November 2005 Board Minutes UNL East Campus Union
Members Present: Howard Ottoson, Wilma Crumley, Walter Mientka, Francis Haskins, Jim Kendrick, Dick Boohar, Delivee Wright, Jerry Petr, Dan Lutz
Meeting called to order at 1:30 p.m. by president-elect Irv Omtvedt; President Edwards was out of town.
Minutes of October 6 board meeting: Moved by Mientka, seconded by Boohar, for approval as distributed. Carried.
Treasurer’s report (as of current date): Walter Mientka: Maude Wisherd Fund balance--$54,966.83; spendable earnings - $32,290.92. Income received – January –October: $3,209.90. Expenses, same period: $2,618.31 (includes $500 to open new UNL Emeriti Assn. Fund). Checking account balance: $591.59. It was noted that the Foundation’s new rules do not authorize the Association Treasurer to access the Association’s Fund accounts. Mientka volunteered to work with the Foundation to obtain the necessary papers to permit both the President and Treasurer access to these accounts. Motion for approval by Petr, seconded by Wright, carried.
October 20 membership meeting minutes: moved by Ottoson, seconded by Wright for approval. Kendrick moved, second by Petr, for an amendment that committee reports not delivered at a membership meeting because the committee chair is not present will be posted on the website. Motion approved as amended. Omtvedt requested that Secretary Lutz bring 10 copies of the Oct. 20 meeting minutes to the Nov. 17 meeting for possible use by members present who do not have computer access.
Kendrick explained procedures necessary to vote absentee through the website and handed out an explanation of a step-by-step process. In essence, an Emeritus wishing to vote absentee, following directions on the website, prints out a paper ballot, fills it out and mails it to the membership chair, who will verify that the individual submitting the ballot is a member in good standing of the UNL Emeriti Assn. The ballot must reach Membership chair Boohar on or before November 15. In addition to election of officers and a director for 2006, members may also vote absentee on a number of proposed changes in the Association’s constitution and by-laws.
To facilitate recording of meeting proceedings by the secretary, Kendrick moved that “all motions other than procedural (i.e., “call for the question” for example) must be submitted in writing at Board and Association meetings.” Seconded by Mientka, carried.
Other old business: Status of proposed new UNL Emeriti Assn. brochure – Mientka and Boohar: item still in planning process.
New business: Discussion of proposed changes in some articles within the Association’s constitution and by-laws.
Kendrick handed out a copy of the present Constitution and By-Laws and a listing of Articles therein, with new language proposed for some Articles. Following are Articles in the By-Laws acted on the by the Board:
No changes are being proposed for Article I – “name of the organization…”; and for Article II – “objectives of the organization.”
A major change was proposed for Article III – “Membership.” Present wording: “Membership shall include all Emeriti faculty (emphasis added) of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Retired faculty and administrators of the University of Nebraska and retired officers of the University of Nebraska Foundation may become members upon their request.”
A significant proposed change “Membership shall consist of dues paying Emeriti of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Membership is complimentary for a full calendar year after obtaining Emeritus status. All members are franchised to vote on matters affecting the Association. Honorary (non-voting) Life Membership is granted to surviving widows and widowers of University of Nebraska-Lincoln Emeriti.”
Crumley raised a question regarding the definition of Association membership as dues-paying Emeriti, because wording in the agreement with the University of Nebraska Foundation refers to University Emeriti (so certified, but including both paid and non-paid Association members) as eligible to receive grants/benefits from the Maude Wisherd Fund. Lengthy and serious discussion followed, with some board members maintaining that the proposed Article change and the Wisherd Fund stipulation are two separate issues. Crumley then offered the following motion: “That further discussion of Constitution Article III be deferred pending a legal opinion of possible authority of the Wisherd Trust Agreement in defining membership in the Association.” Seconded by Petr. Motion approved, 6-4. A University of Nebraska attorney and a NU Foundation Attorney will be requested to examine the relevant passage of the Wisherd Trust Agreement.
In followup, Petr offered the following motion, seconded by Crumley: “If a legal opinion, as requested, with reference to Article III, reports that the Wisherd Trust Agreement’s does not restrict the Association’s ability to determine its membership requirements, the board adopts Article III, Membership, as presented. Carried..
. Changes in Articles IV through IX were approved unanimously by the board. Following are the amended articles with verbatim language and directors offering motions and seconds.
Article IV – Place of Meetings: “Meetings shall be held at one of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Unions, in other campus buildings, or at other places in or near Lincoln.” Moved by Mientka, seconded by Ottoson.
Article V – Officers: “The officers of the Associations shall be: president, vice president/president-elect, secretary and treasurer. The president shall appoint the secretary and treasurer annually with no specified term. The vice president/president-elect shall serve as program chairman. Duties for all officers and directors shall be such as ordinarily pertain to the officers. The Association officers, the immediate past president, the directors, and the chairs of standing committees shall constitute the board of directors. The Board of Directors shall act for the Association between meetings of the Association.
Moved by Kendrick, seconded by Boohar.
