Meeting was called to order by President Larry Grinnell at 10:06 AM on Saturday, July 16, 2005, in the Newport Room at the Ramada Inn, Seekonk, Massachusetts.

A conference call setup was made available for directors who could not attend, but no one called in.

Board Member Attendees:

• Ed W. Grinnell
• Donald McMahon
• Mable G. McMahon
• Chuck Ketchum
• Marjorie G. Murray
• F. Hugh Grinnell
• Laura G. Prescott
• Larry J. Grinnell

• Ed J. Grinnell
• David R. Grinnell

Newsletter:

• Marj to provide new member biographies to Chuck Ketchum for the upcoming book.
• Marj to provide obituaries to Chuck Ketchum for the upcoming book.

• Chuck provided Larry with much-revised GEDCOM files of linked and LU Grinnells for website posting.
• We want to publish the book in time for the summer 2007 GFA reunion in Cleveland. This is going to necessitate closing the book to revisions by July, 2006 so that Larry can do the tagging, editing, layout, etc. Larry explained the editing process and why one year is needed for same.
• We need more content! Larry will provide MS Word files of the current narrative text sections of the 1997 book to Marj Murray and Laura Prescott for editing and additions.
• A printer/publisher has not yet been selected. We will want this edition to be hardbound, as it will be the last edition to be published for some time. Preferably, we will want to find a printer who can do these books on demand, so no one will have to store copies of the book, which could go as high as 1000 pages.
• Chuck is suggesting we do not publish the LU information at all--instead leading researchers to our website to review the LU database there.
• We need to expand the number of biographies and profiles over the 1997 edition.

• Renewals are off by 20% for 2005. Hugh Grinnell wants to see schedules for Newsletters, renewals, and reunions to show the membership we're doing something.
• We discussed the idea of schedules, and Marj was amenable. This should reduce pressure as she can work on it and submit weeks or months prior to scheduled publication date.
• Hugh would like to see the website offer members-only premiums, such as access to the newsletters. Larry described the upcoming web server updates that would accomodate such a change.

• Don McMahon reported the figures (to be published in the next newsletter), and noted that approximately $10,000 of the treasury has been placed in an annually-renewable certificate of deposit, yielding 3.85% APR.
• Larry Grinnell's signature was added to the account, as he is also on the main checking account.

• Hugh reports 75 VHS copies were produced, and 73 sold. 275 DVDs were produced, with 255 sold.
• The video will be added to the website at a slightly higher price.

• 5 sales since last reunion.

• Larry described upcoming changes to website, using a content management system, better security, discussion forums that are spam-resistant, photo gallery, etc. Also, the Grinnell genealogy will be more interactive. All this software will be "open source", available at no cost. As before, it will run on a computer at Larry's house, which also permits the membership database to be accessible to board members from that same computer.
• Larry will post requests for people to help write new content for the upcoming Grinnell genealogy book.
• Hugh suggested revisions to website to add more graphics of Grinnell-related items. Larry will investigate the feasability of doing so. At the very least, many more photos and imagery can be placed in the photo gallery of the new webserver.
• Chuck asked about the feasability of making Family Tree Maker available on-line for shared editing of the main database. Larry will look into this and other alternatives.

• The board agreed to go to a schedule of Seekonk every five years and one in-between. Tentatively, we are planning to go to Cleveland, OH in 2007.

• F. Hugh Grinnell offered to accept the GFA presidency, relieving Larry, who has served for nearly eight years. We also welcomed Laura G. Prescott as a director. Larry has agreed to accept the position of secretary along with his existing duties of webmaster and pre-press specialist for the newsletter.
• The 2005/2006 slate of officers to be presented to the membership on Saturday night, July 16, 2005, is as follows (all office holders are also directors):
  • President: F. Hugh Grinnell
  • Sr. Vice-President: Edsel W. Grinnell
  • Vice-President, Administrator: Mable G. McMahon
  • Treasurer: Donald McMahon
  • Immediate Past President, Secretary, Webmaster: Lawrence J. Grinnell
  • Genealogy Database Manager: Chuck Ketchum
  • Newsletter: Marjorie G. Murray
  • Archivist: David R. Grinnell
  • Director: Edward J. Grinnell
  • Director: Laura G. Prescott
• If no additional nominations made from the floor, the directors will vote at the end of the dinner on Saturday night for the above slate of officers and directors.
• Board meeting adjourned 12:17PM, 16 July 2005

Lawrence J. Grinnell