Meeting scheduled to began at 7:03 pm. via Skype.
Present: Bruce Parker (President), Diane Corson (Membership Outreach), Jennifer Rood (Vice-President), Carolyn Adams (Treasurer), Dave Mehler (Submittable and Membership List), Dale Champlin (Newsletter), Stella Guillory (Adult Contest)
Not Present: Susan Morse (Assistant Secretary)
I. Call to Order: President Bruce Parker called meeting to order at 7:03 pm. Dan Liberthson (Secretary) took notes and typed minutes.
II. Approval of Minutes of December 9 Board Meeting: It was moved and seconded that the minutes be accepted without amendments. The minutes were accepted by voice vote without objection.
III. Reports of Officers
A. President’s Report
The Fall Conference in Eugene is on track. The date is set for October 2-3 but the facility has not yet confirmed this. (Note: Shortly after this Board Meeting the Conference date was confirmed by the facility as Oct. 9-10.)
B. Treasurer’s Report
December 2019 Financial Report Submitted via email on Jan. 8 by Carolyn Adams. Discussion of how to back up Treasury reports and data: Dropbox, Google storage, peripheral media, print copies, etc. To be further investigated by Carolyn. Carolyn brought up getting volunteers to apply for grants. Bruce will find out about deadlines for grant applications and pursue volunteers to write grants.
IV. New Business
A. OPA Spring Poetry Contest: Stella Guillory noted there is a new category for under 30s. In total there are 6 categories and a judge has been recruited for each. Jennifer Rood noted that Submittable is now working and so far 7 entries have been received. The deadline for submissions is March 1 and results expected from the judges in April. Advertising is in place on relevant websites and a flyer is ready to send to 5 MFA programs in the state. Stella emphasizes need to continue advertising.
B. Membership: Diane Corson started a discussion about how to grow OPA membership. One idea is to offer free membership to younger members, e.g. those in school in grades K-12. Jennifer noted that Cascadia contest winners and their teachers are currently offered free 1-year memberships. Dave Mehler suggested sending out the electronic newsletter (Dale Champlin’s remit) not only to members but also to friends, nonmember poets, others, which might attract new members. Bruce Parker proposed sending the newsletter to people who gave email addresses at Literary Arts Book Festival, of whom he has a list. Dale suggested creating a Submittable click box enabling entry of email address to receive subscription to the newsletter. Details to be worked out.
C. Board Mini-Retreat: Motion by Diane: I move that we have a board retreat, date to be determined, sometime in February, in North Portland. This idea was agreed to and a date will be scheduled.
D. Knight Library Undergraduate Poetry Prize: A motion by Carolyn to increase this from $200 to $300, using funds from $1500 donation by the Mullers to encourage youth outreach, was seconded and unanimously approved.
E. Letter received by Jennifer from librarian at Corban University in Salem requesting OPA partner with them on a grant application: “Lift Every Voice: Why African American Poetry Matters.” Corban’s goals are compatible with OPA’s, which could host an event in support. To be further discussed off-line.
F. Adjournment: Motion to adjourn made, seconded, unanimously approved. Meeting adjourned at 8:03 pm.
G. Announcements: The next Board meeting will be via Skype on Monday, February 10, 2020 at 7:00 pm.