HUMAN RESOURCES ASSOCIATION – GREATER
PROGRAM YEAR 2004-2005
BOARD MEETING MINUTES –
SANBORN, HEAD & ASSOCIATES
Board Members
Present:
Doug Chamberlain, Anna-Marie Sparks, Peg Flint, Deb Laushine, Gayle Troy, Sandy Platt, Kim Freese, Lori Shackford, Paul Wilson, Jen Iacopino and Maria Manus Painchaud.
Board Members
Absent:
Tracie Wajer.
Committee Members Present:
None.
The
President of the Association, Sandy Platt, called the meeting to order at
Upon motion
duly made by Doug Chamberlain and seconded by Gayle Troy, the minutes of the
Treasurer’s Report
Peg Flint distributed and commented on the Treasurer’s Report. She noted that during the month there had been a number of extraordinary expenses incurred for matters such as the production of the brochure and the membership directory, as well as the annual membership renewal mailing. Also, the Association had relatively little revenue for the month. Peg reported a loss of $277 with respect to the April meeting, which she deemed to be within acceptable limits. On a year to date basis the Association is still running a surplus of approximately $6,700, contrasted with a projected loss of $5,900 on the same basis. Upon motion duly made by Peg and seconded by Doug, the Treasurer’s Report was accepted as submitted.
Peg then presented the revised proposed budget for the 2005-06 program year. She noted that some budgeted items had been adjusted at the April Board meeting. She observed that the revised budget incorporated a projected 10% membership increase (to 160 members from the current 145), which she characterized as a stretch, but an achievable goal nonetheless. She noted that the revised proposed budget anticipated the cancellation of the May, 2006 meeting, resulting in a reduction both in program income and expense but resulting in a net gain to the bottom line. Per Connie Roy-Czyzowski, the revised proposed budget eliminates the July World@Work course, resulting in further savings. Peg indicated that the revised budget also eliminates any provision for refreshments for Board meetings. In the future Board members will be asked to furnish refreshments on a rotating basis. The revised budget also eliminates $1,450 in Board recognition expense, as well as $1,500 in speaker fees. As a result of these revisions, Peg noted that a loss originally projected at $14,000 has been reduced to $7,720, about $1,800 more than the budgeted loss for 2004-2005 which, as noted above, has actually yielded a significant surplus to date.
Upon motion duly made by Doug and seconded by Maria Manus Painchaud, the Board unanimously voted to adopt the revised proposed budget for the 2005-2006 program year.
Membership
Jen Iacopino indicated that there were no new members to present to the Board at the present time. Peg noted that she had already received approximately 25 renewals from current members in response to the recent mailing.
Committee Reports:
Leadership Development Committee
Maria reported that the Board roster for the 2005-06 program year was almost complete. She expects that one slot remaining open will be filled within the next week. The Committee may also need to fill two committee chairs, and she expects that that process will also be completed shortly. As soon as the entire proposed roster of Board members, officers and committee chairs is complete, the same will be distributed to the Board. This will occur prior to the May program, at which time the proposed roster will be announced to the membership, with voting to take place at the June meeting.
At the Board’s request, Maria also reviewed the various proposed organizational charts submitted with the Committee’s report to the April Board meeting. After some discussion, upon motion duly made by Peg and seconded by Paul Wilson, the Board approved an organizational chart depicting the Board and Committee structure within a circle symbolizing the entire membership of the Association. This chart will be placed on the Association’s website and will include appropriate links, so that clicking on each box contained within the organizational structure will lead the inquirer to additional information concerning the function and staffing of that Committee.
Marketing/Public Relations
Paul Wilson noted that he had recently met with Dan Troy to review the Association’s website and comments recently submitted by Board members concerning the same. Dan is working on proposed revisions to the website in response to these comments. Martha Roy has agreed to distribute May meeting registration information to MAHRA members, since MAHRA will not be holding a May meeting. A press release concerning the May meeting has also been distributed. The $1,000 2005-06 budget line item for marketing/public relations is acceptable to the Committee. Paul also discussed two possible sponsorship opportunities: a sponsorship for the membership directory, initially priced at $300; and a series of rotating website sponsors, at $250 each. There was further discussion of special guest rates, door and raffle prizes and other initiatives undertaken to promote attendance at the May meeting.
