August 2006

OPENING CEREMONIES

The meeting was called to order at 8:01 p.m. on August 1, 2006, at the home of Andy Koenig and Barbara Moo. We did not achieve a quorum at this meeting and therefore were unable to make any binding decisions. Amendments to the July minutes were suggested, but acceptance will have to wait until next meeting.

Roll Call

Present were Brad Pryor, Jim West, Jim King, Chris Riemer, Bobbie Rosengarten and Lois DeRitter (Trustees), Paul Axel-Lute, Andy Koenig, Barbara Moo, Gwen Orel, Liz Pagan, Pat Rolston, Bob Safranek and Lori Falco (Other Board Members) and Rick Thomas, Pam Robinson, Tommy and Mark Levanda (Guests). Absent were Larry Flanigan, Evelyn Maurer, Mark Schaffer, Mike Del Vecchio, Elizabeth Lachowicz, George Otto, Julie Pasqual, Sandie Reilly and Jean Scully

Treasurer's Report

Pat had sent out Monthly and Year-To-Date figures, a copy of which is attached. Expenses exceeded Income this month due to the pre-payment of 1/2 performers' guarantee for the Special Concert featuring Cherish the Ladies in December. The negative Other Expense/Book Sales is Storytelling book sales income; we have not yet paid for the books that were sold. Bottom line figures are well in the black for the Year-to-Date.

Bank balance as of 7/31 is $18,363.59; our CD is valued at $10,100.81 as of 7/8. The Ramat account totaled $77,983.25 as of 6/30; there is enough in the Cash portion of the account for the next Festival disbursement. Pat will look into re-investing some of the dividends automatically to build up the Equity (which creates the income for the disbursement).

BUSINESS ITEMS

Term Limits of Folk Project Officers

Currently, the officers’ terms are limited to two years. We are considering amending the constitution to remove this restriction, either for the Treasurer alone or for all officers. Since so many Board members were absent at this meeting, Chris decided that we should table the discussion until the next meeting. A main impetus for this action is that Pat’s term is due to expire in December. The Treasurer’s job has become quite complex, with a steep learning curve. Pat is willing to continue in the role.

Barb pointed out that this means we will not have time to ratify the amendment by the December Board meeting. Chris said that we could handle that situation with an interim appointment.

REPORTS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES

Minstrel Booking

July was a very good month. Average attendance for regular shows in July was 119, and it was 98.3 if you include all shows. Last July those numbers were 116 and 111 respectively, but July 2005 included the Founders' Concert. That's higher than usual for the "all shows" number, because that number included the Birthday Show, which had 131 paid. It was one of the best Birthday Shows in recent memory with 42 individual musicians taking part, and remarkably high quality almost universal. Special note to the Minstrel stage debut of Special Concerts Chair Gwen Orel, who proved herself a fine harmony singer. The average attendance per show over the past 12 months was 98.3 for 35 regular shows and 84 for 46 total shows. Financially July was $1,400 in the black, a number skewed somewhat because the timing was such that we did not issue a rent check this month. More like $600 in real terms.

Mike got a belated contract renewal in the mail. (Our old one expired in April.) Same rent and same terms. There may be times when another group may use either the Terrace Room or the Dining Room on a Friday night. We can work around that, and in fact we do not have the use of the Terrace room in the terms of our contract. We've been appropriating it, and the Fellowship is OK with that unless there is another group scheduled for that room on a Friday. The only sticky point is the access to our sound board, which is stored in the Terrace room. But that shouldn't be too hard to work around.

Minstrel will be displaced by the Screaming Orphans Special Concert on Sept. 15. Another high point in September is Bill Staines on Sept 1, with Rich Deans opening. New booking is Christina Smith and Jean Hewson, traditional singers from Newfoundland on April 20.

Minstrel Staffing

Sandie was absent because she was taping HSNOI, but reported through Chris that everything is under control.

Swingin’ Tern

Attendance at our July dances was in the 70's--still enough for some net revenue -- $110 for the month. This coming Saturday afternoon, weather permitting, we'll have about twenty of our dancers at the Madison Community Pool, giving a contra dance demonstration.

Special events coming up in the fall are a cross-step waltz workshop with Ken Crawford, at 5:00 p.m. on September 16th, and the Harvest Hoot, a special extra-long evening of both contra and swing, with benefit performances by Folk Project bands put together by Mark Schaeffer. And for New Year's Eve we are pleased to have booked Barb Kirchner and Grand Picnic.

Horses Sing None of It

From Ralph via e-mail: Sandie filled in as director and Tommy as head sound tech for two fine performances. Due to technical problems at the studio, Ralph had to edit both shows on the DVD recorder (a very time-intensive process), but both resulting shows are excellent. Performers were Orpheus Supertones and Pat Wictor & Cheryl Prashker.

