CAMRA SO Members checking out the new space at Kind Brewing on the Road Trip
Happy February!
We’re only a few weeks into 2018, and we’ve already had some great events! Thanks to everyone who came out to Bad Tattoo to celebrate Warren’s collaboration brew, and thanks to those who joined us for our Craft Beer Road Trip up north to Summerland, West Kelowna and Kelowna! Both events were well attended, however if you missed out rest assured we will be planning something similar again next year! Check out the rest of the photos from the Road Trip here!
Our AGM and Member’s Social is next week, Wednesday, February 21. We hope to see you there, as it is your feedback that will help shape the next year of CAMRA South Okanagan! AGM starts at 5:30 at Craft Corner Kitchen, complimentary appetizers will be served. Immediately following the AGM we will continue on with a Member’s Social, and Nathan from Detonate will be tapping a very special cask he has prepared for us! He describes the cask as “an IPA that was fermented out with a mix of lab and wild yeast and bacteria. The beer has been aging for the past 5 months in our first two wine barrels. It has had minimal interventions/tastings in that time although the minimal tasting that has been done showed a suppressed hop bitterness with the citrus notes carrying forward, a slight tartness and a pronounced barrel character”.
Read below for more information on the AGM including how to submit nominations to run for executive positions.
Speaking of AGM’s, CAMRA BC will be holding theirs in Powell River on March 17. Please read below for a special update from Paddy Treavor, current President of CAMRA BC.
Don’t have your tickets for Okanagan Fest of Ale yet? Act fast, we have a promo code for our members, but until February 15. Click here and use the promo code CAMRA2018 to get a weekend pass for $42 or a one day pass for $29.
We are looking for a few fun-loving CAMRA SO Members to help run a CAMRA booth at Fest of Ale this year. Please let us know if you are available to help with this, or future events. We will discuss this topic further at our Member’s Social next week, or get in touch via email or even on Facebook!
CAMRA SO AGM and ELECTION – FEBRUARY 21
5:30-8:30pm
Craft Corner KitchenCAMRA South Okanagan needs your help! Some of our executive members are moving on to new projects and we need to fill their positions! Volunteering on our board is a fun and interactive way to become part of our local Craft Beer Community. The amount of work varies for each position, but amounts to just a few hours each month, and attending executive meetings a few times a year. All you need is a good attitude, passion for craft beer, and the desire to raise awareness of craft beer on a local level through campaigns and fun members events! Please contact any one of our executive members for more information on what the roles entail.
At the AGM, all of our executive positions are up for re-election each year. While some of our executives are running for their positions again this year, we encourage any members interested in any positions to submit a nomination and speak to the current executive to find out more about what the role entails. We also encourage attendance of the AGM by all of our members.
By attending the AGM, you can learn more about how our organization operates and makes decisions on what events and campaigns to promote locally. It is also an opportunity for our membership to provide feedback and ideas for the upcoming year to our executive team. A bonus for attending the AGM is there will be a cask night and member’s social immediately following the meeting. Please go here for more details on the event. We look forward to seeing you at the AGM.
Don’t have enough time for the executive team, but looking to get more involved? We are seeking volunteers to help us plan and run CAMRA SO events, as well as represent CAMRA at craft beer-related events in the area. You will have tons of fun with other craft beer enthusiasts! Please email pres@camraso.ca if you want to volunteer!
CURRENTLY SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR FEST OF ALE
CAMRA BC Update From President Paddy Treaver
It may seem like not much has happened at the CAMRA BC level this year but the executive has been busy, plugging away. Some of our activities are of the dry, boring variety while others are quite exciting and pushing CAMRA’s advocacy mandate forward.
The Exciting: Pres Paddy and BC Secretary, Glen Stusek met with Attorney General David Eby and the Assistant Deputy Minister and General Manager of the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, Michelle Carr on Jan 10th, in Victoria, at the Parliament Buildings. CAMRA BC were able to rekindle the relationship between the NDP and CAMRA which had once been strong but had all but disappeared since 2013. Obviously, this relationship is even more critical now that the NDP hold office and the reigns of power. Various topics were discussed, (FUSS, greater access to growler fills among them) and this meeting led to Paddy connecting with the AG’s Liquor Policy Advisor, Mark Hicken on Jan 26th, via telephone. Mr Hicken has been tasked with canvassing the stakeholders of the liquor industry to develop a plan for a second round of BC liquor policy changes. It was a very positive and informative meeting which led to Paddy being invited to go to Vancouver on Feb 2nd to meet with Mr Hicken in person to expand upon and explore the topics discussed during the telephone meeting. It appears CAMRA BC is being invited back to the stakeholder’s table and Paddy is pushing hard to ensure CAMRA BC and BC craft beer consumers have their voices heard.
An expanded version of what was on the table during these discussions will be found in the upcoming issue of What’s Brewing Magazine.
Paddy also has connected with the BC Craft Brewer’s Guild Executive Director, Ken Beattie, to see if we can find some common ground to work together to help better the situation for both the industry and consumers. At times the Guild and CAMRA BC are at odds, but not always and Ken and Paddy did have a good, positive chat.
The boring: It took some time for our executive to get their feet under them. There was a lot of administrative stuff to correct as things critical to the existence of CAMRA BC had not been attended to for a few years. All has been sorted, thanks to the hard work of Glen Stusek and Dave Garton. It has been time consuming. We are still waiting for some information to come back from the government related to our by-laws to see just exactly what is on the books. As well, all website hosting has been transferred to one server and is under CAMRA BC control, which may not sound like much, but we can now deal with issues, if and when they arise, ourselves which was posing some difficulties at times in the past.
Lastly, CAMRA BC AGM is set for March 17th, 2018 in Powell River at McKinney’s Pub. Notice of the AGM, with details of what to expect, was sent out via email. It looks like most, if not all of the BC Executive are thinking about retiring so we need interested and dedicated people to step forward.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership across BC is made up of over 1300 individuals. Member activities include beer tastings, brewery tours, seminars & more. CAMRA members are eager to apply their talents and experience to promoting widespread public appreciation of the many “real beers” that have become available in recent years.
CAMRA BC t-shirts are available for $20 (members) and $25 (non-members). We’ll have some at all future CAMRA SO gatherings while supplies last. Cash or cheque made out to CAMRA SO accepted.
Visit Detonate Brewing in Summerland and receive $1 off growler fills when you show your membership card!
Why Join CAMRA SO?
You have a love of craft beer and see the value of supporting the craft beer industry
Your membership in CAMRA SO provides you with the opportunity to join acommunity of like-minded craft beer lovers and help campaign to protect the rights and needs of craft beer consumers
You enjoy the opportunity to attend craft beer events (some will offer CAMRA SO discounted rates, special access or advance ticket purchases)
You can participate in CAMRA SO member-only organized, brewery tours,meet the brewer events, craft ale pub visits, out-of-town road trips and tastings, cask events etc.
Access to a number of CAMRA SO member benefits courtesy of our local participating businesses
Keep up-to-date on beer-related activities, cask events, and new craft beer releases throughout the South Okanagan via our member newsletter and Facebook page
Communication of and opportunity to participate in other CAMRA BC branch events
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