MMA Parents Association Meeting Minutes
February 25, 2006

Attendance:

• Officers: Karen White, Sandra Parker, Ann Prete, Harry Wood, James Parker
• Members: See list
• Academy Representative: Capt. Allen Hansen, VP Student Services

Welcome Intros

• Meeting was called to order at 6:00pm at Weary Traveler’s Club, MMAPA’s first dinner meeting held the night before Enterprise returned from Sea Term 2006. 67 members attended.

Treasurer’s Report

• Took in $23,907 certificates, cruise and raffle tickets, sun catcher and t-shirt sales etc.
• Expenses paid $8,250 for above supplies (cruise, Patriot tickets, t-shirts, suncatchers, etc.)
• Scholarship money awarded
• $6,000 to Sea Term 2006 (which was split up into 3 $2,000 scholarships)
• $500 Alex Haas Scholarship (awarded to a 4/c)

Admissions Liaison Report (Jim Parker)

• Looking for parents to volunteer in their home town high school college fairs spring or fall; if you are interested, please contact Jim Parker (j.h.parker@verizon.net) or Fuji (fuji@maritime.edu).
• Looking for parents to volunteer for May 13th, Spring Admissions Open House; if interested, contact Jim Parker.
• Looking for parents to volunteer for Welcome Aboard, Saturday, April 1st; if interested, contact Jim Parker. MMAPA will have an information table set up.

Certificates & Mugs – Available Sunday, March 12, 2006

• Certificates & mugs can be picked up on Sunday, March 12, 2006 from 1PM to 8PM in front of College Book Store. We will post names on parent’s website that need to retrieve.

Scholarships

• Awarded $6,000 to Sea Term 2006; divided into 3 $2,000 scholarships
• Awarded $500 to a 4/c in memory of Alex Haas

Officer Elections – 2006-2007

• Next meeting Friday, May 19th @ 7PM in Blinn Hall’s lecture room report on officer nominations. Interested candidates contact Karen White at gemati@msn.com. Positions to be elected include President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Admissions Liaison.

Other Business

• March 1st marks term end dates for Trustees Tierney and Roberts. MMAPA prepared a letter for parent’s signature to Governor Romney and Board of Higher Education reminding our leaders to follow through on new appointments. Since the Academy serves both men and woman the letter requested the Governor appoint women trustees to the board enhancing the Academy’s position on attracting female cadet candidates.
• A “Vote of Confidence” letter was prepared for parents signatures in support of Adm. Gurnon as President of the Academy and this administration’s policies. This letter was also mailed to Governor Romney and BHE members.
• Behavior, Anger, Alcohol and Drug (BAAD) Awareness Education Presentation. Karen White and Ann Prete provided a power point presentation on Alcohol and Drug abuse on college campuses across the country. Bad behavior is a direct result of bad decisions. Bad behavior is often ignited by anger. Research has shown that in both cases the actions have been fueled by alcohol or drugs. MMAPA is working with the Academy towards forming a Task Force comprised of members from administration, health services, faculty, staff, BOT, cadets, parents, alumni and community to develop an alcohol and drug awareness education program to be launched in the fall of 2006. We are seeking interested parents to serve on the task force. Contact Karen White gemati@msn.com if interested.

In Closing
This meeting marked the first ever MMAPA dinner meeting held the night before the Enterprise returned from Sea Term. 67 members attended this event and from the members present all enjoyed the evening. MMAPA plans to make this an annual event. Thank you to everyone who participated in making Academy history.

Vote of Confidence and Academy Board of Trustee letters to Governor Romney and Board of Higher Education are included in the meeting minutes along with a list of member attendees. Page down to continue. The Behavior Anger Alcohol Drug Awareness Education PowerPoint presentation is on the MMA parent’s website for your review. We welcome your comments, thoughts and recommendations on moving forward with a formal alcohol and drug awareness education program.

________________________________

101 Academy Drive, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts 02532

February 25, 2006

Governor Mitt Romney
State House
Office of the Governor
Room 360
Boston, MA 02133

Mr. Stephen Tocco
Chairman
Board of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place
Room 1401
Boston, MA 02108-1696

Judith I. Gill, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Board of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place
Room 1401
Boston, MA 02108-1696

Mr. Aaron Spencer
Vice-Chairman
Board of Higher Education
One Ashburton Place
Room 1401
Boston, MA 02108-1696

Re: Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Dear Chancellor Gill, Chairman Tocco, Vice-Chairman Spencer and Governor Romney,

We, the parents of Massachusetts Maritime Academy, support the Board of Higher Education’s decision to reinstate Adm. Gurnon as President of the Academy. Our signatures below show a vote of confidence for Adm. Gurnon as President. Our signatures signify our solidarity with entrusting our confidence in the current administration’s policies in the pursuit of making Massachusetts Maritime Academy the best maritime academy in the country.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Karen White, President
Mrs. Sandra Parker, Vice President
Ms. Ann Prete, Secretary
Mr. Harry Wood, Treasurer
Mr. James Parker, Admissions Liaison

________________________________

101 Academy Drive, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532

February 25, 2006

To: Governor Romney

Fr: Massachusetts Maritime Parents Association

cc: Dr. Judith Gill, Chancellor BHE, Mr. Stephen Tocco, Chairman,
Mr. Aaron Spencer, Vice Chairman, Ms. Kaitlin Yaremchuck, Gubernatorial Appointments

Re: Massachusetts Maritime Academy Board of Trustees

Dear Governor Romney,

December 15, 2006 marked a renewed beginning for Massachusetts Maritime Academy. On this day, the Board of Higher Education voted unanimously to reinstate Adm. Gurnon as President of the Academy. We applauded the Board of Higher Education for overruling the local board’s decision.

We welcomed Governor Romney’s immediate action appointing Trustees Dishner and Sinnott to the board in December 2005. We look to our leaders again for appointing two new trustees with the ending terms of Trustees Tierney and Roberts on March 1, 2006.

From your recent appointments to the Board of Higher Education, we remain encouraged you will appoint two new trustees to the Academy’s board. Where the Academy serves both men and women, adding women trustees to the board would greatly enhance the college’s position in attracting female cadet candidates to the Academy.

To all of our leaders of our beloved Academy, thank you for your dedicated support and public service to the best maritime academy in the country.