MCPP Board of Directors Meeting Minutes September 17, 2023

MCPP Board Meeting notes

September 17, 2023

9:00 - 10:30 AM

Present: David Freiband, Eve Avrin, Karen Weber, Linda Young, Lisa Larson, Tamra Frei, Shil Sengupta, Miram Lorrain, Marybeth Atwell

President: D. Freiband

• Freiband made the motion to accept Sengupta’s May 2023 minutes with the revisions he has suggested to Sengupta. Frei seconded the motion. Board approved unanimously.
• Freiband proposed new items to add to agenda under “New and Continuing Business”:
• (1)     Where to insert Community list-serv use guidelines on website  
• (2)    Revisions to the by-laws that need to be made that are not yet on the website: the place where these records need to be consolidated.
• (3)    Whether to meet in person when we have virtual speaker

Treasurer: Eve Avrin

• Not much had changed since prior month’s financial report.
• Overall Total Net Worth: $92,121.55 (due in part to Schwab account increase)
• Total Inflows: $1,650
• Total Outflows: $7,396.65: (1) $1,404: liability insurance, (2) presenter’s fee on 5/25 (Anne Alvarez), (3) $1,267.62 Paesano’s Banquet (with loss of $627.62), (4) $1,512 Wild Apricot website fee, (5) $2,118.94 Zoom fee, (6) $94.09 miscellaneous)
• Avrin and Frei are working out the details with the bank in transferring the account.
• Freiband clarified the order of priority: (1) that Frei be officially nominated by the Board, (2) for the Minutes to reflect this, and (3) clarify non-profit status.
• Freiband added that Marybeth Atwell, in charge of elections, can  propose Frei for nomination by the MCPP membership when the election takes place: The Board can vote an interim board member in prior to the members’ election itself
• Freiband moved to elect Tamra Frei as treasurer of MCPP. Larson seconded this motion. Board voted unanimously to accept Frei in the role of Treasurer,
• Avrin’s colleague requested selling psychoanalytic books to the list-serv. Board rejected request in light of the fact that this is a business transaction.
• Avrin requested opportunity  to transition from Treasurer to Member-at-Large.
• Freiband made a motion to have Avrin become Member-At-Large. Lorrain seconded the motion. Board voted unanimously to accept Avrin in this role.
• Freiband clarified that, according to by-laws, Board members cannot occupy two positions. Subsequently, Frei, in having accepted the role of Treasurer, will no longer be Board member-at large.
• Freiband asks all Board members to update him with their most current Board positions so he can submit these to the state to renew MCPP’s non-profit status.

Vice President of Programs:  Miriam Lorrain

• Proposed solution of how to fill role of different facets of Programs
• Lorrain agreed to take primary responsibility for Programs. She requested that Board Members provide input. She added that Freiband had agreed to assist her; Robert Hooberman had agreed to provide input as well.
• Avrin volunteered assisting speakers with logistical issues: recommending lodging, potentially picking speakers up from airport, etc.

Membership: Linda Young and Lisa Larson

• Young shared that she had deliberated and ultimately agreed to put the information about list-serve posting rules under the “Members” section. The sub-title could potentially be entitled “List-Serv Guidelines.”
• Weber will reach out to webhosting company to have the company implement this change (since this is a design issue that she cannot implement directly).
• Weber will directly amend section updating name and address of Treasurer, in order for new/renewing members to have updated point of contact to send checks.
• Young and Larson are starting letters for membership renewal, but this is not complete yet.

Website: Karen Weber

--No updates

Elections: Mary Beth-Atwell

• Described that, in context of COVID, certain Board positions had not officially been voted on by MCPP membership. Clarified the need to have the membership vote on the modified by-laws. Once this is approved, then new appointees will officially be in their new positions.

• Atwell was not certain that this two step process is absolutely necessary, but will double check whether amended by-laws (with new titles) need to be voted on by the Board or the entire membership.
• Atwell verified and confirmed each Board Member’s title and years left on term
• Freiband has 1 year left on his term
• Lorrain: VP of Programs has 1 year left on her term
• Frei: Treasurer has 3 years left on her term
• Sengupta will have 3 years remaining once he is officially elected as Secretary
• Atwell was not certain why certain Board positions were 3 years while others were 2 years.
• Atwell proposed defining official Board position for Chair of Membership, renamed VP of Membership. Atwell suggested placing VP of Membership on the ballot as a 2 person position.
• Atwell asked to confirm who are Members-At-Large as well as confirming their understanding of their terms: Avrin--3 years, Weber: 3 years; Waiess is member at large for another year, Rivette’s status needs to be double-checked (whether she is interested in continuing in her position).
• Young clarified that the by-laws had been changed to have the Secretary become an elected Board position. However, these by-laws have not officially been voted on by MCPP membership. Young added that these updated by-laws have been ready for quite some time, just needing to be officially voted on by membership.
• Young wants to review the wording in the bylaws before sending it to Atwell. She requested assistance from Freiband in double checking the language before submitting to Atwell.
• Atwell clarifies that there are currently 3 members at-large, so 3 need to be filled.
• Atwell will follow up and verify what is the minimum number of member votes needed to pass the votes.
• Sengupta questioned whether the Board is obliged to have 6 Members-At- Large: whether this could be a smaller number.
• Atwell will put “Member-At-Large” in as a “write-in” on the election ballot if the Board is not able to recruit enough Members At-Large to fill the target number of 6. She recalled that the Member-At-Large number had oscillated over the years—she does not consider this a cause for concern.
• Larson clarified that she preferred the title of Vice President of Membership in lieu of “Member-At-Large”.
• Atwell will send out nomination ballot in month of November.  She will subsequently hold the election in January.
• President-Elect position is still open.
• Education, Training, and Certification: without training program, we don’t need to fill these positions.
• 
  

The Board is not using the venue for November (given that the program will be virtual). The Board will need to make a decision whether to rent venue for January meeting before our next Board meeting.

Next Board meeting date: October 22, 2023 (in person)

Freiband motioned to adjourn meeting, Avrin seconded. Members unanimously voted to adjourn.

Meeting adjourned at 10:30am.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Shil Sengupta, recorder.