Dear Fellow Evrytanians,

 

                In accordance with Article VIII, Section c of the Constitution of the Evrytanian Association of America “To Velouchi”, the Governing Board of Trustees unanimously voted to call a Special General Assembly Meeting for Sunday, April 21, 2024, at 1:00 pm to be held at Holy Trinity Cathedral, 600 East Boulevard, Charlotte, North Carolina 28203.  Your presence at this very important meeting is urgently requested.  According to the Association’s by-laws, only those members attending in person and in good standing will be able to vote on any items discussed.  The purpose of this meeting will be:

1. To discuss and vote on the sale of the Velouchi Headquarters Building at 121 Greenwich Rd., Charlotte, North Carolina 28211.  During the 2023 General Assembly in Greenville, SC, the status of the Velouchi Headquarters building was discussed, and a motion was presented and approved to pursue the possibility of the sale of the building.  The current condition of the building is out of date and in much need of repair and renovation to bring it up to code.  There is no elevator to access the second-floor offices (including the Association’s); the bathrooms upstairs and downstairs are not handicapped accessible and will require extensive renovation and enlargement to be ADA compliant; and the roof, plumbing and HVAC systems need replacement (we have spent over $20,000 in the last 2 years on repairs due to aging infrastructure).  Additionally, the building is in need of general cosmetic improvements to make it more aesthetically appealing and up to date to attract and retain tenants.  The building was bought by the Association about 50 years ago for approximately $200,000.  Current total renovation costs are estimated at almost $2 million.  In 2023, the tax value of the building was set at $1.6 million with fair market value estimated at $2.2 million.  After listing the building for sale at $2.2 million, we have received an offer to purchase for $2,327,000 in “as is “ condition.  Furthermore, the prospective buyer has agreed to allow the Association to remain in our offices rent-free until December 31, 2024, giving us time to search for and buy a new office building for the Velouchi.

 

1. To discuss and approve the budget for the remaining calendar year from June 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024.  To facilitate accounting and bookkeeping procedures, the General Assembly at the 2023 Convention voted to change the fiscal year of June 1 through May 31 to a calendar year basis of January 1 through December 31, beginning January 1, 2025.   This, consequently, leaves us with a gap of 7 months from the end of the current fiscal year of May 31, 2024, until the beginning of the new fiscal year on January 1, 2025. 

Please make every effort to attend this very important and significant Special General Assembly meeting.  In person attendance in Charlotte with a quorum of 40 members is required to be able to vote for the sale of the building and to approve the budget.  Although we strongly encourage you to physically attend in order to vote, we will have ZOOM access only for observation and discussion during the meeting.  YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE ON ZOOM.  If you cannot physically attend the meeting and wish to observe only, please contact Sophia at the National Office at 704-366-6571 or email at velouchiusa@gmail.com for ZOOM access information. 

I thank you for your time and dedication to our Velouchi, and look forward to seeing you at the Special General Assembly meeting in Charlotte on April 21, 2024.  Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at 864-346-4407.

 

                                                                With Kindest Regards,

 

 

 

 

James N. Chulkas                                                                                          

National President    

 

Katie Chulkas

National Secretary