THE CUBAN GENEALOGY CLUB OF MIAMI, FLORIDA

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2001

M I N U T E S

 

The October meeting of the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami, Florida convened at 2:15 p.m., at the home of Carolina Calderin.

 

ATTENDANCE

 

Present (12)

 

Josefina Batista Herrada

Carolina Calderin

Dr. Armando F. Cobelo, Herencia Cultural Cubana

Mrs. Yolanda Cobelo

Mariela Fernandez

Dr. Enrique Hurtado de Mendoza

Jose Andre Morales

Martha Moreira

Vivian Narvaez

Hilda Pomares

Eduardo Ramos

Techy Somoza-Manso

 

Absent (15)

 

Antonio Bechily Carreno

Agustin Cantens

Gloria Cantens

Lupe Diaz

Loly Espin

Martha Ibanez-Zervoudakis

Gretta Jimenez

Mimi Martinez

Maggie Mora

Maribel Penichet

Annette Piedra Baquedano

Manuel Rivero

Ana Maria Rojas

Carmen Roque

Marie Zaret

 

MEETING OF REUNION 2002 COMMITTEES - Carolina Calderin, Mariela Fernandez, Jose Andre Morales, Martha Moreira, Vivian Narvaez, Eddie Ramos, Techy Somoza-Manso.

 

The proposed CUBA-L Announcement, Program Agenda, Conference Location, Registration Form/Method of Registration, Hotels List, Publicity, and Miscellaneous Issues were reviewed, as follows: 

 

CUBA-L ANNOUNCEMENT

  1. The CUBA-L Announcement was approved with the modifications necessary, given the changes highlighted below.

PROGRAM AGENDA

  1. Vivian Narvaez will include a brief overview of each presenter's background in the Program Agenda that will be released to CUBA-L, so prospective registrants will have an idea of the credentials and expertise each speaker will bring to the conference.
  2. We will pay for transportation and accommodations only for those speakers who are traveling from out-of-state (except Mayra Sanchez-Johnson).
  3. Vivian also pointed out that, to date, there is only one speaker that will be charging for his presentation:  Richard Hooverson.  This information was shared with all the Committees, for their review and approval, through a special Report from the Speakers' Committee dated July 22, 2001. 
  4. The CGC will not charge an additional fee for the Lunch hosted in the segment Tables by Province.  Instead, we will provide an opportunity for caterers to offer their services and each registrant will be responsible for individually selecting and paying for his or her meal at that time.

CONFERENCE LOCATION

  1. Vivian Narvaez confirmed reservation of the Mezzanine of the Coconut Grove Convention Center to hold Reunion 2002.  The reservation was made in person by Vivian and Carmen Roque on Thursday, October 18th through CubaNostalgia organizers Leslie Pantin and Emilio Calleja. 
  2. The cost for the two-day rental is $1,300.00 for a space that can accommodate at least 450 people comfortably. 
  3. The site is ideally suited to the conference because, while located within the space where CubaNostalgia will be held, it offers a place to set up a booth, privacy for Reunion 2002 participants, and even a separate entrance that includes a private elevator. 
  4. Messrs. Pantin and Calleja were willing to forego a deposit for the reservation and assured us that, should we need to cancel the conference due to lack of registrants, we would be able to do so without incurring a penalty.
  5. They also offered a special rate of $10.00 for both days (as opposed to $10.00 per day) to Reunion 2002 registrants to encourage their participation in CubaNostalgia. 
  6. Martha Moreira expressed concern with issues of liability and Vivian offered to look into the sort of coverage the CGC may expect to receive for its fee and report back on her findings.

It is an opportune moment to extend very special thanks to Carolina Calderin for initiating contact with the organizers of CubaNostalgia and to Carmen Roque, Location Committee, for taking the initiative to visit the site and provide a report of its possible merits and drawbacks.

