SEPTEMBER 2014

FULL MINUTES

SEPT 2, 2014

The Sept 2, 2014 Board Meeting was called to order at 8:01 pm at Frank’s Pizza, 240 Route 206, Flanders, NJ, by President Elizabeth Lachowicz.

Present: Bill Henderson, Scooter Ferguson, Jim Gartner, Barrett Wilson, Elizabeth Lachowicz, Eddie Roffman, Lindsey Meyer, Mike Agranoff, Rachel Streich, Paul Fisher, Lois DeRitter, Allan Kugel, George Otto, Joanne Cronin, Lori Falco, Tom Picard, Shari Korenstein, Mike DelVecchio. Absent: Bob McNally, Grover Kemble, Mark Schaffer, Robin Schaffer, Gloria Friedman, Steve Humphreys, Sandie Reilly, Leigh Walker., Jean Scully. Guests: Pam Robinson, Christine DeLeon, Deborah Graham, Ken Brody, Pat Brangs, Susan Lembo.

ADMINISTRATION:

August Minutes were accepted with corrections.

TREASURER’S REPORT:

We currently have approximately $13,500 in the Money Market account and $9,600 in the Checking account. We will soon be making an advance payment to Camp Bernie of about $4,000 for the Fall Getaway. Elizabeth noted that we did a QuickBooks orientation workshop several months ago for Board members, which not everyone attended. We will also soon have new Board members, who will need QB training. Barrett volunteered to organize it.

OLD BUSINESS:

AD-HOC TECH COMMITTEE:

George reported that the committee is exploring different topics via email. Jean has identified three main uses for social media: 1) to tell people about us and our activities; 2) to link to other sites/organizations (community development); 3) to listen to and engage with our audience. How can we do this better?

There are several questions to be answered:

Different people may champion different technology or applications, but what happens when/if people leave and are no longer around to support that tech, then it gets dropped? We need long-term planning.

What do we want to build, and what tools can we use to do that?

Mike A. suggested, have we thought of setting up a FP listserve? Scooter noted that Facebook basically does the same as a listserve. Barrett asked, how can we connect our existing tech and use it better.

The committee has no recommendations yet, said George.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE:

Shari and Tom are moving away at the end of this month. Pat Brangs was nominated to take over as Community Services Chair, effective as of tonight, to replace Shari. The vote in favor was unanimous. Ken Brody will represent HSNOI committee at Board meetings through the end of 2014, then has been nominated as Co-Chair for 2015.

NEW BUSINESS:

NERFA 11/13-11/16/14:

The New England Regional Folk Alliance conference on the business of folk music is coming up in November. It was generally agreed that it would be beneficial to the FP Board for some of our members to go: to attend workshops to become more effective at their jobs on the Board; to attend performer showcases to find new performers to book; and to publicize the FP throughout the New England Region. We can get some discounts: Pam Robinson and Pat Brangs are entitled to 100% discounts on the NERFA fee for their work organizing and running the 1-day NERFA event this spring. Elizabeth also has several 50% NERFA fee discounts available. NERFA’s fee is $85 - $100, depending on when people register (the later you register, the more the fee goes up). Hotel accommodations run anywhere from $206 - $369, double occupancy including meals.

Elizabeth asked, what kind of support can the FP give to FP members who would like to attend? Questions: Who should the FP sponsor to attend? Allan thought that whoever FP sends should be required to present a report to the Board on what they learned. Mike A. noted that there are no Dance-related workshops or activities at NERFA, so no need to send Swingin’ Tern people. Elizabeth noted that this would be a great opportunity to publicize the FP, so maybe we should have an information table staffed by FP-subsidized attendees? Scooter suggested that maybe next year, FP could book a hotel room and host “guerilla showcases”? Lori disagreed, saying that it’s a lot of work to setup and run those; she suggested that we’re better off sending people to learn. Allan asked if it would be more cost-effective to focus on the one-day mini-NERFA events instead of “big NERFA”? Pam replied that “big NERFA” is a regional event with much more potential exposure – regional NERFA attracts an average attendance of about 800 people, compared to one-day “Mini-NERFA” attendance of 150 or so. Mike opined that the best way for us to benefit from our attendance s to get our name out in front of regional performers so they know who we are.

Eddie moved the FP sponsor and staff an information table, and sponsor the chairs of the Minstrel Booking, Special Concerts, HSNOI, Acoustic Getaway, and Publicity Committees, plus the incoming President to attend, up to 100% of costs depending on their ability to pay. Lindsey seconded. Scooter suggested an amending the motion, to limit it to 2014. Eddie accepted. Discussion ensued. Elizabeth suggested that the maximum subsidy should be $400; she has several 50% NERFA fee discounts. Bill recommended subsidizing the hotel costs at the lowest room rate available – if people want to upgrade their hotel accomodations, they can pay for it out-of-pocket. Allan suggested sponsoring a certain number of people without specifying WHO. Mike suggested amending the motion, so that the total amount of money spent ro subsidize attendees should be capped at $1200. George suggested tabling the motion until next month so we can think about it more – “very complicated”, says George. Eddie officially withdrew his motion.

