Greater
Seattle
Aquarium
Society Board Meeting Minutes: January 23rd, 2003
Board Members
Present
Clay Hess
Bob Holmes
Erik Olson
Rick Rose
Absent
Erika Barcott (In Absentia)
Paul Carey (2)
Dave Sanford (1)
Membership Observers
(None)
Executive Committee Reports
- The Minutes of the previous Board meeting (December 19th, 2002) were accepted and approved.
- Current Balance: $4499.03
- No Outstanding Bills
- 3 Outstanding (non-cashed) checks: Rick Rose, GPAS, Summer Quinn
Meeting & Program Schedule
Month Topic / Activity Fish-o-the-Month
SEP 10th Introduce yourself and your fish, solicit ideas Bob and Dave
OCT 8th Takashi Amano Video – Plant Tank Setup (Paul) Clay, Bob, Rick & Dave
NOV 12th Tank Lighting Workshop (Clay, Rick) June, AH Supply
DEC 10th Christmas Party (None)
JAN 14th Seattle Aquarium Behind-the-Scenes Tour (Rick) (None)
FEB 11th Plant Auction (Erik) (None)
MAR 11th Live Food Workshop (Dave, Bob) (Steev Ward, Dave)
APR 8th General Auction (None)
*MAY 6th Ad Koning – Lake Tanganyikans (Kathy O.)
*JUN 10th Paul Loiselle – on West African Dwarf Cichlids (Kathy O.)
(2003-2004 Club-Year)
SEP 9th TBD
OCT 21st Rusty Wessel (Kathy)
(*) – Tentative, Special Dates
(**) – Mike Schadle is a possibility, but he has typically cancelled in the past due to work responsibilities.
Special Dates (in Red)
Next Meeting: February 11, 2003
The Board expressed much appreciation to Erik for putting together the "Job Description" for the Plant Auction Chairperson. Both the abbreviated check-list version (which follows) and what Eric calls the Excruciatingly Long version will be a real asset in our on-going project to document the responsibilities of each Committee Chair.
As a side note, Clay remembers a similar checklist for the General Auction written up by Steve Avenell approximately 2 years ago. Clay found this document in his files during the meeting and will re-type and publish it to the board (Since Received – Thanks Clay!).
Clay will check with Diane Elliot to see if she will be willing to put together the Sponsor Letters for the April General Auction again this year.
PLANT AUCTION --- JOB DESCRIPTION
PLANT ORDER:
(P ) Sam to purchase $225 wholesale plants plus $50 books from African NW
(P ) print thank-you to wholesaler in next (March 2003) newsletter - Erika
Thank you to African NW for their generous support of our Plant Auction again this year!
(P ) extend gift subscription to wholesaler - Erik
(P ) special items to purchase? (3 copies of the Oriental Aquarium Catalog) – Sam
Note: This is more of a "Coveted, High-end Reference Book" than a catalog.
SPLITS: (Policy Restated)
- 60/40
- 20 item limit per member
- MEMBERS ONLY
- Items must be checked in before auction
- Must be Plant or Plant-Related
- Split Checks are NOT available the night of the auction
PREPARATION:
(P ) Bob to verify room availability & early arrival – 6pm – 10pm
(P ) Erik to order & bring pizza
(P ) Bob & Sam? to pick up plant order & bring to auction
(P ) Erik to print up bidder cards, labels
(P ) Rick to bring sharpies, dots
(P ) Dave? to bring extra plastic bags
(P ) Everyone to bring garbage (plastic grocery) bags
COMPUTER:
(P ) Erik to bring configured server, printer, paper, cables, cue-cats, access point, WLAN cards
The Board voted to authorize Erik to purchase 2 new "cue-cats" with USB Support for $24.00.
(P ) Clay (2) & Erik (2+) bring laptop (minimum four laptops!)
TREASURER:
(P ) change, checks, books and usual treasurer stuff – Bob will withdraw from our account and have on hand $150.00 of change.
SETUP:
( ) Erik will solicit help from members email list to man check-in/out station (1-2 folks)
(P ) Bob, Gilead Rose runners (2 folks minimum?)
(P ) Clay, Dave, Erik auctioneers (3 + alternates?) (*)
(P ) Rick, Sam, (one more needed) recorders (3 + alternates?)
(*) Auctioneers are to Keep all bids in even dollars!
Rick will base the Promotional Announcement on Erik’s text from the website.
