Topeka Blues Society
General Membership Meeting
Sunday, August 17, 2014
11:30 pm @ Uncle Bo’s
MEETING MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER & GREETINGS
Vice President Gerry Schmanke called the meeting to order at 11:40am. He introduced all Board Members: President Suki Willison, Secretary-Treasurer Karen Osborn, Rod Peterson, Bill Beasley, Brian Gabel, GibRamirez, Paul Schwartz and Chardy Hern. Stacy Jeffress and Luan Betts were not present for introductions.
Gerry thanked Luan Betts and Stacy Jeffress for their many years of service to the TBS Board. Both were instrumental in starting the Topeka Blues Society in 2008.
Secretary/Treasurer report
Karen Osborn reported TBS membership has finally reached the 102 mark – we have 64 Individuals; 22 Family; 8 Blues Fans; 4 Artists/Bands; 2 Honorary; 2 Corporate). Last year we had 85 total memberships, and 67 the year before that. We have good, consistent growth.
Summertime Blues: Event cost to date: $900; made $516 in merchandise and donations – final 2014 summer series is next Wednesday with Hector Anchondo.
SOKBF: Cost to produce was $17.200. With sponsorships, donations and food/merch tents, we broke even for the first time! At the festival, we took in $5700 in merchandise/food and donations.
Guitar giveaway – to date, we’ve collected $1242.
Bank account balance: $5937.27
Petty cash: $50.00
Above amounts do not include anything made from Blues Challenge event being held same day as General Membership meeting.
Gib made a motion that Secretary/Treasurer report be approved, Bill second; approved.
2014 Year in Review – Gerry Schmanke gave the following report:
Representing TBS at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis last January were Soloist Dave Bostwick, and Band challenger The Old No. 5’s. The Old No. 5’s reached the semi-finals! TBS also submitted an entry into the Best Self-Produced CD – Grand Marquis. We were excited to have their CD advance to the final five! Our own Suki Willison was a judge. Lots going on in Memphis every year to make Topeka Blues Society proud!
Last January, TBS and Stacy Neumann at Ross Elementary joined together to present Blues in Schools. We provided instruments including Harmonicas, Keyboards, Guitars, and Drums for the 4th graders at Ross Elementary, and local musicians Elvin Graves & Justin Fowler from Slow Ya Roll and Josh Vowell & Justin Shelton from the Josh Vowell Band taught the basics on those instruments, exposing the students to a world of music and rhythms they may have never known. At the conclusion, the students were excited to play in front of the whole school, and perform their own blues song, The Ross Way Blues! The teaching musicians felt it was an honor and a privilege to work with these students, and said it was a wonderful experience being involved in Blues in Schools at Ross Elementary. TBS thanks them for their great work! The students took home harmonicas provided by TBS.
2014 brought a second year of Summertime Blues free concerts, produced by TBS, at the Gage Park Amphitheater in Topeka. The Back Porch Blues Band, Slow Ya Roll, Knock Kneed Sally all played this summer, and the last in our series features Hector Anchondo next Wednesday, the 20th, at 7pm. Each concert has an average of 200 attending. At minimal cost to TBS, we’re giving local Blues artists exposure to our community, and we’re getting new memberships.
The 5th annual Spirit of Kansas Blues Festival on July 4 was a huge success. Perfect weather and rockin’ Blues artists entertained over 6,000 blues fans. TBS organizes and produces this FREE Blues Festival, getting nationally known and local Blues bands on stage, performing from noon ’til 9pm. This is a big fundraising event (festival cost was just over $17,000 this year). This is first year we broke even! If anyone has ideas or would like to help with fundraising for next year’s Blues Festival, please talk to any Board member. New this year – TBS added a Food Tent, serving hot dogs/hamburgers/brats and chips. It was a success – look for it again next year!
Today is the TBS Blues Challenge, and our Annual Membership meeting.
Nominations for Board – five openings
Bill Beasley
Brian Gabel
Jeff Martin
Rod Peterson
Marni Schleuning
Suki Willison
Nominations from floor: none
Election results: 19 ballots collected. Karen & Chardy tallied the votes. All six nominees were elected.
Appointment of Board – Gerry moved that the appointments be done at next meeting date.
NEW BUSINESS
Gerry mentioned Board will need to discuss when is the best time for application deadline for TBS Blues Challenge.
Chardy would like Board to consider TBS hosting a venue at the IBC in Memphis next January. She will look into details and present at the next board meeting.
Paul would like Board to consider opening TBS Blues Challenge to bands outside of Kansas.
Next Board Meeting Date: 6:30pm, Monday, September 8th, at Uncle Bo’s
Bill made a motion that meeting be adjourned; meeting adjourned at noon.
Respectfully submitted 08/22/2014
Approved 09/08/2014
Karen Osborn, Secretary/Treasurer
