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Elections |
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21MAR - The National election results are in! 21MAR - Congrats to DC Chapter's SKCM Linda Reid, CPOA National Secretary (Elect) for 2002-2004!!
The
National Officer Candidate Forum
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PRESENTS THE NATIONAL OFFICER CANDIDATE FORUM The Elizabeth City Chapter posed several questions to our National Officer Candidates. We received very positive feedback from the majority of the Candidates and would like to thank them for their time and dedication to CPOA. We sincerely hope this information will aid you in your choices for our new officers. Their responses are listed in the order that the candidates replied. The office they are running for is annotated beside their name. Please ensure your ballots reach the National CPOA office no later than 2359, March 15, 2002. 1. Should all National elected officials attend all convention sessions? Reid (Secretary): Yes, absolutely. The elected officials need to be aware of issues that are brought up and debated in order to carry out their duties managing the business of the association during the rest of the year. Sheffler (Treasurer): Most definitely. The only exception I would allow for is due to work being accomplished for convention. I'm talking things like the Treasurer working with the Budget committee to finish a budget, and things like that. But lets take this one step further. I would like to see all elected officials attend ALL National Meetings during the year. The only exception being urgent operations. What I mean by that is that if you have to decide what your priority is. Is it CPOA or your Coast Guard career. Over the past 15 years I have seen several people try to hold commandant appointed positions and hold National Office. In every instance, the CPOA lost out. I am not slighting the sea going members of the Coast Guard but I am saying if you want to serve the CPOA, then get a job that will make you available for the duties you volunteered for. Garrison (President): I believed that all National elected officials should be required to attend all convention sessions as well at the Grand Ball. I know that the CPOA is paying for them to attend the convention (rooms and travel). If we are paying for them to be there, they should be required to attend all the functions. Shipp (Vice President): Yes and No. It depends on the circumstances. Sometimes you National Elected Official is working behind the scenes to get things done and help make the Convention run smoother. For those who don't really know this "it is the responsibilty of the National Officers - not the host chapter or the site selection committee to host the National Convention". Yes, the National Officers and now Executive Committee's travel expenses are paid by the Organization. A comment was made under the GOO that since their expenses are being paid that they should be expected to be at all events. NOT SO. The Association does not pay for activities at the convention. This is an out-of-pocket and individual choice of the NO/EC. The NO/EC are being paid to be at the Convention and they are there. Womack (Vice President): National Officers should attend all sessions and functions at convention. We must remember, the 2 Executive Committee Members are required to attend only at the Call of the President. If the President requires and the CPOA pays for their attendance, then they should be at all sessions and functions. Lackey (President): This last year we had no guidance on this issue except what we put in our new by-laws. In the past it was not a problem; all current elected officers would run the convention meeting. With the addition of two Executive members, it complicated the issue a little. The by-laws state that the Executive Committee is to run the CPOA and make decisions on matters between conventions, which was done. At conventions, the BOD makes the decisions. The EC came to the conclusion that the Executive Committee members didn't need to be there to conduct business. The reaction from those attending the convention is they should be present at every session. I have no problem with that, and therefore would run a convention in that matter. Trimble (President): All national officers are present during sessions on my watch unless excused by myself. I will not require National Executive Committeepersons to be in the room during sessions, but they must be available to answer questions by the membership. Gruber (President): Yes. I am familiar with the last convention and one of the Executive Committee persons not attending the sessions. But we must remember, that the “Executive Committee” concept is new to the CPOA and with anything new, there is room for further guidance and improvement. I don’t foresee this happening again. Bradley (Secretary): YES, convention is the only time that all the elected officials and the BOD get in the same room at the same time and do business. How can an elected official really know what is going on and what the membership wants if they are not there? I believe that this is required when you state that you will fill your position if elected. Segelken (Vice President): I do believe that all elected officials should be present at all convention session as well as all special functions associated with the convention. They are elected to serve the CPOA and should be available to answer any questions brought to them. Shaw (Treasurer): I do believe that all National elected Officers should attend convention sessions that are mandated by the By-laws.
