Meeting Minutes
BITS 2015 Annual Business Meeting Minutes
Minutes OF the Teleconference Call Held 06/24/15.
1. Greeting; introduction of members and guests; quorum check
The meeting was called to order by John McCann at approximately 08:04 PM EDT.
Board Members Present:
President: John McCann, (second term)
Vice president: Andrea Pitsenbarger, (second term)
Secretary: Tom Jones, (final term)
Treasurer: Richard Villa, (second term)
Board member (2015): Amanda Lee (first term)
Board Member (2016): Steve Holmes (final term)
Board member (2017): Earlene Hughes, (first term)
Members present:
Bruce Alexander
Cathy Brandt
Ray Campbell
Karyn Campbell
Michael Capelle
Tim Cumings
James Denham
Betsy Doane
Christopher Judd
Martin Kuhn
Erin Lacharity
Ann Parsons
Rob Rogers
David Tanner
Larry Turnbull
Renee Zelickson
2. Tom Jones made a motion to Adopt the proposed agenda as distributed, seconded by Jim Denham, and the motion carried.
3. Betsey Doane moved to adopt the 2014 annual meeting minutes as distributed, seconded by Andrea Pitsenbarger, and the motion passed.
4. As for the Treasurer’s report, Richard indicated that, as of 06/01/15, the beginning checking account balance was $4,671.21, with a deposit of a $20.00 previously-received check, and with $0.00 expenses, the ending checking account balance, as of 06/24/15, is $4,691.21. The current PayPal balance is $162.36. Our current savings account balance is $549.32, along with our $10,000.00 CD. This leaves a total in all accounts of $15,403.09. John stated that this report is necessarily informational at this point as we had not reached the end of the month. Likewise, no comprehensive final 2014-15 fiscal year report can be presented to the membership at this meeting since the fiscal year ends on June 30th. A final report will be distributed to the membership after that date. Ray Campbell moved to accept the report, seconded by Amanda lee, and the motion carried.
5. President’s report: John began by stating that he was honored to have been able to serve the organization as president for the last 2 years. He indicated that there was a strong likelihood that BITS would receive the percentage growth award at the upcoming ACB national convention, a goal he specifically set as a “called shot” in last year’s president’s report. He advised members to “stay tuned” for the very possible announcement of this accomplishment at the beginning session of the 2015 convention. He said that, but for the board’s giving him the latitude for taking primary responsibility for membership recruitment and their rendering needed information and assistance when requested, this accomplishment would most likely not have been possible. He said that his agenda for this coming year is to make sure that BITS members, particularly new members, feel they are getting value for their membership dues. He also acknowledged our continuing efforts to provide informative and compelling program content at our annual conventions, noting that we are holding two combined programs sessions this year, one with Friends in Art, and one with ACB Radio Amateurs. He also reviewed the topics of the other scheduled program sessions.
In continuing his report, John stated that the Kellie Cannon scholarship was withdrawn from the person initially selected to receive it, and that it was consequently awarded to Hunter S. Jozwiak. John said he had sent an email, copied to the board, to Mr. Jozwiak granting him a 1-year free BITS membership together with waiver of all fees for BITS functions at the national convention as per our usual practice. As no response to this email has yet been received, John stated he would reach out to him again to ascertain his intentions respecting our offer.
John then announced his intent to serve as the BITS official delegate at convention, with Richard Villa as alternate delegate, and Andrea Pitsenbarger as the BITS rep at the nominating committee on Monday night.
He then indicated, at long last, he has about completed his migration to Arizona, now being retired, and plans to be in his new home by late July or early August, resulting in more flexibility in scheduling meetings and other BITS activities. He then informed the membership, per his May 28th announcement on the ACB leadership list, that he would be seeking the position of ACB second vice president as the incumbent, Marlaina Lieberg, has declined to seek re-election to that office due to health reasons. He assured the BITS membership that, given his retirement, he would have the time and ability to effectively carry out his responsibilities as BITS president should he be re-elected.
He then talked about the BITS walk team, called “Every little bit helps”, which he created at the end of May. The link for our walk team will soon be put up on the “donor pages” section of ACB’s website. The funding split will be seventy-five % to ACB and twenty-five percent to BITS.
