MINUTES OF THE ALSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MEETING MAY 03, 2004

 

 

 

Present

 

            Dick Sheehan, President

            Dwayne Flinn, Vice President

            Jeff Jones, Treasurer

            Carolyn Myers, Secretary

            Carolann Evans, Director

            Sandy Wickham, Director

            Niki Kuklenski, Director

            Cheryl Ryberg, Executive Secretary

 

CALL TO ORDER

 

            Motion made by Niki Kuklenski to approve the March minutes as written.

            Seconded by Carolyn Myers.  Following a vote the motion carried.

 

Treasurer's Report

 

            Checking Account                  $   54,625.99

            Investment Account                  54,623.43

            Scholarship Account                           9,661.85

 

                                                             $ 118,911.27

 

 

            Cash Flow through 4/29/04

 

                        Income                      $   92,859.67

                        Expenses                        72,928.60

 

                        Positive cash flow      $   19,931.07

 

            Comparison                                               2003         2004          Difference

 

                        Show Fees                            $ 15,305.25     $ 30,323.00   $  14,017.75+

                        Membership                              21,237.00        32,805.00       11,568.00+

                        Recording Fees                           6,875.89          8,550.00          1,674.11+

                        Showring Advertisement          11,716.00         4,798.00          6,918.00-

                        Youth Members                          2,642.05          9,615.00          6,972.95+

                        Youth Judge                                   280.00             600.00             320.00+

                       

            Motion made by Sandy Wickham to approve the Treasurer's Report.

            Seconded by Carolann Evans.  Following a vote the motion carried.

 

Executive Secretary's Report

 

            Show participation/number of animals received to date:

 

                        2003            4933

                        2004            5622

 

            It should be noted that numbers are down at some shows, increased at

other.  With 27 shows reporting as of this date, there is an overall increase

of 689.

 

            To date new youth and regular memberships total 347

 

            The ALSA website has been accessed 193,362 to date, which continues to

            average approximately 5000 hits per month.

 

            142 shows have been sanctioned by ALSA.

 

            245 Youth Top Ten certificates were processed and mailed.  The results can

            be viewed on the ALSA web site.

 

Old Business

 

            A.            Communications

 

                        1.            9 separate communications were received from Joe Payne

                                    regarding the recall provision in the Standing Rules, ALSA

                                    financial reports and the slow response by the Board to his

                                    inquiries.  Mr. Payne was sent a copy of the ALSA attorney's

                                    opinion that the ALSA Bylaws and Standing Rules took

                                    precedence over the Wisconsin law as quoted by Mr. Payne.

                                    Mr. Payne disagreed with the attorney's opinion and

                                    demanded that the Standing Rule relating to the recall of a

                                    director be removed.  He also demanded that the ALSA

                                    financial statements for 2001, 2002 and 2003 be sent to him.

                                    He was advised that the books for 2002 and 2003 were being

                                    audited by the ALSA CPA and would be available soon.

                                    The ALSA tax returns for 2001 and 2003 are available and

                                    can be requested from the office by any member.

 

                        2.            6 communications were received from Carol Hicks regarding

                                    the President's Message in Showring regarding the magazine

                                    being awarded to Able Publishing.  All communications were

                                    disputing the dollar figures used in the article.  The President

                                    explained to her that average figures were used because three

                                    different people had been paid to publish the magazine and

                                    income and expenses had been mixed.  It was impossible to

                                    determine the exact cost per issue, and therefore averages

                                    were used to determine income and expenses per issue.  The

                                    President further explained that the purpose of the article was

                                    to show the process that the Board undertook in making the

                                    decision to award the contract to Able Publishing.  The only

                                    thing that was incorrect in the article was the reference to a

                                    $20,000 loss, which should have been for the years 2002 and

                                    2003 rather than just one year.  This error will be corrected

                                    in the next issue of Showring.

 

                        3.            6 communications were received from Larry Lewellyn, which

                                    mostly contained comments regarding the Board responses to

                                    Joe Payne and Carol Hicks.  He requested the financials for

                                    Grand Nationals for the years 2001, 2002 and 2003.   Jeff

                                    Jones, the ALSA Treasurer,  furnished the 2001 information

                                    to Mr. Lewellyn and advised him that the 2002 and 2003

                                    information would be published to the web site and

                                    published in Showring as soon as that information is received

                                    from the CPA.

 

New Business

 

            A.            Election Committee Recommendations

 

                        1.  To add a line on the ballot for a write-in candidate. 

 

                              Based on the attorney's opinion that ALSA already has a

                              de facto write-in arrangement, in that 5 members can

                              nominate a candidate for the board to supplement the

                              nominations of the Nominating Committee, this

                              recommendation was denied.

