Meeting Minutes
General Membership Meeting Minutes for November 5, 2008 at 6:30 p.m at the Randolph AFB Enlisted Club,
Tradition Room.
I. OPENING AND WELCOME: Chapter President Marv Abrams, opened by calling the meeting to order at 6:30
p.m. Mr. Oliver Nelson led the members in prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Julius Wilson. All
individuals introduced themselves, and provided their respective position(s) within the Chapter. (CLOSED)
II. PRESIDENT’S FORUM: Mr. Abrams stated we are in one aspect close to the end of the year, however; on
the other hand it is the beginning of many new things for the Chapter. We will be opening up some new doors.
As we go through the agenda tonight you will see there are changes that are happening. More changes will be
forthcoming within the Chapter, the Region and at the National levels. Our charge as members of the National
Board of Directors (Mr. Abrams and Mr. Ripley) is to make sure you are aware of them so that you can best
participate in them. (CLOSED)
III. MEETING MINUTES/ANNOUNCEMENTS: Minutes of the October 2008 meeting were reviewed and
accepted. Mr. Abrams reviewed all the announcements located at the bottom of the agenda. Additional
announcements included are:
a. Veterans Day Ceremony will be held on November 11, 2008 at 9:30 at the Fort Sam Houston Cemetery.
b. Dr. Cheryl Davis is the Chair of Sistas in Literacy which has a community involvement initiative with the
Cameron Academy. On November 8, 2008 it will host a fund raiser Reading Café from 10:00-12:00. The
Academy is located on Belgium Lane.
c. Tops and Blue will perform on November 8, 2008 at Trinity University.
d. Boyz II Men will perform on November 9, 2008 at Lackland AFB Amphitheater. This is a free military ID
card only event. Doors will open at 2:00 and the concert will begin at 4:00.
IV. FINANCIAL REPORTS: Mr. Abrams stated that the financial report for the month of October was deferred
because our banking system underwent some administrative changes and no longer will handle military
business accounts. Therefore, upon investigating other banking facilities’ pros and cons. The Chapter decided
to remain with Bank of America and switch the accounts to small business account. We still have three accounts
(operational, revenue and educational). However the monthly fee has been wavered. We now have on-line
banking capabilities and two (2) check cards which will reside with the President and Treasurer. Further, Mr.
Abrams read the completed Financial Report for the period of 1 September – 31 October. Financial Report was
accepted as presented. (CLOSED)
V. BOARD OF DIRECTOR’S/COMMITTEE MILESTONE REPORTS:
A. Financial Projects: Due to Mr. Marshall’s absence, Mr. Abrams stated that the Chapter is still eligible to
participate in ARAMARK events. To date the Chapter has not participated this year. This is a fundraising effort
and proceeds are used to award deserving high school graduates educational assistance awards each year.
With that in mind, a sheet for each Spurs (primarily Saturday) game at the AT & T Center would be made
available for volunteer sign-up. However there is a possibility that we may be able to do some Sunday functions
and possibly the Alamo Bowl this year which is being held on a Monday night. Please check your schedule and if
you are available, please sign up. To obtain a decent booth we need at least seven (7) volunteers. Normally the
food is prepared by ARAMARK individuals and our job is to serve the food and beverages. The Chapter receives
10% of the sales proceeds. This is easy fun work when compared to the number of man-hours and funding that
was expended when we were involved with the Taste of New Orleans. Normal showtime for these events are
two (2) hours prior to game time. Our two (2) largest fund raisers last year were the Alamo Bowl and the Big 12
Championships. The Chapter received over $700.00 per event. Alcoholic beverages are sold during the games
and people will need to be Texas Alcohol Beverage Certified. If you have not been certified, the Chapter will
assist you in this matter. The dates for the games are as follows:
6 Dec – Spurs vs Golden State
14 Dec – Spurs vs Oklahoma City
20 Dec – Spurs vs Toronto
27 Dec – Spurs vs Memphis
29 Dec – Alamo Bowl
If you are available, please sign-up on the lists that are circulating. (OPEN)
B. Legends and Heroes Golf Tournament: Mr. Sinkfield stated he will be e-mailing a list of possible donors to all
interested individuals who would like to contact participants. Mr. Nelson stated that individuals who make calls
might want to follow-up at a later date with a face to face conversation. Remember, everyone is a potential
donor. (OPEN)
