January 2019

The Folk Project Monthly Board was convened on January 8, 2019 at Mark & Robin Schaffer’s home.

Present: Jean Scully, Dave Heistand, Steve Humphreys, Mark & Robin Schaffer (telephonically), Bob McNally, Mike Agranoff, Mitch Radler, Gary Pratt, George Otto, Lindsey Meyer, Allan Kugel, Paul Fisher, Lois DeRitter, Todd Dennison, Christine Del Vecchio, Joanne Cronin, Pat Brangs, Dara Diamant, Sandie Reilly, Ken Brody, Evelyn McNally, Jay Wilensky. Absent: Chris Riemer

Meeting began with a singalong, Don’t Think Twice led by Bob McNally.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS

PRESIDENT'S REPORT: Paul stood by his written report.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Chris is absent due to illness and stands by his written report. Mike noted that there was a discrepancy between his and Chris’s figures for Minstrel, and Mike will investigate.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

MINSTREL BOOKING: We started off the year with a bang with Susan Werner, sellout with $566 profit although she had a $2100 flat fee, with FP keeping the creel. This demonstrated that we can book acts with a $2000 guarantee if it’s a full house. Also our biggest Concert Window due to $5 ticket price, which was a happy accident; it was supposed to be $2. (Lindsey noted that $5 was very acceptable to her as a CW user; Bob M also noted what a great experience CW was.) Zoe Mulford gave a great opening set, and Mike booked her as a headliner based on audience response. First show with advance sales; some glitches with logistics of sellout but they’ve been addressed going forward through a meeting with Mike, Gary and Jean. One remedy would be to make an “overflow room” where guests can watch the show on the big-screen monitor, using the Concert Window feed, and then give those folks first dibs at “no-show” seats in the main room. MUF repaving of parking lot is coming and Mike is working logistics, which may include parking at the Morris Museum. Ken asked that folks make sure teardown doesn’t all fall on Bill Henderson, who is always the last person out. Jay noted that the format used for the SW concert, with an opener and one long main set, helped us all get out earlier, although the creel would probably suffer. We had a very successful joint holiday concert w/MUF folks, including their minister, and MUF folks were thrilled. Bob noted MUF appreciated our presence, and suggested another joint event with MUF and FP musicians, which Mitch has also reached out to them about.

COMMUNITY SERVICES: It was a busy month with get-well cards and condolence cards. Pat is working on a database of musician members and sent out a request for more performers for the Memory Café. Per Webmaster John Lamb, the existing performer database is too archaic to be merely updated, and needs to be completely reworked in order to make it useful as a tool for performers and FP; it’s in the queue for the Web committee.

NEWSLETTER: Paper copy last month was late due to holiday mail delays. George will talk to Webmaster John Lamb re getting the newsletter venue list and performers’ list on the website as well.

HSNOI: Still some ongoing problems with the software editing, but shooting one or two shows a month in our beautiful new digs. All are welcome to be a studio audience; Sandie was encouraged to write an article for the newsletter soon letting folks know that they can attend the tapings.

MINSTREL STAFFING: Jean met with Gary and Mike A to hammer out a plan for sellout crowds with advance sales. The effort going forward will be to balance the rights of folks who bought advance sale tickets but have not arrived at show time, versus folks who show up with a pre-purchased ticket and see many empty seats in the auditorium. We’ll also make an increased effort to capture non FP folks for membership/Minstrelgram.

PUBLICITY: Elly has created online files in Google Docs for pictures and documents, and has talked to John Lamb about listing venues on the website. Paul noted it would be a great place for people to upload pictures of Getaway and FP events for future use. It would be good to have a list of job descriptions for FP jobs in the Back Office. Anyone contacting Elly, please put your committee name in the subject line as she’s still learning who does what.

ARCHIVES: Lindsey emphasized we do have a permanent home at Rutgers, she’s just hoping for sorting space, which may be at Rutgers. Please contact Lindsey if you have FP-related items for the archives; she will be doing more outreach as her schedule permits.

GETAWAY: Mark & Robin phoned in from sunny Florida to report that they’re hoping for a Thursday night extension to help folks avoid Friday night traffic. We have an arrangement with a nearby theater to allow us to see a play on Thursday night. They’re hopeful that the new venue’s creature comforts (real beds! Yummy food!) will encourage non-playing spouses to come. Stony Point will not charge us a fee for folks who come only for the Sunday concert, so they will be pure profit.

OPEN STAGE: New things for the new year, including the possible return of performer showcases and a song circle on Sunday nights. The Park School special needs school in Rockaway will be sending

FUTURE PLANNING: Committee is still drilling down to next level of detail. But volunteers are the heart of FP and we must nurture them before anything. Bob emphasized that this is the greatest take-away from the committee’s work so far: our greatest efforts must be towards building community and nurturing volunteers, because without them we will not survive and thrive.

CONCERTS

EVENT HOSTING

SWINGIN' TERN

NEW BUSINESS

Jean suggested we move meetings to an accessible location rather than members’ homes; a motion was carried to try the Long Hill Tavern for the February meeting [PLEASE NOTE THE TAVERN REJECTED THIS – STILL LOOKING FOR AN ONGOING VENUE.]

Kathi C is getting info out to new board members re e-mail policy, BackOffice and wiki.

ADJOURNMENT

Meeting was adjourned at 10:12 p.m. February meeting will be at the home of Mark & Robin Schaffer while we search for an ongoing venue.