TM Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. 38th Annual National Convention TM Reports of Officers and Committees JULY 28-31, 2010 • SAN ANTONIO, TX REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES TABLE OF CONTENTS LISTINGS OFFICERS – NATIONAL AND REGIONAL ...............................................................................1 OFFICER REPORTS NATIONAL PRESIDENT ..............................................................................................................2 1ST VICE PRESIDENT....................................................................................................................4 FINANCIAL SECRETARY ............................................................................................................5 EXECUTIVE RECORDING SECRETARY ..................................................................................7 HISTORIAN ................................................................................................................................13 EASTERN REGION PRESIDENT ...............................................................................................15 CENTRAL REGION PRESIDENT ..............................................................................................18 WESTERN REGION PRESIDENT ..............................................................................................20 STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS AWARDS COMMITTEE .............................................................................................................21 BYLAWS COMMITTEE ........................................................................................... NO REPORT DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE .................................................................................................22 FINANCE COMMITTEE .............................................................................................................24 FUNDRAISING COMMMITTEE ............................................................................. NO REPORT HARRY SHEPPARD RESEARCH COMMITTEE .....................................................................26 HERITAGE COMMITTEE ........................................................................................ NO REPORT HISTORY COMMITTEE .......................................................................................... NO REPORT MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE .....................................................................................................29 MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE .........................................................................................30 NOEL F. PARRISH AWARD COMMITTEE ............................... SEE AWARDS COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE................................................................................ NO REPORT PERSONNEL COMMITTEE ..................................................................................... NO REPORT PROTOCOL COMMITTEE ...................................................................................... NO REPORT PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE .........................................................................................33 RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE ...................................................................................................35 YOUTH COMMITTEE .................................................................................................................41 FINANCIAL REPORTS STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION ................................................................................50 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL INCOME AND EXPENSE ......................................................54 NATIONAL OFFICERS President Parliamentarian Russell C. Davis Marvin Williams First Vice President Financial Secretary John Patterson Vince Saunders Second Vice President Corresponding Secretary Vacant Vacant Executive Recording Secretary Historian Rosario Biggs-Dickerson Jennifer Myers Treasurer Public Relations Officer Wilbur G. Mason Minnie Jones REGIONAL PRESIDENTS EASTERN CENTRAL WESTERN Solomon Williams Chauncey Spencer, III James Crump Report of the National President Tuskegee Airmen, Incorporated to the 39th Annual Convention San Antonio, Texas 29 July 2010 Dear Members and Friends, As I close out my tenure (fourth year) as your National President, please allow me to thank you for the privilege of serving for the two terms and hopefully making progress within the organization. Having had experience in a number of senior positions, one is almost never able to achieve all of the goals that you set, but makes progress towards them and sets the direction towards them. Stage setting and initial implementation one stage at a time is a big part of the journey. The issues that I thought were most important and appropriate were 1) improving the fiscal and financial stability, 2) team building, 3) Board training, and 4) spending more on youth programs. While we have improved in all of these areas, all are still “a work in progress” and there is a ways to go yet, however I feel that the movement is in the right direction to get us there. There is no specific or exact measurement of merit as the goals are some-what dynamic or moving targets and require continuous time and attention. You have my pledge to continue to work TAI’s behalf following the election, as your Immediate Past President to work with the new President’s agenda and goals. The fiscal and financial status while improved is still not where I would like to see it. Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), our management consultants, is working with us on some recommendation on areas of improvement and we are also working with our auditors. Our Finance Committee is equally engaged and is showing progress. Team building and Board training are related, but the team is bigger than just the Board we had some training provided in late November by BAH. The Committees, the membership (the body), and our friends, donors, etc. are all a part of the “TUSKEGEE AIRMEN TEAM.” While there is still much progress to be made, we are moving in the right direction. We spend more on youth programs this year than we have in the past few years and have in place plans to continue this trend. Recapping this year, we have had a number of DOTAs join the “Lonely Eagle Chapter,” we have also had a significant number reach their 90th birthday or more and that’s a positive sign. Last fall the “Tuskegee Airmen” were the recipients of the Air Force Association’s “Lifetime Achievement Award,” recognizing “a lifetime of work in the advancement of aerospace.” Other recipients were the Doolittle Raiders and James Schlesinger, a former Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Energy. In the late fall, we held a combined Board meeting and training session to better focus and working together. Once again BAH assisted us and led discussions on improving relationships 2 and goal setting. In early 2010, the Board decided to cease monthly meetings and to resurrect the Executive Committee and to meet monthly with Board meeting quarterly. This model seems to work better and allows more time for the other committees to do their business. Unfortunately due to budget considerations, the Board voted not to renew the Executive Director’s contract beyond one year. While we made significant progress during his tenure, e.g. the opening of the National Office in Tuskegee, improvement of relations with all of the Organizations in Tuskegee, etc., however the cost factor was a key driver as we focused on the current and future year’s budgets. We have notified our partner of this fact and the office is still and will remain in operation. Ms. Maggie Thomas, our Office Administrator, is in place there and is conducting our business. There should be no difference in how we conduct business as the Regional Officers and the Committee Chairperson are there to assist you along with myself and our 1st Vice President, John B. Patterson. We will continue the normal way we do business and manage the glitch as we always have. Thank you for your patience during the transition. This will be discussed in more detail at the Convention as we work present and future plans. We are still growing as an organization with two new Chapters and 13 new life memberships. They will be recognized at the Convention and presented charters and certificated. In these challenging times, our “brand” is still alive and people want to be a part of it. We still need to have more of our current and new members get more involved in the running of the organization at all levels, chapter, Regional and National. Many highly talented individuals are sitting and wait to be asked, well if so, I am asking, “please get more involved.” We can use all of the help that we can get to become officers, committee chairs and committee members and to serve in numerous other positions within the organization. Don’t just belong, get on board and help us run this great organization. We can only remain viable if we have the people (volunteers) step forward and work the issues. Thanks for your support. Once again, it has been a genuine pleasure to represent you and to lead this great organization for the past four years. Shirley and I are honored with our service to Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. We look forward to seeing you all at the Convention and hope that you will have an enjoyable time. Russ Davis Russell C. Davis, Lt. Gen, USAF (Ret.) P.S. Do not forget that the TAI 40th Annual Convention will be held at Gaylord National Harbor Hotel in Washington, DC, August 3-7, 2011 3 June 30, 2010 TO: Board of Directors, 39th TAI Convention FROM: 1st National Vice President SUBJ: