Below are the highlights
from
recent meetings of OLLI's Board of directors, originally published in OLLI
E-News. The more-detailed, complete official minutes
of
recent meetings of
OLLI's Board of Directors are available
for members to read on the Member Portal; log in to the portal at http://www.olliatgmu.org/, then
move to the Documents menu, click the Board Minutes selection, and use
the drop-down arrow to choose a meeting date. Minutes are also
posted
in
the social room at Tallwood for review and are available upon request
from the
administrative assistant at the Lake Anne site in Reston. Note: Members may opt to have the
complete official Board
minutes,
including non-confidential attachments, emailed to them; please send
an email
to the office with "Board Minutes" in the subject
line.
Minutes
of a given meeting are provided after they have
been approved by the Board, which occurs at the next Board meeting,
normally one month later.
Direct links to meetings by date:
Apr 20, 2012 Mar 16, 2012 Feb 17,
2012 Jan 20, 2012 Nov 18,
2011 Oct 21,
2011 Sep 16,
2011 Jul 29,
2011 Jun 10,
2011 Apr 8,
2011 Mar 18,
2011 Feb 18,
2011 Jan 21,
2011 Nov 12, 2010 Oct 15,
2010 Sep 17,
2010 Jul 9,
2010 Jun 11,
2010 Apr 16, 2010 Mar 19, 2010 Feb 19,
2010 Jan 15, 2010 Nov 20, 2009 Sep 18,
2009 Jul 17,
2009 Jun 9,
2009 Apr 17,
2009 Mar 20, 2009 Feb 20,
2009 Jan 16, 2009 Dec 2008 Nov 19, 2008
Oct 17,
2008 Sep 19, 2008 Aug 22,
2008 Jul 18,
2008 Jun 2008 Apr 18, 2008 Mar 28,
2008 Feb 15,
2008 Jan 18,
2008 Dec 14,
2007 Nov 16, 2007 Oct 24, 2007 Sep 11,
2007 Aug 31,
2007 Aug 17,
2007 Jul 20,
2007 Jun
15, 2007 Apr 27, 2007 Mar 16, 2007 Feb 23,
2007 Jan 19,
2007 Jan 4,
2007 Dec 15,
2006 Dec 7, 2006 Nov 17, 2006 Oct 27,
2006 Sep 15, 2006 Aug 18, 2006 Jul 21,
2006 Jun 16, 2006 Jun 2, 2006 Apr 27,
2006 Mar 22, 2006 Mar 17, 2006 Feb 17,
2006 Jan 20, 2006 Dec 16, 2005 Nov 18,
2005 Oct 21, 2005 Sep 16, 2005 Aug 19,
2005
THE
OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS met Friday, April 20, 2012 at
Loudoun. The Board unanimously approved a proposal to establish an Ad
Hoc Committee to review various proposed changes to the Bylaws;
President Manny Pablo appointed Ben Gold as chair. Treasurer Dave Mason
said that OLLI finances were sound and that we are presently running a
budget surplus. Executive Director Thom Clement reported that he has
been providing additional information in response to queries from the
Osher Foundation in support of our request for additional funding, but
thus far has not received any definitive response.
|
University Liaison Pat Carroll reported on a
recent meeting at Mason between OLLI's president and executive director
and the university provost, chief of staff, and VP for Facilities.
Mason facilities leadership now feels that it would not be appropriate
to build a large parking lot on the property to the rear of Tallwood or
to do major reconfiguration of the property. Therefore, we will be
discussing other alternatives for classroom space with accessible
parking to supplement what we have at Tallwood. There are no plans to
move us in the foreseeable future, but everyone agreed that OLLI
currently has significant parking and space issues that need to be
addressed soon. |
There will
be no Board meeting in May due to
Board elections. The new Board of continuing directors and
newly
elected directors will
meet on Friday, June 1 at Tallwood to elect OLLI officers for the
upcoming year and conduct any other necessary business. All OLLI
members are invited to attend this meeting. Back
THE OLLI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS met
Friday, March 16, 2012 at
Tallwood. Executive Director Thom Clement reported
that OLLI now has 1,008 members.
Having met the criterion of more than 1,000 members, OLLI will prepare
a request to the Osher Foundation for an additional endowment. (Note:
The Osher Foundation has provided four separate grants to OLLI,
totaling $275,000, and has also awarded a one-million-dollar endowment
to OLLI.)
Thom announced the trial of a new approach for
heavily subscribed courses that cannot practically be moved off site:
the spring "Theodore Roosevelt Era" course ( F305)
is being held in TA-1 and simultaneously streamed via Skype to
additional members located in TA-2.
Treasurer Dave Mason advised that OLLI
"finances continue to remain sound."
The Board discussed and approved the majority
of changes recommended by the ad hoc committee that had reviewed the
Bylaws and the Board Handbook. One change concerned petition candidates
for Board elections, who now will require the support of five percent
of the membership
(previously, one percent) but no longer have to meet
any specific qualifications. Two proposals to change the Bylaws were
submitted; after discussion, they were tabled.
The Board voted in favor of having candidates
in the May election give speeches at Loudoun on Friday, April 20 in
addition to their scheduled "meet the candidates" speeches during the
Annual Membership Meeting at 10:00 on Friday, May 4 at Tallwood. All OLLI members are invited to our Loudoun
site at 10:00 on Friday, April 20 to hear candidates speak and stay for
the Board meeting, being held at Loudoun next month.
Back
THE OLLI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS met
Friday, February 17, 2012 at
Tallwood. President Manny Pablo announced that the April meeting of the Board (on Friday,
April 20), will be held at the Loudoun site. There will be no
Board meeting in May due to the election of Board members that month,
and the first meeting of the new Board will be on Friday, June 1 to
elect OLLI officers for the next 12 months and to conduct normal
business. Manny also announced his appointment of Ted Parker to
co-chair (with Valerie Braybrooke) the Strategic Planning Committee.
Executive Director Thom Clement advised
that OLLI has 989 members. He reported that our architectural and
engineering firm has recommended a two-phase development plan for the
Tallwood site: The first phase would provide additional parking areas
to the rear of the property, which would require clearing of the woods
and site engineering; and the second phase would provide a two-story
building in the area where the old Tallwood House existed and the
current bathroom building is situated. Thom announced that the annual OLLI Teacher Appreciation
Reception will be held at the Grand Tier III of the Mason Center for
the Arts on Friday, April 20, from 3:30 to 5:00. All OLLI speakers and
instructors as well as members involved in our program development are
invited to join the Board of Directors and Mason leadership for this
event.
Treasurer Dave
Mason reported that OLLI is in good shape financially.
The Board approved the allocation of
$4,774 in Friends of OLLI funds for the acquisition of (1) a
speakerphone system that would allow telephonic participation in
meetings or by a speaker or instructor during a class presentation; and
(2) four laptops with accessories and software for classes in the
Tallwood cottage.
The Board also approved two proposals by the
treasurer: (1) the merger of the Rainy Day Fund and the Future
Contingency Fund into a single OLLI Reserve Fund that will function as
the OLLI segregated financial reserve; and (2) the establishment of
budgetary procedures for managing capital equipment and technology
replacement on a multi-year basis.
The next meeting of the Board will be at 10:00
on Friday, March 16 at Tallwood. All
OLLI members are invited to attend.
Back
THE
OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS met
Friday, January 20, 2012 at
Tallwood. Executive Director Thom Clement advised
that OLLI has 983 members, with membership expected to exceed 1,000
during 2012. He noted that work is underway to make the online
registration system more user-friendly and accessible (any suggestions
should be sent to him); target date for implementation is August 2012.
Thom discussed the final 2011 budget report, which shows total funding
of $383,613 and total expenses of $372,967 – the surplus of $10,647
will be carried forward as part of working capital. Treasurer Dave
Mason reported that "OLLI is in very sound financial condition as we go
forward."
The Board approved providing a total of
$14,500 in
Friends of OLLI funds to various Mason departments for their awarding
of
2012 OLLI scholarships to deserving Mason students. This annual
tradition shows OLLI appreciation to individual Mason departments for
their efforts in encouraging faculty to teach at OLLI.
The Board changed the name of the Public
Relations Committee to the Outreach Committee at the request of the
chair, Dave Ryan.
There was considerable discussion about the
many changes to the Board Handbook proposed by Gordon Canyock, chair of
the ad hoc committee established six months ago to review the Bylaws
and handbook, and about whether or not any change to the bylaws is
appropriate. Further discussion was tabled until the next meeting of
the Board.
The Board approved providing $1,500 in Friends
of OLLI funds to the 2012 Fall for the Book Festival; this is a $500
increase over the amount provided last year and reflects the very
substantial support to OLLI provided by the festival.
The next meeting of the Board will be at 10:00
on Friday, February 17 at Tallwood. All
OLLI members are invited to attend.
Back
THE
OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS met
Friday, November 18, 2011 at
Tallwood. In his written report to the Board,
Executive Director Thom Clement noted that the architectural and
engineering firm with which OLLI has contracted is working on the
second draft of OLLI facility needs, based on interviews with OLLI reps
and analysis of our registration data. We are emphasizing our interest
in facilities that could be used not only by OLLI but also by the
University during afternoons and evenings (the hope is that the
University might help fund facility improvements). The firm's final
report is expected to include options for improvements to Tallwood as
well as plans for new facilities on a different site.
Board
members discussed the treasurer's resolution for a $10 dues increase to
$360 annually, beginning with the spring 2012 term. By a 13-to-3 vote, the Board approved the dues increase –
the first increase in five years, since spring 2007.
The Board then voted unanimously to approve
the budget prepared by the executive director and recommended by the
Finance Committee. The budget's projected 2012 expenditures total
$405,000 (7.3 percent above the 2011 level) – including money for
reprogramming the registration system, setting aside money for capital
expenditures, and less than 3 percent increase in payroll expenses (the
single largest budget category, at $217,000). Other major categories
are general/administrative ($72,000), facilities ($42,000) and
equipment ($30,000). Based on the membership growth assumption of 1,026
members by the end of 2012, there should be a small budget surplus for
2012; without the dues increase, a deficit would have been expected.
The next meeting of the Board will be at 10:00
on Friday, January 20, 2012 at Tallwood. All
OLLI members are invited to attend.
Back
THE
OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS met
Friday, October 21, 2011 at
Tallwood. This was Nancy Scheeler's first meeting
as a director; she was appointed to replace Imogene Willis, who
resigned due to health problems.
Executive Director Thom Clement reported that OLLI
now has 990 members – a new high – and distributed an interesting chart
showing membership numbers by community. For example, the three largest
communities were Fairfax/Fairfax Station (250 members), Reston (142
members) and Springfield (85); click
here to view the chart (pdf).
Recently Thom, President Manny Pablo and
University Liaison Pat Carroll met with the University
provost, chief of staff and executive vice president for a semiannual
update. The University officials expressed willingness to consider
assistance with our Tallwood improvements and indicated that there are
currently no alternative plans for the Tallwood property – which means
OLLI can plan on staying there for at least the next five or six years.
After nine months of 2011, our income is slightly
higher than projected, and our expenditures are slightly lower than
projected. Treasurer Dave Mason introduced his resolution for a dues
increase of $10 to $360/year, effective spring 2012. After considerable
discussion, the Board decided to defer voting on this resolution until
the next Board meeting, which will be at Tallwood on Friday, November
18 at 10:00. All
OLLI members are invited to attend.
Back
THE
OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS met
Friday, September 16, 2011
at Tallwood (the Board did not meet in August). The Board
approved President Manny Pablo's appointment of Wendy Campbell to fill
the vacancy on the Board; Wendy then joined the Board and will serve as
director until June 2012 (our Organization page
has photos and profiles/bios of all Board members).
There was brief discussion of a recent
Executive Committee decision taken in early September to donate $1,000
from Friends of OLLI funds to the Dr. Linda Apple Monson Music
Endowment Fund with the understanding that this amount would be
deducted from our 2012 scholarship funds for Mason's School of Music.
Our $1,000 donation is expected to be matched by an equal amount from
other private gifts.
Executive Director Thom Clement reported that
OLLI has 972 members. Through August, $24,174 has been donated this
year to Friends of OLLI (used for items such as classroom
enhancements and scholarships to deserving students in Mason
departments supporting the OLLI program). Thom noted that this included
$7,500 recently
donated to the Lilyan and Abe Spero Memorial Fund, of which $5,000 came
from
the estate of the late Lilyan Spero,
OLLI Founding Member and third
president. Friends of OLLI has a balance of $18,430 after obligations.
Treasurer Dave Mason reported that OLLI is in
"pretty good shape financially" at present but that 2012 will be a
"tight year" and a dues increase may be needed to avoid a risky
drawdown in working capital ;
the current thinking is for a $10 dues increase to $360. The Finance
Committee will be meeting soon to finalize the proposed 2012 budget for
presentation to the Board at the October 21 meeting (10:00, Tallwood).
All OLLI members are invited to attend.
Back
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET FRIDAY, July
29, 2011 at Tallwood. Vice President Stan Schretter, presiding
in the
president's absence, announced the president's appointment of Martha
Scanlon as chair of the Member Services Committee. Executive Director
Thom Clement reported that OLLI now has 964 members and that although
we are nearing our annual low point for working cash, we are in
position to comfortably pay our bills until fresh income arrives with
fall registration beginning mid-August. Treasurer Dave Mason reported
that OLLI finances are in very good condition.
The Board approved the treasurer's resolution
that provides budget assumptions and guidance for the development of
the OLLI budget for 2012, which will be proposed to the Board in the
fall. The item in the original resolution specifically stating that 2012 dues will need to be increased to
$360 beginning fall 2012 was deleted, although the membership
should
be aware of this possibility.
Before OLLI can consider moving forward with
possible expansion of the Tallwood facility and parking, an engineering
study is required. Thus, the Board authorized the executive director to
use up to $30,000 from working capital to fund such a study by the GMU
architect (expectations are that no more than $20,000 – perhaps less –
will be required).
The Board also approved the establishment of
an ad hoc committee to review the Bylaws and the Board Handbook,
neither of which has been thoroughly reviewed for several years.
Subsequent to the meeting, the president appointed Gordon Canyock to
chair the committee.
Back
THE
NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET FRIDAY, June
10, 2011 at Tallwood for its first meeting after the May
election. As
reported last week, Manuel Pablo and Janet Cochran were
re-elected as
president and secretary, respectively. Stan Schretter was elected
as vice president, and David
Mason was appointed to remain as
treasurer.
Executive
Director Thom Clement reported that OLLI now has 955
members (96 are Loudoun-only) – down from 986 at the end of the spring
term. Thom informed the Board that the rough estimate by Mason
architects for work to reconfigure the Tallwood site to allow more
convenient parking and improved accessibility has doubled to $120,000
(the estimate given at May's annual membership meeting was $60,000).
The Board asked Thom to find out how much it would cost for
OLLI to obtain a more accurate cost figure based on detailed drawings.
After considerable discussion about holding
occasional Board meetings at Reston and Loudoun, the
Board informally agreed to leave the matter up to the president.
Following discussion, the Board tabled a substitute resolution to
recognize a longtime instructor pending the development of criteria
for Board recognition of instructors. It was announced that Garrett Cochran
has been appointed to chair the Facilities Committee.
Back
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET FRIDAY, April
8, 2011 at Tallwood for its last scheduled meeting until the new
Board meets
in June. Executive Director Thom Clement reported that for the first
quarter of 2011, income from memberships is five percent above
projections, with expenditures almost exactly equal to projections.
OLLI now has 980
members (96 are Loudoun-only). The Osher Foundation recently told Thom
that OLLI could apply for possible additional funding when OLLI reaches
1,000 members.
Mason architects have
estimated that for
approximately $60,000, the back of Tallwood campus could be
reconfigured to provide additional parking; this would involve
relocating one or both of our modular buildings, TA-2 and TA-3. There
is also the possibility of acquiring an additional modular building
from Mason. Funding for any such effort could potentially come from a
future Osher grant, OLLI's Rainy Day Fund ($50,000) and/or OLLI's
Future Contingency Fund ($16,750).
