Minutes - Board of Directors Meeting: January 20, 2000

The following Board members were in attendance: Pete Palestina, Rick Lee, Ann Myhr, Kathy Frenzel, Jim Jones, Rina Williams, Art Hanebury, Val Ullman Katz and Phil Spinelli.

Others: Ron Arthur, CPCU Society’s Chapter Services Manager, Lilly Cowen

The meeting was called to order at 10:00 AM.

Minutes: The minutes of the December 8, 1999 meeting were approved as submitted.

Ron Arthur, Chapter Services Manager: Ron Arthur advised that last year the Task Force, at the request of Marsha Egan, reviewed the criteria for the President’s Award. The Task Force recommended an award called the Circle of Excellence to replace the President’s Award and that all Chapters could qualify for the Award. This will be used in the current year. Ron showed the Board a graphic design of a plaque with circle areas that can hold an award coin for each year a Chapter meets the requirements for gold, silver or bronze. The plaque may be displayed on a registration table for each Chapter. This is an affordable method to recognize 153 nationwide Chapters. Ron asked for input and gave his e-mail address, rarthur@cpcusociety.org. The Task Force will judge the Chapter submissions for the Circle of Excellence. Marsha Egan will judge submissions for Good Works.

Ron distributed pamphlets on the Leadership Seminar, to be held in Las Vegas June 8-10, 2000. Ron also distributed CPD applications. Lastly, Ron encouraged us to go into the Society website to update our personal profiles. Chapter membership directory is available on-line but has not yet been formally announced. The site can give us information on CPD qualifiers, chapter rosters, paid and unpaid members and satellite broadcasts as well as other useful information. Pete, as President, has access to the site at this time. Initially, the Society is only allowing Chapter Presidents to access this type of information. Pete requested that we receive more information in clearer format as to the criteria for each committee to earn points for the Circle of Excellence. The present available material provided by the Society is somewhat confusing and he is presently working on a spreadsheet database to assist our Board in meeting the criteria. The Chapter has accumulated 16 points thus far and is well on it’s way to reaching the Gold criteria. Ron said that the Society is working on a new Chapter Officers Guide as well as other material that will help. This will be forwarded to Chapters when it’s ready.

Website and E-Mail Signup: Pete left an e-mail contact sign-up sheet at each table during the breakfast meeting so that interested attendees can complete if they would like to be added to Pete’s hotline information dispersal list that could provide those people with info added to the website, meeting flyers, etc. This could help in generating attendance and involvement. The sign-up is applicable to CPCU’s and non CPCU’s. Pete would like to see a space inserted on our meeting registration flyer for people to provide their e-mail address. This way we can add more people to our contact list. Ann should make sure this gets on the future flyers.

Research: Kathy advised she received one packet of information for Research projects. She requested that Ron send her additional packets so that she may distribute them to members who are interested in doing a research project. Ann asked if a non-published paper completed prior to this year could be submitted as a Research project. Ron said as long as the paper was summarized or written by CPCU’s, it was acceptable

Membership Committee: The Board approved Rina’s request to sponsor finger-food snacks for a Mix and Mingle that will be held later on in the year. The event will likely be after work at a local establishment for all members to attend. Drinks will be the responsibility of the attendees. Pete thought it might be appropriate to invite Marsha Egan and other Society members. As this is a social event, it was agreed that the Social Budget would finance the event. Ann would ask if the Philadelphia Casualty Underwriting Society would like to attend. Spouses will be welcome to accompany their CPCU’s.

Programs: The Board was pleased with the turnout for today’s meeting especially in light of the prevailing snowstorm. All agreed that the speaker, Bob Persico, was excellent and that the program was particularly relevant. Pete reported that once again, a newspaper reporter covered our meeting. This time it was the Bucks County Courier Times. Two other papers were to come but the snow caused them to not show. Our meetings are also being pre publicized in the papers. Ann was working on the February program topic of Legislative Updates. PA 178^th House District Representative Roy Reinard of Bucks County is a confirmed speaker. Val was working on a New Jersey counterpart, should know by tomorrow, likely to be Louis Greenwald. March is the Franklin Award. April is our Ethics Program. Larry Brandon is assisting us in obtaining a speaker. Clint Gillespie will speak on Road Rage and give an update on the Teen Driving Program either for the May or June meeting. Ann is trying to arrange a program with Marsha Egan as a speaker.

Franklin Award: Art advised a selection for the recipient would be made by next week.

Philadelphia Fire Essay Contest: Shang Wu advised Pete that she must have help from the Chapter to hold a Fire Essay Contest for the year 2000 in the Philadelphia School District. She does not want to Chair this contest any longer but is willing to make the arrangements for the contest to continue. She will obtain the permissions from the School Board but needs others to distribute the contest rules, judge the submissions etc. If we can’t get some members to take this over within the next week or so, there will be no contest this year as that one is conducted in March. The Council Rock contest is still alive and running on Schedule. Hopefully we can come up with a volunteer or two to help Shiang in the Philadelphia contest. Kathy Frenzel will check with the Miscellaneous Committee volunteer bank to see if we can tap those people.

Public Relations: Pete will work with Larry Crawford and Lilly to implement a process to get our meeting notices into the papers prior to the meeting, such as was done by Pete for today’s meeting and also try to do a brief write up after our meeting that could be sent to the media in the event they could not attend themselves and also to mail to other media types.

New Designees: Lilly is sending out an interest survey to our new designees. Lilly advised she plans to send out a full membership survey ever second or third year as we have so many members.

Seminars: Cindy wrote Pete that there are two seminars scheduled: May 8^th (Mathematics of Risk Management) and May 23rd, a satellite broadcast (topic to be determined). However, Ron Arthur advised that the May 23^rd date was changed to May 25^th and that the topic will be about HR10- Banks and Insurance.

Golf Outing for the Temple Scholarship Fund: Pete advised that Bill Mayo is working on our behalf with the Valley Forge Chapter co-chair on this event. Bill has requested volunteers to assist him. He would like representation from an Agents/Brokers, two from Insurance Companies and someone from a general segment. Rick Lee volunteered and Val and Ann will try to see if they can get someone from their company or another company. The Golf outing will be held May 19 at the Bala Golf Club.

Chapter Scholarship Fund: The after cost proceeds for the sale of the Chapter mugs will go to the Scholarship Fund.

Social Committee: Art would like to host a fund raising social for the Scholarship Fund in May. There is also consideration for a Laser Tag event.

Sections: We would like to hold a meeting, possibly coinciding with a visit from Marsha Egan and highlight the various sections. We would have a table manned by John Kelly, Society Section Manager, with brochures and information on the various sections available.

Treasurer’s Report: The Treasurer’s report was accepted as submitted. The Board approved a motion to increase the Administration Budget by $200 to cover the cost of the Chapter mugs.

NLI Meetings June8-10: Discussion was held and a motion was passed allowing for up to five officers, directors, or committee chairs to attend the annual National Leadership Institute Conference (formerly known as COLC, and that to the extent a member’s company would not reimburse the expenses, the Chapter would reimburse those expenses.

Chaptergram: Pete will be putting the March issue together over the weekend. He has not received much from anyone and is pasty the deadline. If anyone has anything to get in that issue, he must receive it no later than Tuesday January 25^th. Lilly will be doing the writeup for today’s meeting for insertion in the Chaptergram and on the website.

General: Pat Rakowski would like a list of all Chapter members who perform National Service so that documentation can be secured from those members in order for Pat to submit with the membership portion of the Awards submission criteria. After some discussion it was suggested that Pete and/or Pat should call the Society as they should have a record of Chapter members serving on National committees.