Special Concerts

Screaming Orphans concert will be held on 9/15 at 8:30 pm. Gwen had flyers for us to post. Cherish the Ladies has accepted our offer and we’ve sent in a deposit. The concert will be on 12/3 at 8 pm at the Bickford Theatre. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

Barbara Keating will be our new ticketing agent. Pam asked how the Bickford handles tickets – Gwen will ask.

Gwen has submitted the Dodge grant.

Festival

From Ken via e-mail: Fall festival is on track with the schedule almost complete and the preliminary is up on the web-site. The new flyer is out in the newsletter and looks great. Some applause is due for Helene Zisook for a job well done! Helene has also offered to update the flyer (new performers info) before each festival, thus relieving Karyn of that task (more appreciative applause please). The note about the dance and round robin swap was placed in the newsletter. There was no time to get it into the flyer. On-line registration info was belatedly sent to George so check with him as to when it will be ready.

We have a great line-up with The Kennedy’s, Joel Mabus, We’re About 9 minus 1, Raise the Roof, Tori Barone, Jean Scully, Mary Kay Mann, Scott Sheldon and Dave Sherman as the Beaver. Please come; register soon; and bring all your friends and family – it’s going to be a great weekend!

Storytelling

No report.

Membership

No progress yet on the flyer.

Brad had a question about people who renew at the Minstrel – do we get them all? Barb said that it’s okay if their information has not changed and they just give their name. Brad said it’s possible not all the renewals have been sent to Barb. Pam said that occasionally there was a problem in the past and in the case of a dispute, “the consumer is right.”

Newsletter

Tom Plyant is interested in taking on the job of editor. The deadline for the September newsletter is August 10. Summer Weekend will be held this weekend (8/4 – 8/6).

Publicity

Everything under control.

Webmaster

From George via e-mail: The Festival web page has been put up, minus the online registration. That should go up in a week or so. The Special Concerts web page has been put up, with the online ticket purchase function. George took the title graphic from the Screaming Orphans website, which gives us our first sort-of-punk-looking title. Most web pages are slightly down from their yearly averages. Minstrel is down to 41 hits a day, about 6 lower than the yearly average. The only page with an upward trend is the dances page (listing all the dances in the area).

Merchandising

No report.

Internal Affairs

No report.

Community Affairs

From Elizabeth via e-mail: Barry's Mom passed away and Elizabeth will be sending a card to him & his brother. (He was in the Birthday show on Friday.) We were able to get a caller (willing to call & teach) to recorded contra music for an upcoming folkie bride & groom.

Sound

Everything under control.

Archive Management

Duane has retrieved equipment from storage and can do the replication of the skits. If Duane gets the material to Bobbie in a timely manner we can have it done by the end of September. Rutgers now has what Bobbie had on her porch. Ron Beeker was going to ask a Rutgers professor who teaches a class in Archival Management if his class could index our records. Ron would like us to keep an eye out for the Articles of Incorporation. Bobbie doesn’t have it.

GOOD OF THE ORDER

Evelyn Maurer’s mom has been very ill; at least now she is home from the hospital. She is no longer employed at Organon – don’t send her e-mail there - use folkannie@aol.com instead. Liz Pagan ran into Debbie Cohen Arntzen recently and learned that she is expecting. Liz is going to California next month to visit Sequoia National Park. She was planning to visit her brother, but he is in Seoul; instead she will visit his house and car. Gwen Orel spent the weekend in the Adirondacks and had an article published in the New York Times last week. Barbara Moo noted that it was a fabulous Birthday Show, with much talent and creativity. “Even though I know you are that good, I was impressed.” Rick Thomas said the song about the volunteers at the Birthday Show “warmed the cockles of my heart.” Pam Robinson and Bob Safranek will be going to Wisconsin soon. Brad Pryor went to his daughter’s High School graduation and was pleasantly surprised by an unannounced visit from his son, who had come in from Iraq. Brad had not seen his son for over 2 years. Andy Koenig has a lot of Early Music player gigs this fall including the Bickford Theatre with the Morris Chorale. After the meeting, Barbara Moo noted that Dave Sherman had gall bladder surgery Monday, was home Monday night and is doing so well that he was able to play the Birthday Show on Friday. Elizabeth Lachowicz reported via e-mail that Thomas is home and doing great and thanks everyone for giving him such a warm welcome home at the coffeehouse. George Otto noted via e-mail that it was great to be part of the Birthday Show again this year.

ADJOURMENT

We adjourned at 9:01 pm. Next meeting is on September 5, at the home of Paul and Melanie Axel-Lute.

Respectfully submitted,

Lori Falco

Secretary