Minutes of the Volkssport Club of West Point

 June 25, 2006

 

 

Minutes of the 25 June 2006 Club Meeting

 

 

  • President Joan Kimmel called the meeting to order on Sunday, 25 June 2006 at 9 AM at the Park Restaurant in Highland Falls.  Vice President Farrell Patrick and Treasurer Andrew Schmidt and one other club member were in attendance.

 

  • Andrew reported on the 6/11 June New York City walk that was held in cooperation with the Princeton Area Walkers club.  We had eight walkers associated with our club at the Group Walk YRE. Andrew submitted a photo to the American Wanderer national AVA newspaper.

 

  • Andrew reported that our September Cold Spring event received AVA brochure approval.  It is also sanctioned for a variety of special AVA programs (American Revolution, RiverWalk, RailRoad Heritage, and the US Presidents program).

 

  • Joan will contact Peggy Goetz concerning finalizing the brochure and details of the Nyack event in September.

 

  • Joan reported that the sanctioning of our club's YREs in the AVA ESR electronic system is now open. We voted to continue all 5 of our YREs in 2007.  We discussed the club's possible picking up of a Catskill NY YRE, but we declined, feeling that the distance is really too far out of our service area.  A possible Goshen YRE might be possible for consideration, but we tabled that idea pending the election of new officers in October for a possible mid-2007 year sanction.

 

  • Joan reported a recent change to the Riverwalk program now allows for the same river to be walked multiple times for credit.

 

  • Joan reported that Round Pond Event is going to be held on Sunday, 1 October 2006.

 

  • The Highland Falls YRE Group walk is now scheduled for 14 October.  Joan and Andrew will both be out of town, Andrew is checking with Farell and Nancy to see if they'll be available to host the breakfast and meeting.  Club Member Tom Nisonger did volunteer to host the walk if all else fails.

 

  • The Club unanimously voted to amend the Constitution to allow for the following three changes:

 

1) Fiscal year is now 1 July through 30 June as per AVA's IRS-mandated directive.

 

2) Our club's membership year is now 'rolling'; club members join starting at the time they join to the end of the same month in a year's time.  (i.e.: If a person joins the club on 3 June 2006 and pays their dues, then their membership expires at the end of June in 2007).

 

3) The club is now allowed to have multiple bank accounts.  This will allow for some of our money to be redeposited in an interest-bearing savings account or Certificate of Deposit.  With the current constitution and non-interest bearing checking account, we were not earning any interest or saving for an endowment fund.

 

  • The new text of the Constitution reads as follows:

 

Current Wording in Article IX (Finances), Section 5:

 

Section 5. The organization shall have one fund, the Club General (Operating) fund. Source of funds will be dues and other monies raised within the membership, as well as residue from approved club activities after expenses.

 

Section 7. The organization's fiscal and membership year shall run the calendar year.

 

Proposed Changes:

 

Section 5. The finances of the organization shall be banked in the name of the organization and the signatories to the account shall be the Treasurer together with any one of the President, First or Second Vice President, or Secretary. Source of funds will be dues and other monies raised within the membership, as well as residue from approved club activities after expenses.

 

Section 7. The organization's fiscal year shall run from July 1st to June 30th to coincide with the American Volkssport Association's fiscal year. The club's membership year shall run on a twelve (12) month renewal basis.

 

  • The club authorized the club treasurer to move $500 into an interest-bearing account.

 

  • We will discuss a tee-shirt and possible new club patch at a future meeting when club Secretary Nancy Patrick joins us at an upcoming meeting.  Tom volunteered to think about a possible patch.

 

  • Joan passed out coupons for "2006 National Physical Fitness and Sports Month".  Any one who participated in a Volkssport walk or event in May 2006 is eligible to pay the $5.00 fee and receive a patch.

 

  • Joan will also order 20 patches for "National Volkssport Month" to be drawn for any walkers at our October event.

 

  • Joan passed out a copy of the tentative walks for the 2007 AVA Convention in Sacramento, California.

 

  • Andrew reported that Nancy and Farrell will be attending the West Point Community Fair to be held on Thursday, 3 August.  Andrew will generate collateral, and hopes to attend as well.

 

  • Joan Kimmel reported that she wishes for the 2007 Club Election to be held after the Round Pond event with any members present.  A slate of proposed officers will be developed and distributed before the election.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 Andrew D. Schmidt, Treasurer

 

In lieu of Secretary Nancy Patrick's absence