DRAFT VERSION (pending voted approval)
Minutes of SGC-MAC
Meeting
15 May 2010
9am to 4pm,
Washington D.C.
Attendees: Roy Van Brunt (chair), Mike Stoudt (vice, by
teleconference line), Don Fay (secretary), Phil Wood (treasurer), Beau Clark,
Elaine Gordon, Ryan Brown
- Approval of Minutes of February meeting, prepared
by group.
Moved by Fay and seconded by Brown, Passed by all.
- Discussion of Agenda:
From the dinner and post dinner meetings last evening we decided to
compile a list of suggestions to be sent to the SGC management as "advice"
from the member's MAC. The initial agenda was adjusted to give time necessary
to discuss and compile this list.
- From the STRATEGIC SURVEY
The recent on-line survey had been distributed to the about 1,350 members
(owning approximately 1,700 weeks) whose email addresses were known to the
Club, and its implications were examined in great detail for several hours.
420 member-weeks started to complete the survey, but just 161 fully completed
it.
The drop-out rate was therefore 62%. The response rate for complete
surveys for the approximately 1700 weeks sent out (multiple week owners
could comment once for each week) was 9.5%. Assuming that the total number
of member week ranges between 2500 and 3000, the participation rate is in
the single digit range, perhaps as low as 5%.
There was speculation that the overall length of the survey and/or its
requirement for free-text responses to some questions may have been a
deterrent to some people. Respondents needed their account number in order
to access the survey and this may have been a deterrent to some.
The MAC felt that those who persevered really felt they had something worthwhile
to say. In spite of the low participation rate, it is the only current
data that we have and there is much good information embedded in this
data. For example, approximately 70% of the 161 respondents who replied indicated
that they had voted in the last MAC election.
Query: Did the majority of survey dropouts occur very early in the survey
immediately? In any case we need to consider the following:
a. More
frequent surveys with fewer questions.
b. Use
a third party service with email feedback to tell us who had successfully
completed the questionnaire.
c. MAC
should also put out more frequent, but brief communiqu?s to our members that
might include simple questions. e.g. Highlights of the minutes etc. (We could
refer the reader to the web site for a more detailed version)
d. Also
important to give members a short version of the survey results that provides
appropriate feedback.
- OTHER ISSUES DISCUSSED
a. Location
of AGM.
How do we get a better response/attendance? There may be no single, convenient
geographic location since our membership is widely dispersed. Perhaps we should
declare a strategy of "going to different backyards" and thus enhance the opportunity
for members to attend AGMs held in places not previously used.
Attendance at previous AGM meetings has been based on what is going on at the
club at that time. For example the NYC meeting held over a decade ago was attended
by a record 300 members because there was a major financial crisis, namely club
receivership.
Conclusion: stay with what we have already decided and use the next communication
to explain our location strategy.
ACTION: Communicate our strategy to the membership.
b. What
is the purpose of the AGM? Quick answer: "Inform the membership, meet
government regulations."
ACTION: Examine the necessity of having the AGM exclusively "in person"
and consider augmenting (or eventual replacement) with electronic participation
(an option that some responders to the survey felt was attractive). What are
the choices for a format? MAC Bylaws not helpful regarding conference calls.
c. The
incentive question to attract members to the AGM: No details available from
the management at this point so we do not know the value or appropriateness of
any incentive that might be offered to encourage members to attend
ACTION: Find out from John Kyle what might be considered and advertise
it well in advance.
d. Low
AGM attendance and the related quorum question
(Question is "What % of the membership might be established as a
requirement to make changes to MAC Bylaws?") Green bar on graph suggested that
most respondants believed they would be happy with 10% approval which would
therefore represent about 250 weeks.
We are looking for validity and there should always be a quorum requirement.
Conclusion: The proposal should be 250 weeks to be represented (physically or
by proxy) in order to hold a vote on a motion (quorum) and then 51% of voters
to pass the motion.
Discussion about recommending to the membership a quorum for 10% followed.
Concluded that we need two steps.
i.
The MAC will pass the 10% quorum recommendation
ii.
Enable electronic voting to make achieving 10% more easily achievable.
e. MAC
Bylaws
We need to straighten out the bylaws with buy-in from the membership. Key
concepts: accessibility, credibility, and transparency.
i.
Remove the indemnity clause(s) until the question of personal liability
of the MAC members can be resolved with Club Management, Tourism, etc.
ii.
Remove various miscellaneous bylaws that are inappropriate, obsolete, or
outdated.
The above two items can be done without delay since the MAC currently has the
ability to alter its own bylaws without consulting the membership.
iii.
Conditions for future amendments of the MAC bylaws: 10% quorum of the
purchasers of time share interval weeks an absolute requirement. Passage then
requires a simply majority of the votes cast.
