1999-01-23 - The Citadel Alumni Association

The Citadel Alumni Association
Minutes o~Winter Board Meeting
Saturday - January 23, 1999
A meeting of the officers and directors of The Citadel Alumni Association (CAA)
was held Saturday, January 23, 1999, in the Blue Room of the Hagood A.venue
Armory. Before the meeting was called to order, Maj. Gen. Carroll LeTellier: USA,
Ret., '49, conducted a building tour and showed the group the completed
renovations. The meeting was then called to order by Col. J. Quincy Collins, USAF,
Ret., '53, president, and the invocation was offered by Dr. E. Walter Hood, '55,
followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Colonel Collins offered the Board's sympathy
to General LeTellier for his son's death in December. A roll call was taken of Board
members and others present, and an attendance list is attached. A motion was made
by Herbert F. ~othschi1d, '54, seconded and passed to approve the minutes of the
September 1998 Board meeting.
Colonel Collins announced his appointments for the following Board positions: B.
Randy Graham, '87, in-state alumni club director; Robert F. Settin, '88, out-of-state
alumni club director; and General LeTellier and Brig. Gen. B. Randolph Witt, USAF,
Ret., '60, at-large directors. Hampton J. Walker, '53, and Dr. Hood will serve as atlarge
members of the Executive Committee. His appointments for committee
chairmen are as follows: Finance Committee, Daniel Quirk, Jr., '80; Membership,
Maj. Gen. Arthur H. Baiden III, USAR, Ret., '62; Elections Committee, Dr.Hood;
Alumni Center Committee, Colonel Collins and General LeTellier, co-chàirmen;
Citadel Volunteers, J. Thomas Mikell, '64; Governmental Relations, Thomas L.
Sponseller, '72; Awards Committee, Fred L. Price, '75; Ring Committee, Dr. Hood;
and Long-Range Planning, Lt. Col. Gilbert A. Pohl, USAF, Ret., '76. The Board was
then asked to approve the selection of Adam F. Suhr,· '87, to serve on the
Investment Advisory Committee. A motion was made by Mr. Quirk, seconded and
passed, approving this appointment. Upon recommendation of the Executive
Committee, the Investment Committee was asked to meet quarterly to review CAA
investments.
As the first committee report, General LeTellier gave a progress report on the
Alumni Center project and announced that Phase "R" is virtually complete.
Referring to the written report which had been distributed, he said that the architect
is currently preparing the demolition plan for the removal of the one-story portion
of the Armory on the East side facing the stadium. He further outlined the various
stages of construction which will follow and then reviewed the status of funding for
the project. He explained that CAA will receive $600,000from CDF (as advance rent
for 12 years) when they take occupancy of half of the second floor. To finance
construction prior to receipt of CDF-committed funds, CAA must take CDF's letter
of commitment to NationsBank arid apply for a construction loan. Since
NationsBank requires additional collateral for the loan, General LeTellier requested
approval from the Board to use the following as collateral: projected revenues, but
not more than $75,000, from the next Alumni Directory (with royalties scheduled
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for receipt in January 2000) and 'projected revenues, but not more than $200,000,
from the CAA credit card contract renewal in February 2001. In the interim, Colonel
Collins will be seeking donors to fund five memorial rooms in the new Alumni
Center. After some discussion, General LeTellier explained that dollar amounts for
the collateral are required on the loan application. While CAA cannot guarantee
future revenue, past performance indicates that the projected figures for these two
revenue sources are conservative. Lt. Col. Henry A. Kennedy, Jr., '70, related that
the alumni association received more than $100,000 in royalties from the 1994
alumni directory and that the current credit card contract has exceeded First USA's
expectations. Being in the credit card business itself, NationsBank can readily assess
the potential revenue value of the credit card contract renewaL In response to a
question, Mr·. Quirk said that this revenue is not committed for any other purpose.
Colonel Collins asked for a vote, and General LeTellier's request was unanimously
approved.
