MASNA April, 2005 BOD Meeting Minutes

(This meeting was held electronically on May 11th, 2005 9: PM EST)

 

Attendance:

 

BOD Present:

 

Cheri Phillips (President)

Amy Larsan (Membership)

Robert Lemcke (Treasurer)

Joe Scavo (Public Relations)

John Brandt (Industry/Legislation/Ocean Conservation Rep.)

 

BOD Absent:

 

Marc Levenson (Editor)

Charles Scannell (Past President/Webmaster)

 

 

Members Other Than BOD Present:

 

Craig Kuhn  (WAMAS Member Relations)

Steven Pro (PMASI President)

Kelly Jedlicki (LMAS President)

 

 

OFFICER REPORTS:

 

NOTE: All officer reports were distributed via email to the BOD in advance of this meeting.  They have been formatted and are inserted into these minutes.

 

1) President’s Report:

 

• Numerous eMAILs and one conference call (w/ MARSH and WAMAS folks) as MARSH lined up their hotel, Exposition Company and began their budgeting process. I also reviewed their hotel and exposition company contracts.

 

• Review of MASNA calendar plans/advertising

 

• Added the following new people to the MASNA Speaker Database: Elizabeth Hinchey, Janet Nestlerode, Mike Kirda, Kelly Jedlicki

 

• Spent a lot of time putting together a PowerPoint presentation on MASNA and MACNA. It is ~50 slides long and contains some fun things like a map of North America w/ push pins where each of our 41 member clubs is located. I will be giving the presentation to CTARS (Connecticut club) on 5/14. I’ll be bringing MASNA brochures in the hopes of signing on some new members and the WAMAS folks are mailing brochures and MACNA registration material ahead to where I am staying so that I can possibly sign up some MACNA XVII registrants as well. The people attending the CTARS mini-conference are all within driving distance of Washington D.C., so they are excellent potential attendees.

 

• I’m reviewing a MACNA “To Do” list put together by the WAMAS folks – for items they have left to do. They have asked their whole executive planning team to review it in the hopes some other people can volunteer to help w/ one or more listed items.

.

 

 

2) Vice President’s Report:

 

• Put together a work plan of the education page on the MASNA website.

 

MASNA Educational Outreach Plan

 

Goal – For the MASNA website to become a quality source of information on marine education.  This will be achieved through:

 

1. locating and procuring educational content about marine ecosystems
2. developing relationships with academic institutions so that they may promote marine educational programs on the MASNA website
3. developing relationships with other parties (clubs, NGOs, etc.) who have marine educational content to share (i.e. reefkeeping techniques, DIY aquarium building, etc.)

 

         I.      Initial Development –

a.       Work with MASNA BoD to refine goals for ed page and develop action plan

b.       Work with MASNA BoD to compile list of contacts

c.       Assess available resources (i.e. for web design, etc.)

d.       Develop one-page program summary for outreach purposes

       II.      Research –

a.       Research existing orgs who develop/provide marine ed content

b.       Research academic institutions for marine ed programs

c.       Research clubs that provide reefkeeping ed content

      III.      Make Contact –

a.       Based on research, begin making contact

b.       Keep MASNA BoD appraised of progress and potential collaboration opportunities

c.       Send out program summaries where appropriate

    IV.      Procure Content –

a.       Follow up on interest and ask for content

b.       Provide content to web developer to begin web design of ed page

c.       Web designer submits design spec to MASNA BoD for review

d.       Send back edits to web designer

e.       Create MASNA ed web page

      V.      Launch -

a.       Perform test on website to confirm integrity

b.       Create announcement for MASNA membership (either in newsletter or one-off)

c.       Launch and begin tracking traffic

    VI.      Hand-off -

a.       After election of new officers, provide all contact info to new person handling ed page and let contacts know of the transition

 

 

 

3) Treasurer’s Report:

 

• Obtained several credit card merchant processing companies to obtain better pricing than EMS.  While I am getting better rates than EMS is providing to us, I have not heard back from several key companies.

