Communiqués

MURA 10th Annual General Meeting
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
McGill Faculty Club

About 60 members attended the MURA Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, held in the Billiard Room of the McGill Faculty Club. Attendees voted on key issues, agreed to raise the annual membership fee from $25 to $30, approved the budget for the upcoming year, welcomed the incoming Board, were introduced to the new MURA Volunteer Group, and received an update on the success of the national conference of the College and University Retiree Associations of Canada (CURAC), which MURA proudly hosted from May 21–23. The title of the conference was The Well-Being of the Person, the Community, and the Planet.

At the conference, Henry Leighton and Debbie Mercier were honoured with CURAC Tribute Awards, which recognize the exceptional contributions of retirees to their associations. They were nominated by the MURA Awards Committee (Ginette Lamontagne, Chair, Mercedes Delacroix, Roy Lyster, and Christine Mutter). Roy Lyster read the citation he wrote for Henry, while Mercedes Delacroix presented the one she prepared for Debbie.

Ginette Lamontagne also introduced the 2025–2026 Board of Directors. She announced that, due to illness, our President, Ante L. Padjen, has chosen to step down. Ginette praised his leadership and accomplishments since taking office in 2021 and expressed sincere thanks for his service. Rosemary Cooke has agreed to assume the role of President and was acclaimed at the meeting. Subsequently, Linda Montreuil accepted the nomination to replace Rosemary, and with no other candidates presented, she too was acclaimed. Our Treasurer, Bob Stanley was acclaimed for a fourth 3-year term.

Mercedes Delacroix shared updates on MURA Cares, our new volunteer initiative. She highlighted how this program offers a meaningful way to give back to the community. Members have already enjoyed volunteering at the Welcome Hall Mission, helping with food preparation and distribution, and socializing afterwards at a nearby café. Some members have donated their time to Entraide Bénévole Montréal (EBM), a dedicated non-profit organization that serves seniors aged 60 and over in downtown Montréal and parts of Westmount, offering essential support for individuals facing temporary or permanent loss of autonomy. As the initiative grows, additional local agencies will be added to the list of volunteer opportunities. If you're interested in joining MURA Cares, please send an email to muravolunteer [at] gmail.com.

Following the meeting, members had the chance to reconnect with colleagues and forge new friendships in a warm and engaging atmosphere.

The highlight of the evening was the celebration of MURA’s 10th anniversary! A group photo of past and present Board members was taken, and incoming Vice-President, Internal, Linda Montreuil, offered a toast to the association’s growth and achievements. A beautiful anniversary cake, featuring the Martlet logo and created by Rosemary Cooke, was then served to mark the special occasion. (Photos)