Venice High School Alumni Association

 

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Venice High School TeacherÕs Cafeteria

 

In Attendance:

 

Paul Belli, Cindy Johnson, Charles Garcia, Renee Chorpash, Carolyn Chorpash, Norma Mascarenas, Marianne Sierra, Laura Ferrˇ, Bob Rainey, Tom Anderson, Grant Francis, Pierce Weir, Gail Weage, Coleen Rockey, Sergio Diaz, Michel Brooks, Nikki Gilbert, Lillie Hall

 

Meeting Called to Order at 7:15 p.m.

 

Minutes:

A motion was in place, seconded, and passed to approve the Minutes of the Meeting from April 16, 2009 as read.

 

 

 

 

TreasurerÕs Report:

April, 2009 Operating Funds Report:

Beginning Fund Balance:  $26,395.85

Receipts:  $1,625.00

Disbursements:  ($290.84)

Ending Operating Fund  Balance:   $27,730.01

Less Commitments:  ($11,253.94)

Uncommitted Fund Balance:  $16,476.07

Bank of America CD:  $26,121.60

Myrna Loy Statue Fund:

Beginning Fund Balance:  $47,116.59

Receipts:  $280.00

Disbursements: $0.00

Ending Balance:  $47,396.59

G.O. Turney Scholarship Fund:  $10,255.00

Laura Jeanne Gilbert Scholarship Fund:  $6,340.00

Bill E. Paney Scholarship Fund:  $5,785.00

Shirley Hall Scholarship Fund:  $51,535.00

Grant Francis Scholarship Fund:  $9,563.84

Quarterly Statement:  1/1/09-3/31/09:

Beginning Balance Venice High Scholarship Trust Fund (CCF Quarterly Report):  $1,096,970.98

Net Changes to Fund:  ($50,982.87)

Fund Balance:  $1,045.988.11

 

A motion was made, seconded, and passed to approve the TreasurerÕs Report as read.

 

Tom passed out the 2009 Budget.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School News:

Spring Dance was cancelled as there were only 60 tickets sold.  CAHSEE Testing is done.  On Friday the teachers will be protesting (before and after school) because of the budget cuts.  Prom tickets will go on sale on Monday; tickets are $110.00.  The Prom will be held at the Long Beach Aquarium.  JustinÕs delivered cap and gowns to the Seniors who ordered them.  Eleven teachers will be retiring in June, 2009.  Marianne will let Laura know who is retiring because the Alumni Board would like to present Certificates in a frame to them. 

 

 

Craft Talk:

Coleen (Olson) Rockey is a graduate of the Class of 1971.  She was in the Highsteppers Drill Team at Venice High.  She attended and graduated from Santa Monica College in 1973.  During her years at the College she was a Homecoming Princess and was in the Coronette Dance Drill Team.  While in the Drill Team highlights included the opportunity to perform at many Los Angeles Rams Half-Time Shows, two Texaco Commercials, 100th Anniversary of the Shriners, and showcased in the Movie, ŅThe Trial of Billy JackÓ.  The most memorable events were to perform during the Half-Time Show of a Super Bowl Game at the Los Angeles Coliseum and perform at the MacyÕs Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

 

Married in 1977, and this year she and her husband will be celebrating 32 years of marriage.  Her husband has worked for the telephone company for 38 years.  During his career, he has observed their name change from Pacific Telephone & Telegragh, Pacific Telephone, Pacific Bell, American Bell, Inc., Pacific Telesys, PacTel, SBC, and now AT&T. Their son was born in 1992 and turned 17 this year and is a Jr. at Culver City High School.

 

Coleen worked for a Santa Monica-based business, Pennsylvania Life Insurance Company, for almost 19 years as a Planning & Administration /Business Systems Analyst in the Data Processing Department.  In early 1992 the Company moved to Raleigh, North Carolina.  She then took a one-year hiatus from work after her son was born.  In March, 1993 she employed with Chubb & Son Insurance Company located in Downtown Los Angeles and is in her 16th year with them as Expense Cashier, managing all business operation controllable budget-related expenses and receivables for the Branch.

 

Coleen and her husband have been very involved in working with the Miss California/Miss America Program since 1983.  They are on the Executive Board of the Miss Los Angeles County Scholarship Program who send two titleholders, Miss Los Angeles County and Miss Culver City, to compete at Miss California.  Their local Pageant has had the pleasure of three of their contestants to have won the title of Miss California and go on to compete at Miss America.   

Strategic Planning:

The Alumni Board completed a questionnaire last year.  From this, the Strategic Planning Committee completed a VHSAA e-Communications Program Concept, Strategic Plan Tasks and Timelines Chart for Period 2009-2014, Strategic Plan Goals &. Objectives for 2009-2011.  We also added vision and values to the Plan.  Vision is very important and can, of course, change over time.  Bob passed out copies of the aforementioned information.  The Board will need to vote on the Plan at the next meeting in June.  The Committee is asking the Board to provide their viewpoints.

