The meeting was called to order at 8:20 PM on March 5, by President Elizabeth Lachowicz. This meeting was held via Zoom.

ROLL CALL

Present: Mike Agranoff, Loretta Brooks, Jeff Canter, Sam Edelston, Paul Fisher, Doug Heacock, Peggy Karr, Allan Kugel, Elizabeth Lachowicz, John Mahon, Bob McNally, George Otto, Gary Pratt, Sandie Reilly, Chris Riemer, Jean Scully and Pamela Zave 

Absent: Todd Dennison, Tina Ross, Mark Schaffer and Robin Schaffer

Guests: Andrew Warner

MOTIONS MADE

• Mark requested a small wording change in the February minutes, to clarify that Getaway has only been a financially risky proposition since Covid. This change can be seen in the published version. No further changes were requested, and the board accepted the minutes as amended.

• Bob moved that the Folk Project define and adopt an official courtesy policy for its board members and volunteers. There was a good deal of discussion, as described below, but the motion was tabled for a vote until next month.

ADMINISTRATIVE OVERVIEW 

Secretary

We had some more e-mail failures this month, with memos from Elizabeth and Robin Schaffer failing to reach the secretary. The problem will be reported to postmaster John Lamb.

Treasurer

Peggy has nothing new to report, beyond what she included in her earlier email. The annual dues for membership in Folk Alliance International are due, and we’ve also been invoiced by the Morris County Tourism Bureau. The consensus was that both these entities add value for us, in terms of general networking and information access. We should keep them.

NEW BUSINESS

A Folk Project Code of Conduct

The Future Planning Committee has been working on the idea of a code of conduct, and that has evolved into what Bob described as a "courtesy policy." He kicked off the discussion of same by reading the policy that he distributed via email:

“As a volunteer, the Folk Project expects that you will self-govern your behavior, and conduct yourself with Courtesy, Patience, Politeness, Respect & Tolerance in your interactions with the public and other volunteers, as you go about Folk Project business and activities. 

We recognize that while these are standard behaviors for most people most of the time, in moments of stress, anyone can slip. A Courtesy Policy is an anchor in such moments and aids in maintaining expected behavior. 

Volunteer means ALL volunteers (Board members, trustees, chairs, committee members, event staff, and any other category of volunteer). 

This motion further directs the President to interact with the Volunteer Committee Chair and other interested committee chairs to determine how to best communicate this Courtesy Policy to present and future volunteers.”

Bob feels we’ve managed well enough for the last 40 or so years, but there have been a few “very notable” instances of bad behavior. He believes that if you expect people to model certain behaviors, you should at least document what those behaviors are.

His research says that these kinds of policies, codes of conduct and ethical statements are highly recommended for nonprofit organizations. They vary based on the size and budget of individual groups, and can get very complicated if they include things like specific infractions, enforcement mechanisms and peer reviews.  

Much discussion followed. 

Jeff fully supports the idea, but also feels we don’t need a motion at this point. He thinks Bob has the authority to formulate a policy, and the Board only needs to approve the adoption of it. Bob’s take is that he has formulated a basic, high-level policy; tonight’s motion is asking the Board to adopt it. Pamela agrees, and seconds Bob’s motion. She thinks it’s very well worded and very non-controversial.

Chris reminded folks that a few years ago, the board itself had gotten more than a little rancorous, and an ad-hoc committee developed what are now called the Rules of Engagement. That’s a courtesy policy that’s already established, but was only imagined as something at the board level. In a nutshell, the Rules of Engagement ask everyone to “play nice.” However, Chris has doubts about operationalizing such an idea and thinks there’s not much chance of changing people’s behavior with a policy.

Bob agrees that a policy won’t change behavior, but thinks we have a better chance at positive outcomes if we adopt such a policy than if we do nothing. Elizabeth agrees, believing that such a policy “creates a space” for difficult conversations.

Gary doubts the proposed policy would be effective. He thinks it’s too vague to be useful, and thinks we should at least include some examples of what improper behavior looks like. Avoiding the issue of potential consequences is just “kicking the can down the road.” He thinks relying on five key words isn’t doing the job, and the ideas need to be fleshed out some more. Perhaps a few interpretive paragraphs to drill down into those ideas of Courtesy, Patience, Politeness, Respect & Tolerance. Pamela likes that idea, but also thinks we should approve this policy now, even if we want to refine or improve it later.

