March 10, 2020 Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Directors present were Jerry Hufford, Gerry Northrup, Steve Milbrod, Bob Sharak, and Joe Ward. Thus, there was a quorum. 40 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.

Welcome Remarks: Commander Hufford recognized 5 new members in attendance.

Guest Speaker

John Rosentrater, Director of the Sarasota National Cemetery, gave an overview of the cemetery, and its mission under the US Department of Veterans Affairs. He described the benefits to Veterans, their spouse, and dependent children under age 21. Admission is free and there are weekly tours every Tuesday at 10:00am, except for holidays. A group tour could be arranged on a different day if so desired.

Officer Reports

Treasurer’s Report: Steve Milbrod reporting:

Beginning balance $3,069

Ending balance $3,814

Increase was mostly due to dues received from members. Very little expenses.

Secretary’s Report: Bob Sharak asked for Board approval of February 12, 2020 meeting minutes. Board members approved. Minutes will be posted on our website.

Membership Roster: 43 members had not renewed their membership. If not renewed by end of March, they will be removed from active roster, and e-mails.

Committee Reports:

Membership Acquisition/Retention: Mary Northrup indicated she would be mailing out cards with hand-written notes to those that have not yet renewed their membership, (excluding those that said they were not renewing for various reasons) highlighting the benefits of membership.

Website: Vice Commander Gerry Northrup reported for Webmaster Chris DiBiase. Chris is working on a problem with certain email blasts getting rejected.

Outreach: Ken Anderson reported that Operation Outreach mission is for “Neighbors helping Neighbors”. The focus is on serving residents that might need assistance. The committee is working on a proposed survey to members to assess neighbor needs. E.g. meals, cards, etc.

Historian: No report.

Sergeant of Arms: No report.

Supply Officer: Vice Commander Gerry Northrup reported for Debbie Distefano. All orders received to date have been filled. There are some selected men’s sizes still available for purchase. Still working on 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

Spring Dance Party Fund Raiser – Event leader Steve Milbrod reported that the event, set for Saturday March 28, had sold out in 3 hours. This was quite a change from last year. Since some members had not been able to get tickets, a new policy will be in place for future events. There will be a “Members only” purchase day. Only after this day will tickets be available for non-members.
Sarasota Fair – Steve Milbrod said that there is enough volunteers for the Saturday March 21^st event. An email will be going out to volunteers.
Memorial Day event – Herman Martinez indicated the event will especially recognize Gold Star families. Bricks are being sold for the Flag area through the HOA, are will be laid prior to the ceremony. The committee is looking for volunteers to act as marshals and flag bearers.
Post Meeting Social Hour – Coordinator Steve Milbrod indicated that there are 2 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

Commander Jerry Hufford indicated that member feedback feels we are too heavy in support of current active duty military, such as MOTS and Operation Thanksgiving, and too little for post-service veterans such as Turning Points and Southeast Guide dogs. Also, members would like more support to local Sarasota and Manatee county groups.

The Board asked members to submit ideas to expand our support efforts.

Open Forum: A member suggested that residents could use help in putting up flags on their homes. The Board will take up the idea and present a proposal to the members at the next meeting.

50/50 Winner of $40 was Mark Nagy.

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

Respectively submitted,

Robert Sharak – Secretary