Thom advised that Carole Richard has been
working in a new volunteer position as program liaison for Reston and
Loudoun – helping to facilitate programming among all three OLLI sites.
OLLI is planning a
monetary gift to the University to commemorate OLLI's 20th anniversary
this year. Options considered were: (1) a gift to Mason's Early
Identification Program, briefed to
the Board in February; (2) an unrestricted gift to the
University for its discretionary use; and (3) a gift to
Mason's Office of Military Services to aid military veterans attending
the University under the post-9/11 GI Bill. After deliberations, the
Board authorized the Development Committee to proceed
with a fund-raising campaign whose goal would be a gift of $20,000 to
the Office of Military Services.
The Board also approved $1,006 from the
Friends of OLLI Fund for acquisition of a portable public-address
system for use on OLLI bus tours.
No Board meeting is scheduled for May because
Board elections will be underway then. The Board normally meets to
elect
officers in June. All OLLI members are
welcome to attend Board meetings. Back
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET for its
regular monthly meeting at 1:00 on Friday,
March 18,
2011 at the Fairfax County Government Center, after a
morning Board retreat on OLLI dues/Loudoun attended by all directors,
the executive director, former presidents Jan Dewire, Ray Beery, Bob
Bohall, Charles
Duggan, Debbie Halverson and Emmett Fenlon, and former treasurer Gordon
Canyock.
Executive Director Thom Clement
reported that OLLI now has 969 members – 873 full members and 96
Loudoun-only members. Treasurer Dave Mason advised that OLLI is in
good financial condition.
Friends of OLLI had $7,989 in unobligated
funds as of the end of February. The Board approved two resolutions
that will use some of
these funds: (1) $2,849 for the installation
of permanent
speakers in the ceiling of Loudoun classroom 232 to improve
amplification of instructor voices in this classroom, and (2) $1,000 in
support of Fall for the Book.
The Board
approved resolutions on dues/Loudoun
as explained in the president's message of March 19 (see "OLLI for One").
The next Board meeting will be held at 10:00 on Friday, April 8 at
Tallwood. All OLLI members are
invited to attend. Back
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET on
Friday, February 18 at Tallwood. Executive Director Thom Clement
reported that OLLI now has 954 members – 853 full members and 101
Loudoun-only members. Treasurer Dave Mason advised that OLLI is in
good financial shape.
Thom notified
directors—to their dismay—that Tallwood Administrator/OLLI Registrar
Maria Buczek has
reluctantly decided to resign to have more time for other commitments.
Maria is expected to leave OLLI by the beginning of the
spring
term, and Thom is in the process of hiring a replacement.
Friends of OLLI had $6,206 in unobligated
funds as of the end of January. Two resolutions that would use some of
these funds were discussed. A resolution was introduced to donate
$1,000 in support of Fall for the Book (OLLI has done this during each
of the previous two years). Audiovisual Support Committee Chair Paul
Howard presented a resolution to allocate $2,849 for the installation
of permanent
speakers in the ceiling of Loudoun classroom 232 to improve
amplification of instructor voices in this classroom. Both resolutions
were tabled until the next Board meeting.
The Board is considering an appropriate way
for OLLI to commemorate this year's 20th anniversary of the
founding of our Institute. One idea, presented to the Board by
former president Jan Dewire and member Helen Ackerman, was a monetary
gift
raised by member donations to Mason's Early Identification Program –
the University's
college-access program, which supports the academic, career, and
personal/social development of first-generation college-bound students
in Northern Virginia ( click
to view pdf pamphlet). OLLI
members
who have other ideas on how best to commemorate our
20th anniversary should email Jan Dewire.
The next Board meeting will be held Friday
afternoon, March 18 at the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax
– following a Board retreat to address membership/dues options
(Loudoun, etc.) that morning. All OLLI members are
invited to attend the Board meeting. Back
THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS MET on
Friday, January 21, 2011 at Tallwood. The Board approved
President Manuel
Pablo's appointment of Board member Dick Young as chair of the 2011
Nominating Committee; Dick will appoint members of the committee, which
will be responsible for selection of Board candidates and the May
election to
fill the six expiring Board terms.
Executive Director Thom Clement gave the
end-of-the-year financial report: total income was almost 8 percent
above projections, and total expenditures slightly exceeded
projections. OLLI currently has 950 members (98 are Loudoun-only
members). Treasurer Dave Mason reported that OLLI is in good financial
condition and expects to have 1,000 members by this time next year; he
hopes full-membership dues can be kept at $350 for 2012.
Thom advised of the dates of the following
events:
- Friday,
March
18 – morning Board Retreat to
address membership/dues options (Loudoun, etc.), followed by
an afternoon Board Meeting
open to all OLLI members, both at the Fairfax County Government Center,
Fairfax
- Wednesday,
April 6 – Teacher Appreciation
Reception, 3:30-5:00, Mason Center for the Arts, Grand Tier III
- Week
of April
18-22 – Spring Break (one week
off during middle of spring term)
- Friday,
May 6
– Annual Membership Meeting and Picnic,
Tallwood
- Tuesday,
July
26 – Grand Camp 2011, Tallwood
Friends of OLLI now has $20,658 in unobligated
funds. Each year at this time, the Board decides on allocations from
Friends of OLLI to give to Mason departments for their selection of
deserving Mason students in their departments to receive OLLI
scholarships (awarded at the Teacher Appreciation Reception). We award
these in
appreciation of the enormous contribution to OLLI of these Mason
departments, whose professors and instructors voluntarily teach at OLLI
without any compensation from us. The
Board voted to allocate $15,000 to selected Mason departments: $12,000
for scholarships to 11 departments recommended by the
Program Committee; and $1,000 –
not for scholarships – to the
University Libraries in
appreciation of their contribution to OLLI. The balance
will be
allocated at a later time for use by to-be-selected Mason departments.
Back
THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS MET AT LOUDOUN on Friday, November 12, 2010. More
than 30
OLLI members were in attendance. President Manuel Pablo moderated the
meeting, during which many attendees expressed their views about the
dues level for Loudoun members and alternative
OLLI membership options with different dues structures.
To resolve the immediate matter of Loudoun dues for
2011, the Board postponed discussion of
several resolutions, including a proposal for three different OLLI
membership options/dues structures. OLLI membership options and dues
structures will be discussed during a 2011 Board retreat.
Loudoun-only
dues.
After considerable debate, the Board rescinded its October decision
that raised Loudoun-only membership dues from $150 to $250 in 2011 and,
in its place, the Board approved
Loudoun-only dues of
$200 for 2011 ... specifically "for those OLLI members (eligible
members): who are Loudoun County residents (with a Loudoun County ZIP
Code) at the time of their 2011 annual registration (includes current
OLLI members or new OLLI members) or who paid Loudoun only dues for
their 2010 annual registration in any 2010 term, regardless of their
address." The resolution does not address the level of Loudoun dues
beyond 2011.
|
There will be no Board meeting in December.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for
Friday, January 21 at 10:00 at Tallwood.
All OLLI members are
invited to attend meetings of the Board. Back
THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS MET ON FRIDAY,
OCTOBER 15,
2010 at Tallwood. Executive
Director Thom Clement reported that we now have
964 members (865 full members and 99
Loudoun-only members) and that funding is about 7% higher
than projected, with overall expenses about 8% less than projected.
Loudoun-related
proposals.
There was considerable discussion concerning
the Loudoun membership/dues proposal, with non-Board members in
attendance also offering comments. The
Board
passed
an
amended
resolution
that
retains
the
Loudoun-only
membership
category
and
raises
Loudoun-only membership dues to $250
starting with the winter 2011 term registration. Specifically,
the $250 dues level applies to OLLI members who are Loudoun County
residents (i.e., Loudoun County ZIP Code) at the time of their 2011
annual registration (includes current OLLI members and new OLLI
members) or members who paid Loudoun-only dues for their 2010 annual
registration in any 2010 term, regardless of their address.
A second resolution proposed establishing a
committee to look at enhanced program and staff support for Loudoun and
Reston. Due to concerns about required changes in the text of the
resolution and whether or not the resolution is even necessary given
efforts already underway by OLLI resource groups, the resolution was
tabled. The Board passed a resolution approving the acquisition of a
piano for the Loudoun campus using up to $6,500 of Friends of OLLI
funds. |
The next Board meeting is scheduled for
Friday, November 19, at 10:00 at Tallwood.
All OLLI members are
invited to attend meetings of the Board. Back
THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS MET on
Friday, September 17, 2010 at Tallwood. Executive Director Thom Clement
reported that we now have 938 members, including 94 new ones. Both
numbers are likely to increase as late registration requests continue
to be processed. He also reported that Mason has signed a three-year
extension on its lease for the building in Loudoun where OLLI holds
classes.
The Board discussed five resolutions from the
Finance Committee regarding next year's budget, approving four
unanimously:
- Budget Assumptions and Guidance,
including guidance that all members should pay the same full dues by
2012 and that payroll increases for 2011 should not exceed 5%.
- 2011 Budget, pending any
modifications that arise between now and November (expenditures were
set at $375,408, or about a 2.5% increase over 2010).
- Full membership dues to remain at $350 in
2011 with the budget balanced by using up to $18,000 in Working
Capital. (We anticipate ending 2010 with sufficient cash to cover this
shortfall).
- A Capital Equipment Replacement Fund
was established, to be managed within Working Capital.
The fifth resolution, pertaining to
Loudoun-member dues, was tabled for further discussion at the October
meeting. Essentially, the proposal is to charge members with a Loudoun
home address dues of $250 in 2011 and at the same time, to terminate
Loudoun-only membership, giving Loudoun residents full membership
privileges. The resolution also provides for raising those dues to full
parity with Reston and Tallwood effective in 2012.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for
Friday, October 15, at 10:00 at Tallwood. All OLLI members are invited
to attend meetings of the Board. Back
THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS MET ON FRIDAY,
JULY 9,
2010 at Tallwood. Executive
Director Thom Clement reported that we now have
915 members (828 full members and 87
Loudoun-only members). Thom advised the Board of class schedule changes
to be instituted at Loudoun on a trial basis beginning with
the upcoming winter term to
allow more time
before and after the mid-day session for travel and for lunch. The
trial schedule will be: first class, 10:00 - 11:15 (75 min.); second
class, 12:15 - 1:30 (75 min.); and third class, 2:30 - 3:30 (60 min.).
Thom also advised that on a trial basis, there will be a
one-week break in the middle of OLLI's spring 2011 term. That term will
run for
four weeks, March 21 - April 15, followed by a one-week break, and then
the second four weeks, April 25 - May 20.
The Board approved Audiovisual Support
Committee Chair Paul Howard's proposal to
allocate $6,884 from Friends of OLLI
for
audiovisual enhancements at Tallwood and Reston.
|
There was considerable discussion concerning
a proposal from Director Suzy Jampoler, Loudoun Coordinator, for the
Finance Committee to study the current
dues structure with the goal of eliminating the difference in dues
between full members and Loudoun-only members; her proposal included
consideration of a possible single annual membership fee for all OLLI
members that would cover a fixed number of classes plus a per-course
fee for additional courses. Key concerns about a per-course option
included difficulty in monitoring and enforcement at the classroom,
breakdown
in the collegial OLLI membership culture, and greater uncertainty in
estimating annual revenue. The resolution was not approved by the Board. |
The Board will not meet in August; the next
meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 17, at 10:00 at Tallwood.
All OLLI members are
invited to attend meetings of the Board. Back
THE
NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET ON FRIDAY, JUNE 11,
2010 at Tallwood. As reported in last week's OLLI E-News, the Board elected
officers for the next 12 months: Manuel Pablo as president, Kathie West
as vice president, David Mason as treasurer and Janet Cochran as
secretary.
Executive
Director Thom Clement reported that OLLI is in good financial shape
and that we now have
902 members (800 full members, 13 introductory members and 89
Loudoun-only members). On Wednesday, June 9, about 130 people from
Mason departments that support OLLI came to Tallwood for what has
become an annual event, our GMU Support Staff Luncheon; this event
generates good will for our Institute. OLLI will hold its first Grand
Camp on Monday, July 26; 59 people have registered so far (33 kids, 26
OLLI members).
In new business, the Board tabled
the consideration of a proposal to allocate $6,884 from Friends of OLLI
for
audiovisual enhancements until the next Board meeting. The Board
approved mid-year budget adjustments recommended by the executive
director and the Finance Committee; these adjustments reflect more
accurate estimates of expected income and also allow for increased
expenses in needed areas, to be funded by the greater-than-customary
working cash now available.
The Board also approved revised mission and
responsibilities statements for all 10 current standing committees,
including new and renamed committees (Member Services, Public
Relations, Strategic Planning).
During the public comments time, OLLI member
Bob Graham made some brief remarks and passed out a two-page memo with
suggestions and points to consider.
The Board
is scheduled to meet at Tallwood on Friday, July 9, at 10:00.
All OLLI members are
invited to attend meetings of the Board. Back
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET ON FRIDAY, APRIL 16,
2010 at Tallwood for its last scheduled Board meeting until June (due
to May
elections), when the
new Board will meet and elect officers for the next 12 months.
Executive
Director Thom Clement reported that OLLI is in good financial shape
and that we now have
902 members (813 full members and 89 Loudoun-only members).
The Board approved the allocation of $6,294
from working capital cash for additional gravel parking of 8-10 spaces
adjacent to current gravel spaces at Tallwood.
The Board also approved a donation of $1,000 from Friends of OLLI funds
to support the 2010 Fall for the Book Festival.
The Board heard recommendations from the Task
Force on Organization concerning committee structure and approved the
following changes--
- A
new Public Relations Committee
was
established to focus on external communications, especially recruitment
of new members and increased visibility of the Institute.
- The
Membership Committee was renamed the Member
Services Committee, which will focus on creating and maintaining
a welcoming environment and social activities for current members and
on coordinating and recognizing volunteer activity at all campuses.
There would be subcommittees for Hospitality
and for Campus Volunteer Coordination.
- The
Planning
Committee was renamed the Strategic
Planning Committee and would focus on long-range planning for
the Institute, to include functions of the current Program Review
Committee, which was disestablished.
The Board
is scheduled to meet at Tallwood on Friday, June 11, at 10:00.
All OLLI members are
invited to attend meetings of the Board. Back
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET ON FRIDAY, MARCH 19,
2010 at the OLLI/Loudoun site. Thirteen non-Board OLLI members
attended.
Executive
Director Thom Clement reported that OLLI is in good financial shape,
with revenues higher than projected and expenses less than anticipated,
and that we now have
891 members, including 81 Loudoun-only members.
Dr. Jerry Coughter, Mason's executive
officer
for Loudoun Site Administration, presented the plans for relocation and
expansion of the Loudoun campus. It is possible that there will be an
interim re-location from Mason's current Sterling site to a leased
building at another Loudoun location in 2011, and there may be a
follow-on move to
a new 37-acre campus south of the Dulles Greenway at exit 6
(approximately five miles west of our current site). Read more
information here.
A resolution to decrease the size of the Board
from 18 to 15 directors was voted down. A resolution for about $10,000
worth of audiovisual
equipment to upgrade and enhance OLLI
resources was approved.
The Board
is scheduled to meet at Tallwood on Friday, April 16, at 10:00.
All OLLI members are
invited to attend meetings of the Board. Back
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2010.
President Emmett Fenlon announced that he had delayed the appointment
of directors to fill the two current vacancies pending the Board's
decision about a possible proposed change in Board size. Executive
Director Thom Clement discussed his report to the Board, including
the following--
- We have received the $25,000 gift from the
Osher Foundation; $15,000 has been placed in a Future
Contingency Fund, and $10,000 is listed as income in our operating fund.
- In
January,
income from memberships was significantly more than projected and
expenses slightly less.
- Friends
of
OLLI has $7,890 in unobligated funds ($12,000 for scholarships to Mason
students has been sent to the University).
