Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Board of Directors Meeting October 3, 2017

WEST POINT SOCIETY OF DENVER
Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday, October 3, 2017 1130-1300
American Legion Post 1, 5400 East Yale Avenue, Denver, CO 80222

1.       Call to order – Brian MacDonald at 1130
a.       Twelve board members in attendance, making a quorum.

2.       Board Vacancy
a.       Brian MacDonald declared a vacancy on the board of directors in the position held by Natasha Moore.
b.       The board held a discussion about possible candidates to fill the vacancy and a process to do so.
c.       The board decided that through the work of subcommittees planning for various events, it would appeal for volunteers from the larger population of the society and would look to fill board vacancies from among the new volunteers.

3.       Secretary’s Report/Approval of Minutes – Tim Griesmer
a.       Minutes from the July 11, 2017 board meeting were approved.

4.       Treasurer’s Report – Dave Jackson
a.       There was a net change of +1 lifetime member for a total for 56.
b.       There was a net change of +1 paid member for a total of 102.
c.       The Treasurer’s report was approved 12-0.

5.       Admissions Update – Tom Carroll
a.       There are 275 files open statewide for the class of 2022, 161 in the WPSD area.
b.       College fairs are underway. The society will be represented at three weeks of college fairs.
c.       The Field Force is planning to hold a central site CFA with a local reserve officer.
d.       There are currently 2 LOAs in the state, 1 in the WPSD area.
e.       There are currently 7 Letters of Encouragement statewide.
f.        CPT Kenner will visit Oct. 13-14 for a Field Force Workshop and Academy information meeting.

6.       Parents’ Club Update – Bob Walcott
a.       The Parents’ Club is planning a separate Army-Navy event this year.
b.       The All Academy Ball will be hosted by Air Force this year in December.

7.       Young Graduate Engagement – Mike Euperio & Cory Wroblewski
a.       Mike Euperio and Cory Wroblewski are working to structure a firmer schedule for young graduate events over the coming weeks.
b.       Ideas under consideration include monthly welcome events and opportunities combined with other veterans’ events in the area.

8.       Leadership Conference – Brian MacDonald
a.       Held August 17-19, 2017
b.       Brian MacDonald and Dave Jackson attended.
c.       Attendees requested that USMA provide more notice of cadets visiting the area, including non-corps squad sporting events and club events so we can engage with them.
d.       One takeaway from the conference was that many large societies typically have more working groups and subcommittees planning activities. This could be a way to recruit more young grads in the area to join the WPSD. The board expressed support for this idea.

9.       Service Academy Leadership Conference – Joel Martin
a.       This initiative will probably need to be delayed for about a year. March is the ideal time to hold this event.
b.       Joel Martin is looking for a better list of guidance counselors.
c.       Joel Martin is also exploring the possibility of integrating with already existing software used to coordinate between students, parents, and teachers.
d.       The board decided to set up a working group to begin working on this initiative in more detail. The working group will consist of approximately 5 members who will begin by looking at facilities, curriculum, sponsors, etc.
e.       The event itself will likely require 20-25 volunteers.
f.        Another option discussed is to examine whether this event could be conducted in coordination with Boys State and Girls State.

10.   Upcoming Events – Brian MacDonald
a.       Army-Air Force football: Nov. 4, 2017
b.       Army-Navy Watch Party: Dec. 9, 2017 at 1300 at the Sports Column in Denver,
                                                               i.      Jason Connor is planning the event and requested an additional $100 ($200 total) for prizes at the watch party.
                                                             ii.      The board approved the request 12-0.
                                                           iii.      Navy also pledged to provide $200 to help plan the event.
c.       Quarterly Dinners
                                                               i.      The next scheduled quarterly dinner is Oct. 18, 2017.
                                                             ii.      The board discussed other possible speakers for future quarterly dinners as well as whether the format for quarterly dinners should be changed to a more informal gathering at an earlier time of day that might be successful in attracting more attendees.
d.       Founder’s Day 2018
                                                               i.      At the request of the Pike’s Peak Society, Founder’s Day was set for March 9, 2018. Note: this date has subsequently been changed to March 3, 2018.
                                                             ii.      Brian MacDonald would like the board members to consider possible Friend of West Point nominations for discussion at the December meeting.
                                                           iii.      Brain MacDonald also requested the formation of a working group to discuss possible ways to lower the cost of Founder’s Day. Brain MacDonald, Dave Jackson, Lou Schroeder, and Andy Benson volunteered to join as well as to invite Chad Dalton.

