PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY OF SONS OF THE REVOLUTION
Minutes of the Board of Managers Meeting
10 December 1998
President Lloyd called the meeting to order promptly at 4:00 p.m. in the Grant Room of the Union League of Philadelphia.
PRESENT: Messrs. Burke, Byrne, Clattenburg, Di Stefano, FitzGerald, Frick, Graham, Hoyt, Lewis, Lloyd, Loughran, Marvin, Morgan, Shirk, Walkup, and H. Wood, III.
READING OF THE MINUTES: President Lloyd stated he had not completed his editing of the minutes of the November Board of Managers meeting and has not therefore authorized the distribution of the minutes. He stated that the November minutes will be mailed and distributed prior to the January 1999 Board of Managers meeting.
SECRETARY'S REPORT: Secretary Clattenburg reported that regrets had been received from Messrs. Davy, Jr., Ermine, Groff, Morgan, Morris VII, Truscott, and G. Wood, III.
The membership of the Society stands at 1,086 active members and 19 Junior Life Members, for a total of 1,105. At the present time the Executive Secretary does not have current mailing addresses for ten life members and two annual members.
In the period since the November meeting of the Board of Managers, there have been no requests for reinstatements, resignations, or transfer to Old Guard status.
President Lloyd asked if there were any comments or questions on the report of Secretary Clattenburg. Hearing none, he asked for a motion to adopt the report. A motion was made, duly seconded, and on vote, carried unanimously.
TREASURER'S REPORT: Treasurer Ward thanked Vice President Frick for giving the report of the Treasurer at the November meeting of the Board. He also thanked the Officers, Managers and Committee chairmen for their consistent effort to maintain expenditures within budget lines. With only a few minor exceptions, all Committee expenditures for the year are under budget.
The Treasurer distributed copies of his Profit and Loss Budget Comparison report for the period ending 30 November. He noted that the Saratoga-Yorktown Anniversaries Committee had yet to report all income and expense, but that all other Committee reports were current.
The Treasurer complimented Vice President Johnson and the work of the Finance Committee. Barring some unforeseen market catastrophe, the Treasurer predicted a wonderful Annual Meeting.
President Lloyd asked if there were any comments or questions on the report of Treasurer Ward. Vice President Lewis moved that the report be accepted, subject to audit. The motion was duly seconded and on vote, carried unanimously.
REGISTRAR'S REPORT: Registrar Fitzgerald reported that the Society has received the reports of death of two members in the period since the November meeting of the Board. The first was John Barclay Lex (PA Soc. #5675), a life member, who died on 5 June 1998; the second was Russell Bement, Jr. (PA Soc. #4260), a member of the Color Guard, who died on 21 November 1998. Mr. Bement’s passing was noted with deep regret, as he had served the Society as its Treasurer from 1977 through 1982 and as a Manager from 1982 through 1987. Most of the Officers and Board members had seen him as recently as the General Society’s Board of Managers meeting in Lancaster, which he attended with his wife, Viola.
President Lloyd led the Board in a prayer of remembrance and gratitude for the lives of these two deceased members.
The Registrar also reported that the Executive Secretary has made considerable progress in determining current addresses for those members whose mail is returned to the office. Letters and telephone calls to family members, proposers, and others who may have knowledge of a member’s whereabouts have produced useful information in many instances.
The Registrar reported lastly that the membership database maintained by the Executive Secretary is now more reliable than at any other time in recent years. Soon it will be a simple and straightforward process to update the Centennial Register, which is almost ten years old.
HISTORIAN'S REPORT: In the absence of Historian Groff, there was no report.
PRESIDENT'S REPORT: President Lloyd reported his pleasure at the recent, successful launch of the Society's web site. Vice President Lewis will cover the details in his subsequent report.
President Lloyd also reported in his role as a member of the Executive Committee of the General Society. General President Etter has asked him to travel to California and to the best of this ability, determine the facts in dispute between that State Society and its critics. The California Society has proposed a travel date that coincides with its January general membership meeting. President Lloyd stated that the issues involved do not appear to him to be as complex as some have suggested and that he believes the matter may be resolved successfully in the short term, rather than the long term. General President Etter has asked that all communications relating to the California Society dispute be addressed to the office of the Pennsylvania Society.
ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE: Vice President Di Stefano reported on the activities of the Admissions Committee. The Committee met one week previous to the December Board meeting. At that time, the Committee voted to send short form working papers to four minors who have been proposed admission to Junior Life Membership. The candidates for Junior Life Membership are as follows: Skylar Garrett Bowman; Christopher Bradley Burke; James Henry Burke; and Duncan Mackenzie Lloyd. Masters Burke are the four year old sons of Vice President James Bradley Burke. Master Lloyd is the 14-year-old son of President Lloyd.
The Committee also voted to send working papers to six men who have been proposed for regular membership. The candidates for regular membership are as follows: John McLean Blickensderfer; Charles Edmund Bowman; John Douglas Bowman; Robert Pike Fooskas; Stephen Perry Fooskas, M.D.; and Joseph Henry Pool, V.
Thirdly, the Committee voted to recommend for admission to membership three men whose Applications for Membership have been satisfactorily completed and whose lineage have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness by the Society’s verifying genealogist. The candidates for admission to membership in the Society are as follows: Ronald Cull Carpenter; Henry Randolph Jones, Jr.; and William Jarden Yearsley.
Mr. Marvin moved that the Society admit these three men to membership. Mr. Clattenburg seconded the motion. President Lloyd asked for discussion and noted that Mr. Yearsley is the newly-elected President of the Philadelphia-Continental Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. Approximately three weeks ago he succeeded Winchell Smith Carroll, another member of our Society. On vote, the motion carried unanimously.
BUDGET COMMITTEE: Vice President Frick distributed the proposed Society budget for 1999. He noted that its current-year reference column showed reliable, year-to-date revenues and expenditures through 30 November. He also noted that the revisions to the budget proposal discussed at the November Board meeting were only two in number: the budget for the New Citizens Reception that was increased to $2,000, based upon current year's expenditure; the budget for the Technology Initiative was increased from $5,000. Under the total return budgeting mechanism, transfer from Permanent Funds was raised to cover these two increases. The result will be increase in spending from 2.6% of the three-year average of the Society’s portfolio market value to 2.8%. As noted previously, this is extremely conservative spending, effectively returning nearly half of expected annual income to principal. All other line items remain the same as presented in November.
President Lloyd asked if any Board member had comments or questions of Vice President Frick, including any suggestions of corrections or changes in the proposed budget for 1999. Vice President Lewis commended Mr. Frick for a job well done and President Lloyd added he was particularly pleased that the Society could accomplish so much while adhering to such a conservative spending rate. He commended Mr. Frick, for proposing such a sound budget and the Board, for adopting it.
Vice President Di Stefano moved that the budget be adopted as amended. His motion was seconded and on vote, carried unanimously.
FINANCE COMMITTEE: In the absence of Vice President Johnson, President Lloyd read the Committee’s report. The market value of the Society's portfolio as of 30 October was $2,132,000; as of 30 November, it was $2,249,000; and as of 9 December, it was $2,317,000. The market has clearly rallied from its summer’s slump and the Society’s portfolio has prospered with the market.
President Lloyd asked if there were any comments or questions. Mr. Marvin asked if the Society’s long-term goal — increase of the market value of the portfolio to a size sufficient, by the year 2020, to replace in its entirety, the revenue now realized from the Rorer Trust — remains the core objective of the Finance Committee. Vice President Lewis, a member of the Finance Committee, stated that the Committee needed to achieve an average of an 8% return over the next twenty years in order to reach this goal. In recent years, of course, the return has been much higher. Efforts are under way to use computer models in order to measure performance and investment returns more accurately. Mr. Hoyt is presently working on defining the program, inputting data and deriving measurable results.
Vice President Burke reminded the members that President Lloyd proposed at the 1998 Annual Meeting another way to secure the Society's long-term financial security. The Life Membership program "100 for 2000" is available to members, their sons and grandsons and the income becomes part of the Society's permanent fund available for long-term investment.
President Lloyd reiterated his Life Membership goal, that by the time of the Society’s Annual Meeting in April 1999, he will be able to announce that all or nearly all the Officers and Managers will be Life Members of the Society.
RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE: In the absence of Counselor Cheyney, there was no report.