C. Fundraising: Mr. Ripley stated that the Fundraising procedural guide will be completed in a couple of weeks.
Upon completion, all individuals on the committee will receive a copy of the guide. Mr. Archie and Mr. Ripley will
do follow-up every week with the respectively individuals. The first fund raising event will be held on March 7,
2009. (OPEN)
VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
A. Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site Grand Opening: Mr. Abrams thanked those individuals who were
able to attend the Grand Opening from the 9-11 October 2008. If you go to website: www.alexandersimages.com
and click on Find Your Photo, you will get a good picture of the entire event. We definitely had a good time. Tom
Joyner attended the Gala on Saturday night and then we had a mini concert by Tuskegee Alumni Lionel Richie.
Mr. Ripley stated that he was amazed to see so many Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen (DOTAs), but there
were quite a few that were unable to attend. He was honored to see his ROTC instructor (Col Carter) who
remembered him. (CLOSED)
B. Texas Aviation Hall of Fame/Lone Star Flight Museum: Mr. Abrams stated that due to extensive damage from
Hurricane Ike, the Museum has suspended all projects until further notice. (OPEN)
C. Chapter Fall and Holiday Social – Mr. Abrams stated that the Chapter Holiday Social will be held on
December 19th at the Randolph Officers Club. The attire will be Chapter Polo Shirt or casual wear. The cost will
be $5.00 per member and keeping with tradition, everyone in attendance are asked to bring a wrapped gift not
exceeding $10.00 in value. This will be an excellent affair to attend. We are well aware that the food will be good
because the same individuals that prepare the good eats at the Enlisted Club also prepare the food for the
Officers Club. We will be sending out more information concerning this event and asking for a head count.
(OPEN)
D. Chapter Board of Director/Executive Committee (BOD/EC) Meeting: Mr. Abrams reported that the BOD/EC met
at the Carver Library on September 25th. This meeting was set at a location in the middle of town in hopes that it
would make it easier for all to attend. Further, he stated that he was disappointed in the number of committee
chairs who did not attend. We were able to get some things done but not as much as anticipated. Please keep
in mind that if you volunteered to serve in any of those capacities, we expect you to carry your weight. Our Chapter
is setting the example for other Chapters and even at the National Level. (CLOSED)
VII. NEW BUSINESS:
A. African American History Month 2009: Mr. Abrams stated that once again Carver Library has requested our
Speakers Bureau to give a presentation; which has been confirmed for February 28, 2009. If you know of any
upcoming events, please let Mrs. Alexander know so that it can be listed on the Calendar of Events for 2009.
(OPEN)
B. National Convention: Mr. Abrams stated that the National is currently discussing the possibility of having a
2009 Annual Meeting instead of 2009 Convention. More information will be forthcoming. The Convention for
2010 will be held in San Antonio and sponsored by this Chapter. More information will be forthcoming. (OPEN)
VIII. GOOD OF THE ORDER:
A. Thanks to Dr. Sarah Williams who sponsored a SAC-TAI table at this years BEAT AIDS Banquet on October 3,
2008. Guest speaker for the event was Mr. McManus, San Antonio Chief of Police.
B. The Board of Directors (BOD) has approved post convention membership applicants being credited for the
next/upcoming year (i.e., after July 2008 credited for 2009). If you are interested in becoming a Lifetime member
you may pay your fee in yearly increments starting now and be recognized at the 2010 Convention.
C. National/Regional Positions: There are three (3) vacant positions at the National level that need to be filled. If
you are interested in serving as an Executive Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, or Public Relations
Officer, please see Mr. Abrams or Mr. Ripley.
D. Veterans Day Ceremony: A Veterans Day Ceremony will be held on Sunday at 11:00 at St. Paul Methodist
Church. There will be a veteran’s display and our own DOTA Mr. Warren Eusan will be honored.
E. Membership Drive: The Membership Drive has officially started. Feel free to see Mr. Carter or Mr. Ripley if you
would like to renew your membership. As previously announced, actions taken at the last Convention
established that any member who joined after the last Convention would receive credit for the remainder of that
year in addition to the following year. Effectively 1 January is the start of the new year and everyone will have to
join or renew their membership to remain current. Currently we have seven (7) new members. We must have a
minimum of 10 by the end of the year to make us eligible for the National Scholarship Awards Program
participation for the new calendar year.
