January 14, 2019 Board of Directors Meeting

BLOOMINGTON COMMUNITY BAND

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

January 14, 2019, called to order at 7:00 pm

In attendance: Tim Bitzer (Chair), Jerry Jerome (Vice Chair), Doug Davis (Equipment Manager), Phyllis Solnzeff (Historian), Andrew Felt (Development Officer), Richard VanArsdel (Librarian), Ron Hardesty (Assistant Treasurer), Dominic Thompson (Director), Don Talbott (Webmaster), Jenn Strayer (Personnel Manager), Erika Stoner (Secretary), Hannah Quinn Hughes (Treasurer).  The meeting took place at Buffa Louies, in Bloomington, Indiana.

Chair welcomed returning 2019-2020 Board Members and our newest members: Hannah Quinn Hughes (Treasurer) and Erika Stoner Edelberg (Secretary) to the meeting.

  1. Minutes
  • The minutes from November 2018 were accepted.
  1. Treasurer’s Report
  • The Treasurer’s reports from November and December 2018 were accepted.
  • The new Treasurer and new Chair do not have full access to BCB bank account at the Indiana University Credit Union; this will be fixed January 15, 2019. Action:  Tim Bitzer (Chair) and Hannah Quinn Hughes (Treasurer).
  • Finance Committee (Hannah Quinn-Hughes, Lloyd Orr and Tim Bitzer) will make a report next month. Report to include confirmation of required reports completion and changes made to banking account authorizations.

 

Old Business

  1. OATS
  • Does the BCB continue to use OATS (Organization Attendance and Tracking System)? Personnel Manager (Jenn Strayer) has expressed frustration with percentage of BCB members who cannot or will not use the system to notify the band and director of their absences.
  • Personnel Manager has sent out OATS training instructional handouts to all members, but participation is still poor.
  • A motion was made to abolish OATS and push the responsibility to the Section Leaders. Section leaders would then be responsible for reporting their section’s attendance to Director, Personnel Manager and Phyllis Solnzeff. Motion was not passed.
  • Board agreed to continue with OATS and training, but to add an automatic forwarding system to ensure Director, Personnel Manager, Section Leaders and Phyllis receive OATS inputs.
  • ACTION: Don Talbot (Webmaster) will create a text and email option for OATS inputs to be automatically forwarded to Director, Personal Manager, Section Leaders.  Personnel Manager will brief new OATS information to BCB members at first rehearsal.
  1. BMI Licensing
  • The BMI Licensing Report is an annual requirement to report all performances by the BCB and its affiliated groups in order to comply with Federal copyright laws. The report includes a list of every song played at each performance. This report should be consolidated and submitted by the BCB Librarian no later than 31 January. Leaders of each affiliate group should forward their group’s data to the Librarian no later than 15 January. Action: 

 

  1. Code of Conduct:
  • Doug Davis typed and laminated the code of conduct rules and placed in all music folders.
  • Jerry Jerome will discuss the rules with our members at our first rehearsal.

 

  1. Financial Audit:
  • The Board-directed, financial audit of the BCB’s financial records was completed in December by Mr. Roy Elkes, CPA. All finances were verified as accurately recorded and no accounting anomalies were noted. Mr. Elkes was paid $750.00 for the audit. A copy of the audit results will be posted on the BCB website.

 

  1. Equipment Manager:
  • The BCB currently rents a storage unit ($40.00 per month) to store excess equipment. Storage at our St Thomas rehearsal hall was eliminated by the Church and additional storage at a BCB member’s warehouse was recently reduced.
  • The current storage contract expires at the end of June 2019. Goal is to reduce excess equipment enough to negate the storage unit necessity before end of June.
  • Motion was made and passed for Doug Davis (Equipment Manager) to sell or donate excess equipment to achieve this goal. He must keep records of all sales and donations and submit documentation and proceeds to Treasurer and inform Board.