2. How will you ensure that all rulings, motions and other pertinent information is recorded in the minutes? Reid (Secretary): I would like to expand the minutes to at least include a mention of the major issues of debate. It is not something required under "Robert's Rules" but I think it would be helpful to people reading the minutes who were not in the session (most of our membership!). Issues/statements would not be attributed to a named individual/delegate. Sheffler (Treasurer): Having been a National Officer in the past, and having attended 11 of the last 14 conventions, I can assure you that most work is done out of session. Either sitting around talking about it or in the hospitality suite. My record shows that I have been a long advocate of attaching a section in the minutes that explain why and how any decisions were made. Garrison (President): I believe that to ensure that all rulings, motions, and other pertinent information is recorded in the minutes that a section mandating the above be placed in our Operations Manual stating so. This can only be accomplished by the Board of Directors at the next convention. Note: As you know we can only change our By Laws every 5 years, so this we have to be accomplished by a change to our Operations Manual. Shipp (Vice President): This one is very easy for me since I have served as National Secretary for a total of 7 years. Demeters and now Roberts stated that ONLY Motions shall be recorded in the minutes. Unless the delegates agree that something other than a motion should be recorded in the minutes then the Secretary should only record motions that were carried. The Secretary does not even have to record a motion that was made and then later withdrawn. Trust me, it is hard enough just keeping up with the motions (previleged, incidental, subsidiary and all in between) being presented on the floor let alone any other stuff that is going on. Womack (Vice President): The minutes are governed by Roberts Rules of Order. The minutes will have the motions and their results, but probably not why a certain decision was made. Communication other than the minutes is the key. I believe the Board of Directors should utilize year round communication. One of my goals is to create an email network with the Board of Directors. Once this is up and running, then works on Internet meetings through chat rooms or other available avenues. Lackey (President): That is currently done, as outlined by Robert's Rules, and done that way previously as outlined in Demeter's. Nothing has been purposefully omitted, as far as I know. Remember, during the convention, it is up to the BOD to proof read the minutes and accept or amend them. If your question is whether everything should be recorded verbatim, I definitely do not believe in that. You would have a huge volume of paper, and it would be a nightmare for the Secretary. The sessions would have to be recorded and copied onto paper. The chances of having the minutes for each session would be pretty slim. Page 166 of Robert's Rules defines what is in the minutes. For EC meetings, the same format is used with comments, discussion and argument omitted. When completed after the meeting, they are sent to each EC for review, correction and approval before being sent out to the BOD. Trimble (President): I intend to tape record all sessions and have them filed at the National office. We have a checks and balances built in or should be with the acceptance of the minutes before beginning a new session. If a delegate thinks the written minutes are not complete, that is their time to have information included. Gruber (President): We have a National Secretary that is responsible for recording the minutes of every meeting. At Convention, the National Secretary prints out and makes copies of the previous session for EVERY DELEGATE to review and approve. This is done in the morning and again at the beginning of the afternoon session. If someone sees a better way to ensure accuracy, let me know. Bradley (Secretary): This is why I am running for National Secretary. What we have now isn't working and needs fixed now! Communications is key to any successful association and our minutes are our only written record of what we do. I have a small tape recorder that I'll use to capture all the events of each session to make sure I make no mistakes or omissions. I am more than open to any and all feedback from any member on how to improve the product that I put out. Segelken (Vice President): I am certain this is a hot topic, but it is also one that cannot be clearly explained in short order. I would prefer to leave this question for the individuals desiring the position of secretary. While I do understand the VP would be involved in a discussion of this nature, I don't believe it would be my decision alone. Shaw (Treasurer): The recording of all rulings, motions, and information in the minutes is the job of the National Secretary, however the remaining officers and Board of Directors (BOD) present are also responsible to ensure that the minutes are complete. I think generally we should include more detail in the minutes.
