Minutes of the Meeting
Fifteenth Annual Training Conference
St. Paul, Minnesota
July 22, 1985 – July 25, 1985
The Annual Training Conference was held at the Radison Hotel, St. Paul Minnesota
from July 22 – 25, 1985. The first business meeting was held on July
22, 1985 and began at 4:00 p.m. Call to order by President Neil Curran.
Bill Golden was appointed Sergeant-At-Arms for this business meeting.
Secretary Harris called roll and 22 members were present.
Old Business
President Curran asked that the membership forego the reading of last year’s
minutes. Motion was made by Ron Dixon and seconded by Tony Cochran
to accept the minutes from the last Conference without being read.
President Curran requested the Treasurer’s Report by Bill Williams, at which
time, Bill Williams reported prior to the St. Paul Conference, the Association
had $3988.11 in the bank and that he had since collected at this year’s Conference
$3689.00. His projected const of the Conference was estimated to be
$3500.00. The Treasurer’s Report will remain on file for the membership.
President Curran appointed Tony Cochran and Seth Williams to audit the Treasurer’s
Report and report back at the next meeting the results of their findings.
President Curran advised that he had appointed a Correspondence Committee
at the last Conference. President Curran requested information from
Seth Williams in regards to whether of not his appointed Conference Committee
was on any help in reference to this year’s Conference. Seth Williams
advised that is was helpful and that they needed to take the last 2 or 3
Conference Coordinators and all of them and sit down and put their ideas
together with the future Conference Coordinator.
President Curran advised that in regards to a possible Legal Bulletin being
put out by Harry Myers in the Association Newsletter that he had personally
gone to Harry Myers’ office in Washington, D.C. and had spoken with Mr. Myers
and requested that President Curran put it in writing, at which time, he
did and at the time of the writing of these minutes, President Curran has
received no such legal information.
President Curran brought up the problem of the Newsletter after having met
in March 1985 with the then Head of DEA at Glynco, Broussan, who was very
negative to the Association. Discussion with Mr. Broussan revealed
their legal opinion that since that time, Newsletters were put out by the
New Mexico State Police.
President Curran brought up the possibility of training for the Private Sector
Security Officers and advised the members present that we had no business
trying to get involved in their training until we get our own organization
worked out. Based upon this information, a motion was made by Mike
Finnessey and seconded by Sammy Owens that we drop consideration of Private
Sector Training at this time.
President Curran discussed with the members present the possibility of asking
a Pharmaceutical Company to possibly sponsor our training conference.
Joe Cox, upon being recognized by President Curran, advised that we did not
need to depend on Pharmaceutical Companies, that we need our full backing
from the Drug Enforcement Administration and that maybe this backing will
take place when DEA goes to Quantico, Virginia.
President Curran brought up for discussion a motion to recruit DEA Agents
into the Association as Active Members. The addition of allowing DEA
Agents to join had resulted in only 8 DEA Agents having joined the Association.
After a brief discussion, this was tabled until a business meeting later
on in the week.
New Business
President Curran advised any Association Member present desiring to run for
office, submit their name, office they were running for, by Tuesday, July
23, 1985, by 12:00 noon. He further advised that nominations would
also be accepted from the floor. President Curran appointed Jim Wallace
as Chairman of the Election Committee and assigned Joe Cox and Ron Dixon
to assist in this election.
President Curran also advised anyone who proposed to make a presentation
for the 1986 Conference Site, to have it ready at the Tuesday business meeting.
President Curran turned the chair over to Jim Wallace to present the members
present proposed changes in the By-Laws. All the changes introduced
Jim Wallace to the By-Laws were discussed and were then submitted for a motion
by Jon Hall and seconded by Ron Dixon to a vote by the membership.
All changes passed 22-0. These additions to the By-Laws were added
to instead of re-writing the entire By-Laws.
A motion was made by James Wallace to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Seth
Williams. Meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 23, 1985
President Curran called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. appointing the
Sergeants-At-Arms to be Cindy Graff and Gerald O’Bresley.
Roll Call by Secretary Harris with 20 members being present.
President Curran advised he would entertain a motion to forego the reading
of yesterday’s minutes. A motion was made by Tony Cochran and seconded
by Jon Hall to forego the reading of the minutes.
Old Business
President Curran asked for a report on the audit of the Treasurer’s Report
by Tony Cochran and Seth Williams, at which time, Tony Cochran advised that
the report was in order and that Bill Williams had done an excellent job.
President Curran requested that Mr. Hugh Miller make his presentation in
regards to the 16th annual Conference to be held in Memphis, Tennessee in
1986. After presentation was made by Hugh Miller, a motion was made
by Seth Williams and seconded by Ron Dixon that we hold our Conference in
Memphis, Tennessee.
