Minnesota Council on Family Relations
Board Meeting Minutes
October 14, 2003
Present: Linda Vukelich, Regina Lai, Vicki Thrasher Cronin, Shannon Rader, Madge
Alberts, Ron Pitzer, Peg Lindlof, Helen Wells, Ada Alden, Sue Meyers
Vicki opened the meeting.
Consent Items
Those present reviewed the September 9 minutes, membership report and summer
2003 financial report. A change in the minutes was suggested. The amended
minutes are included with the minutes for October 14. A motion was made and
seconded to approve all consent items. Motion carried.
President’s Report
1. Fall Conference Update. Plans for the conference are coming along, and a
brochure is close to completion. As of Oct. 14, the Keynote still needed
to be ironed out (Bill Doherty is not available for Dec. 5), but as of October
17, Bill Doherty agreed to Keynote with Ted Bowman. They will discuss losses
in the past legislative session, and possibilities this offers for rethinking
and reorganizing our work. It appears that conference attendance is down
1/3, so the conference committee felt like the expenses for this conference
should be kept well within a manageable amount. There will also be a number
of breakout sessions in the afternoon.
2. January Retreat Plans. The January Retreat will be held at Linda V’s house. The date is tentatively set as January 23, 2004, but watch your email for confirmation of this date.
3. Proposed 2004 Board Meeting Location Change. Linda Rogers has requested that we change the location of the meeting to the Ready 4 K offices on University Ave. The reasons for the proposed change include: Ready 4 K seems to be a more centralized location and there is a speaker phone that would allow us to include people who could not make it to meetings. Often there are treats in the Ready 4 K offices, too! A formal resolution will be discussed and decided at the January Retreat. There was a brief discussion about a possible time change as well, but it was agreed that 3:30-5:30 is the best time.
4. Spring Conference 2004 Update. Although there is no co-chair for the conference
committee as of yet (if you would like to volunteer, Kari would love your help),
the topic will most likely focus on kinship care or intergenerational care.
If this is the topic, Sue and Pricilla Gibson will serve on the planning committee.
A lively and rich discussion of the possibilities this topic offers ensued.
Highlights include:
* Grandparenting and the many grandparents who are raising their grandchildren.
Often grandparents may not be involved in parenting classes and activities
because they have already raised their own children. Where do they fit in the
parenting community?
* The pharmaceutical question—grandparents may not be involved because
it seems as though we do not care about the issues that they face on a daily
basis.
* Vital Aging is having a Summit in May to discuss how older people can help
in stimulating communities. How do we get grandparents (and parents) interested
in the community and in generativity, or leaving something behind?
* The category of “Seniors” is diverse and spans a wide spectrum.
Much depends on SES, age, and health, so it is difficult to get a handle on
it.
* There are many potential benefits of including seniors in the community.
They could model citizenship, show young couples different ways that people
age, serve as intergenerational mentors, etc.
* The sandwich generation and how families are dealing with caring for young
children and aging relatives.
* Helping seniors to know how to get involved, connecting them to resources,
helping them to know who to talk to. The range of activities they can participate
in is broad, but they need to have access to the resources to invite them to
be involved.
* Be sure not to use a deficit model. Age is a strength, although most people
may not see it this way, especially in the heath community.
* How can we instill respect for elders in children?
5. Status of ECFE/SR Association. The new association is called Minnesota Association for Family and Early Education (MNAFEE). It is for professionals in ECFE, SR and other school-based family and early education programs. It will provide professional development, networking opportunities, and a clear voice for early childhood and family education at the legislature, and advocacy will be a primary focus. MNAFEE has just received official 501c3 status, and plans on taking memberships soon. The price for full membership is $40, with a $10 discount if also a member of MCFR, MNAEYC, MCEA, or Literacy Minnesota.
6. Status of MCFR Student Organization at the U of M. Jodi Dworkin is working on this at the U of M. There are 15 official members, with a lot of interest. Their by-lays are done, and they plan on hosting events that connect the student group with us, hosting symposiums, having grad students reach out to undergrads, and conducting seminars on applying to grad school. They are also looking at a joint membership with us, and would like to send a student representative to our board.
Nominating Committee Report
1. Proposed Change to MCFR’s Structure. Ron and the nominating committee
proposed discontinuing the sections. The rationale for this includes:
* Although they have been important in the past, they are not as active as
they once were, and membership in them is declining.
* It is hard to find leadership for the sections.
* There are new organizations that seem to supplant the Males in Families Section
and the Parent and Family Education Section.
* If the sections are not active, why would our membership pay to be a part
of the section?
We do not have to act immediately, but it does matter in terms of the ballot.
There are four alternatives available to us:
1. Abolish the sections as a board
2. Put the issue on the ballot for membership to decide
3. Furlough and take action at a later point
4. Keep the sections active
The discussion that ensued touched on points such as:
* How do members know the sections are available, and how do we as an organization
get them involved? It is a catch 22, because how do you market the section
if they are not doing anything.
* The sections did serve a purpose once, but now other people and organizations
have taken on the tasks of the sections.
* Some people are contributing to the sections out of loyalty, and as a way
to give more money to the organization. If we do abolish them, we should have
a place for donations on the membership form.
* What about the public policy committee? The need is still there, and what
do we plan to do with it?
* An alternative to the sections would be special interest groups formed at
any time, based on current interests in the organization. MCFR could serve
a function of pulling people together who share the same interest.
* What will be done with the current money in the sections? How would it be
used? Technology, speakers, innovative interests? We would need to say what
the dues would be used for if the sections are discontinued. On the ballot,
we could state that the board will have a discussion as to how they would be
used.
* The sections would terminate as of December of this year (the end of our
program year).
* Rather then divide our limited energies into sections, we would could work
together.
2. Resolution. Ron distributed possible wording for the proposal to go on
the ballot. The board made some changes to the proposal, including adding some
of the points discussed above and changing some of the wording.
A motion was made and seconded to place the proposed change of structure, eliminating
the sections, on the 2003 ballot, using the amended wording to Ron’s
proposal. Decision: Motion approved. Ron will send the revised proposal to
Linda to be placed on the ballot.
The ballot will also include Madge Alberts for President-Elect, Tammy Dunrud
for Secretary, and Peg Lindlof and Regina Lai for At-Large Board Members.
3. This is the last year Ron will chair the Nominating Committee.
Section Reports
1. Males in Families. Glen was unable to attend the meeting.
2. Parent and Family Education Section. Marty was unable to attend the meeting.
3. Families in Communities Section. The Families in Communities Section is working on editing the videotape from the Spring 2003 conference in order to take it on the road. It was suggested that once edited, it could be posted on our website as a video stream. This could cut down on costs associated with training workshops.
Meeting Adjourned
Next Board meeting: November 11, 3:30-5:30, New Brighton Community Center
Congratulations to Madge and her family! Their cow, Pine Shelter Cheyenne Lee, won Grand Champion at the International Holstein show, and Reserve Supreme Champion at the World Dairy Expo 2003.