Present at the Board Meeting: Cindy, Linda, Olyn, Gina, Gentry, AJ, Lewis, Ron, Robin
Meeting called to order at 6:15 p.m. at Long’s Photography.
Approval of the Minutes as Presented. Discussion about whether to post to the blog – agreed that they should. Robin is to post each month (use the “more” feature).
Treasurer’s Report: Ron handed out the 2009 Treasurer’s Report (attached). Our current balance is $3,854.63. Fla School scholarships, PPA dues, and FPP dues need to be paid, which should leave us a balance of about $1,600. PPA application needs to be tracked down, need # of PPA members in our Guild and the $300 fee needs to be paid. FPP Application also needs to be found, filled out and submitted with the yearly dues. Robin, as the Secretary will handle both. Linda suggested that TPPG will pay for a speaker’s dinner, but no alcohol, all agreed. Discussion about how much speakers are paid – if they stay in a hotel, then they were paid $150, if they need a room they’re paid $100 and we pay the hotel bill. Discussion about what the standard is, we all thought that the general amount should be $100, but there will be exceptions to be discussed later.
Membership Report: We have 26 members, counting the 4 lifetime members. Lewis will continue to keep track of who doesn’t bring prints to keep track of the ‘kitty’. Lewis is to update and maintain the blog with the 2010 membership list.
Print of the Month Report: Linda gave the report, the results for January are:
Portrait of a Man: Damion Dunlap
Portrait of a woman: Gina Weaver
Portraits of a Child: Eileen Walsh
Portrait of a Group: Terri Smith
Commercial: Terri Smith
Open: Eileen Walsh
Challenge: Terri Smith
Digital Art: Tony Balberchak
Social Function: Terri Smith
Environmental Portrait: Olyn Long
Print of the Month: Gina Weaver (Portrait of a Woman)
Linda asked that the POTM results be entered into the minutes every month. Linda will sit up front with Ron and Lewis and collect prints. Linda will purchase some sort of preprinted cards or Post-Its so she can put numbers with each photo. Discussion about how the print critique should be conducted; final conclusion is that Linda will facilitate recruiting three attendees of the meeting to make up the panel. Panel will discuss the winning prints in each category and if time allows, the panel can pull three of their favorites to critique. An invitation will be extended to the attendees to bring prints up to the panel after the meeting concludes for further critique.
Sergeant at Arms Report: Olyn said that setting up the room was time consuming and asked for help from the board to set up. Cindy suggested that Olyn ask for members to help him and form a committee to set up and clean up. Cindy will put that on the general agenda to speak to Olyn. Cindy will also ask for a Print Competition committee to assist Linda with setting up.
Secretary’s/Communications Report: Robin will continue to use the ‘master list’ from years past and that there be an invitation to un-enroll form the e-mail list. Olyn suggested that we look at the list in March of the members and write to members past and invite them back. If they don’t want to renew their membership, reminder that they can’t continue to use the logo, etc. NOTE: We will discuss this further in March and revisit the issue.
Members at Large Report: Linda moved that we have Awards4U print magnetic name tags for full members (not to include students). Discussion that we need to have a “join by date” on the name tag to prevent people from wearing it beyond the current year. Cindy reported that she e-mailed the logo as .psd to the Board, so that we can get that to Awards4U. The name tag will have the TPPG logo, Member’s name and business name. Orders will be placed twice a year. Gina and Gentry will facilitate the ordering of the nametags. Olyn suggested that we go ahead and order the first batch with the January and February members, Robin to send e-mail to the current members after the February meeting to verify spelling, etc. and forward list to Gina and Gentry. Lewis seconded the motion, all in favor, none opposed.
Speakers:
February: will be Pensacola’s speaker, Kendall Mathes.
March: We have several options for March – business forum, Deb from Reedy; or Marci Sandler, who’s speaking in Pensacola in March. Cindy reported that according to Marci, Karen White Sumner has booked her for us in March. Discussion about Marci’s program on seniors and that some of the board members feel there’s no market for it in Tallahassee. Cindy is to contact Marci if she could present another program. Cindy is to reinforce with Karen White that she is not to book our speakers unless contacted by Linda Long or Robin Adams. Lewis reminded us that if we have speakers to talk about new and different things, that’s always a good thing, i.e. nature, landscape, architectural, seniors, abstract, etc.
April: Susan Torregrosa is coming to Destin in April, the Board agreed that we want Susan to speak.
May: We don’t have the room at Beef O’Brady’s in May. The Board talked about having Salon in May, but Destin is having their salon in June, so the board discussed moving Salon to June so that we can use Destin’s judges. An idea was floated to have a photo safari in May with an emphasis on available lighting and wedding photography – more discussion needed.
Possible topics for the rest of the year: Sales, a business forum, a mock wedding, graphic design (albums, logos, etc.), program on posing (Julie Hughes for nudes – possibly a day-long program), kids (Kevin Newsome), Tony Hopman, Bruce Evensan, Al Gordon, and later in the year Linda Long will do her workflow program. Lewis suggested that he would like to do a photo safari to St. Augustine. Gina to get Linda the name of the wildlife photographer she heard last year, Lewis suggested Arthur Morris, a wildlife photographer. WPPI isn’t a good resource for speakers. AJ knows a graphic artist who he could ask to speak about graphic design – he’s to e-mail her name to Linda.
