Board Meeting Minutes  MCPP Board of Directors Meeting April 24, 2022

MCPP Board Meeting notes

April 24, 2022

Present: Jerry Brandell, Marybeth Atwell, Eve Avrin, Liam Faulkner, David Freiband, Lisa Larson, Michele

Rivette, Shil Sengupta, Elizabeth Waiess, Karen Weber, Peter Wood, Linda Young

The March minutes were approved with the following additions: Shil Sengupta offered to take minutes

for future meetings, and Liam Faulkner volunteered to see to procedures dissolving MCPP if it should

come to that.

President’s report - Jerry Brandell: continued discussion of how to move forward in terms of a

sustainable structure.

David - Update on programs for next year: we now have six people lined up.

Treasurer - Eve Avrin is willing to continue as Treasurer provided that someone else act as signatory for

the Schwab account (Jerry Brandell volunteers to use his EIN) and that someone else work out how to

make refunds to people who sign up for Sunday meetings but can’t attend.

Jerry – let’s consider what letter should go out to the membership in the interest of transparency.

1) No training program? Is it dead or just dormant? Do we need to articulate this?

2) Emphasis on public programs

David – we need to keep our focus on what is most urgent now.

Karen – We need to consider future funding if memberships fall away. Most people come to programs

for free.

Consider the roles that would need to be filled for a sustainable MCPP centered in programs:

CE managers

Treasurer

Programs Coordinator

A Note-taker

Zoom meister

We might meet less often, but it may be that LARA requires us to have a president to keep our non-

profit status.

Marybeth will investigate whether we need to be a non-profit to remain in the Collaborative that

oversees CE credits. She will also look into re-registering MCPP with LARA.

David – keeping members-at-large is important for the Board to remain in its “participatory and

consultive” role. Virtual meetings are likely to continue through next year, though we might organize

and in-person meeting for a speaker who will be in the area.

Peter Wood moved that the number of Board meetings be reduced to two per year, with more to be

scheduled as needed. The motion passed.

A rotating convener status for Board meetings, with David being the Nominal president as listed in our

literature and on the web site to satisfy legal requirements. The David volunteered to take on the

convener role as President, as long as he didn’t have to take on other presidential duties. Liam

reiterated his willingness to oversee legal procedures if MCPP dissolves.

Future agendas would need to have CE reports included. Otherwise, they could be fairly bare bones.

David – the longevity of the organization would be aided by scheduling three meetings a year, Fall,

Winter, Spring. Liam Faulkner and Elizabeth Waiess volunteer to create agendas for meetings starting

in the Fall of 2022.

Linda Young volunteers to learn to be Zoom-meister.

We need to clarify the requirements for non-profit status before we send out a letter.

Reports:

Treasurer – Eve Avrin: Susan Giraldi will complete tax preparation my mid-May, well within legal requirements.

Not much change since last month

The market slightly down so our total net worth proportionally down slightly

Issue with bounced check from University of Michigan. If they reissue new check, David will tactfully

follow up whether they will add the $12 fee. Invoice for getting CEs for social work not received by Eve yet, Elizabeth will check with Tamarind to

follow up regarding this.

Further discussion clarified what will be done with MCPP funds in the event of dissolution. The Bay-laws

need to be updated on the web site.

Michele expressed appreciation for those who have worked tirelessly to keep MCPP going.

Programs – David Freiband: 100 people are registered to today’s presentation. We are putting together

a great line-up for speakers for next year, many of them focusing on the theme of trauma.

Membership – we have no new members since last month. Membership is proposing an NPR type

appeal to increase membership and funding.

Website – Karen Weber: most of our web site inquiries come from people having trouble logging on to

programs.

Elections – Marybeth Atwell – we will hold off on any elections until a final Board structure is decoded

on.

Other business: Shil Sengupta asked if anyone was interested in giving a presentation to Anton’s

wellness Clinic.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:30.

Peter Wood