- Total
number
of members is 892, including 82 Loudoun-only members; there were 53 new
members for the winter term, including 14 introductory-rate members,
who were offered a reduction in the regular rate for continuing for
three more terms because of the winter-term snow problems (missed days
on Feb 3, 5, week of Feb 8-12, and Feb 15).
- The
online
voting test was successful with 219 members voting.
- "Grand Camp" will be held on Jul 26,
the first Monday after the summer term ends, with six activity slots in
the morning and six more slots in the afternoon; volunteers will be
needed to help with registration and preparation of lunch and snacks.
- The University informed us that Sunrise has
emerged from bankruptcy and is once again interested in pursuing a
University-based Retirement Community (UBRC) project with George Mason
(the
project may be similar to the previous plan that included space for
OLLI or a completely different plan). The University, at
present, has
no specific plans for the
Tallwood property and advised us to proceed with our
program and planning as usual, since the UBRC
project may or may not materialize.
- The Annual Membership Meeting with
candidates' speeches and possible picnic/Silent Auction will be held on
Friday, April 30. The Board
decided that the "meet the
candidates" meeting on Fri, Apr 23, would be held at Loudoun this year.
The Task Force on Organization had proposed a resolution to reduce the
size of the Board (currently 18 directors), recommending a bylaws
change to specify a Board size of between 12 and 18 directors as
decided by the
Board at any given time. After much discussion, the Board decided to
table the motion until its next meeting to give directors time to
consider and discuss this major change, which would be subject to
membership approval.
I had proposed a resolution to reserve the
social room annex exclusively for members' social use during times when
classes are being held at Tallwood. After some discussion, the Board provided guidance that no classes
should be scheduled in the annex during the middle class period
(currently 11:45 to 1:15).
Next month
the Board will meet at Loudoun
(Friday, March 19, at 10:30). All OLLI members are
invited to attend. Back
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2010.
President Emmett Fenlon announced the appointment of
Jack Underhill, current OLLI secretary, as chair of the Nominating
Committee for the 2010 Board
elections. The plan is to offer an option for electronic voting by
members in the May 2010 elections, and toward that end Executive
Director Thom Clement advised that there will be a membership test of
the voting software soon. Thom also reviewed financial and operating
information, including
the following--
- In
2009, our
actual
income exceeded our actual expenses by $40,032.
- Working
cash
in the bank ended the year at $128,130 (up
from $98,318).
- Friends
of
OLLI has $17,310 in unobligated funds.
- Total
number
of members is 893 as of the end of the fall
term.
- Beth
Baroody
has been hired as the Reston site assistant,
replacing Ann Youngren.
- The
two task
forces, one on organization and the other on
program, will hold their first meetings during the week of January 18.
- Plans
for a
"Grand Camp" this summer are proceeding, with
an initial meeting to be held on February 17.
The Board
voted to allocate $12,000 from Friends of
OLLI funds for scholarships to deserving Mason students. Directors
approved giving $1,000 to each of the following 12 Mason
departments: History/Art History, Economics, English, Theater, Music,
Molecular/Microbiology, Environmental Science/Public Policy, Institute
for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Philosophy, School of Public
Policy, Psychology, and Education and Human Development. Departments
will select scholarship recipients. OLLI has traditionally done this
each year in
gratitude for instructor support provided to OLLI by Mason
departments.
Next month the Board will meet at Tallwood
(Friday, February 19, at 10:00), but for future planning, the Board
will
hold its March meeting at the OLLI-Loudoun site (10:30 on Friday, March
19). All OLLI members are
invited to attend meetings of the Board. Back
THE
BOARD MET FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009 in its
regular
monthly meeting; some 11 interested OLLI members
also attended, more than usual. President Emmett Fenlon announced his
appointment of Board member Carole Richard to chair the newly
re-established Facilities Committee. Executive
Director Thom Clement reviewed his report to the Board, which included
the following information of interest to members--
- Income
is
more than projected and expenses are less than projected this year, so
a
surplus of $18,000 is expected (as a result of conservative planning
estimates and cautious management).
- Friends
of
OLLI has $14,500 in unobligated funds (more members than usual have
generously contributed during recent months, but the average
contribution amount is less than in the past).
- There
are 893 total members, including 775 full members, 80 Loudoun-only
members and 38 introductory-rate full members (who pay $150 for a
one-term trial period, unlimited courses at all three locations, and
can continue their membership for the next three terms for $250).
- Members
have started volunteering to help staff the Program and Organization
Task Forces and the Facilities Committee in response to the recent newsletter
article asking for "visionary volunteers."
There was concern about possible restrictions
on our use of the $25,000 Osher gift, but Thom explained that the gift
is essentially unrestricted and represents another source of funds that
can
be used for OLLI's normal budget items. Thom and Treasurer Dave Mason
spoke about the proposed 2010 budget, its assumptions, and likely
scenarios with and without a dues increase if OLLI membership numbers
in 2010 are different than the budget's current assumption of 785 full
members. After considerable discussion and debate from directors and
also attending OLLI members about whether or not to increase dues by
$10 in 2010, the Board voted to keep dues unchanged at $350 for full
members and $150 for Loudoun-only members.
The Board voted to establish a Future Fund to
"address financial needs for the expansion of OLLI's program, facility
requirements, and other currently unanticipated needs" -- to be
financed with an initial allocation of $15,000 from the Osher gift. The
Board then voted to approve the 2010 budget. Back
THE
OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2009.
Executive Director Thom Clement and Treasurer David Mason presented and
discussed the draft budget for calendar year 2010, which includes a
recommended
increase in full-membership dues from $350 to $365. The Board voted to increase dues to $365
starting with the winter term (begins
January 25, 2010) . This vote
represents guidance for the final 2010
budget, which will be presented to the membership at the November 6
town
meeting and to the Board, for official approval, at its November 20
meeting.
Planning Committee Chair Valerie Braybrooke made a
presentation on Pathways to the
Future, a report to the
Board that summarizes OLLI's current situation and recommends
short-term and strategic actions in five areas (membership, program,
facilities, finances and organization). Pathways will be the basis for an
off-site Board retreat on October
23. OLLI members are welcome to read Pathways
( click
to view pdf document) and, if desired, contact OLLI
with their views.
After considerable discussion concerning
Loudoun, the Board approved a
resolution to formally accept
the Loudoun program as an "integral and permanent part" of OLLI.
Back
THE
OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET on Fri, Jul 17, 2009 (Note: No Board
meeting was held in August 2009),
and
approved President Emmett Fenlon's appointment of Loudoun
Coordinator Suzy Jampoler to fill the vacant position on the Board;
Suzy's first term as director will
expire June 2011 (read her bio on our Organization page).
After a discussion about governance vs.
operational/administrative
policy issues, the Board agreed that certain operational/administrative
matters were
properly under the purview of the
executive director. Recent administrative decisions follow.
- Installment
Payment
Plan.
Beginning with the fall 2009 term, members will have the option of
paying their annual dues in 12 monthly installments via credit/debit
card (details in Thom's article above).
- Selected
courses available
to Loudoun-only members.
Loudoun-only members will have the option to take two specific fall
courses at Reston for an additional per-course fee. The executive
director may determine other specific
courses at Tallwood or Reston that would benefit from extending their
eligibility to Loudoun-only members and the specific fees that would
apply to such courses.
- Opening
undersubscribed bus trips.
The executive director may open undersubscribed bus trips to
Loudoun-only members and to family and friends of OLLI members and to
set the specific fees for such trips.
- OLLI
social functions and clubs/groups. All OLLI members are
entitled to attend OLLI social functions and clubs/groups that meet
at Tallwood, Reston and Loudoun.
|
Treasurer David
Mason discussed
the upcoming 2010 budget to be formulated soon and then approved by the
Board this fall. One concern is a sharply reduced payout expected next
year from the Osher Endowment ($35,000 rather than $50,000) because the
endowment value has decreased by about 25 percent. The Board approved
detailed budget assumptions to be used in developing the 2010 budget,
including the following.
- Annual
dues
for full members will not increase by
more than 5 percent.
- Annual
dues
for Loudoun-only members starting in the spring 2010 term will not
increase
to more than $165.
Executive Director Thom Clement updated the
Board on membership numbers: currently there are 872 members (762 full,
110 Loudoun-only) compared with 783 [full] members a year ago. Thom
also noted that the unobligated balance of the Friends of OLLI fund
-- used for classroom enhancements and scholarships to deserving Mason
students -- is less than $3,000 (see article below about Friends of
OLLI). Back
THE
OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET on Tue, Jun 9, 2009. This
was the first meeting of the newly constituted Board, now with four
newly elected directors (Paul Howard, Carole Richard, Dick Young, and
also David Mason, who had been serving as an appointed
director), two re-elected directors and 11 other directors (one
position is currently vacant, to be appointed by the new president
subject to Board approval). Twelve directors were present for Tuesday's
meeting.
The Board
elected Emmett Fenlon as president, Manuel Pablo as vice president,
David Mason as treasurer, and Jack
Underhill as secretary, with each term of office to run for one year.
Executive Director Thom Clement reported that
financials through the end of April are satisfactory, with more income
and lower expenses than projected. As of Jun 9, we have 859 members (749 full, 110 Loudoun-only) compared
to 768 in June of 2008. OLLI
member Suzy Jampoler is now the Loudoun Coordinator, with similar
responsibilities for that site as Reston Coordinator Al Roe has for
Reston.
This year's Silent Auction brought in $6,882
for Friends of OLLI. As of May 31, there is an unobligated balance of
$10,341 in
Friends of OLLI funds. The Board approved a
resolution allocating $7,964 from Friends of OLLI funds for audiovisual
upgrades and enhancements, primarily at Reston, with priority and
timing of actions to be jointly determined by the executive director
and the Audiovisual Support Committee chair.
The Board also approved
$3,000 to be added to the 2009 facilities budget line item for
construction and improvements
to the attic of the Smallwood (the building that houses the four
restrooms) for use as storage for OLLI materials and equipment.
The next Board meeting will be on Fri, Jul 17, at Tallwood. All OLLI
members are invited to attend. Back
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET AT 10:00 ON FRI, APR 17, 2009.
Kathie West explained the new system of bidding for the Silent Auction:
each member will be given a number, and members will use their assigned
numbers to bid rather than their names.
Executive Director Thom Clement reported that
a classroom technical assistant has been hired part time to help manage
set-up of classrooms at Reston. OLLI now has 769 full members and 106
Loudoun-only members, compared to 762 members in April 2008. Loudoun
has 16 courses this term, with 25 courses planned for the summer term
and an active program planning committee with 20 additional volunteers
helping out in various areas.
The contract with the Washington Plaza Baptist
Church, site of OLLI's Reston classes, is being renegotiated by Thom
Clement; the new contract is expected to allow use of the sanctuary and
an additional half day per week with four additional open houses or
special events per year. Thom has authority to make contracts for OLLI
but was given "sense of the Board" approval to proceed with terms he
explained to the Board.
The Treasurer, not present, noted in writing
that OLLI finances are sound and there are no pending financial
concerns.
There was discussion about the Board's
previous approval to proceed with electronic voting starting with the
Board elections in 2010. The executive director was given "sense of the
Board" approval to proceed with software development for electronic
voting, including voting on bylaws changes, but not for conducting
surveys.
Two resolutions were proposed and passed that
authorize money from Friends of OLLI funds. One resolution was for
$1,000 by
the Landscaping Committee for a retaining wall adjacent to the Picnic
Terrace; the wall will contain a small bed to hold plants that will
screen the Terrace from the street and, with capstones, will serve as
extra seating for up to a dozen people. The second resolution was for
$3,000 to purchase powered speakers, a mixer, and additional head-worn
microphones with transmitters/receivers; these will enhance the quality
of sound amplification at our off-site locations for panel
presentations and for outdoor presentations.
The Board does not normally meet in May due to
the election of new directors. The next regular meeting will be in
June, when the Board, with newly elected directors,
will meet to elect officers for the June 2009-June 2010 term. Back
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET ON FRI, MAR
20, 2009. Executive
Director Thom Clement reported that we now have 863 members (761 full
members and 102 Loudoun-only members). There were 32 new members for
the spring term – 14 full members ($350/year), 2
Loudoun-only members ($125/year), and 16 who joined at the introductory
rate ($150 for the spring term only).
Thom had
met with the developer of our online registration system to discuss
improvements, including some suggestions from members received via
email and in a late February meeting. Changes are being made in the
appearance and functioning of the system, including sending out final
course confirmations via email rather than first-class letter and
providing a
"calendar" view of course selections. The developer will also be
working on a system for electronic voting for board candidates and
by-laws changes, starting no earlier than May 2010.
The annual Teacher Appreciation Reception will
be held at the Center for the Arts on Fri, Apr 17, from 3:30-5:30. This
is an invitation-only event; invitations will be sent to, among others,
all OLLI instructors for the summer 2008 through spring 2009 terms and
Friends of OLLI in the Benefactor and Patron categories.
Since Friends of OLLI donations are low, Thom
delayed the order for reupholstering of additional chairs. The
Treasurer reported in a written report that OLLI finances are sound,
and there are no pending financial concerns.
A proposed by-laws change was introduced that
would establish two classes of membership, one of "full" members
(paying full dues, now $350, entitled to attend classes at all sites),
another of "limited" members (paying less than full dues or an amount
for less than a year), and only full members would be allowed to vote.
After considerable debate, the proposal was rejected by the majority of
those voting.
A resolution was introduced to establish
a "working capital fund" to cover potential temporary shortages in
OLLI's operating cash. After lengthy discussion the resolution was
amended
and approved as follows: The
Executive Director, with the
concurrence of the President and Treasurer, is authorized to use up to
$10,000 of monies from the "Rainy Day Fund" as a "temporary working
capital reserve." Any "Rainy Day Fund" monies so used shall be
replenished within 90 days by monies from semester fees. The Executive
Director shall report to the Board both the use and the replenishment
of
monies from the "Rainy Day Fund."
Finally, in a "sense of the Board" vote, the
Board voted to have one board meeting per year at the Reston and
Loudoun sites.
The next Board meeting will be at 10:00 on
Fri, Apr 17. All OLLI members are invited to attend. Back
FEB 20, 2009: THE
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR REPORTED that
we now have 770 full members plus 99 Loudoun-only members, including 37
new full members and 17 new Loudoun members who joined us for the
winter term.
With registration for the spring term starting
February 23, Thom Clement solicited suggestions for improving the
online
registration system.
The Board approved a recommendation for
electronic voting by the A/V
Support Committee that the Executive Director consult with OLLI members
with software development or project management backgrounds. He should
then solicit a proposal for the project from Mr. McLean and proceed, if
an acceptable proposal is received and agreement reached, with the
development of an OLLI electronic voting application for a cost not to
exceed $2000 without further reference to the BOD.
President Pat Carroll reported on our recent
meeting with Mason administrators Peter Stearns, Provost; Tom
Hennessey, Chief of Staff; and Maurice Scherrens, Vice President.
Although Mason is still committed to the University Based Retirement
Community (UBRC), the current economic conditions have pushed this
project farther into the future. Mason is still actively pursuing
options for an expanded campus in Loudoun County.
We received letters of appreciation from
several Mason deans and department chairs regarding the OLLI
scholarships for this year. A total of $13,000 will be presented to
selected students at our annual Teacher Appreciation Reception on April
17.
We also received a very complimentary response
from David Blazevich, Senior Program Officer for the Osher Foundation,
regarding our submission of our 2008 Annual Endowment Report. Back
JAN 16, 2009: THE OLLI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
met at Tallwood on Fri, Jan 16, for its regular monthly meeting.
Fifteen of 19 directors were present, and five other OLLI members also
attended. (OLLI members are always welcome to attend and are given an
opportunity to comment during the period for public comments.)
The Board approved a total of $13,000 from
Friends of OLLI funds to be given as OLLI scholarships to deserving
Mason students as selected by the chairs of
various Mason schools and
departments; this is
an increase from the $8,000 total in OLLI scholarships to Mason
students last
year. In addition, the Board approved $1,000 from Friends of OLLI funds
for the 2009 Fall for the Book festival (this is the same amount
provided last
year).
