2008 Board Meeting

Friday, August 1, 2008 - 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Mystic, CT

Order of Business (Ken)

Last meeting 4 years ago. Board members’ 2 yr. term ended. In order to make legal, vote for pro-tem board today. Election for permanent board at Saturday’s meeting (8/2/08).

Explanation of pro-tem nominating process: VP to appoint nominating committee who in turn will select board to be approved at meeting. Motion was made to accept those in attendance as nominees for pro-tem board of directors. (Motion made, moved, seconded, and approved unanimously)

Recommended pro-tem officers:

  • Ken Junkins, president
  • Ann Cheney, vice president
  • David Junkins, treasurer
  • Lee Hodgin, secretary (absent)

(Motion made, moved, seconded, and approved unanimously)

Thanks to Ann and Kathy, Reunion Committee

Treasurer’s Report (David)

Handed out copies of 8/12/04 – 7/28/08 report.

Ann – Addition necessary. Charge for expense of letters
Kathy – New expenses, Mystic, 3 checks written week prior.
Ken - motion to accept treasurer’s report?

(Motion made, moved, seconded, and approved unanimously)

David - noted bank statements and checkbooks available for review
Ken – Also noted that this year’s dues have not been collected. Paying dues while at Mystic recommended.

Conversation

Ken - Has Ruth H. to Lee H. minutes of last board meeting.
Nancy - Thinks they were voted in. Bit of confusion. Disparate reports. Moot since we are now forming new board.
Philip and Becky Thomas (should be Junkins), James and Leona Junkins, Karl and Joanne Junkins…haven’t heard from since 2004. Mentioned as an oversight. Ken apologized. Copy of minutes by end of weekend.

President’s Report (Ken)

Few things since 2004, Alan covered at meeting: discussed issues, sent out a number of communications, got little feedback. Everyone busy.

Not followed up because meetings are not held on a regular basis.

Projects

Website with comprehensive genealogical database. Viewers can make recommendations and corrections, add information and updates.

Site address: http://www.jfa.kjunkins.com

Site contains two links: genealogical database and Wiki (Wiki is a term for collaborative website. Site that can be added to or changed. Has software-generated pages.)

Site also includes: Junkins’ history from newsletters and other material that is organized/published for JFA, membership information with application and approval capabilities, mission statement, pictures, burial grounds, homesteads, info. about Robert compiled into categories – all cross-referenced for easier research

Discussion of Issues

Work on this weekend and continue with dialogue after reunion. Make additions to list if necessary, survey general membership, get feedback to help resolve issues.

Brief Overview

Board – Responsibilities? Communication between meetings or at meetings? Meetings scheduled often enough? Board size? 12? 16? (by-laws…size 9 - 29) how big should the board be and who should be part of it?

Nature, purpose, and activities – driven by core mission (see handout)

Need to revalidate and reevaluate. Who should be involved in this?

Ken – questions…JFA incorporation? Registered and filed as non-profit?
Alan – response…not incorporated.
Kathy – concerns about: law suit if injury occurs at event…whether incorporated or not incorporated? And location/address of incorporation?

Also, question about interest (should be taxes per Kathy)? Kathy – have to have $25,000. Nancy – we’re not big enough.

Ken – response to location? York museums.
Alan – thought we voted to incorporate. Will speak to Phil (Alan’s brother, lawyer)
Alan – will commit to working on incorporation. About location, museum addresses stable vs. people’s addresses.
David – questions…down side of incorporation? Linked to people? Financial implications? Different kinds of incorporation?’
Ken - depends on state. Referred to theater co. and IRS fee. Different states, different rules. Questions limited liability?
More rigid with by-laws and board in incorporation, more paperwork. Driven by by-laws.
David – if we are going to be changing, big legal job to keep up.
Ken – only need to keep up with changes.
Kevin – address or P.O. box?
Nancy – someone needs to attend to a P.O. box

Nonprofit - 501(c)3

Ken/Kathy establish as public entity rather than private.
Information about nonprofit…can pay, can make profit but if there’s a bank balance when corporation is dissolved, $$$ has to be donated to another nonprofit.
Nancy – if York museum is used as address, $$$ could go to them.
Kathy – can’t be designated to museum, might have to go to a family association.
David – before dissolved, decision could be made.
Cliff – was research in earlier discussions done?
Alan
Kathy – attorneys will do nonprofit work pro bono.
Nancy – DAR didn’t need attorney.
Nancy/David – paperwork necessary!
David – make motion that Alan starts process. Works on incorporation, nonprofit, 501(c) 3 with attorney as soon as possible…by December? Within a year?
Kathy – (temporary) nonprofit for 5 years before permanent status can be achieved…you have to prove yourself.
Alan – can do by the end of the year.
Ken – by December 31st?
Alan – sure. Attorney often sends him notices.

(Motion made, moved, seconded, and approved unanimously)

Conversation

Had many reunions. What is the value of reunion? Many or some want ongoing reunions.

Look at JFA on web. Track membership? Send renewals? Accept payments? Needs more discussion.