 

  1. New Home for BCB:
  • Current rehearsal space at St Thomas Lutheran Church is too small and has serious problems with environmental controls (adequate heating and cooling), lack of storage space, and poor acoustics.
  • Vice Chair is interested in finding a permanent home and buying a building.
  • A committee to investigate all options for a new BCB home was established in December 2018. Members are Chair, Vice Chair and Equipment Manager. Committee will report to Board every month with progress.

 

New Business:

  1. First Rehearsal Date. The BCB’s first rehearsal was set for Monday, the 4th of February 2019 from 7 to 9:00 p.m.  First rehearsal will start with a review of member responsibilities by Board members.  The Saxophone Section will host with refreshments.  ACTION:  Chair to send notification email to all BCB members.

 

  1. Scheduling 2019:
  • Vice Chair and Band Manager (Jerry Jerome) announced the scheduling of performance dates is already in progress. ACTION:  Vice Chair to present Draft 2019 Schedule at February Board meeting.
  • Director requested consideration for an end of season concert to be held in early October. Venue and marketing TBD.
  • Vice Chair proposed a motion to drop scheduling of Redbud Retirement Living Center from 2019 performances (they cancelled our 10 Dec 18 performance on short notice due to a rampant, in-house virus). Motion was not passed.

 

  1. Finance Procedural Audit Review:
  • Board reviewed previous BCB Financial Audit (prior to Dec 18 audit), which reviewed accounting procedures and practices. Chair noted our practices were not in compliance with CPA’s recommendations.  Specifically, that the board member keeping the books and making annual/monthly reports, should NOT be the same board member handling money (e.g. accepting donations, grants, and paying invoices).  CPA specifically recommended this separation of powers over finances.
  • Chair proposed motion to assign the Treasurer the money handling duties and the Assistant Treasurer to be responsible for making the reports. Motion was passed.
  • Chair proposed motion to nominate Lloyd Orr to replace Ron Hardesty as the Assistant Treasurer until the next elections are held in November 2019. Lloyd Orr had been performing both duties and will be a valuable training resource for the new Treasurer. Motion Passed.
  • The Board recognized Ron Hardesty for his great work as Assistant Treasurer, especially his management of the BCB’s insurance requirements.

 

  1. Section Leaders and Implementation of Responsibilities:
  • Board addressed motion to re-emphasize Section Leader duties and responsibilities.
  • Vice Chair motioned to transfer responsibility for scheduling and managing Section Leader Meetings from the Director to the Vice Chair. Motioned passed.
  • Regular Section Leader Meetings are scheduled for the second Monday of each month.

 

  1. Records Keeping:
  • Chair motioned to establish a Records Keeping Committee to facilitate the collation of all BCB records, scanning of records and posting appropriate records to the BCB website. Motion passed.
  • Members of this committee are Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Personnel Manager.
  • ACTION: Committee to present initial recommendations to Board at next meeting.

 

  1. Kroger and Amazon Charity Programs:
  • Kroger has a charity program that rewards registered, non-profit organizations with donations based upon their members’ use of Kroger rewards cards. The only requirements are for the BCB to register with Kroger and for individual BCB members to go to the Kroger website and affiliate their Kroger reward cards with the BCB annually.
  • Amazon has a similar rewards program for non-profits called Amazon Smiles.
  • ACTION: Treasurer to register BCB with both programs.  Board to explain sign up procedures to BCB members at first rehearsal.
    1. Music Library:
  • Chair motioned to have all 2019 musical selections scanned and stored on the BCB website for member access. This would eliminate requirement to take parts out of folders to practice at home. Motion was not passed.
  • The Librarian stated we don’t have the equipment or manpower to execute this proposal.
  • The Librarian motioned to have our music inventory reduced. It is currently more than 30, four-drawer files of music, some dating back to when the BCB was originally convened in the early 1900s. Motion was passed.  ACTION:  Librarian and Intern to assess what music can be either donated or discarded and make recommendations to Board.
  • The Librarian asked for other BCB members to assist him in stock our music folders for the initial rehearsal. Volunteers should help next Monday, January 21st at St Thomas from 7 to 9:00 p.m.

