NAUMS ANNUAL MEETING SUMMARY
The 2015 Annual Meeting of the National Association of United Methodist Scouters was convened at 10 AM on Saturday, August 29, 2015 at St. Luke’s UnitedMethodistChurch in Memphis, TN with President Philip Craig presiding.
The meeting was opened with prayer by Stan Craig with prayer requests for family and friends of Matthew Rowland, 27 yr. old soldier and Eagle Scout killed in Afghanistan and for Alex Rector, 17 yr old son of Teresa Rector, who was awaiting tests for a 4 cm mass in his chest. All were asked to add them to their prayer lists.
REPORTS: (see attached for full reports)
TREASURER:
Checking Account: $4865.11 CD/Credit Union Account: $5,257.55
Life Members Endowment (Nebraska): $20, 357.18
BIBLES:
Bibles were provided to Philmont, Sea Base and Northern Tier. We bought 2 year’s supply. NAUMS provided songbooks to Philmont. Northern Tier requested NAUMS help to print Trail Worship Guide
PRAY REPORT
God and Country Awards down 16.5%, lowest since 1988.
Need to promote Religious Emblem Coordinator positions locally
MEMBERSHIP AND DATABASE
Database down from 3500 in 2013 to 2275 in 2014 due to address changes and deaths.
Do not have access to membership cards and unable to send – Art Collins to help
SOCIAL MEDIA
Web domains we own have now been linked to NAUMS website.
Facebook is to be upgraded to “Group” vs ‘Liked” to increase our outreach.
TRAINING
Training for Board members on Tennessee nonprofits laws will be scheduled.
SEVERED TIES WITH GCUMM
Resulted in a $500 plus year savings since we no longer need a CPA to file IRS form but can use a postcard report. The Board has engaged legal counsel. The Board does not wish to re-affiliate with GCUMM due to their conduct regarding NAUMS.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
The Nominating Committee did not receive a request from the one Board member whose term expired in 2015 and did not send out the annual notice in time to comply with the Bylaws. Therefore no nominations were made.
The Annual Meeting was adjourned after prayer.
Bible Report
Bibles were provided to the Philmont, Sea Base and Northern Tier BSA high adventure bases. (We do not send Bibles to the BSA SUMMIT since Greg Godwin requested we not do so)
Our Bible supplier called us last fall and said they we selling the business and didn’t know if the buyer would be continuing to sell the ones we bought. The board voted to buy 2 year’s worth before they closed and they are stored at the President’s house.
When we were at Philmont Scout Ranch last year a Chaplain asked if NAUMS could provide “The Faith We Sing” songbooks to Philmont for back country camps. It was approved at the Annual Meeting and they arrived in two weeks. Scout leaders reported they could not get the NAUMS Philmont Bible (which has the Philmont emblem) even when they requested them. I met with the CampDirector and the problem was resolved and I was permitted to give them out.
The BSA Northern Tier High Adventure Base contacted us and requested NAUMS help to print Trail Worship Guide. We recommend a separate fundraiser be conducted.
PRAY Report
Bill Beach
I spoke with Mark and Deb Hazelwood this week, as I do quarterly, to discuss any updates they may have or concerns for me to share.
Mark’s biggest concern remains the fact that in 2014 the fewest number of Scouting Religious Awards were earned since 1988, that’s 27 years. The total earned was down 16.5% from the prior year. This includes the God and Me, God and Family, God and Church, God and Life and the Four Star Recipients..
For those of us still actively involved in our local Boy Scout council, we need to do a better job at promoting the Religious Emblem Coordinator positions, which is now a recognized position at the Council, District and unit levels.
Since the Board Meeting in April, I have reached out to the following people who marked “God and Country Committee” on their membership application, about serving on the PRAY Committee:
Jeffrey Myers, Richard Ware, Thomas Mendenhall, Caroline Rudisill – have not heard back from any of them
Richard Grosshans – replied that he was 82 and had health problems
David Willis noted “I am currently the Unit REC for our Pack as well as the District REC. I have already made an initial presentation at our District RT this month and, once we get started again (right after Labor Day) I will do the same for our Unit. I am always looking for more and better ways to present and encourage folks to participate in the program. I am also the Scouting Ministries Coordinator for our church and organize a yearly PRAY program. I also recently have started talking with a pastor at another church to offer the program there as well.
Membership and Database Report
Stan Craig
The Database is down from 3500 in 2013 to 2275 in 2014 due to address changes and deaths. Email address changes aren’t being sent in and currently we have more than 50 invalid email addresses.
Members from Oklahoma and Kansas complained that over the last ten years they have contacted Nashville about NAUMS and dues cards and received no response. My committee does not have access to membership cards and has had no response from the folks who have them so we are unable to send any out.
A Newsletter has not been sent out to members in the past year since our attorney wishes to review and approve them first.