3. What is your opinion on passing a balanced budget? Reid (Secretary): I think it is important for the long-term health of our organization. If we can't find sources of increased revenue then we have to make the tough decisions on what to cut. Sheffler (Treasurer): Anyone that knows me, knows my position on this. As the National Finance Budget and Investment Committee Chairman for five years, I attempted to submit balanced budgets for five years. Twice I was successful! As the National Treasurer, I worked closely with the National FB&I committee to continue this trend. I was unsuccessful, and was vocal to the point of being ostracized for this stance. Last year at convention when a national budget was submitted that was over $60,000 in the red, I was one of the first to be on my feet objecting to this travesty! Garrison (President): Passing a balance budget should be priority one at the convention. We cannot operated without one. We are a business and not the Federal Government. If we run out of money we cannot print more. We cannot continue to bale ourselves out of our problems by going to our reserve funds. If we continue to use this avenue there will not be a reserve fund. Shipp (Vice President): It is possible. But only if the delegates come to the Convention prepared and without "porkbelly" proposals to spend money each year. The NO/EO can do a better job (which they are working towards) by getting a proposed budget out to the BOD in a timely fashion prior to the Convention so the membership can look it over. If this happens, then maybe we will get to the point in the future where all we have to do is come to convention to ratify it with little or no changes. Womack (Vice President): It is a MUST. We cannot operate with deficit spending as a practice. We must take a hard look at every request when developing the budget at convention; fund the ones that are shown to be in our better interest. I believe we have to quit saying “if funds become available”. We either have the money or we don’t. As Chiefs, we must use our leadership abilities to make excellent financial decisions concerning our budget. Lackey (President): I don't believe we have an option on this! We cannot overspend, that is spend more than we take in. Unlike the FEDs, that would put us out of business pretty quick. On the other hand, we do not have to spend every cent we bring in either. If we discover that our operating and project budgets are less than what our income is, those funds can be placed in the savings account. However, remember they cannot be spent frivolously, nor can they be used to reimburse individuals, pay for services from members who are not salaried employees, nor given back to individual members. The IRS rules are pretty strict in that area. Trimble (President): I think it should be balanced, but I don't believe it should be balanced in one year. We need to plan for a balanced budget and make significant strides toward every chance we get. I intend to submit that the National Officers don't meet face to face four times a year, also the instituting of the registration fee at conventions--eventually the association will not have to front the convention committee $ 4,500.00 every year. There are ways to reduce our budget, one is membership providing National with the correct mailing address, whenever we send mail to members-if it is returned to national because the member has moved we the association are charged a fee (bulk mail regulations). Gruber (President): My opinion has always been to have a balanced budget. The National Officers have always been firm on trying to keep a balanced budget and for the most part they come to Convention with their best proposal to have a balance budget. However, once it gets to Convention, it is in the hands of the Delegates. I believe we need to do most of the work on the budget, well before the Convention. It should already be completed prior to the final approval at Convention. No last minute expenditures or changes at the whim of any one person or small group. Bradley (Secretary): It's the only way that we should be doing business, period. I will oppose any budget that is not in the black. Or I will seek input from the BOD if we have no other options before proceeding. Segelken (Vice President): I believe if the Association continue with its current spending trend, the Association will not exist for many more years. I completely support a balanced budget. However to do this some very difficult decision must be made on programs we can no longer afford to support. Shaw (Treasurer): I believe that a balanced budget is the key for the future of the CPOA. As the current budget committee chairman, I am building a zero based budget which would be the first step. As a Storekeeper, I have many years experience in this area. We cannot continue the practice of deficit spending, and must find ways to increase our revenues. We must have all budget requests and information on spending to the BOD, by June so the budget can be built on well analyzed decisions and not in two days at the convention. The budget should be completed prior to convention and just be presented and voted on at that time. My ability to work with the Executive Director at the National Office at no cost to develop the budget is a big plus to the organization.
4. How do you plan on securing the financial stability of the National CPOA? Reid (Secretary): Increased membership income is essential, not only for the income but for the support new members will provide to keeping the organization going. Sheffler (Treasurer): The same way that I've been advocating for years. Curtail spending and generate new income from items where the CPOA gets reimbursed for using their logo. Items like the CPOA Credit Card and the Tricare Supplement. It can be done! When you need information about legislative affairs, where do you go? TROA? NCOA? Fleet Reserve? Who do you have your Tricare Supplement with? I bet not the CPOA's supplement! You need to get better, and more diverse, deals to bring more income. But the biggest thing is to live within your means. Period. Garrison (President): I believed that by the new dues increase and requiring a balance budget to be passed at the convention we can secure the financial stability of the Association at the National level. Shipp (Vice President): I am not a "bean counter" and never will be. I have never held the position of National Treasurer - wonder why? We (NO/EC) as a collective group have been working on ways and have