The National

Board of Directors meeting July 16, 2006

All directors were present

The following advisors were present:

Dick Wilson, Jan Hedge, Alan Schurman, Gus Peterson

One guest, past President Cliff Northcote

 Larry thanked everyone for being here and helping on the board.

 EDGE&TA Pamphlets and History Books

Ruth talked about the pamphlets EDGE&TA has had in the past for advertising EDGE&TA to pass out at shows.  She said they could pretty much stay the same, just a few minor changes.  We should leave off the date. 

She also talked about the EDGE&TA history books

There wouldn’t need to be many additions made to that either.

Larry asked if everyone was in agreement that Ruth pursues these two items.

The board agreed

Ruth asked if EDGE&TA wanted to charge the branches for the books.  They had been charged for some in the past, but we did not charge for the last ones that were printed.  Ruth sent a minimum amount to each branch and had the branches ask for more if they wanted them at no cost.

Larry said we should keep it as a give away, up to a point.

Larry asked for any further discussion, there was none.

Ruth will pursue this and get back to the directors.

National Buttons

Ruth asked about branches selling the National Buttons. She had been told of a branch selling them for $1.00 ea and didn’t think branches should charge anyone.  These buttons are purchased for the branches to give to their members.  The board agreed.

D&O Insurance

Larry said the payoff was one million dollars. Broken down to different amounts for different occurrences.

Dick Wilson questioned if all the branches were going to be notified about the D&O.  Ruth said she sent a letter from Larry to all branch email contacts that she had in her address book.

Dorene said we should let them know what the cost is from their money, per branch.

Larry said it was approximately $1.58 per branch.  Larry said that comes out of the Insurance slush fund.

Larry said we also have an employment practice liability on it which covers the secretary/treasurer.  She is covered under all of it.  Then there is a crime policy under it so if something gets stolen.

Dorene said Ruth should have all itemized copies on file.

Dick Tombrink asked if we wanted to talk about the premium for next year.  Larry agreed.

Dick produced an excel spread sheet for all to look at explaining the breakdown of what we have taken in and what we have paid out since 2003. 

Our premium for each member has been $6.00 based on 9400 members which is what we had last year, so that should give us a surplus this year of around 8500.00.  So the surplus we have is around $16-17,000.00.  This is the surplus we can draw on.  This is the justification we have for reducing the premium. If we assume that our total insurance payment will be about the same, it figures out to about $4.50 to $5.00 per member, and we would cut into our surplus about $8,000.00.  We would reduce the surplus by about $8,000.00.  The question is, what do we want to do as far as the premium for the branches.  Dorene suggested $5.00 instead of the $4.50 because it is easier for the treasurers.  This will still reduce the surplus, and then we will do it again the following year unless the premiums go up. Dick Wilson asked what a good surplus figure would be. Dick Tombrink said we told the branches when we have a surplus we would apply that to the next year’s premium.  We want to keep this surplus figure down to a reasonable number probably $16,000.00.  Dick Tombrink said we let this go to long.  We should have done something last year.  Dorene said we look at it again next year, maybe reduce it again. 

Dorene Yearian made a motion that we change the premium to $5.00 per member.

Howard Hodson second

All in favor.  Motion passed

Web site contract

The directors already voted to have Sally Walker do our web pages.  Larry will sign the contract and send it to Sally.

Sally already has been working on the site.  We now have to get all the updates to her.

Larry worked on the safety section.  He will send this to her. 

He is sending her a fly sheet so the branches can click on individual items, like barrel ride, parade, tractor drive etc and see what they have to do. 

Dorene suggested that whatever the directors are working on should also go to Ruth so it can get put on file before it goes to the web pages.

Larry said the way it is set up now, everything goes to the president and the secretary and then to the webmaster.  For a while it should not go from the branches to the webmaster, it should be funneled through Ruth.

George Christmas said that the branches should be made aware of what is going on.  Putting up a notice on our web pages.

Ruth said she does not foresee a lot of the problems that have happened in the past happening now.  Branches made requests in the past and on some occasions submitted the same requests several times. Sally said there will be a faster turn around on everything.  Ruth said she thinks we are going to see a big change on a lot of this.

Dick Tombrink said that branches should be sending their events etc to Ruth, not directly to Sally. 

Dorene asked if we, want it to go to Ruth and then to Sally?

Ruth said that’s fine.  Ruth said she will get an email out to the branches to submit their events for the rest of the year to her.  Specify what we want from them.  Perhaps a format of some kind.  Howard said that Sally indicated to him that she would like to have a form that the branches fill out for their events.  So they will all have the same format.

