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TheIyengarYogaAssociationofHongKongAnnualGeneralMeeting2020

MINUTES

DATE Sunday,19April,2020TIME 17:00–18:30HOST A1,9/F,33SouthBayClose,HongKong(meetingwasheldviavideo conferencing)PresentExecutiveCommitteeMembersMsKarenLam(Chair)MsAishahBinteJantan(ViceChair)MsRhondaYung(Secretary)MrArnoldIp(HongKongIslandRepresentative)MrRayLui(Kowloon/NewTerritoriesRepresentative)*MsKittyWong(Kowloon/NewTerritoriesRepresentative)StandingCommitteeMembersMsIcyLee(Chair-EthicsandCertificationCommittee)MrGeorgeDovas(Chair-AssessmentandTeacherTraining)MsTheresaLeung(Chair-EventsCommittee)MrChunPangYu(MembershipCoordinator)MsTiffanyHambley(PublicRelations/PressandCommunicationCoordinator)InattendanceTheattendancerecordisattachedatAnnexA.AbsentwithApologiesMrMarshallNg(Treasurer)MsHelenMahtani(HongKongIslandRepresentative)*Tobere-electedaccordingtothetenuredefinedbytheConstitution______________________________________________________

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InvocationtoPatanjaliTheChairledtheInvocationtoPatanjali.ApprovetheMinutesofLastMeeting1. TheChairaskedforamendmentsontheminutesofthelastmeeting,whichwereuploadedtotheAssociation’swebsiteformembers’reviewbeforemeeting. Theminuteswereapprovedwithoutamendment.CommitteeReports2. TheChairwelcomedthosepresentatthemeeting,andinvitedtheStandingCommitteestopresentreportsofthepastyear. FinancialReport3. TheChairpresentedthefinancialreportonbehalfoftheTreasurerinhisabsence. ShereportedthatthefinancialsituationoftheAssociationhasbeenhealthy. ThesupplementaryauditreportisattachedatAnnexB.4. Shehighlightedthemajorsourcesofrevenue(i.e.ActivityincomeandMembers’contributions)andthemajorexpenditure(i.e.LegalandprofessionalfeeandthePaypalservicesexpenditure). 5. SheanticipatedthattheAssociationwillspendpartoftheaccumulatedrevenueontheadditionaltrademarkapplications(seeNo.8below).6. TheChairproposedtoreappointNicholasFung&CompanyastheaccountingfirmfortheAssociationinthenew-yeartermfrom2020to2021,andtheproposalwaspassed.EthicsandCertificationCommittee7. TheChairoftheCommitteeinformedthatthetrademarksforthe‘certificationmark’and‘teachermark’hadbeencompleted. However,theapplicationforthetrademarksoftheplaintexts,‘IyengarYoga’and‘CertifiedIyengarYogaTeachers’respectively,wereunsuccessful. TheAssociationcontinuedtopursuefurthertrademarkapplicationstoreinforcetheintegrityandthelegitimacyofIyengarYogaandthelocalCertifiedIyengarYogaTeachers. 8. TheapplicationsfortrademarkingfourIyengaryogalogoswithtextshavebeeninprogress,namelya.‘IyengarYoga’andb.‘ ‘withBKSIyengarin

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Natarajasanaasthesymbolforboth,andc.‘CertifiedIyengarYogaTeacher’andd.‘ ’withBKSIyengarinHanumanasanaforboth. 9. TheChairoftheCommitteereiteratedtheimportanceofapplyingYamasandNiyamastodailylifeandtoyogapractice,andoneneedsTapastorealisesuchvolitionasPrashantjitaughtofteninhisclasses. Shestressedthatallmembers,especiallycertifiedteachers,shouldreflectupontheirownTapas. Meanwhile,memberswereremindedoftheblessingtobeontheyogicpathfollowingGuruji’sandhisfamily’sguidance.AssessmentCommittee10. TheChairoftheCommitteethankedthecommunity’sjointefforttomaketheSeptember2019assessmentpossibleamidstsocialunrest. TheassessmentsconsistedofIntro2,JI1andJI3levels. 11. HealsoreportedthatinDecember2019,RIMYIannouncedthechangesintheassessmentsystemandthecertificationsystemforteachers,and,therefore,thedraftofthelocalassessmentmanualwhichwasnearcompletionmustbeabandoned.12. Hehighlightedthattherewillbelessassessmentsinthenewsystem,andtheaimisto“makethingsmoreuser-friendlyfortheyoungergeneration”accordingtoAbhijata.13. RIMYIemailedthedraftguidelinestotheworldwidecommunityforreviewearlythisyear. TheChairoftheCommitteethenintroducedthehighlightsofAbhijata’sfollow-upFAQdocumentemailedrecentlytothecommunityasfeedback,whileexplainingthereasonsbehindthechangesasAbhijatahadstatedinDecember2019. 14. MemberswereencouragedtoreadtheFAQdocumentthoroughlyforthehistoryofassessmentandthechangesthataregoingtohappen,whilethefinalguidelinesfromRIMYIareexpectedinduecourse. 15. InlightoftheoutbreakofCOVID-19,Abhijatamentionedinyetanotherrecentletterthattheissuesconcerningtheoldandthenewassessmentsarenotthepriorityatthemoment.

