Executive Board Meeting Summary – July 21, 2026
Brotherhood of St. Andrew Executive Board Meeting
July 21, 2026 Summary
Our executive board met on July 21, 2026, to discuss and vote on pending agenda items.
A quorum was not present, and no voting action was possible. A formal approval vote on the minutes will take place at the next executive board meeting. However, an unofficial Zoom-generated summary pending that formal action is shared below:
New Chapter Prospects and Updates
Tom Welch announced that three new prospective chapters have expressed interest in joining in the past 24 hours, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, the Bronx, New York, and Carlsbad, California. The group discussed a prayer request from Dick Hooper.
Condolence Letters and Technical Issues
The meeting began with a discussion sending condolence letters to brothers who have lost loved ones, with Tom Welch noting he handles these personally and suggesting a shared resource for addresses would be helpful. The meeting experienced significant technical difficulties with audio and screen sharing issues, particularly for Charles Craven and others, before finally getting the agenda displayed and calling the meeting to order.
Board Quorum and Participation Challenges
The board discussed challenges with achieving quorum for votes, particularly regarding the Special Cross Edition review which only received votes from 13 members. Jack Hanstein pointed out that 13 votes doesn't constitute a quorum, and the group debated how to handle non-responsive board members. The board agreed to implement a process for removing non-participating members and will establish a task force for the Special Cross Edition project, with the first phase scheduled for completion by November 1st. Tom Hester suggested improving meeting attendance by providing consistent advance notice and maintaining regular meeting times and locations.
Governor's Commission and Headquarters Relocation
The meeting covered updates on the Governor's Commission work on combined bylaws, with Jack reporting that the commission is meeting twice monthly and discussing board composition, aiming for a 13-person board to make quorum easier to achieve. Roy Benevides then presented a detailed proposal for potentially relocating the headquarters to St. James Commons in Chicago, citing benefits like meeting space, visibility, and historical connection to the Brotherhood. Jack raised concerns about hidden costs and lack of storage space at the potential new location, prompting Roy to agree to address these issues by developing a letter of intent with the dean to clarify costs and storage solutions before making a final decision.
Office Relocation Decision Analysis
The group discussed the potential move of their office from Louisville to Chicago, with Jim Cutshall presenting a detailed spreadsheet analysis using a plus delta decision-making tool that evaluated various factors including costs, usage frequency, and impact levels. Jim's analysis showed that staying in Louisville would be more cost-effective than moving to Chicago, particularly considering the higher cost of living and potential staffing challenges. Billy Harrison clarified that while the current office manager would continue handling operations remotely, they would maintain a presence in the current location with occasional meetings and Tom' Welch’s visits, and storage needs were not expected to be problematic with current space and potential digitization efforts.
Church Relocation Discussion
Billy Harrison reported positive discussions with the Diocese of Kentucky about potentially relocating to a church with a chapel, noting the emotional and spiritual benefits of returning to their organizational roots. The board discussed the financial implications, with Billy indicating the arrangement would likely be economically neutral, while Dick Hoopr emphasized the strong emotional appeal of returning to their historical homeland. Tom Hester suggested considering a 120-month contract to secure the arrangement and recommended contacting the church archives before moving any records.
Chicago Location Move Discussion
The meeting focused on discussing a potential move to a Chicago location, with participants expressing both support and concerns. Tom Hester suggested archiving historical records at the new location, which received positive feedback from others like Dick Hooper and Jeffrey Butcher. Jeffrey raised concerns about leadership succession and the need to recruit and train new people before focusing on archiving tasks. Tom Welch highlighted the potential for using the Chicago facility for training new chapter officers and suggested negotiating discounted hotel rates for such events.
Office Location Discussion Meeting
The group discussed potential office locations in Chicago and Louisville, with Roy Benavides presenting advantages of the Chicago location including access to large meeting spaces and transportation hubs. Jim Cutshall expressed concerns about new officers being able to afford travel to distant locations, questioning whether either city would be practical for regular meetings. Jack Hanstein advised asking about hidden costs when negotiating with the Cathedral of St. James, while Tom Hester suggested applying similar cost considerations to both potential locations.
Office Move and Strategic Planning
The meeting focused on two main topics: a potential office move to St. James Cathedral and strategic planning. The board voted to proceed with negotiations regarding a possible move to the Cathedral, with Dick Hooper making the motion and receiving consensus support from the majority of attendees. Regarding strategic planning, Jeffrey Butcher expressed concerns about the lack of engagement with field members and emphasized the need for a comprehensive 3-5-7 year vision, while Jack Hanstein noted that getting consensus from the board has been challenging. The group agreed to start planning for strategic planning sessions in late spring 2027, with budget allocation to be determined.