AMERICAN HERITAGE COMMITTEE: Chairman Walkup reported that the Committee has become aware of a new scholarly history of Fort Mifflin, entitled Fort Mifflin of Philadelphia: An Illustrated History. Written by Jeffrey M. Dorwart, a Professor of Military History at Rutgers University and published by the University of Pennsylvania Press, the book is 264 pages long. Noting that the Society has a long history of supporting Fort Mifflin, the Committee plans to purchase copies of the book for distribution, free of charge, to libraries and historical repositories in the Delaware Valley.
Mr. Walkup has discussed the purchase of as many copies of the book as possible and has obtained a written commitment of a 40% discount from the list price, if the Society should purchase as many as 150 books. At $22.50 each, the cost comes to $3,375 for 150 books. Boxing and mailing costs may bring total project costs to $4,500. The Committee’s budget of $1,500 for 1998 is unspent. The Board has voted the Committee a budget of $1,500 for 1999. In order for its spending authority to equal its projected expenditures, the Committee asks the Board to vote $1,500 from the Board’s discretionary funds in 1999. Vice President Lewis noted that the Board's Discretionary Fund for 1998 has a balance of $3,700 and these funds are currently available.
In previous years, the Committee developed a 400-name mailing list in order to distribute copies of the Society’s Centennial Register; the City Archives project publications; and Tom McGuire’s The Surprise of Germantown publication. When the Surprise of Germantown was mailed to area libraries and historical repositories, the list was pared to just 150. Both the 400 and 150-name versions of the list remain available for re-use.
Vice President Burke recommended expensing the full cost of the Fort Mifflin books project in 1998 by making up the entire difference between the Committee’s 1998 budget and the total project cost from the Board's Discretionary Fund. This action will avoid the necessity carrying over an accrued expense into next year's budget and the attendant problems imposed on the Treasurer. Treasurer Ward concurred and stated all books should be purchased this year from current year-end funds. Any distribution costs should come from the American Heritage Committee budget.
Chairman Walkup moved that 150 copies of the Fort Mifflin book be purchased and paid for in 1998 as described by Vice President Burke and Treasurer Ward. Mr. Ward seconded the motion and on vote, the motion carried unanimously.
INDEPENDENCE DAY COMMITTEE: Chairman Byrne stated he had no report at this time.
SARATOGA-YORKTOWN ANNIVERSARIES COMMITTEE: In the absence of Chairman Morgan, there was no report. The Executive Secretary stated that a follow-up Committee meeting has tentatively been arranged at the Union League for Thursday, 17 December.
NEW CITIZENS' RECEPTION: In the absence of Chairman Hoyt, there was no report.
SPECIAL PROJECTS: In the absence of Historian Groff, President Lloyd read the Committee’s report. Theodore E. Wiederseim, a member of our Society (PA #5333) and a well know appraiser of 17th and 18th century Americana in the Delaware Valley, has begun an independent review and appraisal of the historical collections of the Society and its Color Guard. In addition to contacting the curators at the several sites where the artifacts are on exhibit or in storage, Mr. Wiederseim will be contacting Quartermaster Mark in order to view the Color Guard collections.
Historian Groff also recommends a special project in early 1999, in the amount of $2,500, in support of the ongoing restoration of the Moland House. He will be prepared for further discussion of this project at the January Board meeting.
In working with Vice President Lewis to complete the artifact directory for the Society's web site, Historian Groff is writing an introduction to that directory.
At the request of Chairman Morris, the Historian will also write an historical description of the significance of George Washington's birthday for the Washington's Birthday event that will take place on February 20th at the Union League.
VALLEY FORGE COMMEMORATION: In the absence of Chairman Wood, President Lloyd reported that the expected report on this event has been delayed. Vice-President Frick noted, however, that he has made an initial contact with Reverend Proctor at the Ardmore Presbyterian Church and that site seems very receptive to the possibility of hosting the Society Church Service. Another contact or two should settle the matter.
WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY PARTY COMMITTEE: In the absence of Chairman Morris, President Lloyd read the Committee’s report. The Committee recently held a Committee meeting, at which time the event’s program and arrangements were discussed and finalized. Diana McGarvey is the contact person at the Union League for arrangements, including food, decorations, and parking. Members and their guests will be able to park at the Eglin facility on the northwest corner of 15th and Sansom Streets. In conjunction with the Philadelphia-Continental Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Society has extended an invitation to Lieutenant General Anthony C. Zinni, chief of the US Central Command, with responsibility for US troops in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. In the event that General Zinni should be unable to accept our invitation, the keynote speaker will be Thomas McGuire, author of a recent book on the Paoli massacre and historian for the Paoli Battlefield Preservation Fund.
