December Meeting Notes:
The December meeting was convened in the proper manner at 7:00 PM on 20 December. The detachment is pleased at the return of Commandant Mike Whelan. Mike has been recovering from major surgery and has been on sick call for a number of months. It is good to have Mike back in the fold.
Roll call of officers was conducted. The Sergent at Arms was not present, all other officers were in place.
Report of the Paymaster:
Paymaster Blanchette read out the current financial statements. The detachment continues to be in good shape financially. Due to errors in data entry and the timing of payment receipts, a number of members have been inadvertently dropped from membership. To rectify this, those members will need to complete and submit a new application to be officially reinstated. There was discussion about this and improvements that are needed in the management of roster information. This has been an ongoing issue.
Reports of Members Sick or in Distress:
No new sicknesses were reported. Good news on the recovery of Mike Whelan and successful treatment of Glenn Chambliss was reported.
Reports of Officers:
Senior Vice Commandant, Dave Gentes, formally resigned from office as his recent move to Rhode Island makes is difficult to realistically meet the responsibility of holding office. Dave related that he would continue to contribute as possible from a remote location
Correspondence:
A request for donation was received from the Semper Fi Fund. This was voted on and a donation was approved. There was discussion of prior donations that have been made.
Reports of Standing Committees:
The Toys for Tots Campaign has been successfully completed. Pods have been secured for pickup. Volume of toys received has been estimated to be somewhat lower than past years but still strong given that Covid had impacted the last two years. Chairperson Richard Douglas reported that there were some communications issues that could be improved but overall, the program was conducted smoothly.
The detachment is grateful the Richard Douglas and Chip Fagan who took the lead on this project.
Warren Griffin reported on the Rose Drive and provided information that Roche Brothers has removed their prohibition on collecting for this type of drive at Roche Brothers locations. Warren reported that donations came in a good pace with more individuals donating larger amounts.
Iwo Jima Day will be observed at the State House on 21 February. There will not be a parade and the observations will all be inside the State House. Speakers are being firmed up now.
New Business:
A request was made to donate $600 to the Natick Veterans Council to address the needs of area veterans and families. There was discussion about the most practical and accountable way for the detachment to participate in this type of funding more evenly across the Metrowest area. After discussion, a motion was made to table this donation request until the next meeting so that clarification could be provided on the disbursement of funds and other potential donation channels.
A previously budgeted donation to the Blackstone Valley Young Marines was raised and approved. Chip Fagan delivered Christmas cards that had been prepared and sent to the detachment from the Young Marines.
Al Schiff, a long-time member reported that he will be moving to Delaware to live with family. Al has resided in Natick for over 60 years and recounted stories of his wife who was a foreign service officer. Al served during the Korean conflict and was at the infamous battle at the Chosin Reservoir. Al has been instrumental in detachment outreach to area Boy Scouts and a dependable attendee at meetings and events. He will be missed, and we wish him the best going forward.
The meeting was adjourned following protocol and attendees were able to enjoy a variety of food options. The detachment wishes all members and supporters a rewarding and safe holiday season and will meet again on the third Tuesday of January, January 17, 2023.