Minutes All Star One Virtual Town Meeting
September 11, 2007
Jim Prochaska, moderator, welcomed people to the meeting . Debbie Weiner Soule, technology moderator, counted 35+ members present at the start of the meeting; later in the meeting, we believe more than fifty people present. Jim thanked all, particularly our guest, Jordan Young (chair of the Island Opened Late committee), for joining us. Jim noted that Jan Prochaska was in an SIC board meeting from 7-9 PM and would join the call later.
Rev. Charlie Close provided opening words for the meeting. He noted, “As we are a community living in diaspora, we hold each other in love even as we are away from each other.” Charlie offered a poem based on I Corinithians, and then shared the Biblical text:
“Love is patient; love is kind
and envies no one.
Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude;
never selfish, not quick to take offense.
There is nothing love cannot face;
there is no limit to its faith,
its hope, and endurance.
In a word, there are three things
that last forever: faith, hope, and love;
but the greatest of them all is love.”
1. All Star One
- Tom and Tricia Coleman: update on 2008 and other information
Tom and Tricia noted that they have tried to keep active communication with the conference via the web. “We think that there was an extraordinary amount of good grace [around the cancellation of the conference] and we can be proud of our All Star one community. As far as moving forward to 2008, we haven’t gotten any indication that anything will be changing re: occupancy or logistics, so we look forward to moving things twelve months to the right.”
- Update on the work of the All Star One Executive Committee - Debbie
Weiner Soule
Debbie shared highlights of the work of the Executive Committee for the year, which has included review of the job description for the co-Treasurers (or Treasurer) with the impending retirement of George and Sally Easter, negotiation of insurance for the conference (Directors and Officers and liability), establishing a scholarship committee and a committee to review practices related to the admissions policy, and much work around the cancellation of the conference and the lack of information coming from the Corporation.
- Star Island Annual Fund - Ned and Kathy Tillman
The goal for the conference’s Annual Fund contribution was discussed. The Tillmans noted that they, with the affirmation of the All Star One chairs, are recommending a goal of $105K, but recognized concerns that on island auction raised significant monies to our Annual Fund contribution in other years. The Tillmans applauded John Robbins’ efforts to raise more funds by organizing an online auction on ebay. Ned and Kathy noted, regarding the Annual Fund, that there has been 100 percent participation by the conference chairs. At this point we have $48,265 in contributions and $16,125 in pledges, for a total of $64,390. We have a way to go to get to 105K. A lot of contributions come in in the 3rd and 4th quarter of the year…we are hoping to make our goal, and we know people want to know more, but we want to go for this goal at this point, and we will consider what might be done in the future.
Comments:
- John Robbins: “I’ve been buying and selling Star memorabilia on ebay for years. Ebay has a mechanism in place whereby if you sell something on behalf of a nonprofit, ebay takes a percentage, but if you designate the money to go to a nonprofit, they send out the tax supporting letter. So if I sell something, Star Island doesn’t have to write the letter to the donor. Brian Winters (Development Associate, SIC) has now registered SIC with ebay. I am willing to sell things on ebay for anyone interested in selling things. I will send an email out to the All Star One listserv. If anyone has art work or anything that would bring more than $100, with all or a portion of the proceeds going to the island, I’m willing to sell it for you. If the object sells for less than $100, ebay keeps about twenty percent…so that doesn’t benefit the island as much. But things above 100, the percentage is much better.”
- Stephen Caldwell: There will be a Coffee House at the UU church in Westchester with Carl Sturken, Kemp Harris, Adrian Sicam, John Robbins, and Stephen on October 27. The program will benefit social action for the UU church but we want to open this up to All Star One friends; there might be an opportunity for a small auction onsite to benefit Star.
- Jim Prochaska: (Ned and Kathy): Have you seen reports on the Annual Fund comparing response of different conferences? Jim: LOAS I is at $97,000 as of September 6.
- John Robbins affirmed that he would notify other lists of auction. Brian Winters will get messages out to email lists.
- Larry Yermack: do you know how many donors have contributed to All Star One giving? Jim Prochaska: 95. And 157 have given to LOAS I.
- John Robbins: A 1927 color illustrated map of the Isles of Shoals is going on ebay this weekend. A version of this hanging in the lobby. This is an original. I have seen this go for as high as $850 in mediocre shape, so hoping for at least $1000. All the money will go to the Annual Fund.
- Ned and Kathy: We will send another letter out within the next several weeks to everyone within the All Star One community, hoping for a wider response to giving to the Annual Fund.
- John Best: If I buy something and pay $100 for something that is worth $100, do I get a tax writeoff of $100? (No). (John Robbins): The person selling the item gets the tax credit. You are buying something and getting something in return…this will be spelled out clearly in the emails announcing the auction.
2. Star Island Corporation
- Board update - Jan Prochaska
There was a successful meeting today on Star of 80 people connected to waste water treatment (WWT) plant issues…not inspectors, but people engaged in this issue…tours, education, lunch, etc. (SIC Acting Director) Dave Boynton reported that it was positive. WWT has been functioning better than other years.
