MINUTES OF THE

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oYALE 1954 Class Council Meeting – November 17, 2011

 

Date: November 17. 2010, 4:00 PM

Location: Knickerbocker Club, New York City

 

OFFICERS:   SECRETARY                                                (CY) PAUL PESEK

                        ASST SECRETARY                                     RUSS REYNOLDS

                        TREASURER                                                IRVING JENSEN

                        CHAIR OF AGENTS                                    MURRAY BUTTNER

                        AYA REPRESENTATIVE                           JAY GREER

 

In attendance: Ashton, Banker, Brenner, Buttner, Clifford, Forster, Franciscus, Gilder,  Greer, Jensen, Johnson, Loucks, McDonald, McLane, Martin, Meacham, Monde, Pesek, Quinlan, Quinn, Reynolds, Smilow, Spaeth, Yonce

 

The highlight of the meeting was the use of name tags, which become more important as we age. Somebody wisecracked that the type was too small, although it was Rockwell

Extra Bold, size 30. –Next year, I will use size 38 (D)!

 

The meeting was convened by the Class Secretary, Cy (Paul) Pesek at 4:00 PM, who warned the council that Jerry Grinstein, who was unable to attend, was connected to the meeting by telephone with a speaker because he is organizing the Seattle mini reunion, and that we should all turn up our hearing aids to catch his every word.

 

MINI-REUNION

The mini-reunion was the first order of business. Jerry, who has been involved with most of the big businesses and institutions in Seattle, mentioned several great activities and sites that he has in mind. Because of the many possible events and the vast travel distance for most attendees, it was determined that three full days should be allocated for the reunion. Although the dates of September 13 -16, 2012 had been originally selected to avoid conflicts with other reunions, religious holidays, and the Inca day of Destruction, the starting date will now be September 12 to provide the three full days. Bob Martin will work with Jerry in the organization and scheduling while a reunion committee is being formed.

 

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

With no objections, the minutes of the November 11, 2010 were approved.

 

ASSISTANT CLASS SECRETARY

The Class Constitution states that “ The Treasurer shall serve as Secretary in case of the Secretary’s death or resignation” and is in effect, a Vice Secretary who is able and willing to become the Class Secretary at any moment. Irving Jensen, the Class Treasurer, although he looked very healthy at the meeting, has declined to be considered for the next Class Secretary. Consequently, the Nominating Committee selected Russ Reynolds as the Assistant (?)  Secretary, who will be ready and able to take over the duties of the Class Secretary if I am unable or unwilling to continue my reign. Russ was Class Treasurer in 1968, and declined the Secretary position then, but is now mature enough to take on this awesome responsibility. Russ accepted the position and assured us that he will be healthy for the next 8 years! We polled the Council and Russ was elected without a dissenting vote!

 

IRS FORM 990

Secretary Pesek has signed an IRS form 990 that states no member of our Council or his family has had a transaction in 2010 with our class of 1954 that exceeded $10,000, which includes business, grants or loans. No one on the Council was aware of any transactions, so I will take the rap if something goes haywire!

 

REPORT OF THE TREASURER

Irving Jensen, the Class Treasurer, reported that, in spite of the ongoing recession, our class is still solvent. Although it took 2 ½ years, the AYA finally  presented us with a bill of $60,290 for the 55th reunion, which reduced our June 30, 2011 balance to $130,722 down from $187,147 from the beginning of the fiscal year. We had income of $46,572 and expenses, including the reunion, of $102,996. Non reunion expenses were $42,706.

 

CLASS STATISTICS     JUNE 30, 2011       JUNE 30, 2010    VARIANCE

Living Members                     663        67.4%        679    69,1%      (16)  2.3%

Dues payers                            362        54.6%        359    52,8%

There were 983 graduates in the Yale Class of 1954.          

 

54/60 FUND

Dick Gilder reported that the value of the fund continues to grow and is now $2,434,009. It has grown at the amazing compound rate of 13.88 % a year. If it continues to grow at 15% a year, the fund will amount to $3,517,249 on March 30, 2014 for our 60th reunion gift. Pretty damn good!

 

ANNUAL FUND

Murray Buttner, our Chief Agent for the Annual Fund, who does a wonderful job of assisting, encouraging and berating his agents (I am one of them), reported that we raised $287,450 with a 57.1% participation in fiscal 2011, which was an increase of 47% over fiscal 2010. Murray noted that our major goal is greater participation with a goal of 60% for this year. Al Rabinowitz, a long time agent, mentioned that he once offered to personally match a YAF gift from a habitual non- giver and it worked! Someone said that it is rumored that the class of 1951 which has an unheard of participation of 82%, sends $5 to the YAF in the name of non-givers. If so, it is legal, but immoral, like the congressmen who legally trade stocks on inside information –according to “60 Minutes”.

 

AYA REPORT

Jay Greer, our AYA representative, said that our current contacts, Stacey O’Donnell and Barbra Burt, have been very cooperative, but he is working on a faster response time for mailings (and billings). Stacey is now working with Jerry on the Seattle reunion.