President Curran advised that the next item to be discussed was the Association
Newsletter. After conferring with Ron Dixon of the Publication Committee,
the immediate solution appeared to be that Mike Finnessey and the U.S. Navy
would put out the Newsletter with Tony Cochran to follow with a second Newsletter,
and that Bill Williams will mail out and handle the postage of the Newsletters.
Suggestions were made that the Newsletter be consolidated into one message
by the President from all the members of the Executive Board, that the Newsletter
should include an overview of our Conference location and dates. The
Newsletter should also possibly contain a cover letter from the Administrator
in charge of DEA, and in addition, it should contain information from the
State Representatives concerning promotion, retirements, drug busts, and
new narcotic trends. It was decided that the Newsletter should be published
around December 1st, April 1st, and June 1st.
President Curran advised he would accept a motion that the Navy be allowed
to handle the Newsletter. Motion was made by Ron Dixon and seconded
by Jon Hall.
New Business
President Curran brought up a motion that the election of officers to the
Executive Board by held at a short business meeting on Wednesday, July 24,
1985. This motion was made by Jim Wallace and seconded by Sammy Owens.
A motion was then made by Jon Hall and seconded by Tony Cochran that this
business session by adjourned. The meeting was adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday, July 24, 1985
President Curran called the meeting to order at 1:10 p.m. appointing Tom
Frye and Gerald O’Bresley as Sergeant-At-Arms.
Roll Call by Secretary Harris with 21 members present.
New Business
President Curran announced elections would be held, and at this time, President
Curran turned the chair over to James Wallace for the election of officers.
James Wallace advised that he had received no information concerning the
office of Treasurer. A nomination was made from the floor by Jon Hall
and seconded by Tony Cochran that Bill Williams by nominated for the office
of Treasurer in the Association. With no further nominations coming
from the floor, Jim Wallace advised that the committee would entertain a
motion of acclamation for Bill Williams for the office of Treasurer.
A motion was made by Ron Dixon and seconded by Seth Williams and a unanimous
vote carried the motion that Bill Williams by appointed as Treasurer.
Jim Wallace advised that he had received only one name, that of Hugh Miller,
for the office of Secretary, but since that time Hugh Miller had requested
his name be withdrawn. Joe Cox nominated Jim Harris for Secretary and
this nomination was seconded by Jon Hall. Mr. Wallace advised the committee
would entertain a motion of acclamation for the office of Secretary as no
one else was nominated. The motion was made by Ron Dixon and seconded
by Seth Williams that Jim Harris be appointed to the office of Secretary
and the motion carried with a unanimous vote of the membership.
Jim Wallace advised that two members, Mike Finnessey and Ron Dixon, had submitted
their name for consideration of Second Vice President, and that the committee
would now entertain a motion for anyone else from the floor. Seth Williams
received a nomination for the office by Cindy Graff. After a short
speech by each candidate, all three were asked to leave the room where a
secret ballot was taken and votes counted by Joe Cox and Fred Braglia with
Ron Dixon being elected to the office of Second Vice President.
Jim Wallace advised that he had received only one name for the office of
First Vice President, that name being Sammy Owens, and that the chair would
entertain a motion of acclamation for Sammy Owens as First Vice President.
A nomination was made by Jon Hall and seconded by Ron Dixon that Sammy Owens
by appointed to the office of First Vice President.
Jim Wallace advised that the only person seeking the office of President
in the Association was Neil Curran. Mr. Wallace advised the chair would
entertain a motion of acclamation that Neil Curran be appointed to the office
of President of the Association. A motion was made by Fred Braglia
and seconded by Jon Hall and Neil Curran was appointed to the office of President
of the Association.
President Wallace advised this concluded the elections and he then turned
the podium back over to President Curran who gave a short speech and comments
of thanks to Seth Williams for his part in regards to the Conference in St.
Paul, Minnesota.
A motion was made by Seth Williams and seconded by Tony Cochran that we adjourn
the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 1:43 p.m.
Thursday, July 25, 1985
Meeting called to order by President Curran at 4:25 p.m. President
Curran appointed Joe Cox Sergeant-At-Arms.
Roll Call by Secretary Harris with 17 members present.
President Curran advised that he would entertain a motion to forego the reading
of the last meeting minutes and Treasurer’s Report. A motion was made
by Ron Dixon and seconded by Seth Williams to forego the minutes and report.
Old Business
None
New Business
A motion was made by President Curran from the Executive Board that we make
three Conference Coordinators of the year’s Conference Honorary Members of
the Association. These three people being JoAnn Springer, Bill Thompson,
and Pam Riley. A motion was made by Fred Braglia and seconded by Seth Williams
and the motion carried unanimously.
President Curran discussed the idea of giving a certified check to Gail Williams
for $50.00 for her help and dedication in putting on this year’s Conference.
A motion was made by Bill Williams and seconded by Fred Braglia.
A motion was made to adjourn the meeting by Tony Cochran and seconded by
Jim Wallace. Meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m.