Annual Report

Board Retreat
July 28 –July 29, 2009
Olympia WA

Tuesday, July 28
Past chair Vince Guerrero called the meeting to order at 9:20.  Chair Elizabeth Scheid had asked Vince to serve in her place as chair until she is able to resume her duties.

Present:  Jacob McGee, Sue Hilberg, Bo Du. Jennifer Bacon, Emily Happy, David Schmidt, Vince Guerrero, Antonia Kerney, and Kathleen Cummings.

Excused:  Elizabeth Scheid and Rocky Kirwin

General Business:
Introductions:  New board members were welcomed and introduced. They were Sue Hilberg, Bo Du, Jennifer Bacon, Emily Happy and David Schmidt.

The meeting’s agenda was approved with new items of a board sponsorship position and committee discussion added under new business.

Minutes from the May 18th Board meeting were approved with one modification. After the May 18th meeting the dates for the 2010 conference were changed to  May 25- May 27th with the board meeting on May 24th.

MSP       Jacob made a motion that the May 18th minutes be approved as amended above and Antonia seconded.

MSP       Emily made a motion that the minutes from the annual meeting on May 20th be approved and Jacob seconded.

Upcoming meeting dates and locations were confirmed as follows:
October 6            SeaTac                  10:00 – 4:00
Feb. 2                    SeaTac                  10:00 – 4:00
May 24                 Olympia               to be determined

Open meetings:  A suggestion had been received that a greater effort be made to open the meetings up for members to attend. It was agreed to post board meetings on the web site and to e-mail board minutes to membership utilizing the WSASC e-mail network. The annual report would also be e-mailed. Emily will write something up and ask members to let us know if they plan on attending so meeting space will be sufficient. This also brought up a discussion about the e-mail- and whether the names of the membership should appear as a group or be hidden. The idea of a blog was brought up. Jacob knew of one that was reasonable (about $150) and he will check into it. This would also tell us how many hits the web site gets.

Vacation days/leave of absence:  Vince asked that we let the board know (or at least the chair) if we are away from the office for more than 2 days.  He also asked that we note the upcoming meetings to avoid any conflicts and to respond to e-mails in a timely fashion.

Financial Forms:  In Ricky’s absence, Antonia reviewed the forms that are needed to request reimbursement from the treasurer or to pay an invoice.  It is critical that the right forms be used. We need documentation to go with all submitted requests. Antonia will ask Rocky to e-mail the forms to everyone. Once the board approves a budget the expenditures detailed in that budget are considered approved. If an amount is higher than anticipated or the item is not in the budget you will need to get board approval.
Program and Project report form: if the summary and review are in the minutes, it is approved.

Post Report form: final status of the event, such as a trip.
The revenue/expenditure form may be obsolete at this time.

Board roster and membership update:  Kathleen distributed a draft of the new board roster.  The roster will be updated to reflect the new board members and positions.  The by-laws call for two members from the east side of the state.  Since Ron Anderson is not able to serve as 2010 conference co- chair, there is only one member from Eastern WA.  Another is needed. The by-laws state that the chair can fill vacancies with board approval. Also many of the terms expire in 5/11. Vince stated that adjustments will need to be made so the distribution is more even. As of this meeting the board members, positions and terms are as follow:

Elizabeth Scheid               Chair   through 5/10 then past chair through 5/11
Vince Guerrero                 Past Chair (currently acting chair) through 5/10
Rocky Kirwin                      Treasurer through 5/11
Kathleen Cummings       Secretary through 5/10
Jacob McGee                     Fundraising through 5/11
David Schmidt                   Fundraising through 5/11
Emily Happy                       Marketing   though 5/11
Jennifer Bacon                  Marketing   through 5/11
Sue Hilberg                         Member Services though 5/11 and 2010 conference chair
Bo Du                                    Member Services through 5/11
Vacancy                              
Appointments:
Antonia Kerney                                NISC
Vacancy                               senior lobby   primary delegate
Eileen McKenzie Sullivan Senior Lobby 2nd delegate

Sponsors:  The idea of establishing a sponsorship committee was briefly discussed. It was recognized that sponsorship was an area with some conflicts.  A code of conduct could be established which clearly defines the role of sponsors

“In the Works’ Grant award:  Kathleen distributed the applications for the awards. Individuals who had applied for the grant and were present were asked to leave the room. After some discussion it was decided to award more than one grant.

MSP       Kathleen made a motion that was seconded by Bo that a total of $1,000 is allocated for the awards.

MSP       Antonia made a motion that was seconded by Jacob that the awards be given to:
                Hillyard                 $500 towards the purchase of card tables
                Enumclaw           $250 towards the purchase of fabric and baseboards
                Corbin                   $250 towards the purchase of a large screen TV.