ACTION PLAN
Present this as motion(s) at the next MAC meeting. The exact wording shall
be deferred until there is a more comprehensive list of needed changes. Roy Van
Brunt will re-circulate to MAC members an earlier summary of same. Then all MAC
members will review the Bylaws
f. 72
% of survey respondents indicated that they are satisfied with the pace of the
refurbishment and want to continue with that pace.
g. Swapping/Exchange
of cottage weeks
Approximately 85% of respondents who completed the survey answered Yes to the
question: Would you value the MAC trying to put together an on-line forum
for members interested in exchanging/swapping their weeks within a year?
Assuming that the 161 weeks who completed the survey are representative of
the general membership, there is a very significant desire to do something
about this issue, which surfaces every year.
i.
Members responded to the question with a Yes choice by 85%
ii.
Communicate to the members that we are asking Club Management to make creating
this exchange system a Club responsibility.
iii.
Disclaimer required: this is a posting board only, MAC not involved
iv.
Disclaimer should say it is up to members to communicate directly with each
other, member to member only. It would be the responsibility of the club
members to communicate with the club and verify that maintenance fees are paid
up.
v.
Restricted to club members
vi.
Simple system: name and phone number, and optionally e-mail address,
vii.
Time lines: communication from the members
ACTION PLAN: Advise management that this is an important issue for
members, it should be operated at no cost to members or in exchange for a very
reasonable fee, and MAC should be told when members can expect implementation.
h. Potential
short questions for future survey discussed
.
i.
How many members belong to RCI?
ii.
How many members do an RCI exchange?
i.
Survey Narrative Responses were reviewed in detail.
i.
Members asking the MAC to keep the maintenance (terminology used by most
members) /assessment fees low. Club should discuss with MAC better ways to keep
tabs on the assessment fees.
ii.
Communications, controlling costs, liaison between MAC and the Club operators,
and minimizing maintenance fees are key concerns expressed to us by the
members.
ACTION:
Transform this to a recommendation requesting better financial information.
All recommendations will go to both the members and the management. We need
adequate and more timely financial data in order to provide good consultation
and advice. SGC should provide MAC and Club Members with timely detailed
financial information. With this information both members and the Club
management receive good value from the MAC.
iii.
What the MAC can and cannot do should be better conveyed to the members.
iv.
We may not always get the timely, detailed financial information from
the SGC. We should say clearly and frequently that "MAC's concern is always
about the net present value of our purchase". It is assumed by many members
that the maintenance fees are based on costs and this is not the complete
picture.
j.
How can we advise members about the Club or answer questions, if we do
not know the financial condition of the Club? We are unable to respond to members'
questions positively or negatively about financial decisions made by the Club
Manager and the Developer. We would benefit from knowing the basis for their
financial decisions.
k. It
has come to MAC's attention, although only through second-hand information from
members recently at the club, that the SGC has "lost" its Gold Crown status: Have
there been any changes in the RCI rating? Was MAC officially advised? How many
members belong to RCI and how does this affect them?
ACTION: Roy Van Brunt to inquire promptly in order to advise the
membership and request that the SGC advise us regarding RCI and keep us
informed about any changes in our status with RCI.
l.
Internet Services:
There has been frequent comment about the need to provide more reliable
internet service at a reasonable price. (not $150 per week with a business
solution). Strong desire to improve the internet service with quality at a
reasonable cost and provide technical support with the Business box costs. Make
the business internet more accessible.
m. "What Do You
Want to Do to Improve the Club?"
i.
Staff and Management "attitude" very frequently mentioned. MAC
encourages the Club to continue to improve staff and management attitudes. This
is a major theme from our members.
ii.
Recommend SGC continue with their investment in staff training for relating
to customers with emphasis on courtesy and a welcoming, friendly attitude. About
30% of the responders to the survey had comments about "attitude".
n. Final
comments:
Not much mention in the survey about membership amenities.
One of our concerns has been the use of beach chairs and umbrellas at Achilles Bay beach below Black Beard's restaurant. MAC to suggest that management define
the process and let members know, especially the new members, what is supposed
to be provided free and what, if anything, they are supposed to pay for. MAC
has uncertainty about the employee status of the man at the beach who seems to
charge for some things.
Some discussion regarding the member suggestion at the AGM 2009 meeting re "member
advocate for each week".
5. The 2010 AGM in HALIFAX:
Venue: Lord Nelson Hotel
Rooms at $169 per night, holding 8
rooms
Saturday: 9am to 12:00: MAC meeting
Need to contact the Sally-Ann Kyle
regarding a sales presentation
Need to contact Tourism regarding
their presentation
TENTATIVE Agenda (Not yet finalized)
9 to 12:00: MAC Meeting
1:30 to 3:30 AGM: Tentative Agenda:
Report from Outgoing
Chairman
Treasurer report
Elections update
Communications
Committee Reports
Q and A
3:30 to 4: Reception for guests
4:00: SGC presentation
4:30: Bermuda Tourism presentation
ACTION
Need information communicated to members about the Halifax Meeting, (with
or without incentive from the club), list of activities, and attractions. What
would attract people to come to Halifax for other activities? Elaine Gordon
will continue to co-ordinate the organization of the Halifax AGM.
