SHSA Annual Meeting
SHSA Annual General Membership Meeting, October 19, 2007
Stone Mountain Highland Games, Atlanta, GA
7:30 pm - 9:38 pm
Presiding Officer: Debra Peterson
Parliamentarian: Jen Narkevicius
Secretary Pro-Temp: Jo Morrison
Also in attendance: Nancy Addison, Kelly Brzozowski, Laurie Linley, Karla Sullivan, Beth Richards, Tracie Brown.
(Meeting started with food, conversation, and setting up a card/gift for Linda Phillips because of her illness.)
I. Officers were introduced.
II. Review of minutes. Beth motioned to approve the minutes. Jen Narkevicius seconded.
III. Announcements: Competition tomorrow.
IV. Old Business:
A. Treasurer' report :
Began the year with 657.84
Total income as of 9/16/07 is 3745.56
Total expenses as of 9/19/07 is 3359.40
Total net income 386.16 (income minus expenses)
Total liquid assets/checking account 1044.00
Other assets: CD at 2.37% for $10,515.10, maturing Jan. 7, 2008.
Current Kilt & Harp mailing will be about $550 - 570
B. Competition Committee Report delivered by Kelly Brzozowski.
New rules are posted on website. Categories are evened out so that apprentice to journeyman is not such a hard jump. Ann has done a wonderful job with new scoresheets and requirements. Part of the upper level differences include putting together a 10 - 15 minute program and the ability to do this is a good display of their abilities. Some of the special categories have also changed slightly.
Suggestion to change non-graded to be also "Celtic Cornicopia," to include other Celtic genres and be open in styles to allow for more competitors to be included in the competition without watering down the Scottish style. This may be added to the rule change. This hopes to reach "Celtic" festivals that don't want to limit themselves to Scottish.
Judges training course - certified two judges: Cheyenne Brown and Lindsay Duncan. Used both old and new rules. Very successful - planning to do this again next year. Several people have reported the fear that people will be dropped from the list if they don't take this course. The idea is that people need to do this within about 5 years, and do it again every 15 years, as "continuing education." This may be at other locations than Oberlin, but assistance is needed in finding funding for the program. One idea is coupling it with Nationals and the Annual meeting. There was a motion to require all current certified judges that are not already Distinguished Judges to take the Judge Certification Training Program by January 1, 2013. Individual training on a one-on-one basis as set up through the Judges Training Committee is possible. The motion was made by Debra Peterson. It was seconded by Jen Narkevicius. The vote was unanimous. Organizers of games can apply to waive the need for a certified judge if needed, but it must be approved by the committee.
C. Website report by Beth Richard: Mary Radspinner passed the website to Weldon Patterson. He asked for a replacement, and no one took it, so Beth Richard is serving as a temporary webmaster, but the position is currently vacant. We are looking for a new webmaster. Beth is willing to work with someone if needed.
Need to resolve the "ownership" of the website - we need to have an official owner for the website and clean up the account information so that it makes more sense. Beth will try to clean it up. Treasurer will deal with money issues. Made a permanent email address for the website.
D. Publications Committee (Weldon Patterson, through Debra Peterson): Next Kilt and Harp is at the printer. This is our 3rd issue for 2007. Weldon has offered to do either Kilt & Harp or Website if another person can be found to do the other job. Cheyenne Brown has offered to help with the Kilt & Harp.
Membership update motioned by Debra Peterson: Some people who are in charge of committees or hold volunteer jobs are no longer active members. We need to advertise the availability of these positions. It was also discussed that the Scottish Harp email list is not officially a SHSA list. Beth Richard made a motion to create a yahoo groups mailing list subcommittee to be put under the website committee and to appoint the current owner of the Scottish harping list as the head of that subcommittee. Nancy Addison seconded. All approved.
Trouble with getting up-to-date information into the Kilt & Harp was discussed, and it is believed that firm deadlines and publication dates should be published so people can get things in on time and feel guaranteed that the information will be published within a reasonable time.
F. Repertory Books (Evelyn Tiffany-Castiglioni - read by Debra Peterson):
There is much progress being made on the SHSA Repertory books. Working title is Scottish Harp Legacy, but other titles are still under consideration. The collection offers Scottish traditional music arranged for the harp, covering a wide variety of types of tunes, levels of skill, and arrangements for both wire and nylon/gut-strung harps. Performance notes and fingerings and placement brackets are included. There will be 55 tunes from 24 arrangers, including all the Distinguished Judges of the SHSA. There is much work to be done, and volunteers would be appreciated to engrave and proofread remaining scores, working on book cover and title page (including artwork), writing notes and biographical sketches, and many other things. Please volunteer!
G. Election Committee: Dreama Powell in absentia. There were no volunteers, but some members nominated people to run.
Jen Narkevicius and Kelly Brzozowski discussed the concern of having two willing people on the ballot running for the same position when other positions may need filling next year. Suggested just putting forward a whole slate to vote on. They will work with Dreama to work out something.
Side idea mentioned: Knitting patterns in the Kilt and Harp
H. Membership Committee: Beth Richard. We have 161 current members - this is down a bit, but 74 recent renewals are overdue. A letter to ask for membership and suggest that we are moving forward will be put together and mailed to these members.
Membership directory: One will be put together by Weldon with the list from Beth. They hoped to mail it out before the end of the year.
Talked at last meeting to align all expirations to the same date. Right now we are working towards a quarterly basis. After this is done the annual date will be readdressed.
V. New Business:
A. National Competitions: Ohio next 2 years. National Scottish Harp Championship of America is the trademarked name.
Proposal: It is difficult to get people to put on the Nationals. Would like to put together a national committee to help people to put on the National Championship. This committee would help with judges, publicity, etc. and work with the organizer of the competition.
The packet needs redoing, and this committee might do this as well.
Kelly Brzozowski made the motion to establish a National Competition Subcommittee under the Competition Committee. Jen Narkevicius seconded. Approved.
B. Competition promotion: Ann Heymann suggested we try something new to help promote competitions. If anyone competes in any class they will receive a pin. This would provide an automatic award for all, and take some pressure off the games to provide so many awards. We would also keep a national points system. An article in the Folk Harp Journey about the SHSA competitions and a presence at other harp conferences/events might help as well.
C. Scholarship amount: Kelly Brzozowski had understood the National Scholarship was $1000. The winner submitted an expense request for $1800, and what was available was paid. It was confirmed that the amount should be $1000 and it will be made clear at future events at the time it is awarded
D. Electronic communication: Jen Narkevicius emailed everyone on the list about the Annual Meeting. Those that bounced (60) received post cards. $24.97 was spent on this announcement instead of mailing to the entire membership. Also, should the meeting be allowed to be a telecon. How much could be done electronically? Proposal that there be a closed venue to publish the newletter to those that don't need a print version. It will save money, and the further idea is to use that money to help the National Competition pay for trophies and the second judge. Jen Narkevicius made a motion that we move more significantly towards moving to electronic communications, including the Kilt & Harp, elections, and announcements, and to telecon communications in the National Meeting. Kelly Brzozowski seconded the motion. Motion approved.
E. Logo item for sale - the brief bag: Evelyn Tiffany-Castiglioni put these together, and Beth Richard brought several for sale. $22.50 for members, $25 for non-members, and 10 shipping if needed. There are also SHSA logo pins available for sale that need to be advertised and made available.
Beth Richard moved to adjurned, Nancy Addison seconded. The motion was approved. Meeting ended at 9:38.