Jacob suggested that a plaque also be given recognizing the award. The wording would be something like:  2009    In the Works Grant Award     WSASC and the center’s name and project
It was decided that a framed gift certificate with a small easel may be more practical and noticeable.

NISC Report:
Antonia reported that she would be going to the NISC Hill Day in Washington D.C. on September 14th.  This is a great opportunity to speak with legislative aides.  Each Senator and Representative has a legislative aide on each topic.  The opportunity to speak with the aides on senior issues is very important.  The NCOA is working on the Older Americans Act (OAA). The Area Agencies on Aging (AAA and AAAA) are making a play to be the central focal point of all senior funding. The east and west part of the country distribute their funding differently. There is hope that Senior Centers can get funding directly instead of the money going through the AAA first.

Antonia also spoke about project 2020.  This is a move to keep people in their homes longer. It involves changes in Medicaid.  There is concern that funding may come out of the OAA – and thus impact the funding for Meals on Wheels and Nutrition. There is also concern that 2020 may end up taking a back seat to health care reform.

The NISC conference is in Chicago next year.  Antonia had submitted a proposal to present with Marietta Bobba.  Antonia also put on the table the possibility of sending another person to the annual NISC conference in Chicago next year. Antonia has a coupon for free registration so her costs may be less than anticipated.  It was decided that cost estimates would be worked on and then a decision made once the 2010 budget was discussed.

Membership Report:
Sue asked about the history of the annual membership fee increasing after a certain date.  After some discussion it was decided to eliminate the two rates.

MSP       Antonia made a motion that the price for membership be $45.00.  Sue seconded the motion.

 Further discussion ensued about the relationship of paid dues and conference registration.  It was agreed that membership dues would need to be paid by March 15th to be eligible for the member rate at conference.

Sponsorship:
It was felt ideally this job should be shared by two people who could work with both conference sponsorship, grants and trip sponsorship. A fundraising person could then continue to work on trips and events.  Both fundraising and sponsorship could work with a committee.  Vince will need to appoint two more board members for sponsorship duties with board approval. Sponsorship would also be involved with any future WSASC sponsored workshops.

By-Laws:
After consulting the by-laws it was decided a by-law committee made up of Antonia, Jacob and Kathleen will review them for any necessary updating.  Jennifer has a reference book that should help with the process, the new board positions will be placed in the WSASC standing rules.  The board job descriptions could be added to the web site.

Senior Lobby: The board will ask Elizabeth when she returns to contact Fred and inquire about his ability to serve as senior lobby representative.  It was suggested that an agenda of state issues be developed to assist in the lobbying efforts. The NCOA 2020 campaign which advocates direct funding to senior centers could be an issue. There was also some discussion about reimbursing this position for out of pocket expenses which might include hotel, travel and a per diem.  A figure of $1,500 was determined.

Eileen Mckenzie Sullivan met with the board briefly.  She works out of the location the retreat was held in and has been the second senior lobby delegate for WSASC for several years.  Eileen provided some history on the senior lobby which is made up of 30 diverse member agencies representing issues pertinent to seniors. Most months the Senior Lobby meets on the 3rd Monday from 10:00 – 12:00.  When the legislature is in session, it meets the second and fourth Mondays from 9:30 – noon.  The lobby often votes on whether to endorse certain issues. Each member agency gets one vote. There is a conference n the fall which is worthwhile attending.  (Subsequent to the meeting the conference date was set for October 30th, 2009.)

Treasurer’s Report: In Rocky’s absence Antonia  reviewed the budget. For reference, the 2008 budget was distributed as well as a year to date through July 22, 2009. The budget was reviewed by each line item.  Items that were noted under revenue included: Miscellaneous income (which is used to balance the budget), and the addition of conference sponsorships (which will be called vendor income) at $3,500. A line item for regional workshops will be added under revenue and expenses for $1,000.

Under expenses items of note were: Membership Directory is only at $50 because it is done on line and without mailing binders, Postage ($550) is primarily for the newsletter, the cost of the newsletter ($500) includes web master fees, Miscellaneous operating expense is for unanticipated but needed purchases such as the jump drives for board members, a line item for web site preparation software will be added for $500, and web page maintenance will be increased to $1,000.  Awards and recognition appear under conference but are an association expense. This is for the purchase of the actual awards that are given out. Under conference the cost of the hospitality room  supply was reduced to $500, name tags were increased to $75, postage reduced to $50 as most conference material is included as part of the newsletter. Under fundraising the expense is listed at $10,000 and the income was projected at 14,000. Under services expenses,  per an   earlier decision the amount allocated for Senior lobby representation was increased to $1,500, the board retreat was reduced to $2,000 in part reflecting a one night stay instead of two, while board meeting n travel was increased from $600 to $1,600.

