Minutes of the Meeting of the United States McCraw Family Association
June 29, 2008 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri
The meeting was called to order by presiding president Bill McCraw at 9:42 a.m.
First Order of Business: Treasurer’s Report
Bill McCraw announced that Virginia Friedrichsen, the Association treasurer, had been too ill to handle the treasury for the past few months, but that she is now at home. During her illness, Ms. Friedrichsen managed to travel to her bank and turn over the McCraw Association’s funds in excess of $5000 to Bill McCraw.
Second Order of Business: Reading of Minutes
Betty Bogusch, secretary, read the minutes of the Association meeting held on June 18, 2006, in Savannah Georgia.
MOTION: Paul McGraw moved that the minutes be approved as read.
SECOND: Steven McGraw seconded the motion.
VOTE: The motion was carried unanimously.
Third Order of Business: Report on the Newsletter
Randy Jones, editor of the newsletter, was not present to give a report. Mr. Jones had stated to Bill McCraw prior to the meeting that he was too busy to continue handling the newsletter.
Fourth Order of Business: Report on the McCraw Association’s Website
Bill McCraw stated that his grandson, Scott Weston “Wes” McCraw, had volunteered to be the webmaster for the McCraw Family Association’s website, and that the website is already set up under mccrawfamily.net. He further stated that both DVD and video can be used on the site.
Bruce McGraw suggested that the website could contain a blog that could be accessed with a user name and password. He further stated that a person accessing the blog could not change the content of the site, but could talk back and forth with others entering the blog.
MOTION: Bruce McGraw moved that Wes McCraw set up a blog on the McCraw Family Association website.
SECOND: Steven McGraw seconded the motion
Discussion:
1. Paul McGraw stated that whatever goes onto the website should be approved by at least one of the officers.
2. Bruce McGraw stated several times that anybody could access the website, but would have to give the webmaster a user name and password to enter the blog. Further, not only Association members can access the blog, but anybody who provides a user name and password can enter it.
3. There was general confusion about why a new website should be set up when the one set up by Andrew Stevens was already available.
Tim McCraw stated that the website was already up and that he had accessed it.
Bill McCraw stated that Wes McCraw, the new webmaster, and Andy Stevens, the previous webmaster, were in contact with one another and would work out any problems and questions.
4. Marianne Bigelow stated that the website should have a page for signing up for membership on line.
MOTION: Bruce McGraw amended his previous motion, stating that the Association should have a blog and that the blog be open to everybody, but with the approval of the Association members, and that the blog may be accessed by anybody providing a user name and password.
Discussion:
Paul McGraw stated that blogs can contain anything, including politics and other subjects irrelevant to the McCraw Association membership.
Tim McCraw stated that, if somebody makes an unwanted comment on the blog, he can be tracked back.
Bruce McGraw stated that the site might get one or two unwanted comments, but they will be very few. He further stated that the webmaster can remove a person from the site, so anybody making objectionable comments can be removed.
SECOND: Steven McGraw seconded the motion.
VOTE: The motion was carried unanimously.
Fifth Order of Business: Old Business
Old Business Item 1: Archives
Bill McCraw announced that Joy Rushing, Faye Moore, and Carol McCraw had looked through the materials that had been collected for possible submission to the Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library in Moultrie, Georgia, which is to be the repository for the McCraw Family Association archives. He further stated that most of the McCraw archival materials are missing because a past president, Audrae Turner Mathis, had lost the five or six boxes given into her care. He also stated that Ms. Mathis had shared some of the archival materials with Linda Sims in Michigan, and that Ms. Sims has the Association’s print copy of “It Is McCraw Not McGraw.”
Bill McCraw said that he will contact Linda Sims and ask for the genealogy and any other Association materials that she may have.
Mary Jane Cone stated that she will contact Audrae Mathis in Kansas and inquire about the Association’s missing materials.
Fred W. McCraw stated that somebody should go in person to collect the materials from Audrae Mathis.
Joy Rushing stated that the materials in hand had not yet been separated as to what would be appropriated to put into the Odom Genealogy Library.
MOTION: Paul McGraw moved that Faye Moore, Carol McCraw, and Joy Rushing make any decisions that are necessary about the archival materials, then send the selected materials to the Odom Library.
SECOND: Steven McGraw seconded the motion.
Discussion:
Tim McCraw stated that the archival materials could be scanned into a computer. He further said that he had equipment capable of doing this. He asked if the Odom Library had equipment that could be used to scan the McCraw archival materials.
Bill McCraw stated that, after the materials are placed in the Odom Genealogy Library, we would need to take them out every two years for showing at each reunion. He further stated that it had been decided that two Association officers had to give permission for any of the archived materials to be removed from the Odom Library. He said that the permission could be given by fax.
There was some objection to this by those present, but no decisions were made.
Betty Bogusch volunteered to take the selected materials to the Odom Genealogy Library, since she is the person present who lives closest to Moultrie, Georgia.
VOTE: The motion was carried unanimously.
Old Business Item 2: DNA Testing
Steven McGraw stated that past minutes showed that the Association would pay for only one DNA test and that he and Paul McGraw had paid for their own testing.
Bill McCraw stated that the three Association officers - himself, Betty Bogusch, and Virginia Friedrichsen, with input from Faye Moore, had approved payment for up to six DNA tests.
MOTION: Steven McGraw moved that the Association pay for extending Gene McCraw’s DNA test to 67 markers.
SECOND: Tim McCraw seconded the motion.
VOTE: The vote was carried unanimously
Faye Moore stated that Carol McCraw suggested that the Association needs to pay for DNA testing for at least one person in Scotland.
