March 2006

MOTIONS THIS MONTH

OPENING CEREMONIES

The meeting commences at 8:02 with Mark Schaffer as acting Secretary.

Roll Call

There is no record of the attendance at this meeting.

Secretary's Report

Mark: Mike’s email comment: “Comments and corrections to be ratified at next meeting. In the Treasurer’s report you state: ‘Our equity account that supplements the festival budget now has generated enough interest and income to cover our festival expenses.’ don’t think Patsy said that. If she did, it is badly incorrect. Mike”

Patsy: What’s in the account is sufficient to cover the disbursement for the next festival. Mike: The disbursement is about $1,300. Patsy: This is the disbursement from Mike Agranoff to general festival fund. Patsy : Merchandising spoke of t-shirts sold at special concert. The reference to CDs is wrong

Minutes accepted unanimously.

Treasurer's Report

The balance as of February is $24,800.15. Deposits are in from the festival. I’ve begun working on taxes. Insurance is not $1 per head at each function. The coffeehouse is 35-40 cents per head for insurance. There is also an equipment rider for Minstrel and Swingin’ Tern. Insurance is $65 per festival, not per person.

Mike requests these figures be distributed to the board. Andy: Is equipment insured against breakage? We should self-insure for things we can afford to replace. Chris: Should we form an insurance committee or examine it? Rick, Mike A., Patsy & Chris volunteers. Chris volunteers to be chair. Bobbie: Are Evenings of Music covered? Chris: All FP events covered. Brad: How is insurance set up? Patsy: We have three locations listed, the festival, the dance and the coffeehouse. Individual sites like Evening of Music are not listed on the policy. Rick : Special concerts should call in each event. Further discussion deferred by Chris for Insurance Committee.

OLD AND NEW BUSINESS

Sing Out

Chris Reimer: Sing Out gives 20 percent discount to participating organizations, which can take the 20 percent, or give part or all to its members.We want to give it to members. Sing Out also has a contest that we’re not interested per last meeting.

Affinity Credit Union

AFCU is a nonprofit, the Project can offer its members membership in the Affinity Federal Credit Union (AFCU)

It is a nonprofit organization that offers financial services to select groups. The financial services are for free or little money. As a nonprofit we can offer being a member to the credit union to members of FP. Services include free credit counseling, low interest rates. high CD rates.

Mike A: what do we have to do? Elizabeth: Sign letter explaining us to them. Make membership aware of benefit.

We could put notice in web or newsletter. Chris: Do we have to let them know of dropouts? Elizabeth: No. Once a member of the union, always a member. I told them we are protective of our membership list. Andy: If they accept label on newsletter, that settles problem of giving them our list. We should read letter agreement: if it says “hold harmless” or “indemnify,” we have to be very careful.

Rick: I’m a member with Cathy: rates very good, variety of services, and all problems have been worked out with simple call. Liz: What does it have to do with Folk Music? Lois: Are you , Elizabeth, profiting (from this arrangement)? Elizabeth: No I’m not. I’m an employee, but I would not receive money or accept any gift for it. Brad: How much info do they get? Cris : If newsletter with a label is proof of FP membership, then info is not an issue.

Bob S: Credit Union needs cash resources of their members. They used to have AT&T. Now they need new members.

Elizabeth: Nonprofit credit unions cannot advertise, so it’s important that they get groups to join. Bob S: Advertising is big sign in front of their office. Chris: We are not deciding tonight.

Andy : Credit unions are banks, only smaller and friendlier. They are the good guys of financial world. If we can do it for members, we should do so. Except be careful if the letter agreement says “hold harmless” or “indemnify.” Mike A: Benign, but out of our purview. I’m against it because it’s not part of our business. Gwen: True out of our raison d’etre. But it is as appropriate to doing a benefit. But further than this, I do not support it. Jim: Against Mike’s comment.

Chris: We’ll follow up next month. Elizabeth: Patrick McDermott, is in charge of member development and is a musician. We can recruit members by offering the credit union. He offered to come and speak to us.

Changing of the Publicity Guard

Pam will be Publicity Committee liaison to board. Alice continues as chairperson. Gwen: Do we send things to Pam and Alice? Pam: No. Things don’t change.

