December 4, 1999

Secretary-Treasurer J.D. Froula reported on the status of the 1999 Alumni Giving Program; his first-quarter financial report of the fiscal year had been sent to the Council and was accepted.

The 1999 Convention held in October in Madison, WI, was reviewed and judged to have been successful. In compliance with the 1981 Convention procedure for future site choices, the invitation of Michigan Epsilon to host the 2002 meeting in Detroit was accepted. The Council reviewed recommendations presented during the annual meeting and adjusted plans for the 2000 Convention to be held in San Francisco, CA, on October 5-7.

A proposed charter for the Interactive Chapter Exchange Committee was approved, its budget was revised and approved, and appointments of three District Directors and three Engineering Futures Facilitators were made.

The schedule of Spring conferences was reviewed and assignments were made for national-officer representation at all 17 of them. Council enthusiastically voted a Tau Beta Pi Distinguished Service Award to retiring District 5 Director John D. Reynolds, SC B '85, and a Tau Beta Pi Resolution of Appreciation to retiring District 2 Director Henry R. Szwed, NJ G '95. Francis E. Moreno, MA H '98, was appointed as District 5 Director to a term ending in June 2002.

District Directors J.G. Macro, J.J. Hanby, and C.M. Harrison were appointed to the Tau Beta Pi Distinguished Alumnus Selection Committee. District Directors S.D. Jennings-King, H.E. Havens-Beardsley, and M.D. Malmstrom were appointed to the Laureate Selection Committee.

The Denver Alumnus Chapter was reactivated, and the Council approved its name change to the Front Range Alumnus Chapter. Councillor C.P. Rice was given approval to send a letter to all alumnus chapters in December.

The Council reviewed and approved, with condition, the inspection report of the visit to a petitioning group at Cedarville College; the petition will be presented to the 2000 Convention. The Council reviewed and approved, with condition, the inspection report of the visit to a petitioning group at Dartmouth College; the petition will be presented to the 2001 Convention.

The contract with Epsilon Data Management, Inc., for conduct of the 2000 Alumni Giving Program was reviewed and approved.

Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain was appointed as 1999-2000 auditor. A new insignia policy for the 2000 logo was approved. Plans were approved for using the remaining stock before printing new copies of the Ritual.

The Official Travel Policy was revised from 20¢ per mile to 25¢ per mile reimbursement of travel by personal automobile, effective for travel after December 31, 1999. The Council approved the following policy: Members of the Executive Council and the Trust Advisory Committee and Tau Beta Pi employees will not simultaneously have a significant financial interest in the organizations with whom Tau Beta Pi does business.

Executive Director Froula presented proposed changes to the Employee Handbook prior to review by an attorney. Approval was given to hire a Director of Communications and Development in a newly created position. The results of a study by a salary compensation consultant were reviewed, and the Treasurer was authorized to take appropriate actions.

A system analysis report on an information technology feasibility study for Tau Beta Pi was received. An implementation plan, strategy, and budget for a new Tau Beta Pi network and system infrastructure and for implementing the intranet and Internet applications identified in the final report by Q Systems, Inc., were approved.

The Council made minor revisions to the annual chapter survey, discussed plans and the design for a new Convention banner, discussed the editorial policy of THE BENT, and approved plans for a survey of readers. The Editor was requested to propose a new career advertising section comprising small advertisements in the back of THE BENT. A proposal from the Central Illinois Alumnus Chapter to establish a mentoring and networking database of alumni was discussed.

Preliminary plans were made to conduct a multi-year development campaign to raise funds for the Tau Beta Pi Scholarship Program.