MASNA Annual Meeting

 

Held at MACNA XVII Washington DC September 16^th

 

Attendance:

(Some in attendance did not have the chance to sign in)

 

Lisa O’Connor (ARC)

Ray O’Connor

Mark Szwabinsky (CORA)

John Janda (C-SRA)

Mike Howell (SMMAS)

Tom Stange (CARS)

Rick Smith (WAMAS)

Kip Tani (RMRC)

Keith Lelbrtter  (DFWMAS)

Steven Miller (Reef Central)

Cathy Garey (CMAS)

Cark Huntley (CMAS)

Micky Stock (CARS)

Jon Clements (ORCA)

Naomi Clements (ORCA)

Russlee Whitney (ORCA)

George Toole III (ORCA)

Joanne Toole (ORCA)

Kim Price (MARSH)

Shane Vanderburg (MARSH)

Joe Scavo (BRS)

Bob Lemcke (ARC)

Jim Blodis (SV-SEA)

Rich Knecht (SV-SEA)

Paula Obuchon (BRS)

Richard Hilgers (BARS)

Alice Hart (PSAS)

Rick Beauregard (DFWMAS)

Anthony Patrick (DFWMAS)

Steve Shindell (ARC)

Margi Shindell (ARC)

 

2004 – 2005 MASNA BOD in Attendance:

 

Cheri Phillips (President)

Marc Levenson (Editor)

Chuck Scannell (Website)

Amy Larsan (Membership Director & Secretary)

Bob Lemcke (Treasurer)

Joe Scavo (Public Relations)

John Brandt (Industry/Legislation/Ocean Conservation Rep.)

 

Meeting Called to Order at 10:00 am EST

 

New Business:

 

• Cheri Phillips showed the growth in MASNA membership in the past fiscal year. Pointing out that this has been the highest membership recorded in MASNA’s history. Going back to when Nancy Swart’s was president.

 

• It was brought to attention the need to keep up with or to find a better way to address members SPAM blockers. Fearing that many members are not getting notices or emails sent out by MASNA. The promise to address this potential problem was made.

 

• The need for early membership renewals to be sent out prior to the end of the fiscal year was raised. Some members in attendance said that they would have renewed their members (club or individual) before the end of the fiscal year if they had more advance notice.

 

• The suggestion was made that MASNA should have not only the contact for a clubs designated delegate, but for the club president as well (if the delegate is not the president). The idea behind this is that more then one member would get noticed for promotional offers and or emails when it comes time to renew.

 

New Business:

 

• Bob Lemcke gave an overview of the past year’s MASNA Financials.

 

• Bob noted that this year MASNA opened a new free checking account that has branches in Georgia as well as in other states where our BOD members reside. By going with a bank that had Georgia branches, Bob would be able to make more timely and efficient transactions and by being free, it will save MASNA $120 per year.

 

• MASNA Paid for travel for some of its BOD members. In one instance for the expense of Cheri Phillips and Chuck Scannell to go to Washington DC for a MACNA consult.

 

• The credit card terminal was replaced

 

• MASNA established merchant account processing. Agreement is in Cheri P. and Bob L name.

 

New Business:

 

• Chuck Scannell gave an overview of the changes made to the MASNA website.

 

• There was a change of PHP and MYSQL done

 

• New membership authorization was made.

 

• Automated membership entries to the database had been implemented

 

• A MASNA board of director’s bulletin board was added

 

• A photo gallery was added.

 

 

New Business:

 

• New ideas and thoughts for the coming year were raised by Cheri Phillips.

 

• The idea of having a map with all of the marine/reef clubs listed that have been collection for the National Club Database highlighted was well received. It was suggested that on this map the color of MASNA club members should be different than the non member clubs. The hope for that distinction between the two is that it might encourage none members to join MASNA. 

 

• In the MASNA National Club Database there should be listings made visible to all members who view this chart whom is a current MASNA member and who is not.

 

• Now that MASNA (with the excellent work done by Joe Scavo and Bob Lemcke) had put together a photo contest for the MASNA calendar and learned so much, all should run much more smoothly in 2006. The contest should start far earlier then this past year. This will give the MASNA BOD, contest judges and photo contests more time to do detailed work.

 

New Business: 

 

• MACNA XVII was given by Steve Howard

 

• They were excited and ready for the Friday’s events. He noted that the vendor hall will open one hour late due to problems during setup Thursday night.

 

• They were able to meet and exceeded what they wanted as far as hotel reservations at the host hotel. They were also pleased that the near by hotel was so accommodating taking the overflow of attendees.

 

• Given the success they hope to see at this years MACNA, Steve felt that this conference in its future would be able to have a much more significant draw in numbers of attendance.

 

• He noted that he/WAMAS documented well all that they did in the past year to make MACNA XVII come to be. They did this with the hope of helping future clubs like MARSH (2006 MACNA XVIII host) be better able to prepare and hold such an event

 

New Business:

 

• Kim Price gave an update on the 2006 MACNA XVII being held by her club the Marine Aquarium and Reef Society of Houston (MARSH).

 

• MACNA XVIII will be help on September 22-24 2006. At the Westin Galleria,
  Houston Texas. This hotel is on the west side of town 20-25 minutes from both major airports.

 

• A car rental discount will be given through Avis

 

• An airfare discount can be acquired through Continental

 

• Hotel room rates are in place of $129 a night

 

• Speakers are currently being lined up

 

• For one week the entire MACNA attendance fee will be held at $125

 

• A block of rooms at the Westin Galleria is being held for 600 rooms as of now.

 

• The website for MACNA XVIII is online and being updated frequently.

 

 

New Business:

 

• Voting took place for the MASNA board of Directors.

 

• Alice Hart volunteered to run for Newsletter Editor.

 

• Cathy Garey volunteered to run for Public Relations.

 

• Lisa O’Connor volunteered to run for Internet Promotion.

 

• John Brandt and Chuck Scannell were each given a chance to speak about why they felt they would do the best job as Industry/Legislation/Ocean Conservation Rep.

 

• Voting took place and only MASNA members were allowed to vote.

 

Voting results:

 

• Cheri Phillips for President – Passed, unanimous.

 

• Steve Bentz for Vice President – Passed, unanimous.

 

• Amy Larsan for Director of Membership – Passed, unanimous.

 

• Amy Larsan for Secretary – Passed, unanimous.

 

• Bob Lemcke for Treasurer– Passed, unanimous.

 

• Alice Hart for Newsletter Editor – Passed, unanimous.

 

• Chuck Scannell for Webmaster – Passed, unanimous.

 

• Cathy Garey for Public Relations – Passed, unanimous.

 

• Lisa O’Connor for Internet Promotion – Passed, unanimous.

 

• John Brandt for Industry/Legislation/Ocean Conservation Rep. 7 votes, 1 absentee. Total = 8

 

Chuck Scannell for Industry/Legislation/Ocean Conservation Rep. 23 votes, 12 absentee. Total = 35

 

Chuck Scannell for Industry/Legislation/Ocean Conservation Rep. – Passed by 27 votes over John B.

 

 

The 2005-2006 BOD for MASNA are:

 

Cheri Phillips (President)

Steve Bentz (Vice President)

Amy Larsan (Director of Membership & Secretary)

Chuck Scannell (Webmaster & Industry Rep)

Lisa O’Connor (Internet Promotion)

Cathy Garey (Public Relations)

Alice Hart (Newsletter Editor)

Bob Lemcke (Treasurer)

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 12:10am EST