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Alumni Association of the 1929 Ð 1973

Northern Conservatory of Music

Alumni Meeting

August 19, 2001

 

 

The third annual meeting of the Alumni Association was held at the Isaac Farrar Mansion in Bangor.  23 of the attendees signed the attendance sheet.

 

President Everett Simpson called the meeting to order at 3:30 PM.

 

AGENDA

  1. SecretaryÕs Report: Read by Bea Milewski and accepted.
  2. TreasurerÕs Report: Treasurer Everett Simpson reported a checking account balance of $1,685.  A discussion ensued concerning the best way to make our money work for us.  It was suggested that we open a Money Market Account or CD with the treasury balance.   It was motioned and seconded to give Everett authority to investigate the most appropriate usage of the Alumni funds in order to gain the best return.  The vote was unanimous.
  3. Introductions: All former students of the Conservatory that were in attendance, introduced themselves and gave a brief description of where they are living now and what they are doing.
  4. Election of Officers:
    1. President: Lou Harper
    2. Vice President: Bruce Brown
    3. Treasurer: Everett Simpson
    4. Secretary: Doretta York
  5. Board of Directors:
    1. Stan Buchanan
    2. Art Lagasse
    3. Arnold Poland
    4. Lou Harper
    5. Jerry Burns
    6. State of Maine regulations require that we have at least 3 directors.  Currently our directors serve a one-year term.  It was discussed that in future years we might want to elect the directors for terms that end in different years.  That way we would not have to elect all 5 every year.  This will mean a change to the By-Laws.  In the future we will need committees made up of our directors to research the organization of our scholarship.  In order to fill out our 501 (c) (3) forms, we may also need a group to make decisions.  Our directors might be called upon for that.
  6. Membership Dues:  Currently our annual yearly dues are $20 per year or $100 for a lifetime membership.  It was discussed that the lifetime membership was low compared to other organizations with $20 yearly memberships.  In order to increase our income for the Scholarship fund, it was decided that we would increase the lifetime membership dues to $200 on January 1, 2002.  It is hoped and encouraged that people take the opportunity to sign up for lifetime memberships before the January 1st increase.
  7. Transcript files, Augusta: At the Semi-Annual meeting in May, Roger Whitney volunteered to contact the Department of Education in Augusta for the ConservatoryÕs transcript files.  It was hoped that the research project would produce a list of students, addresses, Major course of study and attendance years.  Roger was told that the transcripts were in a warehouse in Kenebec County.  Bea said that when she needed her transcripts, earlier this year, they were on file in Augusta.  Everett said he visited the office in Augusta and was refused access to the files and was told that the most he could hope for was a list of names.  Roger requested a letter of authorization from newly elected President Lou Harper, to present to the Augusta office in hopes to get any information he could.
  8. 501 (c) (3) Nonprofit Application:  It was motioned, voted upon and approved to have the directors meet and establish a scholarship format (see item 9 below) and also to fill out the forms for this application.
  9. Scholarship:  At the Semi-Annual meeting in May, Stan Buchanan volunteered to research scholarship information.  Stan (and his lesser known sidekick Spike) delivered his report to the meeting.  Since there will be no more graduates from NCM, the income generating potential of the Alumni Association will diminish over the course of time.  Stan suggested that we raise $10,000 and put it aside as capitol.  We could then take $500 per year interest off that, to present as a cash award.  His suggestion was to give it to a first year music teacher as a stipend and have the MMEA recommend and present this at their annual award meeting.   The reason is that $500 does not go very far toward college tuition anymore.  There was much discussion about this. 
    1. Suggestions and rebuttals were as follows: 

1.     Give it to a freshman they need it the most.

2.     No not a freshman because they leave the music course of study all too frequently and we would be subsidizing other courses of study.

3.     Give it to a Junior or Senior since they would be more apt to finish the course of study.

4.     Present the scholarship thru MMEA.

5.     $500 will go further as a 1st year stipend than tuition and it would be encouraging for a new teacher.

6.     What we really want is a Legacy and Recognition of the Northern Conservatory of Music and that might got further if it was presented as a stipend at the MMEA annual meeting.

    1. It was decided to continue to discuss and research this as we acquire the first $10,000.
  1. Meetings, 2002:  It was decided that the semi-annual meetings were best held during the All State Festival in May.  There was discussion concerning the time and date of the Annual meetings.  Some schools are starting very early in the year now and some who would like to attend cannot make the trip on the Sunday before school starts.  After much discussion it was moved, seconded and so voted to move the Annual meeting from the 3rd Sunday in August, to the 3rd Saturday in August.  The time and location of the meeting will remain the same.  The Isaac Farrar Mansion at 3:00 PM.
  2. Other Business: None.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 PM.  Many in the group went to MillerÕs Restaurant after the meeting, for a meal and a lot of reminiscing about the old days.  Josef Roggenbauer, daughter Heidi and her two children joined us, along with many other old friends.