BC Self Advocacy Caucus

The BCACL Self Advocacy Caucus was formed in November, 1987. The Caucus is made up of 14 self advocates from all over B.C. who are elected every year at the BCACL Annual General Meeting by other self advocates. Read more about the Caucus below.

The next Caucus elections will be held on June 2, 2012 in Penticton BC, with the BCACL Conference. Read more about how you run or nominate someone here.

The 2011/2012 BC Self Advocacy Caucus

The Purpose of the Self Advocacy Caucus is to:

• Talk about issues important to self advocates in B.C.
• Make sure action is taken on these issues at provincial and local levels and that these issues are discussed by the Board of Directors and membership of BCACL.
• Lobby for changes that will benefit self advocates.
• Get "input" from different parts of the province.
• Provide support to each other.
• Provide leadership development and training for self advocates.

Members of the Caucus are responsible for:

• Taking part in, or starting self advocacy events in local communities.
• Attending approximately 4 Caucus meetings per year, between July and May (plus Board meetings if elected to the BCACL Board). The meetings are on Thursdays and Fridays, usually for 5 hours. If 3 meetings are missed in one year without a good reason, members could be asked to leave the Caucus.
• Completing the "Around the Province Report" before each meeting. This report keeps Caucus members up-to-date with each other's activities in their local community.
• Taking part in Caucus activities like workshops, special meetings, etc.
• Taking part in Caucus fundraising activities (usually at the BCACL AGM).
• Spending Caucus money for meeting purposes only.

Regional Representation:

• 14 members sit on the Caucus. See the Caucus members below.

• 2 members are elected from each of the following 7 areas of the province:

  • Vancouver Island/Coastal Region
  • Lower Mainland West
  • Lower Mainland East
  • Upper Fraser Valley
  • Kootenays
  • Okanagan/Central Interior
  • North

If a region(s) cannot be filled by 2 self advocates at the BCACL AGM, the Caucus' Recruitment Committee will recruit self advocates from that region for any vacancy.

From left to right, the 2011-2012 BC Self Advocacy Caucus is:

Top Row: Mandy Wold (staff support), Ruth Stanton, Michael McLellan, Shelley Decoste, Tanya Norman (advisor), Sky Hendsbee
Front Row: Colleen Mosimann, Jason Tibyan, Robbin Richardson, Lynn McCormack, Lynnetta Beingessner, Ava Williams, David Wegenast, Liam Wuthrich