11.   New Business – Brian MacDonald
a.       Lindy Blackburn attended the Affirmation Ceremony for the Class of 2019 held in Sept. 2017. Approximately 7 cadets as well as several General Officers attended.
b.       Dave Jackson suggested that the board should look into the process for creating a West Point license plate for the state of Colorado. This would require action by the state legislature. Tim Griesmer volunteered to see if any legislators are interested in sponsoring such legislation.
c.       Tim Griesmer will once again be responsible for the Distinguished Society Award application. The application will not be published until the end of 2017.
The next board meeting will be held December 5, 2017 at 1130, American Legion Post 1, 5400 East Yale Avenue, Denver CO 80222.
The meeting adjourned at 1300.

Submitted by: Tim Griesmer, ’02

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Board of Directors Meeting Tuesday, July 11, 2017

WEST POINT SOCIETY OF DENVER
Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday, July 11, 2017 1130-1300
American Legion Post 1, 5400 E Yale Avenue, Denver, CO 80222

1.    Call to order - Brian MacDonald at 1135
a.    7 members present
b.    2 members short of a quorum

2.    Secretary’s Report/Approval of Minutes - Brian MacDonald for Tim Griesmer
a.    Membership update corrections
                                      i.        152 total current active regular members; of this 152:
                                     ii.        97 are dues paying members
                                    iii.        55 are lifetime members
b.    Quarterly dinner correction
                                      i.        Lindy Blackburn coordinated date with George Brauchler
                                     ii.        Lou Schroder coordinated venue (Landry’s Seafood)
c.     Minutes from May 2, 2017 board meeting were approved

3.    Treasurer’s Report - Dave Jackson
a.    Total funds available as of July 8, 2017: $30,908.87
b.    Accounts payable (not reflected in total funds available)
                                      i.        Picnic: $267.73
                                     ii.        Golf: $3,308.62
                                    iii.        Rockies game: Awaiting total
c.     Event balance sheets
                                      i.        Picnic: +$92.00
                                     ii.        Golf: +$72.00
                                    iii.        Rockies: +$70 (approx)
d.    $675 designated for outreach
e.    Membership update
                                      i.        1,024 total members in Society area
1.    55 lifetime members
2.    101 paid members
                                     ii.        AOG membership issues identified
1.    Database provided by AOG does not reflect people who moved
2.    Currently, unable to automate dues renewal process (recurring payments)
a.    AOG does not offer recurring payments, but WP.org does
b.    Dave Jackson will look into options
3.    Brian MacDonald to address both issues at upcoming Presidents’ Conference

4.    Distinguished Society Application - Brian MacDonald for Tim Griesmer
a.    Tim Griesmer compiled final draft and circulated among the Board for review
b.    Application submitted by June 30, 2017 deadline

5.    Membership Update - Bob Walcott
a.    Developing plan for college career fair coverage in Fall 2017
b.    West Point Admissions currently identifying new regional MALOs (Military Academy Liaison Officer) to support recruitment efforts

6.    Founder’s Day 2018 - Brian MacDonald
a.    Move from Saturday, March 3 to Friday, March 2?
                                      i.        Request from CO Springs chapter to deconflict dates
                                     ii.        Request approved; Bob Walcott to change reservation at University Club
b.    Discussion of speaker priorities
                                      i.        Superintendent is priority (Commandant spoke in 2017)
                                     ii.        If Supe is unavailable, then defer to local leaders; e.g. 4ID Commander

7.    West Point/Service Academy Leadership Conference - Joel Martin
a.     Concept is to host 1-day leadership seminar for top area high school students
                                      i.        Goal is to promote ethics and leadership from a service academy/military officer perspective
                                     ii.        By-product would be service academy recruitment
b.    Joel spoke to Washington, D.C. chapter to benchmark against their efforts; takeaways were:
                                      i.        Form 5-person planning committee
                                     ii.        Notify area high schools in September; host conference in spring
                                    iii.        Host conference on a school day to drive participation
                                   iv.        Minimum 20 volunteers needed to execute
                                     v.        Conference is a mix of lecture and case study preparation
                                   vi.        Conference concludes with team case study presentation and award to best team
c.     Joel to convene working group to explore options
d.    Brian MacDonald to socialize idea at upcoming Presidents’ Conference to determine what support AOG can provide