 

                        2.  To change the bylaws regarding the date of January 1 membership

                              to nominate or run as a candidate.  After discussion the Board

                              decided to eliminate the January 1 date in its entirety.  This will

                              necessitate a bylaws change, and will be placed on the ballot this

                              election for a vote of the membership.

 

                        3.  To modify the Standing Rules, Article II, Section 1, Election,

                             which currently states that the Election Committion will tally

                             the ballots.  The  recommended change would read the Election

                             Committee or a CPA firm will tally the ballots.  The Board

                             agreed that the  Standing Rule will be changed prior to the next

                            election.

 

            Motion made by Jeff Jones to approve items 2 and 3.  Dwayne Flinn

            seconded the motion.  Following a vote the motion carried.

 

 

            B.  Recall Petition

 

                        The Standing Rules allow for the recall of a Board member, but all

                        details of how and when it is to be done are not clearly spelled out.

                        The Planning & Policy Committee and the ALSA attorney are

                        working on revisions and clarifications that will address this issue.

 

            C.  Board Member Packets

 

                        Packets are to be prepared for the new Board members containing

                        the Standing Rules, Bylaws, Standard Operating Procedures, list

                        of current committees and the Board liaisons, and other beneficial

                        information.  President Sheehan is requesting the current Board to

                        offer suggestions of other items they think will be helpful to new

                        Board members.

 

Committee Reports

 

            Alpaca Committee

 

                        No Report

 

            Education Committee

 

                        No Report

 

            Election Committee

 

                        Barb Laux, Debi Garvin & Joe Payne are running for a

                        seat on the Board and will be on the ballot to be mailed.

 

            Ethics Committee

 

                        No Report

 

            Fiber Committee

 

                        The clinic scheduled in Colorado has been cancelled.

                        The clinic in Wisconsin is proceeding.

 

            Finance & Budget

 

                        No Report

 

            Grand National Committee

 

                        All sponsors are in place except for one silver ($2500) sponsor

 

            Handbook Committee

 

                        All amendments should be presented to the Board before

                        being submitted to a printer.  The Board in the future is

                        to send a copy of the proposed changes to the ALSA office.

 

            Judges Committee

 

                        The Judges Committee made the following recommended

                        changes in the ALSA handbook:

 

                        D.            A judge is ineligible to judge halter classes at the

                                    Grand National championship show if he/she has

                                    judged a Regional championship show that year.

                                    Furthermore, a Grand National judge may not

                                    judge halter classes two (2) years in a row, nor

                                    may they judge performance classes two (2) years

                                    in a row.

 

                        Q.            Ethics, Section 5

 

                                    A.  Judges may not have a conflict of interest between

                                          ALSA's objective and their own personal business

                                          or pecuniary interests.  Each judge should refrain

                                          from using his/her official status to further their

                                          own personal or financial purpose.  When such a

                                          conflict of interest arises, the judge is expected to

                                          either withdraw the personal objective from the

                                          transaction in question or resign from ALSA's

                                          approved judges list so that he/she may pursue

                                          their personal objective.  Breach of this ethical

                                          rule shall be subject to review according to ALSA

                                          rules.  A conflict of interest constitute, but is not

                                          limited to:

 

                                                1.  An animal shown before a judge who was

                                                     professionally involved with the training,

                                                     sale or purchase of that animal within the

                                                     previous twelve (12) months.

 

                                                2.  A partnership between a judge and an

                                                     exhibitor involving a specific animal

                                                     and/or the direct offspring of that animal.

 

                                    B.  Judges may not judge a llama or alpaca which is owned or

                                          exhibited by anyone from whom he or she has received a

                                          a salary, commission or any kind of remuneration, has

                                          been in the employ, or has represented such individual

                                          in any capacity for remuneration within twelve (12)

                                          months from the date of the subject show.

 

                                    C.  If a judge cannot exercise an objective opinion, free from

                                          possible prejudice, bias, or outside influence, because of

                                          a connection with an owner, exhibitor or anyone else

                                          connected with a llama or an alpaca or, for that matter,

                                          if such connection would appear to others as possible

                                          bias, whether or not the judge feels he or she would be

                                          affected, the judge must disqualify himself or herself.

 

                                    D.  No llama or alpaca owned by a halter judge, performance

                                          judge, an assistant judge, apprentice judge, youth judge or

                                          fleece judge may be shown.  No llama or alpaca owned by

                                         family members of any of the above-mentioned judges may

                                         be shown.  Family members of any of the above-mentioned

                                         judges are ineligible to be exhibitors at the show.    There

                                         are exceptions to this rule.  One is that when a judge is

     presiding over only one division, such as halter or

                                         performance, his/her llama or alpaca may be entered in

                                         the division not affected by that judge.  See Part C(1)(L) for

                                        details on these  exceptions.

