A BRIEF HISTORY OF ONTARIO ABC
The Association for Bright Children began in Toronto in 1974 with a few people who believed that bright and gifted children needed an advocacy group. The original members were both educators and parents who shared concerns, information, ideas and disappointments.
PROVINCIAL PRESIDENTS
1974-1978 Sandra Shiner, Ph.D., Toronto
1978-1981 Linda Tu, Ph.D., North York
1981-1984 Hilda Carmichael, Kingston
1984-1986 Barbara Anglin, Ottawa
1986-1990 Margaret Walker, Toronto
1990-1992 Margaret Carter, Guelph
1992-1996 Margaret Tofflemire, Waterloo
1996-2000 Joanne Lee, Mississauga
2000-2002 Michelle Worley, Scarborough
2002-2004 Carol Ann Sloat, Brantford
2004-2006 Elizabeth Buckingham, Ottawa
2006-2008 Christine Thammavongsa, London
2008-April 2010 Dennis Ensing, London (acting)
April 2010 - June 2010 Dennis Ensing, London
2010 - January 2013 Rosanna DelGrosso, Toronto
2013 - 2014 David Croome, Peel
IMPORTANT DATES IN ABC HISTORY
1977- A constitution was adopted and ABC was incorporated
1976-1980 ABC co-sponsored with the Ministry of Education, four conferences on Gifted Education.
1980 ABC was incorporated as a registered charity
1981 A revised constitution was drafted and ratified at the 1982 AGM
1985 Ontario ABC established a permanent mailing address and phone number in Toronto.
1990 By-Laws revised and ratified by AGM to reflect the move to Central Membership
1990 By-Laws revised and ratified by AGM to adopt style names for ABC: "Association for Bright Children"; and "Société pour enfants doués et Sourdoués"
1990 ABC Advisory Committee established
1991 ABC Policy Document "Parents As Partners" published
2004 ABC Policy Document "Parents As Partners" updated and revised
2006-2008 ABC expanded its annual conferences to include an additional full day of programming geared to educator professional development featuring James Delisle, PhD, Karen Rogers, PhD and Susan Winebrenner respectively
2006 ABC Resource Guide on IEP's published
2008 ABC Resource Guide Revised and Translated
2008 By-laws revised and ratified by AGM to implement trial of free membership model
2009 ABC appointed its first part-time Executive Director, Claire Collins, Mississauga
SOME PAST ABC FAMILY CONFERENCES, LOCATIONS AND THEMES
1986 Ottawa Creative Learning 1987 Scarborough Exploring New Horizons
1988 Waterloo Learning and Growing Together
1989 Halton Our Children, Ourselves
1990 Ottawa Roots and Wings
1991 North York Heart.Head.Hands
1992 Scarborough Building the Future
1993 Cambridge What If?
1994 Kingston Reach for the Stars
2004 London Alan Edmunds, PhD on Meeting the Needs of Exceptionally Gifted Children
2005 Toronto Joanne Foster, PhD on Being Smart About Gifted Children
2006 Toronto Jame Delisle PhD on addressing the Social Emotional Needs of Gifted Learners
2007 Toronto Karen Rogers, PhD on Re-forming Gifted Education
2008 Toronto Susan Winebrenner on Differentiating Curriculum for Gifted Learners
LETTERS PATENT
Action for Bright Children was registered as a non-profit corporation in the Province of Ontario in 1977. The constitution states that Action for Bright Children is also known as, and activities are carried on under, the name The Association for Bright Children of Ontario and La Société pour enfants doués et sourdoués de l'Ontario. This incorporation embraces the activities of the Provincial organization and its chapters.
REGISTRATION AS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
ABC was registered with Revenue Canada on September 1, 1980 and assigned Number 0597252-21-13