YOUNGER MEMBERS: In the absence of Chairman Bowden, there was no report. President Lloyd asked if anyone present was able to report on the recent Champagne Tasting event held at the Racquet Club. Vice President Di Stefano commented that he attended along with approximately 25 to 30 others. Society member George Coates, who is employed by Margolis Wines and Spirits, presented five different champagnes for tasting and several different kinds of cheese and crackers were available to clean the palette. As a social occasion with sparkle, the Champagne Tasting was a splendid success.
COLOR GUARD: Captain Salisbury reported that the Color Guard’s Nominating Committee had met earlier in the day. There were no other Society or Color Guard events held in the period since the Captain's November report.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: Chairman Wood presented the following report:
|
Totals for |
1998 | 1997 | ||
| New Members | 17 |
19 |
||
|
Average age
|
51 | 36 | ||
|
Junior Life
to Life
|
2 | 5 | ||
|
Average age
exclusive of Junior Life members
|
54 | 43 | ||
|
Changes in Status: |
|
|||
|
Transfer
to Member-at-Large
|
6 | |||
|
Transfer
to other State Society
|
2 | |||
|
Transfer
to Old Guard
|
4 | |||
|
Resignations
|
7 | |||
|
Reinstatement
|
4 |
|||
|
Transfer
from Junior Life to Life Membership
|
2 | |||
| Candidates for Membership | ||||
|
Currently under review by verifying genealogist |
5 | |||
|
Applications
in the hands of verifying genealogist, but additional documentation
required
|
12 | |||
|
Working papers in the hands of candidates, but not returned for review and verification |
40* | |||
|
*10 candidates in this last group should be classified as inactive, because their working papers have been outstanding far beyond the customary period of one year |
||||
Chairman Wood also reported that income from membership dues in 1998 was up $741 over 1997, that four members of the Society exercised their privilege of Life Membership, and that other income, from the sale of merchandise, was $2,713.50 in 1998, compared to $117.50 for 1997.
Given the strong interest in purchase of Society insignia and other merchandise, Mr. Wood recommended the preparation and printing of a list of these decorative objects. The printing should include photographs of the objects. Vice President Lewis noted that this could be done simply and inexpensively on the Society’s web site. He asked if Chairman Wood could supply him with the merchandise list and accompanying photographs. Regent Shirk promised to send a description and photograph of the grave marker designed and offered for sale by the Lancaster Chapter.
The Executive Secretary also reminded the Board of Managers that the Society also has available for purchase many copies of both Edward W. Richardson’s book, Standards and Colors of the Revolution and the Society’s Centennial Register. They are stored on two pallets at Compliance Publishing in suburban Rosemont. The Society’s newly admitted members, upon payment of their first year’s dues, receive complimentary copies of both books. The office offers them for sale at the price of $10. She suggested that the Board of Managers may wish to reconsider the price of these books and charge something greater.
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE: Chairman Van Gulick stated that the next issue of the Society’s "Newsletter" has been completed and turned over to the Executive Secretary in page layout format. He expects that it will be printed in early January. He thanked Mr. Byrne and Mr. Hoyt for contributing articles on the Independence Day celebration and New Citizens’ Reception. He noted that Society and Color Guard member, Montgomery Harris, III, has agreed to assist the Chairman by contributing articles for the next issue. He also encouraged the Officers and Managers to contribute articles of their own.
OPERATIONS COMMITTEE: Vice President Burke reported that the Committee will meet tomorrow morning, Friday, the 13th, with a representative from the Society’s independent auditors, Zelenkofske and Axelrod Business Services. The Committee wishes to address issues of adjusting entries made by Z&A in the course of the audit, as well as various audit service options and accompanying reduced fee structures which would save the Society money in the future.
TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE: Vice President Lewis reported good news, that the Society’s web site is now in production at its Internic-registered URL: www.amrev.org. He encouraged all Officers and Managers to visit the site and relay to him or the Society office any comments they may have. He thanked President Lloyd for his extensive work as editor of the site content, proofreading, correcting, and supplementing where necessary in order that the site launching be successful. For those interested in measuring the volume of the work involved, Mr. Lewis reported that in the six-week period since the end of October he and those working closely with him have identified approximately 150 problems in the design and content of the test site; to date, 124 have been corrected and closed. Those problems which remain to be resolved are included in Mr. Lewis’s printed report.
Vice President Lewis also reported that all web site design and content initially contracted with Miller DesignWorks have been completed. In addition four other components have been posted: (1) the Society’s Charter; (2) the Society’s By-laws; (3) the fee schedule for Junior Life Memberships; and (4) an announcement of the Society and Color Guard’s support for the Biographical Dictionary of Early Pennsylvania Legislators Project. None of these four were included in the original contract.
Vice President Lewis has prepared a draft organization chart, identifying the roles which different members of his Committee must assume in order to keep the site current and accurate. Now that the site has been launched, the Chairman's role will change somewhat and be focused on web technology and enhancements rather than content.
The next step is to place photographs of the Society and Color Guard historical collections on the site. Historian Groff, Chairman Lewis, and Miller DesignWorks are preparing the directory of historical collections. If any Officer or Manager would like to review the proposed directory, he may do so by contacting Chairman Lewis. Finally, in working to post member and ancestor data from the Centennial Register to the web site, the Chairman has run into "media obsolescence". He is searching for a computer that is still able to read the large 5 _" floppy disks which were used to store the data from the Centennial Register project. If necessary, he will re-activate the large disk drive available on the office computer.
In his closing comments, Vice President Lewis apologized to the Officers and Managers for his reports at the October and November meetings of the Board. He accepted responsibility for creating conflict within the Society and for blaming others for his own shortcomings. In particular, he apologized to Scott Sharadin, Harvard Wood, and Executive Secretary Taylor for the accusatory, confrontational style he employed on those occasions and the unreliable, divisive comments he had made. He assured the Board that no similar incident would ever happen again.
President Lloyd thanked Vice President Lewis for his report and expressed his pleasure at the productivity that Mr. Lewis has shown over the past six weeks. The President looks forward to continuing the partnership they established during that time. Further, he elaborated on his vision for the Society’s web site. He hopes to develop on the web, for example, an interactive form containing the Society lineage papers. The Society’s verifying genealogist will then be supplied with software appropriate for downloading the application papers. The verifying genealogist will be able to conduct his review and make his comments known on the web, notifying the applicant almost instantaneously. The applicant who then be able complete the papers promptly and print it for the necessary signatures. Efficiencies in the admission process will be greatly facilitated, an area where we are improving, but one in which there is still much to be done.
President Lloyd also stated that he soon hoped to be able to post the minutes of the monthly Board of Managers meeting to the web, most likely on a password protected page. The Executive Secretary may notify the Board and its Committees by e-mail list, rather than the current practice of surface mail post card. The Board will be able to conduct much of its business online. If this is achieved, the Pennsylvania Society will undoubtedly be the only patriotic society in the entire country conducting its business on the web.
REPORT OF LANCASTER COUNTY CHAPTER: Regent Shirk reported that there has been no activity by the Chapter this past month.
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE GENERAL SOCIETY: In the absence of Vice President Johnson, President Lloyd reported that General President Etter has appointed Richard Joseph Carroll, Sr., immediate past president of the Tennessee Society, to the vacancy on the Executive Committee that was caused by the death of James Bigelow McIntyre, a past president of the New York Society.
There was no OLD BUSINESS.
NEW BUSINESS: Harvard Wood asked the Board to write letters to their U.S. Congressmen in support of reintroducing legislation similar to U.S. Senate Bill #2401. The Senate bill would have enabled Paoli Battlefield Preservation Trust to purchase the 62 open acres of the Paoli Battlefield, but the bill died in the House of Representatives. Chester County’s Representative Kurt Weldon sponsored a House version of the Senate bill — HR #3746 — but it was not call to the floor for a vote. Congressman Weldon will re-introduce a bill in the House to seeking $1,500,000 in support from the federal government. Mr. Wood hopes the Board will be active in obtaining the Federal legislation.
President Lloyd adjourned the meeting with prayer at 5:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Theodore Clattenburg, Jr.
Secretary
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