Directors and Officers absent included Eric Mozer, Rand Baldwin and Chip Bearden.

Transcription

1 SSA Board of Directors Meeting February 9 and 10, 2002 Ontario, CA 02/17/02 DRAFT: Not yet reviewed and accepted by Directors. Chairman Tim Welles called the meeting to order. Directors and Officers present were Chairman Tim Welles, Hannes Linke, Ray Gimmey, Dianne Black-Nixon, Charlie Spratt, Treasurer Doug Jacobs, Honorary Vice Chairmen Sterling Starr and Bernald Smith, Ray Johnson, Dean Carswell, Billy Singleton, John Sharpe, John Murray, Jack Wyman, Vice Chairman Steve Northcraft, Steve Wasilowski, Vice Chairman Dick Mockler, Bob Fletcher, Secretary Bill Sproull, Aland Adams, Bob Ball, Vice Chairman Jim Payne, Chip Garner, Vice Chairman Jim Short, Bob Nady and Karol Hines. SSA President Larry Sanderson was also present. Directors and Officers absent included Eric Mozer, Rand Baldwin and Chip Bearden. Welles opened the meeting by introducing and welcoming the new directors: Jack Wyman, Dianne Black-Nixon, Ray Gimmey and Steve Wasilowski. He then informed the Board that Region 2 Director Chip Bearden has tendered his resignation from the Board citing time conflicts that make continued service impossible at present. Consent Agenda Welles asked if directors would like to remove any items from the Consent Agenda for further consideration. Hearing no requests Welles asked for a motion. Mockler moved that the Board accept the items on the Consent Agenda. The motion was seconded by Nady and passed unanimously. Items on the Consent Agenda were: Approval of the Minutes from the Denver Board meeting. Acceptance of the Minutes from the Dallas Executive Committee meeting. Acceptance of the Report of the Executive Committee Conference Call. Designation of the Chair and four Vice Chairs to serve as the Executive Committee until the next regular meeting of the Board. Appointment of Eric Mozer to serve as a Trustee of the SSA Foundation for a threeyear term beginning March 1, 2002 and ending February 2005.

2 Appointment of John Seaborn as a Trustee of the SSA Foundation for a three year term beginning March 1, 2002 and ending February Chairman s Report Welles Welles said that he had remarks to add to his report. He reminded directors that at Indianapolis in February 2001, the Board agreed that it is important for directors to better communicate activity within their region, and to submit written reports on activities in their regions at each Winter Board Meeting. He noted that he was disappointed that only slightly more than half the directors participated in this process. Welles also expressed his view that Director responsibility for communication is two-way. That is, directors have an obligation to communicate not only information and issues from their constituents to the Board, but also to communicate to their constituents information concerning SSA activities and positions. Adams said that it would be helpful if SSA added a section to the website allowing easy communications from directors to their constituents. Also, he said, it would be good to include a description of how SSA operates so that members can have a better understanding of the organization. Welles said that action is required to amend the by-laws allowing creation of the new membership categories approved by the Board in December He said that the approval of the new membership and dues structure also requires a formal amendment of the by-laws. Short moved that the by-laws be amended as proposed (copy attached). The motion was seconded by Spratt. Welles asked for discussion of the motion as well as any comments concerning the Board action in December. Singleton said that he had discussed the new dues levels and membership structure with the State Governors in his region and that he believes the new structure will require significant explanation in order to gain acceptance. Wyman spoke against the increase because of possible loss of membership that would result. Jacobs said that he agrees with Singleton but that the key points are for members to understand that the SSA suffers from a continual pressure of inflation on costs and that the need for the additional financial support is critical if the organization is to accomplish its goals. Hines said that it is important to develop a strong plan for communicating the new membership and dues structure. She said that it will be valuable for all directors to understand and communicate the key points of the new plan.

