PurpleheartOklahoma (scroll down)

LAMOPH DEPARTMENT OF OKLAHOMA

OFFICERS FOR 2009-2010

LADIES’AUXILIARY

MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART

DEPARTMENT OF OKLAHOMA CONVENTION

MAY 22, 2010

MINUTES

The LAMOPH Department of Oklahoma Convention was held Saturday, May 22, 2010, at Western Hills Guest Ranch in Wagoner, Oklahoma.

Opening Ceremony:  A joint opening ceremony was held with MOPH Department members.  Members were led in the Pledge of Allegiance and the MOPH Chaplain led the opening prayer.  Guests were introduced and included Clayton Jones, MOPH National Senior Vice Commander.  Department of Oklahoma MOPH and LAMOPH officers were introduced.

After the opening ceremony, LAMOPH members adjourned to a separate meeting room to conduct their business meeting.

President Pat Richard called the meeting to order at 10:00 a. m.  Marshall Jeanette Mosley read the Preamble.

Roll Call:  Members present, who had signed in:  President, Patricia Richard; Treasurer, Sharon Ferguson; Sergeant-At-Arms, Jackie Baker; Oklahoma City Executive Committee Woman, Margaret Schipper; Alternate OKC Executive Committee Woman, Donna Zink; Patriotic Instructor, Charlotte Dunn; Marshall, Jeanette Mosley; Musician, Jeanne Hellard; Tulsa Unit President, Karen Fuller; Tulsa Unit Sergeant-At-Arms, Hazel Sharpe; and Tulsa Unit Secretary, Gail Parnell.

Members absent, who were excused:  Senior Vice President, Jean Pitts; Junior Vice President, Cynthia Thompson; Parliamentarian, Pamela Reeves; Trustees, Alicia Ginzl-Waters and Goldie Beleele.

Guest Kaitlyn Richard, the grand-daughter of President Pat, was introduced, and it was noted that Kaitlyn was the first LAMOPH Department of Oklahoma Associate Member.

Donna Gowen, our guest from Sallisaw, was introduced.

Pro-Tem:  President Pat appointed Jackie Baker, Karen Fuller, and Donna Zink as Pro-Tem Trustees to audit the Department’s books; and appointed Gail Parnell as Pro-Tem Secretary.

Minutes:  President Pat stated that Minutes of the last DEC Meeting were previously e-mailed and mailed to members, and asked if there were any corrections or additions to the Minutes.  There were none.  Pat declared the Minutes accepted as written.

Communications:  National President Gwen Gilliard has advised that the revised CBL was passed by the Ad Hoc Committee; however, the Committee submitted eight resolutions to the NEC.

LAMOPH Region V President, Elaine Rey, was scheduled to attend the Department Convention.  However, she and her husband, Fred, were involved in an accident while en route (neither Elaine nor Fred were hurt in the accident).  Elaine e-mailed Pat the following items to cover at the meeting:

• Delegate forms for the Tulsa Unit need to be mailed to National by

June 30.

• Form 990-N needs to be filed with the IRS by July 1 for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 for the Department of Oklahoma, as well as the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Units.

LAMOPH Department of

Oklahoma Convention Minutes                                          2                                                     May 22, 2010

President Pat has notified the National Secretary of EIN Numbers for the Department and the two Units.

• Installation reports need to be sent in by June 30.

• Closely monitor your Unit Roster.  If any members pass away, National needs to be notified right away.

Pat, Jeannette, Maggie, Charlotte, Jeanne, and Donna plan to attend the 78^th National Convention to be held August 10-14, 2010, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida, and reminded members of the Purple Hat Contest that will take place at the Convention.

Pat stated that the 2011 National Convention will be held August 9-13 in St. Paul, Minnesota; and the 2012 National Convention will be held August 7-11 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Jeanette reported a conversation that she had with Clayton Jones, MOPH National Senior Vice Commander, regarding some of the changes that have taken place at National.  LAMOPH has been allocated $100,000 for operations and $60,000 for VAVS.  Commander Jones stated that, within two years, the Ladies will be on their own again with their finances and everything else.  However, he stressed that, when we elect our National Officers, make sure they are qualified for the position to which they are elected.

When a member submits a request for reimbursement to National, the current process is:

• Reimbursement request first goes to LAMOPH National Secretary

• LAMOPH National Secretary sends the request to the LAMOPH

     National President

• LAMOPH National President sends the request to the LAMOPH

     National Treasurer

• LAMOPH National Treasurer sends the request to MOPH Headquarters

• MOPH National Headquarters sends the request to MOPH Finance Officer

• MOPH Finance Officer sends the check to the individual requesting

      reimbursement

Membership Applications:  The following application for Life Membership was submitted:

                        Donna Gowen, wife of  MOPH Tahlequah Chapter 641 member, James Gowen

A vote was held, and it was agreed unanimously to accept Donna’s membership.  President Pat administered the

Membership Oath to Donna.

Committee Reports:  Donna Zink reported that the Pro-Tem Trustees had completed an audit of the Department’s books, declared the records to be correct, and verified a balance of $1,896.25 in the Department’s General Fund Account.

