APPROVED MACA Board Minutes of May 7, 2000

 

The meeting at the Kennedy Senior Center was called to order by Vice President Harvey Reed at 1:20 p.m.

 

Attendees (alpha list):  Donna Alarie, Stephen Dann, William Gennert, Franklin Herman, George Mirijanian, Harvey Reed and Peter Sherwood.  Mark Kaprielian was also present.

 

At Peter Sherwood’s suggestion the July, 1999 balance sheet that was presented at the April meeting will be included in the minutes and are to be posted on MACA’s Web site.  It was agreed that standard terminology, i.e. “in favor”, “against” and “abstention”, should be used to describe action taken on Board motions.  The minutes for the April meeting have been amended accordingly.  (Member Robert King joined the meeting at 1:30 p.m.).

 

Motion 0063:  (Alarie moved, Herman seconded)  The motion to accept the minutes for the meetings of April 2, 2000, as amended, was approved without dissent. 

 

Treasurer Donna Alarie distributed copies of the MACA balance sheet for October 31, 1999, our stock investment summary and her detailed report on the continuing problems in establishing our financial condition.  This information showed MACA’s total assets at the end of October, 1999, as $51,177.39 and a year-to-date income loss of $1,519.64. 

 

The report showed that there are still discrepancies between the information provided by the previous Treasurer and recorded transactions.  Details for the Living Memorial Chess Fund, the Life account and our stocks and bonds portfolio are also lacking.  MACA has 30 different investments, of which 17 have declined in value. 

 

Therefore it cannot yet be determined whether MACA is showing a profit.  Under the previous Treasurer funds for MACA’s various accounts were commingled.  The investment portfolio needs to be restructured.  Donna said that future tournaments should have an advance prospectus and that all tournament income should be reported to the Treasurer within 7 days after the event.  (Board member Walter Driscoll joined the meeting at 1:50 p.m.). 

 

A policy of reimbursing volunteers for incurred expenses was suggested (Alarie) as an agenda item for consideration by the Bylaws Committee. Another proposed agenda item (Sherwood) was for an Investment Committee of 3-4 members to evaluate future investment choices.

 

In her Tournament Committee report Donna Alarie mentioned a tentative date of August 12 for the Danvers 30-30 tournament.  Larger prizes and higher entry fees are being considered.  The fee schedule for all future tournaments was mentioned as another agenda topic. 

 

Motion 0064: (Alarie moved, Herman seconded, Sherwood amended)  The motion that all tournaments charge $10. for first-time “Scholastic” USCF memberships and $38. for Adult memberships, new and renewal, was approved with 5 in favor (Herman, Sherwood, Driscoll, Alarie, Gennert), 2 against (Mirijanian, Dann) and 1 abstention (Reed).

 

It was proposed that the sale of “discount” MACA memberships and Chess Horizons subscriptions be eliminated, effective immediately.  Before taking this action Chess Associations that might be affected will be consulted. 

 

Motion 0065:  (Dann moved, Herman seconded)  The motion that the Clerk send letters to the Chess Associations of Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire and WMCA, advising them that we are reviewing our policy regarding any discount arrangements for MACA memberships and Chess Horizons subscriptions, and soliciting their comments, was approved without dissent. 

 

Motion 0066:  (Herman moved, Dann seconded)  The motion to amend Motion 0065 to include all New England states and WMCA was approved without dissent. 

 

Harvey Reed left the meeting at 3:00 p.m., and Clerk William Gennert assumed the chairmanship.  The role of MACA’s representation on the NECA Board of Directors was discussed.  Stephen Dann and Steven Frymer are our representatives, subject to change after the election. 

 

Editor Peter Sherwood would like to find both another printing company and an Advertising Manager for Chess Horizons.  He asked that the subject of members who have first class mailing for their subscriptions should be an agenda item. 

 

Motion 0067:  (Alarie moved, Herman seconded)  The motion that Chess Horizons be published bimonthly (6 issues per year) was passed without dissent. 

 

In the discussion about an Advertising Manager it was suggested that a notice be posted on MACA’s Web site about this position.  Peter Sherwood would like a review of the magazine subscription rates, the possibility of increasing the advertising charges and the availability of postage rate savings.  Walter Driscoll was asked to explore the advisability of using “address service requested:” in mailing the magazine.

 

In a discussion of MACA’s delegation to the U.S. Chess Federation it was mentioned that Gus Gosselin and Steven Frymer are our representatives.  Delegates are not required to attend the USCF convention.

 

MACA will not be sponsoring the New England Open tournament.  This possibility was the subject of Motion 0061 at the Board meeting on April  2, 2000. 

 

The corporate address for MACA will be changed after the election, in time for the annual report to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.  The address to be used has not yet been determined.  (Peter Sherwood left the meeting at 4:00 p.m.). 

 

Motion 0068:  (Alarie moved, Herman seconded)  The motion that MACA pay $250. to Julie Kerr for her participation in the Pan-American Youth Festival tournament in Brazil was approved without dissent, providing that she writes an article for Chess Horizons about the tournament.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.

 

 

                                      William R. Gennert, Clerk