8.    Summer Leadership Experience (SLE)
a.    No updates from Amy Efaw
b.    Bob Walcott to contact Amy; if nothing heard then retire effort

9.    Past and Upcoming Activities Update
a.    George Brauchler dinner - Brian MacDonald/Bob Walcott
                                      i.        Good turnout, good venue
                                     ii.        Encourage venue to plate sooner in order to speed event along
b.    Summer Picnic - Mark Frank
                                      i.        Good turnout, maintain Washington Park venue
                                     ii.        Limited group interaction by younger graduates; consider adding formal activities to increase crosstalk among classes
                                    iii.        Mark to survey attendees and share results
c.     Tri-Service Golf Tourney - Brian MacDonald for Chad Dalton
                                      i.        17 USMA attendees - most of any academy
d.    June 17 Rockies Game - Brian MacDonald
                                      i.        14 USMA attendees (including families)
                                     ii.        Great seating (shaded for entire game)
                                    iii.        Members encouraged to attend August 2 game
e.    Army/Air Force Football - Brian MacDonald
                                      i.        November 4 game at USAFA
                                     ii.        Tickets available for purchase on USAFA website
                                    iii.        Use code “Go Army” to be seated in Army’s section
f.      October Quarterly Dinner - Joel Martin
                                      i.        Proposal to move venue to Maggiano’s at Denver Tech Center
                                     ii.        Speaker will be Jim Knowlton (USAFA Athletic Director)
                                    iii.        Discussion about ensuring future speakers have more direct USMA connection

10.  New business - Brian MacDonald
a.    Jim Herrington donation inquiry
                                      i.        Request for donation to support initiative to pair veterans with Boy Scouts for mentorship
                                     ii.        Brian to connect with Jim about providing volunteers in lieu of donation
b.    Members encouraged to attend 81st Brigade Activation Ceremony at Colorado State Capitol
c.     Carry forward to next meeting: donation request from Josh Kuehl (‘01) to support TF-ISO, a non-profit photography group for veterans

The next board meeting will be held October 3, 2017 at 1130 at American Legion Post 1, 5400 E Yale Avenue, Denver CO 80222

Meeting adjourned at 1300


Submitted by Andy Benson for Tim Griesmer

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Board of Directors Meeting Tuesday, May 2, 2017

WEST POINT SOCIETY OF DENVER
Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday, May 2, 2017 1130-1300
American Legion Post 1, 5400 East Yale Avenue, Denver, CO 80222

1.       Call to order – Bob Walcott at 11:35 AM
a.       Twelve board members in attendance, making a quorum.
b.       Four guests in attendance.

2.       Nomination and Election of New Officers – Lindy Blackburn
a.       The following nominations were made for officers of the board of directors:
                                                               i.      President: Brian MacDonald
                                                             ii.      Vice President: Joel Martin
                                                           iii.      Vice President for Admissions: Tom Carroll
                                                           iv.      Secretary: Tim Griesmer
                                                             v.      Treasurer: Dave Jackson
                                                           vi.      Communications Officer: Mark Frank
b.       The nominations were approved 12-0.
c.       There was also a motion to create an appointed position for Young Graduate Engagement Officer. The position was filled by Mike Euperio and Cory Wroblewski.

3.       Secretary’s Report/Approval of Minutes – Tim Griesmer
a.       Minutes from February 21, 2017 board meeting were approved.
b.       Minutes from March 3, 2017 general membership meeting were approved.

4.       Golf Tournament – Chad Dalton
a.       Chad Dalton distributed information for the annual golf tournament.
b.       The tournament will be held July 7, 2017 at the Air Force Academy Blue Course.
c.       Chad Dalton is trying to lower the cost entry through corporate sponsorship before publishing the information about the tournament to the Society. Lindy Blackburn suggested contacting the owner of the Parker Chick-Fil-A, who is a USNA graduate.