3 Ball asked what the expected dues level is for Chapter members so that the Chapter will not lose its affiliation status. After discussion the directors agreed that the goal is to promote full participation, membership plus magazine for $75, by all members but that the default level for members will be the Full Member level at $50 per year. Short amended his original motion to create an effective date of implementation for the new membership and dues structure to be determined by the Executive Committee. The amendment was accepted as a friendly amendment thus not requiring a separate vote. After further discussion Hines called the question. The motion to call the question passed unanimously. Directors then voted on the amended motion to change the by-laws. The vote was 21 aye, 1 nay and no abstentions. The motion passed. Soaring Safety Foundation Singleton Singleton gave a report of SSF activity. He said that the distance learning programs are receiving good support and that participation is increasing. He said that the SSF continues to work on development of transition training programs. Treasurer s Report Jacobs Jacobs reported that the loan from the Life Trust funds to the operating funds has been documented with appropriate interest rates noted. He said that the opening value of the loan was approximately $162,000 and that it has been paid down to approximately $134,000 over the past three months. Jacobs said that another area of his concern has been the development of strong accountability for U.S. Team operations. He said that he and Nancy Graham have been working on new reporting formats and that initial 2001 reports have been included in the briefing material for all directors. Gimmey noted that the housing expense for the Mafikeng event appeared to be incorrect. Jacobs acknowledged that some of the items are still estimates pending final submission of reports. He said that he had just been advised that the US Air Force will cover housing expenses for the cadets who supported the team. Jacobs and Black-Nixon noted that the projected team deficit will be eliminated by receipt of a significant team contribution. Jacobs said that the details of the contribution will be announced Saturday at the Awards banquet. In closing his report Jacobs noted the ongoing need for understanding the distinctions between operating funds and endowed funds. He said that confusion between these types of funds has led to misunderstanding on the part of directors and members when reviewing SSA finances. Jacobs reminded directors that the SSA functions with both types of funds.

4 Trustees report Starr Starr reminded directors that Brian Utley had resigned as a Trustee of the Foundation. He said that Trustee s held a meeting the previous Thursday and that Bill Sproull has been elected as Chairman of the Foundation. Starr reported that the Foundation is underway with planning for a major capital development campaign and that the major thrust of the campaign will be planned giving. He said that details of the campaign will be forthcoming in the next few weeks and months. President s Report Sanderson Convention activity - Sanderson reported first on the current convention activity. He said that approximately 640 members pre-registered for the event and that as of Friday there had been significant additional registration in the form of Day Passes and Exhibit Hall passes. He said that the current estimate stood at 1,300+ registrations through Friday. He said that the current count for the Awards Banquet was 320 and that 11 sponsors had purchased tables for the event. Murray specifically commented as an exhibitor that the event was well managed and that the process of moving into the Exhibit Hall was notably easier than in past years. Government activity Sanderson then commented on the need for SSA to increase reporting of governmental affairs activity to members. He said that the membership survey shows government work to be the most important priority for members. Sanderson said that SSA has a strong record in this area but that the organization has not done a good job of reporting these activities to members. He said that the staff will be increasing the reporting of government affairs information to members during the coming weeks. Administrative Sanderson reported that the staff is close to adding a new fulltime person who will be responsible for financial management and general administration. He noted that the top candidate is a degreed individual with a strong background in accounting and that he is a pilot. Sanderson said that he believes Jim Kashner has done an excellent job as development director during the recent annual giving campaign. Sanderson said that he would complete the white paper on the computer transition and distribute it to the directors following the convention. He then reported on the results of the first annual giving campaign. Sanderson noted that the original goal was for $75,000 and that this was expected to be a very high goal. He reported that

5 the current results stood at $118,000. Sanderson said that this larger than expected cash flow has helped to create the funds to pay down the loan from the Life Trust fund. He said that portions of the funds had been designated for special use such as the U.S. Team and safety. These funds, he said, have or will be transferred to the appropriate operations. Welles then recessed the meeting so that directors could attend the Plenary Session of the Convention presented by FAA Associate Administrator Steve Brown. The meeting reconvened after a ninety minute break. Strategic Planning Starr Starr reported to the directors that the SSA appears to do a very good job of planning but that the organization has overloaded itself with programs causing problems with implementation. He reviewed the basic priorities of the members as identified in the membership survey. Then he asked directors to review current programs with the understanding that the SSA lacks sufficient resources to get everything done. He asked that directors participate in an exercise to eliminate, prioritize and focus Starr had the directors break into four groups for the purpose of discussing the current program list. He asked that each group identify 5 must do programs, 5 programs to eliminate. Following are the five programs identified as the most important to accomplish: 1. Working with the government (advocacy) 2. Communicating with membership 3. Attracting new people to the sport 4. Conducting an aggressive fund raising campaign 5. Creating on-line programs Following are four programs identified as candidates for removal from the program list: 1. Conducting town meetings 2. Taking over accident investigation from the NTSB 3. Implementing cooperative partnerships 4. Support AD/SB programs of the FAA