Opportunities Development Committee
Gayle Troy reported that no meeting of this Committee had been held since the last Board meeting, and that accordingly there was nothing new to report. However, Connie Roy-Czyzowski has submitted a request for recognition gifts for presenters for the New Journeys Program. The Board, observing that the Association plans to reduce recognition expenses in general and that these gifts tend to go to a recurring core of New Journeys presenters, instead proposed to acknowledge their contributions at an upcoming meeting and with a President’s letter. Anna-Marie Sparks offered to prepare “Star” certificates recognizing the New Journeys presenters for presentation at an upcoming meeting.
Membership Committee
Jen indicated that there was nothing new to report from this Committee.
Finance Committee
Upon motion duly made by Peg and seconded by Paul, the Board unanimously voted to omit Board recognition gifts at the June program.
Program Committee
There was some discussion of plans for the Board/Committee recognition event to be held at Havenwood Heritage Heights on June 28 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The estimated cost is $12 to $14 per person, with a cash bar serving beer and wine. Approximately 45 Board and Committee members will be invited to attend, with an R.S.V.P. date of June 14. Deb Laushine volunteered to look into the possibility of providing token recognition gifts for attendees at this event.
Deb reported that plans for the September 8 joint meeting with MAHRA were well underway, with a coordinated marketing schedule in place. Three of four sponsors to be solicited by the Association have been secured.
The proposed new slate of Board members and officers will be presented at the May 19 program. It was suggested that this list also be attached to the June meeting announcement. It was also confirmed that a Granite State Council representative will be invited to address the Association at its October program, which will be an evening meeting.
Kim Freese reported that a contract has been signed with the Marriott for the 2005-06 program year, omitting the May, 2006 meeting. Two rooms will be provided for the March, 2006 half-day meeting. The logistics of arranging the portable microphone/amplifier/speaker system recently purchased by the Association were discussed. There was also a lengthy discussion of whether the Association should hold a meeting in May, 2006 and if so, its location and format. It was the consensus of the Board that a meeting of some sort should be held, but that it should perhaps be an early evening meeting held at a location other than the Marriott (Granite State Management Resources and Sulloway & Hollis were suggested), perhaps including a brief presentation and an informal reception/networking session.
Deb then provided a rundown of the program schedule for 2005-06, including the September joint meeting; an evening program in October featuring a legal panel; a breakfast meeting in November featuring Dr. Legacy; a luncheon meeting in December with a “Best Practices” theme; a January breakfast meeting focusing on strategic management; a February lunch meeting featuring a healthcare cost discussion panel (with representatives from insurers and third-party administrators, plus an attorney); a March half-day meeting with a two-hour session on workers compensation, a two-hour session on workplace harassment and a one-hour session on the “Top Ten HR Mistakes.” The April program will be a luncheon meeting with a speaker from SHRM (Susan Post) speaking on ethical issues; the May meeting would be an informal meeting at a site other than the Marriott, and the June meeting will be a breakfast meeting focusing on team building.
The Board noted that for the next program year it was important to focus on rebuilding meeting attendance by welcoming newcomers and reaching out to the membership in various ways. It was also suggested that the Board review program evaluations very closely, and stress the program topic by putting it front and center in all announcements. Jeanine Poole will also be contacted concerning the provision of legal updates for the 2005-06 program year, with Andrea Johnstone to be available as a backup presenter.
Old Business
Concerning World@Work, it was noted that in approving the proposed budget the Board had determined to omit its sponsorship of the July World@Work course. MAHRA, as co-sponsor of the local World@Work program, should be notified as soon as possible of this change. Thereafter, the Board considered authorizing the Association to finalize the World@Work contract for the remaining programs. Gayle Troy questioned whether the World@Work program any longer fulfilled a legitimate purpose for the Association. She suggested that the Board await the results of the member survey concerning the program before the Association makes any further commitment to it, and this suggestion was accepted by the Board.
Upon motion duly made by Maria and seconded by Gayle, the Board authorized the Association to bid up to $527 at the silent auction to be held at the Granite State Conference to benefit the SHRM Foundation. Finally, at the suggestion of the chair, it was determined that the Association will sponsor no further World@Work programs unless the Association is projected to break even with respect to the same, taking the cost of scholarships furnished by the Association into account; and that MAHRA should be advised of the Association’s decision in this regard as soon as possible.
New Business
No new business was presented to the Board.
There being no further business to come before the meeting, upon motion duly made and seconded the same was adjourned at 3:50 p.m.
THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL BE HELD
ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2005 AT 2:00 P.M. AT SANBORN, HEAD & ASSOCIATES.
Respectively submitted,
Douglas R. Chamberlain, Secretary