AVOCA — Keeping up with business, VAS board members have met three times in two weeks.

The second meeting of the VAS Finance Committee was set for Tuesday night for their regular meeting to balance the checkbook and discuss finances. The first committee meeting, held last week, informed new board members about issues currently facing the board, including Richard Hurd’s request that VAS vacate the building on his land.

“We’re looking at different ways to eliminate overhead - having too many chiefs and not enough Indians,” Cris Henry, VAS board member. According to the existing bylaws, the board is required to meet no more than 10 days after election day to nominate and vote on officers.

Henry made the motion to nominate chairman Dorothy Williams to continue as chairman, himself as vice-chairman, Sharon Barnett as treasurer and Lee Ann Yates, who was not in attendance, as secretary.

Before the board voted, Henry added he would also be responsible for all public relations issues.

“Don’t misunderstand me, being the public relations guy as me being the only one that can talk to the public. I have some issues with one guy doing all the talking.

I want to be better about getting info to the public - good info, accurate, viable info ... We have to do better as a group than ever before,” Henry said.

“In the past year, it was not good at all. If it’s not working, change it.

One of VAS’s problems in the past year and a half has been communication,” Allen said.

Richard Wynne, who was not in attendance, was named president of the corporation and manager of day-to-day operations. Wynne meets the criteria to be president according to the bylaws, but there was some confusion about his roll.

“I’m not comfortable with Wynne doing it all ... that can limit checks and balances,” Allen said.

In clarification, new board member Richard Funk read through the bylaws.

“He has no voting rights and acts as an advisor to the board.

The only way he can act is through directive of the board. He doesn’t have responsibilities unless he’s given them,” Funk said.

Henry also suggested Wynne be the public information officer for the operations side of the business. Funk suggested that not happen, in order to eliminate confusion that may occur and Henry agreed.

In other business, the board:

◊ Approved Henry as vice-president of the corporation, Barnett as treasurer of the corporation and Yates as secretary of the corporation;

◊ Approved Henry, Barnett and Allen to the Finance Committee;

◊ Approved Henry, Funk and Andy Meeker to the Bylaws and Policy Committee;

◊ Approved Meeker, Yates and new member Bill Johnson, who was not in attendance to the Election Committee; and

◊ Approved Barnett, Yates, Meeker and Funk to the Fundraising Committee .

The next regular board meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb.

9. The meetings are open to the public.

News, Pages 1 on 02/03/2010