Board Minutes, October 15th 2018

Oregon Poetry Association Board Meeting                           October 15, 2018

 

Present: Shirley, Lynn, Charles, Jennifer, Erik, Alan, Bruce, Stella, Diane

 

Minutes approved of OPA Board meeting on September 30.

 

President’s Report: Shirley referred the Board to SKYPE protocols for use in our meetings; she asked that any committee notify her when it starts work or makes progress on a project, but need not forward all committee e-mails; she stressed that the Board’s work be guided by the OPA Mission Statement in administering contests and producing Verseweavers and Cascadia and in preparing for and presenting the annual conference. Shirley asked that we should identify at the November meeting other key OPA aimed-for accomplishments.

 

Treasurer’s Report: Lynn had earlier e-mailed the OPA Financial Overview dated October 8, 2018. She reported that our balance is good, that the Banta bequest was not yet deposited in CDs; that the annual conference in Eugene paid for itself. Lynn expressed that OPA needs to discuss how to spend some of its bequest monies; she expressed some concern that at the same time our funds were in such good shape we have voted to increase membership fees and delete categories of family and senior. Lynn, in preparation for the 2019 budget, invited Board members to provide the Board with project ideas and their costs.

 

Shirley, after indicating her aims to reach young poets and underrepresented areas of our state, wants to provide scholarship/financial support for both membership and conference registration fees. Discussion followed: to establish a category that had no stigma, to be self-selecting, to allow payment of what one can? (And also to pay more than one needs to—which is already in place.)

Charles in his membership work was asked to propose how a scholarship category could be set up. Suggestions invited.

 

Conference Reports:

 

Charles, membership, reported increased membership, from 313-326

 

Shirley, planning, reported that registrations covered conference costs.

 

Erik, poetry walk, reported that fifteen people enjoyed the short tour of public poetry, with one walker commenting that every OPA conference should provide a literary tour.

 

Also, Erik reported the Oregon Poetry Collection, for which 48 books were donated, is now a browsing collection in the Paulson Reading Room of Special Collections.

 

Lynn, bookroom and member reading, reported that the sales were good for poets and the open-mic was very long. It might be possible to provide the prize-winners with a separate reading time since there was a total of 58 readers this time.

 

Lynn will handle partial refunds of conference fees to registrants unable to attend, in consultation with Shirley.

 

Committee Reports:

OPCC: Erik reported that the Oregon Poetry Collection Committee has representation from Knight Library and OPA, two each–David de Lorenzo, Head of Special Collections and Jeff Staiger, Humanities Librarian and designated overseer of the OPC. With Joy gone, the committee needs another OPA representative, to be determined at a later Board meeting. Erik indicated that David Hedges, a collection founder, and Eleanor Berry, a collection implementer, did not serve on this committee this year; however, their ideas are welcome. Erik will send Shirley the Memo of Understanding that established the OPCC and underlies the relationship between Knight Library and OPA.

Newsletter: Bruce was advised to distinguish between calendar items that sponsors can enter in the OPA calendar and OPA events that get a newsletter write-up. The newsletter articles can bring enrichment to OPA members. Shirley wants to see that newsletter content relates to mission statement.

Historian: Bruce is sending the current member list to NFSPA.

Verseweavers: Diane will receive the remaining copies of Verseweavers from Eleanor Berry and will store them in Portland and also fulfill orders.

 

Old Business:

Webmaster: For the time being, Tiel is the lead. Shirley will increase her training once there is a new conference coordinator. Shirley will survey the updated member volunteer lists to find help with the website work.

 

Lynn requested Erik to forward to her signed minutes that reflect this action taken by the Board:

Motion approved: The Board voted to add Shirley Marc, the new OPA President, as a signer to our OPA business account with Bank of America; to retain Lynn Otto, Treasurer, and Diane Corson, Membership Co-chair; and to remove Lisa Baldwin, retired President, from the account.

 

New Business:

Next Conference: Shirley indicated the need for a 2019 conference coordinator to handle venue, AV, and food, and a committee to handle session proposals, registrations, book room forms, and conference packets.   A brief discussion followed on possible location next fall, such as Newport, Hood River, Salem, Bend, and others. The annual conference has taken place in the fall, and site and season impact costs. This will be taken up at the November or December meeting. Diane said she would help the conference in some capacity.

Committee membership needs: Conference Committee: 3-4 members. OPCC: 1 member.

Help may be needed to proofread Cascadia.

Adult Contest: Check to see if Amy Miller is willing to lead another year. Lynn encouraged timely newsletter, Facebook, and website announcements about the adult contests so that there are sufficient entries to cover the contest costs.

Diane continues to pick up mail and deposit checks.

Adam Levon Brown has volunteered to manage OPA on Facebook. Shirley is following up.

OPA Special Award: Jennifer wants the Board to consider presenting an award to a person who has notably supported Oregon poetry. She thinks this person need not be an OPA member, and should not be a Board member. The award would help emphasize OPA’s mission, generate press attention, and possibly increase membership. Nominations could be made by the Board. The award might be connected in some way to the bequest. After some discussion, Jennifer and Erik were asked to develop a proposal for the November meeting.

Shirley intends writing a letter to the members to appear in the newsletter, covering the present aims of OPA: outreach to youth, outreach to outer areas, scholarships, awards.

Erik said that at present the Board has no outreach program/strategy and needs to develop one, as well as a list of active contacts throughout the state. Alan thought the Oregon English Teachers Association could be a useful contact/model. Jennifer, a high-school teacher, thought that school librarians could be very useful in reaching students and that communication with schools and curriculum time are limited.

 

Minutes submitted by Erik Muller ________________________  October 17, 2018

 

Next Meeting by SKYPE:

Monday, November 12, 5:30pm

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