Talk Mensa With Me

Dizzy trying to find out which way Mensa is going? Make this one of your stops to find out about the ins and outs of American Mensa, Ltd. (AML).

Interested in the happenings of Metropolitan Washington Mensa? I'll be able to either directly answer your questions regarding the running of the chapter (certainly through Oct. 31, 2011, my last day as LocSec) or forward you to the appropriate person who can do so.

If you want to get in touch with me, contact me at boxmaster@alumni.williams.edu or just click on any of the "comments" links throughout this blog.

Monday, March 28, 2011

UNOFFICIAL Mini-Minutes of March 2011 AMC Meeting

Were I the current Secretary of the AMC, the following is what I would be sending out as mini-minutes, minus any of the header-type information for now, so that this doesn't come across as the official mini-minutes of the March 2011 AMC meeting here in Atlanta.


Section A: Strategic Issues

Item A1: Recap of progress on mega-issues; discussion of upcoming year

After a brief recap, the AMC and those members of the audience present were guided on how we would go about identifying some of the larger issues that are facing American Mensa. Those members present wrote Post-It notes with specific open-ended questions and placed them into the following categories: membership, governance, leadership development, public awareness, finance, and other. These would then be handed to the next AMC as recommendations for the larger issues to be addressed by the next AMC. 

A similar exercise was undertaken by just the AMC members regarding things that the AMC as an entity and/or AML should stop doing organizationally. This list will also be forwarded on to the next AMC.


Item A2: Discussion of Strategic Dashboard

There was a brief recap of what items were available for viewing on the Dashboard on the AML website. Additional items that people would like included in some manner would relate to leadership as well as more granularity regarding demographics, if possible. The lack of financial information was noted. In order to put financial information in a Dashboard format, the AMC needs to direct the National Office on what the specific goals are so that they can be properly represented. For example, one of AMC's goals is to maintain a strong financial position; what does that mean numerically to put on the Dashboard? What number would be the benchmark where the members can see if we have met, exceeded, or fallen short of that generic goal on financial strength? Several other items of comparison were discussed.


Section B: Review and Adjustment to Strategy

Item B1: Budget approval

After some Q&A, the budget was approved as presented with no changes. 20-0-0-1 (RUDOLPH not voting)


Item B2 and B3: Finance and Audit Committee motions. No motions were submitted for these placeholders. Instead, there was a discussion item related to a proposed change to the investment policy. The committee distributed a policy proposal from our financial advisors (Frost Bank) regarding investing in equities, in order to grow our principal (as opposed to grow income). Suggestions were taken as to what changes should be made to the proposal to send back to Frost. This information will be placed into a motion to be submitted for the July AMC meeting.


Section C: Policy Determination

Item C1: Electronic signatures for bylaw referenda petitions.

After brief Q&A, this motion was approved. 20-0-0-1 (RUDOLPH not voting)


Item C2: Standardization of group mailings

After brief recap and Q&A, this motion was approved. 19-0-0-2 (RUDOLPH not voting; BEVARD not present)


Item C4: Executive Session (taken up out of order)

As Item C2 was finished at 12 noon, the AMC broke for lunch and moved up the Executive Session to occur immediately after lunch. The AMC discussed award and volunteer personnel matters. AMC meeting resume at approximately 1:45pm.


Item C3: Information and Privacy Policy

After Item C3a was approved to be separated out from this item, the remainder of this motion was approved without further changes. 20-0-0-1 (RUDOLPH not voting)


Item C3a: Motion to divide Item C3

This motion removed a portion of the originally submitted Item C3 so that it could be considered separately. Approved. 19-1-0-1 (NORRIS against; RUDOLPH not voting)

Item C3b: Electronic delivery of local group newsletters

The item removed according to Item C3a was considered. Below is the finalized wording after several amendments were made:

"As of September 1, 2011, electronic delivery is the default release for members to receive Local Group newsletters. Members may, via their online profile or by contacting the National Office, select print delivery of their group newsletters. Members who do not have email addresses on file, who do not release their emails within the organization, or who select to receive print communications via their profile will receive print communications."

Motion approved. 14-5-1-1 (REIGER, SANFORD, BURG, MARK, and DAHL against; POIRIER abstain; RUDOLPH not voting)


Item C5: Deadline for electronic receipt of items (moved into Consent Agenda as Item D3)

Item C6: Policy and Guidelines for Administrators of Internet Communication Services (moved into Consent Agenda as Item D4)


Section D: Routine Business

Items D1 - D4 Consent agenda

Item D1: Approval of consent agenda
Item D2: Receive Reports of Officers and Committees
Item D3: Deadline for Electronic Receipt of Items (previously Item C5)
Item D4: Policy and Guidelines for Administrators of Internet Communication Services (previously Item C6)

Approved 20-0-0-1 (RUDOLPH not voting).


Item D5: Presentation regarding redesign of AML website

Howard PRINCE demonstrated the new features of the AML website, primarily focused on new navigation.

Section E: Conclusion

Adjourned 4:10pm

1 comment:

  1. These may be a bit longer than is probably optimal, now that I look at them again. The one thing which, on second thought, probably shouldn't be included in the mini-minutes is the vote count and list of names of who voted which way. Given that errors are certainly possible, it's probably best to hold off on those items until the fully approved minutes. (That's not to say that if the question is asked how certain people voted that it couldn't be answered per one's notes and recollection.)

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