Annual Planning Meeting: Tuesday, February 8, 2022

 

WEST POINT SOCIETY OF DENVER

Board of Directors Annual Planning Meeting

MINUTES OF MEETING – Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Noonan’s Bar & Grill, 13521 E Iliff Ave, Aurora, CO 80014

 

1.      Call to order – Joel Martin at 6:40 PM

a.      Eleven voting board members in attendance, making a quorum.

b.      Board members attending: Steve Best, Lou Schroeder, Sam Thiessen, Cory Wroblewski, Joel Martin, Mike Euperio, Jace Johnson, Brian MacDonald, Tim Griesmer, Chad Dalton, Bob Walcott

c.      Katie Wilson and Dave Jackson have resigned from the board of directors.

 

2.      Tri-Service Golf Tournament-Chad Dalton

a.      August 12, 2022 at 8:00am at the AFA Silver Course

b.      Air Force will be running the event

c.      Digital marketing materials will be available in the next six weeks

d.      Chad is working with Navy to plan a charitable golf tournament somewhere in the metro area in 2023. He is asking for nominations for charities to support.

 

3.      Secretary’s Report/Approval of Minutes – Tim Griesmer

a.      Minutes from the December 7, 2020 board of directors meeting were approved 11-0.

b.      Distinguished Society Award-Tim is working on the DSA application and asked board members to send any activities for points.

 

4.      Treasurer’s Report- Brian MacDonald

a.      Tim Griesmer will conduct financial review for 2019-2021.

b.      The board reviewed the update budget proposal.

                                                    i.     If the society resumes quarterly dinners, they will pay for themselves as they have traditionally been ticketed events.

                                                   ii.     The board made an adjustment to the venue & catering lines items on the WPLEC budget with no change to the overall amount for the event.

c.      The board approved the 2022 budget 11-0.

 

5.      Membership-MacDonald

a.      Slight increase in membership.

b.      Brian raised the issue of whether the society can do more for career networking for area graduates. Steve Best thinks this is a potential topic of discussion at the AOG leadership conference and is willing to recommend this as a topic for the conference.

c.      The current rates for paid membership are $50/year, $125/3 years, $350/lifetime.

 

6.      2020 Board Meeting Dates/Key Topics-Joel Martin

a.      The board discussed in-person versus zoom or hybrid meetings.

b.      In terms of meeting locations, Brian MacDonald will check with American Legion Post 1, Cory Wroblewski will check on the possibility of a downtown location, Joel Martin will work on providing a zoom option for each board meeting.

c.      The 2022 board of directors meetings will be as follows:

                                                    i.     February 23 (Founder’s Day/L&E Planning)

                                                   ii.     March 12 (Founder’s Day/General Membership Meeting)

                                                  iii.     May 4 (Officer Elections/SLE Scholarship)

                                                  iv.     July 13

                                                   v.     October 5 (Navy and Air Force Planning)

                                                  vi.     November 30 (Navy planning)

                                                vii.     January 24, 2023 Annual Planning Meeting

 

7.      Board member roster & term update -Joel Martin

a.      Joel reviewed the expiration dates of the current board member terms.

b.      Jace Johnson knows a potential board member from Ft. Collins who is very active in Field Force and plans to come to the Founder’s Day candidate meeting.

c.      A solicitation for more board members will be included in the Founder’s Day registration email.

d.      Brian MacDonald would like to separate the Treasurer and membership director jobs and create another board officer position dedicated to membership.

e.      There was a motion to separate the treasurer and membership positions and create a new officer position of membership director. The motion passed 10-0.

 

8.      2022 Programs and Events

a.      The board would like to schedule an event to present GEN(R) Casey with his Friend of West Point award. One option is at WPLEC.

b.      Admissions-Jace Johnson

                                                    i.     The list of CPRC cadets will be released in March. Jace is going to have CPRC cadets who are in town attend Founder’s Day in dress gray uniform.

                                                   ii.     Jace will run the new cadet meeting from 5:00-6:00 prior to Founder’s Day.

                                                  iii.     Jace also wants to run an Academy Day for prospective candidates.

                                                  iv.     Steve Best would like to be involved in any events for the Class of 2026 as the 50^th year class representative.

c.      WPLEC-Joel Martin

                                                    i.     The event will take place on April 1, 2022. GEN Casey will be participating.

                                                   ii.     To date, $5,000 has been raised with an additional $2700 already in the bank from two years ago.

                                                  iii.     Food and printing services will be donated.

                                                  iv.     The goal for attendance is 150 juniors & 50 middle schoolers. 20 cadets will be attending with the mobile STEM project.

                                                   v.     There may be a need to recruit area grads as volunteers.

d.      All Academy Ball-Jace Johnson will reach out to see if it will be held this year and if there is need for support from the WPSD.

e.      Founder’s Day-Joel Martin

                                                    i.     The board discussed pricing for this year. Bob Walcott is doing an analysis of the changes in cost from last year to this year. After discussion, the board decided not to increase the rate and to try to solicit more donations.

                                                   ii.     West Point will not send any of the big three to this year’s Founder’s Day. After discussion, the board decided not to have a guest speaker.

                                                  iii.     The registration email blast will include solicitations for more board members, WPLEC info, and solicitation for donations.

f.       Summer Picnic-Cory Wroblewski- will be held sometime around mid-July, venue TBD.

g.      Air Force Watch Party- Nov. 5, 2022.

h.      Navy Watch Party- Dec. 10, 2022.

i.       Young Grad Engagement-Cory Wroblewski and Mike Euperio-looking at the feasibility of holding a happy hour in May and July and something in the fall.

The next board meeting will be held February 23, 2021 via zoom.

The meeting adjourned at 8:28 PM.

Submitted by: Tim Griesmer ‘02