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The 2003 OCA Annual Members Meeting was held at 7:30 AM on Sunday 29 June, prior to the 4th round of the Jerry Spann Memorial Oklahoma State Championship Tournament in Stillwater Oklahoma. To see the agenda in Adobe Reader format, click HERE. Minutes of Oklahoma Chess Association Annual Meeting
President Steve Wharry called the meeting to order at 7:30 A.M. and declared a quorum present. First order of business was nominations for four offices. Nominations for Vice President:
Discussion of Acken’s position of Past President and the effect of his election to another position on the board ensued. The candidates then presented statements regarding their qualifications and reasons for seeking office. Wharry then made a series of comments regarding the qualifications of the candidates. The assembly voted by ballot. While the ballots were being counted, Wharry continued the meeting by announcing various Oklahoma Chess Association (OCA) initiatives, including a review of scholastic chess and the Alzheimer’s Chess Jubilee. Results of vote on Vice President:
Wharry called for nominations for three Members at Large:
A point of order was made by Jim Gray that the same person can’t nominate two candidates. The Chair (Wharry) ignored this and continued. The nomination of Jason Poulson failed for lack of a second. Nominations resumed:
Just prior to the vote, Wharry asked Steve Sawyer how many OCA tournaments he had organized. He also made the statement that Jim Berry would be an asset to the board. The candidates presented their qualifications and reasons for seeking office. Wharry himself presented Acken’s qualifications (in Acken’s absence). The assembly voted by ballot. While awaiting the vote tally, Wharry continued the meeting by receiving the scholastic advisory committee report from Jacqueline Bentele. She presented the status of scholastic chess and the committee recommendation that a new organization – the Oklahoma Scholastic Chess Organization (OSCO) – be recognized as the official Oklahoma scholastic chess organization. There followed a discussion of coordination of scholastic activities and improving communications. Jacqueline stated that OSCO provides free membership for kids and adults, and mailings go to OSCO members. She reported that the original committee included Fred Roper and Tom Nichols but they have stepped away from it. Steve Sawyer made a motion to receive the report. The motion was declared out of order by Wharry, who said recommendations would be handled under new business. When Sawyer attempted to make a point of order, Wharry said, “Fine, I’m out of order.”
Results of vote on Members at Large:
Report of Secretary-Treasurer Frank Berry: Treasury balance: $1140.00; there are 251 current members as of Friday June 27, 2003. Steve Wharry made a motion to reduce the fees for scholastic players. [Recorder’s note: according to Robert’s Rules of Order, the Chair cannot make a motion (or a nomination, for that matter) unless the rules have been suspended.] He moved to add a scholastic membership for $1.00, without the right to receive the official state publication, vote, or hold office, replacing the current $5.00 Youth membership. Upon request of the President, the Secretary-Treasurer reported that printing costs for the Oklahoma Chess Bulletin (OCB) are $250.00 for the first 100 copies, and $1.00 for each additional copy, mailing is $0.60 ea. The cost of the OCB was reported as $6.40/year/member. [Recorder’s note: The figure above is the result of faulty math. If there are, as reported by the then Secretary-Treasurer, 251 current members, and printing costs are as stated above, then the cost of each OCB would be: $250 + (251-100) x $1 =
$401 total cost for one printing (one issue) Normally, a few more than the exact number are printed, so the figure above is a minimal cost and the actual is probably higher. Since the former Secretary-Treasurer has refused to turn over the records, it is hard to say exactly what the OCA has been paying for the OCB.] Discussion of the motion ensued. Steve Sawyer objected to the requirement for dual membership (OCA and OSCO) for scholastic players to play in scholastic tournaments. Mike Swatek said that only one state requires scholastic members to be members of the state chess organization. He also discussed the possibility of a “non-OCB” membership. After further discussion, the motion was put to a vote and was defeated. Wharry then moved to change the OCA Bylaws to eliminate organizational requirement from section IV 7 a., Duties. The motion was to remove the requirement for each OCA Policy board member to organize two tournaments per year requiring OCA membership. After discussion, including strenuous objections from former President Jim Berry, the motion passed. Wharry then restated the recommendation from the advisory committee to change responsibility for scholastic chess in Oklahoma. Steve Sawyer moved that the Oklahoma Scholastic Chess Organization (OSCO) be the official state scholastic chess organization responsible for the oversight of the scholastic chess issues and the state scholastic chess championship tournaments and to amend the Bylaws to state such. After discussion, the motion passed unanimously. Tom Braunlich proposed a three-year renewable term on the sanctioning of OSCO. After discussion, the motion failed by voice vote. Frank Berry then announced that, effective noon Monday June 30 he resigns as OCB editor and Secretary-Treasurer of the OCA. He stated that “I will turn over all treasury to the President, and I will turn over the first 40 pages of the bulletin to the President on a CD. And I wish you all well, and all luck, probably I will start my own bulletin privately with my brother…. I’m behind you guys 100%.” [Recorder’s note: For the record, F. Berry did not turn the treasury over to Wharry, but finally did turn the funds over to a Stillwater CPA for transfer to the OCA on July 22. The bulletin, of course, was not turned over at all but instead published by Berry under the title “Oklahoma Chess Quarterly” and distributed to most (but not all) OCA members. The records are still in Berry’s possession as far as we know.] Mike Swatek made a motion to convert the $5.00 youth membership to a non-OCB membership. Wharry asked to table the motion in the interests of getting the tournament going. Mike did not object. Wharry then adjourned the meeting. Minutes submitted by John M. Dunlap, acting recorder. Please note that this meeting was recorded on videotape and the record is available to all OCA members for a nominal fee to recover the costs of reproduction.
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