Executive Director Thom Clement reported that
we now have 853 members (90 Loudoun-only; 763 full) compared
to 731 at this time last year.
Thom also advised the Board of the
following
revised class times during the summer and fall terms--
•
Summer:
• Tallwood –
One class at 9:30; two classes at 11:30.
• Reston –
10:00 and 2:00.
• Loudoun –
10:30 and 1:00.
• Fall:
• Tallwood and Reston – 9:30; 11:45;
2:00.
• Loudoun – 10:30 and 1:00.
|
There was some discussion about electronic voting options for the
upcoming Board elections in May. The ad hoc committee had just
recommended developing customized software at a cost of $2,000 but some
directors thought that off-the-shelf software or a Web service would be
a better choice. The sense of the Board was to wait until the February
Board meeting to decide the matter, which also allows time for the
Nominating Committee to discuss options and voice its opinion.
The next meeting of the Board will
be held at Tallwood on Fri, Feb 20,
at 10:00. All OLLI members are invited to attend.
Back
DEC 2008: No Board meeting was held but via
email the Board elected David Mason as Treasurer effective Jan 1, 2009,
replacing outgoing Treasurer Gordon Canyock. Back
NOV 19, 2008: THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET
ON FRI, NOV 19. In the executive director's financial report, Thom
Clement noted that income is $4,570 more and expenses are $16,378 less
than projected at this stage of the year. The Board approved his
proposed budget for 2009, which does not include a change in dues.
Membership now totals 846, including 80 Loudoun-only members.
The Board accepted the Ad Hoc Loudoun Study
Committee’s proposed measures for determining how well Loudoun will
have progressed toward achieving a vibrant, self-sustaining, quality
program by Oct 2009. These milestones were to reach a membership of 125
with at least 20 volunteers and 16 courses offered per term. Dues for
self-sufficiency are expected to be in the range of $150-$175.
The Board approved a resolution introduced by
Ben Gold to provide a one-time-only contribution of $250 to Reston's
Used Book Store in recognition of its long-term support of the Literary
Roundtable class. Never asking for any compensation, the store has
generously provided space and a welcoming atmosphere to the class every
week of every term since fall 1999.
Gordon Canyock announced that he would resign
as treasurer effective Dec 31 so a new treasurer could work with the
executive director from the very start of the new budget year. Back
OCT 17, 2008: THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET in a
three-and-a-quarter-hour session on Fri, Oct 17, for its regular
monthly meeting.
Executive Director Thom Clement reviewed the
draft OLLI budget for 2009 that will be presented to the membership at
the Town Hall Meeting on Fri, Oct 31 (10:00 to 12 noon). The proposed
2009 budget assumes no change to the current $350 dues for full
membership. The final 2009 budget will be voted upon by the Board at
the November Board meeting.
Several resolutions were discussed, and all
received overwhelming Board approval.
- "Introductory"
membership rate. Effective with the spring 2009 term, the Board
approved an "introductory" new-membership rate of $150 for one term;
new members choosing this option could continue their membership for a
full year by paying $250 for the ensuing three terms.
- Loudoun
pilot program. The Board extended the Loudoun pilot program
through all of calendar year 2009 (previously it had been extended
through the summer 2009 term) with a final decision on the program's
future to be made by the Board at its Oct 2009 meeting. If the program
is terminated at that time or earlier, Loudoun members will receive a
pro rata dues refund. The Board agreed to underwrite (i.e., subsidize
out of operating funds) the Loudoun program in 2009 by an amount up to
$10,000.
- Elections
to the Board. The Board accepted and directed implementation of
the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee to Review OLLI Nominating
Procedures. Key recommendations were: (1) To establish a committee to
explore and recommend ways and means of implementing an electronic
election process for the 2009 Board elections; and (2) To delete from
"What Is Expected of an OLLI Board Member," a document given to
prospective Board candidates, the language 'requiring Board members to
contribute to Friends of OLLI.' [Note: the revised document is Exhibit
A of "Procedures and Guidelines for the Nominating Committee," a pdf
document at this page.]
- New
signage. The Board approved up to $750 from Friends of OLLI
funds for permanent signs for parking areas, classrooms and common
areas.
- Chairs.
The Board approved up to $9,000 from Friends of OLLI funds for
reupholstering all chairs in TA-2 and TA-3 as was done last year for
TA-1 chairs.
- Audiovisual
equipment. The Board approved up to $4,533 from Friends of OLLI
funds for upgrades to OLLI's audiovisual resources at Tallwood and for
Internet improvements at Reston. The largest portion is for a new,
high-quality video projector for TA-3.
The next Board
meeting will be held on Fri, Nov 21. All members are invited to attend. Back
SEP 19,
2008: ON
FRI, SEP 19,
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET for its
regular monthly
meeting. Reston Coordinator Al Roe presented an update on the Reston
organization and its focus. Of interest were his emphatic
re-affirmation that Reston is not interested in becoming independent or
having a different dues structure than Tallwood. According to Al, 196
full OLLI members reside in a Reston-associated ZIP
Code (Reston, Oakton, Herndon and western Vienna); this represents 26
percent of OLLI membership and generates $68,600 in revenue vs.
$21,500 in direct Reston expenses (e.g., the OLLI employee at Reston,
rent of church spaces).
Executive Director Thom Clement reported that
there are now 756 full members (i.e., $350 in annual dues), a slight
increase over this time last year. Thom also announced that he has
arranged for Mason to re-carpet Tallwood
and re-paint most of the walls later this year at no
cost to OLLI.
Loudoun program.
Treasurer Gordon Canyock advised the Board
that he believes the executive director has an impossible assignment in
trying to achieve a balanced budget (revenue equal to expenses) for the
Loudoun pilot program during 2009. The fall 2008 registration of some
72 Loudoun members at $125 each raised approximately $9,000 -- enough
to put the Loudoun program in the black (no deficit) for 2008 -- but
this new Loudoun dues structure makes it very difficult to raise enough
money to match expenses during 2009. Gordon asked the Board to consider
two possible options:
1. Eliminate local staff support, which would
reduce expenses by almost two-thirds; however, Gordon feels not having
staff support would effectively kill the Loudoun program because it
would not be able to continue to operate effectively.
2. Allocate $5,000-$7,000 from either Friends
of OLLI or income from the Osher Endowment to fund Loudoun over the
next year or two to give it a chance to get on its feet and become
self-sustaining, either as a fully integrated part of OLLI or as an
independent entity.
Gordon posed the matter this way: Did the
Osher Foundation give us the $1-million endowment so that we could keep
our dues down, or did the Foundation expect OLLI to use the endowment's
income to expand our outstanding program? |
Development
Committee Chair John Woods proposed that the Board authorize up to
$3,000 from the Friends of OLLI account to put gravel on part of the
grassy area below the 'loop' for additional parking
spaces; this project would make the area usable during the winter and
when the area is soggy. The Board approved the resolution.
The next Board meeting will be held at
Tallwood at 10:00 on Fri, Oct 17. All members are invited to attend. Back
AUG 22, 2008: THE BOARD MET ON FRI, AUG 22, FOR ITS
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING. President Pat Carroll announced that Tallwood
Site Administrator Ann Hartmann has accepted a full-time position
elsewhere but has agreed to stay at OLLI until Fri, Sep 19.
OLLI leadership met earlier on Aug 22 with the
Mason Provost and the Chief of Staff for a semi-annual discussion about
our institute. Mason now projects that Mason's University Based
Retirement Center (where OLLI will then be located) will be in
operation by 2012.
Executive Director Thom Clement reported
that we have 768 members. With open houses scheduled for Tue, Sep 9
(Tallwood), Wed, Sep 10 (Loudoun), and Thu, Sep 11 (Reston), OLLI
members are encouraged to hand out catalogs and business cards to
potential members and to post notices about the open houses (see the
office for catalogs, cards and notices).
Treasurer Gordon Canyock discussed the 2009
budget assumptions and the guidance recommended by the Finance
Committee for use in developing the 2009 budget. The Board approved the
guidance, including that: (1) the baseline budget will have no increase
in dues; and (2) dues increases in any optional budget scenarios must
not significantly exceed the inflation factor. The Finance Committee
was tasked with researching, assessing, and proposing any changes to
our existing dues structure prior to the October Board meeting.
The Board accepted the ad hoc committee's
recommendations concerning the naming of OLLI facilities that: (1) it
is not appropriate to name facilities; and (2) Founder Kathryn Brooks'
unique contributions should be honored by the creation of "The Kathryn
Brooks Educational Center at Tallwood" and that a sign to this effect
should be placed in the vicinity of the breezeway.
The Board discussed proposed enhancements to
the social room annex. The $6,600 proposal was not approved by the
Board but the Board did ask the executive director to work on "sprucing
up" the annex.
Loudoun. After considerable discussion, the
Board voted to continue the Loudoun pilot program on a revenue-neutral
basis for another four terms (through summer 2009), and the Board
authorized an ad hoc committee to develop measurable criteria that will
be used to support future decisions regarding the Loudoun pilot
program. This effectively endorsed the executive director's plan for
Loudoun participants to become OLLI members starting in fall 2008 at a
separate dues structure of $125 per year for Loudoun courses only. The
option to take Loudoun and Reston courses for $200 per year membership
was not approved by the Board.
The next meeting of the Board will be held at
Tallwood on Fri, Sep 19, at 11:00 (delayed from the normal time because
of the New Members' Coffee at 10:00 that day). All OLLI members
are welcome to attend. Back
JULY 18, 2008: The Board approved the formation of an ad
hoc committee to consider the issue of naming facilities at the
Tallwood location. Bob Persell has agreed to chair the committee.
2008 Nominating Committee Chair Bob Bohall
presented a report from the committee with suggestions for the future,
including that electronic voting be considered. In that regard, the
Board approved an ad hoc committee to be chaired by Manny Pablo to look
into electronic voting.
Executive Director Thom Clement reported that
there are 767 full members, including 16 members from Loudoun. Thom
proposed and the Board agreed that dues for the Loudoun fall 2008 term
would be set at $125 for Loudoun courses only (no more per-course
charges) with a $200 option for allowing Loudoun members to also take
classes at Reston.
Under Old Business, the proposal to remodel
the social room annex was discussed but then tabled until the August
meeting.
Under New Business, there was much discussion
about the proposed introductory pricing option of $100 for new
fall-term 2008 members; these members would have to pay the balance of
$250 the next time they register in 2009 (winter, spring or summer).
The resolution was unanimously defeated.
The next meeting of the Board will be held at
Tallwood on Fri, Aug 22, at 10:00. All OLLI members are welcome to
attend. Back
MAY AND JUNE 2008: There was no Board meeting in May
(election of directors was held that month). The Board met on Jun 13 as
reported by President Pat Carroll in his OLLI E-News
article of Jun 20: "The new Board was
seated at the Board meeting
on Jun 13. The Nominating Committee presided over elections for
officers of the Board. I was re-elected president,
Emmett Fenlon was elected vice president, Gordon Canyock was re-elected
treasurer, and Kathleen Meyer was elected secretary. The Board then
approved the appointment of Dave Mason as a director to replace
Paul Howard, who had resigned from the Board."
Additional June meeting highlights included
the following items--
- Pat announced that John West and Manny Pablo
had agreed to co-chair the Audiovisual Support Committee, replacing
Paul Howard who recently resigned as chair.
- Pat announced that Kathie West had agreed to
chair the Membership Committee, replacing Debbie Halverson who recently
resigned after four years as chair. Kathie would chair a committee
without hospitality responsibilities and Sandy Driesslein has agreed to
continue to lead hospitality efforts as chair of a Hospitality
Committee.
- It was the sense of the Board that OLLI should
have a goal to increase membership to 1,000 with no target date set;
fulfilling this goal would make us eligible for a second $1,000,000
endowment from the Osher Foundation.
- The Friends of OLLI fund has received $5,000
from Phoebe Dexter in memory of her mother, LRI founder Kathryn Brooks.
- An Open House is planned for Sep 9.
- Program Associate Rae Schafer’s last day is
Jun 13; Beth Davis starts officially on Jun 30.
- Reston is seeking additional facilities and
considering a Marymount venue on Wiehle Avenue.
- OLLI is taking advantage of classroom space at
Woodlands Retirement community. Back
APR 18, 2008:
THE OLLI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
met at Tallwood on Fri, Apr 18,
at 10:00. President
Pat Carroll announced that Mason has been holding town meetings to
discuss the renewal of the contract of University
Provost Peter Stearns. Thom Clement attended
a meeting in order to speak on behalf of OLLI in praise of Dr. Stearns
and his contributions to OLLI.
Pat reported that he and Thom had attended the
National Osher Conference in Phoenix. There were 119 OLLIs present at
the meeting, each one different from the others. While many are just a
department within the university, we are unique in being separate from
our university. In most cases, the university pays the director and
staff members. The breadth of our programs was superior to many others,
and our Web site is turned to by many newer OLLIs as a model. At the
meeting, the buzz word among OLLIs seemed to be: "1,000 members = one
million." This refers to the fact that Osher will make an additional
grant of one million dollars to OLLIs reaching one thousand members.
Executive Director Thom Clement delivered the
financial report, announcing that we are doing well financially.
Although we expected to be under-funded at this point by $12,860, we
actually have $1,958 more income than expenses for the year to date. As
of 4/17/08 we have 763 members. In Loudoun, 95 people have registered
for classes, including 17 full OLLI members (part of the 763-member
total). We now have new OLLI business cards, and members were urged to
pass them out.
Treasurer Gordon Canyock reported that the first
quarter results are encouraging. We came in under budget in all expense
categories and above budget in all income categories except dividends
and interest, which was only about $200 below expectations. Besides, we
have earned $825 on the so-called Osher Accommodation Fund, which is
not included in our budget but which is available to us if we need it.
The Board passed a resolution
providing a sponsorship-level donation of $1,000 to Fall for the Book
in recognition of the past and current value of Fall for the Book
programming to OLLI members.
The plans for the proposal for
improving the social room annex are posted on the wall in the annex.
The total amount requested to fund the entire project would be $5,607.
The proposal to fund the project was tabled until the June Board
meeting.
The next meeting of the OLLI Board of Directors will
be held at 10:00 at Tallwood on Fri, Jun 13. All OLLI members are
invited to attend. At that time the newly elected Board members will
officially join the Board, and new officers will be elected.
Back
MAR 28, 2008:
THE OLLI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
met at Tallwood on Fri, Mar 28. Bob Bohall, Chair of the Nominating
Committee, presented the slate of candidates for the Board, listed in
random order:
David Mason, Manuel Pablo, Bob Persell,
Ben Gold, Jack Underhill, Kathleen Meyer, and Kathie West [note: this
list does not include one announced candidate who subsequently withdrew]
|
Bob further pointed out that the nominating procedures allow for
nominations by petition, which must be submitted to the Committee by
Fri, Apr 11. One percent of the OLLI membership, or eight OLLI members,
must sign any such petition.
Debbie Halverson reported on the planning of
the silent auction and picnic. They are scheduled on the same day as
the
annual membership meeting (Fri, May 2) but will not be ongoing during
the time of
the annual meeting. The auction will begin at 9:00 and temporarily
close down at 10:00 when the annual meeting is scheduled to begin.
After the meeting has concluded, the auction will reopen, and the
picnic will begin.
Debbie is looking for volunteers and donations for the auction.
Thom Clement reported on current membership
statistics. We currently have 754 OLLI members. 671 members have
registered for spring term classes; of these, 43 percent registered
online.
Loudoun will have an open house on Tue, Apr 1.
Our goal for Loudoun is
full integration of the schedule, registration, catalog, and membership
dues by the winter term. This fall, Loudoun will be on the same
schedule as Tallwood/Reston, and the OLLI catalog will include an
insert with Loudoun courses so prospective Loudoun attendees can see
the full range of course offerings.