 

  1. Polka Band Revitalization:
  • Development Officer (Andrew Felt) motioned to increase membership in the Hungry Five Polka Band to include more instruments (accordion, etc).
  • He also proposed contacting all local Breweries to promote playing at them during the September/October (Oktoberfest) timeframe.
  • ACTION: Development Officer coordinate with Hungry Five Leader, Charles Davis, to possibly modify membership and schedule Polka Band.

 

  1. Recruitment:
  • Vice Chair and Equipment Manager will set up BCB Table for new member recruitment at the Ivy Tech Career Day, Tuesday the 22nd of January at 11:00 a.m.

 

Individual Officer Reports:

  1. Personnel Manager:
  • PM has developed a brochure for new BCB members outlining Band information, policies, and individual responsibilities. Copies of this brochure will be kept in the Music Folder containers and should be handed out to any new members.
  • PM is developing a document detailing all PM responsibilities and procedures for passdown to the next PM.

 

  1. Historian:
  • Organizing the totes, cleaning up certificates, wrapped them in bubble wrap, she will frame them, newspaper articles are going in zip lock bags.

 

  1. Equipment Manager:
  • Has inventoried BCB equipment and is taking steps to reduce inventory as previously discussed.

 

  1. Librarian:
  • Working on getting new music in folders for first rehearsal.
  • Desires to reduce music inventory as previously discussed.
  1. Webmaster:
  • Working on automating OATS notifications.
  • Posting meetings on BCB Website calendar.

 

  1. Business Development:
  • Andrew Felt wants to pursue alternative outlets for getting BCB performance information out there and create more excitement regarding the band.
  • Emphasizing Social networking to promote band events. Needs more members to participate in BCB Facebook site.
  • Discussed the Bloomington Arts Alliance, WFIU, and Bloom Magazine as other avenues for promotion.
  • Doug Davis motioned to have the Development Officer and Publicity Coordinator jobs merged into one job. ACTION:  Doug and Andrew will discuss and make a recommendation to Board for a vote at next meeting.

 

  1. Treasurer:
  • Working on learning new duties.
  • Need access to Bank accounts to perform duties.
  • Will work on Kroger and Amazon Charity registration.

 

  1. Secretary:
  • Learning new duties. Will consult with Doug Davis for responsibilities and duties.

 

  1. Director:
  • Enjoyed last season and looking forward to the new one.
  • Need a Section Leader for the Baritone Section. Board recommended Laura Jones because of her solid attendance. ACTION: Vice Chair to ask Laura Jones to be Section Leader at first rehearsal.
  • Would like to have a year-end signature event for the BCB. Concert at the John Waldron Arts Center in October or November was suggested as an example. Ideally an annual event that can be promoted and anticipated.

 

  1. Vice Chair/Band Manager:
  • Brochure/Program. Vice Chair noted that work on the brochure must begin. The advertising in the Brochure is one of the Band’s major sources of revenue.
  • Development Officer suggested we could pay a professional to design the brochure format.
  • Committee to sell ads needs to be formed. Vice Chair stated he would pass his contacts on to committee, but did not want to do the work this year. Getting people to sell ads is the most difficult part of the brochure.
  • Jenn Strayer, Tim Bitzer, Doug Davis and Andrew Felt volunteered to form a committee to sell ads.
  • Brochure/Program needs to be completed by 01 April 2019 to get to printer. First performance is expected to be 28 April 2019.

 

  1. Chair:
  • Three major goals for term as Chair:
  • Records conversion from paper to cloud storage, with a majority of records accessible to all members on the BCB Website.
  • Finding a new home for the BCB to rehearse and store equipment. Our current home is inadequate.
  • Planning a performance trip abroad to a single European country for the BCB to happen 36 months from this June 2019.

 

Meeting adjourned at 10:00 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

ERIKA STONER, Secretary