Sturgeon Rural Crime Watch Association hosting AGM, looking for board members

by Stephen Dafoe and Morinville Online

The Sturgeon Rural Crime Watch Association (SRCWA) is holding its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 14, at 7 p.m. at the Rendez-Vous Centre.

The crime watch organization, which operates as additional eyes and ears for the Morinville RCMP Detachment and educates area residents about crime prevention, hopes Sturgeon County residents will help the work of the organization by joining the board.

Currently, the association is looking to fill the vacant positions of Vice President and Treasurer as well as zone and other vacancies.

Association Secretary Sherry Menard said that in September of 2021, SRCWA urgently requested people to attend the AGM and consider joining the board as the organization feared collapsing.

“The response was excellent, and a new Board established,” Menard said in an email interview, noting that over the past year and a half, SRCWA had re-established the association’s boundary to include all of Sturgeon County.

“We then had to reset the zone boundaries to reflect the Division 1 to 6 boundaries of [Sturgeon] County,” Menard said. “Currently, we are working on updating our Register of Members (which is no small task) and preparing the paperwork to enter in the new RAVE fan-out system managed by the RCMP.”

But to do the work and spread the word of the association, they need to fill positions, namely vice president, treasurer, and several zone directors for the six zones. Each zone can have two to three volunteer directors depending on the size.

The AGM will also see nominations and an election for the association president as the president’s term ends before the 2024 AGM. Current President Michelle Addo has agreed to let her name stand. The elected directors hold office for a term of three years.

“As per the SRCWA Bylaws, all positions, both elected or appointed, are filled from the Register of Members,” Menard explained, adding members must be at least 18 years of age and residents of Sturgeon County.

SRCWA memberships cost $25 for a lifetime membership, valid as long as the member resides in Sturgeon County.

“We are looking for individuals to reflect the population of the County of Sturgeon,” Menard said. “We need individuals to bring forth some new ideas. We are looking to appoint two to three directors for each Zone. Some of our current Zone Directors have agreed to let their name stand. We are hoping to attract six new Board members, particularly from the East side of the County.”

For more information about Sturgeon Rural Crime Watch, visit them online at http://sturgeonruralcrimewatch.org.