The Board approved two
resolutions, one allocating $3,312 from Friends of OLLI funds
for upgrades and enhancements to Tallwood’s computer network and the other allocating $7,625 from Friends of OLLI funds
for upgrades and enhancements to OLLI’s audiovisual instructional
resources.
The next meeting of the OLLI Board of Directors will be held at
Tallwood on Fri, Apr 18, at 10:00. All OLLI members are invited to
attend. Back
FEB 15, 2008: THE
OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS met at Tallwood on Fri, Feb 15, at
10:00. President
Pat Carroll announced the formation of the Nominating Committee chaired
by Bob Bohall with the following members: Brenda Cheadle, Abbie
Edwards, Paul Howard, Cloe Ingram and Ann Wagner. OLLI members are
requested to forward their suggestions for potential Board candidates
to any member of the Nominating Committee
Thom reported on membership totals; we
currently have 733 members, down from 754 at the end of the fall term.
Last winter at this time, we had 767 members.
We have been using Mason to print our
catalogs, but we are now trying out a new printer. Speedy Printers will
print the spring catalog for approximately $2,500 less than we paid
last fall to Mason. The suggestion was made that members be allowed to
opt out of receiving printed catalogs since they are available online
and can easily be printed by members at home, thereby saving OLLI the
cost of printing those catalogs.
The Teacher Appreciation Reception will be
held on Thu, Apr 10, from 3:30 to 5:30 on the third tier of the Center
for the Arts.
The Board passed in a 12-to-1 vote the
following proposal for
revision of our official guest policy:
The Executive
Director, or a designated person, may invite George Mason University
faculty to
attend any or all sessions of a specific OLLI course or special event
related to their professional disciplines through contacts with the
chairs of their departments at the recommendation of an OLLI Resource
Group chair following a determination that space is available.
The Board unanimously
approved the
following proposal for a silent auction:
That we combine the
Tallwood
event of the annual meeting on the May 2 with a silent auction,
proceeds to go to Friends of OLLI. Since the annual meeting is held in
TA-1, the set up of the auction should be in TA-3. Folks could come
early, look at what is available and bid, then take time afterwards to
do the same, even into the afternoon if that would bring a greater
return. The winner would be notified by email so as not to keep too
many people hanging around. They could collect their winnings over the
weekend so TA-3 would be ready for classroom use on Monday. Also note:
no activities are scheduled for Fri, May 2, that would conflict with
the annual meeting. This is SOP for both that meeting and the town
meeting in the fall.
The Board
approved in a
7-to-6 vote the
following proposal:
Resolved: The Board
of
Directors directs the Treasurer to disburse a donation of $1,000 to the
2008 Mason Festival of the Arts.
The date of the
March Board
meeting
will be announced in OLLI E-News
when it has been decided upon. All OLLI members are
welcome to attend. Back
JAN 18, 2008: THE
OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS met at Tallwood on Fri, Jan 18, at 10:00.
President Pat Carroll informed the Board that Mason has a warehouse
with used furniture such as chairs, tables, file cabinets, etc., all of
which are available to OLLI. Pat and Executive Director Thom Clement
visited the warehouse and brought back several chairs that will be
placed in various classrooms for testing. Pat has asked the staff to
stop by the warehouse on a regular basis to see if there are any items
that might be of use to OLLI.
Treasurer Gordon Canyock pointed out that we
had budgeted for a $47,000 deficit in 2007, but our income was $19,000
more than budgeted and our expenses were $19,000 less than anticipated;
thus, the final 2007 deficit was about $9,000. Key items impacting the
budget include 19 more registrations
than expected, a $5,000 savings by not printing any OLLI brochures
in 2007, and almost $11,000 in staff payroll savings because of fewer
hours worked than budgeted.
After the Finance Committee recommended a full
audit again this year since we are changing executive directors, OLLI
signed an agreement with Gurman & Co., our past auditor; total 2008
audit and tax-return fees are projected to be $6,750.
OLLI has received a proposal from KeySignature
Music (OLLI’s A/V consultant and installation/service company) to
furnish and install upgrades to the existing Tallwood classroom
audiovisual equipment based on Audiovisual Support Committee
recommendations from 2007. Paul Howard, chair of the Audiovisual
Support Committee, presented a resolution to allocate $2,100 from the
Friends of OLLI for this purpose; the resolution was passed.
Thom Clement reported that
he has been spending much of his time meeting with OLLI officers,
committee chairs and members. He will be meeting with
Mason leadership, and he has drafted year-end reports for OLLI to send
to the
Osher Foundation and to key officials at Mason.
The Board passed a resolution
authorizing $8,000 from Friends of OLLI funds to be donated to Mason
for scholarships as recommended by the Program Review Committee;
scholarships would go to students of the Department of Music,
Department of Economics, Department of Philosophy and College of
Science.
Pat Carroll announced that so far he has not
been able
to find a member willing to chair the Nominating
Committee for 2008 Board elections although several candidates have
been approached.
|
The next meeting of the OLLI Board of
Directors will be held on Fri, Feb 15, at 10:00 at Tallwood. All OLLI
members are invited to attend. Back
DEC 14, 2007: THE
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING OF THE OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS was held
at Tallwood on Fri, Dec 14, at 10:00.
President Pat Carroll called the meeting to order and welcomed guests
and new Board member Al Roe. Board members were urged to attend the
open house at our Loudoun campus on Jan 8.
Development Committee Chair John Woods
reported that so far $7,900 has been contributed to OLLI in response to
the Friends of OLLI solicitation
Treasurer Gordon Canyock introduced two
resolutions on behalf of the Finance Committee, and both were passed by
the Board.
• Resolved:
That in case there is no executive director on board, the Treasurer
will assume the responsibility to act as required under the provisions
in the Board Handbook related to Authorization for Expenditures,
Program Expenditures, and Budget Overruns.
• Resolved:
The OLLI Board of Directors approves the proposed FY2008 Budget for the
Loudoun Program as presented by the Finance Committee. |
Dick Hibbert presented some preliminary ideas
about upgrading the annex and social room to improve their
functionality and appearance. The Board requested that Dick prepare a
preliminary design and cost estimate.
Executive Director Dick Chobot thanked the
Board for the recognition he received at the recent reception that was
held in his honor. He reported on the following issues:
• Registration
System: There was a minor glitch at the start of online registration
that caused a few individuals to receive an erroneous communication.
The problem was quickly fixed and the system is now operating normally.
• Catalogs:
Many of our members had not received their catalogs at the start of
registration. This was most likely as a result of bulk mailing and the
busy time of year.
• Infrastructure:
We are currently seeking a proposal for the cost of running an
underground cable to replace our wireless connection in TA-2 and TA-3.
This will improve the quality of online connections to these classrooms
and the ED's office.
The Board passed the following resolutions:
• Resolved:
The OLLI Board of Directors authorizes up to $4,000 from the Friends of
OLLI Fund for the purpose of upgrading the phone system at Tallwood.
• Resolved:
Add Ann Hartmann, the OLLI Administrator, to the list of authorized
signers at the bank. Also, have a credit card issued to be used for
purchasing operating and administrative items such paper, folders,
printer supplies, coffee and cookies.
|
At 12:30, Thomas Clement (the candidate
for the executive director position who had been recommended by the ED
Search Committee) gave a short presentation in open session to
directors and OLLI members present. The informal presentation covered
his background, qualifications and interest in the job. Afterwards, he
briefly chatted over coffee with directors.
Back in session, the Board passed the
following resolution:
|
• Resolved:
The OLLI Board of Directors empowers the president to make an offer to
Thomas Clement for the position of executive director and to work out
with him the details of a written employment agreement. |
|
The meeting
was adjourned at 1:05. The next meeting of the OLLI Board
of Directors will be held at Tallwood on Fri, Jan 18, at
10:00. All OLLI members are welcome to attend. Back
NOV 16, 2007:
THE
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING OF THE OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS was held
at Tallwood on Fri, Nov 16, at 10:00.
At the recommendation
of President Pat Carroll, Al Roe was
nominated and approved to fill the seat on the Board that had been
vacated as a result of the resignation of Ed Mentz. The following
committee chair appointments were announced: Audiovisual Support--Paul Howard; Development--John Woods; and Planning--Valerie Braybrooke.
John Woods, Chair of the Development
Committee, reported that he
had met with members of the Mason Development Office. The purpose of
the meeting was to ascertain how Mason could help OLLI with a
development plan and support fund-raising activities channeling money
through the Foundation. The George Mason University Foundation would
charge a 3% processing fee.
A resolution was introduced by Paul Howard
with the purpose of
trying to get as much information stored electronically as possible.
The following resolution was passed-- Resolved:
OLLI Board meeting
minutes, committee reports, financial
data, executive director’s report, and other information normally
presented to the Board shall be stored in electronic form on the OLLI
server for ongoing reference and archival purposes, to begin as soon as
reasonable. (Executive Session minutes, and personnel issue
information, and other material of a sensitive nature shall be retained
by the Secretary in "Board Only" files.)
Treasurer Gordon Canyock introduced the
following resolution,
which was passed by the Board-- Resolved:
The OLLI Board of Directors
approves the proposed FY2008 Budget as presented by the Finance
Committee.
Executive Director Dick Chobot reported on the Loudoun program. He
recommended that the Board approve continuation of the Loudoun program
through 2008. Questions were raised about integrating the Loudoun
catalog into the existing OLLI catalog. Gordon requested that the
Finance Committee be given the opportunity to review the Loudoun
budget. The question was raised as to what the parameters would be in a
year when we will need to decide whether to continue or not; it was
suggested that an ad hoc committee be appointed to come up with
measurable criteria for evaluating the Loudoun program.
Dick introduced the following two resolutions,
which were both passed by the Board--
• Resolved:
The OLLI Board
of Directors authorizes the Loudoun program to
continue through 2008.
• Resolved:
The OLLI Board
of Directors authorizes an additional $1,000
to cover the expenses of the Loudoun administrator (currently Madeline
Lynn).
|
Under "New Business," Vice President Ben Gold
reported on two issues that were raised during the 2007 Town Meeting--
• There
was a suggestion
made to place a box next to the coffee and cookies for people to make
donations. It was the sense of the Board that this was not a good idea.
• The
issue of changing
the class hours was raised. Our members have been surveyed on this
issue several times and the results have always come back that the
majority of the members are not in favor of a change. It was suggested
that it might be time to look at this again. Bruce Reinhart responded
that the
Program Review Committee will consider repeating the survey and report
back to the Board in
January.
The next regular Board meeting is scheduled
for Fri, Dec 14, 10:00 at Tallwood. All OLLI
members are welcome to attend. Back
OCT 24,
2007: THE
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING OF THE OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS was held
at Tallwood on Wed, Oct 24, at 3:30.
The Board passed several resolutions--
•
To
restructure committees (the
restructure adds an Audiovisual Support Committee, renames
Publications Committee to Communications Committee, places Hospitality
and Reston Support committees under the Membership Committee, revises
specific responsibilities of committees, and adds presidential
appointments of OLLI
Historian, OLLI Representative to Arts at Mason Board and University
Liaison; see the Organization page
and Committees
page for more information);
• To revise the job
description of the executive director's position (read the revised job
description on this Website
page); and
• To transfer $50,000
(the amount of the $1 million
endowment that the Osher Foundation set aside for our possible use and
subsequent pay back by 2014) from the George Mason Foundation, now held
in a non-interest-bearing
account, to OLLI so that we can put it into a money-market account and
earn about $2,500 per year in additional income. |
A resolution was introduced to approve the
2008
OLLI budget as proposed by the Finance Committee. This resolution is
scheduled to be discussed and
voted upon at the next regular Board meeting on Fri, Nov 16. The proposed budget
is described by Treasurer/Finance Committee chair Gordon Canyock as
follows--
• It
will be
a balanced budget (expenses equal revenues).
• Revenues are based on an average
750 members excluding Loudoun.
• No dues increase.
• Loudoun to be a break-even budget
for 2008.
• Landscape budget be reduced to a
minimum.
• Pool parking increase per
negotiation (not to exceed $14,000).
• A reserve for repair/replacement
of audio/visual equipment would be established.
• The Rainy Day Fund would not be
touched.
• Friends of OLLI will continue to
be budgeted separately and be used for Mason scholarships and
capital-related expenditures.
• Retains $60,000 for the executive
director's compensation.
|
At the OLLI Town Meeting on Nov 2,
Treasurer/Finance Committee chair Gordon Canyock will summarize this
proposed budget and will answer questions. There will be no separate
meeting to discuss the 2008 budget, so the Town Meeting is the
opportunity for members to learn more about the budget, ask questions
and express concerns. |
The next
regular Board meeting is scheduled
for 10:00 on Fri, Nov 16, at Tallwood. All OLLI
members are welcome to attend. Back
SEP 11,
2007: THE REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING OF THE OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
was held at Tallwood on Tue, Sep 11, at 10:00.
Debbie Halverson and Bob Lawshe encouraged
volunteers to sign up and to help out for the OLLI yard sale, which is
scheduled for Sat, Oct 27.
The Treasurer’s report included initial data
on fall registration, which indicates that we took a net loss of 31
members. Actual current membership as of Sep 10 was 724. A loss of 31
members translates to $10,850 in revenue.
Friends of OLLI received $2,135 in
contributions during August. Last year we received $3,950 for the same
month. The year-to-date contributions this year are $6,100; last year
they were $13,200, suggesting that some members may have decided to
reduce their contributions to offset the increased dues.
Dick Chobot announced that Madeline Lynn has
been hired as a new site associate for Loudoun and that Bill Walsh has
been hired to fill the administrative assistant position vacated by
Diana Richards at Tallwood. Bill brings extensive audiovisual
experience to the job.
The Affiliation Agreement and Lease with Mason
are now completed, and signing ceremonies are being planned.
Sandra Driesslein reminded everyone to attend
the new members' coffee at Tallwood on Sep 21, at 10:30.
In executive session, the Board approved the
following resolution:
> Due to financial considerations, the contract of the
incumbent Executive Director shall not be extended past December 31,
2007.
This issue is being addressed in a separate
President's Message.
After returning to open session, the Board
heard a report from John Woods, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on ED Job
Description. The purpose of the committee is to review and make
suggested refinements based upon two years’ experience. A draft revised
job description was presented and compared with the original job
description of Jul 2005. The committee recommended that Board approval
of the proposed job description be tabled for a vote at the next Board
meeting after the members have had a chance to review the materials and
the draft has been discussed.
Ben Gold reported that tour buses are now
restricted from the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court,
and this is causing problems with Ben’s arranged tours of the Court.
Permission has now been granted to park on 3rd Street, which is about
two blocks from the court.
The next regular Board meeting is scheduled
for Wed, Oct 24, at 3:30 at Tallwood. (Please note the time change.)
All OLLI members are welcome to attend.
Back
AUG 31, 2007:
A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS was held at Tallwood
on Fri, Aug 31.
The meeting was called to order by Ben Gold,
who was serving as
interim president pending election of a president to replace Debbie
Halverson who resigned on Aug 20. Ben welcomed OLLI members in
attendance.
Pat Carroll resigned as treasurer and was
elected to the office of
president. Ben handed the gavel and the chair over to Pat, who then
took charge of the meeting.
Gordon Canyock was elected to the office of
treasurer. Per the
guidelines in our Board Handbook, as treasurer Gordon also serves as
chair of the Finance Committee.
The president announced that we would adjourn
into executive
session. He explained to non-Board members present that we would be
discussing personnel issues, and that such discussions are always held
in executive session.
The next meeting of the Board will be held on
Tue, Sep 11, at 10:00 at Tallwood.
Back
AUG 17, 2007:
THE REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING OF THE OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS was held at
Tallwood on Fri, Aug 17, 2007.
Debbie Halverson spoke about the possibility
of OLLI having a yard sale, details to be worked out later.
Treasurer Pat Carroll led a discussion on
budget assumptions for the 2008 OLLI budget. Along with several other
possible assumptions, maintaining a balanced budget and not touching
the rainy day fund were two of the issues mentioned. At present our
working cash is down to $12,000. The end-of-year projection is for a
budget deficit of $35,000. Information about fall registration totals
should be available by Aug 31, the last day of registration. The fee
for the use of the pool parking lot has been negotiated to $14,000/year.