IX. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:55 p.m.
Tradition Room.
I. OPENING AND WELCOME: Chapter President Marv Abrams, opened by calling the meeting to order at 6:30
p.m. Mr. Oliver Nelson led the members in prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Julius Wilson. All
individuals introduced themselves, and provided their respective position(s) within the Chapter. (CLOSED)
II. PRESIDENT’S FORUM: Mr. Abrams stated we are in one aspect close to the end of the year, however; on
the other hand it is the beginning of many new things for the Chapter. We will be opening up some new doors.
As we go through the agenda tonight you will see there are changes that are happening. More changes will be
forthcoming within the Chapter, the Region and at the National levels. Our charge as members of the National
Board of Directors (Mr. Abrams and Mr. Ripley) is to make sure you are aware of them so that you can best
participate in them. (CLOSED)
III. MEETING MINUTES/ANNOUNCEMENTS: Minutes of the October 2008 meeting were reviewed and
accepted. Mr. Abrams reviewed all the announcements located at the bottom of the agenda. Additional
announcements included are:
a. Veterans Day Ceremony will be held on November 11, 2008 at 9:30 at the Fort Sam Houston Cemetery.
b. Dr. Cheryl Davis is the Chair of Sistas in Literacy which has a community involvement initiative with the
Cameron Academy. On November 8, 2008 it will host a fund raiser Reading Café from 10:00-12:00. The
Academy is located on Belgium Lane.
c. Tops and Blue will perform on November 8, 2008 at Trinity University.
d. Boyz II Men will perform on November 9, 2008 at Lackland AFB Amphitheater. This is a free military ID
card only event. Doors will open at 2:00 and the concert will begin at 4:00.
IV. FINANCIAL REPORTS: Mr. Abrams stated that the financial report for the month of October was deferred
because our banking system underwent some administrative changes and no longer will handle military
business accounts. Therefore, upon investigating other banking facilities’ pros and cons. The Chapter decided
to remain with Bank of America and switch the accounts to small business account. We still have three accounts
(operational, revenue and educational). However the monthly fee has been wavered. We now have on-line
banking capabilities and two (2) check cards which will reside with the President and Treasurer. Further, Mr.
Abrams read the completed Financial Report for the period of 1 September – 31 October. Financial Report was
accepted as presented. (CLOSED)
V. BOARD OF DIRECTOR’S/COMMITTEE MILESTONE REPORTS:
A. Financial Projects: Due to Mr. Marshall’s absence, Mr. Abrams stated that the Chapter is still eligible to
participate in ARAMARK events. To date the Chapter has not participated this year. This is a fundraising effort
and proceeds are used to award deserving high school graduates educational assistance awards each year.
With that in mind, a sheet for each Spurs (primarily Saturday) game at the AT & T Center would be made
available for volunteer sign-up. However there is a possibility that we may be able to do some Sunday functions
and possibly the Alamo Bowl this year which is being held on a Monday night. Please check your schedule and if
you are available, please sign up. To obtain a decent booth we need at least seven (7) volunteers. Normally the
food is prepared by ARAMARK individuals and our job is to serve the food and beverages. The Chapter receives
10% of the sales proceeds. This is easy fun work when compared to the number of man-hours and funding that
was expended when we were involved with the Taste of New Orleans. Normal showtime for these events are
two (2) hours prior to game time. Our two (2) largest fund raisers last year were the Alamo Bowl and the Big 12
Championships. The Chapter received over $700.00 per event. Alcoholic beverages are sold during the games
and people will need to be Texas Alcohol Beverage Certified. If you have not been certified, the Chapter will
assist you in this matter. The dates for the games are as follows:
6 Dec – Spurs vs Golden State
14 Dec – Spurs vs Oklahoma City
20 Dec – Spurs vs Toronto
27 Dec – Spurs vs Memphis
29 Dec – Alamo Bowl
If you are available, please sign-up on the lists that are circulating. (OPEN)
B. Legends and Heroes Golf Tournament: Mr. Sinkfield stated he will be e-mailing a list of possible donors to all
interested individuals who would like to contact participants. Mr. Nelson stated that individuals who make calls
might want to follow-up at a later date with a face to face conversation. Remember, everyone is a potential
donor. (OPEN)
C. Fundraising: Mr. Ripley stated that the Fundraising procedural guide will be completed in a couple of weeks.
Upon completion, all individuals on the committee will receive a copy of the guide. Mr. Archie and Mr. Ripley will
do follow-up every week with the respectively individuals. The first fund raising event will be held on March 7,
2009. (OPEN)
VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
A. Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site Grand Opening: Mr. Abrams thanked those individuals who were
able to attend the Grand Opening from the 9-11 October 2008. If you go to website: www.alexandersimages.com
and click on Find Your Photo, you will get a good picture of the entire event. We definitely had a good time. Tom
Joyner attended the Gala on Saturday night and then we had a mini concert by Tuskegee Alumni Lionel Richie.
