Third Quarter Board Meeting Highlights
Third Quarter Board Meeting Highlights
Below you will find highlights from the AMHA Board of Directors Third Quarter Meeting which took place via ZOOM video conference on Saturday, August 8, 2020. Following the meeting highlights are the “Regional Reports” from your directors.
Meeting Minutes: Meeting minutes from the meeting held on July 6, 2020 were approved and are now posted for your review on the Members Only side of the website here: https://www.morganhorse.com/members/minutes/. (Minutes are posted to this web page once they are formally approved by the BOD or the corresponding committee.)
President’s Report: President C.A. Lee, III provided the President’s report that included updates on many items. The Joint Leadership Council has continued to be very busy in the middle of the pandemic addressing current challenges. The Grand National has been meeting bi-weekly to concentrate efforts on the ever-changing data and is doing everything possible to move forward with the best possible offering this year. The Board reviewed and approved some minor tweaks to the AMHA logo (moving the mane from the wrong side, defining the ear, etc.). Steven Epperson was nominated and approved to serve as a Trustee to the Cynthia Elaine Epperson Trust Board. The current status of the Bennett litigation was also provided. While the court has dismissed the claim, the plaintiff has the right to appeal and AMHA is currently reviewing options on seeking relief from attorney fees.
AMHECT Report: It was noted that the AMHECT Board of Trustees met on June 25, 2020 when they reviewed and approved the 2019 Audit presented by McSoley, McCoy and Company. They reviewed financial reports through May 31, 2020 as well as the fund balances including the Grand National Horse Show accounts as of June 22, 2020. The Trustees were provided with a copy of the complaint filed with the IRS by former AMHA Director Victoria Bennett. The Trustees sent a copy of the complaint to McSoley, McCoy and Company for their official review and follow up. Updating the AMHECT website is a current project for the Trustees and will be reviewed shortly. The Trustees voted to accept prints from the Sam Savitt Estate which he titled “Horse Breed Series – The Morgan Horse” done in 1971 for fundraising purposes.
AMHA Staff Report: Both the Morgan Horse Magazine Editor, Stephen Kinney and the Executive Director, Carrie Mortensen provided staff reports to the Board.
Stephen reported the statistics on each of the magazine issues that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Loss of advertising due to the cancellation of many shows has GREATLY affected the budget. At a previous meeting, the Board agreed to move forward with the printing of each issue as long as revenue exceeded expense. The magazine team has been very creative in keeping the publication in print and while we are thrilled to maintain the printing for our subscribers, the overall AMHA budget will suffer significant shortfalls in previously expected revenue.
Carrie gave a report on the physical closing of the Vermont office which occurred on August 6, 2020. The Registry Representative position in Kentucky has been filled and the in-house accountant position will be back effective August 31, 2020. Due to the need to possibly adjust another version of the 2020 budget and due to the transition of the Vermont office to Kentucky, the 2021 Budget draft will be presented at the Fourth Quarter meeting in November. At the time of the meeting, several members have requested nomination materials to have their name on the ballot for the 2021 Election, but the office has not received any completed forms back yet. The deadline for nominations is October 1, 2020. Lastly, the Board granted permission to have staff move forward with the printing of the Fall/Winter NETWORK newsletter.
Registry: Please click here to view the statistics reported by the Registrar through July 31, 2020.
As of August 1, 2020, there were 293 registration applications pending completion. Of these, 124 are for 2020 foals, 85 are for 2019 foals, 26 are for 2018 foals, 18 are for 2017 foals, and 40 are for horses foaled in 2016 and prior. The oldest horse was foaled in 1999. These figures are by the year foaled, not by when they were received.
Bylaws: The Bylaws Committee continues to work on a variety of items but are limited in scope on items that require legal review since the budget is so tight at this time. Some of the projects being handled include establishing a written policy regarding the use of the AMHA membership list, further researching the value of possible incorporation in the State of Kentucky, options to raise the number of board members from 9 to 11, and strengthening the current AMHA Bylaws in regards to Indemnification of Officers and Directors and Hearings processes. It was also noted that AMHA has been in complete compliance with Section 3.6 of AMHA Bylaws pertaining to the retention of voting records and the posting of the voters' list to the members only side of the website (posted since March 24, 2020 as required).
Finance: Fund Balances as of July 26, 2020 were reported as follows below.