Presenting the Finance Committee report, Joel J. Lake, '63, treasurer, reviewed the
statement of 1998 operating revenue and expenditures and explained the rationale
for budgetary increases and decreases for various line items in the proposed 1999
budget. Mr. Walker suggested presenting the proposed budget in a different format
in the future (Le., listing actual revenues and expenditures for the previous year
versus line items in the proposed budget), and Mr. Quirk concurred. Following
discussion, a motion was made by Dr. Hood, seconded and passed to approve the
proposed budget.
General Baiden, vice president, summarized Membership Committee goals for the
coming year. Among the initiatives he plans to investigate are various ways to
assimilate all alumni into Association membership. In response to a question,
Colonel Kennedy stated that our membership percentage is very high compared to
other colleges and universities. Colonel Collins asked Mr. Quirk to help identify
two graduates of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies (CGPS) to provide
input to the Membership Committee to develop strategies for increasing
Association membership among CGPS alumni.
J. Thomas Mikell, '64, national chairman of The Citadel Volunteers (CV), was
introduced to give a report on cadet recruitment. Asserting that recruiting efforts
thus far this year are proving worthwhile, he reported the following increases
(compared to the same time last year): 23 percent increase - number of total
applicants; 25 percent increase - number of total acceptances; 44 percent increase -
number of female acceptances; 57 percent increase - number of minority acceptances;
and 22 percent increase - number of in-state acceptances. After outlining CV
recruiting efforts for the coming months, Mr. Mikell stressed that a special need
exists to recruit prospects for The Citadel Band. He then challenged ~ach Board
member to accept individual responsibility to assure that at least one cadet prospect
is given a Citadel application. Colonel Collins asked the Alumni Office to obtain
applications and send two copies to each officer and director. Mr. Mikell then
introduced Lt. Shamus D. Gillen, '96, alumni recruiting coordinator in the
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Admissions Office, who described the improvements made in recruiting brochures,
as well as the new recruiting video. ,Copies of the tape were distributed while Board
members were given a preview showing of the video. David A. Sikes, '66, explained
how The Citadel Club of Greater Washington (D.C.) utilizes its annual
Congressional Reception as a successful recruiting vehicle and urged mexpbers of
other area Citadel clubs to invite prospects, as well as those who have :received
Citadel acceptances, to club functions. Lists of area prospects and acceptances can be
obtained from the Admissions Office. General LeTellier emphasized the
importance of communicating The Citadel message to guidance counselors and
then recognized C.A. (Skip) Wharton III, '69, for his efforts coordinating contacts
during matriculation. Reiterating his conviction that recruiting is the Association's
greatest responsibility, Colonel Collins challenged each Board member to recruit at
least one student for the coming year. A motion was made by Col. James M. Dorton,
USA, '64, seconçied and passed to accept Colonel Collins' challenge.
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In the President's Report, Colonel Collins reviewed various concerns facing The
Citadel and the Board of Visitors, including the appointment of a task force to
examine overall fundraising at The Citadel.· He also related his desire to develop a
written explanation of duties for district directors. After Mr. Mikell distributed a list
of recruiting responsibilities for directors, Colonel Collins asked that the Board
incorporate these responsibilities into a comprehensive listing of duties to be
approved at the next meeting. In closing his remarks, he stated that th~. current
officers want to be representing the Association in more official functions. r
Under old business, Robert W. Schivera, '69, made a motion that the Elections
Committee review the current Election Guidelines and present suggested revisions
for approval at the next Board meeting. The motion was seconded and passed. The
following dates were announced for 1999 meetings: Board meetings at 1:00p.m. on
March 13 and September 11; and annual meeting on November 12.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Submitted by Barbara J. Fairfax
Attachments on file in the Alumni Office:
- Attendance list
- December 1998 CAA Financial Statements & Proposed 1999 Budget
- Alumni Center Progress Report, dated January 23, 1999
- List of Citadel Volunteer Responsibilities for CAA District Directors
(BD-99-1)
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