Antonia will work on the changes over night and present the budget on Wednesday for review.  Jacob offered to help her.  It was suggested that the projected budget for the upcoming year be done at the board meeting before the conference.

The WSASC has approximately $39,000 in reserves. There was a question whether some of the money should be in a CD. In years past that had been done.  A problem arose when the conference expenses hit at the same time as Seaside, and coverage was tight. It was recommended that we look into a CD of $10,000 so as not to hamper cash flow.

The liability of providing alcohol in the hospitality room and off site special event was discussed.  It was suggested that we investigate the cost and coverage of insurance on this issue.

Conference hotel rooms:
A question was raised about the motion that was passed at the May 18th meeting that separated the conference rate from the hotel rooms.  After a debate of the pros and cons the decision was reversed.

MSP Jacob made a motion that the hotel rooms be included in the conference rate.  Jennifer seconded.

Goals for 2009:
Fundraising and travel:

• Establish  relationship with one travel vendor
• Submit timelines for trips and deadlines in a timely fashion to meet center’s publicity deadlines.
• Gain greater participation for area groups.

(Kathleen left at 5:45 PM and Jacob took minutes for the remainder of Tuesday’s meeting.)

NISC:

• Create better WSASC name recognition.
• Open WSASC to different agencies at conference,
• Reach out to other agencies that work with seniors.
• Work with NISC and NCOA to identify other areas for sponsorships.

Membership:

• Re-introduce corporate membership.
• Increase members.
• Get information out in different ways.

Senior lobby

• Fill primary delegate spot.

Marketing

• Increase web traffic.
• Encourage more web  site use with more frequent updating.
• Increase corporate partnerships.

Conference Committee Goals

• Solicit committee members.
• Hold first meeting in September.
• Disseminate information in October.

Treasurer;
In Rocky’s absence:

• Send reconciliations to chair
• Purchase jump drives for all board members and down load with forms and budget.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 PM.

Wed. July 29

Vince called the meeting to order at 9:40 AM.
Discussion of goals continued.

Secretary:

• Serve on by-law committee.
• Work on archives and making them more easily accessible.

Fundraising:

• Advertise trip info earlier.
• Work with Buzz on two trips.
• Increase # of participants on trips.

Marketing Report:
Due dates for Front & Center will be e-mailed.  The upcoming deadlines for fall are:
Front & Center
August 24th for Spot light professional nomination
August 31st  Front & Center photos and articles due with general winter trip info.
Sept. 28th: Front & Center mailed.

Web site:
Aug. 31st    Content due for any updates on web site
Sept. 28th   material given to web master
Oct. 5th       web site is updated.

The possibility of registering on-line for the conference was discussed. Options such as Pay Pal will be researched.  Other options will be researched.

Emily and Jennifer will also look at possibility of monthly updates of the website and investigating a contract with the web master and reviewing budget options. They will also look into links on the web site to different resources as well as more WSASC info such as board job descriptions, meeting dates and locations. 
There was a question about the pictures from the 2009 conference. They will ask Kathy Armstrong to forward what she has.  They hope to also look at vendor activity and outreach to retirement homes.

Fundraising and travel report:
Jacob reported that seniors on the beach will bring in $2,300 in profit.  He expects about the same proceeds from seniors on the mountain. There will be 56 people on the mountain trip.  The Mariners game should bring in $550. Jacob talked about the possibility of sponsors helping out with some trip costs. David talked about better timelines for the trips and involving more participation from south end senior centers. Trips in 2010 may include 2 with Buzz, a Mariners game and a two themed trips, such as seniors  on the beach and the mountain.
 
Conference:
The 2010 conference will be at the Phoenix Inn in Olympia from May 25 – May 27th. Conference chair Sue distributed binders to each board members which contained comprehensive information about the status of the upcoming event. She has reserved 50 rooms – 20 single and 30 double.  Cost of the room with taxes will be about $115 per night. A very hearty breakfast is included with the room. Per an earlier decision, the room rate will be included in the conference rate as in years past. Parking is limited at the hotel, though the hotel will pay for guests who are parked on the street.

The theme will have something to do with ‘Making Connections.’ It was suggested to tie in with the Capital – so perhaps Capital connections.  Capitalizing on Connections, etc.   Sue will work with the soon to be appointed conference committee to finalize.

The key note speaker will be Rajiv Nagaich.  Several present have heard him talk and agreed he is very good. He also hosts a radio talk show.  The closing speaker will be State Representative Dennis Flanagan.