George adds that while on first reading it seems a little generic, he thinks it would also be a mistake to be overly legalistic. He likes the fact that it puts the board on notice that these are the things we stand for, as an organization, and if someone reports a violation, the board needs to address it. Allan has some editorial suggestions, but otherwise is OK with it.

Pamela reiterated that it’s a good practice to have a policy like this, and thinks Bob’s draft is well-balanced and appropriate. “It walks the line,” she said. She can imagine what a very detailed and specific policy might look like, but can’t imagine the board ever passing such a creature. She thinks we should pass this motion from a sense of pragmatism.

Chris is fully in favor of the principle, but has concerns about how we’d implement it. Having a policy that’s published on our website, or mentioned in the newsletter, is fine. But he’s less clear on what happens next. Having a top-end policy doesn’t hurt, but only if it’s recognized as aspirational, not operational. 

Bob stressed that he’s trying to make the tiniest possible modifications to our existing process by establishing an explicit statement of expectations; something to help us deal with issues as they arise. He thinks that in the years since the Rules of Engagement, there’s been a steady improvement in the collegiality of the board. Not just because we had a set of rules, but because those rules empowered leadership in a way that could shape people’s behavior.

Sandie mentions that she herself was on the smoking end of some egregiously discourteous behavior a number of years ago. If we’d had a policy like this in place then, a lot of things might have worked out differently. Both in how the issue was addressed and the time it took to resolve it. Chris agrees.

George feels the discussion has been interesting and informative, but thinks we need more time to reflect. He moves to table this motion and bring it up next month. Gary seconds. Some of those present believed it would be better to put a stake in the ground now, but others felt the proposal might not pass a full board vote in its present form. The motion to table passed, with seven in favor and six opposed. Stay tuned…

COMMITTEE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS 

Sound Reinforcement

John reports there was a problem on February 16 that interfered with the streaming video from the Troubadour.  We were able to record it thanks to the support of Bill Henderson. Gary was able to upload a copy of the recorded video and share it with his streaming ticket purchasers over the following few days. (It was a maintenance upgrade kind of issue, and everything is working normally again.)

Elizabeth pointed out that we’re lucky to have such an agile and effective support team, highlighting folks like Bill. She thinks we should give more thought to the people who are working behind the scenes. They won’t always be there.

Future Planning

Bob stands on the written report submitted by Robin Schaffer.

Newsletter

George stands on his written report.

Publicity

Sam stands (largely) on his written report. He has gotten a couple of new people to help out with publicity tasks, but he could still use more. 

In other news, Folk Project founder Laurie Riley has volunteered to write a book to document the history of the organization. She will donate her writing services, so there’s no need for a budget. The aim is to have it finished in time for our 50th anniversary. Sam will report on developments through his committee.

Swingin’ Tern

Doug dances on his written report.

Streaming

Gary stands on his written report.

Troubadour

Gary (and the absent Todd) stand on their written report.

Staffing

Jean is happy to report that everyone rose to the occasion on two big events in recent weeks, although there were logistical challenges staging the Valentine’s Day show. Mike has successfully recruited new blood at some recent concerts.

Chris was at the recent Tom Chapin show, and liked Mike’s MC speech encouraging people to make the trip to MUF. “It’s great to be on the room via the stream, but it’s even better to be in the room itself.” However, Gary and Bob both felt those remarks were insensitive and rude to the streaming audience. We should be grateful for everyone in the audiences, both real and virtual, and we should avoid comparing them.

Horses Sing None of It

Sandie took her occasional trek to the former Horses studio, and can see that nothing has been done to improve or repair the building. She thinks Horses needs to look for a new home.

Special Events

Mark wasn’t at the meeting, but Pamela has exchanged some emails with him and expressed concern about the Getaway. The registrations for Spring are not where they should be (based on past events). She thinks that if any board members are not planning to attend, it would be a good idea to let Mark know what’s behind that decision.

Chris added that individual Getaway weekends, like the Festival weekends before them,  don't have to show a profit every time.  We have sometimes lost money on them over the years, but we can afford it.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting  proper was adjourned at  10:17  PM. Next month’s meeting is April 2, at 8:15 PM, via Zoom. 

Submitted by Chris Riemer

NEWSLETTER

From: George Otto <g_otto@comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, March 4, 2024 8:26 PM
To: boardplus@folkproject.org
Cc: George Otto <GeorgeOtto@mac.com>
Subject: Newsletter Committee Report 2024-03

Things are proceeding as usual with the invaluable help of Kathi Caccavale, Pat Brangs, Bill Henderson, Gary Pratt, Paul Fisher, and Todd Dennison. 