Nancy – telephone #’s for members? (Online?)
Ann – some. Whatever we put online will be secure.
Nancy – I’m willing to make personal phone calls.
Ann - I’ll make copies of lists, paid, not paid, numbers.
Nancy – phone calls just to check in
Ann – list has labels, though not all.

Membership

Ken – possible board position, Membership Director. In the past, membership information and issues spread between David, Lee and Ken.

David – change bylaws to have membership director? Some organizations the VP takes care of membership.

  • President – general
  • Vice President – membership
  • Treasures – finances
  • Secretary – communications

Ken – refers to Nancy making phone calls. Would every other year be good? Needed more often?

Organization

Are we a social organization? Historical organization?

Kevin – some artifacts in the museum?
Ann/Nancy/Ken – yes, some. Some archival documents in county seat.
Ken – fund raising organization?

Should we be looking at grants? Kathleen Wheeler, UMAINE, archeology…doing digs. Should we get mini-grants for student work?
Connecting to our people…what to do better?

Dues…what do you get? Information/explanation to members.

Need feedback from group.

Nancy – refers to what Kathy said…possible scholarship to child of member.
Alan - any amount.
Nancy – also send out questionnaires, get small amount back so follow up with phone calls. Encouraging to people.
Ann – communication problem affects membership. Need regular communication.
Kathy – not looking in right places. Need to attract younger members, not just keep up with older members.
Nancy – what will attract younger people
Group – get information to kids, including newsletter. Have enough to send.
Kevin/Mary Ann – membership cost for family, what money comes from kids on their own?
Kathy – kids with separate address are separate family members.
Ken – when parents feel kids no longer part of family membership they could gift the first year membership and then have renewal go to kids address.
Alan – through families kids are not getting membership on their own.
Kathy – how do you get to the grandchildren?
Alan – through “good and old” members!
Nancy – whoever’s interested in membership.
Ann – different people want different things. Different interests…social or historical information.
Kevin – mini newsletters
Kathy – info about kids
Ann – roadblock to communication…lack of addresses.
Nancy – junior membership for kids, something for kids.
David – factor in expense, difficulty with cost. (reunions: travel, accommodations, meals, etc.)
Ken – agrees with high cost, refers to sister and to scheduling (i.e., David’s teaching schedule) big reunion might be expensive, more attractive to people in area. Mini reunions…people to get together and socialize, less expensive.
Nancy – when Ann has full info. (addresses, etc.) Could possibly group people, perhaps director for each area, e.g., Ohio, Kansas, down south.
Alan - had groups of people get together, Florida, Ohio and Kansas.
David – lots in western Mass. Don’t have addresses to send newsletters to children and grandchildren.
Kathy – maybe we should have reunion in MA.
Ken – recalls Deerfield reunion.
Alan – needs to submit bill for current newsletter? Getting cheaper! $340.00 for 150 copies. (Motion made, moved, seconded, and approved unanimously)
Alan – has $20.00 for 2 members (at Ruth’s) gave to David. Names?
Ann – has names. “paid in 2008”
Alan – David Junkins, Carolyn Anderson
Ken – membership drive? People here pay membership. Do we send notices now?
Nancy – should establish fiscal year.
Kathy – established fiscal year is Jan. – Dec. We have it.
Ann – change fiscal year to midyear because of bills.
Nancy/Ann – move it. Currently…Jan. – Dec. New…July 1st to June 30th.
Discussion Nancy/David/Ken
David – send out new/renew with newsletter
Ken – include letter about membership
Ann – get ours this weekend
Ken - Ann made a motion to change fiscal year and send out renewal letter.
Ken – newsletter gets sent to many, members and non-members. Should they only get sent to members? This one is sent to all because of letter about membership. Next one not to all.
David/Kathy – pass along to others and let us know if others are interested.
Bill – find other sites, periodicals to get word out.
Ann – N.E.H.G.S. (New England Historical and Genealogical Society)
Nancy – Yankee magazine? Genealogical information

Ken – motion? Dates of fiscal year change to July 1 through June 30,with letter/notification.

(Motion made, moved, seconded, and approved unanimously)

Alan – to Ann, can you run labels (from membership database)?
Ann – yes, I can run labels, reports, etc.
David – Alan sent a spreadsheet. It worked great. Can go through list to check membership.
Ann – if we do have a membership drive I can get report to David.
David – we will need to discuss how we’ll do this.
Ann – we can use the database.
Kathy – for now, get info to David.
Ken – need to discuss jobs so things flow effectively.
David/Alan – new dates, being specific is great.

Ken – 10:15 time to wrap up meeting. VP job to put together nominating committee. Charge Ann to put together and work with Nominating Committee. To present slate to body Saturday night.
Ann – suggests Alan, David, Cliff for nominating committee.
Ken – Alan, David, Cliff and Ann for nominating committee.

(Motion made, moved, seconded, and approved unanimously)

Ann – questions process…Friday present slate, Saturday vote?
Alan – done both ways. Does it matter?
Ken – adjourn meeting and reconvene at after dinner tonight?
(Motion made, moved, seconded, and approved unanimously)

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