b"CSGA / SEEDGROWERS.CA / IT'S CRUCIAL FOR ALL OUR MEMBERS TO HAVE A SAYMEMBERSITS TIME TO VOTE!AS YOU KNOW, the joint CSGA-CSTA 2020 summer meet-ings, originally scheduled for mid-July as in-person events in Winnipeg, have been deferred to 2021 (same time and location). In their place, we moved ahead with a slimmed-down remote meeting format for 2020. Ultimately, the unpredict- THIS YEARS AGM COULD VERY able travel conditions, restrictions on the size and format of public gatherings and the associated logistical chal- WELL HAVE BEEN CSGAS LAST.lenges and financial risks related to COVID-19 left us little choice.Our virtual Annual General Meeting took place on July Glyn Chancey, 7. It ran for approximately four hours (as opposed to the CSGA Executivetraditional four days) and was attended by a wide rangeTo ensure that the members of all Director of CSGA members and stakeholders. Each member wasfive amalgamating associations are supplied with a unique control number in advance of thein a position to make fully informed meeting which enabled access to a secure online portalvoting choices, the CSGA is collabo-managed by a third-party invigilator. Members were ablerating with its Seed Synergy partners to vote on association business during the meeting, withon a series of joint member webi-full confidence in the integrity of the results. nars. Additionally, CSGA is holding The AGM was particularly noteworthy for its towna series of parallel virtual town hall hall-style discussion of the Seeds Canada amalgamationsessions exclusively for its members proposal. Fittingly, the CSGA board of directors tookthrough July and August.centre stage in this lively exchange with members, whereSo please read through the amal-the pros and cons of the proposal and the boards ration- gamation ratification package if you ale for supporting it were discussed at length. havent already, participate in the If CSGA members and those of the other participatingsessions if you are able andmost associations ultimately vote in favour of the amalgama- importantlycast your vote. tion, this years AGM could very well have been CSGAs lasta fact not lost on those in attendance.The CSGA member vote on the amalgamation pro-posal is scheduled to run from July 15 to Aug. 27, the latter date being the day of a planned virtual Special General Meeting of Members (SGM) where the outcome of the vote will be announced.CSGA members received their amalgamationratification packages (including the amalgamation agree- Virtual Annual General Meeting agendament, articles of amalgamation, supporting documentsseedgrowers.ca/calendar/agm-2020/and voting instructions) by regular mail in early July.Essential elements of the ratification packageThe essential elements of the package, approved seedgrowers.ca/seeds-canada-ratificationby the boards of the five participating associations inSeed Synergy Partners website seedsynergy.netMay, were posted to the CSGA website and the SeedInfo on upcoming joint webinars regarding the Seeds Synergy Partners website in mid-June. Canada proposal seedsynergy.net/webinars24GERMINATION.CAJULY 2020"