MINUTES OF MACA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – 5/30/2016

President N. Smolensky called the Annual Membership Meeting to order at 9:50 AM at the Best Western Hotel in Marlboro, site of the 85^th Massachusetts Open.  Eleven people were in attendance: President Nathan Smolensky, Treasurer Robert Messenger, Clerk Nicholas Sterling, Directors Stephen Dann, Dmitry Barash, Paul Arond, and Jeffrey Caruso, and four guests Natasha Christiansen, Robert E. King, George Mirijanian, and Hal Terrie.  A quorum of thirty being required by the Bylaws, the meeting was inquorate.

In response to a question from G. Mirijanian about whether the MACA Bylaws should be changed to lower the quorum, N. Smolensky and R. Messenger explained that MA state law would require MACA, if a low quorum was met, to allow for a small number of Meeting attendees to be able to conduct business when they may not be otherwise qualified to do so; hence, the quorum number is set high to avert the need to allow MACA Members not on the Board to conduct MACA business.

Treasurer’s report was presented by R. Messenger:

(a) (i) (1) Net income of the General Fund year-to-date this year as of 4/30/16: $3243.97 net gain. (2) Net income of the General Fund year-to-date last year as of 5/31/15: $6412.98. (ii) (1) Special Fund income year-to-date this year as of 4/30/16: $22412.21, with $545.90 dividends. (2) Special Fund income year-to-date last year as of 5/31/2015: $3745.40, with $652.21 dividends. (iii) (1) Special Fund expenses year-to-date this year as of 4/30/16: $12526.38. (2) Special Fund expenses year-to-date last year as of 5/31/15: $4679.71. (iv) (1) Special Fund net income year-to-date this year as of 4/30/16: $9885.83. (2) Special Fund net income year-to-date last year as of 5/31/15: $934.31 net loss. (v) Total Assets as of 4/30/16: $85418.42. (vi) Unearned Tournament Revenue: $755.00. (vii) Reserve for Chess Horizons expenses: $2625.00.

            (b) R. Messenger pointed out the new Frankin Fund with the $5000 donation from Marilyn Franklin to be used to support Chess Education, and the $5000 donation to the Hurvitz Cup from the estate of the late Harold Dondis.

Membership: R. Messenger presented the 5/27/16 Membership numbers as follows: Adults 194 (-29); Junior 415 (-15); Life 204 (-1); Affiliate 9 (+2); Complimentary 1 (-10); D. Library 5 (=); D. Subscriber 13 (-7); Exchange 15 (-1); Library 1 (=); Prison 371 (+61); Subscriber 7 (-2).  Total change in Membership and Subscribers: -2.   Many Memberships were likely renewed there at the MA Open and could not be processed in time for this report..

Election results were presented by Elections Commissioner Jeffrey Caruso:

“Report of the Elections Commission

May 30, 2016

Ballots

Paper ballots were printed and countersigned.  A mailing went out to voters on April 25 with a ballot, printed candidate statements, and self-addressed ballot return envelope. Votes could be mailed or handed in directly at the Massachusetts Open.

The voter email list was uploaded to SurveyMonkey and a mailing went out on May 1, including a link to the online ballot form and a link to candidate statements posted on the masschess.org website.  Voting was enabled between May 1 and May 25 inclusive.

Online ballots were tallied and verified independently by commission members on May 26. Paper ballots were counted in public at the site of the Massachusetts Open at noon on May 28 and the combined totals were announced verbally and posted in the tournament venue.

Voting Results

            President

            Vice President

Treasurer

            Clerk

            Director (8 positions)

Officers-elect and directors-elect will take office at the end of the annual MACA meeting (May 30).  Ballots will be held in safekeeping until August 31.

The Commission thanks the Membership Secretary, Webmaster and Promotions Chairman for their assistance in this election cycle.

Respectfully submitted,

    Jeffrey Caruso, Chair of the Elections Commission”

Before adjourning, President N. Smolensky announced that the next regular Board Meeting will be decided by e-mail, and that Tiffany Wang, the Webmaster, will be in touch with all the Directors to confirm their e-mail addresses for the MACA e-mail list.  President

N. Smolensky adjourned the Annual Membership Meeting at 10:00 AM.

                                                                        Respectfully submitted,

                                                                        Nicholas Sterling, Clerk