This Board Meeting took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Southbury, CT.  President McCollough called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m.  Present were Ola Jeanne McCollough, Joyce Fletcher, Dane LaJoye, Maureen Blackwood, Marby Kelly, Sharon Stoll and Peggy Jackson joined us via conference call.  Richard Nix, Dick Wiest, Linda Jett, Melany Anaya & Carolyn Gastley were absent.

Brook Berth and Cindy Pagurski joined the meeting.  Fletcher acknowledged Brook for the tremendous job she has been doing with the C2C.  Fletcher introduced Cindy and reported that Cindy will now be one of the contributing editors for the C2C and will specifically be writing the article on the Boston who has made a significant contribution to the breed.  Fletcher also reported that she will continue as the Advisory Editor of the C2C.  In addition, Fletcher reported a motion by Richard Nix that the cost of ads should be as follows beginning with the fall issue of the C2C - $50 per ad for individual ads and $40 per ad if you purchase 4 ads at once.  Fletcher seconded this motion, approved unanimously.  This information will be published in the next issue of the C2C.  McCollough thanked Brook and Cindy and they left the meeting.

Board Reports

President – no report

Vice President – no report

Recording Secretary – In the absence of Anaya, Fletcher read the Minutes of January 20, 2009 and the Minutes of February 10, 2009 and asked for any corrections.  There was one correction to the February 10, 2009 Minutes as follows.  “Maureen Blackwood was not absent from this meeting.”  A motion was made by LaJoye to accept the Board Minutes of January 20, 2009 as read; seconded by Jackson; approved.  A motion was made by Blackwood to accept the Board Minutes of February 10, 2009 as amended.  This motion was seconded by Stoll; approved unanimously. 

Corresponding Secretary – LaJoye reported that Marcia Terry had done a great job with this year’s National.  McCollough also commended Dane for the excellent job he had done.

 LaJoye reported that the Meet the Breed booth would be on display at this year’s National.  In addition, Blackwood made a motion that affiliate clubs who borrow the Meet the Breed Box should be responsible for round trip shipping and insurance; seconded by LaJoye; motion approved unanimously. 

Treasurer – LaJoye reported (in the absence of Nix) that as of April 7, 2009, there was a total of $68, 013.92 in the treasury.  McCollough said that Richard should be commended for his diligence with the club’s treasury.

Unfinished Business:

Budgets – The Board discussed the following changes in budget amount for specific committees and changes in the liaison to the Board for certain committees.  The committee name for the BT of the Year should be BTCA Boston Terrier of the Year – budget amount = self supporting.  Futurity budget amount = self supporting.  The Awards Committee Board liaison will be Sharon Stoll.  The Gazette Columnist Board Liaison will be Dane LaJoye.  The Health Committee Board liaison will be Maureen Blackwood replacing Joyce Fletcher.  Maureen will check with the Health Committee to make sure that the $4,000 budgeted amount is correct.  The Perpetual Trophies Committee liaison would be Marby Kelly replacing Joyce Fletcher.  The Chair for the 2010 National will be Dane LaJoye.  The budget for the National is “working capital”.  All other committee chairs and liaisons and budgets will be the same as previously reported for the fiscal year 7/1/09 – 6/30/10.

By-Laws Revisions – Due to further clarification, the discussion on revisions to the by-laws has been tabled to the August, 2009 Board meeting.

New Business:

Board Protocol – McCollough again discussed Board protocol.  Board members are never to discuss Board minutes until the minutes have been approved and then no specifics are to be discussed; i.e. “he said, she said”.

 Kelly brought to the attention of the board that it is inappropriate for anyone on the board to use BTCA stationery for anything other than board business.  A discussion further ensued relative to use of BTCA stationery by Board members.  A motion was made by Fletcher, seconded by LaJoye that at no time should Board members ever use BTCA stationery for personal use nor should the Board title ever be used for personal use.  Further to this motion is the fact that Board permission is not necessary when using BTCA stationery for Board business.  Motion approved unanimously.

Committee Appointments – 7/1/09-6/30/10 – All current committee chairs have voiced an interest in remaining in their position for the next fiscal year.  Therefore, LaJoye made a motion that the Board reappoints the same committee chairs for the upcoming fiscal year; seconded by Blackwood; approved unanimously.

Schedule/Frequency of Board Meetings – Fletcher brought to the Board’s attention the possibility of having only four official times on record that the Board will meet.  Following a discussion by the Board members, Fletcher made a motion that the Board meet four (4) times per fiscal year and this would not exclude having special meetings as the need may present itself; seconded by Jackson; approved unanimously.

Therefore, the meeting dates for this fiscal year (7/1/09-6/30/10) are scheduled for the second Tuesday in August (8/11/09); second Tuesday in December, (12/8/09) last Tuesday in January, (1/26/10); and Sunday, (5/16/10).

Sweepstakes’ Judge – 2010 – McCollough brought to the Board’s attention that we needed to vote on a sweepstakes’ Judge for the 2010 National.  Following a discussion of possible candidates, Blackwood made a motion that the Board asks Jean Craig to judge sweeps in 2010; motion seconded by Stoll; approved unanimously.

Assistant Show Chair – 2010 – LaJoye will ask Marcia Terry to be the assistant show chair for 2010.

AKC Delegate Report – The Board was in unanimous agreement that the Board would have a standing agenda report from our AKC Delegate, Marby Kelly.  Kelly agreed.

AKC Group Realignment – Kelly shared with the board AKC’s position on the proposed Group realignment.  This was followed by a lengthy discussion which included how this proposal will be presented at the Annual Meeting.  Kelly will present a discussion on this topic at the Annual Meeting and ask that everyone there to help in anyway they can to discourage this realignment from happening in particular maintaining the Poodle in the Non-Sporting/Companion Group.

Membership Applications/Sponsors – Once again, the Board had a lengthy discussion about how new members may obtain sponsors.  No resolution was reached at this time.

Checks to Treasurer – Fletcher brought up a concern voiced by our Treasurer, Nix, relative to receiving checks from the different committees via piece mail.  This is an ineffective way to handle checks and Nix has asked that all committees collect the checks for which they are responsible and send them to the Treasurer all at one time.  In addition, all checks from the National Show should be received by Nix no later than June 25 of each fiscal year following the National Show.

There being no further Board business at this time, the meeting was suspended around 4:00 p.m. until after the Annual Meeting.

The Board Meeting reconvened at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, 2009 for the purpose of voting on new member applications. 

The following members were voted into membership of the BTCA:
Clare Lodenstein (MI); Bruce Mathis (NC); Wayne Moody (GA); William Latham (CO); Kelly Palmer (VA); Thomas Noble (NY); Margaret Noble (NY); Candace Winter (OR), Barbara Grizlo (NY), Anne Keogh (MN); J. Hunter Wilson (PA);  Babvin Andrea (Italy); Veronica Lipczynski (Italy); Paola Belletti (Italy); Ann Lord (Canada); Shawn Withrow (CA); Robin Garvin (OR); James Frissell (MA); Sarah Kennedy (MA); Merrilee Burgess (OR); Ronda Whitson (PA); Fernanda Barlow (MA); Christine Procaccini (MA); and Lisa Wakefield (MD) – WELCOME!!

Jackson made a motion that the meeting adjourn; seconded by Stoll.  Meeting adjourned at 10:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Joyce J. Fletcher
VP - BTCA