 

REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Cy Pesek, filling in for Committee chair, Barrie Rich, nominated the following for reelection to the Council: Arndt, Fortunato, Johnson, Kumble, Meyer, Morton, Quinn, Reynolds, Spaeth, Shutt, Swisher, and Thompson. The slate was reelected unanimously. The Committee also nominated the following to become new members of the Council:  Mike Armstrong, Allan Rabinowitz, Ted Armbrecht and Dan Strickler. A vote was taken and all of the above candidates were unanimously elected.

 

PROPOSED NEW COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP POLICY

Because the Council has experienced a number of resignations, and at the same time is adding new members, an ad hoc membership committee (Paul Pesek, Murray Buttner, Irving Jensen, David Banker, Joel Smilow, Barrie Rich, and Chris Forster, and Russ Reynolds) met in a series of teleconferences on how to simplify and define it more clearly.

 

Our Class Constitution was given to us, and to all other classes, by Yale to establish our class as an official body of the University. It has some provisions that are unworkable because they require votes by the entire class and have been eliminated by practice. It does provide for Class Officers as Secretary and Treasurer with five year terms with the duties of each spelled out, including the proviso that the Treasurer shall serve as Secretary in case of the Secretary’s death or resignation which is a factor in the Assistant Secretary issue

 

It also specifies that;

1-     The Council may be any size

2-     A Council member “shall retain his office for life or until he tenders his resignation’

3-     The Council shall have the power to establish the policy of the Class.

4-     The Council may amend the constitution which it has done by tradition.

 

There are no provisions in the constitution for the nomination and qualifications of new members, re-election of current members, nor categories of membership.

Consequently, we are offering a policy that:

1-     Provides a system for the nomination and election of new Council members

2-     Eliminates membership categories

3-     Eliminates the re-election requirement of current members

 

The new membership policy was proposed (below) and unanimously accepted.

 

SIXIETH REUNION

Russ Reynolds recommended that we consider new and unique formats for the 60th reunion, including holding it at a location other than Yale. We need to start planning now. Russ will head an”idea committee’ and will coordinate actions.

 

NEXT YEAR’S MEETING

Bob Martin suggested that we hold the 2012 Class Council meeting at the Seattle mini reunion, just as we did at the Washington DC meeting. It was unanimously voted to do so.

 

COMMENTS

Howard Brenner recalled the old days when he was our Class Secretary and he actually asked people for their opinions, He then asked council members to tell us their greatest worries about the world today and their greatest hopes. Several members expressed some very thoughtful observations, but I did not record them.

 

Russ Reynolds told us that Mory’s is booming and is starting a major fundraising drive to insure long term financial stability.

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                                                    ADDENDUM

 

                                              New Membership Policy

 

1) Types of Membership 

 

The current practice of reelecting 25% of our members every three years will end. All members will serve for life or until they resign.  The "ex-officio" class of membership will no longer exist.  Council members who have served as officers of the Council will be designated by an asterisk on the Class letterhead.  Council members who have resigned will be considered to be "inactive" and their names will no longer appear on the Class letterhead; however, they will be welcome to attend Council meetings if they wish.

 

2) Nominations and Elections   Nominations to membership on the Council may be made by any member of the Class but will be limited to one nomination per year per classmate.  The names and qualifications of the candidates shall be submitted to the Nominating Committee prior to the annual Class Council meeting.  The Nominating Committee will review the applications and will send its recommendations to the full Council prior to the scheduled meeting.  It will require a two-thirds vote of the members in attendance to elect a nominee.

 

3) Nominating Committee - The Nominating Committee shall  consist of the previous Class Secretary (Chair), the current Class Secretary, the Assistant Class Secretary, the Class Treasurer and the Chief Agent plus three members of the Class Council to be appointed by the Class Secretary.  On this basis, the Nominating Committee would initially be composed of Messrs. Pesek, Rich (as Chair), Reynolds, Jensen and Buttner - and, by appointment, Messrs. Banker, Smilow and Forster.

 

4) Criteria for Membership - The criteria for membership on the Council will include the candidate's actions and activities that demonstrate his interest in Yale and in our class.  They would include: 

-  Participating in Yale and Class affairs such as a YAF agent, an AYA representative, etc. 

- Running or working on Class mini reunions and regular reunions.

- Attending reunions.

-Contributing money, buildings, programs or time to Yale.

- Serving on Yale committees, boards and volunteer groups.

 - Other actions that benefit Yale and related groups (New Haven, etc).

 

NOMINATIONS FOR THE YALE CLASS OF 1954 CLASS COUNCIL

NOVEMBER 17, 2011

 

TED AMBRECHT    YAF Class Agent, attended 50th and 55th class reunions and two

                                      Mini-reunions. A contributing member of the advisory committee

                                      of the Yale Forestry and Environmental School. (Sponsor –David

                                      Banker)

  MIKE ARMSTRONG Nathan Hale YAF contributor, attended 50th and 55th class

                                     reunions and two Mini-reunions  ( Sponsor-Bob Quinlan)

AL RABINOWITZ    YAF Class Agent – consistent best participation. Nathan Hale  contributor.  Attended 50th and 55th class reunions and all three mini-reunions. (Sponsor- Cy Pesek)

DAN STRICKLER  -Harkness Associate YAF contributor, attended 50th and 55th class   

                                    reunions ( Sponsor-Bob Quinlan)

 

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