Jan noted that a report from Dave Anderson and a committee review operation structure was received, and recommended giving emphasis to those priorities that need examination. The committee’s feedback included these points:
1. There needs to be a real look at operations of the facilities and issues that are occurring, and a way of approaching facilities maintenance with emphasis on regulatory agencies and systems on the island and documentation needed.
2. Develop and implement new business model for Star Island with tighter revenue accountability from conferences and the Corporation. (Can’t continue to subsidize 40% of a conference fee and continue to exist in the future).
3. Work to change the culture toward anticipatory management rather than facing something that needs to be fixed and hoping it passes muster. Included is monthly mailings, like notice sent out about open meeting, to improve communication among members of the Star Island family.
Comments:
- Tom Coleman: You caught my attention around the 40% figure and a suggestion of activity fees. I have heard rumors about a 25% room and board raise. (Jan): As the budget for 08 is being worked on, there is a need to raise conference fees substantially. At the next Council of Conferences (CofC) meeting, we need to think through what is realistic around raising fees and cutting back services…we need to get feedback from the conferences on this.
(Tom): do you think we will see a little of each? (Jan): yes. In light of 08 budget with the hope that 09 would look different….
- Bill Clegg: Can you characterize who is working on budget? (Jan): Dave Boynton, Finance Committee…
- Scott Stewart: Yes, Edmund (Jones, SIC Treasurer) has created some different scenarios for financial outlook…
- Debbie Walton: Have you seen a recent email from (All Star One Treasurers) Sally and George Easter with their insightful comments about how a rate increase might impact the island and our conference in particular? (Jan): I know I read it…can you be more specific…(Deb): I would be concerned about the impact of dramatic fee increases on the children’s program. Currently the conference pays for room and board and some small things for the staff. If we are accustomed to have between 15 and 18 staff members and the rate hike is 15 to 20 percent, it begs the question of whether we need to raise the registration rate to see if we have to raise more funds.
- Jordan Young: The fire commentary from SFC (SIC Fire Safety consulting firm) has been very positive…we don’t do ourselves a favor by creating static, but by emphasizing to the Corporation how we need this to be taken and use the process.
- IOL (Island Opened Late) Committee Update – Jordan Young, chair
There will be a final report at the October Corporation meeting. The interim product is data gathered. Martha Copithorne, Nick Dembsey, Doug Hatfield, Jack Lightfoot, Russ Peterson (Board Liaison) and Kristii Vazifdar (staff liaison) are members. Dick Howe has taken on other personal commitments which have caused his withdrawl from the committee.
We have gone on two tracks: one, to look at facts. Between 2002 and now, a lot of things happened. It would be good to have as much of a time line as we could. We shared this time line with the Board and it will be posted on the blog for the committee (http://starislandopenedlate.blogspot.com/[NB. Opens in a new window]). Please look at it and help us update it. The more complete it is, the more of the story we’ll be able to tell. We have amassed this data by going through a lot of material, gathered by Amy Lockwood, who did a good job of combing historical materials. We need to think about how we keep records, particularly with staff that is seasonal and staff that turns over.
If there is one vulnerability we have, it is that we did not do a document discovery process, we relied on Amy for this.
We also developed a list of people that we wanted to talk to. We have been doing interviews with a number of people, and many are complete, there are also some to be done. The people include Joe Watts, Sumar Maji, Dave Reynolds, Irene Bush, working on Paul Jennings, Bill Clegg, and we are very interested in hearing who the other people are that others think we should talk to.
Nick Dembsey has interviewed a lot of the regulators involved in this process. This was sensitive. We wanted to make sure that they knew that the Corporation was taking the steps needed, and also to know that our goal was to work with you…he has been well received with a forward looking attitude. That is encouraging. He has also had some long and candid conversations with our fire safety consultant.
Third piece: We are very conscious of the fact that we are not trying to assign blame. We view this as a process issue…something that came together in a complicated way, with ½ dozen key moments…if that hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t be here. But no one issue strikes at what happened. There are many stories…at least seven of them, completely coherent, consistent with the facts, and any of them could have been the story. Our goal is to say that here are all the components that came together, and our goal is to not have them happen again, so that we can do better at running the island.
There is a budget thread. A communications thread…there is another one around how the board relates to management and staff and how information flows back and forth. The facilities committee, and how it has worked in the past and should work in the future is another thread. HR and how we manage the people we have, what the staff turnover is and how we staff the organization is another one. And culture: how do we view the culture, how are we with ourselves and with each other. We hope that out of this we can boil things down into narrative streams and conclusion, and some recommendations.
Comments:
- Bill Clegg: I have had a chance to know most of the people on the IOL and love the way the committee ended up being structured and staffed. I have had several conversations with Martha Copithorne and have been pleased with the tenor of those conversations.
- Jordan: There has never been a single master list saying you have to do the following 483 things to come into compliance…and a list that would tell you when you are done. So that on a year to year basis, we have asked, what do we have to do to move the ball forward so that you are comfortable and so that we can stay within our financial constraints…a rolling basis.