The Board passed a resolution that the
Affiliation Agreement/Lease with GMU shall be accepted as written.
Loudoun will be holding an open house on Mon,
Sep 10. Advertisements have been placed in local Loudoun newspapers. An
assistant will be hired to staff the Loudoun office. Our goal in
Loudoun remains to be revenue neutral.
Board members were reminded that the New
Member Coffee is scheduled for Fri, Sep 21, at 10:00. The next OLLI
Town Meeting is scheduled for Fri, Nov 2, at 10:00.
Debbie Halverson announced her resignation as
president as of noon, Mon, Aug 20, 2007. At that time, Vice President
Ben Gold will take over as president until a new president is elected.
Back
JUL 20, 2007:
THE REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING OF THE OLLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS was held at
Tallwood. The Board approved the President’s appointment of Paul Howard
to fill a vacant seat on the Board. President Debbie Halverson
announced the following board-member assignments:
> Pat Carroll, chair of
the Finance Committee;
> Kathryn Russell, chair
of the Program Committee;
> Bruce Reinhart, chair
of the Program Review Committee;
> RoseMary Gustin,
Rosemary McDonald and Kathryn Russell, members of the Program Review
Committee;
> Jack Underhill, chair
of the to-be-reinstated Facilities Committee;
> Emmett Fenlon, co-chair
of the History, International Studies and Current Events Resource Group;
> Ed Mentz, in charge of
corporate relations in Reston, with a focus on retirement groups; and
> Paul Howard, in charge
of audio/visual equipment and related issues as well as a member of the
Finance Committee.
Treasurer Pat Carroll reported we currently
have a $56,000 year-to-date deficit. However, July is our tightest
month financially, and cash will again build up when fall registration
starts on Aug 22. There will be a bank fee for using credit cards for
registration and course/event fees.
Executive Director Dick Chobot reported that
the University has agreed to repair TA-3 at its expense. An analysis of
the survey data has been completed, and several Board members will be
meeting to review the materials. The executive director stated that
consideration needs to be given to continuing the Loudoun Program for a
sufficient period to allow for growth. He proposed presenting a
business plan and a recommendation for a specific continuation period
at the August meeting of the Board.
The Board authorized the Finance Committee
chair to continue to negotiate with the swimming pool management
concerning the annual rent amount to be paid by OLLI for use of the
parking lot.
The Board passed the following resolutions--
> Regarding the Fall for
the Book program at Mason:
>> That the $1,527.40 currently obligated [but not spent] for
chairs be moved to unobligated funds.
>> A sponsorship-level donation of $1,000 be made by OLLI to Fall
for the Book in recognition of the past and current value of Fall for
the Book programming to OLLI members.
> Regarding committees:
>> The OLLI Board of Directors directs the President to establish
an Ad Hoc Committee on Committee Structure to draft recommendations to
be available no later than the Board’s September meeting.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for Fri,
Aug 17, at 10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members are welcome to attend. A
time for public comments is provided prior to adjournment.
Back
JUN 15,
2007 -- The
Board elected officers at its meeting on Jun 15:
>
Debbie Halverson, president;
>
Ben Gold, vice president;
>
Pat Carroll, treasurer; and
>
Susanne Zumbro, secretary.
The Board also provided guidance to executive
director Dick Chobot
on the extension of OLLI’s Affiliation Agreement with George Mason
University and on the OLLI contribution to the paving of the parking
lot used by OLLI at the Fairfax Swimming Pool.
The Board received reports from the treasurer
and the executive
director. As chair of an ad hoc
committee, the outgoing secretary provided to directors copies of a
major revision of the
Board Handbook, also available on the OLLI Website.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for Fri,
Jul 20, at 10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members are welcome to attend.
Back
Note: No board meeting was held in
May 2007 due to the annual election of six board members.
AT THE APR 27,
2007 BOARD MEETING, The Board made several decisions:
- Extended the Loudoun pilot program through the
fall term at $50 per course or $125 for unlimited access to the
experimental Loudoun program. Persons who participate in the fall
Loudoun pilot program may apply their fee payment against a regular
full year OLLI membership commencing in winter 2008. (As before,
persons who participate in the spring or summer 2007 Loudoun pilot
program may apply the sum of their fee payments against a regular
full-year OLLI membership commencing in fall 2007.)
- Approved three-year operating guidelines for
the Institute.
- Implemented a procedure for provisional
approval of Board minutes by email in order to send them more promptly
to OLLI members who request that minutes be emailed to them.
- Approved a major revision of the Board Handbook
(to be posted on the OLLI Website shortly).
- Approved resolutions of appreciation to the
American Foreign Service Association and the National Park Service for
consistently providing high quality programming to OLLI members.
Treasurer Charles Duggan reported that the
OLLI year-to-date budget is ahead by approximately $20,000, and the
overall deficit for the year should be less than originally projected.
This is due to membership being higher than projected (758 rather than
725), to keeping expenses under budget, and to some billings not yet
received.
President Debbie Halverson and executive
director Dick Chobot provided observations from their attendance at the
recent conference of Osher Foundation-funded LLIs. Both said it was
clear that OLLI-Mason is recognized as a leader, and both were
impressed anew by the generosity of the University compared with the
experience of some other OLLIs. The OLLIwood Gardens and the OLLI
Players presentation at the Mason Theater of the First Amendment event
were among this year’s WOW-worthy LLI activities highlighted at the
OLLI Network conference. OLLI E-News was highlighted in a presentation
by Dick Chobot.
Debbie announced two appointments: Valerie
Braybrooke has been appointed as the chair of the new Landscape
Committee, and Pat Carroll has been appointed as the OLLI
representative to the Arts at Mason Board (per the request of the
College of Visual and Performing Arts for an OLLI rep). In making this
appointment, Debbie secured clarification that OLLI does not provide
member names for fund-raising purposes.
Discussion items included suggestions for
continuing to improve the election process by ensuring that members
could petition to be a Board candidate, that there would be regular
publicity, and that ballots would be mailed closer to the dates for
candidate speeches.
When a Board member observed that the OLLI
E-News should not be used to chide individuals through letters to the
editor, Publications Committee chair Gordon Canyock and OLLI E-News
editor Rod Zumbro explained their revised policy on letters to the
editor: Whenever an OLLI response is clearly appropriate, they will
commit to publishing an OLLI response in the same issue so that members
will have more complete information and a balanced picture. To that
end, there is an earlier deadline for letters to the editor -- 7pm on
Mon rather than 7pm Wed -- to provide time for the appropriate OLLI
official to respond. Rod and Gordon will also work with letter writers
to help ensure civil discourse and accuracy of facts.
The OLLI Annual Membership Meeting is Fri, May
4, at 10:00 at Tallwood. The agenda includes Board candidate speeches
and an annual report. Voting continues until May 18. There is no
regularly scheduled Board meeting in May. The next Board meeting is for
election of officers and takes place on Fri, Jun 15, at 10:00 at
Tallwood. Back
AT THE MAR 16, 2007
BOARD MEETING, President Debbie Halverson made several
announcements. On behalf of Richard Lanterman, chair of the Nominating
Committee, she announced the committee’s slate of candidates for the
OLLI Board: Joan Axilbund, Joe Cowden, Emmett Fenlon, Debbie Halverson,
Bob Lawshe, Rosemary McDonald, Ed Mentz, Al Roe and John Woods. Debbie
welcomed Jack Underhill as an appointed member of the Board to fill out
the term of Don Yesukaitis, who resigned. She announced that Ben Gold
had resigned as chair of the Facilities Committee since he has become
the chair of the Reston Resource Group.
The Board dissolved the Facilities Committee
and established a Landscaping Committee. This was done because the
functions of the Facilities Committee, except for the landscaping of
the Tallwood grounds, are now handled by the executive director and
staff. The Board defeated a proposal to change the winter closing
policy to following the George Mason University Fairfax Campus from the
current policy of following the Fairfax County School System.
The Board agreed with a Planning Committee
recommendation that the dues for the Loudoun pilot program for the
summer will be $50. Any person who participates in the spring program,
the summer program or both, may apply the sum of their Loudoun fee
payments against a regular full year OLLI membership commencing in the
fall 2007. Regular OLLI members will continue to be able to attend
Loudoun pilot program courses with no additional fee on a
space-available basis.
Executive director Dick Chobot announced he
has been able to replace the insurance policy for OLLI directors and
officers with a broader-coverage policy that includes all volunteers
acting in an official or sanctioned capacity, in addition to directors,
officers and employees.
The April Board meeting will take place on
Fri, Apr 27 at 10:00 at Tallwood. This is a change from the previous
date of Apr 21, because on that date Debbie and Dick Chobot will attend
a conference in Atlanta of the 115 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
throughout the country. OLLI members are welcome to attend the Apr 27
Board meeting. Debbie schedules a period near the end of the agenda for
public comments. Back
AT THE FRI, FEB
23, 2007, BOARD MEETING, the Board of Directors unanimously
approved the president's appointment of Jack Underhill to fill the
remainder of the term of Director Don Yesukaitis, which expires in May
2008.
The Board also approved the appointments by
Richard Lanterman, Nominating Committee Chair, of the following members
to fill his committee: Florence Adler, Leo Brennan, Eileen Duggan,
Abbie Edwards, and Ted Parker.
Charles Duggan commented on the final 2007
budget and reminded the Board that the budget projects a deficit of
$47,000 for the year. The budget is based on 725 members and we
currently have over 750 members, so we can possibly reduce the deficit
if the number of registered members remains the same or increases.
Charles also noted that the recent raising of our dues might possibly
cause a drop off in membership.
Over 100 people already have signed up under
the spring pilot program in Loudoun where 10 courses and two ongoing
activities are being offered to Loudoun members. Once registration
closes on Mar 14, a list of open classes will be published in OLLI
E-News and made available to all OLLI members.
The Board will host a party on Mar 23 for
volunteers in non-teaching capacities. Invitations will be sent out
shortly. The Teacher Appreciation event to recognize our instructors
will be held on Apr 27.
The Executive Director announced that he and
Valerie Braybrooke have been working on creating a Web-based membership
survey. The information gathered will be used to help with planning and
program evaluation.
The next regular meeting of the Board is
scheduled for Fri, Mar 16, at Tallwood at 10:00. OLLI members are
welcome to attend. President Debbie Halverson schedules a period near
the end of the agenda for public comments. Back
AT THE BOARD'S MEETING ON JAN 19, 2007, Charles Duggan was
elected OLLI Treasurer. Former
treasurer Don Yesukaitis,
who had resigned from the Board at the end of December, was honored for
his significant contributions to the Institute’s financial
infrastructure. The Board approved president Debbie Halverson’s
appointments of Charles Duggan as chair of the Finance Committee and
Richard Lanterman as chair of the Nominating Committee.
Executive
director Dick Chobot made a presentation to the Board on a major
database upgrade and online registration system. He is working with
Kenneth McLean, who developed the Arlington LRI’s system, on an
adaptation to meet OLLI’s needs. Dick has had the advice of
several OLLI members who are technically knowledgeable; this
arrangement was formalized in Board approval of an Ad Hoc Oversight
Committee on Database Upgrade. Also, the board approved a change to the
way registration would work when the new online registration system
starts (fall 2007 at the earliest); this change, affecting only the few
courses that are oversubscribed, would make registration fairer to all
members.
The Board approved several specific expenditures
of Friends of OLLI funds:
- $13,500
toward the cost of the membership database upgrade and programming,
- $8,000
for
the award of four $2,000 scholarships to George Mason University, and
- $6,960
to be
used for the purchase of classroom chairs for TA-1.
A
TRANSPARENCY POLICY in
matters relating to OLLI finance and
governance
was approved. Among its provisions are an email message to the
membership providing the agenda for Board meetings as soon as
practicable after it has been sent to Directors and an email of
approved
Board minutes and non-confidential attachments to those who
request them. A hard copy of approved Board minutes and
non-confidential attachments will also be posted or available at
all major OLLI locations.
The Board approved
Provisional Procedures and Guidelines for the Nominating Committee to
provide guidance for its first operation under the revised Bylaws.
The next regular meeting of the Board is scheduled for
Fri, Feb 16, at Tallwood at 10:00. OLLI members are
welcome to attend. President Debbie Halverson schedules a period near
the end of the agenda for public comments. Back
ON JAN 4, 2007
THE BOARD HELD AN ANNUAL RETREAT for
Directors and the executive director in a self-assessment process that
focused on building teamwork among the components of OLLI’s
leadership: the Board, the president and the executive director.
President Debbie Halverson used The
Nonprofit Leadership Team; Building the Board-Executive Director
Partnership
by Fisher Howe (2004, Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint, San Francisco) as
a basis for discussing building teamwork, reviewing the OLLI mission
and working toward a vision for the future.
The
retreat was held at the George Mason University campus facility in
Loudoun County. This building, with modern
well-equipped classrooms,
computer labs and conference rooms, is at 21641 Ridgetop Circle in
Sterling. It will house the first OLLI courses to be offered in Loudoun
County this spring. Back
DEC 15, 2006 BOARD MEETING: As part of
approval of a 2007 budget for OLLI, the Board set a dues
level of $350, effective with any annual dues paid that begin with the
spring term in 2007. A president’s message from Debbie Halverson
released on Jan 2 explained the reasons for this in more detail. This
article summarizes the Board’s actions at its Dec 15 meeting.
The Finance Committee had calculated expenses in 2007 of $345,000, a
six percent increase over similar expense items in 2006, when the
$100,000 to pay for the executive director’s salary and benefits is
included. Osher grants were used to pay the ED in 2006, so no OLLI
funds had to be used, minimizing the effect on members. The Finance
Committee recommended dues of $320, less than the cost per member of
$476.
The difference would be financed through use
of either the Osher endowment loan or use of undesignated cash plus
other minor sources of income. The Finance Committee felt that any
future dues increases could be determined better once we know more
about the University's plans for the Tallwood site, the status of the
University Based Retirement Community, whether or not our expansion
into Loudoun will provide additional revenue, and whether or not we can
obtain funding from outside sources.
Taking these factors into account, the Board
felt it was wise to base expenses more heavily on dues now rather than
draw down undesignated cash built up over the years or to use a loan
from the Osher endowment. The $350 dues level narrows but does not
eliminate the gap between costs and dues income. The Board also agreed
not to use the Osher endowment loan or to borrow without specific Board
action to approve this step. The Board agreed to a four percent
increase in hourly staff salaries, and a bonus to recognize these staff
members’ work during the 2006 transition year.
The Board approved a recommendation from the
Planning Committee that new OLLI members who registered for the spring
2007 Loudoun Pilot Program will receive a discount equal to the amount
paid in the spring ($35 or $100) on regular annual OLLI dues if they
join in summer or fall 2007.
The Board approved a recommendation from the
Program Review Committee that the following statement on controversial
Issues become OLLI Board Policy and serve as guidance to the Program
Committee and Resource Groups:
| STATEMENT
ON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES |
A
vital activity of a learning community is the critical examination of
ideologies and institutions. It is essential that OLLI instructors have
the right to express their views in a professionally responsible
manner. This is consistent with basic rights and the climate of
academic freedom that exists within George Mason University, the
institution with which OLLI is affiliated. Toward this end OLLI
supports the freedom of intellectual inquiry in the pursuit of ideas
and the freedom of speech and open exchange of ideas in all of its
programs and course offerings.
Note:
The
above wording is adapted from:
- The
Judicial System
for Student Conduct (George Mason University, Office of Student
Life, June 2004)
- The
George Mason
University Faculty Handbook (1994)
|
The next regular meeting of the Board is
scheduled for Fri, Jan 19, at Tallwood at 10:00. OLLI members are
welcome to attend. President Debbie Halverson schedules a period near
the end of the agenda for public comments. Back
A SPECIAL OPEN
BOARD MEETING ON DEC 7, 2006
on the proposed 2007
OLLI budget was attended by eight OLLI members in addition to Directors
and staff.
