MCPP Board of Directors Meeting November 2024 Minutes

MCPP Board of Directors November 2024 Minutes

Virtual Meeting, November 17, 2024, 9am-10:30am

Present: David Freiband, Karen Weber, Elizabeth Waiess, Marissa Keep, Tamra Frei, Linda Young, Eve Avrin, Carol Stratman, Robert Cohen, Shil Sengupta

President: D. Freiband

• Freiband noted corrections offered by board members to pass along to Sengupta including notes passed on by previous meeting’s note taker, Cate Desjardin to finalize previous month’s draft.

Treasurer: T. Frei

• Expenses: $1000 Honorarium for previous Speaker; the organization brought in $550 for the event.
• MCCP brought in $4000 from the financial markets, with strong yields from the investment accounts.
• Expressed concern about the  amount in savings being potentially too low. However, this amount can quickly increase after the impending membership drive.
• Clarified that MCPF is officially a 501(c))(3) organization, based on information received this from Reena Lieberman
• This status has 2 advantages: any contribution is a tax benefit/write-off to person giving contribution and the donor doesn’t have  to pay sales tax. This gives people added motivation to contribute.
• MCPP, on the other hand, is a 501 © (6) non-profit organization, which does not have these benefits.
• Discussed and agreed to Tamra taking over tax filing from Susan Galardi, our accountant, who is retiring. As long as we are not making more than 50k a year, filing involves only a very simple, straightforward electronic form.

Co-Vice Presidents of Programming: M. Lorrain and C. Desjardins

•  Desjardins, due to personal matters, needs to suspend their work indefinitely with our group. Lorrain and Freiband are coordinating how to handle the responsibilities of this position in light of this absence. Meanwhile, Freiband is taking over the recruiting of speakers. He has already reached out to a number of speakers including Don Carveth, Jody Davies, Galit Atlas, Rachel Sofer, and Chris Bolas.
•  Lorrain and Freiband have come up with the idea of having Fors run her program in the Henderson Room April 13, 2025, 10 to 330pm with attendees to get lunch elsewhere.
•  A few members questioned the appropriateness of having dinner the night before with the speaker (in light of that date coinciding with Passover).  This needs to be discussed at the next meeting.

New/Old Business

• Co-Vice Presidents of Membership: Lisa Larson and Linda Young

• Larson and Young are in the final stages of completing renewal letters to go out
• Have to settle discussion about students and fees because that will be incorporated into the new letter.
•   Revisited  the idea of removing  financial barriers to student participation (proposed by Desjardins at previous meeting). This had included various formats such as MCPF funding student fees to increase attendance.
• Weber expressed the concern that individuals may take advantage of the “free” sessions in the context of the renewal letter. Young and Weber will discuss after the meeting.
• The Board  confirmed that both hybrid and in person programs would be free for students who are in a degree-granting undergraduate, masters,  or doctorate programs, full & part time. Separate decisions can be made on exceptions such as future Symposiums.
• Freiband moved to create a category for undergraduate and graduate students in degree programs to attend regular monthly meetings for free moving forward. Stratman seconded this. Board voted unanimously in favor.
• As a byproduct of this change, MCPP will have to distinguish “members of MCPP” as opposed to “paying members” given new changes for students.

Committee Reports:

Website: K. Weber

•  Will take the bylaws representative off the website until we have someone in charge of reviewing them.

Social Liaison: E. Avrin

• Proposed the idea of movie night or movie afternoon. The purpose would be to see psychologically relevant movies and discuss them afterward. Provided example such as the movie, “A Real Pain”. The purpose of these movie nights/afternoons would be to  ideally draw people in from the community at large. Venues for gatherings could be movie theaters or Avrin’s house. Avrin will draft an email before putting it out to the community.

Psychology CEUs: M. Lorrain

•  Lorrain not present
• Waiess discovered that MCPP was not on the LARA list of organizations offering CEs or on the drop-down menu for CE Broker. Lorrain and Waiess communicated extensively regarding this issue prior to current meeting.  
•  Waiess and Lorrain are trying to get MCPP on the list. LARA indicated that more documentation was needed, but that we don’t need to be on the list because we’re approved under the heading of “APA sponsored provider.”
• We need to ensure membership is aware that we are an APA sponsored provider which is how we are approved CE providers.

Long Term Replacement for Current President

•   Freiband’s role as president ends in 2026. Waiess suggested that any potential candidate shadow Freiband as President-Elect. We will take this up at subsequent meetings.

Listserv Revisions/Guidelines

• Waiess and Freiband have discussed Listserv guidelines at length, in order to address problems with how the listserv has been used, on occasion.
•  Discussed the importance of adhering to mandates about listserv use based on our nonprofit status. We are not allowed to promote profit making endeavors by individuals or businesses.
• As an example, sub-leasing of an office place would not be allowed, based on these aforementioned restrictions.
•  Waiess and Young will confer about changes to listserv guidelines. After they finish, they will forward them to Weber.

Social Work CEUs: T. Frei

• Frei clarified that the CEUs that we provide are only definitively accepted in the State of Michigan. Whether these are allowable may vary from state to state. Other states may want documentation from our events beyond the CEs certificates of completion.
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Freiband motioned to adjourn the meeting, Frei seconded. Passed unanimously. Meeting adjourned.

Next MCPP Board Meeting will be held virtually on January 19, 2025.