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Subj: December 2004 BOT Meeting Report Refer to: Central Region Letter 18-04; December 6,
2004 **** Before I provide feedback from the BOT meeting I would urge all of you to consider buying “two tickets for Mids” to attend the Emerald Bowl on 12/30 in San Francisco. The price is $30 apiece (for a $40 ticket), so your contribution would be $60. This will allow two Mids to attend the game. Either buy on the internet from www.navysports.com or call the Athletic Association at 800-874-6289.
I attended the USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting held on 1-2 December. Committee meetings were held on the 1st and their reports were made to the BOT on the 2nd. The remarks below are from the actual BOT meeting.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT · Two new Board-appointed Trustees were seated at this meeting: Major General Leo Williams, USMC ’70 who is also a member of the USNA Foundation BOT; and, LT Bart Phillips, USN ’96 who is also the 2nd Co. Officer at USNA. · Last Call included five (5) alumni Killed in Action in Iraq.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REMARKS · VADM Rod Rempt ’66 pointed out that USNA had eight (8) Midshipmen going to Oxford or Cambridge next year, including 3 of the 32 Rhodes Scholars selected in the USA. · Defense Task Force review was conducted at USNA by DOD last week; this is an ongoing inquiry at all three service academies planned over the next year; It’s a programmatic review with special concentration on sexual harassment (brought about by the USAF Academy scandals); the Supe feels USNA is in good shape, but can learn from the inquiry. · 2005 service assignments went as follows: 250 Navy pilots; 85 Navy NFO; 59 USMC pilots; 4 USMC NFO; 244 SWO; 117 USMC ground; 85 submarines; 26 SWO nuclear; 16 Seals; 15 Special Ops; 10 Supply; and, 37 various other. · Summer cruise plans continuing in same direction, i.e., ensure grey hull cruise prior to 1/C year; Sailing on YP as 3/C and 2/C; Small unit leadership training prior to 1/C (e.g., summer seminar; plebe detail; skipper of 44 ft. sailboat; YP CO); PROTRAMID as 2/C; Voluntary cruises in addition (i.e., Leatherneck, EOD, MiniBuds, Scuba, foreign exchange cruise, jump school) · CNO, ADM Vern Clark, visited USNA on an oversight and guidance visit. · Michelson rehab complete (‘best chemistry labs in the world.”); Chauvenet underway; Robert Crown sailing center expansion/rehab complete; Uriah P Levy Center & Jewish Chapel complete early 2005; new air conditioning plant almost complete; Wesley Brown Field House (140,000 sq. ft.) in 2006; numerous rehab/improvement plans for the future. · Supe initiatives: Strategic Plan Development; Leadership Task Force results. · Focus is on producing combat leaders from USNA. · Officer Development System covers moral, professional, and character development – it is being better organized from the pieces already in place. · Honor Review: Honor System needs to be distinguished from conduct system; positive vs. negative approach is needed; more options needed after violations. · Academic Program review underway to ensure responsiveness to Navy/Marine Corps needs (curriculum, schedule/process, and faculty) · Sailing renaissance is succeeding. · Supe invites all alumni inputs; reads all email, but can’t answer all emails.
PRESIDENT/CEO REMARKS
· George Watt ‘ 73 presented his semi-annual report in writing to the BOT. · He thanked all alumni and BOT for donations of time, experience, and monetary donations. · $86.5 million has been provided to USNA for support – does not replace one dollar of tax money; it makes the difference between mediocrity and excellence. · Encourages all alumni to be members of the Alumni Association; goal is to increase membership from 51,100 to 60,000 in next few years. · Continuing to grow “value added services” to alumni. · Alumni are biggest “friendraisers” to USNA. · The Association keeps asking: “Are we relevant to the membership?” · He will propose a process for developing a new strategic plan at the May 2005 BOT meeting, with the goal of completion by the Dec 2005 meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORTS AND VOTES
· Joint Finance & Audit Committee reported an unqualified (good) audit approval by KPMG; financial support to USNA is increasing; to make the Alumni Association self-sufficient financially it would need an $ 80 – $130 MM endowment (this would yield $5 - $6 MM in investment income, depending on market yields). · Joint Investment Committee reported the portfolio grew from $99.3 to $104.8MM in first 3 quarters of 2004; growth through 11/29/04 was to $109MM; the Committee meets frequently and watched investments closely. · Nominating Committee proposed a slate which the BOT approved; the election will be in paper tear-out ballot form IN THE MARCH SHIPMATE; Alumni are urged to vote. Candidates are; Vice Chair – Corbin McNeill ’62; Central Region Trustee – James Bethmann ’77 and Leonard Wass ‘ 64; Eastern Region Trustee – Warren Hahn ’60, F. Francis Hughes, Jr. ’62, William O. Rentz ’55, and Roy A. “Skip” Wiegand ’73. · Governance Committee reviewed the composition of the BOT, as the new structure has been in place for three years; it found it to be effective and found no compelling rationale for change. · House Committee meets 4X/yr and oversees renovations plans for Association buildings; safety is a driver for much work in the very old buildings (e.g., electrical work); it provides sound oversight of the plans and Association staff. · Communications Committee reviewed changes made to Shipmate, and is still studying the changes through Spring 2005 to determine “lessons learned”; Class News return to 4000 words is “still in play” and a final decision will be made by Spring 2005; the Mid-Atlantic Trustee gave the Committee Chairman the results of the survey taken by the Central Region Trustee (me) of the Class Secretaries from 1944 to 1984 to aid him in his review. · Admissions Committee needs more alumni to be Blue & Gold Officers; If you are interested, please call or email Rob Bender ’73, the Committee Chairman, at 610-941-4455 X142 or rmbetbender@aol.com · Membership Committee gave the breakdown of target alumni to increase membership to 60,000 by 2007; this is an ambitious goal; if you know an alumnus who is not a member, please urge them to join the national and local chapter; membership shows support and interest for USNA, the Brigade, and the Alumni Association. The BOT approved making Associate and Corporate Members permanent after a successful trial period. · Other Chapter Trustee Selection Committee has rewritten the Operating Manual to make applications for three Trustee seats more understandable and measurable; the new verbiage will be presented to the BOT for an electronic vote prior to the May 2005 BOT meeting; (I serve on this Committee – if there are any Central Region Chapters who are thinking of applying for the three seats which become vacant in 2006 please let me know and I’ll help you get started on the application requirements). · Chapter Application Certifications: A new New Jersey and Tulsa Chapter was approved. The application from the Castro Chapter was analyzed by the staff and indicated that the current San Francisco Chapter already met local alumni needs and that Castro is a special interest Chapter. One Trustee asked to speak: Linda Postenrieder ’82, the San Francisco Chapter Trustee, gave a cogent and powerful appeal to the applicants of Castro for inclusion and participation in the already existing San Francisco Chapter. After her appeal the BOT voted unanimously to deny the Castro application. (Len Wass personal note: I feel honored and privileged to serve on the BOT with Linda – she exemplifies the qualities of Honor, Courage, and Commitment that ADM Trost has set forth for all Trustees.) · Next BOT Meeting will be held on May 6, 2005; the meeting adjourned with singing of Navy Blue & Gold.
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