In the midst of all our planning for 2018’s busy activities, we have a special event to announce! During last year’s Annual General Meeting, our Members voted on whether to pass the first draft of a Conflict of Interest Policy written by the Board (see our About Us page for current Board Members). A majority of HES Members voted NO, but the feedback given during that session is being worked into a new draft which we would like to present next month. Click here to see the first draft that was presented at the 2017 AGM, along with recorded notes of the discussion.

In order to make sure our Members are informed and prepared to vote on it again at the 2018 AGM (TBA, likely in March), we will be holding an Info Session on Feb 2 to present the revised COI Policy. The presentation will be facilitated by members of the Board and Executive Director Sagan Yee, and there will be an opportunity for questions and feedback.

401 Richmond St.
The Commons, 4th Floor
Friday February 2
Doors open 6 PM, discussion at 6:30 PM

* Note: While anyone may attend this info session to learn more about the COI Policy, only HES Members in good standing can vote to pass it at the 2018 AGM.

What is this for?

We’re looking to continue the discussion about how to approach conflict of interest issues around exhibition of artwork curated by HES, and turn that into consistent policy. An example of questions and concerns that were raised at the 2017 AGM include: 

• Should HES Board members and staff members be allowed to show work at HES events?
• What is the definition of “staff” or “employee”?
• What if someone is hired to work on a different event from the one to which they’re submitting their project?
• What if someone contributes art or music to a game, but isn’t a creative lead?

These discussions may seem unnecessary if nobody has raised any complaints, but it is important to have firm policies in place for several reasons. For one, an enforceable policy allows us to make sure we are not curating games just because they are made by our friends, or people who work for us. These policies are also an indicator to government funders that we are a responsible organization that is transparent about the way we do things, which affects our ability to apply for grants. It helps community members understand how we make decisions, and allows you to have a say in how we run things!

The Conflict of Interest Policy is not the only piece of governance we are looking to clarify and/or revise, but it has been in the works for a while now, so please come out to learn more and ask questions. You can also get in touch at sagan@handeyesociety.com. Thank you and hope to see you out!