George Otto
Folk Project Newsletter Editor
newsletter@folkproject.org

PUBLICITY

From: sam.edelston@folkproject.org <sam.edelston@folkproject.org>
Sent: Monday, March 4, 2024 3:59 PM
To: boardplus@folkproject.org
Cc: publicitycomm@folkproject.org
Subject: Publicity Report for 2024-03-05 Board meeting

Hi, all –

Here’s the March Publicity Report. 

In addition to my usual Web Stats attachment, I have a separate attachment with Facebook stats.  Let me know if there are any questions.

Sam

FUTURE PLANNING

From: Robin Schaffer <robinjs19@gmail.com>
Date: March 1, 2024 at 10:23:54 AM EST
To: "BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers" <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: FP March Future Planning Committee report

Hi All,

Here is a list link to the report, plus copied below

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1ZjJ6dpEl-XhdFEvS7r8Mxa_vHsATyvKq/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword

February Accomplishments

Grant and Sponsorship Status 

• Tina Ross has been working with Caffe Lena and Godfrey Daniels to apply for a Mid-Atlantic Arts, Arts Connect Grant as a cohort (a group of presenters booking one act). The plan is to present Jorma Kaukonen.  Mid-Atlantic Arts will play 50% of the artist fee.  Our concert is slated for Q1 2025.  We will find out if we received the grant money by July. 

• We met with the facilities manager for the new Morristown location for Sanofi.  This person will work with us closer to the move in 2025.  We are still exploring whether we can do an event with them at that time to welcome their employees to town. 

Presentation Sub Committee  

• Mark and Bob spoke to the MUUF rep responsible for lighting in the sanctuary.  He came up with a less-costly solution that avoids electricians and wiring changes by using smart switches and smart spotlights. The solution will enable us to darken the audience during concerts, while lighting the stage in a few different pre-programmed ways. We’ve been expecting the estimate for a few weeks.  

Social Media 

• We expanded the “Click Clique” weekly email to a large list of close FP members.  This provides links to about three FP posts and requests the recipients Like and Share them. The list is sent out by Thomas Lachowicz, who is out this week. 

• Social Media advertising experiments continued. 

  • El Kleiner led our strategy and showed Mark and Robin how to generate the ads. Mark has been fighting with his Mac to create videos, but came out with some good ones.  

  • We are planning to transfer knowledge to members of the publicity team (Sam and Kathi). 

  • We definitely need creative help in developing the ads.  We need someone with some advertising experience to choose photos and videos. Videos need to be edited, which takes software and skill.  Let us know if you know anybody. 

  • Results

    • Ash and Eric were ho hum… about 10 tickets sold for $100 kickstart investment

    • Phil Ochs were excellent.   40 tickets sold for a $50 investment.

    • Results for Tom Chapin were strong.  34 tickets sold for $50

  • We will continue experimenting through the next several months. 

Branding

• The logo ad-hoc committee (Yolanda Fundora, Liz Pagan, Peggy Karr, Bob McNally, George Otto, Mark Schaffer and Robin Schaffer) have been hard at work on designs and have made good progress.  We expect to present a new logo to the Board at the April meeting. We will have several related expressions of the logo for different purposes - banner headlines, t-shirts, web page tags, email headers, etc. 

Code of Conduct.  

• Bob McNally created a policy to be presented to the board at the March meeting. 

March Goals

• Finalize Logo

• Transfer the knowledge to build SM ad campaigns from Robin and Mark to Sam and Kathi

• Build SM ad campaigns for Songwriter Day (April 4), Bebbe Gambella (March 23)

• Mark and Bob will finalize the lighting plan for the MUUF sanctuary.  Start to explore lighting options for the new theater. 

As always, the Future Planning Committee is open to all suggestions and feedback. If you want to learn more about longer term ideas, please reach out to Robin.Schaffer@folkproject.org.

Thanks!

Robin Schaffer
Bob McNally

From: Robert McNally <bobmcnally@me.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 9:33 PM|
To: Chris Riemer <jcriemer@gmail.com>
Subject: Courtesy policy proposal

Motion: that the Folk Project adopt a Courtesy Policy, to read:

"Folk Project Courtesy Policy.

