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MACA Board Minutes
 MACA Annual Meeting, May 26, 2014
 Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel, Marlborough, MA
 

MINUTES OF MACA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – 5/26/2014

President N. Smolensky called the Annual Membership Meeting to order at 9:40 AM at the Best Western Hotel in Marlboro, site of the 83rd Massachusetts Open.  Ten people were in attendance: President Nathan Smolensky, Treasurer Robert Messenger (arrived 9:49 AM), Clerk Nicholas Sterling, Directors George Mirijanian, Marc Turgeon (arrived 9:48 AM), Stephen Dann (arrived 9:49 AM), and Robert E. King; and additional MACA Members Edward Chiu, Dmitry Barash, and Walter Champion.  A quorum of thirty being required by the Bylaws, the meeting was inquorate.

Election results were read by President N. Smolensky:

 

No. of ballots issued: 880

No. of ballots returned: 133

No. of valid ballots: 133

 

PRESIDENT: Nathan Smolensky of Medford -   109 votes

                        Marc Turgeon of Plymouth -              17 votes

             Robert E. King of Plymouth (write-in) -          1 vote

                        Blanks                                                 6

 

VICE PRESIDENT: John Sadoff of Somerville -    97 votes

             Stephen Dann of Worcester (write-in) -          1 vote

             Walter J. Champion of Wellesley (write-in) -  1 vote

                             Blanks                                           34

 

TREASURER: Bob Messenger of Nashua, NH - 118 votes

                             Robert E. King of Plymouth  -      12 votes

                             Steven Frymer of Lexington -        1 vote

                             Blanks                                            2

 

CLERK: Nicholas Sterling of Needham -            102 votes

                        Ken Belt of Lexington (write-in) -        1 vote

                        Blanks                                               30

 

 

DIRECTORS:

 

Christopher Chase of Somerville -      102 votes

George M. Mirijanian of Fitchburg -    101 votes

Steven J. Frymer of Lexington -          100 votes

Maryanne Reilly of Newton Centre -     90 votes

Frida Kuzmin of Needham -                   88 votes

Dmitry Barash of Brighton -                  86 votes

Edward Chiu of Brighton -                     84 votes

Tiffany Wang of Cambridge -                79 votes

Stephen Dann of Worcester -                   64 votes

Ken Belt of Lexington -                             51 votes

Marc Turgeon of Plymouth -                     43 votes

Robert E. King of Plymouth -                    40 votes

 

WRITE-INS:

Donna M. Alarie of Rutland -                    2 votes

James Aspinall of Mansfield -                   1 vote

Daniel Sullivan of Medford -                      1 vote

John Curdo of Auburn -                             1 vote

Mark Kaprielian of Framingham -              1 vote

Blanks                                                        1

Non-binding referendum question:

"Would you support electronic voting for future elections?"

YES: 70
NO: 29
Blank: 34

Elections Commission: Stephen Dann, George Mirijanian, Walter Driscoll

Tellers: Walter Driscoll, Stephen Dann, George Mirijanian, Arthur Barlas, Joanne Driscoll

 

 

 

There was discussion about future Elections: (a) they should be online to save a great deal of unnecessary annual expense (G. Mirijanian); (b) we could try out online Elections with Bylaws changes, which would become quicker and easier to implement

(N. Smolensky); (c) we should reconsider the length of term of the Board to be two years instead of one, as one year seems far too quick for a Board to get anything done (Walter Champion).

 

Treasurer’s report was presented by R. Messenger:

(i) (1) Net income of the General Fund year-to-date this year as of 4/30/14: $6070.16 net gain. (2) Net income of the General Fund year-to-date last year as of 4/30/13: $3988.06. (ii) (1) Special Fund income year-to-date this year as of 4/30/14: $2626.78, with $604.57 dividends. (2) Special Fund income year-to-date last year as of 4/30/13: $1048.37, with $508.27 dividends. (iii) (1) Special Fund expenses year-to-date this year as of 4/30/14: $11255.78. (2) Special Fund expenses year-to-date last year as of 4/30/13: $4338.16. (iv) (1) Special Fund net income year-to-date this year as of 4/30/14: $8629 net loss. (2) Special Fund net income year-to-date last year as of 4/30/13: $3289.79. (v) Changes in Fund Balances: Year-to-Date: $2558.84 net loss.

(vi) Total Assets as of 4/30/14: $67652.95. (vii) Reserve for Chess Horizons Expenses: $3100. (viii) Reserve for Tournament Expense: $750.00. (ix) Unearned Tournament Revenue: $311.00.

 

Membership: R. Messenger presented the 5/22/14 Membership numbers as follows: Adults 213 (+14); Junior 415 (-27); Life 210 (-3); Affiliate 5 (+2); Complimentary 1 (-3);

D. Library 5 (=); D. Subscriber 23 (+3); Exchange 16 (=); Library 2 (+2); Prison 287 (+14); Subscriber 15 (+5).  Total change in Membership and Subscribers: +10.

 

Education: Chair N. Sterling announced three ongoing Education projects for the upcoming year: (a) The MA Early Education Teacher-Training Initiative (MEETTI), for which Walter Champion said one important element will be to present chess to the kids as a FUN activity; (b) future Education Expos to be scheduled (perhaps the first one in the fall); (c) chess classes and tournaments at New England Sports Academy in Westwood, MA.

 

Publication: N. Smolensky announced that the deadline for submission of articles to the next Chess Horizons is 7/15/14.

 

Bylaws: R. King said that he will submit requests for Bylaws changes over the upcoming year.  They may be taken up by the Bylaws Committee.

 

President N. Smolensky adjourned the Annual Membership Meeting at 10:00 AM.  The date, time, and place for the June Board Meeting still needed to be confirmed, but were tentatively Sunday 6/22/14 at 3:00 PM at Boylston Chess Club in Somerville.

 

                                                                        Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

                                                                        Nicholas Sterling, Clerk