Annual Business Meeting

GRREAT Annual Business Meeting
Saturday, January 21, 2012 – 12pm until 2pm
Montgomery County Public Library - Davis Library
6400 Democracy Blvd.
Bethesda, MD 20817

Please consider attending GRREAT's Annual Business Meeting. This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet the GRREAT Board of Directors as well as other GRREAT members. You will learn about our 2011 activities, plans for 2012, and how GRREAT goes about the business of rescuing Golden Retrievers each year. However, dogs are not allowed at the meeting location.

Voting will be held for positions on the Board of Directors and for a revision of the GRREAT by-laws. Voting for candidates can be done via mail, while voting for by-laws must be done in person. See below for candidates and information on the by-law changes.

For those who are unable to attend, we will also be accepting ballots for board positions by US Mail this year. Please (1) review the voting eligibility rules, (2) download your ballot, and (3) mail it to:

The following members have accepted nominations to serve on the board. Please meet your candidates.

The primary reason I am interested in continuing as President of GRREAT is that I am passionate about the organization (and goldens, of course) and have long been interested in becoming more involved in GRREAT's day-to-day operations. When I was approaching retirement a few years ago, everyone wanted to know whether I was going to become a consultant. I always told them I wanted to spend more time helping to rescue golden retrievers... even though it does not pay as well!

GRREAT EXPERIENCE: I have been volunteering with GRREAT off and on since 2002 when I first applied to adopt a GRREAT dog. Since retiring, I have made GRREAT my primary volunteer activity. Specific contributions include:

As a result of these activities, I am familiar with many GRREAT procedures, policies, and people.

QUALIFICATIONS: As President of GRREAT, I believe I would contribute the following to the Board of Directors:

My organizational and leadership skills, ability to communicate and work well with others combined with my deep love of animals makes me a prime candidate for the GRREAT Vice President position. I am a hardworking, motivated candidate who will seamlessly assume the VP duties while continuing to volunteer for the organization wherever, and whenever possible. Those of us with dogs know that they surround us with endless love, companionship, and warmth. As a rescue organization, GRREAT offers those qualities with each dog they have for adoption. I will work with the GRREAT team to market and relay that feeling so that all of our dogs continue to be placed into loving, forever homes. Additionally, my community ties and familiarity with the DC/Northern VA/Maryland area present unique opportunities for outreach and support, providing new ideas to help GRREAT thrive.

Who am I? Why do I want this position? I am an animal loving, married, working professional who has been in the Northern VA/DC area for over six years. I have a Bachelor’s in Information Technology, and a Master’s Degree in Information Technology Management and Security. I have been an IT professional for the past eight years, and I am currently an Associate with Booz Allen Hamilton. My work primarily focuses on managing national security cyber-intelligence as it relates to federal law enforcement. It is difficult, challenging, but rewarding work that requires dedication and diligence. Thankfully, my job affords me the time and flexibility to engage in outside activities, and encourages volunteering and community involvement. My past community involvement includes mentoring/tutoring at DC public elementary schools, volunteering at hospitals, and assisting in animal rescue fundraisers.

I live in Northern VA with my husband and animals. Or do we live with them? I never can tell! My motivation to obtain the GRREAT VP position is driven by my appreciation of all animals and my desire to help them, especially dogs. My husband and I adopted Molly from GRREAT in April 2010 and she has been a wonderful addition to our family of 1 other Golden (Oliver) and a rescued cat. Our animals are the best part of every day. The unconditional love that I have for them, and that they have for me is difficult to put into words. I remain eternally grateful to GRREAT for being the fortunate family chosen to welcome Molly into our home. I have volunteered at several GRREAT events over the past few years, which have only strengthened my interest in the organization and my desire to help. Molly and Oliver have volunteered as well! They were donation dogs at the pet expo in Chantilly, VA last March.

