NOV. 6, 2010 NEW HAVEN, CT
President Nancy Shute called the meeting to order at 8:15 AM.
She thanked the workshop and anniversary planning committees for their excellent work and also introduced the members of the new board.
She reported that the board had held a strategy-planning meeting the previous day, then she described the action items developed at that meeting. They include:
- Hire a paid half-time web editor and an intern to assist the editor. The editor will report to the Internet committee
- Establish a task force to re-examine membership criteria.
- Establish a task force to re-examine the qualifications for leadership in NASW
- Name an overarching program committee that will include one member from each of the freelance, PIO and the newly formed staff journalist committee.
- Establish a committee to promote the concerns of staff journalists.
Board member Dan Ferber reported for the committee that had drafted a proposed Article VIII for the revised NASW Constitution, which deals with suspension or expulsion of members. The NASW members present at the annual meeting cast their votes on the proposed new article by paper ballot.
President Shute presented the Diane McGurgan Service award to member Jenny Cutraro for her outstanding work on the internship fair.
Treasurer Ron Winslow reported for the finance committee. He stated that the board had voted to raise annual dues by $10, the first increase in 8 years. He also explained that both NASW has changed both its fiscal year under the new bylaws and the auditor used to examine the organization’s records. For that reason the audit was not complete and the budget was therefore not available for inspection at the time of the annual meeting. He said that the budget will be posted for the information of the membership as soon as it becomes available.
Board member Mitch Waldrop introduced the new NASW website and thanked both the Internet committee and cybrarian Russell Clemings for their excellent work in developing it.
Authors Coalition liaison Beryl Benderly reported on Authors Coalition funding, stating that, in addition to its regular Coalition payments, NASW would soon receive an exceptionally large one-time amount because of the liquidation of an escrow fund in Germany. She asked members to suggest possible uses for the funds as soon as a procedure is established for submitting ideas.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:45.
Respectfully submitted,
Beryl Lieff Benderly, Secretary
