New York State Court Reporters Association
NYSCRA MEETING MINUTES OF 5/27/08
DONE BY TELECONFERENCE
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 5:50 P.M.
ROLL CALL: JEAN H. BESKIN, STEVE ZINONE, JENNIFER BUCCHERI, LORI STRONG, MARY JO DEAN, KERRY MEEGAN, JOHN PISANO, ADAM ALWEIS, BILL GENNARO, ANTHONY FRISOLONE, MICHELLE HOUSTON, ALAN BOWIN, JAMES ALLOCCA, ELLEN CRUZ
ALSO PRESENT: LARRY DONNELLY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
BRIAN DIGIOVANNA, PRESIDENT OF ASSOCIATION OF SURROGATE'S AND SUPREME COURT REPORTERS
MOTION TO DISPENSE OF THE READING OF THE PRIOR MINUTES
MOTION MADE BY KERRY MEEGAN
ADAM ALWEIS SECONDED THE MOTION
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
STUDENT SEMINAR GIVEN BY ANTHONY FRISOLONE TOOK PLACE ON FEBRUARY 16, 2008 AT THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN BROOKLYN, AND 41 STUDENTS ATTENDED. ANTHONY GAVE A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION. VERY IMPRESSIVE. THE FOOD EXPENSE WAS NOMINAL. THERE WERE TWO SPONSORS THAT PAID FOR IT. ANTHONY IS TRYING TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER SEMINAR FOR THE STUDENTS IN THE FALL.
JEAN REPORTED THAT SHE ATTENDED NCRA'S ANNUAL BOOT CAMP IN FEBRUARY. DON TURSI WAS ALSO PRESENT, FEDERAL REPORTER ( PRESIDENT OF USCRA). MELISSA BLAKE WAS ALSO PRESENT. SHE IS FROM ALFRED STATE. THEY WERE EACH GIVEN PACKETS TO GIVE TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF NEW YORK STATE WHICH TOTALED 34.
IN ADDITION TO MEETING WITH SENATOR CLINTON AND SENATOR SCHUMER'S OFFICES, THEY WERE ABLE TO HAND OUT PACKETS REGARDING THE BILL BEING LOBBIED TO ALL OF THE REPS' OFFICES. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS BILL HAS BEEN PRESENTED. IT INVOLVES GRANT MONEY FOR TRAINING OF REPORTERS FOR CAPTIONING FOR HEARING-IMPAIRED AND RETRAINING OF COURT REPORTERS INTO CAPTIONING.
CONVENTION OF 2008. WE MAY BE LOOKING AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER OF '08. LOOKING AT THE NASSAU BAR ASSOCIATION AS AN IDEA. NATE SMITH FROM GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OF NCRA WOULD BE ATTENDING. JUST TRYING TO GET SOME DATES TOGETHER. HE IS ALSO ON THE E.R. TASK FORCE FOR NCRA.
JEAN ALSO WOULD LIKE TO START DISCUSSING THE TWO PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO ATTEND NCRA'S BOOT CAMP OF 2009. WE WILL FIND OUT THE EXACT DATES OF THE EVENT AND START GETTING TOGETHER WHO ON THE BOARD WILL BE ATTENDING.
TREASURER'S REPORT
TO BE SUBMITTED
MEMBERSHIP REPORT
LARRY REPORTS THAT THERE ARE 598 MEMBERS
25 MEMBERS DOWN FROM 2007
THERE ARE 80 OR 85 MEMBERS FROM LAST YEAR THAT DID NOT JOIN THIS YEAR
WE ARE DISCUSSING ANOTHER MAILING.
