Virginia State AFA 7 Feb 09

Quarterly Meeting Roanoke, VA

CY09 Q1 (Jan-Mar)

MINUTES

1. The first quarter, 2009, Virginia State Executive Council Meeting was called to order by Jeff Platte, State President. The meeting was held at the historic Roanoke Hotel and hosted by the Roanoke Chapter. Jeff led the attendees in the pledge of allegiance and welcomed everyone to Roanoke. He noted that this was “officially” his first meeting as Skip Williams, Vice President, did a great job substituting due to his illness in November.

· Jim McGuire, Chapter #285 President, welcomed all to Roanoke and the provided administrative announcements for the remainder of the day. These included the opportunity for a self guided visit to the D-Day Memorial prior to the Chapter’s reception and award dinner in the evening.

· On behalf of the Steele Chapter, Peter Jones presented Jeff a check for $5,790.68 as profit from the Virginia Suite at the National Conference. Jeff thanked Peter and the Steele Chapter for their efforts in planning and executing the Virginia Suite and noted that without this effort, the ability to host VA State programs would be greatly impacted.

2. Officers’ Reports:

Secretary’s report/roll call – Bart Barton

· Meeting notice was provided via email on XX Jan 2009, by Jeff Platte, along with registration and attendance information, Tab 1.

· Chapter roll call was completed with all chapters represented by the president or designated vice with the exception of Leigh-Wade Chapter.

o Leigh Wade #169: absent

o Steele #239: Nick Abate

o Danville #240: Jerry Hovatter

o Tidewater #242: Bill Cuthriell

o Richmond #243: Chip Moran

o Roanoke #285: Jim McGuire

o Langley #323: Blair Ellis

o Jones #345: Dan Doty

o Gabriel #433: DeWitt Latimer

o N. Shenandoah #435: Norm Brander

· Headquarters AFA was represented by Jim Hannam, National Director, and Scott Van Cleef, National Director.

· The Minutes of the fourth quarter, 2008, VA State ExCom meeting held on Nov 15, 2008, in Colonial Heights, were reviewed for completeness and accuracy. A motion to accept the minutes, as posted on the VA State website, was provided by Jeff Platte, seconded by Goldie Golden and passed with unanimous voice ballot, Tab 2.

· It was noted that the draft minutes from the Quarterly ExComs, including Tabs, would be posted to the VA AFA State website as soon as possible for review and use by the Members. The approved version of each meeting will remain posted for one subsequent quarter and will then be posted to the historical record maintained by the Secretary in the Historical File.

B. Treasurer’s report – Jim Holt

· 2009 Budget expenditures were reviewed along with the Treasurer’s Report, at Tab 3, with a current operations account balance of $2,249.24 and an education funds balance of $12,351.68. Motion to accept Treasurer’s Report was offered by Blair Ellis, seconded by Chip Moran, and approved by voice vote.

· Hotel and mileage refunds were provided to attendees via check from treasurer.

C. VP/Admin’s Report – Al Berg

· Update to the State Social Roster was provided, at Tab 4. All ExCom members are requested to provide updates to their personal and chapter entries to Al Berg, brgallan@verizon.net.

· State ExCom Meeting Schedule for CY 09-11was provided, at Tab 5. This update includes the ExCom’s decision to remove Steele Chapter from the quarterly rotation as agreed at the Nov ExCom.

· The next quarter meeting will be held in conjunction with the State Convention and will be hosted by Richmond Chapter.

D. President’s Report - Jeff Platte (see PowerPoint slides at Tab 6)

· We are all sadden by the passing of Matt Monczewski on November 13, 2008. He was a long time member and supporter of AFA, officer of Gabriel Chapter and served as Virginia State Treasurer. By voice accord, the ExCom dedicated a Vision of Exploration (STEM) scholarship in his name to be awarded through the Gabriel Chapter.

