Minutes of SETI League 2016 Annual Membership Meeting

Membership Services Department

Minutes of the Twenty-Second Annual Membership Meeting
17 April 2016, Eventide Inc. (adjacent to SETI League Headquarters), Little Ferry, NJ

Call to Order
The meeting was convened at 13:03 hours EDT at Eventide Inc. (adjacent to SETI League Headquarters) in Little Ferry NJ, by Executive Director Emeritus Dr. H. Paul Shuch. Three SETI League members in good standing, as well as three guests, are present. The SETI League currently has 120 members in good standing. Our Bylaws requiring one percent of the current membership to be in attendance for the conduct of SETI League business, the attendees represent a quorum.
Minutes of 2015 Membership Meeting
The Minutes of the 2015 Membership Meeting having been previously posted to The SETI League's World Wide Web site, a motion was passed to accept the minutes as posted.
Treasurer's Report
Developed jointly by Dr. Shuch and Secretary/Treasurer Heather Wood, covering the calendar year 2015 (as e-filed).
1. Revenues: Dues and Contributions $12,448; Interest Income $0; Total $12,448.
2. Expenses: Educational/Scientific Programs $11,274; Management/General $2,126; Fundraising $1,350; Total $14,751.
3. Revenues minus Expenses: ($2,302).
4. End of 2015, SETI League account balances equalled $3,845. 2015 beginning net assets $6,147.
5. 2016 Budget: Projected Revenues $15,000; Program Expenses $12,000; Management/General Expenses $2,000; Fundraising Expenses $1,000; Total Expenses $15,000; Projected excess $0; Projected Ending Balance $3,845.
6. This report was accepted by those present.
Executive Director's Report
During 2015, the Executive Director:
1. published four issues of SearchLites, the quarterly newsletter of The SETI League, Inc.
2. gave SETI public lectures and/or concerts in Sebring FL, Boston MA, Palo Alto CA, Hunt Valley MD, Jerusalem Israel, and Cherry Hill NJ.
3. performed 52 weekly updates of The SETI League website
4. posted roughly 100 photos, plus numerous links and comments, to The SETI League Facebook page
5. issued one press release and conducted several press interviews
6. authored two SETI technical articles published in scientific journals
7. served as co-chair and webmaster for the IAA SETI Permanent Committee
8. responded to several dozen email and telephone inquiries from members and prospective members.
9. collected modest SETI book royalties, which he contributed to The SETI League.
Committee Reports
EME Committee
Report by SETI League president and station trustee Richard Factor. The EME beacon remains off the air following the sale of Mr. Factor's New Jersey property. Relocation of the beacon station to his new Arizona residence is highly unlikely. Thus, future EME activities are suspended indefinitely. However, his new location is an ideal site for Optical SETI observations, therefore such activities are likely in the future.
Awards Committee
Awards Committee chairman David Ocame being absent, report provided by Dr. Shuch. There were no Giordano Bruno Awards or Orville N. Greene Awards presented during 2015. Twelve websites have been given the SETI SuperStar award this year. More nominations are requested from the members. Paul will note this in the next issue of SearchLites.
Old Business
1. Very Small Array
  Dr. Shuch reports that the project remains on hold, due to lack of funding, with no progress to report since last year.
2. Mid-Year Renewal Letter
  Last May, Ms. Wood emailed a mid-year appeal to lapsed members, with hardcopies distributed to members for whom we have no current email address. This letter generated ten reinstatements of lapsed members. The November renewal letter generated 25 more renewals of lapsed members. Sending of these letters will continue for 2016.
3. Annual Report
  Publication of The SETI League's 2015 Annual Report was delayed pending receipt by the Executive Director of additional 2015 financial information, and adoption of the 2016 annual budget. It will be made available to members via the website, in Portable Document Format (PDF), later this month. Ms. Wood will distribute hard-copies of this report to our major donors.
4. Web Server
  Mr. Factor reports that the website is functioning well, though it currently supports neither File Transfer Protocol nor bulk email lists. We continue to use a commercial email service for official SETI League communications.
New Business
- Website Server Proposal
  Dr. Shuch reports the successful results his business has experienced with low-cost, highly reliable web and email hosting from a commercial service, which provides him with FTP access and mailing lists. He recommends that the Board consider at the upcoming Board meeting a similar solution for The SETI League.
- Next Meeting
  The next Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday 23 April 2016. The date has been verified as not in conflict with Easter, Passover, or US tax season. The meeting will be at Eventide, Inc. at 1300 hours EDT, to be followed immediately by the Board of Trustees meeting. The date and time will be announced to the membership via the website and newsletter.
