Board Meetings Page Title

 

 

Theta Elders Association, Inc.
Annual Corporation Meeting Agenda
September 18, 2022   

NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first TEA annual meeting held in person in 3 years. The meeting was held at the Laurel Grove at Wickham Park in East Hartford and was called to order by Phi Bob Kravecs at 4:09 PM.

Roll Call:

  • Officers: Phi Bob Kravecs, Gamma Don Burr, Sigma Ron Neiderwerfer, Alpha Sigma Michael Joyce

  • Directors: Chris Heacox, Jeff Davis, Earl Ott, Cal Lord

  • General Membership: Mike Kasper, Tim Vellrath, Steve Rogers, Harry Veal, Chris Heacox, Curtis Halla.

Declaration of a Quorum by Bob Kravecs.

  • Phi Kravecs reviewed the roll call and declared that there was a quorum as 8 of the 14 Officers and Directors were present for the meeting.

Opening Ode

  • With bravado and gusto, the membership sang the Opening Ode, in 14-part harmony.

Appointment of Parliamentarian.

  • Phi Kravecs appointed Tim Vellrath to serve as Parliamentarian, no doubt for his years of successful and orderly jurisprudence in the “pig-pen”.

Approval of Minutes from the last annual meeting.

  • The minutes from the November 21, 2021 annual corporation meeting were posted on the T.E.A. website for review by all members, in addition to hard copies disseminated at the meeting.

  • No additions or corrections were offered.

  • Jeff Davis moved to approve the minutes from the previous meeting. Ed Dimock seconded the motion. The motion carried.

President's report: 

  • Phi Kravecs thanked the Officers and Directors for their service since the previous meeting. Scant activity had transpired largely due to the inactivity of the Theta Chapter at UConn.

  • Harry Veal moved to accept the report.  Chris Heacox seconded. The motion carried.

Secretary's report:

  • None.

Treasurer's report:

  • Gamma Burr distributed the Treasurer’s report for the period from 1/1/22 through to the present.

  • As of 9/18/22, the general checking account balance was $9,217.93 ($9,266.23 at the 2021 meeting). It must be noted that no money had been kicked back from Headquarters from the Zete4Life funds.

  • As of 9/18/22, the Fidelity Investment Account balance was $269,875.34 ($352,074.33 at the 2021 meeting). This balance has dropped due to poor market conditions during the previous year. The investment history is $50,000 in 2008, $25,000 in 2015 $10,000 in 2016, and $25,000 in 2017. The investment services of Phi Kravecs’ contact, Panfilo Guglielmo, remain on a gratis basis.

  • Gamma Burr and Phi Kravecs remain the authorized cosignatories on the accounts.

  • Michael Joyce moved to accept the report.  Steve Rogers seconded.  The motion carried.

Investment Committee:

  • No report.  The Investment Committee has not met.

Housing Committee Report

  • No report. There is no Active Chapter.

Website Report:

  • Alpha Sigma Joyce reported that the T.E.A. has 214 valid email addresses.  Four addresses have been lost over the past 3 years.

  • There are diminishing returns using the forwarding/address correction services of the USPS, with respect to the expense of the mailings.

  •  Discussion centered around garnering email addresses from contacts of those Elders with valid addresses since there are pockets of generational groups in contact with one another.

  • Jeff Davis moved to accept the report.  Harry Veal seconded.  The motion carried.

OLD BUSINESS

Active Chapter Status:

  • The Active Chapter became inactive.

  • Ashley Christman is the new Director of the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Development (CFSD)

  • Further discussion will be mentioned under NEW BUSINESS

Zete4Life Update:

  • Proceeds are supposed to be “kicked back” to the Elder Corporation every 2 months or so.  Gamma Burr says we have received nothing this year.  His inquiries have proved fruitless.

  • Typically, the T.E.A, Inc. receives about $600.00/year.

  • Steve Rogers will contact Zeta Psi Executive Director, Tyler Boisvert, to find out what is going on.

Convention Report:

  • Elders Steve Rogers, Doug Donaldson, and Pete Slomianyj attended the 2022  175th Convention which was held in Brooklyn, NY.

  • Steve Rogers characterized the Grand Chapter as “vibrant”, adding to its international legacy  with new Chapters in France and Greece.  Steve also discussed the character of the present day UConn student.

Other Old Business:

  • None.

NEW BUSINESS

Moment of Silence:

  • The Brotherhood paused to reflect on the memories of those Members who have departed.

Approval of actions taken by the TEA Board since the last meeting:

  • Ron Niederwerfer moved to approve all of the actions taken by the Officers and Directors since the 11/21/21 meeting.  Michael Joyce seconded.  The motion carried.

