Topeka Blues Society
Monday, February 3, 2014
6:30pm @ Uncle Bo’s
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER at 6:35pm
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Suki Willison, Bill Beasley, Gerry Schmanke, Paul Schwartz, Luan Betts, Brian Gabel, Stacy Jeffress, Rod Peterson and Karen Osborn
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Chardy Hern and Gib Ramirez
TBS MEMBERS PRESENT: Patti Beasley and Mike Betts
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF 01/09/2014 MEETING: Gerry made motion that minutes be approved, Paul second; approved.
SECRETARY/TREASURER’S REPORT: Karen handed out list of 19 members with unpaid dues for this year, and suggested Board members make contact with anyone they know on the list. TBS currently has 86 paid members (includes bands, family, individual, corporate) listed. She also handed out Landmark Nat’l Bank statement and TBS check book, and asked Board to audit. Will do this at least twice a year. She has submitted and paid the Not-For-Profit Corporation Annual Report, and filed Form 990-N with IRS (annually). Karen had handout of expenses and income for past month. Income: memberships and IBC Kickoff; Expenses: Harmonicas, IBC Artists’ travel expenses, Sec’y of State Annual Report fee. Bank balance is $4,584.69 with additional $50 in petty cash. Bill made motion that Secretary/Treasurer’s report be approved, Gerry second; approved.
OLD BUSINESS
IBC wrapup
Karen had handout of IBC Kick-off Party results. We took in $692 through memberships, silent auction, door prizes, Adopt-A-Child, door take and merchandise sales. We paid $1250 for Artists’ travel expenses. All Board members that traveled to Memphis agreed our artists performed very well. The Old No. 5’s advanced to the Semi-finals. Grand Marquis’s CD (submitted by TBS) made it to the final five in Best Self-Produced CD. Karen will send an email to our members with IBC results. Luan and Rod have electronic images of Old No. 5’s and Bostwick to use.
Publicizing Blue Star DVD for BMA voting
While in Memphis, Gerry said John Catt gave him some fliers and asked if we would distribute to promote the Blue Star DVD for BMA voting. Gerry will compose an email and send to Karen to be emailed to our members, asking the Blues Foundation members to please vote.
SOK Blues Festival
Paul and Suki made a presentation to Visit Topeka regarding having a Blues Festival downtown, and expressed needs we have regarding income to produce this festival. Visit Topeka expressed interest in looking at next year, 2015, for a Downtown festival, when construction on downtown should be finished. Visit Topeka expressed interest in anything that keeps patrons overnight. Rod said the Parks & Rec has said Spirit of Kansas is happening this summer. Paul asked if we had enough money to put on a festival in July, and suggested we might want to skip a year. Suki mentioned she is trying to keep entertainment costs down, and some discussion followed about how to raise money. Gerry will take bids for staging, to see if we can get that at a reduced price from last year. We will also look at reduced pricing for festival shirts. Bill made a motion that TBS produce a festival during Spirit of Kansas on July 4th, Stacy second; approved unanimously.
Karen will send letters to last years’ donors and ask if they will match or exceed that donation. Bill will ask his contact at Mars if they will sponsor. All Board members should be looking for sponsors and/or donors for our festival.
Blues in Schools
Thirty-day grant at Ross Elementary for Blues in Schools ended January 31st. Josh Vowell, Justin Shelton, Justin Fowler and Elvin Graves went to Ross during the month of January to teach them basics on several different instruments and expose them to a world of music and rhythms, focusing on the blues. They concluded with a concert in front of the whole school. Together with their students they wrote and presented their own song, Ross Way Blues. TBS supplied the harmonicas for the students and helped coordinate this with Stacy Neumann, music director at Ross.
Suki will plan another early show for young students to attend. Karen said we have collected $70 to help cover students’ costs to an early show.
New TBS membership brochure
Nothing new to report.
TBS t-shirts
Bill offered to collect ideas for a TBS logo for t-shirts, and his son-in-law will draw them. He will bring drawings to a meeting for us to view. Anyone with ideas should email them to Bill.
NEW BUSINESS
Newsletter
Suki asked if we could do some sort of monthly newsletter or email to keep our members informed. Karen said she would try to send an email after each Board meeting, reminding members that the minutes are on the website and updated them on upcoming events.
NEXT MEETING DATE: 6:30, Monday, March 10th at Uncle Bo’s
Paul moved that meeting be adjourned, Gerry second; meeting adjourned at 8:00pm.
Respectfully submitted 02/05/2014
Approved 03/10/2014