$252,295.99 Registry Trust
$96,625.33 Epperson Trust
$277,725.37 Museum Endowment
$8,650.43 van Schaik Dressage
$69,309.09 Rainy Day/Contingency Fund
$6,970.41 Youth Council Fund
$9,009.03 Medal Scholarship Fund
$2,580.74 Museum’s Dupont Restricted Fund
$6,693.47 Museum’s Operating Account
$359,960.22 AMHA’s Operating Account
Special Committee Reports: The Board received reports from the Special Committees and some of the highlights included:
Welfare & Rescue Committee Chair, Kelly Kraegel reported on the successful launch of the Full Circle Angels program and the dedicated Facebook page. The Committee has done quite a bit of work in the short time they have been formed and are excited to continue to assist in this area of need. Check out the Full Circle Angel program on the AMHA website here or visit the newly formed Full Circle Program Facebook page here.
Highlights were read from the amazing report received by the AMHA Youth Committee which has been significantly active in updating the Horsemastership Program (into the new MERIT program). In addition to these great upgrades, the Youth Council has been tremendously busy with monthly meetings, special events, educational sessions, AND fundraising for AMHA by successfully selling Youth Council water bottles! This is a BUSY group. Plans are underway to hold the 2020 Youth of the Year Contest virtually. This group has been very creative to make this amazing event as special as ever during these challenging times. They are still working on obtaining pictures/videos for the judging portion of the contest – if you can help, please contact Nikki Scovotti at nicole@morganhorse.com.
Old Business: A brief update was provided on the status of the Morgan Stronger campaign to raise funds to offset losses expected from the COVID-19 crisis, etc. It appears that many members thought that the membership form included was the “renewal” form for 2021 when it was in fact for use by those who may not have renewed yet for 2020. However, donations are also being received and the website is being updated with the names of those supporters. The Board discussed ways to keep the campaign at the forefront of the members’ minds.
New Business: Discussion was held regarding various options for the 2021 Annual Membership Meeting in lieu of travel challenges due to COVID-19. The Board will further discuss those options and establish a plan at the September 14, 2020 meeting.
At the April meeting, the Board had put the majority of all programs and awards on hiatus for 2020 in order to be fiscally responsible and manage the budget. After much review, it was determined to only award the Hall of Fame awards for 2020 and then resume all AMHA Honor Awards with the 2021 calendar year.
The Board approved the Judges & Professionals Committee recommendation to hold judges schools in 2020 in conjunction with the UPHA Annual Meeting/Convention (if held, for Large ‘R’ judges only) and for applicants, small ‘r’ judges and Large ‘R’ judges at the 2021 Gold Cup Horse Show. A second school will be offered but will be announced at a later date as to where and when it will be offered.
The Board reviewed a couple of member suggestions/requests before adjournment.
Next Meetings: Upcoming Board Meetings are scheduled as shown below:
- Monday, September 14, 2020 at 7:00 PM Eastern
- Fourth Quarter, Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 12:00 PM Eastern
AMHA Board Meetings are open to members and guests and the Directors encourage members to participate.
Any questions regarding these highlights can be directed to AMHA Executive Director, Carrie J. Mortensen at execdir@morganhorse.com or (802) 985-4944, Ext. 201.
EASTERN REGION REPORT
Greetings from the Eastern Region!
As we all make the best of these challenging times, we hope this meeting update finds you all safe and in good health. Like so many of us, AMHA has limited all meetings for 2020 to the virtual platform Zoom. This does come with an upside. Our meetings are more accessible than ever before. We hope you will take the time to join us at our next quarterly meeting in November. We are just a couple of clicks away!
Many of you in the Eastern Region have had the opportunity to get back to competition in the last few weeks. We are happy to see things coming together with our Morgan family working together to stay safe and strong.
Highlights of our full meeting are above. Minutes of all meetings can be found in the AMHA Members section of www.MorganHorse.com.
We are thrilled to let you know all members will soon be receiving a copy of The Morgan Horse® in their mailbox. For September, we decided to combine our efforts with the AMHECT/WMF Stallion Service Auction catalog and produce a flip version of the magazine. This is a perfect time for each member to see the first-class publication produced eight times a year showcasing the Morgan breed’s diversity.
When you get your copy of the magazine, be sure to check out the incredible stallions in this year’s Stallion Service Auction! You can also go to https://www.morganhorse.com/media-events/service-auction/ to bid and help keep our Morgan breed strong. The auction generates a huge amount of support for the Morgan breed - it funds AMHA marketing efforts, promotes and encourages breeding through the World Morgan Futurity and provides grants to Regional shows.
But, don’t stop there. Let’s continue working together and make the Morgan horse stronger than ever. We invite you all to do your part by doing one or more of the following:
Renew your 2020 membership or purchase a membership for someone in your family or circle of friends.
Subscribe or renew your subscription to The Morgan Horse® magazine or purchase one for your local library, school, or other horse lover you know.
Advertise in The Morgan Horse® magazine. Upcoming issues will cover a wide array of topics. Find one you like and be a part of it!