· Participated in the Wreaths Across America ceremony at the Richmond National Cemetery by laying a wreath on behalf of the Virginia AFA. It is a fitting tribute to those that have served over the years. I fit in well with the hundred or so bikers that did the heavy lifting.

· Made a personal donation to the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program and hope you considered supporting the Commonwealth program too. Google Virginia Wounded Warrior Donations for a form.

· Leigh Wade President Jim Barker resigned effective 1 January. I sent a Save Your Chapter letter to all 137 members looking for new leaders. One return phone call to date. See additional discussion under New Business.

· Chapter Support payments background, two parallel processes 1) membership – Judy Galbreath 2) reports Mary Nauheimer – reports are processesed as received, yes checks take a while to receive, why not electronic transfer (?) Only you can track; keep address current with HQ; call.

· Congressional contacts. Changes in the make up mean we need to reengage with the new players. Currently no Virginia legislators are members of the Air Force Caucus. Work to do here. State money to support additional “staffer” membership – do you need a member gain?

· Strategic Communication initiatives; HQ articulating the need for greater emphasis on educating public and policy makers, must become more effective advocates at the grass roots level. This starts with membership! You’ve seen Mike Dunn’s prolific campaign to enlighten the citizenry. (if you haven’t let me know so I can get you the information). Bottomline – we are the first line of defense. We’ll talk more about the Airpower Advocates in new business.

3. Chapter Presidents’ Reports:

A. Format

1) Overall Health of Chapter.

2) Last Quarter Accomplishments

3) Next Quarter Plans (With Tie-In To Strategic Plan)

4) Membership & Recruitment Status.

5) Areas of Concern.

B. Steele #239, provided by Nick Abate, Tab 7

C. Danville #240, provided by Jerry Hovatter, Tab 8

D. Tidewater #242, provided by Bill Cuthriell, Tab 9

E. Richmond #243, provided by Chip Moran, Tab 10

F. Roanoke #285, provided by Jim McGuire, Tab 11

G. Langley #323, provided by Blair Ellis, Tab 12

H. Jones #345, provided by Don Doty, Tab 13

I. Gabriel #433, provided by DeWitt Latimer, Tab 14

J. N. Shenandoah #435, provided by Norm Brander, Tab 15

4. Regional Vice Presidents’ Reports:

A. Format

1) Cross-Fertilization of Good Ideas.

2) Problem Areas

B. VP – North Tom Shepherd (Absent)

C. VP – East Chip Moran

· All chapters, with exception of Leigh-Wade, are in good health. Working a plan with Jeff Platte to try to integrate Leigh-Wade’s ExCom with Richmond Chapter.

D. VP – West John Ree

· Highlighted the Roanoke Chapter programs

5. Committee Reports:

A. Aerospace Education, provided by Jeff Platte (Mary Anne Thompson absent), Tab 16

· After discussion of requests for matching Education Grants from Tidewater, Danville, Tabs 16.1 & 16.2, & Northern Shenandoah, a motion for approval of the requests was forwarded by Jeff Platte, seconded by John Ree and approved by voice ballot.

· The concept of Visions Classrooms was discussed. It was noted that an individual classroom can be connected for approximately $100.

· A concept to expand the Teacher of the Year (ToY) Program was advanced by Jeff Platte. Under this concept, ToY participants would be sponsored for a day-long event including potential visits to NASA Langley, Hampton Air & Space Museum and an Aerospace Education Workshop. Jeff requested Chapters in the Hampton Roads region consider organizing and sponsoring this program. Additionally, this type of program might qualify for a national education grant. No final decision was taken.

B. Awards/Recognition provided by Jeff Platte (Mary Anne Thompson absent), Tab 17

· Inputs for National awards are due NLT 30 April see brief from November State Meeting

· John Ree noted that the Awards Handbook and the spreadsheet with the historical record of awards presented in the CER are both maintained on the VA State website.