 

REGISTRATION FORM / METHOD OF REGISTRATION

  1. The Registration Fee was set at $50.00 for one day, $85.00 for both days, exclusive of accommodations and meals.
  2. The "Early Bird" Registration was set for March 18, 2002, which would also include a 10% discount.
  3. A flat 10% discount will be extended to registrants meeting one or more of the following criteria:  Members of the CGC, Members of the Cuban Genealogical Society, Miami-Dade Teachers, Senior Citizens.
  4. No cancellations or refunds would be accepted or made after April 18, 2002.
  5. A section will be added for registrants interested in the exchange of information to include their contact information, surnames and regions of interest in the conference program.  Signature authorizing the CGC to publish said information would be also requested.
  6. Rather than incur the expense of a post office box at this time, Martha Moreira offered to accept registrations mailed to her home address.  However, the preferred method of registration will be via E-mail through the websites for the CGC and the Cuban Genealogy Center, something that will be specified in the Registration Form.
  7. Likewise, the preferred method for acknowledging receipt of registrations will be via E-mail, although a postcard will be sent via snail mail to registrants who do not have access to electronic mail.
  8. To differentiate between Reunion 2002 participants who register for CubaNostalgia and those who do not, Martha Moreira offered to create a special tag that would be placed on the name badge for easy identification.
  9. Carolina Calderin will ask her son, Charlie Calderin (who designed the CGC logo), to create the Registration Form for our website.
  10. No children under 12 years of age will be admitted into conference.

HOTELS LIST

  1. An addendum will be added to the Hotel List prepared by Marie Zaret to include other helpful information, such as websites for rental cars and airlines.

PUBLICITY

  1. Eddie Ramos suggested offering advertising opportunities to local businesses to help defray the costs associated with printing the Reunion 2002 Program, a recommendation that was accepted.
  2. It was agreed to begin to publicize Reunion 2002 in the local media in January 2002.
  3. An invitation to serve on Reunion 2002's Marketing Committee was cordially extended to Eddie Ramos in recognition of the great ideas he brought to the table.  It is a pleasure to report that Eddie has accepted the CGC's invitation.

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES

  1. Vivian Narvaez will write to Mayra Sanchez-Johnson, Cuban Genealogical Society, to discuss Reunion 2002 expenses and allocation of revenues.

The meeting of Reunion 2002 Committees adjourned at 3:15 p.m.

 

MEETING OF CGC OFFICERS - Carolina Calderin, Mariela Fernandez, Jose Andre Morales, Martha Moreira, Vivian Narvaez.

  1. Carolina Calderin offered to look into obtaining permission from the clerics at the Belen School to hold future meetings there while we work on securing permanent headquarters for the CGC, so as to be able to publish a calendar of events and give CGC members time to plan in advance for Club meetings.
  2. It was agreed to offer a special Membership Fee of $10.00 to Senior Citizens who may wish to join the CGC.
  3. It was suggested by Carolina Calderin and Vivian Narvaez, for the group's consideration, that the CGC hold an essay contest for Miami School Children for the best essay on a genealogy-related topic, where the author of the winning essay would be rewarded with a small cash award, prizes, and publication of the essay in the CGC Quarterly Newsletter. 
  4. Due to time constraints and Carmen Roque's absence, discussion of the Club's incorporation was postponed to November, as was a review of the program for the Tertulia Matancera.

The Meeting of the CGC Officers adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

 

CGC GENERAL MEETING

 

On this occasion, the CGC had the pleasure of counting Dr. and Mrs. Armando Cobelo among its guests.  Dr. Cobelo, who is president of the prestigious magazine "Cuban National Heritage" (CNH), expressed his enthusiasm with the CGC's overall goals and with the Tertulia Matancera the Club is organizing, and offered to publish information on the CGC in the magazine.  Dr. Cobelo was thoughtful enough to bring copies of the most recent issue of CNH, which he generously gave out to those present.  Those interested in further information on the CNH are encouraged to visit its website:  www.cubannationalheritage.org.

 

LECTURE - DR. ENRIQUE HURTADO DE MENDOZA

 

Dr. Enrique Hurtado de Mendoza gave a different lecture from the one the CGC had originally announced ("Origins of the Cuban Elite"), which dealt with "The Cuban Woman," beginning with the Beautiful Tinima, daughter of Camaguanex, the cacique for Camagüey, and Cacanga, daughter of the cacique for Guanabacoa.  The lecture was fascinating and gave way to a lively exchange of questions and observations on the part of those present.

 

The meeting of the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami, Florida adjourned at 7:15 p.m.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

Vivian Narvaez

President

Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami, Florida

October 21, 2001