Alumni Corporation Annual Meeting 2019
First Order of Business:
James called meeting to order at 1:15
Board members present were: James Conway, Paul Zolin, Jonathan Knauth, Chuck Phillips and Art Scottow
Minutes of May 9th meeting were approved.
Danny Knauth provided an overview of our new web site which will be up and running within a few weeks. Jonathan Knauth will be our lead on the web site. The new web site will have a great deal more functionality for both the chapter and the alumni. We all look forward to the launching of this site. All present gave Danny a great thank you as well as for Paul Zolin, Rob Brai and Jonathan Knauth for their work on this project. Approval for funding this much needed project was made at our May 8th meeting.
Financial Report:
James gave financial report for Rob Brai who could not attend. The report was distributed for all to review. Much of the discussion was on the critical need for chapter brothers to fill at least 19 rooms. We will incur a two room short fall this fall semester and essentially have no further reserves to cover. Alumni is reluctant to cover any future short falls with alumni funds. Chapter brothers indicated that there is a potential for one additional brother to fill a vacancy. We hope this works out.
Further discussion on membership ensued. The last rush was a disappointment. We now have 24 chapter members. We are not at a sustaining level given the 2020 graduating class departure. Great efforts are needed this coming school year. Discussion also indicated the disadvantage on campus fraternities have with off campus. For one the room rental costs are much less. Also the university scrutiny is less as well. We also learned that coaches have an “unwritten rule” that athletes should not join fraternities. Chapter and Alumni brothers will be working on how we can attract brothers and deal with resistance.
Jim Fish will be retiring this summer and we need to develop a relationship with his replacement soon.
Old Business:
James and others gave an update on the Centennial Plan which is scheduled for October 4, 2019. Invitations will be going out within a week or so to Alumni (email) and selected faculty and administrators. The working committee is James Conway, Travis Decker and Rob Brai.
The event will include a centennial dinner at Old Main as well as fireworks on campus. Proceeds in excess of dinner will be given to charity, most likely the hospital. The fireworks have been donated!
The troublesome chapter bill from last year has been resolved at no cost to chapter. This has been a good learning lesson for all. We do not expect to have any further difficulty with leaving house in good shape after school year from now on. Thanks to James for his work here as well as the work with other houses and the administration on guidelines for now on.
Chapter and Alumni need to develop more liaison between each other. Desire for chapter to ask for assistance or guidance and alumni to be ready to respond when needed. We need some contacts to come forward.
Chapter needs to continue the development process / legacy with regards to the duties and responsibilities of positions, officers and chairs.
We now have defined role for House Manager Liaison with Clarkson for weekly work orders and need to write a year end plan.
The grill area improvement has been completed. We are now perusing reimbursement from house building fund held by Clarkson. Chapter provided key work on this project which reduced costs. It was also a good experience for chapter to work with Clarkson maintenance and fire chief.
New Business:
House occupancy was already discussed in Treasurer’s Report. We also discussed short fall with chapter recruitment.
We had a long discussion on Substance Free Policy and the need to work together and make sure we avoid any incidents. Special attention was given to the necessity of totally avoiding any binge drinking. This is an opportunity for brothers to be brothers to each other and alumni to support the chapter in any way it can.
We expect TKE to move into the former Sigma Delta house next door and Sigma Delta to come back as well.
The chapter plans another work week before the fall semester. Last year’s work week was a great success and they look forward to another.
James has approached CU about a Greek Alumni Benefit dinner during reunion weekends, CU was receptive.
Alumni Bob Hanna offered to assist chapter with creating a Curling Club to enter the 2023 World Unity Competition at Lake Placid. This sounds like an excellent opportunity to have some fun and stand out.
Paul Zolin led a last call for anyone interested in a centennial hat.
Jonathan led us in a closing prayer.
Adjournment:
Meeting was adjourned at 3:30 PM