Present: Shirley, Bruce, Diane, Charles, Jennifer, Erik, Stella, Lynn.
Minutes: Board minutes of March 18 approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Lynn sent a $200 check to Amelia Ettinger as outreach support for La Grande. Diane reported a last payment from the Banta bequest of $51.
Membership: Charles reported a current paid membership of 272. Postcard reminders indicated how to pay dues, but did not include amount of dues. Dale said henceforth every newsletter will show link to OPA Group Facebook page.
Outreach: Erik will follow up on payment of $200 to support a La Grande reading series. Conference proposal forms, which Shirley will e-mail to each Board member, should be sent to Hood River, Klamath Falls and Southern Oregon sites, and La Grande.
Newsletter: Dale received unanimous approval for her work on the newsletter. Bruce is collecting and soliciting items for the newsletter, including articles. Bruce is considering how the newsletter might include submission dates for Oregon poetry journals and poetry publishers.
Fall Conference:
Keynoter: The Board selected Penelope Scambly Schott as keynoter. Shirley will be her contact in focusing elements of her presentation.
Promotion: Shirley will send Board members a flier about the conference to distribute to the groups we have contact with. And she will send the conference proposal form, also for distribution. “Our common life” was suggested as a conference-wide theme, not as a requirement for proposals, but a suggestion to add focus to the programs.
Handling Conference Proposals: Shirley will prepare materials, then send the proposals and a tabulation sheet to each Board member. Final selection will be made by Shirley, Charles, and Erik.
Old Business:
Portland Book Fair: The $520 in funds for a table has already been approved for November’s Portland Book Fair. Bruce and others indicated possible benefits of OPA presence: exposure, signing up members, networking, providing contest information. Bruce is the lead on this.
Cascadia: The current Cascadia is ready for the April 20 Student Contest award ceremony held at Willamalane Senior Center, 1:45-3:45. Shirley will provide food. Volunteers are welcome to assist.
Verseweavers: Dale is working on the next edition and is lining up proofreaders.
Recruiting New Board Members: No report.
OPA Banta Award: Jennifer reported that the announcement for nominations was posted on our website and will be included in the newsletter. A selection committee is made up of Jennifer, Steve Slemenda, and Ingrid Wendt, to select and grade the top five nominations for Board review and selection of the awardee.
Fall Poetry Contest: Stella, the new Adult Contest Chair, will contact Susan Morse, who indicated wanting to help with adult contests. The Board selected blank verse as the form and our common life as the theme for two contest categories.
Review of Board Policies: The last such review being 2014-2015, Shirley has asked Board members to review OPA policies and suggest changes (see References under Who We Are, select Policy Documents). Also, each Board member with a specific role/task should detail what she does. Send Shirley both of these by the time of the June 14 retreat.
Unit, Area Discussion: Tabled until the retreat.
Board Retreat:
Friday, June 14, 10-4, at Shirley’s home. Part business, part visioning.
Next Board SKYPE Meeting:
Monday, May 6, 5:30.