CFA 2021 Annual Meeting via Zoom

September 18, 2021

After the cancellation of the 2020 CFA Annual Meeting due to the pandemic, the CFA leadership was faced with also cancelling the 2021 Annual Meeting due to the Covid resurgence and the anticipation that members would hesitate to travel long distances either by air or by driving.

Instead of cancelling the 2021 meeting, CFA President Jim Light asked the officers to consider an online all-membership meeting via Zoom. A video-conferencing service used to meet online with small or large groups on your cellphone, iPad, computer, or other device, Zoom has become popular during the months of quarantine.

In the Summer 2021 CFA Newsletter and group emails to the membership, members were invited to join the “Zoom List.” Some members were added to the Zoom List as late as the day of the meeting, which took place at 12 noon U.S. Pacific Time on Saturday, September 18.

Three documents were sent to the Zoom list ahead of the meeting: (1) an agenda, (2) a list of participants which included each member’s DNA group, and (3) the annual CFA financial report.

The 33 enthusiastic participants who clicked in and joined the meeting included two members in England and one in Australia (where it was 5 a.m. on Sunday). Although about 60 members had asked to be included on the list, some members had conflicts and could not attend.

Thirty-three is good number of participants when you consider that if this had been an in-person meeting, the number of folks in our annual group photo would have included not only the 33 members but also husbands, wives, children, and guests. That would have been a quite respectable group photo to add to our website and showcase in our newsletter!

A few days after the meeting, the members of the Zoom List were provided with the information needed to view the previously announced recording of the meeting. Several of those who missed attending have responded that they did view and enjoy it.

After a welcome from President Jim Light and an invocation from Chaplain Charles H. Chandler, the following reports were presented:

  • Financial Report & Voting Results – Helen Chandler
  • Chandler DNA Project Status – Glenn Chandler
  • DNA Project: 4 Kinds of DNA Testing – Carol May
  • 4 Generation Projects – Glen Smith
  • Genealogy Panel Activity – Jim Winston
  • Q&A – Jim Light invited questions and led a discussion of future meeting locations.

The meeting was closed after some general remarks and friendly hellos among the participants. 

The Autumn 2021 CFA Newsletter, due to be published in November, will contain much of the information offered in the reports listed above.