Board Minutes May 21st, 2017

May 21, 2017, Minutes

Oregon Poetry Association

Board Meeting

On the phone:  Tiel, Lynn, Shirley, Dick, Lisa (Dorothy, Susan, Joy unavailable)

Bank of America: needs minutes signed by the secretary stating who will be on the account. Tiel still has access. This is going on the retreat agenda.

Updates

Student contest: Cascadia and Manningham contest copies just arrived at Tiel’s house and will be sent/delivered shortly.

Adult contest: winners have been notified and are on the website. Tiel will send checks to judges shortly.

Oregon conversation project: Springfield event will be June 28, 4:30. Shirley reports that the library is making the flyer and posting on its website and will send her a copy; the library will send out an edited news release, Shirley will make sure the Eugene Weekly is contacted and the Poetry Jam group. She is planning to get flyers to bookstores, university, coffee shops, and possibly the Humanities chair at LCC and a few people at the UO before the end of term. Grants Pass event will be July 7, 4:30. Lisa has an appointment with librarian next week re advertising, etc.

Constant Contact emails: some members not getting (or finding) them. Discussed adding “Don’t forget to add [email protected] to your address book so we’ll be sure to land in your inbox!” to the new member/renewal confirmation email, but using OPA’s outlook email address instead (which would require Constant Contact to be sent from that address).

Financial status and liability: In answer to the question “Would the board be liable for OPA debt,” Dick’s attorney friend said it depends on what the liabilities of the association are, but for an unincorporated association, by law the membership bears the liabilities of the association. Dick assumes, then, that the board would have a special obligation. Tiel will consult with the nonprofit association of Oregon to find out more.

Motion made and approved that we do not spend money we do not have.

Richard will send board members the 2016 budget so we can discuss ways to save and increase revenue at the retreat. Dick will phone the attorney re the benefactor estate. Board members will bring to the retreat ideas for saving and generating income, for example, reducing the phone bill by finding a free conference call host.

Current balance is $3228.00. Pending expenses: student ceremony catering, adult judges and prizes, mailing of books & certificates, internet spam guard fee.

Continuing Business

Oregon Poetry Collection MOU meeting date still needs to be set: Joy and Tiel, Eleanor Berry, David Hedges, and maybe Linda Varsell-Smith will attend.

Conference planning: We’ll map out a timeline at the retreat. Richard will email a conference fee calculation to the board. Shirley has received eight proposals, four of them readings. Workshops have been given priority in the past and we’ll continue to do so. Tiel has a radio interview tomorrow and will mention the call for proposals. The call did not specify session length (60 minutes), and we have received a 1.5- to 2-hour proposal. Depending on what other proposals we receive, we might consider a more varied schedule.

Board recruitment: Dorothy recruited Penina Taesli, who will be invited to the retreat. Lynn’s open letter about why she is on the board might be something to include in conference materials and/or in a pre-conference mailing.

We discussed the membership chair tasks, time involved, and the possibility of job-sharing. Lynn suggested bringing laptops to retreat if possible, so processes can be shared.

Tiel will send the most recent membership directory to board members so we can look at members in our own area for possible board members.

New Business

Tiel will consult with a member who is very familiar with our benefactor to discuss the memorial category in the adult contest (which will be added to the contest after the money is received).

Retreat

Will be held at Shirley’s house in Springfield on June 17, 9:00 – 4:00. Added fundraising to the agenda. Board members should review the website before the retreat and make suggestions for improvement.

(Tiel’s phone died, and she closed the meeting by email).

Respectfully submitted,

Lynn Otto (substitute secretary)

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