AFDSNY ANNUAL MEETING AND CONFERENCE POSTPONED

The Board of Directors and Executive Board of the Association have determined that it is necessary to postpone the 2020 Annual Meeting and Conference April 30^th – May 2^nd scheduled at Uniondale, NY. This conclusion was based on Federal, State and local government state of emergency declarations and guidelines related to the Coronavirus COVID 19 pandemic [hereinafter referred to as “COVID 19”]. Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order directed that gatherings of over fifty people be cancelled or postponed for at least the next eight weeks (maybe longer). The contract with the Long Island Marriott has been cancelled by mutual agreement and the event will be rescheduled later in the year.

The Association expresses our appreciation to the Long Island Marriott for recognizing that the mutually agreed contract cancellation was a fair, equitable and a responsible resolution given the state of emergency situation facing our region and our nation.
 
The Association’s first priority is for the health and safety of our officers and staff and our Association district officials that would have attend the Annual Meeting, as well as the health and safety of the residents of our state that they serve. We also recognized that our members are the same officials that are depended upon to lead their communities in addressing the public emergency created by COVID 19; we must permit them to perform their local duties without unnecessarily exposing them to the spread of disease.
 
The existing COVID 19 emergency and associated unknowns does not permit the Association to make a commitment now as to when to reschedule the 2020 Annual Meeting. However, the Association must reschedule the 2020 Annual Meeting since it is required on notice to the membership under our By-Laws and the Not for Profit Corporation Law. The applicable By-Law provision states as follows:
   
Section 1.  An Annual Meeting of the representatives of the Member Fire Districts and municipal members shall be held each year at a time and place designated by the Board of Directors for the purpose of electing a president, first vice-president, second vice-president and Secretary-Treasurer of the Association.  The President shall receive the report of the Secretary-Treasurer relating to the election of Directors, as more fully set forth in Article VI and for the transaction of such business as may come before the membership at the meeting.
[Revisions to Article V adopted by the membership at the 2019 Annual Meeting, May 3, 2019]
 
Section 2.  The President with the approval of the Board of Directors shall designate any place within the State of New York as the place for any Annual Meeting.
 
Section 3.  The term of office for the President, First Vice President and the Second Vice President shall begin at the conclusion of the elections at the Annual Meeting and the term of office shall be for a term of one (1) year or until their successor are elected or appointed…
 
As you read, there is critical business that is conducted by a Not for Profit Corporation at its Annual Meeting. In our situation, this includes the annual election of the President, First Vice President and the Second Vice President. The Secretary-Treasurer is elected to a three year term which will not be on the ballot until 2022.
Meanwhile, postponing our Annual Meeting will not affect the Association leadership continuity. The President, First Vice President and the Second Vice President would continue in office until their successors are elected.
The Association leadership certainly did not want to postpone the Annual meeting, but the 2019 amendment to the By-Laws approved last year that removed the requirement that the annual meeting be held in April or May will be helpful for choosing a new reschedule date.  

If members have already registered to attend the Annual Meeting; you will be permitted to cancel your registration and receive a refund of the payment. If you choose, you will be permitted to apply your payments to our next event.

Registered attendees are reminded to cancel their hotel reservation by directly contacting the Long Island Marriott since the AFDSNY was not involved with your personal reservations. Long Island Marriott hotel reservation must be canceled by you.

AFDSNY Members will be notified as soon as possible when the Annual meeting is rescheduled by posting the information on our website.

The Association is grateful for your understanding, flexibility and for your commitment as we work through this together.

More importantly, we thank you for the service that you are providing to your communities in their time of need.

Please keep your family and yourself safe.                   
 
Very truly yours,
[Signed]
FREDERICK G. SENTI, JR.
President

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