosen by the Students, and the Keeper of the Circle. These members are voting members of the Board. There shall be two nonvoting, ex-officio members representing the United Church of Canada. The Board shall appoint at least one Elder, who is a nonvoting member. A quorum of the Board is five voting members. An Elder is not required for quorum.
Board members 2024/25:
- Donna Kennedy has been involved with the United Church in many capacities, including with All Native Circle Conference. She is a member of Raymond Flett Memorial United Church and speaks her mother language Oji-Cree fluently.
- Deanna Zantingh is a former Keeper of the Learning Circle and now PhD student at the University of Toronto.
- Mary Courtenay is a former Keeper of the Learning Circle and now Honoured Elder.
- Grant Queskekapow of Norway House is a member of the UCC National Indigenous Elders Council and is fluent in his language Cree.
- Gloria Cook was born into the Fisher River Cree Nation. She has worked with the Indigenous community, the Federal government and the United Church of Canada.
- Kathryn Fournier is Cree and Ojibway on her mother’s side and Franco-Ontarian on her father’s side. She is active in the All My Relations Circle of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa.
- Rob Smith is a former Keeper of the Centre. He is an accountant and has been involved in the United Church in many capacities.
- Randy King is the ministry student representative to the Keepers of the Vision. He is Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
Requirements among the membership
• passion for the ministry and mission of SSSC
• willingness to make SSSC a priority in allocating volunteer time
• awareness of the Canadian Indigenous experience
• familiarity, and experience as a student, with the SSSC programs
• majority shall be active in the United Church of Canada
• ability to see and articulate a vision for SSSC
• comfort promoting SSSC in the church and wider community
• comfort soliciting financial support for SSSC
• geographical diversity, including members close enough to SSSC to serve on committees requiring face to face attendance, and members from the regions SSSC serves
Commitment
The Keepers of the Vision meet monthly (except in July and December) by video call and meet in person once a year, for 3 days in September.
All voting Board members are to be financial contributors to SSSC. The level of financial contribution is not prescribed, members are encouraged to be as generous as possible within their means.
All Board members will serve on a standing committee or task/working group.
Terms of appointment are three years, renewable once.
Annual General Meeting
The AGM is held on the third Saturday in September, with the options of virtual and in-person participation.