Sally has the capability of changing most things that come to her into the format she wants to use on the web pages.

Newsletter

Larry reminded everyone that hadn’t already sent their article to Ruth to send her one so she could get the newsletter out.

Key Tags and Pens

All of the directors indicated that they only have a few left.  Dorene said she needed some for her Regional show.  We will order more for next year.

Dorene said the last 2 Regional shows that she attended, the branches scheduled the business meeting when everyone was gone.  The regional meetings should be to reach as many branches as you can that couldn’t attend the National Meeting.  Dorene said she thought that when the directors talk to their branches that they don’t care when they schedule the meeting, but that they schedule it when we can catch the most branches attending.  Ruth stated that the director’s job descriptions state that the directors should schedule the meeting with the branches.  One day shows are hard.

ELECTION

President:  Larry Voris said he would take it again if no one else would.

Howard made a motion that Larry takes the position of president

Dick Tombrink second.

All approved.  Motion carried.

Vice President:  Dorene Yearian said she would take it again if no one else would

Howard made a motion that Dorene continue in her position.

Don second

All approved. Motion carried.

Secretary/Treasurer:  Ruth Warnock said she would continue

Dorene made a motion that we nominate Ruth for secretary/treasurer

George Christmas second.

Ruth then went through the new flow chart:

NW Advisors

Alan Schurman

Gus Peterson

Jan Hedge

SW Advisor

Dick Wilson

NC Advisor

Darrell Carter

SE Advisor

Tim Wade

Advisor to the Director @ Large

Curtis Cook

Ruth will send the flow chart to all.

Committees

Steam:

Tim Wade, (Chairman)

Dick Tombrink

George Christmas

Darrell Carter

Alan Schurman

Safety Committee/Accident Review                                                                                           

Don Young, (Chairman)                                                                                                          

Wayne Timchuk                                                                                                                      

Dorene Yearian                                                                                                                      

Howard Hodson

Insurance Committee                                                                                                               

Dick Tombrink, (Chairman)                                                                                                       

Curtis Cook                                                                                                                                

Larry Voris

Hall of Fame                                                                                                                         

Howard Hodson

Webpage Committee                                                                                                                

Larry Voris                                                                                                                                  

Ruth Warnock                                                                                                                               

Jan Hedge 

Insurance                                                                                                                                    

Ruth asked for clarification on who to notify with Insurance questions.                                             

Dick indicated that the insurance company (Alane Young) should answer all of these questions. Dick should be copied on all.  If it is a question with the form, Dick will answer those questions.                 

This information will be put on line.

Larry said we should look at the Question and Answers document that is on the website and see if we need to update it.  Dick said that the insurance company needs to have input to that.  Dick said that Charlie Yeagan went through them the last time with us.

Dorene stated the following:  Dick will look at the questions/answers, update them and then forward to Alane, then when it comes back we will post it on our web pages.  All agreed.

Hall of Fame:                                                                                                                        

Howard Hodson will continue as chairman.

Show coordinator                                                                                                                       

Gus Peterson

News Articles                                                                                                                           

 Larry Voris                                                                                                                             

Howard suggested that each director send Larry an idea/topic.

National Newsletter Editor                                                                                                                                                                   

Ruth Warnock                                                                                                                         

Howard said he and George would like to remind everyone the articles are due to the editor by the 15^th of the month.  Ruth asked if we still wanted to keep back issues on the web pages. Howard said he has had requests for past newsletters and he tells them to go to the web pages.  Howard suggested we leave one previous year on there as well as the current year.

Dick Tombrink said this brings up another thing.  We need to monitor the costs from Sally, just to kind of get a feel for where we are, make sure we don’t get ourselves in a bind.  Ruth suggested to Dick that it was a good job for him.  Dick said he would have his Advisor do it.  (Jan Hedge).  Dorene said she could send reports on how much we have spent. Larry said Ruth will get the bills and will know. Jan said she is pretty open about it.  Dick said he knows, and he doesn’t anticipate a problem but it is something we don’t want to overlook.  Larry said we’ll just kind of look at those costs every 2 months.  Ruth said once Sally gets caught up it there shouldn’t be any problem.  Dick said we want to make sure we don’t ask her to do something that is going to cost us a lot of money.  Dorene said we have to be sure, do we really need it.

Meeting adjourned.              

Respectfully submitted,

Ruth A. Warnock, Secretary