Donna moved that we accept the Audit Report.  Maggie seconded.  Motion passed.

Unit Reports:  Unit President Charlotte Dunn reported that Oklahoma City Unit 568 served a supper for MOPH members, sent cards to all the ladies who were ill (Jean Pitts needs our thoughts and prayers); have an active VAVS group; and helped to recruit the first runner-up for Mrs. Oklahoma, whose platform was Veterans with PTSD, as a speaker at the Convention banquet that was held Saturday evening.

LAMOPH Department of

Oklahoma Convention Minutes                                          3                                                     May 22, 2010

Unit President Karen Fuller reported that Tulsa Unit 589 purchased and delivered 75 bibs to the Claremore Veterans Center; Valentine cards were taken to the Claremore Veterans Center to be placed on the food trays for the Veterans on Valentine’s Day; MOPH and LAMOPH members stuffed 1,123 Easter eggs with wrapped candy, which were delivered to Claremore Veterans Center for Veterans to hand out to the children on Easter; member Linda Juhasz crocheted over 90 Cami-Caps, which were donated to the LAMOPH National Project for

Soldiers with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI); and Quilts of Valor were presented to MOPH Chapter members Gene Beleele and Bill Chaney, who both were part of the Normandy invasion during WWII.  Also, the Unit donated 18 teddy bears at the DEC Meeting held in Lawton on February 20, and another donation of 10 teddy bears were brought to the Convention.

Unfinished Business:  None.

New Business:  Jeanette moved that the Department purchase two more Nintendo Wii systems for the Lawton and Ardmore Veterans Centers.  Maggie seconded.  Motion passed.

Jeanette moved that the Department purchase a second game for each of the two Wii systems.  Jeanne seconded.  Motion passed.

President Pat adjourned the morning meeting session at 10:55 p.m. for lunch.

Upon reconvening the meeting at 1:00 p.m., President Pat opened the floor for nominations of Department Officers to serve during the 2010-2011 year.  Jackie moved to re-elect all officers in their current positions, with the exception of the position of Parliamentarian.

Pat opened the floor for nominations for the position of Parliamentarian.  Charlotte nominated Donna Zink for the position.  With no further nominations coming forth, the following slate of officers was presented to the members:

                                    President                                   Patricia Richard

                                    Senior Vice President                 Jean Pitts

                                    Junior Vice President                 Cynthia Thompson

                                    Treasurer                                  Sharon Ferguson

                                    Parliamentarian                          Donna Zink

                                    Sergeant-At-Arms                      Jackie Baker

                                    1-Year Trustee                          Alicia Ginzl-Waters

                                    2-Year Trustee                          Goldie Beleele

                                    Oklahoma City Executive

                                       Committee Woman                 Margaret Schipper

A vote was held, and the above slate of officers was elected by acclamation.

President Pat made the following appointments:

                                    Secretary                                  Jeanette Mosley

                                    Chaplain                                   Jean Pitts

                                    Patriotic Instructor                     Charlotte Dunn

                                    Historian                                   Tonya Scrivener

                                    Marshall                                    Jeanette Mosley

                                    Musician                                   Jeanne Hellard

LAMOPH Department of

Oklahoma Convention Minutes                                          4                                                     May 22, 2010

Jeanne Hellard, National Inspector, administered the oath of office to the newly-elected Department of Oklahoma officers.

Bills:  None were presented.

Finance Report:  Treasurer Sharon Ferguson reported that there has been no activity on the Department’s bank account since November 14, 2009.  The December 2009 through April 2010 bank balance has remained the same:

                        Ending Balance at April 30, 2010                        $1,896.25

Income from the convention totaled $545.00 (proceeds from Ways and Means - $245.00 and an MOPH Department Donation to LAMOPH - $300.00).

Good of the Order:  Through the diligent work of the MOPH Department, there is a good possibility that August 7 will be permanently recognized as Purple Heart Day within the State of Oklahoma.

On Friday, September 24, at 1 p.m., the MOPH Department plans to hold a dedication of the Purple Heart Monument located in Oklahoma City.  This event is planned in conjunction with the 45^th Infantry’s Reunion.  The Ladies have been invited to help with hospitality for this event.

Cards were passed around for members to sign and send to Fred and Elaine Rey (recovering from auto accident) and to Jean Pitts, who has been ill recently.

Donna Gowen has offered to help with National’s Project for Soldiers with TBI, and requested patterns for the Cami-Caps, the bag, and lap robe.

Thank-you cards will be sent to the ladies, and other workers, at the Walmart Deli in Wagoner, in appreciation of their preparing two meat trays and two vegetable trays on such short notice.

The Department’s Teddy Bear Project will be an on-going project.

Closing Ceremony:  President Pat announced the following DEC Meeting Dates:

July 10, 2010                            Tahlequah

September 18, 2010                   Lawton

November 20, 2010                   Claremore

February 12, 2011                     Oklahoma City

April 9, 2011                             Broken Arrow

With no further business coming before the membership, Maggie offered a closing prayer, and the meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m.

______________________________

Gail Parnell

Pro-Tem Secretary