KFS Board Corner – July, 2026 – The Kamloops Film Society
July 14, 2026
July started out bittersweetly for the KFS and especially the Board as we celebrated our own Kevin Martin on Thursday, July 2. Aaron Arseneau and Jamie Lintott spoke on behalf of the Thursday Film Series Committee, of which Kevin was a long-time member. In her introduction, Jamie referred to Kevin, jokingly but lovingly as the ‘King of the Paramount’, which brought both laughter and tears to many eyes in the theatre. A short video compilation of KFS staff, volunteers and theatre friends sharing their memories of Kevin was shown before the screening of Yesterday, Kevin’s favorite film. Members of Kevin’s family attended what was an emotional evening, but a fitting farewell to our dear friend.
The summer months have also been a good time to work on board training issues raised by May’s board self-evaluation questionnaire. The results pointed to a need for clearer orientation on directors’ roles and responsibilities, expectations around participation on sub-committees and how board meetings are conducted. As we approach the next AGM and potentially welcome new directors, thorough on-board training to create a board well-prepared to help our organization fulfill the Society’s mission is on-going priority for the Board Development Committee.
The last two weeks of August may see some board members take up a paintbrush along with other volunteers to help with some much-anticipated lobby enhancements. With the generous support of the Kelson Group and some local businesses, an exciting facelift will harken back to the nostalgia of the Paramount’s early years while offering a fresh modern appeal. Plans continue for a fundraising event to spur donations to the lobby improvements. After May’s successful ‘Sound of Music’ event, some happy filmgoers suggested that more fun closed-captioned musical audience participation films would be great. What do you think? Send your sing-along film suggestions to events@thekfs.ca.
Esther Miller
Board Development
Committee Chair