Arts Council of the Morris Area

We used to apply for a grant from them for up to $5,000. We regularly got between 5 and 600 yearly. We missed last year. This year the deadline is coming. Katy Dempsey, our liaison on the council, read about the tax issue and suggested that we apply as FP instead of Special Concerts. It could result in much larger grants. Pam suggests we form committee and assign percentages to our various committees.

Chris: Grant in past was owned by a money disbursing entity. It would be complicated to assign which committee spends how much.Andy: If we apply, grant would have to state purpose. That statement of purposes would determine whether we got the grant, and later whether we applied it appropriately. We need to decide purpose first and make certain we use it for that purpose and be able to prove we used it for that purpose. Someone must own the problem.

Pam: Yes. The purpose and fulfillment are very loose: We say we want help for special concerts and we do 2 or 3,

we do a storytellers in June or house concerts. And then we get money and house concert does one, they are not going to take it away. Andy: How do you know? Rick: We’ve done it in the past. Andy: We should talk to someone who knows about the grant world Gwen: I wrote many grants. It is loose for one program, They will not give you overhead. We have to be specific.I am happy to apply, but it needs to be careful and specific.

Special Concerts needs grant, but I will not be involved if it is not specific. We can’t apply and figure it out afterwards.

Chris: When is the deadline? Pam: I don’t know.

Bob: Katy has suggested several times we apply as an organization. Paul: There is a general support for the grant, did they mention that? Pam: No. Jim K: Pam writes grants. Is it possible to have an informal meeting with Katy to discuss a larger grant? Pam: Probably. Gwen: yes. Jim K: In Hunterdon County the familiar groups get big grants, up to ten, $20,00 per year. As we are familiar in Morris County. The main group in Hunterdon disburses to subgroups. Pam should be chairperson, and interested people should give input.

Chris: Reporting paper work is not onerous, but we have to do it. Are the recipients interested in doing paper work?

Andy: Early Music Players gets grants from the Morris Area Arts Council. One requirement is to put the council’s name on all concert programs. If the venue fails to put name, Early Music Players loses the grant. Kris Lamb administers grant. Pick her brains. Gwen: I haven’t been heard. People do not disburse grants without specifics. Jim K: Interested people should take it over.

Gwen: Big organizations get grants, but that doesn’t mean they get a $30,000 grant. I know Katy. If we get a grant for the special concerts, every piece of literature needs the name and logo on it. They don’t want money back. Councils want to give out money.

Mike A: A grant may help subsidize festival budget. Lois: Why did the tax issue cause her to call? Pam: We have had small grants for special concerts. She is recommending we broaden it to entire organization instead of a niche. She sees we needed money. Bob S: Money could be used to get performers like Jay & Molly at the Minstrel. Mike: I don’t want a grant for the Minstrel.

Sandie: If we put all our needs together, we have a better chance for all of us to benefit. We make out so much better if it’s the entire organization. They will offer funds for operating or outreach, one or the other. Pool all of us together and we get more than for each spot. Julie: Storytelling is interested, but our festival is in Mercer County. Pam: Your home base is here.

Chris: Is the deadline not before next meeting? Pam: April is the workshops to write the grant. Chris: Management and reporting will be complicated, two areas in which we fairly suck. A champ is necessary. If we do it at the organization level, we need a committee. There can’t be confusion about responsibility. Pam: It could be subcommittee under the treasurer. I’m willing to do it. Chris: Report at the next meeting.

Pam: The committees interested are the public face committees. This is for 2007. Chris: People interested contact Pam. The ACMA is asking for nominations for their 18th annual awards, but the letter came too late for nominations. We need an administrator to be the contact with them.

Gwen: Are we ignoring other grants? Rick: We’ve had the Dodge Foundation. They’ve given thousands to the Project for special projects, for Horses Sing None of It. Gwen: The New Jersey Arts Council? Rick: I don’t know.

Chris: In the past grants were a yes/no for the board, but no longer. (Half the board says yes, half the board says no.)

Reorganization Time

Tabled for another meeting

REPORTS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES

Membership

Andy Koenig for Barbara Moo: Barbra collected comments from people about the benefits of membership.

(Andy passes them out.) Barbara wants comments on the comments.