 

• Received email from Greg of WAMAS that he is preparing to pay us the MACNA Invoice that was due 1/31/05 and invoiced to them in Feb.

 

• Per MACNA XVII Host Agreement, I invoiced WAMAS for 4/30/05 MACNA attendees and vendors.

 

• Instructed Bank One to zero out and close MASNA bank account. Bank One proceeds were deposited into MASNA's Washington Mutual Checking account.

 

• Participated in discussions resolving Brooklyn Aquarium Society MASNA Club Membership.

 

• Participated in development of MASNA 2005 Photo Contest program.

 

 

[* - Secretary note: due to the size and formatting of the Draft Balance Sheet and Draft Income Statement, they are left as an addendum to the monthly minutes]

 

4) Director of Membership Report:

 

    Current Membership:   4-7-05 through 5-9-05

 

	2002-2003	2003-2004	2004-2005	Diff From 2003-2004	Comment
Individual Members	88	64	79	+15	Four New (Dr. Andrew Lazin, Joe Carroll, Lynn Zurik, Tom Wightman)
Club Members	20	27	41	+14	Three New (Reef Aquarium Society of Charlotte, Cincinnati Reefkeepers Society, Pacific Northwest Marine Aquarium Society) Brooklyn Aquarium Society was officially added to the club membership as well
Corporate Members	10	10	17	_+7	Two New (Ocean Inspirations, Overnight Fish, Inc)

 

• I sent it all new membership welcomes as well as new sponsor thank you emails.

 

• Worked with Bob and Cheri to settle the Brooklyn Aquarium Society payment issues.      I sent an email to John Todaro informing him that all was taken care of.

 

• A new feature presented by Cheri to list club affiliation for individual membership profile has been added by Chuck. I am currently contacting all 79 individual members inquiring if that have are members of any local marine clubs.

 

• I emailed Chuck the logos & banners from the new clubs and corporate members.

           

• I entered in additional information for North Valley Reefers into the National Club Database. I am still waiting for a response on acquiring more contact information.

 

• I made a few club additions and information changes to the National Club Database

 

 

5) Secretary’s Report:

 

Email Vote:

 

A motion by C. Scannell to purchase a commercial Photo gallery for use on MASNA Website for 129.00 was made. Seconded by C Phillips. Motion Passed, 5 Aye, 0 Nay

 

 

• I sent out the May 11^th meeting notice email to all members on the 30^th of April.

 

• I posted notices on Reef Central (MASNA forum & Announcement forum) as well as on Reefs.org about the May 11^th meeting. I will BUMP the threads up as a reminder the morning of or night before the meeting.

 

• I have finished the April 2005 Meeting Minutes.

 

• I have also finished the February 2005 Meeting Minutes.

 

 

6) Editor’s Report:

 

None supplied

 

7) Webmaster’s Report:

 

• Numerous emails and normal updates to MASNA site. Not limited to banner additions event listings and not general maintenance. Basically general monthly updates nothing beyond the norm

 

• Addition of MASNA calendar plans/advertising onto the MASNA site

 

• Purchase and installation of all new MASNA gallery http://www.masna.org/gallery  Set permissions and added categories and hidden categories for our  calendar contest

 

• Wrote custom authentication script to tie the gallery into our user registration system

 

 

8) Industry/Legislation/Ocean Conservation Representative’s Report:

 

• Provided report on USCRTF meeting in December 2004 in Miami (will be added to the MASNA quarterly newsletter)

 

• Gave update on conservation related news.

 

• Ocean Loaded with Deadly 'Ghostnets' http://www.livescience.com/environment/050502_ghost_nets.html

 

• The Age of Aquariums http://www.boston.com/yourlife/home/articles/2005/03/17/the_age_of_aquariums

 

• Australian scientists discover massive new coral reef system http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050422/sc_afp/scienceaustraliaenvironmentreef_050422065428

 

 

9) Public Relations/Internet Promotion Officer’s Report:

 

• Worked with B. Lemcke on the first phase of the MASNA calendar development.