Good and Welfare
- The SETI League's Facebook page www.facebook.com/setileague has now generated more than 1,000 "likes", numerous member posts, and considerable discussion among members. The SETI League recently posted an offer of heavily discounted membership dues to our Facebook friends. To date, there have been no takers.
- Mr. Factor reported on the status of the sale of his New Jersey properties.
- Dr. Shuch read an email from Awards Chairman David Ocame regarding his recent health issues. The membership present wishes him a full and speedy recovery.
- The SETI League welcomed three guests and potential members: engineers Matt Bajor KC2ORE and Jenny Maung KK4BYG , and retired schoolteacher Leonard R. Bajor. They reported briefly on their plans to construct and operate a Project Argus station.
Adjournment
The Annual Membership Meeting was adjourned by the Executive Director Emeritus at 13:38 hours EDT on 17 April 2016. A Regular Board of Trustees meeting followed.
Business Transacted by Board of Trustees:
1. Quorum Call
  Trustees and Officers present: A. Heather Wood, Richard Factor, H. Paul Shuch
  Trustees and Officers absent: Martin Schreiber
  A quorum is present.
2. Election of Officers
  The following slate of officers was retained for an additional one-year term:
  President - Richard Factor, serving without compensation
  Secretary/Treasurer - A. Heather Wood
  Executive Director Emeritus - H. Paul Shuch, serving on a volunteer basis
  Registered Agent - Anthony Agnello
3. Personnel matters
  - No executive session was convened nor Personnel reviews conducted, as all persons involved expressed satisfaction with present performance and arrangements.
  - The Executive Director Emeritus reviewed with the Board of Trustees the previously adopted terms for cost-sharing of his health insurance premiums, as a program expense, which will continue at last year's percentage, pending availability of funds and subject to periodic review.
4. Annual Budget
  The draft 2016 Budget presented during the Membership Meeting was adopted.
5. Advisory Board
  The Executive Director Emeritus will draft an annual letter to our Advisory Board members, thanking them for their continued service to The SETI League. The Secretary/Treasurer will provide a list of email and/or postal addresses for distribution of said letter.
6. Bank Fees
  The Secretary/Treasurer reports that during 2015 there was a change in credit card processing, resulting in a reduction of bank fees from $50 to $21 per month. She will continue to query banks as to the availability of a free non-profit checking account.
7. Tax Return Filing
  The Secretary/Treasurer reports that, for the sixth year in a row, she attempted to eFile our organizational tax return using the electronic Form 990 postcard, and for the sixth year in a row, it was rejected by the IRS website. Several phone calls ensued, the most recent of which resulted in a request that we try again in one week. Heather will file, either electronically or by post, before the filing deadline.
8. Registered Agent
  The New Jersey Division of Revenue continues to require that we designate a Registered Agent to execute certain state documents. Mr. Factor was previously appointed to this post, but is no longer a New Jersey resident. The Secretary/Treasurer has recruited member and New Jersey resident Anthony Agnello to take on this important duty. The Board thanks Mr. Agnello for his assistance.
9. Web Hosting and Press List
  As the press corps has proved resistant to using Facebook as a means of disseminating SETI League information, Dr. Shuch recommends that all SETI League website and email facilities (including a reconstructed Press Distribution List) be transferred to a commercial hosting service, at an approximate cost of $10 per month. Mr. Factor agreed to continue attempting to implement FTP and email lists on his server, with an understanding that if he is not successful in doing so within a reasonable time, Dr. Shuch is authorized to secure commercial web hosting. He did stipulate that we continue to use Network Solutions as our domain registrar.
10. Telecommunications
  It has been reported that incoming SETI League phone calls are being routed to a non-accessible voicemail box, and that our published fax number is not currently connected to an active fax machine. Dr. Shuch expressed concern about potentially lost communications compromising member retention. Mr. Factor reports that implementation of a Verizon voicemail box is imminent. Ms. Wood will investigate a fax to email forwarding service.
11. Scheduling of Next Meeting
  The SETI League Board of Trustees will next meet on Sunday, 23 April 2017, immediately following the 23rd Annual Membership Meeting, in Little Ferry NJ.
12. Adjournment
  The Board of Trustees meeting was adjourned at 13:58 EDT.

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