Mindbridge minutes Wednesday, April 5, 2006
- The meeting was held in Cedar Rapids at 7:00 pm, in the home of Denny Lynch
- The meeting was called to order by Catherine Schaff-Stump
- Treasures report, supplied by Jon Maakestad, was read by Christine Cromwell.
- checking account balance: $9,622.30
- AnimeIowa account balance: $18,507.00
- ICON account balance: $695.80
- Gamicon report and bid vote
- there is only one bid to vote on
- Catherine Schaff-Stump asked if the goal will be to increase attendance or to maintain the status quo
- Steve Tait said he was interested in advertising, like writing to gamers magazines
- Fred Coverdill asked what we do outside of a postcard flyer for advertising
- John Frick said they were planning to send out postcards, flyers, and a second postcard
- Brian Womachka and Steve will help with advertising
- Catherine asked Brian if there was anything else
- Brian said the budget was balanced, they should make $100 profit, and have an attendance goal of 266
- Steve asked if we had weather insurance
- Cath said not, just insurance for terrible things like injuries
- Brian added, or hotel cancelations
- Cath held the vote, there were 10 votes and 4 proxies approving the Gamicon bid, no opposed, and no Joshes
- a question was asked if we knew the guest of honor
- Brian said they were waiting until it was official
- Denny Lynch suggested inviting Miyazaki
- ICON report by John Frick
- John Frick said the contracts are signed for the artist and guest of honor
- registrations are being sold
- there is a positive bank balance
- things are coming along well
- Jennifer Todd asked where information will be posted
- John said on the ICON list (on the ICON Yahoo group)
- Preplanning Committee report by Catherine Schaff-Stump
- ICON:
- there is a bid with the Clarion, with Zazaa, the Clarion is under new management
- Shannon Finnegan was to send an ICON bid for 2007 to Michele and Jon this week
- AnimeIowa:
- Laura Thomas replaces Ryan Hammel for AnimeIowa Preplanning
- Steve Tait asked about the absent member policy
- Cath said the board can decide to waive the normal attendance
- John Frick would like to volunteer to sit in on meeting for ICON to learn how to run cons
- Cath reminded everyone that AnimeIowa does have a continuity, and there are about 350 people who attend ICON from which to draw new people, but there is a “graying of cons” taking place all over
- Fred Coverdill suggested contacting high school students
- Cath still thinks the current base is the best place to draw from
- John said it would be good to get better guests
- Cath said it would be good to build towards this goal
- Marty Milder said better guests cost more money, with a limited budget can we do this?
- Cath said we need to ask ICON attendees, we need a poll to see what they want more, to see a guest or to hang out with their buddies
- Steve said, rather than a guest, ICON 13 had a guest fandom, 25-30 people said they never knew there was a SciFi Convention in Iowa City
- Brian said Critical Hits Games in Coralville had never heard of Gamicon
- ICON:
- Old business – Art Show and copyright policy
- Cath said we will vote on it next month (May meeting) The policy goal is to make up legal
- both Denny Lynch and Jenny Todd talked bout parody art being sold at ICON
- Bryan Stump said it is not legal, for example, Miyazaki is now with Disney
- Steve Tait asked about selling mass produced, used art
- Cath said it isn’t allowed, that is more of an auction item
- enny said the movie industry want to eliminate videos, DVDs, CDs, and sheet music, from second hand sales
- Jenny asked about the Dealers Room
- Cath said the Dealers Room has not been addressed yet, it will need a separate policy
- Marty Milder asked about the scenario that someone, in exchange for art, agrees to donate a sizable amount to a charity
- Cath said to let her know if there are any more issues and it will be put on the agenda for next month
- the reason for the policy is that both AnimeIowa and ICON get a cut from the art show
- Old business – storage locker inventory
- Marty Milder will set a time in early May to take an inventory
- New business – personnel issues
- 1we will need a new treasurer within a year, March 2007, the books and receipts are organized well
- Christine Cromwell said she prefers being a treasurer over a secretary, that is usually what she has been in past organizations, and she holds a Certificate in Accounting from Northwestern University
- Fred Coverdill said his father, Fred Coverdill Sr, would be willing and able to be the treasurer, Fred talked to his father on his cell phone
- Steve Tait, lives in Springville (about an hour from Iowa City), but he would be willing to help
- Cath thinks it would be easier to find a secretary than to find a treasurer
- 2we will also need a database manager
- the registration system is dreadful
- John Frick asked if we need a database vs. access – John has done database but cannot volunteer for management due to his current job
- Cath said the board needs to look at the issue
- Cath said Josh Goldsborough also is good
- Brian Womachka said Jeff Strauss (a Con com member) might be interested
- Marty Milder said we need to create a document about what exactly is the needed from a database
- New business – board member terms
- Ryan Hammel is being replaced as a board member
- the term is up in October 2006
- the floor is open for nominations, write or call the board with names
- New business – board structure
- currently there are two permanent board members with no number of years given for their terms; two board member positions with 2-year terms who can serve on Con Coms; and one 1-year term board member
- originally the Mindbridge vision guided the group, now the group itself, the members, guide the vision
- one suggestion is to have five board members with staggered terms, such as 3-year terms
- Jenny Todd likes the 1-year rotating term, it is useful
- John Frick thinks 3-years is excessive, go to 2-year terms
- Steve Tait thought the permanent board member names were used so that the same names would go on the tax forms each year
- John said we could have one name repeat from the previous tax year, each time
- the board will continue discussing this issue/li>
- Tammy Siler Jones to read in North Liberty
- Tamara Siler Jones will be reading and signing at the North Liberty Library on Thursday, April 6, 2006, at 7:00 pm.
- the May 3, 2006 meeting will be in Iowa City at The Mill