Mr. Ripley stated that he was amazed to see so many Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen (DOTAs), but there
were quite a few that were unable to attend. He was honored to see his ROTC instructor (Col Carter) who
remembered him. (CLOSED)
B. Texas Aviation Hall of Fame/Lone Star Flight Museum: Mr. Abrams stated that due to extensive damage from
Hurricane Ike, the Museum has suspended all projects until further notice. (OPEN)
C. Chapter Fall and Holiday Social – Mr. Abrams stated that the Chapter Holiday Social will be held on
December 19th at the Randolph Officers Club. The attire will be Chapter Polo Shirt or casual wear. The cost will
be $5.00 per member and keeping with tradition, everyone in attendance are asked to bring a wrapped gift not
exceeding $10.00 in value. This will be an excellent affair to attend. We are well aware that the food will be good
because the same individuals that prepare the good eats at the Enlisted Club also prepare the food for the
Officers Club. We will be sending out more information concerning this event and asking for a head count.
(OPEN)
D. Chapter Board of Director/Executive Committee (BOD/EC) Meeting: Mr. Abrams reported that the BOD/EC met
at the Carver Library on September 25th. This meeting was set at a location in the middle of town in hopes that it
would make it easier for all to attend. Further, he stated that he was disappointed in the number of committee
chairs who did not attend. We were able to get some things done but not as much as anticipated. Please keep
in mind that if you volunteered to serve in any of those capacities, we expect you to carry your weight. Our Chapter
is setting the example for other Chapters and even at the National Level. (CLOSED)
VII. NEW BUSINESS:
A. African American History Month 2009: Mr. Abrams stated that once again Carver Library has requested our
Speakers Bureau to give a presentation; which has been confirmed for February 28, 2009. If you know of any
upcoming events, please let Mrs. Alexander know so that it can be listed on the Calendar of Events for 2009.
(OPEN)
B. National Convention: Mr. Abrams stated that the National is currently discussing the possibility of having a
2009 Annual Meeting instead of 2009 Convention. More information will be forthcoming. The Convention for
2010 will be held in San Antonio and sponsored by this Chapter. More information will be forthcoming. (OPEN)
VIII. GOOD OF THE ORDER:
A. Thanks to Dr. Sarah Williams who sponsored a SAC-TAI table at this years BEAT AIDS Banquet on October 3,
2008. Guest speaker for the event was Mr. McManus, San Antonio Chief of Police.
B. The Board of Directors (BOD) has approved post convention membership applicants being credited for the
next/upcoming year (i.e., after July 2008 credited for 2009). If you are interested in becoming a Lifetime member
you may pay your fee in yearly increments starting now and be recognized at the 2010 Convention.
C. National/Regional Positions: There are three (3) vacant positions at the National level that need to be filled. If
you are interested in serving as an Executive Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, or Public Relations
Officer, please see Mr. Abrams or Mr. Ripley.
D. Veterans Day Ceremony: A Veterans Day Ceremony will be held on Sunday at 11:00 at St. Paul Methodist
Church. There will be a veteran’s display and our own DOTA Mr. Warren Eusan will be honored.
E. Membership Drive: The Membership Drive has officially started. Feel free to see Mr. Carter or Mr. Ripley if you
would like to renew your membership. As previously announced, actions taken at the last Convention
established that any member who joined after the last Convention would receive credit for the remainder of that
year in addition to the following year. Effectively 1 January is the start of the new year and everyone will have to
join or renew their membership to remain current. Currently we have seven (7) new members. We must have a
minimum of 10 by the end of the year to make us eligible for the National Scholarship Awards Program
participation for the new calendar year.
IX. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:55 p.m.
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| San Antonio Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. P.O. Box 264 Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 78148-0264 |