BC Self Advocacy Caucus

The Inclusion BC 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 Inclusion BC (formerly BCACL) Annual General Meeting by other self advocates. Read more about the Caucus below.

The Caucus elections were recently held on June 2, 2012 in Penticton BC, with the Inclusion BC (formerly BCACL) Conference. 

The 2012/2013 BC Self Advocacy Caucus

• Lynnetta Beingessinger
• Shelley DeCoste
• Sky Hendsbee
• David Johnston
• Tricia Lins
• Margaret Litster.
• Sheenagh Morrison
• Sheila Neidig
• Gerald Oesch
• Shawn Palmer
• Robbin Richardsen
• Ruth Stanton
• Nikita Williams

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 Inclusion BC.
• 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 Inclusion BC 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 Inclusion BC 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 Inclusion BC AGM, the Caucus' Recruitment Committee will recruit self advocates from that region for any vacancy.