Oregon Poetry Association Board Minutes of December 10, 2018.
Present: Shirley, Lynn, Jennifer, Bruce, Alan, Charles, Erik, Stella, Dale.
Minutes: Motion passed to approve minutes of November 12, 2018, Board meeting.
President’s Report: Shirley commented on the agenda items below.
Treasurer’s Report: Lynn previously circulated year to date, year-to-year comparisons, and proposed 2019 budget figures, thus expediting discussion of the budget. She reiterated that a budget is a planning tool. This year OPA has earned more than it has spent on its publications, contests, and conference. Lynn credits Facebook ads for some of these successes.
Lynn explained that restricted funds are used for special expenditures, not for operations, and having such funds separated in the budget makes control of them easier and clearer. Depositing part of the Banta funds into a CD has proved frustrating, so the $11K for a proposed Bank of America CD will remain in our regular account. OPA has a healthy non-restricted cash carryover into 2019, $6,401.74.
Other budget points: The conference expenses for 2019 are budgeted at $7681.10. The budget allows $600 for outreach work of emissaries, and $550 for a book table at the Portland Book Festival. There are resources for a possible cash prize for the OPA Poetry Award. The budgeted student contest income includes a grant/donation of $2000 that yet must be applied for/procured. Shirley wants the budget to reflect OPA’s being an educational non-profit.
Alan suggested that now OPA has funds to disperse there ought to be a consistent process for any local applicant.
Motion passed to approve the 2019 budget.
Committee Reports:
Oregon Poetry Collection Committee: Erik and Joy will continue to serve as OPA representatives.
Newsletter/History: No report.
NFSPS: Bruce will send requests to Board members for what he needs for a Spring submission to Strophes.
Membership: Charles reported no change in membership numbers. For the March 1 renewals, all forms for reminding are useful: newsletter, postcards, membership forms.
The revision of the membership form, it had been decided, will omit poetry selections. There was discussion about low-income fee reduction and how to include that in the revised form and on Submittable. Charles said it was not a problem to combine Student/Low Income on one button. However, Charles thought we should not deviate from the fee changes voted on by the general membership. Others felt that comments at that meeting indicated a wish for the Board to address low-income membership.
Motion passed to include a $20 low-income option on the membership form and Submittable. One opposed.
There was discussion about bulk mailing, the advantages of using USPS or a fulfillment service. There is a USPS bulk mailing fee of $225, and sorting by zip code is required. With about 180 postcards to be mailed for members renewing, using already stamped USPS postcards seems economical. We do need clarity about the mailing of larger items, such as Verseweavers. Dale used a fulfillment center for Verseweavers mailings this year, AdMail, costing $248 for two issues.
Outreach: Erik reported that Jennifer has agreed to be an emissary to Klamath Falls and Erik to La Grande and Newport, assuming contacts can be made. He said while the units are not new places on the OPA map, there should be emissaries for each unit, non-Board or Board members. Diane is drafting a description of the emissary role.
Facebook Group Administrator: Adam Brown will be sent the guidelines for a January 1 Facebook launch.
Conference & Events: With Bend, The Gorge, and Portland not available or expensive,
The Salem Convention Center will be the site of the September OPA Conference, though there could be an additional short conference in Bend.
Shirley has shared in pictures and words the Convention spaces available, and costs are acceptable, with a January contract to be signed. Shirley still wants to form a conference committee and parcel out the duties. Also, she invites suggestions by January for keynoter. Lynn knows a poet who teaches in Portland.
Motion passed for Lynn to contact this poet about the fall keynote.
Discussion included mention of fifteen minute breaks between sessions, the possibility of a special workshop leader/keynoter, and a conference fee for one day.
Recruiting New Board Members: While three board members are retiring, it is not too soon to begin to identify possible successors, whether through personal contact, examining the Conference session leaders for last year and this and the attendees to the 2018 Conference, or by advertising on the OPA website and newsletter. Board members need to be active and share their leads.
Old Business:
Springfield Library Event: Shirley mentioned that Erica Goss’ workshop at Springfield Public Library, which OPA co-sponsors, will be 2-4 on April 13. Shirley and Erik will help at the event. OPA discussed financial support of the event.
Motion passed to grant $50 to support increasing attendance at the OPA co-sponsored workshop April 13, $25 for OPA Facebook ads and $25 for Springfield Public Library publicity.
Conferring Awards to Oregonians: Jennifer and Erik will refine the proposal for an OPA Poetry Prize for the January meeting, with Board suggestions welcome. It was discussed how this prize is not limited to active Oregon poets, but, more like the Holbrook Award, it could be granted to librarians, editors, schools advancing the OPA mission. Lynn advised that the award administration be as simple as possible for future boards’ use.
New Business:
Student Poetry Awards: April 20, 1:45-3:45, at Willamalane Adult Activity Center. Tiel and Lisa will be the hosts; Shirley and Erik will help. Others?
Portland Book Festival: Bruce presented the benefits to OPA and its member authors for having a full table at the Portland Book Festival in November, 2019.
Motion passed to reserve a full table at $550 at the Portland Book Festival.
Minutes submitted by,
Erik