Burlington Writers Workshop Leadership Team Meeting Minutes, 5/7/2023*

*Approved 8/13/23

Meeting convened at 6:33 PM

Attendees: Janet Mckeehan-Medina (Co-Chair), Katie Lazarus (Co-Chair), Dick Matheson (Treasurer), Millie Eidson (Secretary), Sam Fenner (Managing Director), Jon Fenner (Comms Team), Skip Keith (member), Jane Nevins (Board member – Fundraising), Julie Hay (Board member), Rebecca O’Bern (MSR)

General: Review minutes of 3/12/23 and 4/16/23 meeting(s) – Minutes approved.

Budget

• Question: always aim for balanced budget? Yes.
  • Budget process begins with previous year’s actual income and expenses, then estimates changes for the future year.
• Finance Committee creates a bookkeeping spreadsheet monthly. BWW’s outside bookkeeper enters that data into QuickBooks for about $25/month. FinComm downloads financial statements from QB.
  • Quarterly updates may not benefit
  • MSR: income  $4494; $4971 expenses for 2022
  • CLA income $578; $717 expenses for 2022
  • Donations down but expenses without studio and insurance are down further
  • Suggest more master classes
  • Motion to approve budget: Passed.

Bylaws

• Article 1: “aimed at helping all Vermont writers to develop their craft
  • Having Vermont-based organization is a positive, but won’t go to Vermont-only
  • Many grants are Vermont-based and criteria include serving VT needs
  • Add “and others”;
  • “and other members” because we require membership at least at the participating level
  • Motion to approve with proposed amendments: Passed.

Strategic Plan

• Comments were provided as ideas but don’t need to make big changes close to the annual meeting
• May need new perspectives instead of just changing existing plan, on a longer timeline
  • Connect with vision plan
• Goal 2: initial items, delete 1st two completed items (done in 2022)
• Remove MeetUp and replace with ‘send a series of emails’
• Add to ‘Contributors’ to clarify: ‘Contributing Members’
• 2023 Quarterly Metrics: can delete out line about measurable goals;
  • ‘would require additional active, trusted volunteers’
  • no 3-5 year goals currently
• Strategic intention was added back in
• Julie volunteers to participate in future work including vision
• Motion to send strategic plan to annual meeting: Passed

Master Classes

• Host an agent for the fall (Katie)
• Required to do social media now to get published?
• Does publishing a book qualify to give a master class?
  • It’s one criteria that could be considered
  • Initial interview on qualifications
  • Check on what they would like to propose, have them email Sam
• Overview of new AI tools?
  • Send out survey to determine interest.
  • Jon could put together one-off workshop.
• Sam will send Skip the master class wish list

Admin Update (Sam)

• Stephen Leslie will cancel his Dream workshop (not enough interest), but will stick with Haiku workshop
• Short Story: will have afternoon and evening sessions
  • want to run contests; would need to put out a call for readers
• Poetry path: submission in
• Invited to participate in Lampshop event as part of Green Mountain Book Festival
  • participants can have books for sale at library

Format for Annual Meeting

• Janet will introduce board; Katie will talk about past accomplishments (Sam will help); Janet will talk about future plans
• Emphasize each of the 4 strategic management teams report: just highlights
• Skip last year’s reports from Millie and Dennis
• Janet M. will give CLA Update
• Sam will check on who will give MSR Update
• Those running for board positions will introduce themselves briefly.
• Strategic plan
  • Jon (comms), Dick (financing), Sam (resources), Jane (fundraising), Amy or Janet (programs)
• Bylaws: 10 minutes
• Nominations and voting on new members: brief introduction by three candidates
• Strategic plan: 10 minutes
• Budget: 10 minutes
• Members Forum:
  • Janet: Call on someone to answer the questions to avoid multiple LT members jumping into answer it.
  • If short of member questions, Sam can ask questions of the participants to get feedback on possible future plans (send suggestions to Sam)
• Sam finalize and send timeline for this meeting

Adjourned 7:37 pm; Next LT meeting: June 11, 6:30 pm (Subsequently cancelled.); Annual meeting: May 21, 7:00 pm.