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ASURA Board Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date

 Major Topics
Academic Year 2009-10
10/14/2009 We will explore use of digital voice recording equipment to transcribe our Video History interviews. Holiday Potluck luncheon is planned for December. Hugh Downs likely speaker at this year's Retirees Day. A March "Spring Fling" day trip is being planned. ASRS is considering adding fees for certain services. The Tri-University Legislative Liaison meeting will take place 10/19/2009 and lunch for presenters and attendees will be paid for by the ASURA. Obituary announcements are now available on the ASURA Web site. ASURA's officers may send the membership some announcements that are thought to be of interest to members, though not directly about ASURA business. ASU retirees may purchase a gold ASU parking decal at Parking Services for $280 per year. A retiree Sun Card will serve as proof of eligibility.
9/9/2009 Eric Sloan briefed the Board on State budget issues that affect ASU. No golf tournament again this year. Verde Canyon Railroad trip for this fall sold out. Sixty people attended Dick Murra's briefings on health insurance. Obituaries will be sent via e-mail and posted on the Web, with just a summary printed in Prime Times. Budget indicates a need for fund-raising to support our scholarship, Video History, and Adopt-a-Family programs.
5/13/2009 New budget for 2009-2010 was approved. Amount of annual Student Scholarship was increased from $5,000 to $6,500. Membership Enrollment Form for 2010 was approved. Increase of annual membership donation to $20 was approved. Lonnie Ostrom suggested more vigorous advertising and fund-raising for the organization. Purchase of equipment for Video History project was approved. Appointments for committee and sub-committee chairs for 2009-2010 were ratified.
Academic Year 2008-09
4/16/2009 Annual Meeting. Results of Bylaws and Board elections announced. The Annual Report was distributed. Officers for 2009-2010 were inducted.
3/11/2009 Membership renewal letters will be sent in June. The Spring Luncheon will be held at the Mesa Broadway Theatre on May 6. and a Verde Canyon Railroad trip is scheduled for November. The Annual Meeting will be held on April 16 in the Alumni Lounge of the Memorial Union. Joan Leard will deliver gifts to two adopted families prior to the Easter holiday. Copies of the Video History interviews are available on DVD for check-out in the ASURA office. Connie reported that the number of daily "hits" on our website have doubled since last year. Newly elected Board members are Rose Minetti, Carolyn Minner, William Moor, Lonnie Ostrom and Gary Anderson. James Fordemwalt, Jo Madonna and Bill Stasi have been approved for appointment to fill three vacancies on the Board. The Board elected officers for 2009-2010 as follows: President, Mary Stevens; Vice President, Connie McNeill; Treasurer, Joyce Hartman Diaz; Secretary, Jo Madonna; Immediate Past President, Val Peterson.
2/11/2009 Enrollment is good for Retirees Day and for upcoming travel activities. Planning is well underway for the Annual Meeting. ASU's budget problems may be affecting our support from Public Affairs.
1/14/2009 We have received information on retirees from the last five years from Human Resources. Retirees Day program is set. Legislative Liaisons are authorized to support bills proposing four new retirement rules. Spring luncheon plans are set. Amended Bylaws were approved by the Board for distribution to membership in a special meeting held January 7. Additional Video History DVDs are available in the ASURA office. A ballot for next year's Board of Directors will be mailed to the membership January 26.
12/10/2008 Travel Scholarship proposal submitted for review, now pending further information. Jerry Aronson approved as designated lobbyist for ASURA. Alan Johnson, Bob Mings and Rose Minetti approved as authorized lobbyists. 2008/09 budget approved. Five new Board members will be elected in January and will attend the March Board meeting. Mary Stevens presented changes to the Bylaws as proposed by the Bylaws Committee. A special Board meeting was scheduled for January 7, 2009 to discuss and approve the changes in preparation for submission to the membership for a vote.
11/12/2008 Budget submitted for review. Action underway to create a creditable list of ASU retirees and current ASURA membership. Paul Matson, Director of ASRS, spoke at the 2008 Tri-University meeting held at ASU. Alan Johnson will prepare a document for Board approval, listing Jerry Aronson as designated lobbyist and Alan Johnson, Bob Mings and Rose Minetti as authorized lobbyists. The Cosanti trip and the Fall Lunceon were a success. A spring luncheon is planned for March. The By-Laws Committee will present the revised By-Laws for Board approval prior to a final vote by the membership at the April Annual Meeting. Linda Van Scoy was introduced as the acting chair for the Video History Project. Connie McNeill is pursuing the possibility of sharing computing capacity with the Public Affairs Office. The Policy for Membership Drive Mailings, submitted by Connie McNeill, was approved.
 10/08/2008 Introduction of Jim Fordemwalt, new University Club Liaison. Budget is being prepared to appropriately divide funds earmarked for community outreach and those for club operations. Travel and luncheon committees have several events planned for this year. There are ways to minimize insurance costs between dental and medical in the ASRS system. New area of ASURA Web site has been created to document operational policies and procedures - it requires login and authorization of login account. Proposed policies on event mailings and membership drives were introduced for discussion in the November meeting.
 09/10/2008 Introduction of the new year. Four campus senates integrated into one renamed University Senate. Per Karla Phillips, Public Affairs, ASU did very well budget-wise all things considered. Emeritus College facing funding reduction. 989 membership renewal letters and 238 new retiree letters mailed. Several speakers secured for February 21, 2009 Retirees Day event. Zeke Prust regretfully resigned as University Club Liaison.The 2009 Adopt-a-Family recipient from Tempe Elementary District consists of a mother with one son. ASURA bylaws under review.
Academic Year 2007-08
05/14/2008 Board members, committee chairs, and calendar of events for next year. Modification to criteria for the ASURA scholarship. 
04/12/2008 Annual Meeting. Report From the Board 2007-2008.
03/05/2008 Timing of membership renewals, possibility of multiple-year or lifetime memberships. Plan for updating membership application and renewal forms along with interest forms.
02/13/2008 Jerry Aronson will attend the Legislative Invitation Event. Plans underway for the annual Tri-University Retirees Association to meet in March. Board voted to abstain from supporting House Bill 2062 but to support House Bill 2127. Annual Meeting scheduled for April 12 at West campus. Three new computers installed in ASURA offices. 
01/09/2008 Combine four campuses into one Senate. Membership list being updated. Annual Retirees Day February 16 at Poly campus. New health insurance proposal to go to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in 2009. Travel Committee planning trip to Southern Arizona. Scholarship student graduating in May. New website address ia asura.asu.edu.
12/12/2007 Most problems with payroll system have been resolved. 5,000 students graduating this month. MLK Breakfast to be held at West campus. ASU Cares dedicated to West Valley this year. Classified Staff Council officers to be recognized during halftime at ASU/Xavier basketball game. Working with Foundation to separate golf tournament funds from operations funds. Survivor-benefit process to be automated. Chairpersons identified for each activity committee. Six individuals interviewed for Living History Video Project. New website address is asura.asu.edu.  
11/07/2007 Motion to purchase computer hardware and software for the ASURA office. Formation of a Strategic Planning Committee. 
10/10/2007 Video History Project budget request. Creation of committee to determine alternative funding projects for funding from Golf Tournament proceeds. 
09/12/2007 New board members. Homecoming Block Party tent. New Emeritus College representative. New president and new name for University Club. Change in Delta Dental Insurance. ASU Logo for history videos. Next "Prime Times" publication January 2008. Golf Tournament November 12, 2007. Website moving to a different system soon.