MABA Meeting Minutes

MABA Meeting Minutes

Date: January 8, 2004

24 members present

President Bob Waters called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.

Secretary’s report: Accepted with corrections for spelling.

Treasurer’s report: Larry Bomar

Accepted as read.
Reconciliation motion was made and carried to accept the bank balance as posted on the last December bank statement as an accurate reflection of the MABA current balance.

Committee reports:

Membership: Ford Colclasure:

Total members: 265 and 77 have paid so far this year.
This includes 9 honorary members.
Ford is starting a year-by-year receipt book to help assure that the membership records reconcile with the financial records.
Larry Bomar and Ford reconciled their numbers tonight.

Keith Carter will be the new Webmaster and Wayne Morris will serve as backup.
Everyone is pleased with the new Webpage layout.
There is a history page being developed to honor Tom Stone, Gary Williams and others.
There will be a new link-heading for music instructors and luthiers.
There will ultimately be a link for MABA bands but the discussion was tabled for another meeting.

Mike Albert will be the new Yahoo-News Group head and Wayne Morris will serve as backup.

Mark Winborn will be the new Newsgrass editor; Allison Becker will be the new associate editor.
Graphics and Design- Candice Windham will remain as the graphics editor for the immediate future.
Mike Kisner will continue as the Newsgrass printer.
Articles for Newsgrass are requested and encouraged to be submitted from the membership.

Associate Graphics and Design- Allison Becker would be interested and will determine whether she currently has the necessary equipment.
Associate Printer – looking for a back-up.
Associate Writers – always needed.
In an attempt to save money, Newsgrass will include announcements of events, normally mailed under a separate cover, that should cut down on cost of having duplicate information sent to the membership.
Our goal is to publish Newsgrass on a monthly bases.

Photography – Faith Peters has agreed to be our MABA photographer.
Commercial Appeal- The Community Section of the Commercial in January will carry an article written by Tom Stone on MABA. We expect that this article will serve, in part, to bring new members to our organization. Wayne Morris is to be congratulated for lining up the contact at the Commercial Appear.
Brochures, Flyers and Postcards

The board voted to update MABA brochures to include more information on what our organization has to offer the membership and community.
Flyers and postcards-These should be discontinued and efforts made to consolidate all communications and mailings into a monthly Newsgrass newsletter.

Education: John Gay

Randle Morton is interested in giving a banjo workshop sometime in January. John made a motion to form a committee for fund-raiser for the Bill Monroe foundation. John will investigate further to determine whether this is something we want to be involved with. This was approved.

Activities: Glenn Malchow

Our potluck dinner will be at Singleton community center. The dinner will be on January 31, 2004. The January 31^st date does not conflict with SPBGMA.
There will be a name change for the potluck dinner to the Gary Williams Memorial Potluck Dinner.
This year there will be a money tree fund-raiser at the dinner for a cystic fibrosis patient.

Regulatory: James Johnson

All paper work is now up to date and important documents passed on-to the incoming secretary, Pat Cooper, from James.
The new president will present a budget for 2004, and the committees are submitting their budgets to Bob.
Mr. Johnson stated that volunteers were needed to review financial records. Larry Bomar made a motion to form such a committee and it was seconded by former president, Jim Phillips.

G.R.A.S.S. Beth Mays- Absent

Bonnie Dumas reported that 40 members contributed to the Angel Tree. Thanks to MABA members, the Angel Tree was a huge success.
Bonnie passed around photographs of the sponsored family. This family is composed of a single mother with 7 children and they were recently burned-out of their home. Without help from MABA, they would not have been able to afford clothes or gifts for the children for Christmas. They were sincerely grateful.
Bob Waters acknowledged the work of Bonnie, Lynn, and Beth Mays, and told the attendees that the efforts of GRASS made us all look a little better.
They also reported that much needed Thanksgiving food was collected and distributed.

Lucy Opry: Will May- Absent

Craig Yarbrough reported that the Lucy Opry has lost the Yarbrough Music Store sponsorship.
Discussion culminated in the decision for Bob Fisher to be approached as a new sponsor.

Slow Jam- Sam Ketchum

He said Slow Jam was well attended and going well. It is getting crowded and suggested Bob take the new slow jammers and the more advanced players go out to a different room and form a second group.

Other business:

Bob Turner discussed the Kroger Gift cards. Bob has sold 42 cards and he reminded us that our return from using them would help us sponsor new projects in the community.
Bob Waters asked that we form a welcoming/caring that would be headed by Loyce Smith, Jo Edith and James Hudson, and Erna Wheeley. Discussion indicated that this would need to be addressed through the MABA Bylaws if a formal committee were to be formed. In the meantime the Welcoming/Caring committee will come under a special presidential committee. Bob expressed his appreciation to Loyce, and Erna for their hospitality and helpfulness to those coming to the Saturday jams.

Meeting adjourned: 9:00 pm