Active since 2001, CAIS has been growing steadily both in numbers and achievements. This past year was spent on consolidating some of these achievements and on restructuring the organization to accommodate growing demands. The CAIS library and archives are now ready to receive current and past contributions from our members. Books and other publications relevant to independent scholarship are being added on a regular basis as well.

CAIS continues to provide university library access to full members. As in previous years, members will continue to have the opportunity of presenting their work to the CAIS community and fellow independents, as well as to attend workshops and courses relevant to independent research and publication. Our members comprised the majority of registrants for a course offered in November by the SFU Public Knowledge Project on online resources for archives, publication and funding. CAIS will also continue to award yearly research grants in addition to the Scholar-in-Residence position.


INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS' ACHIEVEMENT AND AWARDS
Dr. Yosef Wosk, founder of both the Canadian Academy of Independent Scholars and the Philosophers’ Café, and current President of CAIS, has retired from his position as Director of Interdisciplinary Programs in the Department of Continuing Studies at Simon Fraser University after more than fifteen years productive years.

In 2009/2010 Dr Wosk was presented with one provincial and two national awards in recognition of his superb efforts in the fields of education, philanthropy and community service. The accolades include a British Columbia Community Achievement Award < http://www.bcachievement.com/community/2009/>, as well as an Award for Outstanding Achievement from the Canadian Museums Association, and an Honourable Mention Program Award from the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education.

Dr. Wosk—who established an endowment to create the position of Vancouver’s Poet Laureate—is a distinguished scholar, educator, author, rabbi, counsellor, bibliophile and art collector. His support of local and international communities includes libraries, museums, archives and galleries as well as education, social services and the performing arts. He is an appointed member of the Order of British Columbia, the highest recognition the province can extend to its citizens.

Of special importance for CAIS, is Dr. Wosk’s Honourable Mention Program Award of Excellence for his work in establishing the innovative Canadian Academy of Independent Scholars, a recognition at the national level from the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education at their 56th Annual Conference, held this year in Vancouver. On May 21, 2009.

On a less auspicious note, we have sadly lost two of our members this year: Distinguished Scholar, Claude Levi-Strauss (28 November 1908 - 3 November 2009), who died a few days shy of his 101st birthday, and Full member Cheryl Ann Meszaros (19 November, 1955 – 22 July, 2009). Her sudden and untimely death to cancer is felt by us all.


OTHER EVENTS
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