Fred W. McCraw said that we need good judgment about which people we should test.
Steven McGraw stated that Faye Moore should decide who is to be tested.
MOTION: Steven McGraw moved that Faye Moore and/or Carol McCraw be empowered to decide who is to be DNA tested.
SECOND: Mary Jane Cone seconded the motion.
VOTE: The motion was carried unanimously.
Old Business Item 3: Titles of President and Chairman
Faye Moore stated that Bill McCraw had served as president for the past two years and had worked with the association at large. Bill McCraw’s title had been Interim Chairman. The reunion host was to be chairman/president, as stated in the 2006 reunion minutes.
MOTION: Faye Moore moved that the Association go back to the previous arrangement of having a president to manage the organization and a chairman to handle the reunion.
SECOND: Steven McGraw seconded the motion.
VOTE: The motion was carried unanimously.
Sixth Order of Business: New Business
New Business Item 1: 2010 Reunion
Bill McCraw asked for a volunteer to chair the 2010 reunion. There were no volunteers.
Bill McCraw stated that he and Marci McCraw had decided prior to the meeting that, if there was no volunteer, they would host the reunion in Cadiz, Kentucky. There was general approval.
Bruce McGraw volunteered to help in any way possible.
New Business Item 2: Formation of an Executive Committee
Paul McGraw stated that an advisory board was needed to back up the officers during the two-year period between reunions. He further stated that Faye Moore should continue to head the Association’s DNA process.
Bill McCraw asked for volunteers to serve on an advisory board.
Rev. Sam Smith stated that the Association needs more members than just the officers to make decisions and access archived materials.
MOTION: Rev. Sam Smith moved that five people be elected to an executive committee with the power to make decisions and replace themselves as necessary.
SECOND: Faye Moore seconded the motion.
VOTE: The motion was carried unanimously.
Betty Bogusch asked for clarification of the term “replace themselves” used in the motion.
Steve McGraw explained that, in the case of a member leaving the executive committee for any reason, that member was to be replaced, and that the term did not mean that the leaving member was to name his/her own successor.
The floor was opened for appointments to the executive committee.
Fred McCraw nominated Steven McGraw and Paul McGraw.
Paul McGraw nominated Joy Rushing and Bruce McGraw.
Discussion:
Joy Rushing asked if the five members of the executive committee included the three Association officers.
Several people said at once that the committee should include the officers.
Steven McGraw stated that, since the Association has three officers, only two other members to the executive committee would be needed.
Joy Rushing declined the nomination.
Bruce McGraw’s name was removed from the list of nominees since he was absent at the time, having left the meeting.
The two members appointed to serve on the executive committee along with the three officers were Steven McGraw and Paul McGraw.
MOTION: Paul McGraw moved that the executive committee have six members, with Faye Moore being a permanent member
SECOND: Steven McGraw seconded the motion.
VOTE: The motion was carried unanimously.
New Business Item 3: Election of Officers
Nominations were opened for the office of president.
Tim McCraw nominated Steven McGraw for president.
No other nominations were forthcoming.
Steven McGraw stated that, instead of voting on one officer at a time, a slate of officers should be nominated and the entire slate be voted on at once. There was general agreement.
Nominations were opened for the office of secretary.
Faye Moore nominated Betty Bogusch for secretary.
No other nominations were forthcoming.
Nominations were opened for the office of treasurer.
Steven McGraw nominated Tim McCraw for treasurer.
No other nominations were forthcoming.
VOTE: The slate of nominees was voted into office unanimously.
Bruce McGraw was appointed to the executive committee since Steven McGraw had been elected Association president and could not hold two positions on the committee.
The Executive Committee is made up of the following Association members:
Steven McGraw, Association President
Betty Bogusch, Association Secretary
Tim McCraw, Association Treasurer
Bruce McGraw
Paul McGraw
Faye Moore
Carol McCraw, member at large
New Business Item 4: Newsletter Editor/Writer
Bill McCraw again stated that Randy Jones is too busy to continue as editor/writer of the Association’s newsletter. He asked for a volunteer to serve as editor/writer of the newsletter. There were no volunteers.
Bill McCraw stated that a letter should be sent out only once a year to every past and present member of the McCraw Family Association for whom there is an address. This letter is to serve as an advertisement and encouragement to inactive members to reactivate their membership by paying their dues. The letter is also to serve as a contact with past members. Bill McCraw further stated that only dues-paying members should receive the newsletter.
Carey Rushing stated that the entire list of past and present members should receive notification about the reunion.
Rev. Sam Smith stated that all of this should be referred to the new president.
Fred McCraw stated that the Association needs at least four letters a year to the entire membership list.
Joy Rushing stated that the letters could be e-mailed.
Faye Moore and Betty Bogusch stated that most of the e-mail addresses in the membership list are obsolete, and that many e-mails get returned to the sender.
The decision was that one letter per year should go out to every past or present member of the McCraw Family Association for whom there is an address, and that an additional letter announcing a reunion should go out to that same list the year of a reunion.
Mary Jane Cone volunteered to put the newsletter together, but stated that she did not want to be responsible for the content.
MOTION: Faye Moore moved that the executive committee be responsible for the newsletter’s content and that Mary Jane Cone put the supplied content into the newsletter format.
SECOND: Joy Rushing seconded the motion.
VOTE: The motion was carried unanimously.
Adjournment
Bill McCraw thanked individuals for their help during his two-year presidency, and spoke of the honor of serving such a fine organization.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:18 a.m.
United States McCraw Family Association 2008