John’s “called shots” or goals for the following year are as follows:
(1) to present, with the assistance of the appointed constitution and bylaws committee, a new, less prescriptive set of bylaws to the membership for adoption at the 2016 annual meeting;
(2) to increase the quality and quantity of our website content, particularly that which is available on the “members only” area of the site, and;
(3) to conduct a thorough review and clean-up of the BITS membership roster as it currently exists on ACB’s “Affiliate Membership Management System”, (AMMS). This will include the addition of three new “affiliate specific” data fields: membership expiration date, member’s payment method, and member’s payment date. This will enable us to more effectively track our certification to assure its accuracy.
In concluding his president’s report, John again expressed his pleasure in having been able to serve the BITS organization for the past two years, and, should he be re-elected, he pledged to continue putting forth his best efforts in service to BITS>
6. Under committee reports, Andrea Pitsenbarger, chair of the program committee, told us about the BITS luncheon, with the meal consisting of chicken breast, a couple of sides and key lime pie for dessert. She reminded us about our luncheon speaker, Paul Schroeder, and the door prize, a new Apple TV, available only to those having purchased the BITS package and then actually being in attendance at the BITS luncheon.
7. Under old Business, Jim Denham inquired about the possibility of creating links to “user forums” on specific topics in the “members only” area of our website, the content of these forums being provided from email exchanges on our BITS discussion list. This might aid in the development of a searchable knowledge database which would allow for members to find solutions to problems other members have already confronted. Steve indicated that there is a “forum module” available in drupal and that it would hence be possible to implement this suggestion.
8. Regarding new Business, Tim Cumings wondered about the BITS and ACB position on Freedom Scientific’s significant reduction in the price of JAWS and MAGIC software offered exclusively to another blindness consumer organization. John, also a national board member, simply stated that the concept would receive significant scrutiny during the national pre-convention board meeting.
9. Elections
John then turned the floor over to Renee Zelickson, chair of the BITS nominating committee, to present the nominating committee report. She informed us of the slate of candidates as follows:
President, John McCann
Vice-president, Andrea Pitsenbarger
Secretary, Tom Jones
Treasurer, Richard Villa
Directorship position, incumbent, Amanda Lee.
Elections for the various position proceeded in the order stated above. As John was a candidate, he temporarily turned the conducting of the election over to vice president, Andrea Pitsenbarger. After three successive calls for additional nominations, A properly entertained motion was made and seconded that nominations be closed and that John McCann be elected as president by acclamation. Andrea then relinquished the chair to the president, John McCann to conduct the remaining elections. The incumbents in the remaining three officer positions were also elected by acclamation in the same manner as described above.
At the call for additional nominations for the directorship position with term ending in 2018, Renee Zelickson was nominated from the floor and she accepted this nomination. A motion was then made and seconded that nominations be closed, which motion passed. The two candidates were then offered the opportunity to make brief statements in support of their candidacies. As contemplated, this contest for the directorship position resulted in the need for an online election.
After John explained the procedure to be followed to participate in the online election, Andrea Pitsenbarger moved, seconded by David Tanner, that the polls be closed at 12:00 AM., EDT., on June 30, 2015, and that the annual meeting be adjourned until Wednesday, July 1, 2015, at 8:00 PM EDT ; the sole purpose of the adjourned meeting being to announce the results of the online election.
Pursuant to the motion made at the conclusion of the June 24th portion of the annual meeting, the adjourned meeting was called to order on Wednesday, July 1, 2015, at approximately 8:00 PM EDT. The results of the online election were then announced as follows:
Amanda Lee: twenty-two (22) votes
Renee Zelickson: eleven (11) votes
Abstentions: one (1) abstention
Congratulations were extended to Amanda Lee who will continue serving as a director until June of 2018.
10. There being no further business to come before the annual meeting, pursuant to motion made by Earlene Hughes, seconded by Bruce Alexander, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 08:02 PM., EDT.
Tom Jones: Secretary
Submitted: 06/14/2016
Approved: 06/22/2016