6. DISCUSSION of the MAC 2010 ELECTION
Deadline to receive nominations: July
5
Voting: During August
ACTION:
Send email to members and post on
the MAC web site a request for those interested in serving on the MAC with a preamble
explaining what the MAC is and is not plus its responsibilities.
Keep the current 200 word max to address specific questions:
1. Why
do you want to serve?
2. What
skills to you bring?
3. What
would like to accomplish for the SGC?
4. What
attracted you to the St. Georges Club itself?
ACTION:
Ryan Brown and Mike Stoudt will
inform MAC regarding the details
Quotes have been obtained by Ryan
regarding electronic voting and email services.
1. BIG
PULSE
$1,840 for unlimited elections for 1,700 people, managed by the MAC, with no
postal mailing or support services.300.
2. ELECTION
TRUST
2700 voters: email ballots to those weeks for which we have e-mail addresses plus
mail out to persons who do not have email address. All voting to occur
electronically, $1350 to run election for 30 days including technical support
for voter questions and certification of results within 24 days after election
is closed.
?
7. DISCUSSION OF MAC COMMUNICATIONS
with MEMBERS
We need to obtain the Club's email
list to facilitate quarterly communications with our members. Two companies
being considered for e-mail, one company for postal mail.
1. CONSTANT
CONTACT
2500 to 5000 e-mail addresses; $420 per year for unlimited mailings. Feedback
with users who open the email, deliverability to get through spam, and valid
addresses. Have to update the emails.
2. GET
RESULTS
Comparable pricing and features to Constant Contact, but also includes
unlimited surveys so that a short survey could be included in the e-mail to
members.
3. Click2Mail
Upload a mailing list and a
document. Click2Mail, affiliated with the US Postal Service, will print and
mail to any address in the world. Example pricing:
- Double sided letter (8.5" x 11") self-mailer in Black & White
(2 pages total):
$0.55 per US address, printed and
mailed
$1.07 per International address,
printed and mailed.
- Double sided letter (8.5" x
11") self-mailer in Black & White (4 pages total):
$0.63 per International address,
printed and mailed.
$1.15 per International address,
printed and mailed.
This translates into approximately $4,780/year to mail a 2-page mailer to 1,200
USA and 500 international recipients four times per year.
No easy survey feature. No statistics on the number of people who read the
newsletter.
NOTE: A hybrid strategy may be
best: mail to those people for whom we do not have e-mail addresses,
encouraging them to provide their e-mail, and e-mail those for whom we do have
addresses.
The MAC will need access to e-mail
addresses in addition to postal addresses to effectuate this communication
strategy.
ACTION:
Ryan Brown will make contact with
John Kyle, regarding the postal mail and email list for electronic voting and
communications to the members, and get final quote from Election Trust company.
8. DISCUSSION of the INDEMNITY
ISSUE
Preamble: Developer has disclaimed
its responsibility to provide indemnification, contrary to the provision in the
MAC Bylaws.
Options therefore appear to be:
1. Immunity
in the Tourism Regulations
2. Immunity
in the Timeshare Act itself
3. Explore
other options
4. Obtain
Indemnity from members
Suggested wording for communication
of this topic to the general membership. (newsletter, web)
"It has been
brought to our attention that the indemnity provision that is in the MAC
by-laws is not effective."
9. DISCUSSION of PREPARING A
REPORT FOR TOURISM
1. Send
Tourism a copy of the same suggestions we send to the Developer and SGC
Management.
2. Cover
letter explaining that we are keeping Tourism in the loop in accordance with
the Time Share act. Use direct quote in the cover letter of the statement found
in the time share act regarding MAC's interface with Tourism..
10. Miscellaneous points made
during the last portion of the meeting.
- Let us capitalize on our current
good relations with Tourism.
- Emphasize that much of our
deliberation today comes from the survey.
- Stage and categorize the draft advice
items as: easy, moderate, difficult.
Send our suggestions to the manager
and developer first, asking for feedback and/or response within 2 weeks, so we
can send a final version on to our members in a timely fashion. The covering
letter to tourism will indicate that this is a copy of the reports sent first
to Sally-Ann Kyle, which would be sent also to the members.
11. ?Next MAC Meeting
Aug 21, 2010 by
conference call: Meeting, 9AM EDT to 1 pm EDT.
ADJOURNMENT
at 4:30PM