Newsletter

Winterweekend was delightful. FP may be getting donation in name of Winter Weekend. Someone almost got hurt, but did not. There may not be summer weekend. The transition to using the new membership chair’s labels has gone smoothly. Champlain Valley person, Mike, please get stuff in on time.

Publicity

Pam Robinson: Hi. Sandie: Lewis at Bickford has bunch of publicity stuff. It may boost our attendance. We are exchanging flyers with them. Pam: Lewis should talk to his people about an ad in our newsletter. Sandie: Liz is copied on whole deal.Gwen: I’ve updated publicity contacts that Alice may not have. How do I get this info to Alice? How? Pam: Send me a copy: Gwen: The list changes every special concert. Pam: Highlight the field changes with date of when changed or put the changes in a column. Take it off-line.

Webmaster

There was a previous difficulty with accurate stats, but now the stats are accurate and the problem is fixed. The Minstrel had 54 hits per day in February. Special concerts had 26 per day in February. There was a loss of hits in Horses.

Special concert orders after sales closed were accepted. That problem was solved. Now the pages will be refreshed every hour, so this doesn’t happen again. Money was refunded. In future we shouldn’t refund after the bank gets the money.

Membership is now in the navigation bar.

The house concerts page will work out whether that’s in special concerts list or a special page. I suggest a special page because we would like to remember our house concerts. The Project page is delayed. URLs are now updated.

Storytellers, festival and house concert will be handled this week.

Gwen: House concerts is subset of special concerts.Some funding won’t support concerts in people’s homes. Bobbie: Is the workshop special concerts? George: I’d like to find long term solution. Bobbie: We should consider workshop page.

George: Do we have Folk Alliance benefits to members? Mike: I don’t remember. Chris: We have done house concerts as a separate committee.

Merchandising

T-shirts are topping off. It is time for an accounting. I have no computer, so the web not is done. I found a good mug for the festival work on ordering it. Cost should be $10 sale price. Andy: What happened to guitar picks? Mike: We have them, but we weren’t happy with them. We are going to accept them. We’ll sort out the bad ones. Some are crooked and some are faded. We’ll work it out.

Mike A: Suggests a “Minstrel 2006” mug with the signatures of all the featured performers for the year. We can do it every year. Mike D: We’re not thrilled with the t-shirts. I’m interested in getting a CD wrapper slicer. Brad: The t-shirts are smeared. Mike D: Brad and I will get together somehow and work it all out. Mike A: We should tend to problems sooner.

Lois: What are the colors of the mug? No answer.

Internal Affairs

Mark Schaffer for Jean Scully. Jean not present. Chris: Evening of Music was wonderful. 20 people Bobbie: March Evening of Music is at Cecilia’s.

Community Affairs

Elizabeth Lachowicz Hi.

Sound Reinforcement

I’m working on a document for MUUF to use our equipment. I’m playing phone tag with the insurance company about sound loan to MUUF. Swingin’ Tern piano is up for repair.

Minstrel Booking

The Minstrel is kicking ass. Two shows this month were no Minstrel committee related. The special concert was full beyond capacity. We had 170 for the Valentines Day Extravaganza. We had 107 for Bob Franke. We had170 for Jay & Molly and we made their guarantee of $1530 without the help we would have gotten from April Verche. Our attendance is off the charts. MUUF has said the green cabinet has to go downstairs.

Future Minstrels are Maire Ni Chathasaigh & Chris Newman on March 24th. They may approach the sellout. David Jacobs-Strain on June 2nd is an imperative. Mike Smith coming and Finest Kind on October 20th.

Elizabeth: I was disappointed not to be able to see Jean Rohe in 2nd half of the Jay & Molly concert. What is procedure to changing the coffeehouse schedule? Mike A: Jean opened for Jay & Molly. I changed format to a single opening set to lengthen the break. I handled it badly. I didn’t notify the performers. It helped lengthen the break, but enough people expressed disappointment that I wll stay with the present format, and we will run a little (ten mintues) late next time this happens. I am confidant that we will be OK with MUUF. I don’t know how to compensate Jean. Lois: What’s the outcome with Jean and her family? Andy: Jean was furious. Mike A: I didn’t realize that. It was a longer set, later, but they anticipated playing longer. Lois: Are they okay? Mike A: She accepted my apology, but this is first I heard they were fuming. I will follow up with a letter.