presented them to the BOD in the past and will continue to present them in the future, however, you know as well as I do that "everyone" has an opinion. But when asked for input no one seems to provide any to us until we present a plan to help get us to the point of financial stability. Oh well, such is growing pains. Womack (Vice President): Planning the financial stability of the National CPOA lies with every Officer, every Board of Director, and every Member. Alone, I cannot secure the financial stability of the CPOA. It would be my role to foster the idea that, as members, we must promote growth through increased membership, work with the Board of Directors to ensure a balanced budget, and assist the National Office and Officers in seeking the best possible banking and investment practices available to increase our rate of return, as well as developing sound leadership and judgment in the day to day business to find less costly ways to operate. Lackey (President): No reply. Trimble (President): We have already started, with the revised by-laws, we can now invest our monies with the highest return. The National Officers intend to come before the before the delegates in Memphis with a budget that says we can't change these line items and this is the amount of monies that are discretionary then we must stick to it. We came in under budget this past year and I intend to next year also. Gruber (President): We are making progress every year to get to a point of financial stability. We have greatly improved the report on the budget so that more items are identified to clarify what is being spent for each item. I have heard several ideas on ways to invest our money and I look forward to more discussion on ways to make our money work for us and help us become more stable. Bradley (Secretary): I will be one part of the process that does this. But it will take the commitment of all the elected officials to ensure that we stay stable. We need to cut costs and start thinking of new and different ways to "make money" or save it. Again I'm open to any input. Segelken (Vice President): The major means to secure financial security is to increase membership. I propose this could be done, in part, by some of our lager more active chapters acting as "sponsors" to area Chief's Mess and attending CCTI to solicit members for the CPOA. Secondly I propose we open The Chief to advertising from outside sources. I'm not certain how much revenue this would gain, but some is better than none. Shaw (Treasurer): The CPOA's main source of funds is through membership. We must increase and keep our existing membership in order to remain financially stable. There is tremendous potential for members in the CPOA and CGEA which we must take advantage of. Our programs must attract and expose possible members to the CPOA so they will want to join and remain members. Our Chapters must be proactive in keeping enthusiasm going at the local level. There are also many investment opportunities which could be explored also so we keep the funds we do have growing. These along with the sound budget practices mentioned above will secure financial stability.
5. How do you perceive the obligation of a National Officer to the National Board of Directors? Reid (Secretary): Operating under the authority granted by the By-laws ... making decisions to best further the aims and purposes of the association. Sheffler (Treasurer): The National Officers are elected by the general membership to represent them and do what is in the members, as well as the Associations, best interests. How can you do that when you are not working with their chapter representative - the Chapter President? You can't. And when you are not answerable to the BOD, who are you serving? The National Officers should be working for the BOD, both before and after the fact. Conversely, the Chapter Presidents have a duty to respond in a timely manner to calls for guidance. Its a two way street. Garrison (President): I perceive the obligation of a National Officer to the Board of Directors is be as a guide. The National Officer should be there to assist the member through suggestions base on their knowledge of the By Laws and Operations Manual. However, the final decision should rest on the member. The National Officer should only step in when the decision is in direct conflict with our By Laws or Operations Manual. Shipp (Vice President): Well we (the National Officers) work for you (the BOD). I have said this in the past and will continue to say it. "I have never seen a head turn without the neck". In otherwords, the NO/EC may be the elected head, but the BOD and membership is the neck. We need to learn to work together and get away from the "them versus us" syndrome. This organization belongs to ALL of us. The NO/EC are members of this Association too. They don't take all this abuse for nothing. They enjoy trying to make a difference in our organization and serving its membership to the best of their abilities. Sure, they are human too and will make mistakes. I say put your name in the hat, get elected, then try to throw stones - I bet you will put that rock down really quick! Womack (Vice President): The National Officers and the Board of Directors are elected by the membership. Our obligation is therefore to the membership. We must always work with the best interest of CPOA in mind. We must COMMUNICATE. We must talk openly, continually, honestly, and completely in order to know what everyone is thinking on the issues so we can make the best possible decisions. As stated earlier, it is my goal to have open communication with the Board of Directors. We have to work as one body in order to further the aims and goals of our association. Lackey (President): At the end of the Operations Manual are the ceremonies for swearing in new officers. I think that says it all. It tells me what I should be doing and that I am accountable for all my actions and decisions. I think all Executive Board members are obligated to keep the BOD informed, try to get BOD input, act on BOD input, address BOD concerns, and make decisions for the positive welfare of the organization. One thing that bothers me a great deal, though, is that the BOD has the same obligations to the EC as well as their own chapter members! There is definitely a breakdown in communications, and there is definitely a lack of learning/knowledge/understanding on the part of many of the Chapter President's when it come to parliamentary procedure, national programs, national