The budget as proposed by the Finance
Committee includes expenses in 2007 of $345,000, which represents a six
percent increase over similar expense items in 2006, and also includes
an additional $100,000 to pay for the executive director’s salary and
benefits in 2007. Osher grants were used to pay the ED in 2006, so no
OLLI funds had to be used. Based on 725 members, the proposed 2007 cost
per member would be $476. The proposed dues level is $320, a 14 percent
increase over the current $280. The difference between the $476 cost
per member and the $320 annual membership dues amount is $156, and is
proposed to be financed through use of Osher-related grant and interest
income ($40), other interest income ($5), either use of the Osher
endowment loan or use of undesignated cash ($97), and the OLLI
initiative in Loudoun County ($14).
Several OLLI members challenged the Board to
think long-term and to reduce the level of dependence on an Osher
Endowment loan or undesignated cash by increasing the dues to a higher
level than the proposed $320 per year. Amounts of $340, $350 or $400
were mentioned. Raising the dues by a lesser amount was felt to be a
temporary solution and not wise. Members mentioned the potential for
major expenses down the line, such as moving to Mason’s University
Based Retirement Community, and the need to "put some money in the pot"
for such unknowns and possible emergencies.
Several Directors suggested a higher dues
amount than proposed, either to base the budget to a greater extent on
dues or to lessen the amount needed from the Osher Endowment loan or
from undesignated cash. One Director will propose an amendment to the
proposed budget to raise the dues to $360. One member expressed concern
about the impact of a larger dues increase on couples paying for two
memberships in one family.
No votes were planned for this discussion
meeting. The Board will vote on the 2007 budget at the Dec 15 Board
meeting at Tallwood at 10:00. OLLI members are welcome to attend.
President Debbie Halverson schedules a period near the end of the
agenda for public comments. Back
THE
MAJOR DECISION BY THE BOARD at its Nov 17, 2006, meeting was taken in
executive session, where Directors approved the extension of executive
director Dick Chobot’s contract for a ten-month period, ending Dec 31,
2007, at the current salary rate and related benefits.
The Board established an ad hoc committee to
develop a major revision of the Executive Handbook, a compilation of
legal documents, policy and procedures that serves as a reference
resource for Board members. Secretary Carol Henderson will chair this
committee. Its membership will include previous secretaries Gordon
Canyock and Eileen Duggan and ED Dick Chobot.
Because the
Board had approved installation of
defibrillators at OLLI campuses, Dick Chobot asked guest expert
Doug
First to speak with the Board about George Mason University policy on
the machines. Doug is retired from the Mason faculty, and is a
consultant to the Mason Office of Risk Management and Safety. He
provided a brief history of the development of defibrillators and how
they work, and answered questions about them. The Mason Office gives a
four-hour training course regularly in defibrillator use and CPR. The
defibrillator provides a jolt if restarting the heart is needed, but if
breathing does not resume, CPR is then needed.
He explained that neither the University nor
Virginia law require the use of defibrillators, but the Mason Office
strongly recommends their use. Operators are protected under the
Virginia Good Samaritan law and the University is insured, as well.
Defibrillator pads need replacement about
every six months, and the machines should have a weekly visual
inspection to make sure they are in working order. Any OLLI machines
purchased with OLLI funds but housed on University property would be
owned and maintained by the University and be covered by the Mason
liability policy. Details still to be worked out include maintenance of
machines at OLLI sites not University property, such as at Reston.
The Finance Committee and
executive director
are completing work on the 2007 OLLI budget to be presented to the
Board. Treasurer Don Yesukaitis announced that there will be a special
Board meeting solely on the proposed budget. Interested OLLI members
are encouraged to attend and ask questions. This open meeting on the
2007 budget will be held on Thu, Dec 7, at 10:00 at Tallwood.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the
Board will be held on Fri, Dec 15, at 10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members
are welcome to attend. President Debbie Halverson schedules a public
comment period near the end of the agenda to hear from members
attending Board meetings. Back
AT
ITS MONTHLY BOARD MEETING ON FRI, OCT
27, 2006, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
passed a resolution of appreciation "to express profound appreciation
to Janice Dewire for her leadership and dedication to OLLI as
demonstrated in the organization and execution of the OLLI Fifteenth
Anniversary Celebration." Janice acknowledged the help of all the
people it took to throw a party for 150 people.
The topic of what’s known as directors and
officers insurance coverage (or D&O coverage) was discussed. In
January 2005 OLLI switched to VARisk2 as a function of its affiliation
with GMU; this coverage was less expensive than OLLI’s previous
commercial coverage. However, as Executive Director Dick Chobot
investigated the details
of this coverage, he identified several potential flaws. An example is
considerable uncertainty as to coverage for non-Board members serving
in assignments where there is an exposure. This situation led to a
resignation of a member of the Finance Committee.
Dick recommended that OLLI change back to
commercial D&O coverage. The estimated cost is $1,300 compared to
$500 under VARisk2. The Board agreed, and a resolution was approved to
authorize this additional expenditure.
President Debbie Halverson
announced that Dick Chobot would be
sending an email to the membership asking any member to respond if they
would like to have Board minutes emailed to them. A copy of the minutes
will continue to be posted in the Social Room.
The Board approved the use of absentee votes
by Board members on proposed resolutions circulated before the meeting.
Such votes would be valid if received by the secretary prior to the
Board meeting, and only for the original resolution.
In executive session the Board heard and
discussed the report and recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee on the
Future of the Executive Director position. This session was for
discussion only. Board members are expected to vote on the issue in
executive session in November.
The next meeting of the
Board will be held on
Fri, Nov 17, at 10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members are welcome to
attend the open portion of this meeting. President Debbie Halverson
schedules a public comment period near the end of the agenda to hear
from members attending Board meetings. Back
THE
SEP 15, 2006,
BOARD MEETING was held in Reston in the classroom space at Lake
Anne with several OLLI members present as observers. President Debbie
Halverson took special care to explain Board procedures for the benefit
of the guests.
Development Committee chair Eileen Duggan and
executive director Dick Chobot presented a development plan. Eileen
explained to Board members that she would need their help in
cultivating potential donors as OLLI looks ahead to the need within the
next few years to raise substantial funding for moving and other
expenses depending on GMU’s plans for the Tallwood site and the
development of its University Based Retirement Community.
The Board approved unanimously a set of
revised bylaws prepared by Gordon Canyock, who chairs an Ad Hoc Bylaws
Revision Committee. This followed up on months of work by the committee
and deliberations by Board members via email and at the two previous
Board meetings. The next step is to bring this package to the full
membership via a special mailing with a mail ballot, and a special
membership meeting, now scheduled for Nov 14 at 10:00 at Tallwood.
The Nov 14 meeting is just one of several key dates this fall. Debbie
Halverson called attention to the full list:
- Fri, Oct 20, 11:30: OLLI’s
15th anniversary celebration, Christ Lutheran Church
- Fri, Oct 27, 10:00: The
October Board meeting is being moved a week later to this date at
Tallwood in order not to conflict with the 15th anniversary event
- Fri, Nov 3, 10:00: OLLI Town
Meeting, Tallwood
- Tues, Nov 14, 10:00: Special
Membership Meeting on bylaws revision, Tallwood
- Fri, Nov 17, 10:00: November
Board meeting, Tallwood
- Fri, Dec 1, 11:30: Holiday
Party, International Country Club of Fairfax
|
The Board also approved by a vote of 8 to 2 language to provide strict
accounting for the use of any meals and entertainment expenses as
authorized by the Board in July. The implementing language reads as
follows: It is expected that there will be occasions when an OLLI
representative will be expected to incur meals and entertainment
expense on behalf of the Institute. Such occasions shall typically be
instances when an OLLI representative is hosting or entertaining a GMU
contact or other non-OLLI guest. The only individuals empowered to
incur or authorize such expenses are the president and the Executive
Director. If an individual other than the president or the Executive
Director incurs such expense, pre-approval, if possible, must be
obtained. All requests for reimbursement of meal and entertainment
expense must be documented, approved by the president and reviewed by
the treasurer before reimbursement.
The next meeting of the Board will be held on
Friday, Oct 27 at 10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members are welcome to
attend. President Debbie Halverson has been scheduling a public comment
period near the end of the agenda to hear from members attending Board
meetings. Back
The Board approved a resolution to support George Mason
University’s plan to develop a university-based retirement community
that will include a new home and headquarters for OLLI. This is
intended for Mason's Board of Visitors as it takes up the issue this
month.
A plan was approved for a pilot program at
Mason's Loudoun Campus
for the spring 2007 term. The pilot plan of at least five courses is
expected to
break even financially. It has been developed with the assistance of
the university and members from Loudoun County.
Both Treasurer Don Yesukaitis and Executive
Director Dick Chobot
noted the good results of this year’s outside audit of OLLI finances.
Looking ahead to the development of the 2007 budget, the Board also
provided some guidance to the Finance Committee on budget assumptions.
These included such common-sense points as aiming for a balanced budget
and relying mainly on dues revenues but determining the feasibility of
other revenue sources as well.
Debbie Halverson’s plan to appoint an Ad Hoc
Committee to Consider
the Future of the Executive Director Position was approved. The Board
also spent time on bylaws revision issues, and on whether it is
possible to provide defibrillators if some members do not want these
machines used on them.
The next meeting of the Board will be held in
Reston at the Washington Plaza Baptist Church (where Lake Anne classes
are held) at 10:00 on Friday, September 15. OLLI members are welcome to
attend, and Reston area members are encouraged to take advantage of
this opportunity to see the Board in action. Members' questions and
comments are always welcome in Board deliberations, and President
Debbie Halverson has also been scheduling a public-comment period near
the end of the agenda to hear from members attending Board meetings.
Back
AT THE BOARD
OF
DIRECTORS MEETING ON FRIDAY, JULY 21,
2006, the Board of Directors approved the extension of the
Executive Director’s contract through February 28, 2006.
The Board also gave approval to the Planning
Committee to move ahead with a pilot program on Mason’s Loudoun campus
involving two to five classes. Peter Stearns, GMU’s Provost, asked OLLI
to initiate this program. Mason will provide space and some funds for
marketing. Loudoun residents attending classes will be charged a
minimal fee but will not be considered OLLI members and will not be
able to participate in classes at Tallwood or Reston. OLLI members will
be able to attend the courses offered in Loudoun at no cost. OLLI
member Ray Beery, a Loudoun county resident and former OLLI president,
will spearhead the effort. This will be a test program to determine the
level of interest in Loudoun County.
The Board determined that the President and
Executive Director should have some funds for discretionary use such as
meals and entertainment and voted to provide a monthly budget of $200
per month. It was further determined that a policy needed to be
implemented for the governance and use of such funds. Gordon Canyock
and Charles Duggan will draft a policy statement for consideration at
the August Board meeting.
Gordon Canyock, the Bylaws Committee Chair,
distributed copies of new draft Bylaws for the Board to review and
discuss over the next two months. In September the Board will be asked
to vote in favor of the proposed changes to the Bylaws. Assuming the
vote is positive, the Bylaws then will go to the membership and they
will have the opportunity to vote on them at a special meeting in
November.
The Board of Directors approved making a $500
contribution in 2006 to the Fall for the Book Festival from "Friends of
OLLI" funds. The festival, whose principal sponsors include George
Mason University and the City of Fairfax, has arranged to have authors
speak at OLLI each year since 1999, the year the festival was
organized. In addition, the festival has provided bus transportation
from Tallwood to the main campus to hear some of the more well-known
authors. Details about this year’s festival will be included in
upcoming issues of OLLI E-News. Back
AT THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS MEETING ON FRIDAY, JUNE 16,
2006, President Debbie Halverson announced the following
appointments:
- Charles Duggan as chair of the University
Liaison Committee;
- Pat Carroll as chair of the Planning Committee;
- Susanne Zumbro as Class Liaison Coordinator;
and
- Roberta Wulf as coordinator for the OLLI Town
Meeting on Nov. 3, 2006.
Debbie also announced that Jan Dewire is putting together plans for an
OLLI 15th year anniversary celebration to be held on Oct. 20, 2006.
The Board was told about queries concerning
Loudoun County. Mason is creating a new Loudoun County campus, and
Mason Provost, Dr. Peter Stearns, has requested that OLLI consider
providing a program to seniors living in that area. OLLI
representatives explained that OLLI does not have the financial
resources for program support in Loudoun and that there is no
groundswell of citizen demand for such a program. Understanding the
complications, the Provost offered to host a meeting with Mason's
Loudoun Operations Director to explore possible solutions. OLLI has
made no commitment or plans and is involved only in preliminary
discussions.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S
CONTRACT
Part of the Board meeting was held in executive session, during which
time the Board directed the president to negotiate an extension of the
executive director’s employment contract (which expires on Aug. 31,
2006) for another six months, through Feb. 28, 2007. Osher funds are
anticipated to be the vehicle to pay for the executive director’s
compensation, and the negotiated contract will be subject to Board
approval.
The next Board meeting will be held on Friday,
July 21, at 10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members are welcome to attend.
Back
NEW OLLI
OFFICERS: At its first meeting on JUNE
2, 2006, the new Board of directors elected the following
officers: President, Debbie Halverson; Vice President, Eileen Duggan;
Secretary, Carol Henderson; and Treasurer, Don Yesukaitis. These OLLI
officers start serving their one-year terms immediately. Back
AT
ITS MONTHLY BOARD MEETING ON APR 27,
2006, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS voted to dissolve the Long-Term
Planning Committee and replace it with
a Planning Committee as a permanent standing committee. The committee
will be responsible for analyzing the short-term and long-term needs of
the Institute, focusing on all areas of growth and development
(membership, physical locations, programs, financing, etc.) and the
relationship with Mason, the Bernard Osher Foundation and other
potential sources of support. The committee will evaluate the
Institute’s needs, opportunities and options and report its findings
and recommendations to the Board.
A space crunch at Tallwood has caused a
conflict between using the social room annex for small classes and
keeping it available for informal social gatherings and as a lunchroom.
The issue was referred to the Program Review Committee. As the issue
comes up, Dick Chobot will consult with the PRC and schedule classes
consistent with the committee’s advice.
In an executive session, the Board agreed on points to be raised in the
annual evaluation of the executive director. This process was begun at
a date seven months into the first year in order to give OLLI’s first
executive director useful feedback, and to enable all Board members who
had worked with him since his hiring to participate while each was a
current Board member.
The Board meeting concluded with a toast and
various tributes to outgoing president Charles Duggan (photo at right
by Kathie West) and his outstanding record of major change in growth
and financial support for OLLI in his two terms as president. The
contributions of Board members whose second term was ending, Florence
Adler and Ceda McGrew, were also recognized.
Because of Board
elections being held this
month, the Board will not meet in May. The next Board meeting will take
place on Fri, Jun 2, at 10:00 at Tallwood. The main order of business
will be the election of officers for 2006-2007. OLLI members are
welcome to attend. Back
ON WED, MAR 22, 2006, THE
BOARD HELD A RETREAT for Board members and the executive director to
engage in a self-assessment process that focused on internal Board
issues, major transition and organizational change, and the
responsibilities of the Board, committees and the executive director.
The Board reached consensus on several improvements to the functioning
of the Board and to achieving a more effective relationship among the
Board, committees, and the staff.
As an example, the Board developed a process
for addressing key policy issues that cut across the areas of more than
one committee. A temporary task force would be appointed by the
president to work with the executive director to identify options and
implications and make recommendations to the Board by a certain date.
The first key issue on which president Charles Duggan may use such a
process is the issue of OLLI growth – the possible directions of growth
and the implications of various types of growth for the Institute.
Back
AT ITS MONTHLY
BOARD MEETING MAR 17, 2006,
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS and a number of attending OLLI members heard
from guest Dr. J. Thomas Hennessey, Chief of Staff to the President,
George Mason University, who spoke about the planning to date for a
university-based retirement community ("UBRC") at Mason.
