|
U.S.S. TOPEKA (CLG-8) Reunion Association, Inc. Board of Directors Meeting at Charleston, SC 2004 Reunion Friday, August 13,2004 1. The meeting was called to order at approximately 8:15 PM, Friday, August 13, 2004. This meeting was called while we were at the buffet dinner on an urgent basis. The meeting was held in the then almost vacant Hospitality Suite, at the Town and County Inn and Conference Center, Charleston, SC. 2. Attendees included: Jerry Judge, Chairman of the Board; John Reynolds, President; Jack Timmons, Secretary/Treasurer; Dudley Cass, Board Member; Ken Noble, Webmaster and Board Member, Don Anderson, Board Member. Board members not present included Jack Connery and Tom Victory. It is believed that Jack Connery was on a cruise. We have a quorum. 2. First order of business at this meeting called by Jerry Judge Chairman of the Board and John Reynolds President. We have no one here to present Texas or Minnesota for the Midwest, so we have a dilemma as what to do for next year’s reunion. We need at this reunion to determine where the 2005 Reunion will be. At the Atlanta Reunion, Mike (Doc) Phillips had proposed to host a reunion in Minnesota in 2005, but he has been in ill health and has not been to a reunion since. He is not at the Charleston reunion. Jill Connery at the Portland, OR 2003 Reunion had proposed to possibly host a reunion in San Antonio in 2005; Jill and Jack are not present. John Reynolds stated that the bylaws do not expressly require us to go from East Coast, then to the Midwest, and then to the West Coast. It is for the convenience of our members to attempt to have the reunions periodically located in an area more convenient to their homes. Dudley Cass had some very preliminary information on San Antonio. Dudley Cass had good information on San Diego since he and Ruth Cass had been preparing for the expected 2006 reunion in San Diego as proposed last year in Portland. Dudley was willing to check to see if it were possible to have the 2005 Reunion in San Diego. John Reynolds said Kathy Spatz had indicated she was willing to check with her hotel contacts in New York to see if we could possibly have the 2005 reunion in New York, since she had done preliminary work last year with the intent of having a 2004 Reunion in New York. New York was close in last year’s vote and San Diego had been proposed for 2006. There was considerable discussion of the various possibilities for the 2005 Reunion. There was a need to get this firmed at this reunion if we were to have a 2005 reunion. Jerry Judge proposed that John Reynolds at the Business Meeting explain the problem to the membership, and let the membership decide where to have the 2005 Reunion, with the two possibilities on the floor to be San Diego or New York. There is nothing to prohibit us from going to the East Coast again, or to the West Coast. The intent was to give us a firm reunion city for 2005 and then to go to the other city for 2006. Which ever city was second would get the 2006 reunion. Thereafter we would attempt to get back into a normal rotation with the 2007 reunion to be in the Midwest if we could find volunteers to give presentations for the Midwest at the next reunion. This proposal was agreed unanimously. 4. Ken Noble brought us an issue regarding the Ships Bell in Topeka Kansas. We have received information from Kevin R. Drewelow, co-chairman of the USS Topeka (SSN-754) committee in Topeka Kansas saying the Topeka Kansas Mayor’s office wanted to know if we had any inputs to a proposal re the ship’s bell which has been on display outside city hall. The proposal is for "the Topeka High School Marine ROTC to relocate the bell to the school and display it adjacent to a spar from the legendary "Old Ironsides," the USS Constitution. The unit plans to develop a commemorative plaza to be used for drills and ceremonies. The spar and bell would be the focal point of the plaza." Mr. Drewelow wanted to know if we had any desires on this matter. The Board of Directors discussed this and could find no objection to this being done. John Reynolds wanted the membership to know of this proposal and if there were no objections, directed Ken Noble to answer Mr. Drewelow to say we had no objections. 5. The minutes of the Board Meeting in Portland on August 16, 2003 were not reviewed due to the urgency of this meeting, and lack of notice. 6. Membership Report: The membership report was not reviewed at the Board Meeting but is included for the record and the membership report was presented in detail at the Business Meeting held Saturday, August 14, 2004 where all board members and officers were present. Number in the database: 1156 (39 New since Portland 2003) Active members: 948 4. Treasurer’s Report: The Treasurer’s report was not presented at the board meeting due to the press of time, but was presented in full at the business meeting the next day where all board members and Officers were present. Entered herein for record purposes. We are still solvent. 8. New Business: Now before the Board is the Election of Officers or re-election of Officers. No officer has evidenced any desire to withdraw, so Jerry Judge proposed that the current officers consisting of John Reynolds, President and Jack Timmons, Secretary/Treasurer be reelected. The existing Officers were elected by acclamation. 9. The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM. Respectfully submitted, Jack E. Timmons |