Updated 12/19/2012 /See notice lower part of page
To: Members' (Aug 5, 2012)
From: Currently Serving Trustees – Chuck Goggin, chairman; Al Niece, vice-chairman; Dave Schwirian, treasurer; and John Solbach, secretary
First biannual meeting of the membership of the Col. John W. Ripley Memorial Foundation Trust
Members = all Lima Company (3/3/3) Marines (includes corpsmen) while Ripley commanded, January – November of 1967
Date and time: 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 4, 2012 in the Presidential Suites at the hotel at the Battalion Reunion (trustees meeting either Friday evening or 8:30 a.m. Saturday)
Agenda Items:
Welcome by the chairman
Summary of the trust organization and purposes
Financial report
Report on the overall activities of the trust
Maintenance and improvement of the monument
Duration of the trust: whether to continue the trust or shut it down
Final addition of names
If trust continued, discussion of potential projects and fund raising
Other business or discussion as desired by membership
Adjournment
All trust documents will be available for inspection by the membership, including the trust, its amendments, and the meeting minutes since the inception of the trust on January 29, 2010 to date.
Dec 19, 2012
Meeting of the Foundation Members August 4, 2012
Radisson Hotel, Branson
The following members were in attendance:
Chuck Goggin, Al Niece, Dave Shwirian, John Solbach, Leo Geyza, Roger Palmer, Ed Lawrence, Ronald Williams, J Castleman, Steve Parmer, Robert Peugh, A.C. Boley, Francis Mcgowin, Steve Marlin, Gerald Baryo, Willis Disch, Jim Roth, Jesse Torres, Robert Wang, and Kevin McDonald
Meeting called to order by Chairman Goggin, Chair of Trustees.
There were no minutes of the previous meeting as this was the first meeting of the membership.
Chuck outlined the work of the trust from its inception to this meeting, which included the initial contract for a sculpture then the ultimate contract for design and contract for an obelisk with all the names on it, its installation.
The treasurer’s report was given by Dave Schwirian and Chairman Goggin with the $3360 in the bank and $190 in cash to be added to the bank account from the sale of posters.
First order of business was whether to pursue acquiring stone blocks for seating from the actual rock from the Rock Pile or the Razorback. After discussion it was moved by Marlin seconded by Parmer for the trustees to pursue acquiring one or more stone benches from the rocks of the Rock Pile or the Razorback and determine if that is financially feasible and if so try to get one or more blocks for seating opposite the facets of the monument. After discussion the motion passed unanimously.
Steve Parmer volunteered that he had some friends in the trucking business that often dead head form the west coast and he would be happy to try to get us in touch with those folks for shipping if this goes forward.
The Chairman said a 48 x 24 x 20 stone of granite would weigh between 1500 and 1600 lbs. Al Niece indicated it would be feasible to do that but would look into it and get the actual facts before making a decision.
The next order of business was whether to continue the organization beyond finishing this project, at least until the end of the terms of the current-serving trustees. Francis McGowan moved that we continue until the next election, which was seconded by J Castleman. After discussion it was passed unanimously.
The next order of business the addition of names to the monument, consensus was that the cut off date, submission of names would be 9/15/2012, which after vetting by October the first the new names would be added thereafter.
The next election is when the current trustee’s terms expire (1/29/14). If we were going to have a meeting while these currents trustees’ terms were in we would have to have it before then.
The next order of business was whether to have a Lima “Ripley’s Raiders” reunion every other year as some of the other companies have done and as Lima has done in the past. It was moved by Marlin, seconded by McGowan that we do so. After discussion the motion passed unanimously. Goggin said if we were to meet in D.C. he would be glad to host. Francis McGowan volunteered to look into a possibility of a reunion in Pensacola, Florida but there was no vote to set up meeting place and time.
There was some post motion discussion as to whether these reunions will be Ripley’s Raiders only or all of Lima Company. It was discussed that the Memorial Foundation Trust members’ (i.e. Ripley’s Raiders) would set up the reunions but all Lima Company members would be invited to come if they decided to do so.
The Chairman discussed a conversation he had with Tom Bailey about reading the names (at the “wall”) of Lima Company, Ripley’s Raiders who died in Vietnam (approximately 38 names) he indicated that if anyone wanted to participate in that they should contact him and arrangements could be made to put them on the schedule and he would provide the details for that.
Next order of business was discussion of the Ripley wall at the Marine Corps University. Chuck outlined what might take place there and invited anyone who had Ripley memorabilia, pictures, etc. that if they wanted to submit those for inclusion they could do so through him. He indicated that the foundation produced a statue initially before we went to the obelisk and the two foot bronze statue either has been or will be produced, as part of the original contract with the sculptor and that we will not donate that statue to the Marine Corps University but we will loan it to them as a part of that Ripley Wall.
The members thanked the trustees for the work that they have done.
The Chairman asked if there was any other business to come before the meeting and seeing none, upon motion the meeting was adjourned.
CONTINUATION REPORT
Trustee meeting on 12/18/2012
The landscaping has been placed.
The last missing names have been installed on the memorial.
The rocks from the back side of the Rock Pile are in shipment to be received in Baltimore sometime in the next three months where upon they will be installed around the memorial.
We have plans to have a get together late spring/ early summer to have a trust meeting and cover any business that may come before it. Notification will be e-mailed at a later date when details are worked out. It is intended to have this near the memorial so to show the completion of this project.
We will entertain additional donations if anyone wish’s to this year for tax purpose’s. We have approximately $1800 in the bank and may need to use this up for total completion of the memorial and in addition we are in need for recommendations for future projects that that may include developing a scholarship program under the name of RIPLEY RAIDERS. Also any ideas for other projects we may want to consider and methods needed to fund these projects.
