MEETING MINUTES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

JOSEPH VICK FAMILY OF AMERICA

28 MARCH 2020, Noon EDT (via ZOOM)

 

PARTICIPANTS: 

 

Gailen Vick, President and Director

Larry Vick, 1st V-P, DNA Project Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, and Director

Laura Wikey, Treasurer and Director

Pamela Vick, Secretary, Historian and Director

Jerry Vick, Chaplain of Aging Loved Ones and Director

Lori Vick Millsap, Event Coordinator and Director

Robin Yaklin, Research and Director

Debbie Wayne, DNA Committee

 

PUBLISHED AGENDA:

1  Format for upcoming annual meeting re COVID-19 issues (Gailen)

2  Article for newsletter on each board member by another board member

3  Format for official communications of JVFOA (Larry)

4  Partnering with local genealogical societies or libraries for annual meetings

5  Treasurer’s Report (Laura)

6  New annual report time frame (Pam)

 

Jerry Vick, Chaplain, opened with a prayer of thanksgiving.

 

President – Gailen subscribed to personal account with Zoom so that our meetings could last more than 45 minutes.  He welcomed Debbie (Parker) Wayne to our meeting.  She joined our DNA project and will be working with Larry.  She has written several books about DNA and taught DNA classes for several years.  She is in a retired mode now from her professional genealogist work and looks forward to working with Larry and the JVFOA on DNA matters.

 

Gailen said they are back from their volunteer mission in Las Vegas, NV, and are at home. 

 

Agenda Item 1:  Gailen conducted a straw poll about the options for this year’s annual meeting in the Dallas area because of COVID-19 issues:

          Lori – no financial impact if we cancel, per the hotel’s GM, Anthony, of the           Hyatt in Addison.  She will check on the last date we can cancel without costs.

 

          Laura – has 6 people already signed up and paid.

 

          Robin, as local host  – Gailen asked for her thoughts on the COVID-19 issue.    She said that Dallas is on lock down and there have been over 500 deaths and         growing. It has not reached a peak at this point.  She did not believe the          meeting could happen.

 

 

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          Gailen did not believe it hurt us in any way to keep the meeting scheduled. 

          Based on extensive marketing, he thought we’d have more people, and

          Laura said 6 paid registrants at this time are more than usual, in fact.

 

          The issue is what to put in the newsletter that is being held up at this point.

          There was a tremendously long discussion about all the issues that needed

          to be considered, such as airlines’ policies about cancellations or changes,        trip insurance doesn’t cover COVID-19 reasons as it’s a known hazard, etc.. 

         

          Pam Vick said that we were fooling ourselves if we thought this virus would

          peak and subside enough for folks to attend a June meeting.  Jerry Vick made the proposal to hold off until perhaps 1 June to decide what to do         about          this year’s meeting.  Robin suggested we just put into the newsletter where we          are at this point and what we are considering.

 

          Gailen summed it up that we’d wait until a 22 May 2020 board meeting to

          make a final determination to move forward as planned or to consider other           options.  Larry will summarize for the upcoming newsletter that we’ll continue as planned until 22 May 2020 board meeting and evaluate any changes at   that time.

 

          Gailen will plan some other contingencies such as all speakers present via           Zoom and be recorded.  He proposed participants could attend via Zoom for 15           minutes free and then with a $20 paid membership could attend for the whole           conference.

 

Agenda Item 2:  Gailen suggested that a board member prepare an article about another board member or committee member for the newsletter.  He believes our backgrounds and talents are very interesting and might encourage others to volunteer to participate in the JVFOA organization.  

 

          Gailen will prepare Jerry Vick’s        

          Jerry will prepare Gailen Vick’s

          Laura will prepare Lori Millsap’s

          Lori will prepare Laura Wikey’s

          Robin will prepare Debbie Wayne’s

          Debbie will prepare Robin Yaklin’s

          Pam will prepare Larry Vick’s

          Shad will prepare Pam Vick’s

          Larry will prepare Richard Wright’s

          Spencer and Dan need to pick theirs

 

Agenda Item 3:  Format for JVFOA communications.  The benefits of using one format such as email facilitates “searching” for items that have been

 

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decided/discussed, etc.  Text messages and those “conversation strings” are not easy to archive or find.

 

Robin made the motion that we’d use email for communications, and Pam seconded.    Gailen will continue to send text messages to remind all of us that we should look at our emails for things that might be pending, etc.  (He knows some/most of us look at our phones more often, perhaps, than our emails!)

 

Agenda Item 4:  For the annual meeting locations should we partner with local libraries or genealogical societies to increase visibility and participation?  After much discussion about things to consider in these partnering activities, the motion was made by Larry and 2nd by Robin that for each annual meeting we would partner with a local genealogical society or library and do this at least a year in advance so that we could maximize their advertising and also meeting room scheduling.   The educational aspects would further our eligibility for 501c(3) status should we decide to pursue it.

 

Agenda Item 5:  Treasure’s report.  Laura said that the checking account contained $7,109.95.  She restated that she had 6 people registered and paid for the annual meeting.

 

Gailen asked about audits.  It was determined that Laura would have the books audited each year during the annual meeting. 

 

Agenda Item 6:  Annual Report.  Pam made the motion that the dates of our fiscal year (1 June through 31 May) be used for the period of time covered in each year’s annual report.  It was seconded by Lori and carried.  Each board and committee member would prepare their input to this report and have to Pam by 15 May so the report could be prepared in time for the annual meeting in June. 

 

Chaplain: Jerry Vick reported that he regularly communicates with four of our older members:  Billie Jurlina, Mary Vick Graves, Sue LaBrueyer, and Libby Davis. 

 

Billie is doing well and is looking forward to the annual meeting.  He couldn’t get

in touch with Mary.  Sue said she is doing okay; however, he said she sounded weak.  Libby is doing fine and looking forward to the annual meeting.

 

Robin asked if he would add Henry Vick, Jr. as she has been working with him on his genealogy and his wife has early onset dementia.  He lives in Texas and she gave Jerry his phone number.

 

2020 Book Status:

Robin said she has moved from Family Treemaker to Roots Magic and has been working with Henry Vick, Jr. to recreate his genealogy for him, as it has been lost

 

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due to the passing of relatives.  At another date it would need to be determined the format for the 2020 version to be brought to the annual meeting (thumb drive?? post?).   She is still looking for Vick Civil War vets to include.

 

DNA Committee Report:

Larry said that not much had changed on the DNA front. 

 

Newsletter Editor’s Report:

Larry stated that the current, upcoming newsletter is about 95% complete and will include the statements about the status of this year’s annual meeting status.  

 

Addition items of discussion:

 

Pam mentioned that Lori had asked if we should archive her mother’s notes.  Shirley had them all organized in a large binder.  It was determined Lori would send them to Gailen to store with the books.

 

Gailen wanted approval for the locations for future annual meetings.  After discussion it was moved and seconded as follows:

          2021  Mobile, AL

          2022  Atlanta, GA (vice Tampa, FL)

          2023  Smithville, VA

          2024  Salt Lake City, UT

          2025  Vicksburg, MS

Reminder that the next JVFOA Board Meeting is scheduled for Noon EDT, 22 May 2020. 

After a very productive (2 hour) meeting, we adjourned.

Pamela Vick

Secretary