- Ben Soule: There are many issues that will need to be addressed…there are immediate, long term, and short term things and there is a list. And it is being reviewed by the Facilities Committee. We are going to respond to our consultants and will talk to them before the consultants get back to Rye Fire Department. Because when they do that they become cast in concrete.
- Jim Prochaska: It seems like a major challenge for us where so many members of the community are being asked to respond in October, the community experienced this as an emotional and psychological crisis…there may be a disconnect between the level that the committee is focusing at and the level the community is focusing at.
- Jordan: good point. The way we organize this and how we choose to address this is going to be key to making this a satisfying experience for people. As a community and as individuals there are different functions but they are not the same.
- Judy O’Keefe: Whose job to determine what gets funded and what doesn’t?
- Jordan: it’s not quite as draconian as we make a list that we like and toss it to the consultant…There is a real understanding that this is not an organization with deep pockets. If we can demonstrate good faith we can prioritize this list and make progress through it…
- Update from the Chair of the Star Island Permanent Trust – David Yermack
The Permanent Trust is the funding source of last resort for the Corporation…There is a group of Trustees that owns the $4 million of the Corporation…we had previously pledged about 1 million for the pier, Caswell, etc. That left 2 million…about $1.2 will be needed to close the deficit and keep the Corporation running this year. We had a lengthy and difficult meeting in Boston on July 5 to hash out how this would happen.
Going forward, we really don’t have too much left in the bank. We were worried about opening this year and after discussion we were convinced that funding this was right, and we made the right decision. But there isn’t much of a nest egg…most of the money has been spent on fire safety, the pier, and now this crisis. The Trust has risen, but now it has gone right back down.
Comments:
- Jim Prochaska: Do the trustees have the right to gift money to the island, or does it have to be a loan that is repaid?
- David Yermack: The trustees can lend or give money unconditionally to the island. In this case we made a loan of 550K but within a month it led to entanglements with Eastern Bank which had lent the island other money. We decided to convert that money to a loan. And the idea of the Corporation paying that money back is a fantasy…you might as well think of them as gifts.
- Roy Cook: When we give money to the Corporation for the Annual Fund, does it go to the trust? (David): It stays in the operating fund realm unless designated for the Trust. Most of the money in the Trust comes from bequests. The policy of the Board has been that when people leave money to the island as a bequest, it goes to the Trust. (Deb Weiner Soule): But you can make a gift to the Trust if you wish (outside of a bequest). (David): Yes, true. There are only a handfull of people who donate specifically to the trust. The Trust invests money and then pays out a percentage of that money to the Corporation. We pay out about 4.5% of the income from the investments over the years. We hope that will grow, but we have lost, now, about thirty percent of that money.
- Judy O’Keefe: is there a limit of how small that gift can be? (David): No, we take gifts of any size. I don’t want to advertise the trust as a rival or alternative to the Annual Fund, however.
- Jane Trudeau: Do I understand that you will be giving another $600K to the island? Will you make requirements?
- David: As mentioned, we had a difficult meeting on July 5. An unspoken agreement is that we pretty much have veto power over the budget. We have talked with the board of the SIC about the need for better information/ communication. There has been a discussion about whether we should sell Appledore and what would happen to funds…Another condition was that the IOL be independent in nature, much more than was first imagined.
- Tom Coleman: I want to revisit the remark about Appledore. Appledore is held by SIC. Who would act in that decision? (David): Like most things, it’s ultimately up to the Board…you may know that the lease with Shoals Marine Lab (SML) was just renegotiated and that was a two year effort to look at the market value of Appledore. We went to Cornell with appraisals and got a substantial increase in the rent paid. But it led to soul searching about whether it makes sense to hold on to Appledore or sell it and direct the funds to rehabilitate the Oceanic or address other needs. I believe the question should be reopened…Cornell offered $4 million outright, but that was a first offer. This is an opportune time to revisit the question and I understand the Board would do it. (Tom): Do you think this would be done without the Corporation voting on it? (David): Not likely. You may recall that Duck Island was sold about five years ago. I can’t image the Board would act unilaterally without communication…I think the question is being looked at anew, however. (Tom): Have we explored non-consumptive uses of the island, like leasing a cell tower, etc…is it possible to issue bonds? (David): We have talked about issuing bonds. Some religious organizations do this when they are in trouble. They have below-market interest rates…this has been brought before the Development Committee, they have talked about this – other uses: this is part of what the board is supposed to be looking at.
3. Communication and information
- Members of the All Star One community are urged to check the All Star One yahoogroups email list and website for timely updates. Website: www.allstarone.org[NB. This opens in a new window]. Email list: allstarone@yahoogroups.com
- Upcoming important meetings for the Star Island Community –
- 1. October 13, 2007, location TBA: Open meeting of the Star Island Corporation. Check www.starisland.org [NB. This opens in a new window] for details.
- Star Island Finance 101 virtual meeting – for members of the All Star One community. Scott Stewart, moderator. Sept. 24, 7:30-8:30 PM EDT.
Closing Words were offered by Ned and Kathy Tillman, and the meeting ended.
-- Debbie Weiner Soule, Secretary, All Star One Chairs
|