Aside from having the availability required to hold a GRREAT board position, I am able to address matters effectively, efficiently, and with the utmost care, consideration, and respect to both animals and humans alike. I hope you consider me for the VP position on the GRREAT board. My energy, willingness to help, and love for the cause will be evident in each task I address.

Richard is pleased to be nominated for the Vice President position. In addition to having been a home inspector for GRREAT for sometime now, the proud owner of a wonderfully loving Golden, and a general lover of animals, Richard seeks to bring to the Board new energy, fresh ideas, reliability and some degree of expertise and resourcefulness. As an attorney, he has volunteered his services to pet owners facing the threat of losing their pets, including resolving disputes with neighbors involving dogs with separation anxiety, as well as getting 'kennel permits' for people who had too many pets but did not realize it was a zoning code violation. He brings his resourcefulness and education and looks forward to assisting adopters, fosters and volunteers with any as a network of friends and colleagues in various other rescues with an impressive transport system throughout the North East. In sum, he is eager to take on "grreat"-er responsibility to help the breed which has done so much to brighten his life.

I have volunteered with GRREAT since 2001, first as a Foster Home and more recently as Membership Coordinator. I am as they say a “failed Foster Home,” having adopted six of my foster dogs. In my current role as Membership Coordinator, which includes managing our GRREAT database, I support not only our internal Board members and Team Coordinators but also our external members and volunteers. This experience has given me a broad knowledge of and appreciation for the organizational requirements and processes necessary to successfully fulfill our mission to rescue Goldens.

As a recent retiree, I have over 40 years of professional experience in both commercial and not-for-profit organizations, supporting primarily the Federal Government and NATO. My experience includes standing-up commercial and governmental offices, establishing operational policies and procedures, staffing and staff management, budgeting, acquisition and contracting, program management, requirements analysis, risk analysis, and computer systems implementation. I have worked with various national and international organizations throughout my career, published 26 research papers, and am certified as a Project Management Professional.

I hope to leverage my professional and volunteer experience through continued support to GRREAT and our mission to find forever homes for our wonderful rescued Goldens.

Voting membership is given to those GRREAT members who have volunteered at least 20 hours of service during a year. Elected officers and appointed coordinators and administrators are automatically considered voting members as their positions require more than 20 hours of service annually.

For other volunteers, hours accumulated in the past or current calendar year are considered valid for voting purposes. Each member keeps track of his/her volunteer hours.

Fostering one dog	10 hours
Fostering a second dog during same year	10 hours
Attend/volunteer at a GRREAT function (maximum of 4 functions to be tabulated, including Adoption Days, Picnic, Winter Party, Microchip Clinics, Fundraisers, Education Booths)	5 hours
Transport a dog (maximum of 4 to be tabulated, including shelter pickups, vet trips, owner give-ups, adoption and foster home transport)	5 hours
Chair an appointed committee or function	10 hours
Active assistant to a coordinator	10 hours
Home Check (maximum of 4 per calendar year)	5 hours

The Annual Meeting agenda will include adoption of revisions and updates to GRREAT’s Constitution and Bylaws, which have remained mostly unchanged since inception. The Board of Directors recommends that members vote YES to approve the proposed, revised documents at the January 21, 2012 Annual Meeting.

Since the proposed amendments amount to substantial rearrangement and revisions, the main changes are summarized here.

Constitution
Addition of a preamble and Section 5 regarding GRREAT’s geographical area.

Bylaws
Article II: Elimination of dues waiver for Board members and certain volunteers.
Article III: Definition of a quorum, reference to Robert’s Rules of Order, establishment of quarterly Board meetings.
Article IV: Adds procedure for appointment of non-elected Board members, Board vacancies to be filled until replaced member’s term expires rather than until next election.
Article V: Clarification of procedures regarding disciplining members.
Article VI: NEW, deals with disciplining and removal of Board members under certain circumstances. This process did not previously exist.
Article VII: Deals with amending bylaws.

Should you have any questions or comments prior to the Annual Meeting you may address them to Robert Moore, education@grreat.org