February 12, 2020 Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Directors present were Jerry Hufford, Gerry Northrup, Steve Milbrod, Bob Sharak, and Joe Ward. Thus, there was a quorum. 53 members were present.

Call To Order: Jerry Hufford called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. Director-at-Large Joe Ward led the Pledge of Allegiance. Ken Anderson provided the invocation.

Officer Reports

Welcome Remarks: Commander Hufford recognized new members in attendance.

Secretary’s Report: Bob Sharak asked for Board approval of January 14, 2020 meeting minutes. Board members approved.

There was a discussion of whether the members would be in favor of accelerating the timing of availability of approved minutes, which would require a change to the By-laws. The consensus of the members was to leave current process unchanged.

Membership status – total of 214 as of 2/11/20, however, this includes 61 that have not yet renewed their memberships for 2020.

Treasurer’s Report: Steve Milbrod report:

Beginning balance $1,309

Ending balance $3,069

Increase was mostly due to dues received from members. The biggest expenditure was a down payment for the band for the October dance/fund raiser.

Guest Speaker #1: Linda Craig from MOTS (Manasota Operation Troop Support) discussed the group’s mission. M.O.T.S. is a non-profit organization serving military troops deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait with ties to Manatee and Sarasota County and their families.

13 years in business supplying packages of toiletries and other items.

A.V.M.S. donations in the past have paid for the postage to send the care packages to active duty troops overseas.

Committee Reports:

Website: Webmaster Chris DiBiase reports 1,600 website page views last month. Some website pages are in process of being updated.

Outreach: Ken Anderson reports that Operation Outreach started last month. The focus is on serving residents that might need assistance. An open item is how to get A.V.M.S. to be more involved.

Rosie Lumetta, resident, was in attendance. She expressed gratitude for the help she has received thus far. Member Rick Davis was recognized for his efforts for the committee.

Sergeant of Arms: Guy Sumrall reports he is looking for help for next Tuesday.

Supply Officer: Commander Jerry Hufford reported for Debbie Distefano. Jerry showed the proposed new casual t-shirts. These shirts would be a more casual look than the current shirts, could be worn anywhere, and would be a supplement to the current shirts, not a replacement.

Old Business

Military Funeral Attendance for the “Unclaimed” – Secretary Bob Sharak summarized the program for new members and meeting attendees. Sign up sheets are kept in the RSVP binder (AVMS tab) in the Wi-Fi Café. For member convenience, the sheets will be moved to a front table at each meeting.
Spring Dance Party Fund Raiser – Event leader Steve Milbrod reported that event is set for Saturday March 28. Theme is 50 years of Rock N’ Roll. The event will include a Chinese auction and 50/50 raffle. Tickets will go on sale March 2 – 6. Not just for members. Ticket price is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. All net proceeds, will go to M.O.T.S.
Memorial Day event – Herman Martinez will lead the effort. Herman indicated the event will especially recognize Gold Star families. Bricks will be sold for the Flag area. Details to be determined.
Post Meeting Social Hour – Coordinator Steve Milbrod indicated that there are 4 months still available for member “sponsors” to sign up. Sponsors can involve other friends to help. The theme and refreshments are determined by the sponsor. For planning purposes, sponsor team should figure on spending no more than $50.

New Business

Members of the Quarter – Jerry Hufford recognized Dave and Karen Richards for their work on Operation Thanksgiving.
Director Joe Ward emphasized that members at the meeting encourage other members to renew their dues.

Guest Speakers #2: Maria Rodriguez – Turning Points Director of Program Services and our own A.V.M.S. member Paul Cote

Maria and Paul outlined the Turning Points Veterans Yellow Ribbon Program which includes:

Outreach for families
Housing counseling
Temporary financial assistance
VA benefits assistance
Mental health referrals

Requirements for Veterans to participate in their Yellow Ribbon program:

Discharge was for other than dishonorable
Household income less than 50% of Manatee County average
Homeless or near homeless

Funding comes from Donations (e.g. AVMS) or grants. In 2019, 10-12% of Turning Points clients were Veterans.

Turning Points is looking for volunteers. Paul Cote showed list of volunteer needs. Also, there is a critical need for money donations.

A sign-up sheet was provided for individuals desiring a tour of the Turning Points facility.

50/50 Winner of $73 was Joe Scirica.

Motion to close the meeting was made and seconded. The meeting adjourned at 7:40 pm.

Respectively submitted,

Robert Sharak – Secretary