6 Starr thanked the directors for their participation and said that the results of the discussions will be used in developing the planning proposals given to the Executive Committee in June. Welles then asked Sanderson to continue with the President s Report. Sanderson then discussed the administrative issues associated with the new membership and dues structure. He identified several issues such as: The need to evaluate any downstream ramifications of the new model. Questions concerning the structure of new member and renewing member rebates for chapters and business members. Discussion with Mike Culver concerning the database and how it will be utilized in the new members-only electronic services. The best way to communicate and promote the changes to the membership. The need to re-do all printed communications. Need for directors to visit chapters and sites to discuss the new changes. Jacobs reported that several directors had met during the break to discuss key points concerning the new dues and membership structure. He said that these points are important to communicating the positive need for the increases: Seven years since the last increase with inflation running an average of 2.4% per year. The website activity alone is worth an increase in membership fees. The new computer system will pay for itself. The finances are needed for a stronger SSA. Current finances do not allow for creation of new programs key to the future. The increase is the cost of one tow per year. The new structure offers less active members a variety of membership categories that may better fit their needs. Vice Chair Government Short

7 Short said that he had little to add to the material already presented in the briefing book. He did note that Mike Henry, Sue Gardner and Scott Sedgewick from the FAA were in the audience. He introduced Henry and asked him to say a few words to the Board. Mike Henry thanked the Board for offering him an opportunity to address the directors. He said that FAA works well with SSA and that the work of the SSA is of paramount importance in protecting the flight privileges of soaring pilots. Henry said that the new security concerns make even closer cooperation and communication very important. Henry commented on the high level of direct communication, virtually daily, between FAA and SSA during the days following the September 11th attacks. He specifically commented that SSA handled these communications very well and that the early return of gliding to the skies was due to the close relationship between SSA and FAA managers. Henry did comment that FAA is still considering ways in which key service functions can be delegated to private organizations for management. He said that he plans to work closely with SSA in the process of evaluating Vice Chair Member Services Payne Contest Committee Sorenson Sorenson discussed the proposed changes to the contest rules. Payne moved for acceptance of the proposed changes with the exception of the proposed $10 contribution to the U.S. Team and $10 to the Robertson fund. The motion was seconded by Mockler. Sorenson noted that two minor changes have to be made to the proposals. One concerns establishment of a 500-foot finish height requirement in Sports Class contests and the other involves a change to make the rules consistent with the Byars Scoring Program for turnpoint recognition. He assured directors that the changes are minor and asked that the motion recognize the authority to make these changes without returning to the Board. (Change #1: change the penalty for going below the 500-foot minimum. Change #2: Eliminate the change to use the most favorable fix at a turnpoint because of the difficulty of reprogramming the Byars Scoring Program) Payne moved to amend the motion to permit these changes. The motion to amend was seconded. As it was considered a friendly amendment without objection there was no requirement for a separate vote on the amendment. The amended motion to accept the rules changes passed unanimously. After discussion concerning the proposal to require donations from pilots for the U.S. team and the Robertson fund, Spratt moved to include a box on the pilot entry forms soliciting voluntary donations for the two funds. The motion was seconded by Singleton. The motion passed unanimously. Sorenson reported to the directors that he has formed a special task force for the purpose of evaluating U.S. Team activities, policies and operations. He also told directors that Doug Jacobs has accepted the job of chairing the U.S. Team sub-committee and will act as treasurer for the team activities.

