General Membership Meeting Minutes: 10/14/2017

OREGON POETRY ASSOCIATION GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

October 14, 2017 Portland, Oregon

 

Retiring OPA president Tiel Ansari called the meeting to order. She thanked the membership for attending and extended an invitation to any member to step forward and volunteer since the OPA board is below critical mass for accomplishing the tasks required to remain a strong functional organization.

 

Tiel recognized board members for their work on the board and to prepare the conference.

 

The financial health of OPA is not robust. A large donation is pending. More information will be shared near the end of the year. The conference budget was aided by several donations above the attendance fee. OPA is deeply grateful for those donations.

 

A grant has been received to cover the cost of the student contest for the current year. Mailings have gone out to high schools.

 

Eleanor Berry delivered an impromptu report on her participation in the NFSPS. She said that group is healthy and some states have a stronger connection to NFSPS than does Oregon. She was the only attendee from Oregon at the national conference this year. The next conference is in Colorado. She invited OPA members to consider attending.

 

Concern was raised about accessibility to the Oregon Poetry Collection at the University of Oregon. OPA will address this in the future.

 

Tiel reminded members to check the OPA website for information regarding our purpose, policies and organizational structure. More effort will be put into raising our Facebook profile.

 

Comments from the floor were received with suggestions for future conference locations, length and cost. The president briefly explained the challenge of booking space and food and beverage provision for our group. Costs are rising. An opportunity for further comment was provided on the sheets in each attendee’s packet.

 

A suggestion to utilize a past president committee to assist the board was voiced.

 

Current board members stood to speak to the invitation to volunteer. Six OPA members presented themselves to serve on the board. A unanimous ballot was cast since no position was opposed. (Erik Muller term to expire 2018, Charles Castle term to expire 2019, Stella Guillory, Diane Corson and Bruce Parker terms to expire 2020 and Dale Champlin as alternate with no fixed term)

 

The retiring president introduced the incoming president and thanked the membership for assisting her during her many years of service.

 

Meeting adjourned.

 

Respectfully submitted

Joy L. McDowell

OPA board secretary

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