Lithuanian Foundation 54th Annual Members’ meeting

 

The Annual Members’ Meeting of the Lithuanian Foundation was held on May 6, 2017 at the Lithuanian World Center (14911 127th St., Lemont, IL 60439). In celebrating its 55^th year of activity it is grateful to its member’s generosity in accumulating $39.5 mil. Since inception, it has granted almost $20 mil in support of Lithuanian activities and scholarships.

The meeting was opened by Board Chairman Saulius Čyvas. The Lithuanian national anthem was sung by the fourth graders of the Maironis Lithuanian School (Lemont, IL) / their teacher is Loreta Lagunavičienė and the music teacher is Revita Durtinavičiūtė.

Father Algis Baniulis SJ gave the invocation and then read the list of deceased members from the last year. Dr. Antanas Razma, Jr. lit a candle for the deceased members and was accompanied by  Laima Sutterlin on the violin.

Consul General of the Republic of Lithuania in Chicago, Marijus Gudynas greeted the members. Congratulatory letters were read from Dalia Henke, President of the Lithuanian World Community and Sigita Šimkuvienė, President of the Lithuanian-American Community. The President of the Rakas scout camp, Donatas Ramanauskas, thanked the Foundation for its many years of support and presented a commemorative plaque.

Laima Apanavičienė read the minutes of the 2016 meeting. The minutes were approved by acclamation.

Elections were held for the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee. Audronė Pavilčius-Karalius, Chairperson of the Nominating Committee, presented the nominations to the Board and the Audit Committee.

Dalius Vasys, Chairman of the By-laws Committee, presented the proposed change to paragraph 35 of the By-laws

The meeting attendees heard presentations from the Board Chairman Sauliaus Čyvas, President Mariaus Kasniūnas,  Finance Chair Arvydas Tamulis , Treasurer Vytenis Kirvelaitis,  Grants Chair  Juozas Kapačinskas, Audit Committee Chair Rimas Kapačinskas and Development Committee Chair Rita Kisielius.

Discussions took place while vote counting was going on.

One of the key functions of the annual meeting is the election of 5 Board members and 3 members to the Audit Committee. The following members were elected to a 3 year Board term: Tauras Bublys, Milda Davis, Juozas Kapačinskas, Gintaras Vaišnys, and Dalius Vasys. Likewise, the following members were elected to a one year term of the Audit Committee: Richard Chiapetta, Rimas Kapačinskas and Vacys Šaulys. The voting for changing paragraph 35 “Grants Committee” of the by-laws was 6,397 for and 722 against.

The Annual Members‘ Meeting completed its agenda and the meeting was adjourned.

Immediately following the Annual Members’ Meeting, the Board of Directors’ meeting took place at which Saulius Čyvas was re-elected as the LF Chairman of the Board and Marius Kasniūnas was re-elected as LF President.

 

LF information
Arūnas Klibas photo