There are lots of great ideas for breakout sessions. Lisa  Knapton has been confirmed to do another risk management session which will run back to back with a question and answer session.  Antonia and Marietta can present their session from the NCOA conference.  Other suggestions included motivational interviewing, resiliency for workers, a talk from the Attorney General,  and marketing for seniors.

The board reviewed a draft of the conference sponsorship form. It was agreed to re-name the highest level of conference sponsorship to platinum, followed by gold, silver and bronze. It was agreed that platinum sponsors would get the opportunity to do a  5 minutes presentation at conference.

The special event will be Tuesday evening off site just a short distance from the hotel. Since it is a short scenic walk along the water, transportation for the entire group will not be offered. The committee will look at limited transportation available for those who need it. An idea was to contact the Olympia Senior Center to see if we could contract for a driver and their van for the limited transport.

The hotel offers limited food service. Sue included in the conference booklet  some menu options offered by the hotel  as well as by their preferred caterers.   The issue of snacks and beverages will also be determined. Conference meals will include:

Tuesday:              Special off site event  
Wed:                     Breakfast included with room     lunch    banquet dinner
Thursday:            Breakfast included in room          have as brunch?  Lunch?  To be determined

The hospitality room will have the usual assortment of snacks and beverages.  There is no charge for the room itself. . There was some talk about having some of the break out session at the Olympia Center, where the board  retreat was  held. The issue of an east –west contest was discussed.  Sue brought up her idea about a scavenger hunt   as an ice breaker with teams  collecting specific items which are then given to shelters, The idea was warmly received. It was agreed to see if Jerry could be the auctioneer. He also help out with the AV at the conference and auction. It was suggested that each board member look for larger auction items.

Newcomers: it is likely that a meeting for newcomers will be held at the conference in addition to the distinctive name tags that have been used in past conferences. Antonia suggested individuals without any other duties be assigned to handle the meeting time with new comers.  It was suggested that perhaps former board members or scholarship recipients could do this.

A discussion took place on how to increase members’ participation with the awards the association gives out.  It was suggested that nominations be made up until conference registration and even check in at the hotel.  Members then vote at the conference. This would be for the individual awards as well as the make over awards.  In order for this to work , designated individuals  would have to take this on at the conference.  It was suggested this could be a task scholarship recipients take on. The job would be to organize the various nominees in respective categories  and then provide a brief summary. Further discussion to follow with both board and conference committee.

Vendor booths: The idea of returning to a vendor fair as part of the conference was discussed.  Several ideas were mentioned  as well as cost of a vendor booth – maybe $100. Vendor suggestions  included myseniorcenter.com, Nintendo/Wii, and Empower.

2010 Budget
Antonia and Jacob distributed the draft 2010 budget  they had worked on the evening before, They input the changes that had been made at the Tuesday afternoon session. The 2010 budget was showing a shortfall of over $4,500.  After some discussion , the board decided to  increase the association fundraising level by $2,000 (for a total of $16,000) and to increase the association miscellaneous income by $2,000 (for a total of $3,370) and the vendor income from conference was increased by $500 (for a total of $4,000). Die to the tight budget, it was decided not to send another person to the NISC conference.

MSP       A motion was made by Jacob that the 2010 budget be approved as recently amended. Kathleen seconded.  Rocky will send out the updated approved 2010 budget.

WSASC Apparel:
Vince discussed the apparel that has been purchased in the past several years. He prefers the vendor we used two years ago.  Information can be found on their web site: www.shopoutlook.biz . There was a suggestion to include the link on the web site, but more research has to be done  on types of shirts ,cost, etc..  Discussion to be continued.

New business:
Regional meetings:
There ha s was some talk about WSASC hosting several regional one day workshops or meetings across the state. It was decided to start with regional meetings as opposed to workshops. It was suggested that the meetings fit into the existing schedule of regional senior centers.  For instance there is a monthly meeting in Pierce and King County. The meetings could also be tied to a season.  The suggested draft schedule is below:

• Winter regional meeting: 2nd Monday in March   WSASC will ask the Peirce and King County group if it can host their meeting and provide refreshments.
• Spring:  Snohomish /Skagit County
• Summer: Vancouver area  meeting could coincide with board retreat so all board members could be present
• Fall:  Moses Lake 

Emily made a motion to adjourn the meeting which was seconded by Jennifer.
The meeting adjourned at 1:45 PM.

Subsequent to the meeting, there was a fire that destroyed the Cle Elum Senior Center. Through e-mail on Aug. 3, 2009 the board discussed how the WSASC could help and show support.

MSP: Bo motioned to award $1,000 for emergency use as needed for the Cle  Elum Senior Center.

Respectfully submitted by Kathleen Cummings,  Secretary  WSASC