VMI Alumni annual meeting retreat 5-6 May 2023 - Lexington, Virginia

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Come out to join fellow alumni in Lexington before this year's annual meeting!  Talk over issues and just have fun!
 
According to the notice published online by the Alumni Agencies, the Annual Meeting of the Members of the VMI Alumni Association, Inc. is to be held on 6 May 2023 beginning at 8:00 a.m. in the Moody Hall Activities Room. At the meeting, members will vote on nominations to serve on the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

IN CASE YOU DO NOT KNOW, several years ago the Alumni Association Board took away your right to vote by proxy. You must now be PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN LEXINGTON AT THE MEETING TO VOTE! 

ALSO NOTE that the Annual Membership meeting starts at 8:00 AM so unless you already live in Lexington you'll likely have to arrive the night prior!

Meeting Location:
Conference facility*
Best Western Plus Inn at Hunt Ridge
25 Willow Springs Rd,
Lexington, VA 24450

Wifi will be available for the conference.

Attendance options:
• Preference is for in-person attendance in all activities/meetings.
• We are working to have virtual online attendance capabilities for both the 5 May pre-alumni association annual meeting event and the follow-on post meeting “hot wash” on the 6th – Details on how to log in to those virtual events will follow.
• We know of no plan by the Alumni Agencies to allow members to attend the 6 May Meeting itself virtually.

Accommodations:
We have a relatively small block of rooms reserved at the Best Western, BUT THEY ARE GOING FAST!
To reserve a room call: (540) 464-1500
Ask for a room blocked by “The Cadet Foundation”

There are other rooms available in the area, such as the Abigail Inn, etc. If you need suggestions on where to stay, contact Bob Morris at: BobM@caihq.com

Meals:
We will work meal options with the group on arrival 5 May

Agenda:

May 5, 2023
• 1200 – 1300 - Lunch
     o Welcome and Introductions.
     o Overview and update on the tenets we advocate for our efforts.
     o Provide info on how other Virginia college alumni groups are working to increase the role and governance over school activities by Alumni, as well as their efforts to foster transparency, participation, freedom of expression and viewpoint diversity.
    o An Introduction to the Alumni Free Speech Alliance.
    o Introduce an initiative for direct connection to cadets through a joint alumni-cadet advisory and working group.

• 1300 – 1315 – Break

• 1315 – 1345 – Presentation and dialogue on Inclusive Excellence (DEI, DOI, etc.) at VMI and its impact on the Ratline, Class System, Honor System, etc., followed by a talk on VMI recruiting, budget projections, BOV status and leadership.

• 1345 – 1400 – Break

• 1400 – Completion – Presentation on, and facilitated dialogue about, the Alumni Association and preparation for the 6 May 2023 Annual Membership Meeting:
   o Class of ’74 initiatives to re-direct their 50th reunion gift to the Cadet Foundation vice the Alumni Association (facts and status).
   o Continuing Alumni Disenfranchisement by the Alumni Association.
   o Issues with Alumni Association Board position nominations, selection, and elections, and suppression of Member voting and other rights.
   o Expansion of alumni voting (Improved notification requirements, nominations, etc.).
   o Access to the VMIAA membership contact database for all Members.
   o Questions for presentation to the Alumni Association at the Annual meeting occurring the next morning.

Dinner – TBD

Evening facilitated dialogue – TBD – until completion.
   o   Engagement with the Youngkin administration and others.
   o   Status of lawsuits.
   o   Open topics by participants.

May 6, 2023

0800 – completion

o   Attend the VMI AA Annual Membership Meeting
o   Present issues and questions.

o   Address concerns with voting, slate selection, etc.

TBD - Following the Annual Members Meeting in Moody, Hall, adjourn to “our” meeting space for a hotwash of what has just occurred during the annual event (location still TBD)

   o   Good/Bad assessment.
   o   Way forward and actions.
   o  Next event options and planning.

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ALUMNI AGENCIES AND VMI:

In response to a suggestion that we have a set of prioritized questions prepared in advance to ask in person at the General Membership Meeting. we are collecting inputs. We’ll cover and prioritize proposed questions during the 5 May 2023 pre-event session, once they have been consolidated. Potential questions for presentation to the AA Board can run the entire gammet of concerns on the operations of the Alumni Agencies, to include financial, operational, policies, or other areas of practice.

PLEASE SUBMIT ANY QUESTIONS YOU WANT ASKED to MIKE STASO ’79 at: traveler790@hotmail.com

Submit the questions NLT 25 April to provide sufficient time for assessment of the content.

NOTE: This gathering of alumni is neither supported or endorsed by VMI or the VMI Alumni Agencies. It is planned, organized, and conducted completely by alumni with the sole purpose to bring alumni together in an open forum to address topics of interest and/or concern to us and to share in the VMI Spirit.

We look forward to your inputs and seeing you there!