8 Sorenson then asked for board approval of the proposal to remove the restriction that pilots with ranking of 86 or higher cannot win Sports Class regional events. Mockler moved that the board approve removal of the restriction. The motion was seconded by Spratt and passed unanimously. Sorenson then asked that the directors amend the restrictions on Club Class Team participation. He noted that the current restriction prohibits former U.S. team members from participating as Club Class competitors with the exception of Junior and Feminine world competitions. Sorenson asked that the Junior and Feminine exception be expanded to include pilots who have flown in the World Class and Club Class Championships. Mockler moved that the board amend the exception as set forth by Sorenson in his written documents dated February 1, 2002 (copy attached). The motion was seconded by Garner. Payne asked if the change is immediate or for a later cycle. Sorenson said that the Contest Committee believes that the change should be effective immediately. After further discussion the motion passed by a vote of 21 aye, 1 nay and no abstentions. Sorenson then asked the directors to determine the number of pilots to represent the U.S. at the Club Class Championships set for Germany in Mockler moved to accept the proposal to send 2 pilots. The motion was seconded by Nady. Jacobs said that he believes that it is too early to make such decisions. Payne said that he felt such decisions had to be made in light of available resources. After further discussion Mockler withdrew his motion in favor of future action by the Executive Committee. Welles then introduced David Roberts, Chairman of the British Gliding Association. Roberts thanked Welles for the opportunity to address the directors. He said that the BGA faces many issues similar to those confronted by the SSA. Roberts said that an important part of BGA activity is supporting local clubs in their marketing efforts. He noted that only the local clubs can do an effective job of selling their services and that the best role of the national group is to be a guiding and counseling force. The meeting recessed. Sunday, February 10, 2002 The meeting was called to order by Welles. Directors and Officers present at the meeting were Chairman Tim Welles, Hannes Linke, Karol Hines, Ray Gimmey, Dianne Black-Nixon, Charlie Spratt, Treasurer Doug Jacobs, Honorary Vice Chairman Bernald Smith, Ray Johnson, Dean Carswell, John Sharp, John Murray, Jack Wyman, Vice Chairman Steve Northcraft, Vice Chairman Dick Mockler, Bob Fletcher, Aland Adams, Bob Ball, Vice Chairman Jim Payne, Chip Garner and Bob Nady. SSA President Larry Sanderson was also present.

9 Directors and Officers absent included: Eric Mozer, Rand Baldwin, Chip Bearden, Secretary Bill Spoull, Vice Chairman Jim Short, Steve Wasilowski and Billy Singleton.and Honorary Vice Chair Sterling Starr Vice Chair Growth and Technical Northcraft Youth sub-committee Campbell Campbell requested $1,000 from Eagle Youth funds to support 2002 activities ($400 for contest grants, $300 for NCASE and $300 for CAP participation, approximate amounts). Payne moved that the directors approve the request for funds. The motion was seconded by Northcraft and passed unanimously. Vice Chair Communications Mockler Mockler called attention to the report from John Good. He said that he had not received a report from Baldwin concerning electronic communications. Other action items: Region 2 Vacancy Welles said that the directors had several options concerning the vacancy created by Bearden s resignation. He asked Sanderson to outline the options. Sanderson said that the Board could fill the seat by appointment, hold a special election for the balance of the term or shift the actual term. Payne moved that the Region 2 vacancy be filled by an election to be held in conjunction with the annual election process this summer. The winner of the election will fill the balance of Bearden s current term beginning with the meeting in September The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Fall Board Meeting Welles said that the recommendation is for Saturday, September 14, 2002 in Boston. Spratt moved to accept the date and location for the meeting as proposed. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Welles introduced Ray Bean, Director of Cadet Programs for the Civil Air Patrol. Bean thanked Welles and offered some remarks concerning the status of the SSA/CAP partnership. He said that SSA s support has been instrumental in expansion of the Cadet glider program. He said that CAP is projecting 10,000 glide sorties in He reported that between 7-8,000 cadets have significant soaring experience as a direct result of the partnership.

10 Welles then introduced FAA Associate Administrator Steve Brown. Brown thanked Welles for the introduction and opportunity to address the directors. Brown said that from his perspective in Washington, SSA has three key assets in representing the interests of SSA members. Specifically, SSA has the ability to focus on limited issues related to gliding. By focusing on gliding issues the SSA does not have to expend excess resources on issues distant to the real activity of gliding. In Washington, Brown said, there is a current perspective that large, coordinated lobby activities are not as valuable and real as grassroots efforts. By operating outside of Washington SSA benefits as being seen as a good organization and, at the same time, saves literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs. Brown noted that SSA staff, Sanderson in particular, is very strong at managing SSA s strategic political priorities. Sanderson, Brown said, is able to help focus SSA s efforts on what is important thus further reducing the cost of doing business in Washington. Brown said that SSA s efforts to restore gliding privileges since September 11th have been invaluable He said that he hopes SSA members understand and value the conservative approach taken by SSA to these matters and the strategic efforts that have resulted in early, positive support for gliding from the government security agencies. Welles thanked Brown for his attendance at the convention and for taking time to meet with the directors. Spratt moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.