Recently, the Roslyn Landmark Society members conducted their annual election of trustees, selecting six people to serve the society in the coming year. Out of 17 candidates, society members elected Mike Viola, Donald Kavanagh, Iris Levin, Diane Margaritis Durkin, Phyllis Minkoff and Cecil Tinder. Upon receiving the most votes in the June 26 election, Mr. Viola promptly resigned and had his seat filled by Merrill Dorsky, who had recorded the next highest vote total.

The Landmark Society has also made public a letter from President Donald Kavanagh, one that touted the recent achievements of the society, namely as a way to respond to an "unjustified attack" that Mr. Kavanagh claimed was made by other board members.

Mr. Kavanagh claimed that membership in the society has not, as some suggest, fallen off, but in fact has remained steady at 172 dues-paying members.

"The Roslyn Landmark Society has never been healthier or more focused," Mr. Kavanagh said. "Our paid membership has steadily increased over the last fours. We now publish a newsletter with our Speaker Program for the month and articles of interest in the field of historic preservation."

In addition, Mr. Kavanagh cited the society's ability to secure "highly rated" lecturers from university, museums, and the Council for the Humanities; grants for lectures and other programs; and the "broader cross-section of people" now attending society events. "Our monthly meetings now reach beyond Roslyn's borders to people throughout Nassau, Queens, and western Suffolk counties," he said, also noting that attendance for such meetings has increased over the past three years.

Mr. Kavanagh also claimed that Landmark Society operations are being conducted with greater administrative efficiency. He said the society had recently hired a new CPA, who in turn, has "streamlined our accounting and tax filing and seen to it that our accounts payable are approved and paid in a timely and efficient manner."

The annual Roslyn House Tour is one of the Landmark Society's major public events. Mr. Kavanagh said that this past June's tour was one of the most successful in the society's history. The tour was not only a sell-out, but the society was forced to print an extra 100 tour guide copies, all of which were quickly purchased by tour attendees.

What controversy there is surrounding the society even reached in to the June elections. The society's Nominating Committee, Mr. Kavanagh said, had to eliminate a number of candidates for the recent trustee elections, due to the fact that they "were not deemed sufficiently active in the society to be proposed as trustees." Such candidates were described as part of a "dissident" slate proposed by members apparently unhappy with the direction of the Landmark Society. While reviewing recent controversies, Mr. Kavanagh concluded that the society would continue to operate as a non-profit entity in the coming years.