Association Business
Frankfurt American High School Alumni Association 1967-73
Annual Meeting Minutes
Las Vegas, Nevada
June 20, 2018
The meeting came to order at 8:48 am PDT, directed by Acting President Gayle Cratty ’69, following special presentation to our Veteran attendees by Quilts of Valor members, coordinated by Ricki Menard ’71.
Officers: Acting President: Gayle Cratty ’69 ; Vice President: Vacant; Secretary: Elaine Anderson Gierek ’69; Treasurer: Pat Royal Nicks ’70
Class Representatives:’67 Mike McCready; ’68 Nora Nava Clark ; ’69 Krys Wages; ’70 Pat Collins Miller; ‘71 PJ Torres; ’72 Vacant; ’73 Ralph Blessing
Other Officers/Chairs: Kathryn Cooney ’67; Gaye Doane ’69; Peggy Rowland Sanchez ’71; Erik Thamm ’68; Michael Doane ‘69
Attendance:
Present: Gayle Spear Cratty, Elaine Gierek, Pat Nicks, Kathryn Cooney, Peggy Sanchez, Michael Doane, Gaye Doane, Mike McCready ‘67, Nora Nava Clark ’68, Lonnie Backus ’69. (10)
Excused/absent: Meredith Kellogg ’72, Pat Collins Miller ‘70, PJ Torres ’71. Ralph Blessing ‘73(4)
Quorum met – 10 members of 14 required participating, as indicated by roll call above.
Total signed in for meeting – 75 members and guests.
Special Presentations – 17 Veteran attendees were presented with handmade quilts to thank them for their service: Skip Pettit, Lonnie Backus, Guy Bennett, Glen Brashear, Kathryn Cooney, Wayne Crafton, Steve Denmark, Michael Doane, Bob Edwards, Carolyn Kadlec Flynn, Paul Glascock, Deane Harimoto, Jim Kadlec, Monty Kelley, John McBee, Darl Sams & Ted Schindler. Three additional members had previously received quilts and joined for the group picture: Chuck Bracker, Ken Flauding & Pete Riddle.
Representatives from the local chapter of Quilts of Valor gave an overview of their program and provided brochures.
An additional special presentation was made to Kym Mingus Denmark & Steve Denmark in honor of Kym’s daughter Katy, who was an organ donor at age 17. Glenn Brashear made the presentation as a representative of an organ donor support group. He is an 18 year survivor as a transplant recipient from an organ donor.
Reconvened – 9:51 am
President Gayle Cratty welcomed everyone, and congratulated the members of the class of 1968 on their 50th anniversary.
Minutes Approval – Motion to approve minutes as posted on website made by Deborah Dukes ’68, seconded by Ed Garcia.
Approved unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report – Pat Royal Nicks, Treasurer, and Gaye Crosby Doane, Financial Advisor, gave recap of 2017 financial standing.
Basically, our accounts total $22,530. Encumbrances include the Las Vegas reunion income, $4,229; the Reunion Assistance Fund set aside, $6,331; and $1,000 allocated to upgrade the website, for a total of $11,460. This leaves a balance of $11,070.
In response to a member’s question, no, we are not a non-profit organization.
Vice President Vacancy – Gayle Spear Cratty learned early this year that Association President Meredith Kellogg would be unable to continue as President due to extenuating family circumstances. Since then, Gayle has been serving as Acting President, and has agreed to continue in that capacity until regular elections in spring 2019. As a result, the position of Vice President is vacant. Guy Bennett volunteered to serve as Vice President to fill the vacancy for the remainder of this term. Members present voted
unanimously to accept his offer. The position of Acting President, will, according to the current ByLaws, become President for a two year term. Gayle will be moving into the President position next year at the conclusion of the Business meeting. Elections will be held for the other three positions 30 days before the business meeting.
Two new Board Positions: Kathryn Cooney ’67, Legal Counsel, & Gaye Crosby Doane ’69, Financial Advisor – Not subject to rotation off the board every two years. Kathryn explained background and reason to add new positions. Gaye has been supervising finances since the Association’s inception, even though original bylaws drafted in 2002 by Peggy Rowland Sanchez and Bob Samborski did not include a continuous financial advisor position at that time. This approach eliminates necessity of moving banks, reprinting checks, etc., every two years with new Treasurers, as well as providing checks and balances between Treasurer and Financial Advisor. Having a Legal Counsel will help ensure appropriate actions of the Association. Instituting them as board positions will allow them to vote at board meetings. Motion made at board meeting 6/19/18:
Motion: I move to add the positions of Legal Counsel and Financial Advisor, to be filled by Kathryn Cooney ’67 and Gaye Crosby Doane ‘69, respectively, as non-rotating positions on the board.