business, and national office procedures. Trimble (President): The National Officers are elected by the membership of the Association, as such they are obligated to fulfill their duties to all members not just the Board of Directors. I believe the Board of Directors have the obligation to their Chapter members and National in that they must ensure all correspondence is returned to the National Office, ensure their members are receiving information that is put out monthly by National and attending the Annual Convention to vote on Association matters, I think their job is harder than the National Officers. Gruber (President): Both the National Officers and the BOD are responsible to the MEMBERS. The Board of Directors (Chapter Presidents) should be listening to their Chapter members and communicating their concerns/ideas to the National Officers. However, this concept is not working very well. Most Chapter Presidents are not as actively evolved in this communication as they need to be. At Convention, you will see that the number of actual “Chapter Presidents” attending is VERY SMALL. There are too many Chapters and not enough representation or communication. I think it is time to re-evaluate our whole structure of representing our membership. One idea is to establish elected regional representatives from each CG District and make them the Board of Directors. I am open to any and all ideas on how to improve better representation of all or members. Bradley (Secretary): National Officers work for the BOD and all members. When elected we inherit a trust from you to do the right thing for the association and all of it's members. As I said before communications is key. I will seek feedback from various BOD members before any decision that will be made. Segelken (Vice President): National Officers are elected to serve the membership of the CPOA. The BOD is the representative of the membership. It is imperative that the board be kept informed. On major issues the board should be consulted prior to making a decision. If a matter can wait until convention, where the board members are gathered, I believe it should be. I do not believe the NC needs to be micro-managed though. The NC is elected by the membership to conduct the Associations business and should be allowed to conduct day-to-day business. Shaw (Treasurer): The Board of Directors is the governing body of the CPOA. The National Officers are elected positions to represent the organization and complete specific duties. The By-laws specify what the Officers authority is. I believe that a National Officer must keep the Board of Directors informed as to what they are doing or plan to do. The Executive Committee, which consists of the National Officers are to act on matters which arise between conventions. Any action taken should be reported to the BOD in the monthly mail out or by other means as appropriate.
6. How will you keep travel costs to a minimum while ensuring the effectiveness of the Executive Committee at the maximum? Reid (Secretary): We all have email, but email has its limitations. Face-to-face meetings are still necessary. I think we should meet in an area near where the majority of the committee members live, or combine meeting purposes as much as possible. Sheffler (Treasurer): The By-Laws state that the National Officers will meet four times a year. It does not say how. I unsuccessfully attempted to get the National Officers to meet in a secure Chat Room online at Fred's Place instead of face to face in Virginia (Fred was all for supporting us). There is new technology that can be used but buy in and support must come from the top. Also, when you do travel, make sure your reservations are far enough in the future to secure good deals. Why do we stay at hotels in Springfield that cost over $100 per night per person when we can get rooms for much less at military facilities around DC? Lastly, a new travel claim system needs to be instituted, not because people are untrustworthy, but because we cannot currently find where, exactly, the travel funds are spent. The current system in place is too general. How can we improve when we don't know exactly where the money is being spent? Garrison (President): Travel cost can be kept to a minimum by use of the Internet and conference calls. I believe the Executive Committee can accomplish their job without having to meet face to face. Semper Paratus Shipp (Vice President): There are a couple of ways. 1) not invite them to a meeting. This will cut costs. 2) don't pay their expenses to the Convention. This will cut costs. Include the IPP. This will cut costs. What are we really doing here? Why have those elected people in the first place if you don't think they are important enough to provide input into issues that effect the organization? Now that they are elected, I say "damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!" If they are in this position they should be at meetings. It is very difficult to determine ahead of time if their input would be needed or not at a meeting. Having them there would ensure their input. Having them stand-by would not. As a side note, we as an organization waste more money on stupid things and overlook the big picture. If we nickle and dime our elected officials travel all the time we might as well not have elected officials or go back to just electing them from the Washington DC area so they can meet whenever they wanted to at the National Office with little or no expense to the organization. Some people may think that traveling on planes, bus, car, etc., visiting different places, living out of suitcases, jumping from hotel to hotel, etc. is exciting. Trust me, it gets old pretty quick! Womack (Vice President): This is another area where the solution is a Team effort. Some recommendations are: Ensure proper use of the two Executive Committee Members. They are not required to be at all meetings and should only be called when absolutely necessary. Recommend holding meetings in cities where at least one member would not have to travel.Utilize BEQ/BOQ when possible. Request Chapter Sponsored meetings. The Chapter could have members help provide local transportation, assist in acquiring BEQ or other military berthing where available, and ensure a suitable meeting space. In closing, I thank the Elizabeth City Chapter for providing this forum. It not only gives you a feeling for the candidates, but also gives the candidates a feeling for what is important to the membership, and the areas