Minutes of ALHFAM Board Meeting, Fall 2017
(Approved January 17, 2018)
Saint Marie Among the Hurons, Midland, Ontario -- November 3 & 4, 2017
In Attendance: Deb Arenz, Susan Reckseidler, Tom Kelleher, Sarah Bent, Matt Miller, Alisa Crawford, Karen Clancy, Sarah LeCount, Dawn Bondhus Mueller
Not able to attend: Andi Erbskorn. Mike Smola, Susie Marchand
Friday November 3 - President Arenz called the meeting to order at 5:10 PM
She assigned Reckseidler to serve as time keeper and Kelleher to take minutes.
Bent moved to approve the agenda; Bondhus Mueller seconded. Unanimously approved.
Personal updates
Discussed possible sites for fall 2018 board meeting.
Arenz reported on updated Procedural Guidelines.
Martha Katz-Hyman and Katie Boardman joined us by phone for the Communications Committee report, discussing several subjects. In general things are progressing well with some questions and concerns. Discussion ensued. Reckseidler moved to accept the report; Miller seconded. Unanimously approved.
Adjourned for dinner at 6:30; reconvened at 7:50.
Crawford reported on activities of the Awards and Fellowship committee, including plans to cast a wider net for fellowships, and requests for nominations for the Schlebecker Award. Discussion. Millermoved to accept the report; Bent seconded. Unanimously approved.
Crawford reported on plans for the 2018 annual meeting, including budget, room rates, insurance, tours and workshops, enhanced vendor area, and in-kind sponsorships. Arenz showed a prototype conference T-shirt. Discussion. Miller moved to accept the report; Bondhus Mueller seconded. Unanimously approved.
Crawford reported on Future Sites – Possible offer from The Henry Ford or other Midwest sites for 2021. LeCount moved to accept the report; Clancy seconded. Unanimously approved.
Due to Secretary-Treasurer Edward Baker’s recent passing, there was no Treasurer’s report but we did receive a summary of finances, in good order, through 30 September, 2017.
Discussed the tentative contingency plan to fill the office of Secretary-Treasurer proposed at the June Board Meeting. Bent moved that current Past President Kelleher serve as Secretary-Treasurer until newly elected Secretary and Treasurer assume office at the 2018 business meeting; Clancy seconded. Eight votes to approve; none opposed; one abstention.
Miller announced that the audit committee will review financial records before June, 2018.
Bent led a review of the draft budget for 2018, including some revisions. She will revise the draft accordingly and submit it for approval at our next teleconference board meeting.
Adjourned for the evening at 8:45 PM.
Saturday November 4, 2017
Reconvened at 9:03 AM
Miller reported on ASK (ALHFAM Skills & Knowledge base), elaborating on the report submitted by Pete Watson. Discussion. Clancy moved to accept the report, including the funds requested; Crawford seconded. Unanimously approved.
Reckseidler reported the unanimous vote by membership approving the change to our by-laws, and also reported on recent changes to procedural guidelines. Arenz will look into filing the amended by-laws with the state of Maryland, where ALHFAM is incorporated.
Reckseidler reviewed the Nominating Committee report, noting that Dean Hardman resigned from the nominating committee but that the Board had previously approved Ian Beard to serve out the remainder of Hardman’s term to June of 2018. She also has assembled a list of past ALHFAM Board members back to 1994. The candidates for election in 2018 are:
For Board: Danielle Brissette, Jonathan Hallman, Angela Jack, Jim Lauderdale, Lauren Muney
For Secretary: Lauren McCormack
For Treasurer: Deb Rand Friedman
For Nominating Committee: Ryan Beckman, Matt Schofield
Bent moved to accept the report; Le Count seconded. Unanimously approved.
Reckseidler reported on-going proposal to centralize regional treasuries. Discussion ensued. Item #7 under “procedures” will be changed to read: “The annual income will be used each year to fund fellowships to the Annual Conference.” We hope to transfer funds in the first quarter of 2018. The CORN Committee will be encouraged to use funds in the Regional Reserve, with Board approval, in strategic ways, e.g. sponsoring workshops.
Reckseidler presented the CORN (regionals) report, noting that two regions (New England and Southeast) failed to report. Five regions have had or are planning meetings for the current fiscal year and five are currently planning meetings for 2018.The “Welcome” letter composed by the Membership Committee and signed by the board is available as a pdf, and has been well received. Atlantic Canada and Central Canada requested the $250 stipend to help with costs for their next regional meetings. Miller moved to accept the CORN report, including the amended proposal to centralize regional treasuries, and stipends requested by Atlantic Canada and Central Canada regions; Bondhus Mueller seconded. Unanimously approved.
Arenz presented the PIG (Professional interest Groups) report, noting that three groups failed to report. FPI, FARM, and CPR have requested $250 stipends. Discussion ensued, including adding procedures for electing PIG chairs to the Procedural Guidelines; what is the purpose of and expectations for the PIGs? Is there interest in sustain the Military and NERDS groups? (Arenz will investigate that last question further and report back.) Reckseidler moved to accept the report, including the three requested stipends; Crawford seconded. Unanimously approved.
Kelleher reported that he extended the International Fellowship for 2018 to Andrew Lovett, CEO of the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, England, or a designated member of the museum’s staff. He promised an answer by the end of the year. If in the negative, staff members of Beamish or Avoncroft museums will be asked instead.
Arenz gave the COOP report, noting that our recent booth at AASLH, NCPH, MPMA seem well received but we need benchmarks to measure true effectiveness, such as offering coded discounts for new memberships. We should also alert state history associations near our annual conferences.
Bent reported that Mike Smola is revising procedural guidelines for the Membership committee, and that she had sent letters to the list of lapsed members.
We reviewed Heidi Schlag’s Website/Marketing/Membership report. Bent reported we had cleaned up inconsistencies in membership benefits. Kelleher moved to accept the report; sent seconded. Unanimously approved.
Reckseidler relayed Marchand’s report on the state of the Replica Resource list. Clancy noted that it is now searchable. She will have CWF associate members work on updating vendor information. Discussed how to maintain it.
Bondhus Mueller moved that the 2018 Fall Board meeting be November 9 & 10 in the Dearborn, Michigan area (Ideally at the Henry Ford) to coincide with the 40th anniversary meeting of the MOMCC; Crawford seconded. Unanimously approved.
Arenz outlined and reviewed ALHFAM strategic planning from 2011-2016, and then reviewed the Strategic Work Plans she had asked us to prepare. We discussed, revised and prioritized them as follows:
Enhance ALHFAM’s reputation
Migrate content from the old website to the new
Continue to improve the Replica Resource list
Increase membership
Revise the Conference Planning Guides
Celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2020.
We assigned tasks and set benchmarks.
Other business: Crawford questioned how the ALHFAM endowment is invested, viz. what kind of companies and funds are we funding? Kelleher will investigate and report back.
Clancy moved to adjourn at 4:25 PM; Crawford seconded. Unanimously approved.
- Respectfully submitted – Tom Kelleher