 

•  Hoping to send out the contest mails ASAP.

 

 

 

MEETING CALLED TO ORDER 9:00 PM EST:

 

10) New Business:

 

• Motion made by C. Phillips to accept the February and April meeting minutes. Second by B. Lemcke. Motion passed 5 aye, 0 nay at 9:05 PM EST

 

11) New Business:

 

• C Phillips informed all attending that the contract for MACNA XVIII has been signed. It was the same contract that this years host (WAMAS) signed.

 

• The discussion was brought up about possible changes to the contract for future clubs. One point being giving MAC and AMDA gratis tables at MACNA as part of the contract. Some BOD and attending members felt it was a concern that these two organizations should not be the only groups allowed a table.

 

The idea that all non-profit organizations should be given the opportunity to have such a table for free was brought up. The general consensus felt that it would be far too great of a burden to the hosting club.

 

Some felt it should be left to the hosting club to decide what organizations they give tables at gratis.

 

It was agreed to contact past hosting clubs to see what lost revenue they incurred by allowing tables for both MAC and AMDA before any further discussion on this topic should take place. 

 

12) New Business:

 

• D Weiner covered his goals for the Education page of the MASNA website. All BOD members had reviewed his work plan prior to this months meeting. All agreed that it was well thought out and would be of a great benefit.

 

• The mission statement for the Education page was dicuseed with many members of the BOD and attending members (much input by S. Pro, president of PMASI). All agreed that the misson statement should read as follows:

 

"The mission of the MASNA Education page is to act as a central source of information about innovations and research within the hobby, industry and scientific community."

 

Motion to accept the mission statement and work plan for the MASNA Education page was made by D. Weiner. Second by A. Larsan. Motion passed, 5 aye, 0 nay at 10:34 PM EST

 

13) New Business:

 

• MACNA update was given by Craig Kuhn (WAMAS Member Relations).

 

• C. Phillips reminded Craig about the contractual agreement to allow MASNA members into the vendor area an hour early as a special perk to MASNA members. MASNA will capitalize on that to encourage prompt renewals before MACNA.

 

• The main floor of the vendor area is nearly sold out; NOAA has two booths

 

• WAMAS hopes to conclude talking w/ the Monterey Bay Aquarium very soon to get a speaker to present their experience with the Great White Shark. This would be the gala speaker

 

• Currently talking to the Baltimore Aquarium about getting a seahorse speaker and a possible Thursday or Sunday excursion to the aquarium

 

• Speaking to PADI about possibly bringing in their SCUBA tank

 

• WAMAS now has a new Treasurer and will soon be able to provide the required MASNA payment

 

• WAMAS is considering a discount for the MACNA registration fee for MASNA board members

 

14) New Business:

 

• Update given by B. Lemcke about the MASNA Calendar contest.

 

• There still needs to be a few wording changes to the Photo Contest Web page before releasing it to the public. Hopefully this will only take a few days.

 

• The sponsors will be contacted for the calendar within the next two weeks to subsidize the costs of production as well as to provide the prize money.

 

• It was decided that 1st Place winners from each of the four Photo Categories will receive a prize of $50 or $100 depending on sponsor support. Runners up (2nd and 3rd place winners) will receive a complimentary calendar. This info needs to be added to the Web page.

 

• C. Phillips will talk to John Link, owner of Reef Central about a sticky thread (or two) or other way of advertising MASNA's photo contest as soon as the final ad for it is available from J. Scavo & B. Lemcke

 

 

 

Motion to adjourn meeting to general discussion made by C. Phillips, seconded by A Larsan.  Passed 5 ayes, 0 nays; at 11:44 PM