An Executive Council meeting of the Indy Chapter of the DINFOS Alumni Association was held on Wednesday, February 19, in the Veranda Restaurant at the Marriott Hotel on East 21st Street.  The following were present at the meeting:

Colonel Robert Bentley, USA-Ret
Dr. Jack Rubak
Mr. Tom Conrad
Mr. Bob Dittmer
Mr. Bob Foster
Mr. Steven Lawson
Ms. Helen Stritt

The President, Dr. Jack Rubak, distributed minutes of the last Executive Council meeting held on November 2, 2002.  The minutes were approved as read.

After reading the minutes, Colonel Bentley suggested that not only the Navy Chief of Information be contacted to obtain listings of PAOs, but the Chiefs of Information of the other services be contacted as well.

Since the Membership Chairman, Dave Mossbarger, couldn't attend the meeting, he submitted a membership report to the President.  Jack Rubak gave an overview of Dave's report.

In addition to the minutes, copies of a DINFOS Update from the DINFOS Commandant, Colonel Hiram Bell, were distributed.  The following items from the update were discussed.

- We'd be interested in providing assistance in creating the DINFOS Memorial Hall.   Clarification, however, is needed as to what memorial panels he's talking about and where the panels are today.    If Charles Loring's picture that hung across from the Memorial Board at DINFOS, Ft. Harrison, can be located, it should be part of the Memorial Hall as well as the panels memorializing those PA officers/specialists who were killed in action.. 
- The Heritage Hallway is an excellent idea.  We need to know what kind of support is needed.  A suggestion was made to include in the historical displays the pictures of the former DINFOS Commandants that were also hung in the Conference Room at Ft. Harrison.
- The Alumni Association can provide some limited financial support in transferring the inventory of vintage equipment to the Ft. Meade Museum.
- We can provide certificates and possibly watches as graduation mementos to be given to distinguished and honor graduates.   However, the expenditures for mementos will depend on the number of classes and the frequency of graduations.
- As in the past, the Alumni Association can provide funds for enlisted staff to attend professional development conferences, if needed. 


- We will be glad to provide assistance in setting up a Hall of Fame awards banquet.    Our records will be researched to find background information, applications and standards for selection.   We will then provide this information to Colonel Bell to give to Mike Gannon.
- The news of MG Bussey's willingness to advise and possibly lead efforts
to establish a DINFOS Alumni Association Chapter at DC headquarters was well received.  Unanimously, all who know MG Bussey expressed their feeling that he was among the most respected Chiefs of Public Affairs.
- Bob Foster, our web master, has volunteered to undertake the project of providing
        some attractive recruiting posters for display at the school.

Dr. Rubak reported that over 200 notices of the March 8 Alumni Association meeting have been mailed.  Chuck Ricks will be asked to give an update on Ft. Harrison.  Dr. Ken Andersen will be our guest speaker.

Bob Dittmer submitted a paper he prepared on developing the Alumni Association's future membership (copy attached).   These items were discussed.

- Need to research host services for some of the PA personnel.
- Get rosters of PAO from the Nary and Air Force.  On the other services, will have to rely on word of mouth.
- By our website, we can provide contacts that the Department of the Army can't.
- Provide free one-year memberships to staff and faculty.  Members must be informed as to what they will get out of the organization.
- Since DINFOS is under the OSDPA, we need to get their news releases and need input for the "Listening Post" to put on the web.
- On first renewals of membership we need a down loadable, framable certificate on good quality parchment paper.

Bob Dittmer's proposal met with general approval.  He and Bob Foster will work on our web-based community and take up the free membership offer at our March 8 meeting for approval.  Bob Dittmer will submit his proposal to Capt Izdiak and Mike Gannon at DINFOS and will report his finding at the March 8 meeting.

Steve Lawson is working on the IRS and Indiana Department of Revenue tax-exempt status for the Alumni Association.  A copy of the Constitution and Bylaws were sent to him.

The meeting adjourned at 08:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted,


                                                    Jack Rubak, President

                                                    Helen Stritt, Secretary
.