Council Meeting Minutes
African American Alumni Council Meeting
VCU Alumni Activities Conference Room
Saturday, June 3, 2006
* Minutes are posted after approval during next scheduled meeting. September
2006 minutes will be posted after approval during the October 2006 meeting.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mary Francis, Larry Powell, Miatta Sinayako, Joseph Tyner, Frank Wallace
I. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 10:25 a.m.
II. WELCOME
Mr. Wallace welcomed everyone and asked each participant to introduce themselves.
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made to approve the April 1, 2006 minutes. Moved, Seconded, Carried.
IV. PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Mr. Wallace thanked all of the officers and volunteers for their help during his term as president. He was thanked Ms. Sinayako for serving as the liaison between the alumni and the Black Caucus. Mr. Wallace acknowledged the success of Reunion Weekend and the positive feedback received thus far. He also mentioned that he thought the summit was very good and he thanked Dr. McCreary, Dr. Moore, and all others who participated. One area for improvement is to increase the Friday night event attendance.
V. Committee Reports
Budget
Mr. Powell presented the budget to the members and commented on a several minor items. Even though reunion expenses exceeded revenue this year, overall the AAAC is in good shape financially. Mr. Powell stated that attendance usually drops during the years when a Greek organization's anniversary is not celebrated. A representative of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. inquired about celebrating their anniversary during the 2007 reunion.
Professional Development
Mr. Powell discussed mentoring opportunities for the AAAC and reported that the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) is planning to develop a mentoring program. OMSA intentions were to begin its mentoring program last year however circumstances prevented that from happening. The AAAC sent a substantial sum of money mailing correspondence to alumni to help promote the mentoring program and solicit volunteers. Mr. Powell suggested that the AAAC disseminate the information by email this summer.
Scholarships
Mr. Powell reported that Brandes Ashe and Johnathan Brown were selected to receive the AAAC's Executive Scholarship. Each student will receive $1,000 to be applied to their 2006-07 tuition. He also reported that the AAAC raised $675 for their scholarships program during the reunion weekend golf outing.
Bylaws
Mr. Wallace explained that the AAAC members were sent a copy of a proposed bylaws amendment and were asked to submit their votes online. Members present at the meeting were also asked to vote on the following amendment: No officer shall serve consecutive terms in the same office when suitable and eligible nominees have been identified. However, in the absence of suitable and eligible nominees, retiring officers shall be eligible for re-election. Any officer who serves half a term or less may be re-elected to the same office.
All members present and those who voted online (14 votes received) voted in favor of the bylaws amendment. As a result, a motion was made ratify the above amendment to the bylaws. Moved. Seconded. Carried.
Nominations
Elections were held for the following officer positions: president, treasurer, secretary, and parliamentarian. The following members were elected:
Frank Wallace - re-elected president
Joseph Tyner - elected treasurer
Mary Francis - re-elected secretary
Rodney Harry - elected parliamentarian
VI. Other Business
Mr. Powell presented a draft of the new website design. The goal is the launch the new website in July 2006. Mr. Powell also reported the Black Awakening Choir contacted him requesting assistance in raising funds for their organization. The choir wanted to solicit African-American alumni to raise money to offset a cut in their funding by the university. Mr. Powell said that he offered to work with the choir to develop a strategic fund raising plan to help ensure positive results as opposed to sending generic correspondence to all African-American alumni asking for contributions. The choir said that they would get back in contact with the AAAC at a later date.
VII. Adjournment
The meeting ended at approximately 12:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Mary Francis and Larry Powell