174th Assault
Helicopter Company
DOLPHINS & SHARKS


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174th AHC Association
1998 Business Meeting Minutes



ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES
174th Assault Helicopter Company Association
October 9, 1998
Ft. Walton Beach, Florida

The annual business meeting of the 174th Assault Helicopter Company Association was officially opened at approximately 5:30 p.m., October 9, 1998, at the Rodeway Inn, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. An estimated 33 members were present.

Association President, Ted Saunders presided.

Saunders welcomed the membership and their spouses/significant others to the annual reunion and members in good standing to the business meeting. First order of business was to elect a president. Saunders stated that he had been the president for the past two years and that nominations were in order for a new president. Without a formal nomination, Jim McDaniel, Webmaster, was asked if he would accept but declined. Wally Nunn stated that the membership was in agreement that Saunders had done an excellent job during his tenure of office and nominated him to continue as president for the coming year. The nomination was seconded by several members and Saunders was re-elected by acclamation.

Butch Elliott announced that he had experienced difficulty in devoting sufficient time to his position as Secretary for the Association because of personal business pressures. The position of Secretary was opened by the President for nominations. Ted Saunders said that the job could best be filled by someone who was fully retired and had the time to devote to the demands of the position. He then personally nominated Bernie Cobb. That nomination was seconded by Eddie McNeill and the vote was unanimous in favor of Cobb.

The positions of Vice President and Treasurer were not discussed, with decisions as to filling those vacancies to be made by the president at a later time. Len Kauffman was appointed by the president to be the association's coordinator for the Pacific Northwest. Kauffman's duties will entail trying to coordinate future plans and membership recruitment in that region.

Before he relinquished his position as Secretary, Butch Elliott announced that the Association had unexpectedly become the recipient of a painting of the USNS Upshur which was the vessel on which the main body of the 174th AHC was transported to Vietnam in early 1966. Upon receipt of the painting, Bernie Cobb had been appointed by the President to be the temporary custodian until proper disposition was made at the reunion. Possible means of disposition were (1) give it to one of the original "boat people," (2) auction it off at the reunion to the highest bidder, or (3) donate it to the Maine Maritime Academy where the Upshur had served for several years as the training vessel there. Because the Academy had been highly instrumental in pinpointing the present location of the Upshur in Mobile Bay, where it is serving the U.S. Coast Guard as a fire safety testing vehicle, Bernie Cobb made a motion that the 174th AHC Association donate the painting to the Academy. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Wally Nunn opened a discussion on how to get more members interested in attending the annual reunions. He suggested more personal contact by active members in their local home regions.

With no further official business to be brought before the membership, the meeting was adjourned by the president at approximately 6:30 p.m., with the traditional auction of memorabilia and souvenirs to follow.

ATTESTED TO ON THIS 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER 1998:

/S/ TED SAUNDERS, PRESIDENT ------- /S/ BERNIE COBB, SECRETARY


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