 

Tom wanted to clarify the communications program concepts—a system to be more current and communication with the community.  We have the goals but how does it break down and how much will it cost?  We need to establish a case for giving—to provide information to gain the interest of people to contribute money.  This is part of the development project.  We also need the commitment of people to help.  We can retain the help of people outside the Board.  Renee inquired as to whether this information should be in the Acclaim.

 

 

Merchandise/

Reunion:

Nikki attended her MotherÕs 50th Class Reunion.  A Total of $360.00 worth of merchandise sold.  While at the Reunion she discussed the Myrna Project.  Many of the alumnus was unaware this Project was in existence.  More of this communication needs to be expressed at these events.

 

 

Parent Conference/Abbott Kinney Festival September 27:

We made $200.00 at the Parent Conference.  We will also be selling merchandise at the Graduation.

 

On September 27, 2009 the Abbott Kinney Festival will be held.  If we register by May 25, 2009, the cost to participate will be at a lesser rate.  We always get a great crowd at our booth.  At the September, 2009 Board meeting we need to create shifts for members to help at the booth.

 

Cindy will be selling merchandise at the 1974 – 35th Reunion at Tony PÕs. 

 

We need to order more throws.

 

 

Reunions:

Grant commented as to the great job Nikki did to speak about Myrna at one of the Reunions.  It is a good idea to have a Board Member to speak at the Reunions about these types of Projects and we would like to continue to do this.  There were 150 people who attended the 50-Year Reunion at the Long Beach Marriott.

 

Currently working with five people now on their Reunions.

 

Reunions continuedÉ

NikkiÕs Reunion is in August.  98% of ticket sales have been sold using the PayPal Account.  We have established cheaper ticket prices depending on when the tickets are purchased.  Each time someone buys a ticket it was announced online.  The fee is $1.80 for each $60.00 sale. 

 

We have 140 people confirmed to attend the Class Reunion of 1970; 115 people confirmed from the Class of 1969

 

 

Senior Awards & Scholarships:

The students who receive a Scholarship will receive a Certificate.  Moving forward, a letter will be included with the Certificate as it is important for the students to know how to claim the scholarship.  In July the California Community Foundation sends out a letter to all of the recipients.  The deadline was last Friday for the scholarship requests to be submitted.  We got the extra $50,000.00 from the California Community Foundation as per John.  At the Parent/Teacher night most of the Seniors did not know about this.  Grant made a motion to go to Senior Awards Night and give each parent a letter about this scholarship.  We may also gain interest in membership.

 

We will have the Scholarship Committee meeting soon and Grant will be sending out a reminder notice. 

 

Senior Awards Night will be held on June 8, 2009.  We will have a banner set up and Acclaims at the table in the lobby of the Auditorium so we have a presence.

 

The Alumni Board will donate two memberships towards the Senior Raffle.

 

 

Honorees: 

Laura has two nominations.  We have eight carryover applications.  Laura now has the Nomination Form.

 

 

Historian:

Very slow right now.  Did receive some items from Coach George Rose (1959-1986). He sent a 2-inch thick notebook prepared for his retirement party in May, 1986.  Included were a number of award banquet programs, newspaper articles, a number of his motivational sayings and quotes, and about 150 letters from his former students, attesting to the significant impact he had on their lives.  His daughter, Lori, is putting together a book for his 75th Birthday.

 

 

Centennial:

There will be a meeting next Wednesday night.

 

 

Acclaim:

Getting ready to do the layout.  May 10, 2009 was the deadline.  June 10, 2009 the Acclaim will come back from the printer.  The next cut-off is August 10, 2009.

 

 

Acclaim Ads:

We have sold two ads.  We have three other companies who may be interested in buying an ad.

 

 

School Requests:

Getting a lot of letters asking for money but the Alumni Association does not normally contribute money.  One letter came from the Cheerleaders.  They are asking for a donation for an ad in the Football Program.  The money for the purchase of an ad will go to the Cheer Squad and will offset their costs.  A motion was made, seconded, and passed to approve the donation of $100.00 for an ad by the Alumni Association; the donation will qualify us for one year of advertising.  This will be a great advertisement for membership to the Alumni Association.  We need to put the Facebook and My Space web address on the ad. 

 

 

Old Business:

A motion was made, seconded, and passed to sponsor two students for the Golf tournament; the total cost will be $300.00.

 

One of the advertisers in the Acclaim, Rent A Tank, has always offered to allow us to use his automobiles for the Homecoming Dance: however, no one has ever called him back to honor his offer.  We need to take this offer into consideration.

 

Sergio inquired about a Committee who is handling the ad for the yearbook.  Tommie Tarling was doing it in the past.  Sergio was asked—and he accepted—to handle this moving forward.

 

 

Next Board Meeting:

June 11, 2009

 

 

Adjournment:

8:34 p.m.

 

Respectfully Submitted By Coleen Rockey