Brad: One problem on Jay night - During the break they didn’t sign an autographs in lobby. Who talks to performers to move performers out at the end of the night? Mike A: It should be me, I was MC. Brad: About the Alternate Choice Committee, can I take it over? Mark: It is under minstrel. Speak to Michael. I prefer not to speak about the reasons it didn’t go forward.

Minstrel Staffing

I sent out one email for volunteers for the entire month. Great idea. I need people for open stage this Friday. I have 128 volunteers on my list. Rick: I’ll be door or head staff. Sandie: Pass around the book. If anybody sees anything wrong with volunteers or guests, try to lean towards meeting the guest’s request. If there is still a problem, see Rick, Sandie or Mark.

Mike A: Me, too. Sandie: When it comes to something that needs to be handled politically, see me. Chris: Mike needs a new joke.

Swingin Tern'

Our two February dances had roughly the same attendance: 82 on February 4th and 78 on the 18th. The size of the

band was again the determining factor of net revenue versus net loss. For the month we netted $80.00. The March 4th dance had attendance of over 90 and net revenue of $140.

The Ogden church agreed to a graduated schedule for our rent increase, going up in 35-dollar increments as of April 1st, September 1st, and January 1st. They did reserve the right to make the rent higher than the anticipated $245 as of January, but also agreed to make that decision by this September.

Horses Sing None Of It

Frank Fetusky & Music Town will be broadcast in April. Thursday is Del Ray with Steve James. Then Steve James with Del Ray. Seats to the taping are available. Lineup is announced. Now Horses is broadcast in Staten Island

Special Concerts

Irish Story & Song was a big, big success. It was sold out a week ahead. We let the wait list sit in hall to listen and that worked out very fine. It was a financial success. We netted $400, plus $100 donation from new attendee. Our sponsors are happy. The Olde Mill Inn is happy. Earle Hitchner, a reporter gives us a great review.

New issues: We need to handle dinner so it’s less work and more fun; we need to streamline handling tickets. Working with Ginty’s was a big success. We should have priced tickets higher.

We are planning for the year: We’ll do Irish Christmas and Irish Story & song again if we can. This is considered Irish season, so Feb 17th was great timing for our concert. We had great outreach in Irish community. We took out an ad in The Irish Echo. We must also take an ad in The Irish Voice next time.

Bill Henderson did DVD for band. It is great. Planning: We want to repeat these two events. If we plan farther in advance, maybe we can start a subscription deal. We got at least 50 email addresses at the concert. Signal Graphics did flyer for us. Next event may be end of June or July.

Bobbie: Why do we do only Irish? Gwen: Celtic is my only interest. Bobbie: Some people don’t want only Irish.

Elizabeth: Do people know we keep their email? Gwen: Yes. They put it down on our form.Elizabeth: We should ask permission to send emails. Brad: There was an envelope left in the cash drawer with $500 for one week. Gwen: That was money from 34 tickets sold by Ginty’s. Performers were paid based on an estimate of 200 tickets.

Patsy: We did sell 210 or 215 based on admissions. Rick: The DVD is very nice. Sandie: Thank bill. He does it all. Let him know he is appreciated. Bill doesn’t want big fluff just a quiet thanks. Gwen: Sign up for the house concert.

Pam: Should we send a thank you letter to Bill? Gwen: He prefers to be under the radar. Mike D: In other groups I’ve gotten a certificate at Staples and put it in a frame.Mike A: Maybe we can do something at the December annual meeting

Gwen: I will email the link to Earle’s comment. His negative impression of Project is rehabilitated.

Festival

Registration is open. Register sooner, rather than later. It’s going to be a great festival and we need more people We have booked the Fall Festival: The Kennedys, Joel Mabus, and two members of We’re About Nine. Project performers are Dave Sherman, Jean Scully, Mary Kay Mann and Scott Sheldon. Jim K: The price is up considerably. Mike A: Five bucks. King: Has it risen because of camp fees? Mike A: The rise has been following the rise in camp fees. We are still analyzing the surveys. Brad: Do you expect more people this festival? Mike A: I do. Chris: The surveys do not indicate price is a factor.