Moved by Elaine Anderson Gierek ’69 2nd by Peggy Rowland Sanchez ’71 Vote unanimously in favor. Approved.
The Reunion Assistance Fund Committee is chaired by Kathryn Cooney ’67. Committee: Linda Buckles Brashear ’69; Ginny Cooney ’69; Pam Geiger ’70; Pat Royal Nicks ’70; Ted Schindler ’67; Erik Thamm ’68. Their updated guidelines will be posted on the website as soon as they have finished fine-tuning details. In addition, a hot button will be placed on the website to go directly to the RAFC
Chair for members seeking assistance, as well as a hot button to donate directly to the RAFC, which will be in addition to the button already there to make donations to the Association in general. Applications & recipients will be anonymous except to RAFC Chair and Financial Advisor, who has to make the payments. Kathryn gave a recap of activity for this reunion. Four members were assisted
this year, at a cost of $790.
The Reunion Selection Committee is chaired by Peggy Rowland Sanchez ’71. Committee: Rick Bullen ’70, Herb Hall ’68; Betty House ’70; Krys Wages ’69. Peggy stated that proposals are needed for 2020 reunion, class of 1970’s 50th reunion. Following the milestone (50th) reunions, regular proposal procedures will be reinstated. Currently, members of the milestone year classes have been
encouraged to host their 50th reunion.
2019 Reunion Update – Kym Mingus Denmark: Class of 1969 will celebrate their 50th-anniversary reunion April 28 – May 5, 2019, on a cruise sailing from Galveston, TX on Royal Caribbean cruise ship Liberty of the Seas. 33 cabins are already booked. Deposit of $250 per person is due at booking, with the balance due 1/28/19. Kym encouraged those flying in to select flights into Houston Hobby to
avoid crosstown traffic and recommends flying in the day before the cruise to avoid last minute delays. She will soon post info about possible hotels for the night before the cruise and transportation to the ship, among other topics. She handed out flyers with more details for interested members to take home, including contact information for the travel agent coordinating the cruise, Sylvia Price.
The Website Team is being handled by Erik Thamm ’68, who is the Chair, & Liaison for Steve Gill ’69, Webmaster, and Bruce Garner ’70, Historian/Archivist.
Photography Team: Chaired by Michael Doane ’69, has a team he will be working with: John Neumyer ’69; and Jim Casey ’69. Michael and Jim will be available at the reunions to capture the 50th celebrations for the various classes, and Larry Nicks will be helping with the class pictures this weekend.
New Business:
Website – $1000 has been allocated to update website, but they may be able to get it done for $500-$600. The website will be updated with a new content management system, which will include more ability to update information by several people, and better security features, which will allow for documents such as the Directory to be posted on a members-only section of the website.
Marketing Committee – Michael Doane showed some of the items available through the website (or from him this weekend) – coasters, bumper stickers, embroidered patches, cookbooks. He also needs some more members for the marketing committee. Ken Flauding ’69 volunteered to be on the committee.
Mrs. Messier – Gave thanks for welcoming her so warmly. Recounted a couple of fond memories from Frankfurt.
Acknowledgements – Gayle presented those who assisted with this reunion and the board with tokens of her appreciation: Jim Kadlec, Linda & Glenn Brashear, Pat Nicks, Kathryn Cooney, Peggy Sanchez, Gaye Doane, Mike McCready, Ted Schindler, Elaine
Gierek, Ann Messier, Ricki Menard, Lonnie Backus, Don Ayers. Gayle was also presented with our thanks for her leadership.
Announcements:
- For those who want to participate, meet at Cravings at Mirage by 2:45 to get buffet with bottomless beer or wine for $25.97.
- Please check the class picture schedule and be on time for your pictures!
- Betty Weller let everyone know that she would be Facetiming her brother, Bill House, following the meeting, for anyone who wanted to chat with him.
Adjourned at: 11:25 am PDT
Respectfully submitted,
Elaine Anderson Gierek ’69, Secretary
