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Board Meeting on September 8-9, 2012

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Board Meeting on September 8-9, 2012

Board Resolutions

Resolution No. 1
The ALA Board authorizes the Chair to conclude a contract with PBLA. This contract would stipulate that a PBLA employee in Riga will provide services supporting ALA’s programs in Latvian education and culture, as well as help disseminate information about ALA’s activities.

Resolution No. 2
The ALA Board resolves to allocate half of the remaining funds from the 61st ALA Congress to the Latvian Association in Detroit.

Resolution No. 3
The ALA Board resolves to transfer ALA investments from the current Fidelity “Main Account” to the newly opened Vanguard “Main Account.” Funds will be invested as follows:

  • 10% Prime Money Market (VMMXX)
  • 30% Total Bond Market Index Admiral Shares (VBTLX)
  • 30% Intermediate Term Investment Grade Bond (VFICX)
  • 15% Dividend Appreciation Index (VDAIX)
  • 10% Growth Index Admiral Shares (VIGAX)
  • 5% Extended Market Index Admiral Shares (VEXAX)

All dividends from these funds will automatically be transferred into the Prime Money Market (VMMXX) fund in the same account.

Resolution No. 4
The ALA Board resolves to transfer ALA investments from the current Fidelity “Century Bequest Account” to the newly opened Vanguard “Century Bequest Account.” Funds will be invested as follows:

  • 35% Total Bond Market Index Admiral Shares (VBTLX)
  • 35% Intermediate Term Investment Grade Bond (VFICX)
  • 15% Dividend Appreciation Index (VDAIX)
  • 10% Growth Index Admiral Shares (VIGAX)
  • 5% Extended Market Index Admiral Shares (VEXAX)

All dividends from these funds will be automatically transferred to the “Main Account” Prime Money Market (VMMXX) fund.

Resolution No. 5
The ALA Board resolves to conclude a contract with the Grossberg firm to provide accounting services at a cost of $1,500 per month.

Resolution No. 6
The ALA Board authorizes the Treasurer to conclude a contract with the Grossberg firm to reorganize the accounting system, including budget categories and the manner in which they are compiled (Chart of Accounts).

Resolution No. 7
The ALA Board resolves to donate its previously used filing system to the LaPa Museum in Latvia. ALA will cover shipping expenses using funds from the Culture Department budget.

Resolution No. 8
The ALA Board approves a list of 35 individuals who will receive the ALA Certificate of Recognition this year on the occasion of Latvian Independence Day.

Resolution No. 9
The ALA Board resolves to send an open letter to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the “Latvia Development Plan for 2014–2020,” expressing concerns about two provisions in the plan regarding the status of the Latvian language as the state language in Latvian schools and universities, as well as the preservation of Latvian culture. Since the document is being submitted for public review, ALA strongly urges the Cabinet of Ministers to make the following changes to the section titled “Guiding Principle of Economic Breakthrough: Latvia in 2020 – the Greenest Country in the World.”

ALA proposes to remove all sentences or sentence parts that concern the teaching of subjects in schools and university programs “in various languages” and replace them with the sentence:
“The teaching process and subject instruction in all state-funded schools and universities must be provided only in the state language, namely, the Latvian language.”

This recommendation is based on concerns that the phrase “in various languages” could be an attempt to introduce Russian as a language of instruction in Latvian universities. (It is understood that English is the international language of science and its use in the learning process would occur naturally.) We recall that in the national referendum of February 2011, more than three quarters of Latvia’s population clearly said “no” to Russian as a second state language, and we urge the Cabinet to remain vigilant against indirect attempts to disregard the results of this referendum.

The second change recommended by the ALA Board concerns the preservation of cultural heritage. We propose deleting all sentences or parts of sentences referring to “the maintenance of Latvia’s ethnic cultural assets” and replacing them with a call to “dedicate sustained attention to the preservation of Latvian ethnic culture.”