SSA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
JULY 14, 2016 2:00 p.m. CDT
The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. by Chairman Sorenson. Present were: Ken Sorenson, Phil Umphres, Geoff Weck, Richard Maleady, and Frank Whiteley. Also attending John Godfrey and Denise Layton.
The first order of business to come before the Committee was approval of Executive Committee minutes from April 11, 2016. Director Umphres moved to approve, seconded by Director Weck. Approved.
The next item was open action items from previous meetings. Director Whiteley advised the only item he showed as still pending was the suggestion that Chairman Sorenson contact the NAA and introduce himself, which he reported had been done. This item is now closed. There were a number of action items from the April 11, 2016 Excom meeting related to the EAA MOU that were not included in the list of open action items. Director Whiteley agreed to include those items in an updated list.
The next agenda item was a report from COO Layton concerning headquarters. She reported all was well, and a new employee had been hired. The new employee is responsible for answering the telephone, merchandise and contest assistance. Layton also advised the Committee last month’s financial report contained an expense to have the building treated for termites. This has now been taken care of. She had no other information to pass along.
The next item was business was information only at this time from Director Whiteley. He advised the group he had been working with webmaster Doug Easton discussing the need for a new server. The change in servers will require 8-12 months, will likely take place in 2017, and will likely cost $30-80k. Microsoft no longer supports the current server. He plans on having a formal proposal done by the time of the fall Board of Directors’ meeting. This item was discussed at length.
An action item stemming from the above was that Chairman Sorenson suggested he, Director Whiteley and John Godfrey have a conference call with Doug Easton to discuss the need for a new server and his availability in the future.
The next item was the Treasurer’s report. Director Umphres advised SSA operations was going as planned. At this time it looked like there would be no need to take money from the general endowment for operating expenses. Most items were either coinciding with what was budgeted or close to it.
The next item was the SSA Membership Dues Increase. Director Umphres advised he was recommending a $2.00 increase across the board in membership dues, with the exception of the life membership which he recommended be raised $25.00. He asked the Excom endorse this proposal which would then be presented to the full Board in the fall. All Directors approved of this recommendation.
John Godfrey advised his opinion that the general endowment should not be used for funding general operations. This statement was strongly disagreed with by Director Umphres.
The next item was EAA MOU Action Item Status. Director Weck advised the EAA people had been busy getting ready for their biggest event of the year, AirVenture and they had not had time to start working with Director Weck on some of the incentives they had discussed previously. Director Weck advised he would keep in touch with them and probably by the middle of August EAA would have time to start implementing some items.
It was discussed and is being noted the Committee agreed to offer a FAST certificate at a $10.00 discount during AirVenture. Director Weck will work with COO Layton to determine how many certificates he would need.
The next item of business was a proposal from the Badge and Records committee to change state and national records presented by Director Whiteley. After discussion of this proposal it was moved by Director Whiteley, seconded by Director Weck and approved by the Committee to implement this proposed change.
The next item of business concerned the airshow Blanik which Director Bush had been working on. Director Bush had contacted the Executive Committee asking if this project should be pursued or not. He advised he does not have the time right now to continue working on it. After discussion, it was decided to stop this project. Director Bush has declined to be reimbursed for his expenses. There was discussion as to whether the SSA showed this sailplane on their books as an asset and if so what would need to be done. Director Umphres advised he would look into whether this was listed as an asset on SSA’s books and what action if any is required.
The next item of business was information from Chairman Sorenson on his growth efforts. He advised that Melanie Nichols had offered her services to help clubs with their websites and she has already helped with a couple of them.
Chairman Sorenson advised Chris Fleming has become involved in the volunteer committee, and we will see where that goes.
There is a CFI-G training initiative under way by Mark Montague and he will report progress as this initiative gets started.
Sorenson also advised Scott Manley had volunteered as chairman of the Growth & Retention Committee. Sorenson advised he would be spending some time with Scott at EAA Airventure and would discuss the Committee status.
Chairman Sorenson advised while he was at a recent contest he met with Andy Blackburn. Andy has expertise in business and marketing and Chairman Sorenson discussed some strategies for SSA membership growth with him. He feels Mr. Blackburn will be an asset to the Society in the future as he tries to help turn around our decline in membership.
