Called to Order: 7:25 PM
Attending: Dick Gingras, Lisa Leifels, Jim Scheef, Bill Saturno, Bruce Preston, Bert Goff, Richard Corzo, Andy Woodruff
Guest: Cathy Quaranta (term begins Jan 1, 2015)
Minutes of Last Meeting : Approved
Treasurer Report
Balance on hand 10/1/2014 |
$3,441.92
|
INCOME | |
Check/Cash | $105.00 |
PayPal | $180.00 |
less PayPal fees | -$5.46 |
Dues Subtotal | $279.54 |
Total Income | $279.54 |
EXPENSES | |
CT State Registration | $20.00 |
Meetup Fee (2x/yr) | $72.00 |
Newsletter Postage & Supplies | $42.70 |
Newsletter Printing | $78.00 |
Newsletter Subtotal | $120.70 |
Renewal Postcard Postage & Supplies | $3.54 |
Resource Center Phone/Internet | $72.03 |
Resource Center Security | $74.85 |
Total Expenses | $291.12 |
Balance on hand 101/30/2014 |
$3,475.75 |
Bank Balance | $3,370.04 |
PayPal Balance | $105.71 |
Confirmed Balance | $3,475.75 |
Old Business
1- PR status – Ridgefield Press – No; Voices – Yes; New Milford area (Spectrum) – Yes; Newtown Bee – Yes; Danbury News Times – No
- We need to use CiviCRM to distribute press releases so we can track who is actually looking at them. This needs to be set up by a CiviCRM expert to make this a turn-key operation every month – Jim Scheef, Richard Corzo – Set up a training session for Membership Committee to learn how to use CiviCRM.
- Establish a PR Committee to include all the talent we need for an effective promotion each month. It should include someone to compose and distribute meeting event posters (similar to what CiviCenter displays each week), create promotional material such as new pamphlets, look for ways to identify how to promote DACS and our activities, evangelize at various merchant meet-ups and similar venues, capitalize on using social media, and send compelling press releases to print and non-print media. – I need someone to spearhead this activity! Cathy Quaranta (Chair), Andy Woodruff, Richard Teasdale. Suggested Annette van Ommeren, Sean Henderson, Tom Zarecki as consultant?
2- Membership committee
- Current status of CiviCRM – Drupal to WordPress is ready – needs reconciliation of membership expiration dates
- Roles and activities of the membership committee – still open, top priority was getting everything out of MS Access.
- Need a warm and fuzzy welcome letter – personal, not “automated confirm your e-mail address” message.
- Expand our CiviCRM mailing list to as many as 2000 recipients from Access database for GM announcements. Dick will filter and test.
3 -Web site status
- SSL certificate – Jim has yet to create self-signed SSL certificate – committing to have it in February.
4- Program committee
- Upcoming events
- Jan – Jobs & Technology – John Barry – _______ Preview, ______ Review
- Feb – Video Streaming – Andy Woodruff Preview, Richard Teasdale Review
- Mar –
- Apr –
- May – John Patrick – State of the Internet
- Discuss the suggestion of trying a short special meeting or technical discussion prior to the main presentation in place of AskDACS occasionally. This might be on a topic that leads to a new SIG/workshop. Any suggestions?
- PayPal status – Bert has donate button working, we are now non-profit as well so we get discount on processing.
- Insurance status – Bert has changed policy, will be getting a rebate check because of reduced rate.
- Microsoft Matching Gifts status, feedback from Microsoft – Bert – Microsoft needs 501(c)3 status list.
New Business
- Discussion on how to attract sponsors and how they can help us. Why would an organization want to sponsor us? Possible sponsors are Danbury Savings Bank, Union Savings Bank, SCORE, etc. Bill S. – need to ‘press the flesh’. However we decided to table this as getting sponsorship should be secondary to building membership.
- Publicize that Microsoft and Apple are sponsors, e.g. on our website.
- Directors Targets for next year
- Increase membership – specifically via social media
- “fix” first hour of General Membership
- Sign-in/Welcome at front, make side door available and prominent.
- Start at 7:30 – no more than 10 minutes of “business” such as SIG announcements
- No break
- Featured presentation starts immediately at 7:40
- AskDACS might take place after presentation
Motion: New General Meeting Format
- Meetings start at 7:30
- Business & SIG Announcement/Introduction to be no more than 10 minutes
- Presentation to start at 7:40
- Optional open-ended AskDACS after presentation
- Optional open-ended Networking
Vote: 7 Yes, 2 Abstain
GM Visitors – need a proper, personalized welcome letter. See Old Business 2c.
Meeting Adjourned: 10:00PM
Ongoing Discussions listed in agenda were tabled.