- The March General Meeting will be a Live Food Workshop - Dave and Bob.
- Rick will order ~ 30 copies of "Food Cultures for Dummies"
- Topics to be discussed
- Brine Shrimp
- Vinegar Eels
- Micro worms
- White worms
- Paramecium
- Daphnia
- Dave will bring a micro video-cam to project slides via a TV.
- Auction: cultures of Infusoria, Protozoa (Bob), Daphnia (Bob), and white worms – Dave, Bob, & Steev, Micro-worms (Bob)
- Steev will produce a kids’ coloring page related to the subject.
Kevin Foxen has volunteered to host Rusty, Ad, and/or Paul (Loiselle) as needed – including airport pickup/drop-off, staying in his home, shuttling around to Seattle attractions, coordinating meals, etc. These are functions that Kathy (and Erik) has typically done in the past.
To assist Kevin and whomever else may be called upon in the future to host an out-of-town speaker, we need to document the responsibilities (Job Description) of the Program Coordinator. Speaker Wrangler. Kathy has already volunteered to write this up (see "Low-Priority and On-Going Issues" below). Clay will email Kathy to ask for her assistance and advice in building a group of people within the club in which we could attain a high "comfort level" that they understand what is involved and would positively represent GSAS. The goal being to maintain the excellent reputation that Kathy (and Erik) has developed for GSAS in the past.
Old Business
Newsletter Update
- February Newsletter Status – Unavailable at the meeting
Subsequent Email update from Erika:
Sorry, guys, but I'm going to need to use my "get out of jail free" card this month. I've had to abandon my old apartment and move into a friend's spare bedroom, so my life is in complete disarray at the moment. (But hey, at least I've got my health!)
Erik, can you please send out a postcard this month? I know that giving members notice is extra-critical, what with all the auction action coming up! :)
Thanks, everyone, and sorry again.
- Erika
- Bob sent his recipe for the Mediterranean Pasta Salad to Erika but it must not have arrived in time to be included in the January newsletter. The Board agreed that having it in the February newsletter would still be okay – i.e. would not be so distant from the Christmas Party that people would not be able to associate it. If it is not published in February, then we can revisit the topic of putting it in the March newsletter.
- Spring Article Contest (needs to be promoted in the next newsletter)
- Theme: "Most Impressive Tank" or "My Favorite Fish"
- Deadline for submission: April 30, 2003
- Erik will promote the contest via GSAS-Announce.
- Clay will promote the contest at the upcoming meetings.
- New Members’ Names to be published in the newsletter
The Greater Seattle Aquarium Society would like to welcome the following
new members!
Joe Muller
Frank Tomko
Brian Rasmussen
- Clay will talk to Diane Elliot and ask her to see how Rich (a lawyer) would advise us to proceed with regard to Liability Insurance – Outstanding.
- Recap of January General Membership Meeting
- We had a total of 35 in attendance (including members and guests)
- The preliminary meeting was held just inside the entrance near the Life on the Edge exhibit. Don Rudee submitted an excellent suggestion via email that if/when we do this again, we could hold the preliminary meeting under the dome.
- Clay brought the prizes for the kid’s coloring "contest" and Bob judged the entries.
- First Place: Kyleah Hess
- Second Place: Dalton Hess
- Third Place: Josh Simion (Prize still to be delivered)
- The Behind-the-Scenes Tour was enjoyable, but would have been much better if arrangements had been made to be able to hear the tour guide better. When these tours are offered to members of the Seattle Aquarium, they are limited in size to approximately 10 people. Our group of 35 had trouble hearing the very soft-spoken tour guide. Also, one of the most interesting parts of the tour (for a group like ours) would have been the "grow-out" tanks where recently captured animals are waiting their turn to become part of the public exhibits. Although our hosts made every effort to get the lights turned on in the rooms where these tanks are kept, the "Scientists" refused to allow it because "some species are light-sensitive and would be bothered by having the lights turned on at that time of the day".
- The Mammal Feeding was a big hit. Our soft-spoken tour guide had a wireless P.A. system in this area of the facility and her primary knowledge of the mammals was very evident. More light would have been better here as well.
- It seemed that Self-Touring the Exhibits was enjoyed by all who attended. Some people began to filter out about 9:30 but many remained until the last minute at 10:00pm.
- Bob mailed Thank-You Cards to the Sponsors who donated items for our December Christmas Party.
