AGM Agenda Items and Proposals

Yowza Daniel Thompson,

E-mail me at rossw.lovellyahoo.com
Later, Bob Lovell

Yowza All,

First off, with all due respect, publishing a current record of monies and the history of how previous years were spent/allocated is NOT IN ANY WAY AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION limited to only Fortune 500 companies.

That's CRAP and I can't find any larger upper-case to evoke what is needed.

Later, Bob Lovell

OK, let me make myself clear as we seem to have several converations going on a the same time:

Is there a regional director or club delegate who is willing to step forward and volunteer to raise a motion at the AGM to have JCNA's financial statements published? By financial statements I mean detailed income statements and balance sheets for multiple years (back ten years would be good). By published I mean either printed in the Jaguar Journal (either in the magazine or via a paper insert) or published in the library section of the club's website.

Volunteers?

Thanks,

Daniel

As I recall, this notion was raised several months ago and Lou Kairys provided a number of reasons why only a large company could afford to do something like this. Until we get our part of the Stimulus package, I suspect we'll survive with Pascal's (slightly) delayed web updates as in past years.

Thanks for asking,

Is there a regional director or club delegate who is willing to step forward and volunteer to make this proposal at the AGM?

Thanks,

Daniel

Yowza All,

It would be interesting to see exactly how much money we have or don't have, (or so I've been told) to allow the AGM to appear over the 'net like other well run companies.

Judging by the current trends in the news transparency would be a good thing and I'd love to hear the arguments against, I'm sure they'd be like listening to Bank of America or Bernie Madoff.

Get your request in early.

Cheers, Bob Lovell

Yowza All,

It would be interesting to see exactly how much money we have or don't have, (or so I've been told) to allow the AGM to appear over the 'net like other well run companies.

Judging by the current trends in the news transparency would be a good thing and I'd love to hear the arguments against, I'm sure they'd be like listening to Bank of America or Bernie Madoff.

Get your request in early.

Cheers, Bob Lovell

Hard for me to commnet on the need for "professional financial management" unless I can see the income statement for the organization. And preferably take a look at the last ten years. I'll bet there are few obvious trends.

Publish them, let's see what's going on!

John,
Thanks for ofering your perspective while I was at work yesterday and "dating" my wife last night.

I'd simply add that the principles you mentioned are still being applied by Nelson and the volunteers who make this club go.

Thank you John for the insight. I think the discussion as to what constitutes "a good surplus in the treasury" should be transparent to the membership. How do I go about putting forward a motion to have the financials published on a regular basis? I would prefer that they be inserted in the Jaguar Journal (perhaps literally as a paper insert).

The second debate, which will hopefully come up in time, is what JCNA is doing with this amount in treasury. Because if they cannot come up with ways to spend it, then let the clubs have it and they can find lots of ways to spend it!

Daniel: For the first 8 years of JCNA, Barry Greenstein served as volunteer Treasurer and from January 1, 1997 through March 2000 Nelson Rath and I ser ved as volunteer Data Records keeper and Treasurer (respectively) on a volunteer basis without any cost for our services. Jim Hendrix served as head of the Business Committee and provided a very capable service in controlling expenses. I am sure Nelson put in many hours and I estimate I spent around 15-20 hours per week given the systems then in place. This is obviously not sustainable on a volunteer basis. During this appx 10 years funds were accumulated which I would guess constitute the bulk of JCNA's financial assets. I have not seen the financials since. JCNA needs adequate funds to help finance the cost of professional financial management During my time, Challenge Championships, etc. involved guarantees to the hotels, etc. of minimum occupancy in order to get preferential rates and up-front expenses. I assume this is still true. I will note that the only such I had anything to do with made a small profit. Nelson has expanded the duties, which were formerly done by volunteers, and is to be congratulated. I agree there should be more transperancy. The financials should be provided at the AGM and each club should receive a copy. But-there is a reason for having a good surplus in the treasury.

John G. Horen
Mark IX
guarantees to hotels, etc.

Complete radio silence...

Does JCNA operate at a deficit, where current expenses have to be partially funded by interest on investments? Because if they did, then they never would have had the excess funds on hand to build up those investments in the first place.

Why not open up the books to membership scrutiny and let us judge for ourselves?

And how much would you raise dues to cover the expenses currently funded by the interest on those accounts? Alternatively, which expenses which you cut to live within a smaller budget? Without specifics I'm tempted to think this looks like half of a vast proposal, but I might be misunderstood.

Regards,
Cliff

I propose that JCNA take all the money they currently have in banks accounts, term deposits and other financial instruments, divide it up on a per capita basis, and return it to the clubs where it came from in the first place.

Daniel Thompson