Reactivation of the Active Chapter:

  • Zeta Psi is one of three Fraternities selected to colonize at UConn, beginning in 2023.  Kudos to Doug Donaldson and Zeta Psi Headquarters for their efforts with the presentation to the UConn administration.

  • The reactivation effort will be done by a professional organization who, for a $40,000 fee, will rush and obtain a nucleus group at UConn.  This will be under the direction of Zeta Psi Headquarters.  Apparently T.E.A. Elders are constrained from personal involvement in the rush effort.

  • A Beta Pi (Elder-Active Liaison) is needed.   Elder Will Aloia, who works in the Athletic Department, might be willing to serve in this capacity.  Phi Kravecs will contact him.

  • Chris Heacox suggested an ad hoc Reactivation Committee.  Brothers Chris Heacox, Harry Veal, Earl Ott, and Steve Rogers volunteered.

2020 - 60th Anniversary Update

  • The Covid-19 pandemic has put the kibosh on this celebration.  As reported at last year’s meeting, we will forego the 60th and set our sights on the 65th Anniversary celebration in 2023.

Holiday Dinner

  • This will typically be held during the first weekend of December at a centrally located restaurant. Al Smith usually coordinates the event. Further information will be on the website.  Notice will also be sent to all Members

2023 Convemntion:

  • To be held in Seattle from 7/20-24/23.

  • Ron Niederwerfer moved to allocate $4,00.00 for a Theta Elder delegate(s) for expenses to attend the Seattle Convention.  Cutis Halla seconded.  The motion carried.

Dues:

  • Michael Joyce moved to send an email to existing valid addresses to seek further email addresses of “lost Theta Zetes”, as discussed under the Website Report.  Jeff Davis seconded.  The motion carried.

  • Michael Joyce moved to send a dues appeal email, emphasizing the by-lay requirement of being a dues paying member to be eligible to vote on T.E.A. business matters.  The dues are a one time event and will be $40.00.  Jeff Davis seconded.  The motion carried.

Election of Directors: 

  • The procedure is to nominate a sufficient number of Directors from which the current 8 eligible Officers are elected to leave the By-Law mandated number of 3 to 8 Directors.  (Note: in 2020, it was decided to not elect the officers of Alpha Gamma (Assistant Secretary) and Beta Pi (Elder-Active Liaison) rendering the current number of 6 officers.

  • The officers nominated for the upcoming 2022/2023 year are:  Phi-Bob Kravecs, Alpha Phi-Chris Heacox, Sigma-Ron Niederwerfer, Gamma-Don Burr, and Delta-Doug Donaldson.

  • The eight Directors nominated for the upcoming 2022/2023 year are:  Bob Bentley, Al Smith, Ed Dimock, Bob Kelley, Jeff Davis,  Cal Lord, and Earl Ott, and Curtis Halla.

  • Ron Niederwerfer moved to accept the nominees for Officers and Directors.  Michael Joyce seconded.  The motion carried.

Other New Business:

  • None

HA Plaque:

  • Tim Vellrath nominated Michael Joyce rambling on about his alleged shortcomings as T.E.A. secretary.  Apparantly, Tim was reminiscing of one of his own (very sexy) personal secretaries of years ago and, mistaking Michael for her, was scorned at Michael’s having rebuffed this said advance.  Mike Kasper seconded the motion.

  • Chris Heacox nominated Harry Veal for being a “lightweight”.  This is public knowledge and ancient history as, the minutes from the previous year’s meeting reVEAL (pun intended), that Harry won last year’s HA election, FOR THE SAME CRIME!  Harry was muttering some nonsense of his liver being shot and not being able to drink anymore. NO DEFENSE!!

  • In a close runoff, Brother Veal prevailed and has now won 2 years in a row.  The problem is that Brother Doug Donaldson is still jealously in possession of the Horse’s Ass plaque, after his 2-year run as HA winner. Harry’s shame cannot be consummated without having possession of the plaque.  Rumor has it that Doug has the “Smeagol/Gollum complex” where the plaque is analogous to the “Precious” ring rendering Doug’s inability to give it up because he is so addicted to it.  Phi Kravecs enacted executive privilege to begin intervention proceedings to retrieve the Horse’s Ass plaque and to get Doug help.

Good and Welfare:

  • Phi Kravecs passed the gavel as Brothers expressed their pride and love for our Most Ancient Order.

Closing Ode and Adjournment:

  • The meeting was adjourned at 5:27 PM with a spirited singing of the Closing “Farewell” Ode.

Respectfully submitted in Tau Kappa Phi,  

Ron Niederwerfer

Secretary

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