5.       Treasurer’s Report – Dave Jackson
a.       There is currently $630 earmarked for outreach.
b.       Dave Jackson is expecting another $350 from a new lifetime member, Kevin Miller ‘79
c.       Founder’s Day review:
                                                               i.      Approximately $3,000 in donations
                                                             ii.      Founder’s Day resulted in approximately a $270 loss.
                                                           iii.      192 attendees
                                                           iv.      There were some increased costs associated with hosting the Commandant at the Brown Palace Hotel and purchasing the commemorative wine glasses twice.
d.       Treasurer’s report was approved 12-0.
e.       Membership update: 1,006 total members in the Society area. The number was just reconciled with the AOG database.
                                                               i.      152 total current active regular members; of this 152:
1.       97 are dues paying members
2.       55 are lifetime members
                                                             ii.      There was a discussion about whether the Society should offer automatic renewal on memberships. Dave Jackson will look into options, but thinks it will require a transition to different billing software (ie, AOG instead of WP.org)

6.       Admissions Update – Bob Walcott
a.       18 cadets have currently been accepted statewide for the Class of 2021; expecting one more appointment to USMAPS. This number is significantly lower than last year. The explanation seems to be a higher failure rate on the Candidate Fitness Assessment. Fourteen nominated candidates were disqualified for failure of the fitness assessment.

7.       Summer Leadership Experience – Bob Walcott
a.       No update. Amy Efaw will normally notify SLE attendees of the availability of a scholarship. Bob Walcott will contact Amy Efaw for an update. Dave Jackson said the deadline to present a scholarship is August.
b.       There is money in the budget for an SLE scholarship.

8.       Distinguished Society Application – Tim Griesmer
a.       Tim Griesmer reviewed current work on the 2016-2017 Distinguished Society application.
b.       The application is due on June 30, 2017. Tim Griesmer will circulate a final draft at the beginning of June and plan to submit the application by mid-June.
c.       The Society has already exceeded the criteria for Distinguished Society status.

9.       Baseball Games – Brian MacDonald
a.       The links are active on the Society website for attending baseball games.
                                                               i.      June 17
                                                             ii.      August 2
b.       Dave Jackson suggested inviting the Navy and Air Force societies.
c.       Brian MacDonald is looking for a volunteer to take over planning the summer baseball games.

10.   Summer Picnic – Mark Frank
a.       The link is active to sign up for the summer picnic.
b.       The picnic will be June 25, 2017 at Wash Park.
c.       No change to the cost: burger meal: $10; hotdog meal: $8

11.   Friend of West Point Nomination – Bob Walcott
a.       The Society submitted a nomination for District Attorney George Brauchler
b.       The plan is to hold the dinner and presentation on June 6.
c.       Lindy Blackburn coordinated the date with George Brauchler.
d.       Lou Schroeder coordinated the venue (Landry’s Seafood) and VIP attendance.

12.   Parents’ Club Update – Bob Walcott
a.       Matt Wentz is the new president of the Parents’ Club.
b.       Sendoff for the Class of 2021 will be June 10 at the Smoky Hill Vineyard Church in Centennial.
c.       The Society is still looking for a representative from the 50 year class.

13.   New Business – Brian MacDonald
a.       Joel Martin expressed interest in organizing a high school leadership conference to promote interest in West Point. He is looking for volunteers to assist in planning a conference for 2018. Dave Jackson suggested sending an email to the Society to solicit volunteers or sponsorship.
b.       Josh Kuehl ’01 gave a presentation on TF ISO, a nonprofit that supports veterans through teaching photography and connecting them to resources. He is looking for board members and general volunteers. There was discussion of making a $100 donation from the Society. The motion was tabled until the next meeting.
c.       Bob Walcott gave a presentation on the Healing Our Heroes gala. There was a motion to donate $100 from the Society to Healing Our Heroes. The motion passed 11-1.

The next board meeting will be held July 11, 2017 at 11:30 AM, at American Legion Post 1, 5400 East Yale Avenue, Denver CO 80222.
The meeting adjourned at 1:05 PM.

Submitted by: Tim Griesmer, ’02