November 2002 BOD Meeting Minutes
This meeting was held electronically on November 13, 2002 8:00PM EST
Present:
Charles Scannell (President/Internet Promotion)
Jennifer Myerscough (Secretary)
Sandy Shoup (Newsletter Editor)
Duane Dennis (Special Events Consultant)
Nancy Swart (Past President, Treasurer)
Kelly Jedlicki (Vice President LMAS, Speaker Committee Chair, MACNA XV)
John Brandt (MAC/USCRTF Representative)
Travis Nelson (OMAS President)
Shane Graber (Reefs.org)
Rick Dickens (Reefs.org)
James Wiseman (Reefs.org)
Lee Morey (Director of Public Relations/Membership)
Jon Clements (ORCA)
Absent:
JT Croteau (Harbor Aquatics/AMDA Liaison)
Tom Walsh (Vice President)
Call to order 8:10 PM EST
-Officers' Reports
1)President/Director of Internet Promotion- Charles Scannell
Since last month’s meeting there have been a few things happening. Reef Central and Reefs.org have provided a forum for our organization. This is to facilitate conversation and interaction with our organization and hobbyists as well as a general awareness of MASNA and what we stand for.I posted a comprehensive list of obtainable goals for us to reach this year. Reefs.org has also offered to host several chats with various partner organizations and us to promote and support us. I would like to thank John Link as well as James Wiseman, Rick Dickens and Shane Graber for their support of our organization.Also of noteworthy achievement is our newly designed website courtesy of Nancy Swart. Kudos Nancy.
We have received some positive feedback from our hard work and hats off to everyone getting the ball rolling in the right direction. From here on out comes the hard work. Our goals the next couple of months are going to be boosting membership and establishing our scholarship fund. Now that's the real test. Great work so far everyone!
2)Vice President - (Tom Walsh) - Presented by Charles Scannell
Tom has been putting together a list of corporations and a letter to send out to organizations for our scholarship and general fundraising efforts.
3) Treasurer/Webmaster (Nancy Swart)
November 2002 Treasurer Report
$1600.00 October Income (Mostly dues received in Ft. Worth)
$ 275.92 October Expenses
$3665.33 Balance as of 11/1/02
Have looked into several credit card processing companies to try to lower our fees. The only company with substantially lower fees requires purchase of a $300 credit card machine. Savings would be a wash so decision made to stay with current company for now.
Web hosting company has dropped their rates saving us $80.00/year. May be able to downgrade our service to get bill reduced even more.
My thoughts on budget are that we need to raise approximately $200/mo in dues, and $100/mo in Newsletter ads to cover our operating expenses. We're about $2500 short. Newsletter Costs: 100 copies - $300/issue $75 of which is postage if we print at home.
Web Report
Redesigned web. Still some fine-tuning to do. Suggestions welcome. Installed Calendar of Events to help increase member participation. Have found a Free Online Auction Program that we might be able to use. Would eliminate paying eBay a percentage of proceeds when we do our online auctions. Would need to do a trial run first.
4}Director of Public Relations/Membership (Lee Morey)
Mailed out 19 welcome packages to new members and member clubs; three new members since last time. Completed email lists so I can send meeting reminders, etc. posted membership info at Reefs.org and Reefcentral.com. Sent mailing to all membership on 2002-2003 session goals. Will start contacting all past members that have had their memberships lapse. Then will start initiating contact with nonmember clubs asking them to join.
5) MAC/USCRTF (John Brandt)
I first wanted to apologize for not being more active here lately. I've been very sick for 3 weeks and I'm laying low.
http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/docs/library/14/9-27-02%20MAC%20Certification%20Mortality%20Allowance%20Info%20Sheet.PDF
http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/docs/library/14/9-27-02%20Conservation%20Benefits%20of%20MAC%20Certification.PDF
http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/docs/library/1/MAC%20work%20w%20fishers%20-%20short%20version.PDF
http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/docs/library/14/9-27-02%20MAC%20Certification%20Costs%20and%20
Benefits%20Case%20Study%20of%20US%20Retailers.PDF
I would like to have these posted on our website. I talked to Barbara Best on the phone for over an hour, about 3 weeks ago. I'm glad that she made arrangements with Shane for the chat. It will be a great way for everyone to get firsthand answers. We have her scheduled for a chat on January 12th at 9 PM EST. She's at the CITES meeting in Chile now. Lots of interesting news coming from those meetings. The Task Force has finally updated their website. It would be worth a visit there to see the latest things: http://coralreef.gov/ .
I will soon be registering on reefs.org, to respond to the growing threads there. I have read them all though. I see it's a good forum. Thanks for including us.
Another thing, though not related, I have been communicating with the IMAX film people, and we could probably get good promo stuff for the upcoming Reef film to be released in Feb 2003. We could probably get free DVDs and VHS for all our clubs. It will be an amazing film...I saw the preview.
Comment by James Wiseman: Sylvia Spalding is also putting together a chat about MAC for us.Don't have a confirmed date yet. Comment by Shane Graber: Also, Roger Griffis.
6)Newsletter Editor (Sandy Shoup)
The editor is happy to report that the newsletter is all prepped and ready to go....just one little thing missing....CONTENT! Deadline is November 25th. I also have a financial statement due for work on Nov 30th. For those who send stuff prior to the 25th...if you just need to add a little something for the last few days of the month, it's not a problem. Just as long as I have the bulk of stuff by then. Sandy's new email: editor@masna.org
Charles to send a President's Letter on Sunday.
7)MACNA XV (Kelly Jedlicki Vice President LMAS, Speaker Committee Chair)
We have around 97 registrations, 14 paid booths, 14 confirmed speakers and as you know we are battling the tax id problem, it seems that we are going to have to start at square one and this will take some time.
8) Secretary (Jennifer Myerscough)
Minutes are up to date. October minutes forwarded to BOD during this meeting. After approval, Charles to forward minutes to BOD in future.
-Old Business
Motion by Charles Scannell, seconded by Nancy Swart to accept the minutes of the annual meeting. Carried.
Window Decals - Jenn never managed to get a quote, her contact failed to provide one. Nancy's information concluded that the cost would be about $2.00 per decal or magnet. Motion by Jenn seconded by Sandy to table that activity.
Lee has 6 pages of magnetic stock that he is willing to donate.
-New Business
Charles Scannell: We need to discuss membership drives and scholarship program educational programs and such and ideas and setting up of committees to reach our goals. Does anyone have any ideas for these goals? We need corporate donations for scholarships and such. Any committee we set up to achieve any goal needs a BOD member presiding over it, I will help Tom with Corporate Donations.
Newsletter: We need advertising revenue, to offset the cost of the newsletter, at best to make it a zero debt for us. We will coordinate with Tom and we will each contact vendor to solicit ads in the newsletter. Fee schedule is on the website.
Membership Drive - Charles Scannell: I just think it is a shame that how widely known we are we represent not even 1% percent of the clubs out there.
Nancy Swart: Ed Guidry/OMAS volunteered to send brochures to pet shops in Ft. Worth.
Motion to Adjourn at 9:46 PM by Jenn seconded by Sandy. Open discussion followed.