Donate to our Morgan Stronger Campaign. Any amount of support makes a difference. Go to: https://my.morganhorse.com/Shop/Make-a-Contribution (Log In, Go to “Shop,” Make a Contribution, Select MORGAN STRONGER CAMPAIGN)
We hope you all stay safe, stay strong, and continue to enjoy your Morgan horses. We can do this! We are #MorganStrong.
C.A. Lee, III
Steven Handy
Kate Kirsch
CENTRAL REGION REPORT
Bob Dylan wrote “the times they are a changing” in 1964. This is more than applicable in 2020.
Our way of life has been inextricably altered these last few months. A virus has thrown fear into the entire world, changing what we do and how we do it.
Our equine endeavors have either been canceled or severely altered this year and may be for some time to come. The few competitions that have occurred look much different than we are used to seeing. Every Fair we know of has been canceled. Gatherings of friends can’t occur as they did.
This pandemic has placed severe restrictions on the Morgan breed and others. Several competitions have gone on in our region, while others have all been canceled, or cannot be traveled to due to restrictions.
We have Jubilee in Springfield, IL and Morgan Grand National in OKC yet to come in the Central Region. Even if restrictions will prevent many from attending in person, we can cheer everyone on at them via live streaming this year.
The AMHA offices are completely moved to Kentucky, but several of the employees are still working remotely.
The Morgan breed (as well as all other breeds and discipline organizations) has had its financial situation strained by the pandemic as well as a legal battle. It is paramount that everything that can be done be done to continue to allow AMHA and the Morgan horse to survive. We ask you to do whatever you can to help keep “#Morgan Strong.”
Kris Breyer
Harlan Grunden
Kelly Kraegel
WESTERN REGION REPORT
Greetings to all Western Region AMHA Members,
The AMHA Board met via Zoom last Saturday, August 8, 2020. Ideally it would have been held at our new office in Lexington, KY but, because of the COVID-19 virus and financial hardship the meeting was held as mentioned. The standing committees also held their meetings via Zoom during the week prior to the Board Meeting.
The most discussed topic was finance. We were tasked with reviewing the current budget and making adjustments that the Finance Committee recommended. Unfortunately, there are just some things that have been put on hold until further notice. There are many obstacles right now. It makes it difficult to achieve many of the goals AMHA would like to achieve.
The new campaign #Morganstronger was discussed and so far, there has been great response. All members received a letter explaining the campaign and what the perks were if you were a large sponsor. We so far have two sponsors to name a room with their farm name, personal name or tribute. This is a donate what you can and feel comfortable giving campaign. Any amount is appreciated and will help AMHA to bridge the gap in our income deficit for 2020. The board feels strongly about this and we all have committed ourselves to give what we can, to help as a show of unity. More about this at www.morganhorse.com.
A condensed version of what happened at the meeting is embedded above.
Good News! Even though most of our shows here in the Western Region including our two regionals have been cancelled, there were two shows that did survive. One new and one almost new show managed to please exhibitors by putting on a show. The Silicon Valley Horse Show and MMC Horse Show respectively. Two ladies, Helen Vydra Roy and Stacy Hennessey refused to give up. Each with their own worker bee crew managed to have a safe, mask-wearing no spectator show that pleased all exhibitors. Yes, you read that right, no spectators at any show. Part of the new normal. The Silicon Valley Horse Show was a repeat from last year but the MMC Horse Show was a new show and a condensed version of the Morgan Medallion Charity Horse Show. No regional, no medallions but a horse show. Everybody was happy to be able to show their horses even if there were no spectators.
The Morgan Medallion Charity Regional Horse Show and the C-Fair Charity Regional Horse Show will both be back next year. In the meantime, thank you to all the unnamed worker bees, volunteers and sponsors who helped to make both these shows a success. It was greatly appreciated.
Terri Sturm is running for reelection. Please support her in this endeavor. Terri has been an absolutely perfect addition to our Board that last 3 years. Let’s make it another 3 years.
Mari Sanderson is announcing that she will not be running for another term. Her term ends early 2022. She is giving ample notice (1 ½ years) so anyone who wishes to run, has time to fulfill the requirements. The requirements can be found on the Members’ Only Side of the Website at https://www.morganhorse.com/members/election/.
If you have no agenda but want to do what is best for the Morgan Horse, want the satisfaction of helping to contribute to that cause and want to give unselfishly of your time, being a Director is for you. If you want to have the time of your life, this is for you. If you want to make new friends, enjoy your established friends, this is for you. Yes, it’s work, but it’s gratifying work. I will always appreciate the experience. Think about it folks.
Stay safe remaining #MorganStrong.
Mari Sanderson
Terri Sturm
Dallas Bolen