MASNA: May 2004 BOD Meeting Minutes
This meeting was held electronically on May 12, 2004 9:07 PM EST

BOD Present:
Charles Scannell (President/Internet Relations)
Lee Morey (Vice President)

Cheri Phillips (Dir. Membership/Secretary)

Rob Tess (Newsletter Editor) – attended briefly

Joe Scavo (Webmaster) – attended briefly

John Brandt (MAC/USCRTF Representative)

Members Present:

Kelly Jedlicki (LMAS Vice President)

Moe Kirby (briefly)

Ron Wishna (briefly)

BOD Absent:

Larry Burt (Treasurer)

NOTE: all Officer reports were distributed via eMAIL to the BOD in advance of this meeting. They are inserted into these minutes.

1)       President’s Report:

Chuck finished up a few tweaks etc to the website from the switch over and had to redo the formmail program.

2)       VP Report:

Nothing to report

3)       Treasury Report:

Last Month’s Balance:       $#,###.##

Monies Received Since:    

                $###.##                 # Corporate membership(s)

                $###.##                 # Club membership(s)

                $###.##                 # Individual membership(s)

                $###.##

MASNA Store:                     $  ##.##

                Total Income:       $###.##

Expenses:

                                                $##.##                    EMS Charges

                                                $##.##                    Bank Monthly Service Fee

                                                (–)$##.##

Ending Balance to

                    Date:                     $#,###.##

Scholarship (approx):         (–)$###.##

                General Fund:                      $#,###.##

                Pending:                                $###                       # Corporate membership(s)

                                                                $###                       # Club membership(s)

                                                                $###                       # Individual membership(s)

                                                                $###

4)       Membership Report:

Cheri welcomed the three new clubs and worked with them to get their logo, userid and password for the website

5)       Secretary Report:

Cheri updated Marc Daniels on created discount codes for new clubs

Cheri worked with Chuck to start the MASNA National Speaker database. She sent a note to all MASNA clubs explaining the concept and soliciting their entries for the database. She received several compliments on the idea, but SEABay has been the only club so far to submit names and contact information. Twenty entries have been made in the database so far with the information Cheri was given. She is missing contact information for a few of the speakers. Cheri created a template letter and permission form and sent that out to all speakers that she had contact information for. Response from the speakers has been positive.  Out of 6 responses so far (they only went out this past weekend), 5 have given permission to be included. The one “No” was because she doesn’t wish to be a speaker any more. Cheri sent a note out to the MASNA BOD for help w/ missing contacts and additional speakers to include. She is awaiting responses to that request.

6)       Editor Report:

Rob reported delays in getting the newsletter out due to technical difficulties.  He believes he should have this resolved in a few days.

7)       Webmaster Report:

Nothing to report

8)       MAC/USCRTF Report:

John reports that he has still been trying to get a full understanding of the USCOP Report

Call to order 9:?? PM EST

9)       Motion passed to accept last month’s meeting minutes

10)    Rob brought up the idea of he and Ron Wishna hosting a conference call to discuss MASNA/MACNA and where things are heading. Chuck agreed that we could discuss the idea further via eMAIL. Rob, Ron and Joe left the meeting at this point to attend to other obligations.

11)    Chuck led discussion on trade marking the “Marine Aquarium Societies of North America” (MASNA) and “Marine Aquarium Conference of North America” (MACNA) names. The cost will be $620. Motion passed to do so.

12)    Chuck also led discussion on ways to bankroll MASNA. One idea was a small charge (such as $2000) to hold a MACNA. Cheri voiced the opinion that if any MACNA money goes to MASNA, then MASNA should provide a greater role in helping out the hosting club. John believes the name and reputation is the primary benefit that MASNA lends to MACNA. Lee said, “MASNA serves as an oversight group for the fair, impartial assignment of the conference to clubs.  We also serve to help prevent the monopolization of the conference by any one club.” Kelly said that in the past a $5 fee per registrant, $25/vendor charge was levied and if no club volunteered to host, the contract was rewritten w/ the fees were dropped. Kelly indicated that she thought this was a fair way to go, since if attendance was low, fees were also comparably low, however she also agreed that MASNA must help in return for that fee.  MASNA should help with promoting, advertising, soliciting vendors, etc.......not "dictatorship."  LMAS experience with their second MACNA was that MASNA provided too much oversight. Kelly reported that they were constantly harassed about up to date # & their scheduled payments were to be made on time.....one day late & she was receiving emails & calls. Kelly felt $5/attendee & $25 per vendor paid every 3 months w/ profits going to the club was fair. Since several BOD members were absent, a decision was made to table further discussion on the fee issue, for a vote later by eMAIL.

Kelly filled the group in on the previous proposal by Dennis Gallagher to charge a set fee of $2000-3000 a conference & any profits above that would go to him.  A club in the 90's wanted to turn over the conference to a professional organization - it was vetoed.

Kelly suggested contract wording such as “MASNA will work with the MACNA Chair to help solicit & advertise as directed by the club or requested by the club.” Cheri felt the MACNA Chair must be a new BOD position because no other position has the time to give to it. Chuck clarified that it is in the rules that no BOD position can be compensated.

Chuck reported that no clubs have submitted a bid yet but that he is working with WAMAS on the idea of hosting. The deadline is June 7. A question arose as to whether a club should be allowed to host two years in a row and whether voting was by the BOD only or by the membership. Chuck made a motion to not allow a club to host two years in a row, but the motion got no second. Chuck agreed to check w/ Nancy regarding how the bid vote is done.

13)    Cheri made another request for BOD members to help getting the requested contact information for speakers for the Speaker Database, as well as providing additional names/contact info. Lee suggested LeRoy and Sally Headley.  Chuck promised to get info from Tom Walsh, President of CMAS. Lee suggested that John Dawe might have some ideas and promised to drop him a line. John also promised to work on this. Cheri clarified that she’s only interested in Marine topic speakers at this time. Chuck also stated that he could get GARF since Tom is a personal friend with them. Cheri requested that she be allowed to make the actual contact since she has developed a form for the potential speaker to fill out for that purpose.

14)    John reported that he has been invited to lecture at the WAMAS Symposium at the end of June on the topic of Legislation Government Relations, Fishery Reform, etc.

15)    John asked if we were interested in having an online chat with the MAC Director. This would be a BOD only meeting. The idea would be to allow the BOD to have a chance to ask questions about things. Lee thought it would have to be a moderated meeting.

16)    John asked if he should send conservation issues and articles to any particular BOD member or to everyone. There was agreement that sending such things to all the BOD members was a good idea and that Chuck would post anything John asked him to on the Industry page on the MASNA website.

Motion to adjourn by Chuck, seconded by Cheri. The motion passed at 11:26pm EST.