Summary: March is Marci Sandler, Cindy to confirm; April is Susan Torregrosa; May will be a photo safari; June is Salon. Linda Long and Robin Adams to continue working on securing speakers for 2010.
Salon: Linda suggested that there be a Photographer’s Choice award. Discussion about the logistics of voting on that many prints and whether it would be possible. Further discussion needed.
OLD BUSINESS
Print of the Month Points need to be officially voted on: Point system for monthly print competition. Discussion was as follows:
Category Winner: 1 point
Print of the Month: 1 point
Olyn made a motion that this system be approved, Gentry seconded, all in favor.
Does a person have to be at an entire meeting to participate in POM? Discussion about what the print of the month is for, and that is education. Linda feels that if a member wants to pay the $15 and put in a print, then leave the meeting they can do that and still be eligible to win POTY. Linda moved that “attendance for POTY” is defined as: “the maker being in the room, paying $15, and is there for long enough to submit print(s) starting at 6 p.m.” Gina seconded the motion, all voted in favor, the motion passed. Olyn made a motion that if the above definition for “attendance” is used, then the member is counted as having attended a general meeting and that he/she is also eligible for the Fla School scholarship at the end of the year, Robin seconded, all in favor, motion passed.
Print of the Month Challenge Categories. February is “Creativity with a focus on Rule of Thirds.” Gentry proposed some ideas from the Daytona President’s list. The Board agreed that we’ll decide on March’s for now and revisit the issue again at the next Board Meeting. March’s Challenge is “Composition with a focus on Duality”
Print of the Month Chair – Are they required to participate? Linda stated that there were so many questions last year and that last year’s print competition was such a mess that Linda feels the print chair’s integrity could once again be questioned. Linda doesn’t feel it’s fair that she be charged an extra $5 to attend the meeting. Olyn feels that the person who’s running the entire thing shouldn’t compete as their motives for making rules or to enforce the rules could be questioned. Cindy pointed out that the POTM Chair doesn’t have to be the one counting. Ron wanted to know: if Linda enters six prints in Salon and did exceptionally well, could she win Photographer of the Year and the answer is yes. Linda stated that if that happened, she would then not take the award. Linda said that she would compete in Salon, but would consider not taking the points and thus be competing for POTY. Lewis said that she should compete, but that she shouldn’t be voting for print in POTM. Lewis pointed out that competing against Linda is part of the fun of win POTY. Ron pointed out that if Linda enters Salon and gets Best of Show, then that’s taking points away from a member who might have otherwise won. Gentry agreed that the $5 should be waived, but that if Linda is opting out, then she has to opt out of Salon as well. Gentry made a motion that the Print Chair doesn’t have to pay the $5 and can opt out of competing in the Print of the Month and POTY if he/she so chooses. Olyn seconded the motion, all in favor, motion passed. Linda moved that if the Print Chair is choosing to opt out of POTM, the chair can compete in Salon but that the points awarded would not be given to the Print Chair. Linda further moved that if the Chair is awarded any category wins in Salon, that the points be awarded to the next winning print that is not the Chair’s print, i.e. second place. AJ seconded the motion, all in favor, motion passed.
Meeting Timeline: 6 o’clock is the arrival time, the Board will be there at 5:30 to help set up. Members must have their prints in by 6:30. Members seated and place your orders by 6:30, Business meeting to start. Linda lays out prints from 6:30 to 6:45. Voting begins at 6:45. Speaker begins at 7 p.m. Break at 8 p.m., announce category winners, vote on POTM. Speaker to finish by 9:00, Critique from 9:00 to 9:30. Meeting to end by 9:30.
Door Prizes: Cindy asked for Board Members to please get door prizes and encourage door prizes from non-photographer vendors and local businesses.
Bylaws: Robin to submit language to allow Board to vote by e-mail. Proposed Bylaw revision must be presented to the general membership for a vote.
Monica Sigmon and Michael Taylor with Burrell Color Imaging – They are doing a tour starting in Tallahassee. Monica has been in touch with Cindy, she has asked for our help in getting publicity for the tour. They are touring several cities in Florida. Tour will kick off in Tallahassee on Monday, June 21st – they need a space that will hold 100 people. Cindy asked if the Guild wants to be involved at no cost to us, the Board agreed.
Gretchen Everhart: Robin has been contacted by Fran Preston, a teacher at Gretchen Everhart. Fran is looking for old digital cameras to be donated to the school for student’s use. Robin will present to the general membership and will facilitate the donations and deliver cameras Fran.
Board meetings: Olyn suggested we move the Board Meetings to the week after the general meeting. It would give us much more time to get organized and get projects done. Cindy checked the Bylaws – the Bylaws say that we can have the meeting when the Board decides. Discussion about making the Board meeting 17 days before the general meeting instead of 10 days. Further discussion needed, the Board will revisit the issue later.
Meeting adjourned at 9:06 p.m.