As a volunteer, the Folk Project expects that you will self-govern your behavior, and conduct yourself with 

Courtesy,

Patience, 

Politeness, 

Respect,

 & Tolerance

in your interactions with the public and other volunteers, as you go about Folk Project business and activities. 

We recognize that while these are standard behavior for most people most of the time, in moments of stress, anyone can slip. A Courtesy Policy is an anchor in such moments and aids in maintaining expected behavior. 

Volunteer means ALL volunteers (Board members, trustees, chairs, committee members, event staff, and any other category of volunteer)"

This motion further directs the President to interact with the Volunteer Committee Chair and other interested committee chairs to determine how to best communicate this Courtesy Policy to present and future volunteers. 

(End of motion)

Discussion

• Volunteers are the heart of our organization. Making participation as a volunteer rewarding and enjoyable is critical to our surviving and thriving.

• The same could be said for our interactions with attendees and performers. 

• It is important to do what we can to ensure that people’s interactions with the Folk Project are satisfying and enjoyable. 

• It is true that most who volunteer and manage volunteers demonstrate these expected behaviors, most of the time. However, even brief excursions from these expected behaviors interfere with our mission and everybodys' enjoyment. 

SPECIAL EVENTS

From: Mark Schaffer <markschaffer100@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 3, 2024 10:34 AM
To: Board <Board@folkproject.org>
Subject: March 2024 Special Events Committee Report to Board

March 2024 Special Events Report to Board

Evenings of Music:

February’s EoM had great showing of 20 musicians, and was beautifully filled more sing-alongs and harmonies than typical. March’s EoM is at The Poledri’s home. Diane attracts fabulous musicians and dispenses fabulous desserts.

Peter Yarrow Special Concert

We’re sold out a month in advance. The show will be highly profitable by Folk Project standards. Special Concerts staffs outside the normal Troubadour channels. becuase the pricing and the requirements are different.

Acoustic Getaway

We are half-filled at this point. This is slower and lower sales than expected. We are asking all Getaway fans to bring a friend. When Peter Yarrow dropped out, we lost our anticipated draw, However, fame is expensive, and talent may or may not be. The budget dollars saved were spent making the concerts and workshops better and resultetd in a much stronger overall program.

I renegotiated with Stony Point because the premium for taking the entire camp proved expensive. This lowered the per person price by $40, and reduced the number of guests we need to bring in order to avoid a serious financial penalty.

The boards added support to reduce the prices due to inflation was offered to the first 60 Getaway veterans who registered and provided an additional $40.

Getaway during our tenure typically registered 90% of the guests in the first two or three weeks. Not this time. The Folk Project spent a large amount to boostrap this first full post-COVID Getaway, and that is not sustainable.

The October half-size Getaway with a Sunday’s concert featuring the Duet Rollette was successful and may be a sustainable model going forward. Everybody who attended enjoyed it.

No decisions have been made. The current plan is research, brainstorm, and examine suggestions.

Songwriters Day

Tina Ross, Diane Polledri, Laura McClosky and I are planning and executing the day. It’s a strong team that developed a strong program. Susan Werner and Natalia Zukerman are featured in concert and leading workshops. Assuming the concert is pushed in publicity and draws better than our first year, we expect to do better financially.

Yours in song,

Mark Schaffer, Special Events Chair.

OPEN STAGE/MEMBERSHIP

From: Todd Dennison <todd.dennison@folkproject.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 10:39 AM
To: Board - Current voting directors (officers, trustees, chairs) <board@folkproject.org>
Subject: Open Stage/Membership Report

OPEN STAGE REPORT

The Open Stage is very popular and always booked way in advance.  

Last month we raised the admission price and I am happy to report the only comment we received was "Oh, ok" It was met with indifference and acceptance from the attendees,

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

Nothing consequential to report.  

Dutifully submitted by,

Todd Dennison

TREASURER

From: timpeg@optonline.net <timpeg@optonline.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 12:25 PM
To: board@folkproject.org
Subject: Treasurer Report March 2024

Everyone,

Attached is the Profit & Loss Report by class. Not much to point out. We are flush with cash from Getaway Ticketing.

Karen has spent some time trying to teach me Quickbooks data entry to help off-set her bookkeeper fee's. At 70 I'm afraid I'm lacking enough viable brain cells to learn the job quickly.