Article VI – Election of vice president/president-elect and a director.
1. A vice president/president-elect and a director shall be elected at each November meeting of the Association. The director shall be elected for a 3-year term. Both terms begin January following the election.
2. In January following the November election, the past vice president/president-elect shall automatically succeed to the office of president, and the former president shall automatically assume the office of past president.
3. In October of each year, the board of directors shall nominate at least two Association members for the office of vice president/president-elect and at least two Association members for the position of director for a 3-year term. These names will be submitted to the membership at least a week prior to the November meeting of the Association. Moved by Kendrick, seconded by Crumley.
Article VII – Committees: “The Association shall have the following standing committees: Benefits, Maude Wisherd Fund, Membership, Member Relations and Website. The president shall appoint the chairs and members of the standing committees. Moved by Kendrick, seconded by Mientka.
(Footnote: The former ad hoc Courtesy Committee, with expanded duties, has been changed to the Member Relations standing committee. The former ad hoc committee, On-line Communications, has become the Website standing committee).
Article VIII – Dues: “The Board of Directors is authorized to set membership dues as warranted by expenses. The current Life Membership fee of one hundred dollars ($100), is deposited into the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Emeriti Association Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation, of which a portion may go to the endowed Maude Wisherd Fund. Moved by Kendrick, seconded by Ottoson.
An amendment to this Article, which received final approval, is as follows: The Board of directors is authorized to set membership dues as warranted by expenses, including a Life Membership fee to be deposited into the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Emeriti Association Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation, of which a portion may go to the endowed Maude Wisherd Fund. Moved by Kendrick, seconded by Mientka.
Article IX – Amendments: “These articles may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members voting, provided that notice of the proposed change has been given not less than one week. Moved by Mientka, seconded by Ottoson.
Finally, it was moved by Petr, seconded by Crumley, that “The two documents—Constitution and By-Laws—be combined into one document, to be called ‘Constitution/By-Laws,’ Carried
Committee reports:
Benefits – Francis Haskins. Information about 2006 medical insurance premiums for University of Nebraska retirees is now available. Following are the new monthly rates for the Basic Option for single individuals and couples, all having Medicare (these categories probably include a majority of retirees who have retained their U. of N. medical insurance): for individuals, $386; for couples, $770. These amounts represent increases of 8.4 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively, from 2005 levels. Compared to rates that were in effect for 2003, for example, the rates for single persons have increased 35.4 percent, and for couples, 59.4 percent. Prescription coverage under the U. of N. program remains the same in 2006, as it was in 2005. As a matter of possible interest, for a couple in their 80s, both on Medicare, the current monthly rate for Plan F coverage with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nebraska is $320.48. Of course, this plan has no prescription coverage.
With regard to prescription coverage, much information about Medicare Plan D is now being distributed by mail, in special meetings, and via the Internet. The November 17 meeting of the Emeriti Assn. will consider these matters in great detail. Among the numerous items that individuals will need to consider in making decisions about Plan D are:
1. The amount likely to be spent for needed drugs.
2. The cost of premiums.
3. The extent of the formulary for the particular plan(s) being considered.
Maude Wisherd Fund – Lee Jones. Chairman not in attendance; no report filed.
Membership Committee – Dick Boohar. Efforts continue to maintain an accurate and up-to-date membership roster. There is some evidence that changes forwarded to UNL Mailing Services (which keeps an Emeriti master roster, i.e., paid, unpaid, all zipcode addresses, with ongoing changes, i.e., deceased, changes-of-address, etc. seem sometimes to not be made or are delayed. Cooperative efforts continue between myself, Dan Lutz as secretary and Walter Mientka as treasurer to assure accurate membership data.
Nominating Committee – Ted Hartung. Not present; slate of candidates presented to board.
Courtesy Committee – Delivee Wright. No names of Emeriti qualifying for courtesy baskets received during last month.
Website Committee – Jim Kendrick. November report: Absentee ballot is available on the Emeriti Website. See the Vote Here! Tab. In Memory tab updated with names announced at October 20 meeting. October usage: 1,320 pages were viewed in 1,954 visits to the website from 96 unique visitors, including one from France and one from the United Kingdom.
The 10 most frequently viewed pages were, in order: Treasurer’s Report, Board Membership, FAQs, What’s New? Board Minutes, Vote Here!, Calendar, Membership Roster, Nominations, and Committees.
Omtvedt again reminded of the November 17 meeting at 12:30 p.m. in the Nebraska East Union, with the speaker: Mark Intermill, Association for Advocacy, AARP, topic: “The New Prescription Drug Program and Health Insurance Considerations.” The board unanimously instructed the President-Elect to seek a larger room and to order refreshments for those attending the November 17 meeting.
A postcard notice will be sent to all Emeriti with Lincoln area zipcode addresses reminding of the election of officers and directors and the speaker and topic for the November 17 meeting.
There being no further old, unfinished or new business, the meeting was adjourned at 4 p.m.
The next Board of Directors meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 1 at 1:30 p.m. at the Nebraska East Union.