 

                                    E.  An exhibitor shall not knowingly show where there is a

                                         conflict of interest with a judge.

 

                                    F.  A judge shall not knowingly adjudicate an exhibitor's llama

                                         or alpaca where there is a conflict of interest.

 

                                    G.  The burden of responsibility is with the owner, exhibitor

                                          or trainer to recognize a conflict of interest.  When the

                                          exhibitor enters a show, it is done so will full knowledge

                                          of who will be judging.  The judge, on the other hand,

                                          accepts the job without knowing who will be exhibiting

                                          at the show.  This does not, however, completely absolve

                                          the judge of the responsibility of avoiding a conflict.

 

                                    H.  Whenever possible, a judge should make his/her

                                          customers aware of all rules regarding conflicts of

                                          interest and, to the extent possible, provide a list of

                                          judging assignments so that conflicts may be avoided.

 

                        Part O, Section 2(b)(3)

 

                                    Satisfactorily complete at least three llama show

                                    apprenticeships under at least three different approved

                                    llama Level III Judges at ALSA sanctioned shows with 75

                                    or more llamas.

 

                                    Apprentice judges may not apprentice with the instructor

                                    of their beginning clinic, and must serve one apprenticeship

                                    with a member of the Judges Committee.  Judges may not

                                    accept apprentices at multiple-point shows.

                       

                        Part O, Section 2(b)(6)

 

                                    Upon successful completion of an Advanced Llama Judging

                                    Clinic, attaining a minimum of 85% in the halter portion of

                                    the advanced clinic and 85% in the performance portion of

                                    the advanced clinic, in addition to an overall 85% overall

                                    composite score for the clinic, and all other requirements, an

                                    Apprentice Judge may apply to the Judges Committee for a

                                    recommendation of approval as a Llama Judge.  All required

                                    paperwork must be filed with the Judges Committee.

 

                        Part O, Section 5(c) 

 

                                    The Judges Committee makes recommendation to the Board

                                    of Directors for instructors, assistant instructors and

                                    apprentice instructors.

 

                                                1.  Instructors must be members in good standing,

                                                     a licensed Llama and/or Alpaca judge, and have

                                                     prior teaching experience.

 

                                                2.  Clinic instructors may not teach more than one (1)

                                                     clinic within a geographical area per year.

 

                                                3.  Assistant instructors must be members in good

                                                     standing and a licensed Llama and/or Alpaca

                                                     judge.

 

                                                4.  Apprentice instructors may be accepted at the

                                                     combined Judge's and Show Clinics.

 

                                                5.  The list of instructors and assistants will be

                                                      reviewed at least once a year, with subsequent

                                                      recommendations to the Board of Directors.

 

            Motion made by Jeff Jones to adopt the Judges Committee

            recommendations.  Seconded by Sandy Wickham.  Following a vote

            the motion passed.

 

                        A written complaint was initated by a member and submitted to

                        the Judges Committee, under the Standing Rules, Article I,

                        Section 3(b).  After an investigation, the Judges Committee

                        recommended that a letter be placed in the judge's file.

 

            Motion made by Jeff Jones to adopt the Judges Committee

            recommendation.  Seconded by Sandy Wickham.  A roll call vote was

            requested by Sandy Wickham, with the following results:  Jeff Jones,

            Sandy Wickham, Carolann Evans & Carolyn Myers voted aye; Niki

            Kuklenski voted no; Dwayne Flinn abstained.  The motion carried.

 

           

            Membership Committee

 

                        Considering putting together a membership survey.

 

            Performance Committee

 

                        No Report

 

            Planning & Policy Committee

 

                        Working with the attorney and parlimentarian to have

                        recommendations to present to the Board at its next meeting.

 

            Protest Committee

 

                        No protests filed.

 

            Publications Committee

 

                        Articles to be submitted from committees by June 1.

 

            Regional Committee

 

                        Discussion was held regarding qualifying through regionals

                        before going to nationals.  It was again rejected. 

 

                        Motion made by Jeff Jones, seconded by Sandy Wickham,

                        to permit juveniles to go to regionals without prequalifying

                        at an ALSA-sanctioned show.  Following a vote the motion

                        carried.

 

            Show Management Committee

 

                        No Report

 

            Youth Committee

 

                        An article was submitted by Niki  Kuklenski to Sandy

                        Wickham, liaison to the Publications Committee.

 

            Suri Committee

 

                        There will be little to report until at least a year of suri

                        classes have been held in order to obtain statistics.

 

 

            Motion made by Dwayne Flinn to adjourn the meeting.  Seconded by

            Sandy Wickham.  Following a vote the motion carried.

 

 

         THE NEXT BOARD MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR

JULY 13TH, 2004, AT 8:00 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Carolyn Myers, Secretary