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16. TheChairoftheCommitteeconcludedthatthechangesimpliedthatteacherswillbeteachingmoreasanasthantheyhadbeenteachingbefore,thustheyareexpectedtoupgradetheirpracticeandlearning,andcontinuetopractiseyogabecauseoftheloveofyogaandthedesiretolearnyogabutnotsolelyforassessments.EventsCommittee17. TheChairoftheCommitteereportedthattheAssociationsetupataskforcetoorganiseFatherJoe’sYogaConventioninHongKong(23/04/2020–26/04/2020)withaninitialparticipationof40+studentslocally.18. TheConventionwascancelledduetotheoutbreakofCOVID-19buttheconventionT-shirtwithprintedselectedsutraII.47&II.48byFatherJoehasremainedinproduction. Itcomesin2coloursforbothgendersandthesalesdetailswillbeannouncedinearlyMay.19. TheChairthankedFannyTseforherdesigncontribution.MembershipCommittee20. TheMembershipCoordinatorreportedthattheAssociationhascontinuedtosubscribeto‘WildApricot’tomanagethewebsite,massemailcommunications,membershiprenewal,event-hostingandonlinepayments. Membershavebecomemorefamiliarwiththeuseofthesystem.21. Healsoreportedthatthetotalnumberofmembersin2020is93,ofwhich20arestudentmembers,37aretraineemembersand36areteachermembers.22. AsforYogaRahasya2020subscription,ithasbeenopenedforawhilebutthefinalsubscriptiondeadlinehasbeenextendedtotheendofApril. Memberswereremindedtosubscribeasap.23. TheAssociationhasplannedtorevampitswebsitenowbeinghostedbyWildApricot. Membershavingtherelevantskillsetsareencouragedtocomeforwardandcontribute.PublicRelations/PressandCommunicationCommittee24. PublicRelations/PressandCommunicationCoordinatorreportedthattwoissuesoftheAssociation’se-newsletter,SANGHA,havebeenpublishedsincethelast

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AGM. 25. AstheAssociationandthecommunityhasevolvedtobecomemorebilingual,theeditorialteamalsoneedsmorebilingualhelp. Memberswithsuchcapabilityareinvitedtoparticipateintheproduction.26. Shealsosolicitedmembers’helpinvisualartcontribution. Memberswhoareskilledinart,graphicdesignaswellasimageorartworkproductionwereinvitedtocontributecontentsforthee-newsletterandtheAssociation’ssocialmediaplatforms.27. AleydisChan,whovolunteerstomaintaintheAssociation’ssocialmediaplatforms,reportedthattheAssociation’sInstagramaccounthasjustbeenlaunched,ofwhichthecontentsthusfarhavebeenfocusedonPrashantji’sonlineeducation. 28. ShereportedthattheAssociation’sFacebookpagehasbeenautomaticallylinkedwiththeInstagramaccount,and,therefore,thecontentsaresynchronisedandhaveengagedmoreaudiencefromthecommunityatlarge. 29. From21Marchto17April,theFacebookgained18morelikes,withPostReachandPostEngagementsenjoyedsignificantincrease. ThemostengagingpostsincludePrashantji’sonlineeducationandthesubjectonLordHanuman. AppointmentofNewMembersfortheExecutiveCounciland StandingCommittees30. TheChairinformedthatoneoftheKowloon/NewTerritoriesRepresentatives,RayLui,hasreachedtheendofthetenureof3yearsin2020accordingtotheConstitutionoftheAssociationapprovedbyPune. InviewoftheCOVID-19outbreak,suchreelectionwillbepostponed. NominationforthenexttermiswelcomeandmemberscanemailtoSecretaryandtheChair.AnyOtherBusiness31. TheChairinvitedmemberstoreceiveandreadtheupdatedmessagesfromRIMYIactivelyviamorefrequentaccesstoIYAHK’smass-emails,andfollowingtheAssociation’sFacebookandInstagram. Memberswereencouragedtoseeklanguageoranyhelpdirectlyfromtheirteachersregardingthosemessagesifnecessary,andadvisedhowtheAssociationcanbestcommunicatewiththecommunitygoingforward.

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32. ChinesetranslationofEnglishmessagesandcontents–theChairinvitedmemberstoassistandanhonorariumwillbeofferedsubjecttothefinancialsituationoftheAssociation. 33. TheChairthankedtheViceChairforhostingandarrangingtheonlineAGM.34. TheChairconcludedthemeetingbyreferringtoItem2.Aims&ObjectsfromthePuneConstitution,wherebyshestressedtheimportanceofsharingandcommunicationstatedinthefirst3points(outof13): a. tospreadandmaintainBKSIyengar’steachings; b. toprovidefacilitiesforinstructionandtrainingofthepublicintheprinciples ofyoga; c. toadvancepubliceducationintheessentialteachingsofthescienceofYoga basedupontheprinciplesofthehigheststandardsofpersonalconductsand servicetoothers.NextMeeting35. ThedetailsofnextAGMwillbeannouncedinduecourse.Themeetingwasadjournedat6:45pm.DistributionAllmembers Signed RhondaYung Secretary

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Annex AAttendance Record

1. AleydisChan2. AnnaOedman3. AveChu4. CaryAuYeung5. ChingManKeelyYau6. ChoyPengFoo7. ClaraLam8. DaphneWong9. DeborahCheng10. DevikaVirmani11. EdithChan12. EvaChui13. HoiYing(Cecilia)Lee14. JudyZhou15. KaMingChu16. KatharineLock17. KathyCook18. Margie,YanTungLau19. OliviaLee20. SandyYip21. SinFunSindySiu22. SiriluckTriyangkulsri23. SukFanFannyTse24. UrsulaTuck25. ValerieGazzano26. WinifredYukYingLeung27. WinnieYu28. YuenKanTsoi29. YukChoiLeung,Irene

Annex B