Mike offered to organize an ad-hoc committee to decide who should go and how much to spend. Joanne moved that the FP sponsor 6 people to be chosen by ad-hoc committee, with a spending cap of $1200. There was no second for her motion.

Scooter moved that we authorize Elizabeth, as President, to allocate funds for up to 8 people to attend NERFA in 2014, based on advice and counsel from Board members who have previously attended, bearing in mind the fiduciary responsibilities of her office (we trust Elizabeth to spend our money wisely). Lori seconded. The motion passed with 17 Yeas, 0 Nays, and 1 Abstention.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

SPECIAL CONCERTS:

UkeFest II lost about $1900, but attendees all loved it. Workshops and concerts were great. Scooter said we got a lot of great publicity from it: a reporter from Atlantic Magazine was there, writing an article about the ukulele, and interviewed lots of people. A reporter from NJ TV did a feature segment to be broadcast next week. If we do it again, Scooter said, he will plan for a smaller event, and possibly move it off Labor Day weekend. Pam said she noticed lots of happy faces walking around on Saturday. We picked up one new member, she said. Kudos to Lois and Barrett for a great job at the Door, and to Pat and Pam for all their hard work in making it happen!!

The Jonathan Edwards/Lucy Kaplansky concert is coming up on November 21, 2014.

ACOUSTIC GETAWAY: SEE WRITTEN REPORT

Mark and Robin were absent, see written report. Susan Lembo reported that she’s been scheduling lots of radio interviews with performers on WDVR, also on WFUV and WNTI (Centenary College radio) to publicize the Getaway. She and Mark have been going to local jams on a weekly basis to publicize Getaway as well. They will be buying paid radio spots on WDVR also. They may also expand the use of radio spots on WDVR and WNTI to publicize the FP in general, not just the Getaway.

SOUND REINFORCEMENT: SEE WRTTEN REPORT

See written report. “Nothing to add”, sad Mike D.

NEWSLETTER: SEE WRITTEN REPORT

See written report. “Nothing to add”, sad George.

MEMBERSHIP: SEE WRITTEN REPORT

Eddie reported that Deborah Graham did a great job revising the membership application.

E-COMMUNICATIONS: SEE WRITTEN REPORT

Lori reported that a local recording studio contacted Board members to solicit business. Lori asked, who is responsible for responding to such an email? Mike A. took care of it.

PUBLICITY: SEE WRTTEN REPORT

See written report. Paul: “Nothing to add”.

INTERNAL AFFAIRS: SEE WRTTEN REPORT

Dave absent, see written report. The 9/13/14 HMMP will be at Dave Kleiner and Liz Pagan’s home in Bloomfield. The 4^th Saturday 9/27/14 party will be at the Roffmans’, as usual.

SWINGIN’ TERN: SEE WRITTEN REPORT

Leigh absent, see written report.

HSNOI: SEE WRITTEN REPORT

See written report. Ken Brody, representing the committee, said they have a good show coming up for taping on October 6, with a group called “Two-Thirds Goat”?

ZED MUSIC:

Shari and Tom are moving to Michigan at the end of this month. Zed’s last show is this coming Saturday, Sept 6, with Tom as the featured performer. They thanked FP for all the support .

COMMUNITY SERVICES:

Shari told Don Sternecker that Pat Brangs wlll be in touch with him re: the Greystone concert.

Dave Kleiner will have a FP publicity table at the Harvest Festival Street Fair in Bloomfield, NJ on Sept 27 – 28, and would like musicians to come jam to help draw attention to the table.

MINSTREL BOOKING: SEE WRITTEN REPORT

Mike reported that our average paid attendance in August was 85.3; or 78.3 including Open Stage. The Minstrel was $296 in the black for August, and $829 in the black for the last 12 months. On any given Friday, he noted that roughly 30% of the people in the room are there for free.

New Bookings: 5/29/15: Diane Perry will be opening for Brother Sun.

MINSTREL STAFFING:

Jean absent, no report.

MERCHANDISING:

Gloria absent, no report. Pam reported that a UkeFest II attendee saw a FP member wearing a FP t-shirt at UkeFest II and asked where she could get one. Pam called Gloria, who came right over with FP merchandise, and they sold about $80 of FP t-shirts and other merch.

NEXT MEETING: October 7, 2014, at the home of Allan Kugel and Cecilia Rowedder in Highland Park, NJ.

Meeting adjourned, 10:11 pm.