[Nfbv-historic-fredericksburg] Meeting Schedule and Activities

[Holly Frisch]

I  want to begin by once again thanking our social and nominating committees for their invaluable contributions to our final meeting of 2016.  Both these committees had unusually challenging missions to accomplish.   Working diligently under the direction of their extremely capable chairwomen, they succeeded admirably.

We elected the slate the nominating committee presented-Hollis Frisch, president; Traci Jones, vice president; Laurie Wages, secretary; Leon Anderson, treasurer; Jessica Reed and Mark Ross, chapter board members; Michael Kasey, chapter representative on the state board; Kim Walko, alternate state board representative.

If we want and need them, we have dates scheduled at our usual meeting place, the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, for the next five months.  These five meetings are scheduled on Saturdays, but when and if our chapter wishes to change it, we can do so at any time.

I recommend keeping these Saturday morning dates at least through the winter.  Once it warms up and daylight savings time returns, we can continue using the library but request evening availability.  We can also wait until June, when children are out of school and families have numerous summer commitments during the day.  If we decide to wait until June, that would allow ample time to publicize the change adequately.

With only one exception, the five meeting dates reserved are on the first, rather than the third, Saturday of the month.  That was the best available.  The dates are January 7, February 4, March 18, April 1 and May 6.  Because of a proposed activity, we might meet elsewhere April 1.  That is up for discussion, hopefully as early as the January 7 meeting.

The important January 7 activities will be appointing committees and discussing our January legislative seminars,.

Through other email messages, most of you are already informed about our Richmond and Washington legislative seminars.  Unfortunately, anyone who wishes to attend the Richmond seminar must make reservations no later than January 4.  The affiliate covers the room costs under certain conditions.  First, people who wish to be reimbursed for their lodging must have at least one room mate.  Second, under most circumstances, no funds are available to two unmarried people of opposite sexes who share a room.  The only possible exception I can think of is, perhaps, a parent traveling with very young children.

Because our chapter meeting will be January 7, and the Richmond activities begin January 16, we have time to discuss transportation.  Your transportation will be paid for, provided we, as a chapter, agree upon a low cost, effective, means of travel.  That is why it is of utmost importance to attend the January 7 meeting so all interested individuals can be part of the decision process.  Although this will be covered at the state board meeting January 16, the January 7 meeting will offer you the opportunity to begin becoming familiar with the two issues to be discussed.

Washington is one of the most expensive cities in the nation, so neither our chapter nor the affiliate can pay for rooms at our national legislative seminar at the end of January.  However, we are close enough to come and go any given day on either Amtrak or the bus.  We already have an appointment January 31 with our Congressman, Rob Whitman.  Former president Maurer compared this end of January/beginning of February seminar to a miniature midwinter convention.  Members attend from throughout the country.  After the new year begins, fact sheets for this seminar will be available to acquaint you with the issues to be discussed in Washington, and how to approach them with your representatives.  Both the Richmond and Washington legislative seminars are fabulous opportunities in every possible way.
Membership recruitment and stimulating programming are two extremely high chapter priorities.  That is why, at January's meeting, we will appoint membership and program committees.  One way to address these extremely high priorities is a membership recruitment training seminar.  If she is available, Joanne Wilson, recently retired from the National office has always done an outstanding job with membership recruitment and retention.  I will be contacting her tomorrow to ask if she can join us during our February meeting or, if she cannot do so, to recommend someone else.  Our new state president already provided me with the name of an excellent alternative speaker if Mrs. Wilson's schedule makes it impossible for her to visit us reasonably soon if not in February. However, there is a grave concern.  If we invite outside speakers, out of courtesy, our full presence at meetings is needed.  If the membership, the program committee or I plans a meeting with an outside speaker, in the strongest possible terms, I urge everyone to make a sincere effort to attend.

This coming Sunday, I will have the privilege of participating in the fourth session of Chapter Presidents University.  I am eager to share with you what I am learning and put it in practice.  Last time, for example, we discussed in detail the art of conducting a chapter meeting.  We received wonderful ideas for possible programs.  I am excited about sharing these with you and finding out which ones appear to be most interesting for our chapter.  I can and must not do this job alone.  Therefore, I most cordially invite each of you, please, to come join us in our Historic Fredericksburg chapter. In the meantime, I wish each of you a meaningful and joyous holiday season.
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