we need to work on the most. As I have stated in previous emails, the membership places their trust in the National Officers with the day-to-day business of the association. It is my desire to earn that trust. Lackey (President): Do the necessary business in an efficient manner. Right now the national officers are required to have four (4) meetings a year. The BOD could make a change in the by-laws on that number. We have been looking for other cost savings too. For instance, I suggested the EC meeting at Patrick AFB last May because four of the seven members were within a few hundred miles and could drive there. Also, Patrick has cottages on the beach that cost very little per day, certainly cheaper than a hotel. In the end, the decision was made to have the meeting in St. Petersburg, but still it cost less than for all of us to meet in the national office. Also, we don't stay in the best hotels and motels. Vehicle rental is limited to what is needed for transporting all of us. Reimbursement is lower than current per diem rates. I have also tried to get all the EC members talking electronically so we could start having meetings that way, via the computer. The problems I have run into; old equipment, poor connectivity, distrust/unfamiliarity at using chat rooms and electronic meeting rooms. These same problems will be encounter for every new EC until everyone elected has new equipment at home and is familiar with using it via the internet. The EC, the BOD, and committee chairs also need to work together throughout the year to find out what our members want, what their expectations are, what we can do to make positive changes, and determine better ways to recruit and maintain members. I would also like to note that when trying to fund a couple of committee embers to get to national to conduct business for the betterment of the organization and to better inform the BOD, it was balked at. The Presidents of each chapter need to talk to each other and decide exactly what it is they want the EC to do to run the CPOA. The EC is doing the business of the CPOA as it has since the CPOA was created. I think the chapter Presidents need to become better informed and more participatory, was it was 25 years ago. Since I have been involved with the budget almost the entire time I have been a member of the CPOA, I would continue to look at budget issues very closely. If elected again, I will work to have the EC communicate with each other on a regular basis as well as with the BOD. Unfortunately, with funds being short, travel to chapters is limited. Speaking of budget issues, I got the dues changed from $18 to $24 annually in order to meet budget shortfalls. The membership has so far deemed it mostly unnecessary to increase their dues payments. If this continues, the national organization will still have some significant problems in the near future. Trimble (President): The National Officers are in contact with each other via e-mail, we discuss issues all the time in that format. You still need face time with each other but I don't think we should be mandated to meet face to face 4 times a year. I hear all the time "come visit our Chapter" well it can't be done with mandates on meetings of the National Officers-I broke your mandate last year, we did not meet 4 times, and for that I am not sorry and we were still effective and got our business done. If the President deems that a special meeting is in order the meeting will take place, that is what you elected he or she for. Gruber (President): In all the years that I have been involved with being a National Officer, I have always been concerned about keeping travel costs down as much as possible. It is every Executive Committee member’s first thought when deciding on when and where to hold a meeting. Plane fares, Hotel costs, etc are all taken into consideration. We have looked into trying to do business via the computer to save costs. However, after trying it, I can say that personally, there is nothing better than to have face-to-face interaction if you want to accomplish the business of our Association. Our CPOA Operations Manual says we will have four meeting a year between Conventions. If the membership thinks they are not getting their moneys worth out of these meetings, then they can recommend that the Ops Manual be changed to lessen the number of meetings or say the Executive Committee will not be reimbursed for any meetings. I am open to anyone’s ideas on how to save money on travel costs. Bradley (Secretary): The same way that I keep them to a minimum when I travel on government money. It costs me out of pocket to attend conventions, why should that change if I'm elected. It's no free ride. Other meeting could be conducted via conference calling or email if need be. When we meet face to face, why not try doing it at either New London or Petaluma. Berthing would be either free or very cheep and we could time it to attend CPO Academy functions. We can travel to Chapter locations for meetings and maybe the local membership could help with getting us there and "lending us a couch" for the night. Again, give me your ideas too. Segelken (Vice President): I believe the most effective means to reduce travel costs, one of our single largest expenses, is to reduce travel. The Association first needs to determine if 4 meetings per year are required or may it be reduced. If so the By Laws need to be changed. Second, do the meetings need to be in person or may they be conducted via teleconference. The use of modern communications technology would significantly reduce travel costs if they are determined suitable. Shaw (Treasurer): Travel costs are just one of the areas in the budget which require scrutiny. The Executive Committee was created to act on Association matters that arise between conventions. We need to look at how many meetings we have during the year and are they necessary. Travel costs account for a large portion of our budget. Before an actual meeting takes place, we should look at the expected outcome and agree on this. If this outcome can be completed without a face to face meeting, the meeting could be conducted by phone, conference call, or e-mail or other electronic means. Sometimes a face to face meeting is required, but in those instances it is not, the Association could save travel funds and still make decisions necessary to conduct business. |
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Last Updated: 06/12/2006 |
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