· All Chapters need to ensure that updates to awards given locally and at State/National level are sent to Mary Anne.

· The ExCom passed its Kudos to Mary Anne for dealing with the current weather and 40inof snow!

D. Communications – John Ree

· John Ree discussed the VA State website and noted it is currently up to date. The minutes of State ExCom meetings are posted to the website along with the various briefings and notes, as tabs. The full set of minutes with tabs will be available on the website for two meeting cycles and then the tabs will be removed and stored in the Secretary’s historical record.

· After some discussion on the State and Chapter websites no change in various current arrangements were recommended. It was noted that National AFA has indicated that they are not interested in providing server hosting/website support for States or Chapters.

E. Leadership Development – Mason Botts

· The situation with Leigh-Wade is surprising as there had been little to no discernable indication that the situation have developed to the point of dissolution of the Chapter. Leadership development is one of the main tasks of the CER President and any information on this subject need to be forwarded.

· Noting the previous discussion on the leadership situation within the Jones Chapter, he can and will provide outside influence to chapter members to step into leadership positions.

F. Virginia Suite – Peter Jones

· See update report at Tab 18 including the final report for the 2008 event and the initial plan for 2009. After discussion of the report, the ExCom unanimously approved a motion of commendation for the efforts of Peter and the Gabriel Chapter. Additionally, the ExCom endorsed the plan presented to host a Virginia Suite at the Gaylord National during the AFA National Conference and Airpower Symposium in September, 2009. The ExCom noted that the plan included anticipated revenue to the VA State of approximately $5000.

G. Veterans Affairs – provided by Jeff Platte (Dave Ellis absent), Tab 19

· Jeff noted that the Virginia Department of Veterans Services – Veterans & Small Business Conference would be held on March 25. Information on the conference is at www.virginiaforveterans.com

H. Membership – Nick Abate

· See update report at Tab 20. Additionally, each Chapter was provided a package of available membership materials from National AFA. Nick reviewed the individual Chapter membership statistics for 2008 and an extensive discussion on the rules for compliance set by National AFA for Chapters to obtain new member credit and hence monetary rewards. Nick recommended Chapters consider making gifts of memberships to deserving individuals if the Chapter is close to the National requirement in any particular quarter.

· Important note: need to make sure that Chapter information is included on both the front and back of applications prior to submission to National to ensure proper credit back to the responsible Chapter.

· A motion to have Jeff Platte address the membership issues with Jim Ladduci, National Vice Chairman for Field Operations was forwarded by Nick Abate, seconded by Blair Ellis and approved by voice acclaim. Jeff will report back to the ExCom in June on his discussions which should include Chapters obtaining membership credits anytime that a Chapter # is on an application and the rebate is based on the amount of payment. Further resolution of this issue could be placed on the National Conference agenda in September.

· Correction to discussion: Nick confirmed after the meeting that if an application is submitted with no Chapter info (note needs to be on front & back of application) then National will automatically allocate the new member based on zip code and no membership credit will be received by the Chapter.

· Nick made the following recommendations to Chapter Presidents & Membership VPs: 1) make a list of names of all submitted applications when possible to check National’s list for credit; 2) anticipate a minimum of 30 days to process at National; 3) be alert for applications that are auto allocated that should have Chapter attribution.

· Jim Hannam added that the National picture for new memberships is overall down but the rate is slowing, a positive sign. He added that at the National level, 70% of new memberships are in response to direct mail campaigns while 30% of new members are from field (including Chapter) activities.

6. Old Business:

A. Newsletter excusals – Jeff Platte

· Jeff confirmed that he had received and approved the following excusals for newsletter requirement:

o Jan-Mar 09: none

o Apr-May 09: Langley Chapter

B. Chapter Reporting – Jeff Platte

· Jeff and Mason discussed the process for Chapter Quarterly Reports. Both will forward received reports individually and in a timely manner when received.