(MORE DISCUSSION DURING NEW BUSINESS)
VOTE ON LIFETIME MEMBERS
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KENNETH H. CREWELL, JR. MEMBER SINCE 1973 (FEDERAL REPORTER) |
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THOMAS MULDOWNEY (RETIRED) WESTERN NEW YORK |
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DORIS SCHLAMOWITZ, MEMBER SINCE 1/1/74 |
MOTION TO VOTE THEM IN AS LIFETIME MEMBERS WAS MADE BY STEVE ZINONE
MOTION SECONDED BY ADAM ALWEIS
MOTION CARRIED - NO OPPOSITION
NEW BUSINESS
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MANDATORY CSR FOR FREELANCERS
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SOME DISCUSSION REGARDING REGULATION ON FREELANCE REPORTERS |
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LORI STRONG MENTIONED THAT SHE, AS WELL AS ANTHONY FRISOLONE, ARE ON THE CSR BOARD. IF WE NEED TO LOOK INTO INFORMATION REGARDING THIS, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO HELP. |
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STEVE ZINONE MENTIONED CONTACTING GEORGIA TO DISCUSS THEIR EXPERIENCE. MAY WANT TO REACH OUT TO THE NCSA LISTSERVE. GET SOME RESOURCES FROM THEM ON HOW TO GO FORWARD. |
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BILL GENNARO (GOOD IDEA TO MAYBE CONTACT TEXAS) THEY PASSED MANDATORY CSR ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO. |
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STEVEN, ALAN AND JOHN WILL BE STARTING A COMMITTEE WITH REGARD TO THIS ISSUE. QUESTIONABLE AS OF YET WHO MAY NOT WANT THIS ON THE AGENCIES' END |
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NEW BROCHURE
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ADAM - VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING A NEW BROCHURE HIGHLIGHTING OUR ROLE AS A STATE ASSOCIATION. HOPEFULLY TRYING TO INCREASE MEMBERSHIP. WE NEED A NEW MARKETING STRATEGY. WHY TO BECOME A MEMBER? MAYBE A QUESTION AND ANSWER BROCHURE THAT WE AS A GROUP WOULD CREATE. POSITIVE REASONS WHY ACTIVE REPORTERS AND STUDENTS (NOT ONLY IN SCHOOL BUT GRADUATING) SHOULD BECOME MEMBERS OF THEIR STATE ASSOCIATION, NOT JUST NATIONAL. |
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ALAN MADE GOOD POINTS REGARDING THE STATE BACKING BILL TO STOP E.R. IN STATE AND CITY COURTS. POSITIVE REASON TO BECOME A MEMBER. NYSCRA BELIEVES IN OUR METHOD OF WRITING AND STRESSING THAT POINT. |
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ADAM ALWEIS WILL HEAD UP THIS COMMITTEE WITH STEVE ZINONE. BROCHURE WOULD BE INEXPENSIVE, BUT A MAILING MAY ALSO BE A WAY TO GO |
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WE, AGAIN, SHOULD GET A LIST OF NAMES FROM LARRY REGARDING MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT RENEWED THEIR MEMBERSHIP. |
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TRAINING PROGRAMS MAY HELP IF GIVEN BY THE ASSOCIATION SOME INCENTIVES FOR NEW MEMBERS MAY BE A WAY TO RAISE MEMBERSHIP TABLED THE DISCUSSION ON WHETHER TO MAKE SOME REVISIONS ON THE HORIZON SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
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BILL IN LEGISLATION TO STOP ELECTRONIC RECORDING IN SPECIFIED COURTS
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BRIAN DIGIOVANNA WAS PRESENT. HE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SURROGATE'S AND SUPREME COURT REPORTERS (ASSCR) HE WENT OVER THE LEGISLATION WITH US THAT IS BEING PUT FORWARD BY STATE SENATOR DEFRANCISCO. |
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HE DISCUSSED WITH US THE KEY POINTS THAT ARE BEING MADE. HE WOULD LIKE OUR FULL SUPPORT AS AN ASSOCIATION. |
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MOTION MADE TO SUPPORT THE BILL BY KERRY MEEGAN |
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JAMES ALLOCCA SECONDED THAT MOTION |
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WE DECIDED WE WILL WRITE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE BILL. SHOULD SEND LETTERS TO SENATOR JOHN DEFRANCISCO AND HELENE WEINSTEIN BILL GENNARO THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE LETTERS SENT AS WELL FROM THE SCHOOLS. VERY GOOD IDEA. SCHOOLS COULD REINFORCE THE IDEA THAT THE PREVENTION OF E.R. EXPANDING COULD HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE COURT REPORTING INDUSTRY. SCHOOL LETTERS ARE A VERY GOOD IDEA. |
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2009 INCREASE BYLAWS
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VOTE ON RAISING THE DUES FOR 2009 |
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RAISING ACTIVE DUES TO $125 |
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TWO-YEAR MEMBERSHIP STAYS THE SAME AT $215 |
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ASSOCIATE MEMBER RAISED TO $100 |
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TWO-YEAR MEMBERSHIP FOR ASSOCIATE MEMBER $170 |
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STUDENT MEMBERSHIP RAISED TO $50 |
A MOTION FOR THE RAISE WAS MADE BY STEVE ZINONE
JOHN PISANO SECONDED THE MOTION
MOTION CARRIED
SLATE OF OFFICERS
ANTHONY WILL COMMENCE WITH PREPARING THE SLATE FOR THE NEXT TERMS OF OFFICE. REMINDER, 60 DAYS NOTICE FOR SLATE. KEEP THAT IN MIND BECAUSE THE SEMINAR AND ANNUAL MEETING WILL BE AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER OR EARLY OCTOBER OF 2008
DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PASSING OF PAPERLESS WRITERS FOR OFFICIALS WILL PUT SOMETHING IN WRITING FOR JOHN PISANO REGARDING THAT RESOLVE
ADAM ALWEIS MENTIONED SOME INFORMATION HE WOULD LIKE US TO LOOK INTO FURTHER REGARDING AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR FREELANCERS
MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING WAS MADE BY ALAN BOWIN
ELLEN CRUZ SECONDED THE MOTION
MOTION CARRIED
MEETING CONCLUDED AT 7:20 P.M.