Board Meeting on March 6-7, 2021

Board Resolutions

Resolution Nr. 1
The ALA Board decides to initiate planning the ALA 70th Congress in Chicago on October 22 -24, 2021.

Resolution Nr. 2
The ALA Board plans to hold the next board meeting on June 5-6, 2021, at Garezers in hybrid format. A. Grīviņa and D. Kārkliņa offer to help M. Gudrais plan the event.

Resolution Nr. 3
The ALA Board decides to invite representatives of the Latvian government (Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš and Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs) to the ALA 70th Congress.

Resolution Nr. 4
The ALA Board resolves to transfer $108,752.62 from the Raymond James Money Market account, split as follows: $3,493.64 to the Raymond James Endowment account, and $105,258.98 to the Raymond James unrestricted account based on the financial report dated December 31, 2020.

Resolution Nr. 5
The ALA Board accepts the financial report dated December 31, 2020.

Resolution Nr. 6
The ALA Board accepts the financial report dated February 28, 2021.

Resolution Nr. 7
The ALA Board authorizes Treasurer A. Grīviņš to contract a lawyer in order to study the rules of unused scholarship funds and to determine how to combine those funds to make them available through other funds. Grivins is allowed up to $10,000 for this purpose.

Resolution Nr. 8
The ALA board decides to extend Madelenas Miniatas term as the ALA/JBANC intern, paying her an additional $2,500.

Resolution Nr. 9
The ALA Board decides to place the ALA Museum under the supervision of the ALA Culture Office, as well as to liquidate the Latvian Institute and transfer the funds of the Latvian Institute to the Culture Office for the needs of the museum.

Resolution Nr. 10
In response to a request from Ambassador Māris Selga, the ALA Board decides to support the translation of Ēriks Jēkabsons book “Latvia-United States Relations 1918-1922”. The book describes Latvian-U.S. diplomatic relations, which this year celebrate 100 years of remembrance.  T. Žagare-Vītiņa will secure the needed information to determine the needed amount of support of (approximately $5,000).

Resolution Nr. 11
The ALA Board decides to hold a mini-meeting on Wednesday, March 24, to discuss $70,000 pandemic support for our member organizations. Each office director is tasked to submit proposals for how this support will be announced, presented and provided.

Resolution Nr. 12
The ALA board decides to support the renovation of the Kalamazoo church, the amount will be decided at the March meeting.

Resolution Nr. 13
The ALA board decides to send a formal letter to the Government of Latvia in connection with amendments to the Law on Latvian Higher Education Institutions.

Resolution Nr. 14
The ALA board decides to cover the submitted postal expenses ($991.00) from New York attorney Ivars Bērziņš due to the transfer of archives to the Latvian State Archive.

Resolution Nr. 15
To complete Resolution Nr 10, the ALA board decides to support the translation of Ēriks Jēkabsons book “Latvia-United States Relations 1918-1922” with a $5,000.00 donation. The board also offered to handle any outside donations to this project through ALA.

Resolution Nr. 16
To complete Resolution Nr 11, the ALA board decides that the $70,000 pandemic support will be donated to summer camps in the USA instead of ALA member organizations. Details still need to be worked out. We plan to discuss support to the membership community in the fall.

Resolution Nr. 17
To complete Resolution Nr 12, the ALA board decides to support the renovation of the Kalamazoo church with a donation of $2,000.00.

Resolution Nr. 18
The ALA board decides to support the 2021 Spotlight Latvia conference as a $10,000 Partner Sponsor.

Resolution Nr. 19
In light the announcement by the U.S. Embassy (Riga) that the issuance of J visas to camp participants is not possible under pandemic restrictions, the ALA Board decides to support U.S. summer camps and, in particular, Garezers with a donation to be used staff to supplement staffing shortages, such as bonus options. The Board does not intend that total go beyond the aforementioned $70,000 support (Resolution No. 16).

Resolution Nr. 20
The ALA Board approves a donation of $5,000 to the Mezotne summer camp.