7. New Business:

A. CER Update – Mason Botts

· Mason addressed several issues within the CER

B. Virginia Joint Leadership Council Report – Mason Botts/Jeff Platte

· See report at Tab 21.

· Finances are a serious issue in Virginia. Veteran’s affairs are not immune. The JLC has put forth a coordinated agenda for the Commonwealth: 1) Automated System for the Electronic Preparation of Veterans’ Disability (TurboVet system on life support). 2) Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children. 3) Burial Vaults for Virginia State Veterans Cemeteries. 4) Military Family Relief Fund benefits non taxable 5) Real Estate Tax Relief for 100% Disabled Veterans 6) Homeless Veterans Study

· Virginia Wounded Warrior effort is spreading the word on available programs, but bureaucracies are slow. This one does have the Veteran in front and worthy of your monetary support. Following discussion on the Wound Warrior Programs, a motion to make a one- time exception to ExCom policy and approve the award of $500.00 from Education Funds for a donation to the VA Wounded Warriors Fund was forwarded by Mason Botts, seconded by Chip Moran and approved by voice acclimation.

C. HQ AFA Update: Field & Education – Jim Hannam

· See report at Tab 22.

D. AFA Airpower Advocate State Volunteers

· See report at Tabs 23.1 & 23.2

E. CSAF Leadership Forum Report – Scott Van Cleef

· Scott gave a report of a recent CSAF led symposium for retired general officers. See report at Tab 24.

G. Virginia and §501 (c) 3 Status – Jeff Platte

· HQ AFA “under review” but do not expect any action on this subject in the near future

· Question remains should the State or Chapters seek independent §501 (c)(3) status from IRS? Impacts and benefits – would it help fund raising? Some states, Utah and Texas, have already set up §501 (c) 3 recognize entitles.

· After discussion on this topic, the ExCom approved a motion to form an exploratory committee to research and report back on whether the Chapters or State should seek independent tax exempt status from the IRS. The motion was forwarded by Al Berg, seconded by Chip Moran and carried by voice acclaim. Skip Williams, Jim Hannam and Bart Barton were named to serve on the committee.

H. State Quarterly Meetings

· Purpose of our meeting is to strengthen Chapter operations and the AFA mission through a free exchange of ideas on programs and processes. There is a HQ requirement to meet quarterly. The format is negotiable.

· Secondary role of State quarterly meeting is to enhance local Chapter meetings by drawing broader membership participation to one of the required quarterly general membership meetings. Correction: It was verified that quarterly General Membership meetings are no longer required as a Chapter event. None-the-less in an effort to remain connect with each other the State meeting provides an opportunity to bring together an event that highlights AFA within a Chapter. An outstanding example was presented by the Roanoke Chapter at this February meeting.

· Jeff called for a sense of the Chapter Presidents and in a show of hands the majority, six of eight, agreed that the quarterly meetings had value and should be continued. It was stressed that any evening program after the State ExCom would be at the option of the hosting Chapter.

I. Leigh-Wade Chapter Future

· Jeff reported to the ExCom that he had received a letter in January stating that all the Leigh-Wade Chapter officers had resigned.

· After discussion it was decided that (1) Jeff will work any transition period with National AFA and place the Chapter in suspended operations for now(2) Chip Moran will work with the remaining interested volunteers in Leigh-Wade and integrate them and a majority of the membership into the Richmond Chapter.

8. Adjourn:

· Chip Moran announced that the State Convention and next quarterly ExCom Meeting would be hosted by the Richmond Chapter on Saturday, 13 Jun 2009, at the new Hilton Garden Inn located near the Richmond Airport.

· Having completed all the official business on the approved agenda of the ExCom, a motion to adjourn was forwarded by Jim McGuire, seconded by Goldie Golden and approved by voice acclimation. The first quarter ExCom Meeting was adjourned to begin the planned social events of the evening.

Respectfully submitted,

Harold H. Barton, Jr.

Virginia State Secretary