Story Telling

I’m just getting over flu. One member of the committee is teaching at Mercer County Community College. She held a contest for a logo for the festival. They will pay $200 for the graphic design to winner. I like all of the six logos I saw.

There will be a workshop at festival by Julie. The PR folks are good. We got 2 emails thru the Project address already.

We are sending out proposals for tellers at the festival. All is going well.

REPORTS OF THE ADHOC COMMITTEES

Archive Committee

Nothing on archive management I’m still waiting for the videos and such. Chris: Importants dates and directors manual or perpetual calendar? Bobbie: Those are two separate issues. Thanks to patsy for sending dates. I would like to include all things that are repeating, not just major items; like paying rent at MUUF, etc. or S&T rent, When is it due, for example.

Mike A: Including event-specific things like festival flyers out by date, etc.? Bobbie: The more we have, the better.

Mike A: I will tell Ken to send his festival schedule. Bobbie: Do you have a specific time frame to contact the State? Whatever is on a recurring basis, email to Bobbie. Chris: key dates are only meaningful in the context of a job. Bobbie: But this is not a job description. Right now I am putting together a perpetual calendar.

Documentation

I started collecting minutes of meetings. I checked with secretary, who says, You want what? Mark: She knows what to look for, but she is not here because she is sick. Mike A: I have further back. Chris: There may not be soft copies

Mike A: I might have to 2002 Rick: I sent Chris back to 1994. Andy: I’ll check to see what I may have. Chris: I have last six years. Pam: I will sit with Mike, Chris and Patsy about minutes and get minutes into PDF on line, electronic documents with a hard copy to the secretary.

Bobbie: Rutgers will only take hard copy. Pam: and do a binder of hard copy to Rutgers. Chris: Better use of servers to document activities. Bobbi & Andy: Include me. Chris: I’ll send an email to the board. Pam: I haven’t gotten all the documents required and requested. Evelyn: Requested by who? Chris: The lawyers.

GOOD OF THE ORDER

Gwen: I have a review in NY Times on Thursday. Andy: I’m getting many performing opportunities. Saturday I’m playing an Irish music concert at Grace Epsicopal Church in Madison: the church kid’s chorus and Rosetta and Duggan’s Hooligans. Also a Musictown gig on 3/31 at the Minstrel. And I’m backing up Connor Duggan. In April The Early Music Players is honoring Shakespeare. Jim W: Good news: Judy entered 12 plants in Philly Flower Show got 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place and several honorable mentions. Ed Roffman’s father’s is in hospice with cancer. Please send an FP card. Rick: The April Evening of Music will be at my home and will be my 60th birthday party. We’ll donate food at Modern Man concert at The Minstrel. Pastsy: Ken is moving home this weekend after 12 years in DC. Elizabeth: Margaret Crowl is doing well. Joe Petraitis’ brother died. Betsy Rose had a great Minstrel show and will perform at the Café Z on Saturday, May 20th. Brad: My son was in Kuwait and Iraq. He enjoyed the C-130s and Blackhawk helicopters. He’s got email over there. Sandie: My son made honor roll again, the second time in his life. And he started playing bass. He is now a boy scout bugler. My daughter made her Girl Scout cookie quota. Cookies will be available soon. Note from Ken G: My son took third in the regional wrestling tournament. Julie: 3/19th is first ever Fun Dance Can-Can Festival Food Drive in Manhattan. Julie will teach a fun dance for food bank donations. Mike A: Mahaffy & Harter is belly up. It was sold to another outfit, Ossid. They will continue making the same machines. Engineering stays in NJ. Manufacturing moves to N. Carolina. Mike should have a job for as long as he wants one. Rick: The latest New Yorker cover is three 50-60’s guys sitting, playing guitar together like winter weekend.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting is adjourned at 10:18 pm.

Post-meeting addendum: Judy Bubar’s final total at the Philly Flower Show is two first places, one second place, two third places, and six honorable mentions.

Village Harmony is at the Minstrel on April 21st. We need housing for 25 or so high school kids. Anybody who can put them up and get them back to Minstrel on Saturday morning, email Mike.