I see a annual invoice for Folk Alliance International for $150  Do we want to continue with the organization? I also see a annual invoice for Morris County Tourism Bureau for $200.  Do we want to continue with the organization? We received a donation for $83.33 from Benevity

Respectfully Submitted

Peggy Karr / Treasurer

SWINGIN’ TERN

From: 'Doug Heacock' via BoardPlus - Current board, select alumni, key volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 3, 2024 6:52 PM
To: BoardPlus - Current Board Select Alumni Key Volunteers <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Swingin' Tern Dances February 2024 Report for the Folk Project Board Meeting on 3/5/24

In February Swingin’ Tern held two regular evening dances:

2/3      Christy Riehl & Blue Jersey            61 attendees [48 paid/8 staff/5 free]       Profit   $123 

2/17    Diane Hartzell & Contragenarians  51 attendees [38 paid/10 staff/3 free]     Loss    -$30           

February total $93 profit   

We had good attendance for both February dances.  The attendance for the second dance was surprising since it was on the same weekend at the Flurry, a national dance festival in Saratoga Springs attended by many of our regular dancers.

Jon Justin has begun doing the booking for Swingin' Tern with Doug helping out.  John Lamb has set up several email addresses that forward to the appropriate Folk Project members: booking@swingintern.org; chair@, sound@, and volunteer@swingintern.org.  This allows all booking mail to go to a dedicated email folder shared by Jon and Doug.

We have raised our base remuneration for callers from $90 to $100.

Tom Banwell, who did sound reinforcement for Swingin’ Tern for thirty years, had to stop dancing five years ago due to a neurodegenerative disease.  He is now in hospice at home.  He is lucid and would love to receive phone calls.  Doug can provide the contact details.

Yours in dance,

Doug Heacock                    

dheacock@aol.com
chair@swingintern.org             

TROUBADOUR

From: Gary Pratt <prattdiv@comcast.net>|
Sent: Monday, March 4, 2024 7:39 PM
To: FP Board <boardplus@folkproject.org>
Subject: Troubadour Committee report: March 2024

Folk Project Board members,

Our committee is currently dedicating considerable effort towards evaluating and updating our venue’s policies to better reflect current industry standards, specifically focusing on the pay structure for our performers and the pricing of tickets. At this stage, our discussions are proactive and in-depth, aiming to thoroughly understand all facets of these complex issues before making any decisions. Our goal is to ensure that any adjustments made are thoughtful, equitable, and in the best interest of all stakeholders, including our valued performers and patrons.

Respectfully submitted,

Gary and Todd
Troubadour Co-chairs

Troubadour Booking Report

The performance of the Troubadour Acoustic Concert Series YTD was dominated by the packed house we had for the Phil Ochs Song Night show of February 23.  We had 153 paid attendees (163 total), and made a whopping $897 in profit for that show alone.  For February alone we averaged 110 paid attendees and took in $774 in profit.  YTD, those numbers were 72.3 attendees, and $372.  And as I write this on Tuesday morning it looks like a likely sellout for the Tom Chapin show on March 1.

 Over the past 12 months, we hobbled along with an average paid attendance of 64.5, and an operating profit of $1,396 for 32 hows.  It is interesting to note that for the first time since COVID, the past 12 month’s financial figures did not include any personal donations from me to cover operating losses.  From our reopening in September 2021 through January 2023, those donations totaled. $7,750.  

 We had technical difficulties with the audio/video equipment, during both shows in February, resulting in our inability to simulcast the Feb. 16 show with Ash & Eric, or to provide a dedicated sound mix for the webcast for the Phil Ochs Song Night on Feb. 23.  The Streaming team was able to capture the Ash & Eric show video locally, and upload it to Afton, making it available for those who had purchased streaming tickets for that show to view it the following day.  That saved us from refunding the streaming ticket money, but , alas, resulted in poor tips for the artist without Gary’s usual friendly pitch in the chat.  I’ve spoken to Alex West, MUUF’s A/V tech, and he reports he has found and solved the problem..

New bookings since last month:

• March 1:  Steve Gibb, guitar virtuoso, opening for Tom Chapin

• March 29:  Pete McDonough, finger-picking guitarist, opening for Carole Wise

• April 19:  Arielle Silver, singer-songwriter, with Halley Neal, also a singer-songwriter opening

• September 6:  Jack Williams, songwriter and hot guitarist

Higilight for next month

• March 1:  The abovementioned Tom Chapin.

 Respectfully submitted:  

Mike Agranoff
Troubadour Committee
Morristown, NJ. USA
www.Troubadour.FolkProject.org