- We are unsure if Erika has followed up with Aquatic Eco-Systems regarding their advertising inquiry. Rick will email Erika to see what was done.
- Bob has purchased a cash-box which will be permanently mounted into our cart that is kept at the aquarium. This will allow us to have petty-cash on hand at each meeting for making change, etc.
New Business
- New Members
since last meeting.
- Joe Muller
- Frank Tomko
- Brian Rasmussen
- Research Payment for Last Year’s Auction(s) – Jen Rakeman and Joe Cagno have reported that they did not receive their split check from an auction last club-year.
- Erik checked his records. Neither one was registered at the plant auction. Both registered at the general auction. Jen Rakeman sold a fluorescent hood for $10, of which she would be owed $6. It’s possible that her check was overlooked because it was one item… "I don’t know for sure. In any case, I’m sure Bob could cut them a $6 check with our apologies."
- Bob has no record of a check being written for this payment. He will send Jen a check ASAP with a note of apology.
- The Newsletter Editor Chair will be vacant as of June 30, 2003. (Originally reported in error at the meeting as June 1, 2003) Since the date on the meeting agenda was incorrect, the discussion at the meeting speculated that Erika’s intent was probably to produce the June newsletter (at the end of May) and that would be her last. Now knowing that the actual date is June 30, 2003, and given that there is no July newsletter, Erika’s intent to finish out this club-year is clear.
- The Board not-so-briefly revisited the current board policy of Attendance Requirements. Because of the lateness of the hour and the volume of discussion that would most likely be required for this subject, it was decided that the major discussion would be tabled until our next meeting. Rick requested that we promote an "email forum/editorial" (for lack a better term) which would allow us to better express our thoughts on this slightly controversial subject. Two other topics were proposed for this kind of discussion. Rick will initiate the topics on the GSAS Board List (which I have chosen to delay until after the Plant Auction, which needs to be our top priority and without distraction).
- Attendance (and other?) requirements for Board Members
- How to improve participation from the general membership
- Suggestions for holding general elections for board members
Announcements for the next General Meeting
Promote the Spring Article Contest
Promote the March Live-Food Workshop
Joe Middleton – GPAS – giving a talk at their next meeting (which we, unfortunately didn’t notice would be already past by the time we could announce it).
Clay – Philanthropy Project/Proposals from the membership
Low-Priority and On-going Issues
(The following issues which may or may not have been addressed above will continue to be listed here until they are completely resolved.)
Official Bylaws - Rick
- Dave has obtained a copy of GPAS bylaws and passed them on to Rick
- Erik has obtained a copy of AKA bylaws and passed them on to Rick
- Rick has no progress to report
- Promotional Materials for GSAS – Rick
- Poster Boards (for Fish Stores) and GSAS fliers are still outstanding.
- Business cards – on hold
- GSAS Fliers
- GSAS Thank You Cards & Envelopes
- Redesigned Membership Cards – will be needed sooner rather than later. The Board voted unanimously to produce membership cards that do NOT require the president’s signature. Rick will make this a higher priority.
- Committee Chair – "Job Descriptions" – Rick has no progress to report.
- Kathy will provide a Task List (Job Description) based on her experience as
Program Coordinator (or, Speaker Wrangler, as she likes to refer to it). This list will be of immediate help to Paul (as the new Program Coordinator which entails the responsibilities of Speaker Wrangler when there is not another person separately fulfilling that role), Clay (as President), and Rick (as part of the project to document the responsibilities of all Committee Chairs.)
- Library issues discussed by the Board.
Spring Article Contest
- Theme: "Most Impressive Tank" or "My Favorite Fish"
- Deadline for submission: April 30, 2003
- Erik will promote the contest via GSAS-Announce.
- Clay will promote the contest at the upcoming meetings.
- Meeting Activities
for younger kids – Dave, Bob, and Rick
- Dave - coloring book update
- Rick
- pages for the coloring book that promote GSAS
- Rick
– Aquarium-related word searches, puzzles, mazes
- Bob
rough draft of his philanthropy article emailed to Erika
- Membership Letters - Bob
- New Member Letter – example final version for records
- Renewal Letter – sample for the Board to review
Next Board Meeting Location
Possibly at another member’s home TBD (or at Bob’s), Thursday, February 20th 2003, starting promptly at 7:30pm (depending on final location).
Post-Publication Comments
Post-Publication Additions & Corrections
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