Dr.
Hennessey placed the UBRC in a broader context as one of several
projects planned under Virginia’s Public Private Education Facilities
and Infrastructure Act. These projects include faculty and staff
housing, an information technology and engineering complex and a
hotel/conference center as well as the UBRC.
Two UBRC proposals have been received, from Sunrise Assisted Living,
Inc. and from PRACEIS LLC. Further steps include review of these
proposals, a 45-day posting period, and then negotiations with the
proposing firms. The committee’s criteria for a good UBRC include a
location on campus, an integrated program with a Mason school or
program, and community involvement.
Space requirements include space for OLLI, for the George Mason Senior
Living Program, and for community space (theater space for Mason's
Theater of the First Amendment); parking; and four residential
components – mostly independent living units, with assisted living
units, memory care and skilled nursing care. The residential components
comprise what is known as a continuing-care retirement community.
Dr. Hennessey said he is not sure that either of the proposals meets
all required standards; other proposals have been solicited and one
preliminary proposal has been turned down. Several elements are still
uncertain, including timing and which plot of land would be used. OLLI
would share space with the Senior Living Program, which uses classrooms
mainly in the afternoon and evening. OLLI’s administrative space would
not be shared.
To implement any negotiated final agreement, a special purpose entity,
a 501(c)(3) organization, will be created; Dr. Hennessey expects that
OLLI would have representation on this organization’s board. Dick
Chobot is a member of the Mason committee that Dr. Hennessey currently
chairs on the UBRC.
Clearly, many questions cannot be answered with available information;
much will depend on negotiations. Discussion identified both concerns
and opportunities related to the concept of OLLI space at a Mason UBRC.
It was the sense of the Board that the
following draft OLLI Vision Statement, as proposed by the Long-Term
Planning Committee, was useful and that the committee should continue
its work:
OLLI
VISION STATEMENT
- Continue to
serve the Northern Virginia community by providing intellectual and
cultural experiences for residents in their retirement years.
- Achieve net
positive annual growth in membership consistent with area needs.
- Provide
expanded social atmosphere for members.
- Provide
expanded quality and quantity curriculum for learning/entertainment.
- Permanent
building in the geographic area.
- Maintain
close affiliation with George Mason to include faculty, course
development and facilities.
- Rely on an
Executive Director and a capable professional staff to complement
volunteer efforts.
- Serve the
larger Northern Virginia area from geographically diverse locations as
a catalyst.
- Continue to
cooperate and work with other Lifelong Learning Institutes in the
Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and elsewhere.
- Achieve the
above in a financially responsible way.
The Board voted 13 to 2 to schedule a
retreat for Board members only, plus the executive director, on Mar 22.
This followed a spirited discussion of whether growth issues raised in
various email postings among Board members should be handled in an
extra regular open Board meeting, in an executive session or in a
closed Board retreat, and whether the bylaws prevented a retreat
session or whether retreats were standard practice and not prohibited
when a nonprofit Board needed to engage in self-assessment. The vote
reflected the conclusion reached by and proposed by OLLI officers that
to get a handle on transition difficulties and to review the
appropriate roles of Board, committees and staff, a retreat was needed.
(See retreat highlights immediately below.)
The Board also heard updates on program
planning, financial reporting and budget planning and heard a report
from the Nominating Committee on its slate of nominees for upcoming
Board vacancies. Listed alphabetically, Board candidates are: Valerie
Braybrooke, Gordon Canyock, Pat Carroll, Charles Duggan, RoseMary
Gustin, Joe Torpey, Phil True, Roberta Wulf, Rod Zumbro.
The Board usually meets on the third Friday.
However, due to travel schedules of several officers and the executive
director, the April Board meeting has been rescheduled for Fri, Apr 28,
at 10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members are welcome to attend. Back
AT ITS MEETING
ON FEB 17, 2006, THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS commended Program Review Committee members Kathryn Russell
(chair), Bob Bohall and RoseMary Gustin for having stepped in so
effectively on winter and spring term programming and for putting
together a good new program planning structure with the executive
director. The Program Committee, to be chaired by a PRC member, will
consist of the heads of subject area resource groups and programmatic
resource groups such as special events and Reston. Dick Chobot and
program assistant Rae Shafer will be responsible for the summer
program, and the new structure will evolve for fall program planning.
The PRC will return to its original review function.
The Board approved up to $5,000 to provide for
the engagement of outside legal counsel to review contracts and other
documentation. Board members felt that the Institute had reached a
level of maturity and complexity that such assistance is needed
occasionally. Executive director Dick Chobot will assist in identifying
attorneys knowledgeable about nonprofit organization law. The subject
of an early such consultation would be travel opportunities and related
contract and liability issues.
A resolution on the future budget process
calling for line-item details and narrative explanations in a budget to
be presented in October was defeated 3-10. The Finance Committee will
consider in March a draft 2007 budget process being prepared by Dick
Chobot with a timeline calling for budget submission in October and a
separate Board meeting on the budget in November.
A financial report on the "Friends of OLLI"
donations in 2005 included data of interest:
* 23.6 percent of OLLI members made donations, a
very good record.
* Board members donated more than 14 percent of the
total.
* Averaging donations at $26 per member indicates
that without donations, dues would need to be significantly higher to
cover operating expenses and certain capital expenses such as equipment.
The Board also discussed the idea of
advertising or sponsorships as a way to cover certain costs, such as
the printing of the OLLI catalog. There was strong opposition to paid
ads. Sponsorships might involve a corporation underwriting the catalog
printing costs in return for a line in the catalog acknowledging their
assistance. The Development Committee, chaired by Eileen Duggan, will
explore the pros and cons of the sponsorship issue with Dick Chobot and
report back to the Board.
Information items reported on included--
* A request by the GMU site in Loudoun County for an
expression of interest in using their space for OLLI classes. Dick
Chobot will prepare a draft Memorandum of Understanding on such an
undertaking and report back to the Board.
* The LeisureWorld retirement community in Loudoun
County is interested in an internal program of classes for their
residents; Dick Chobot may advise them on development of an internal
program.
* Charles Duggan and Dick Chobot will represent OLLI
at the April 19-21 biennial meeting of lifelong learning institutes
funded by the Osher Foundation. The Osher Foundation pays expenses for
this meeting.
The Board will meet next on Fri, Mar 17, 2006,
at Tallwood. OLLI members are welcome to attend. Back
AT ITS JAN 20,
2006 MEETING, THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS heard from Treasurer Don Yesukaitis that OLLI ended the year
with a strong cash position. The Institute showed a net income of more
than $12,000 against a budgeted loss of $11,000. He attributed this
difference in outcome mainly to a payroll total lower by $13,000 than
budgeted due to staff departures and interim periods with less than
full staffing as well as to some reduced expenses.
The Board approved President Charles Duggan’s
appointment of Florence Adler as Nominating Committee chair and her
appointment of Leo Brennan, Michael Coyne, Cloe Ingram, Richard
Lanterman and Ceda McGrew as members of the Nominating Committee.
Details are in a separate article by Florence.
The Board approved expenditures from the
"Friends of OLLI" funds of $8,000 in gift scholarships for deserving
GMU students and up to $5,000 for defibrillators at Tallwood and Lake
Anne. Details on these uses of "Friends of OLLI" funds are explained in
a separate article by Eileen Duggan.
Charles Duggan reported that he and Eileen
Duggan represented OLLI at a Virginia legislature sponsored pre-session
for community representatives in Northern Virginia where they presented
testimony in support of strong state support for GMU.
The Board will meet next on Fri, Feb 17, at
10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members are welcome to attend. Back
AT ITS DEC 16,
2005 MEETING, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, in a vote of 14 to 1 with
one abstention, approved the 2006 operating budget. The budget had been
submitted by the Finance Committee in a revised form from that
presented at the November Board meeting.
The approved budget does not require a dues
increase. OLLI annual dues will remain at $280 in 2006. The $7,000 in
revenue a $10 increase in dues would have generated is expected to be
offset by a similar amount of revenue from the income from the Osher
gift of a $1 million endowment. The $1 million is expected to be
received by the GMU Foundation by mid-January. This timing will allow
an income payment to OLLI of approximately $7,000 in September 2006,
earlier than previously believed. If the receipt of funds is delayed,
then the payout will be reduced to approximately $3,400 in FY 2006.
Treasurer Don Yesukaitis walked the Board
through the key provisions, noting that it is a deficit budget although
proposed revenue is up about ten percent, and expenses are up six
percent. He explained that proposed uses of Osher Foundation funds and
Friends of OLLI funds would be considered at a future date. It was
pointed out that Board action is required to allow the use of these
funds.
Sources of revenue other than dues and
donations include remaining Osher Foundation grant funds, sponsorships
and income from services. New expenses result from new initiatives,
including both registration database upgrades, donor cultivation and
recognition, landscaping and landscape maintenance (moved from funding
under an Osher grant to funding as part of the operating budget),
computer and audiovisual equipment and maintenance, and membership
promotion and retention.
The Board also approved up to $2,000 in
Friends of OLLI funds to be spent for an office computer and associated
software to be used by a soon-to-be-hired program assistant.
Further detail about the 2006 budget is
available from Executive Director Dick Chobot. A copy of the budget
will be posted in the Social Room when the Tallwood office reopens on
January 3, 2006. The Board will meet next on Friday, January 20, 2006,
at 10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members are encouraged to attend.
Back
AT THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS MEETING ON NOV 18, 2005
the Board, following up on a report on OLLI travel opportunities by
Susanne Zumbro, directed the president to establish a Travel Advisory
Subcommittee to the Program Committee. The subcommittee, working with
the Executive Director, will identify and evaluate tour operators and
establish travel opportunities that it determines to be of interest to
OLLI members.
In a sense-of-the-Board statement, the Board
agreed with Publications Committee chair Gordon Canyock’s
recommendations that fostering two-way communications is a valid
mission for Publications, and that committee chairs should coordinate
all decisions that potentially affect OLLI operations with the
Executive Director, who should have the responsibility for final
approval.
The balanced budget proposed for 2006 assumes
new sources of income, including $8,000 in revenues from services and
sponsorships, $7,000 from an assumed increase of $10 in annual dues
from a membership of 700, and $8,000 of undesignated funds generated in
prior years.
THE BOARD AUTHORIZED DISBURSEMENT OF UP TO
$5,000 in Friends of OLLI funds for acquisition of an office copier to
replace the aging GMU copier now in the office.
Don Yesukaitis’ Treasurer’s report and the
Finance Committee’s 2006 budget proposal were the main subjects of
discussion. Although OLLI has now received a letter from the Osher
Foundation confirming its intent to provide a $1 million endowment,
some issues must be clarified before the agreement can be signed by all
parties.
The $1 million endowment will be sent under
Osher Foundation procedures to the GMU Foundation and invested under
the GMU Foundation’s investment policies, but it is expected to be at
least a year and a half before any endowment income will be paid to
OLLI. Thus the endowment, while providing OLLI some investment income
in 2007 and beyond, will have no effect on the 2006 budget.
Don Yesukaitis described the proposed 2006
budget unanimously approved by the Finance Committee (Don as chair, Pat
Carroll, Pat Cosslett, Dick Chobot, Charles Duggan, Tom Hady and Joe
Torpey) as forward looking, conservative and meeting long-term needs.
To create a balanced budget, it assumes new sources of income,
including $8,000 in revenues from services and sponsorships, $7,000
from an assumed increase of $10 in annual dues from a membership of
700, and $8,000 of undesignated funds generated in prior years. It also
assumes (as previously agreed) that the Executive Director’s salary and
benefits will come from new grant or outside funding.
The budget assumption of a $10 dues increase
prompted considerable concern and discussion, both pro and con. No
action was taken on the budget proposal. It will be on the agenda for
the Board’s December 16 meeting at 10:00 at Tallwood. OLLI members are
encouraged to attend and voice their views. Back
AT THE OCT 21,
2005 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEETING,
Treasurer Don Yesukaitis summarized the use of the first $100,000 grant
from the Osher Foundation. Approximately
$80,000 of the first year Osher funds have been spent. Half of that
went for the new rest rooms while the balance was spent on audiovisual
equipment, furniture, computers, the storage shed, the membership
brochure, the OLLI Expo and a small portion on landscaping. The
remaining $20,000 will be spent to remodel the office. The second Osher
grant of $100,000 received this summer is being used for the first year
of the executive director’s salary and benefits.
President
Charles Duggan noted that OLLI has been notified of the award of a $1
million endowment from the Osher Foundation
(a year earlier than hoped for), but nothing formal had been received
in writing as yet. Under the terms of Osher Foundation grants, all
funds, including the endowment, are deposited with the GMU Foundation.
Discussions with the GMU Foundation are ongoing regarding procedures
for investment of endowment funds and OLLI’s use of income from it.
Executive Director Dick Chobot summarized his staffing plan to
reorganize office duties and fill open positions. He also informed the
Board that he has developed a proposal requested by the McLean
Community Center for one day a week of senior programming there next
year. The Program Review Committee (Kathryn Russell, Bob Bohall and
RoseMary Gustin) reported that with help from Abbie Edwards and Dick
Chobot, the winter term course schedule was nearly complete.
In response to an
issue raised by Publications Committee chair Gordon Canyock, the Board
agreed to a sense of the Board statement regarding anonymous letters or
suggestions to the editor of OLLI
News: The
editor will not publish completely anonymous letters or suggestions;
the editor will honor a request for anonymity if the author has
identified himself or herself and the editor may publish the submission
or may arrange for appropriate response; OLLI
News will
not publish slanderous or otherwise offensive material; and the editor
retains the option to publish, cut, condense, or omit communications
from the membership in exercising editorial discretion.
Board members presented a basket of gifts to departing Administrator
Jennifer Maloney and thanked her for more than six years of service.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for Nov 18 at 10:00 at Tallwood.
OLLI members are welcome to attend. Back
AT
ITS SEP 16, 2005 meeting, the
Board dissolved the Executive Director
Search Ad Hoc Committee and approved a new Bylaws Revision Ad Hoc
Committee chaired by Gordon Canyock. This committee will review the
current bylaws and recommend to the Board any revisions that it
deems appropriate.
For example, last year's nominating committee
suggested changes in election procedures that would require changes to
the bylaws, and the role of an executive director is not addressed in
the current bylaws. If the Board agrees with the committee’s
recommendations, a special meeting of the membership will be called to
vote on adoption.
Among other issues discussed was the possibility of
offering international travel service to members; Susanne
Zumbro was asked to investigate this possibility.
The Board also heard from the Program Review
Committee and Reston Support Committee that program development is well
underway for the winter term by these committees and numerous
volunteers.
In addition, the Facilities Committee reported on
arrangements made to hold and equip three very large classes at Christ
Lutheran Church because fall enrollments were too large for TA-1 at
Tallwood.
The next Board meeting is scheduled
for Friday, October 21 at 10:00 AM at Tallwood. OLLI members are
welcome to attend. Back
AT
ITS MEETING ON AUG 19, 2005,
the
Board approved the
recommendation of the Ad Hoc Executive Director Search Committee and
agreed to offer the position of OLLI-GMU executive director to Dr.
Richard B. Chobot.
The Board also voted to adjust the budget to
support the executive director's attendance at the Elderhostel
Institute Network Mid-Atlantic Regional Lifelong Learning Institutes
2005 Conference to be held September 10-13, hosted by the LLI at the
University of North Carolina. Board members felt this would be an
essential learning experience about other LLIs in the region.
The next Board meeting will be Friday, September 16
at 10:00 AM at Tallwood. All OLLI members are welcome
to attend. Back
Updated: May
10, 2012
Copyright © 2012 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at
George Mason University. Materials in this publication subject to
OLLI-Mason copyright may be reproduced for noncommercial educational
purposes as long as credit is given to OLLI-Mason.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University
4210 Roberts Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032-1028
Phone: (703) 503-3384; E-mail: olli@gmu.edu;
Fax: (703) 503-2832
Original site design and construction by OLLI-Mason member Rod Zumbro. |