Chairman Sorenson also advised he met John Weber while at a contest. John is a successful businessman with expertise is turning companies around. Chairman Sorenson is going to meet with him again this summer for further discussions.
John Godfrey opined that using the proceeds of General Endowment distributions to directly fund growth and promotion activities would make a more compelling “pitch” for soliciting donations to the endowment than simply using the distributions to fund general operations. He explained that attracting donations was the motivation for his earlier comment that using distribution to underwrite current member’s servicing expenses was not optimal.advised the above initiatives would be exactly something the SSA Foundation would be interested in giving money for.
The next item of business was a motion from the Trophy Committee presented by Director Maleady.
He moved that the following recommendation by the SSA Trophy Committee be endorsed by the Excom and placed on the Consent Agenda at the Fall Board Meeting for confirmation by the full Board:
WHEREAS, In 2013 the Competition Rules Subcommittee, with approval of the SSA BOD, changed the National FAI and National Sport Class rules to allow foreign pilots to be regular entrants rather than guests, to wit:
2013 Rules 5.2.5.1: A US pilot is one who is a US citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident as defined by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (i.e. possesses a valid "Green Card"); others are considered foreign pilots.
2013 Rules 5.2.5.2: ‡ Foreign pilots are eligible to be listed and scored as regular entrants.
2013 Rules 5.2.5.3: ‡ The US National Champion shall be the US pilot with the highest total score for the contest; and
WHEREAS, at the same time National FAI and Sports Class Rules 7.1 were not altered to specify that the subject trophies were to be awarded only to US Pilots (Rule 5.2.5.1), to wit:
2013 FAI Class Rule 7.1: † Awards will be made to regular entrants credited with the following achievements:
• Highest final score in the U.S. National Open Class Championships - The Richard C. duPont Memorial Trophy with medallion and endowment check.
• Highest final score in the U.S. National 18-Meter Class Championships - The Charlie Spratt 18-Meter Class Trophy.
• Highest final score in the U.S. National 15-Meter Class Championships - The 15-Meter Trophy.
• Highest final score in the U.S. National Standard Class Championships - The Standard Class Trophy.
• Best speed on any task in the U.S.National Open Class Championships - The Larissa Stroukoff Memorial Trophy.
• Best speed on any task in the U.S. National 15-Meter Class Championships - The Joe Giltner Trophy.
• Best speed on any task in the U.S. Standard Class Championships - The Jon Kubly Trophy.
2013 Sport Class Rule 7.1: † Awards will be made to regular entrants credited with the following achievements:
• † Highest final score - The Lattimore Trophy.
• † Highest final score by a junior entrant - Bronze Medallion
• † Best sportsmanship (as determined by the Contest Competition Committee) - The Ed Finegan Trophy; and
WHEREAS, the 2016 18-Meter National Championship was won by a foreign pilot; and
WHEREAS, the 2016 18-Meter National Championship Contest Director interpreted the rules to direct that the winner trophy be awarded to the foreign pilot; and
WHEREAS, it is the consensus of the SSA BOD that the original endowers of these trophies did not contemplate them being awarded to foreign pilots; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the SSA BOD that these trophies identified in 2013 National FAI and Sport Class Rule 7.1 be awarded only to US Pilots; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, the Competition Rules Subcommittee is directed to amend National FAI and Sport Class Rules 7.1 to clarify that the listed trophies be awarded only to US Pilots as defined in the 2013 Rules 5.2.5.1; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, the winners of record of the trophies for the contest years 2013 through and 2016 are revised to be highest performing US Pilots in the respective performance; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, The Trophy Committee is charged to cause the name inscriptions on the trophies to be brought into conformance with this resolution and to notify all affected parties.
The motion for Excom endorsement and inclusion on the Consent Agenda was approved, Sorenson abstained.
It was discussed that COO Layton would prepare Board minutes in the future and send them to the Chairman and Secretary in a timely manner for their approval and then they would be sent to the full Board in a timely manner.
Next Director Whiteley advised he had discovered two new clubs which he had been in contact with. He is discussing with them becoming SSA associates, so this will be our first test to see how this category of membership goes.
The next Executive Committee meeting will be held at September 9, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. CDT in Dallas, Texas before the full Board meeting the next day.
There being no further business to come before the Committee, the meeting was adjourned.