November 2008 Board Minutes Wick Center
Members Present: Jim Kendrick, Delivee Wright, Kay Rockwell, Jim McShane, Howard Ottoson, Max Clegg, Walter Mientka, Dan Lutz.
The meeting was called to order at 1 p.m. by vice president Lowell Moser.
Minutes of the previous board meeting: I believe that they had not been posted to the web, so we deferred approval. Treasurer Walter Mientka discussed a higher level of expenses than had been anticipated, and asked the board to consider transferring funds from the Association’s account with the NU Foundation to the Association treasury. Moved by Kendrick, seconded by Rockwell, to transfer $5,000 to the Emeriti Assn. account; carried. After further discussion, moved by Ottoson, seconded by Clegg, to accept the treasurer’s report. Carried.
Moser passed around a report on AROHE compiled by President Fuller, following attendance by Fuller and Moser at “the 4th International Conference of the Association for Retirement Organizations in Higher Education held at USC in Los Angeles, Calif.” A total of 135 delegates registered for the conference, of which 60 percent were Emeriti and the balance retired Staff members. conference is held every two years. The next AROHE meeting will be held in Connecticut in 2010. (Report on AROHE meeting posted on website).
Fuller served on a panel during a discussion period at the California meeting. Rockwell noted that some of the items of discussion relative to expanding membership to include retired faculty in presently constituted Emeriti organizations are similar to opinions expressed in the UNL Emeriti Assn. listening sessions. The proposed by-laws change to add other types of membership categories was discussed briefly.The procedure by which this year’s election would be conducted was discussed since we cannot meet the by-laws requirement of having two nominees for each office—vice president and director—and presenting it to the whole membership by the November meeting.
Language of the present by-law: 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.
Proposed change:
In October of each year, the board of directors shall nominate at least one Association member for the office of vice president/president-elect and at least one Association member 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.
Nominations will be accepted from the floor. Agreement on a nominee to serve a 3-year term shall be obtained in advance of the nomination. There was no support for changing the by-laws since during the summer of 2005 there had been extensive discussion and the by-laws had been changed to require two nominees.
Motion by Rockwell, second, by Ottoson, “to suspend the constitution and by-laws relative to nominating two persons for each office in November, 2008, and vote on accepting the slate of Herb Howe for president-elect and Jim Carr for the director position, taking effect in 2009. Passed unanimously. Fuller will be requested to report this proposal at the upcoming membership meeting. A motion from the floor will be required and be voted on by the members.
Moser gave a favorable report on the October 21 membership meeting. Increased attendance included 43 reservations received in advance and 15 members who were “walk-ins.” Comments on the menu were highly favorable. The option of advance reservations for the prepared luncheon or members bringing their own food will be continued.
Rockwell reported a modest but continuing response in attendance at the NewComer Coffee sessions. She summarized continuing interest and outlined a procedure for establishing an Emeriti bowling team. She will ask Jim Augustyn to determine if there is interest in a second semester Emeriti bowling team.
McShane as EA rep to the Faculty Senate reported that, prompted in part by the resolution of the Emeriti Association, the Senate Executive Committee was proposing that the Senate ask the AAUP to look into the disinvitation of Ayers to see if its process met the criteria of sound academic practice and to suggest possible policy changes to the process. (Later that day the full Senate voted to delay consideration of that motion for one month.)
Clegg said materials and instructions for separate dues and Wisherd Fund mailings have been arranged with the UNL copying and mailing center. He noted that longtime staff member Louise DeNovellis, who has maintained the Emeriti Assn. roster for mailings passed away, and another staff member has been designated for this task.
The Association’s fall schedule of meetings is as follows:
November 18 – 11:30 a.m., East Campus Union, Future of Nebraska: “Nebraska—Today and Tomorrow.”
Dec. 2 – Board meeting, lunch and Retreat – 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., Wick Center.
January 22 – Luncheon for new and current members of UNL Emeriti Assn., Champions Club, 11:30 a.m. New Emeriti and guest – free admission. Charge of $5 per person for members and their guests.
The meeting adjourned at 2:45 p.m.