Meeting Minutes Summary, Annual BWW Meeting, 1-3 pm, Dec. 6, 2020*

* Approved 01/10/2021

Introduction: Highlights of 2020

• Meeting convened by Leadership Team (LT) Chair Nancy Kilgore at 1:00 pm.
• Innovations and struggles, including shutdown of studio and going on zoom
• Added website features
• Recognized need for more connections between workshop leaders.
• Workshops are thriving including a new one on romance.
• Books and Cookies event with members reading from books, music, poems at Library.
• Master classes on various subjects.
• Group formed to meet with League of Vermont writers to possibly revive a Burlington book festival.

Recognition and changes to LT (provided by Nancy initially and at end of meeting)

• Roger Waters stepped down as Treasurer after great job for several years
• LT Cochair Elaine Pentaleri is now focusing on the two literary anthologies: Mud Season Review (MSR) and Cold Lake Anthology (which is for BWW work, members should submit).
• Erin Post stepping down from MSR
• Adrian Williams stepped down as Secretary and Millie Eidson volunteered to take over (if elected).
• Roger Waters was thanked for serving as Treasurer and is stepping down to be replaced by Dick Matheson (if elected)
• Margo Mertz assisted with website and Fri. workshop during Stephen Kastner’s recovery.
• Candelin Wahl for fundraising letters and strategic planning
• Nancy Volkers is assisting with meeting coordination, website, and Cold Lake Anthology

Comments made: individual highlights for this past year

• BWW kept going through challenging year with great leadership from volunteers
• New relatives (grandkids)
• Groups like these have been very valuable for members throughout the year in keeping people connected, writing, seeking meaning in their lives
• Other chapters like in Montpelier have also continued
• Zoom has been wonderful for participant expansion world-wide, although would be great to have in-person option again too.

Minutes from last year: Approved by majority vote

Treasurer’s report (Dick Matheson): see specific reports for details

• Deficits in 2018 and 2019 are expected to be wiped out in 2020 with negotiated cost reductions on meeting room lease during pandemic.
• Need both financial and human resources: donation income insufficient to pay for all the contributed work of volunteers.
• Deficit of human resources leads to burnout and lack of some services.
• Financial budget provides guidelines, not guarantees.

• BWW is in sound financial position but decision about meeting space will affect whether deficit or surplus in 2021.
• Landlord not willing to renew lease at end of Feb. 2021 unless back to full amount.

Income proposal (written draft provided, summarized by Nancy and Millie):

• Proposal for member clarification in bylaws includes completing membership form and a membership fee or volunteer work (proposed for $40 in 2021). Primary workshops remain free, but special workshops would be at reduced costs for members.
• Fundraising is important and many already are sustaining members, giving regularly (e.g., monthly).
• Need to establish a list at a central point on the website to find out the volunteer work that is needed, like time donation, short-order assistance.
• Although initial BWW founder and mission committed to free workshops, others reminded that there was always the expectation of donations (glass on table)
• Lump sum membership fee could be challenging for some; allow spreading out over time.
• Could consider options: lifetime; or an unlimited membership (no extra charges for special workshops)
• People are well-meaning but have a lot on their minds so may not know when/how to give.
• Important to give value: some believe BWW value already is sufficient to justify membership dues while others want more specific benefits established: button, water bottle, pen, member card with 10% discount at stores like Phoenix (if they agree).
• If something is free, it’s not as valuable as something you have to pay for.
• Offer scholarship option for a fund to help others who can’t contribute.
• Need to give people opportunities to feel invested.
• Important to project how membership fees would affect fundraising. Adirondack Center for Writing had membership; $40/year and they don’t track members, they call them sustaining donors members instead—could be a good model.
• Develop more detailed proposal about who will track membership, notify them when it’s due
• Postpone discussion until March meeting. Final decision depends on whether to keep studio space, so membership may be unnecessary.
• Interim option: Send bill out that this is a suggestion of a membership fee, that this is voluntary but we’d appreciate the support.

Studio lease

• Issue has received considerable LT discussion, and many attached to the space.
• Proposal for vote is whether to renew Burlington lease, due to being on zoom and struggle with finances
• In future could find another space if we want to come back to in-person. Unknown when could be safe to be together again.
• Benefits of BWW are so great, participants should contribute and help keep room if possible. Our current space is special and gives us hope. It’s been the best so far on location, landlord, and space.
• Option: exploring month to month extension with landlord to get more time for those not ready to vote (explored and not an option).

• Finding other spaces could be exhausting and challenging based on previous experience. Could consider colleges, libraries, or others, but hard to schedule and rely on.
• BWW has benefited from participants in other places, and some long-term members and workshop leaders want to stick with Zoom.
• Adirondack Center for Writing uses community space all over the north country plus works with Paul Smith College.
• Champlain College has a professional writing program and space; could also bring synergies and connections (Candelin volunteers to explore this option).
• Varying locations could bring in more members and donations.
• Zoom has led to loss of people and gain of people—some don’t like Zoom and shouldn’t be forgotten.
• Proposal commits to eventual finding of in-person space plus maintaining zoom, even if can’t maintain current office.
• Membership still has a Burlington core, so we could put some money aside to pay for Burlington space in future.
• Other BWW chapters don’t want to pay a membership fee for space they’re not using (e.g., Montpelier paying for Burlington meeting space, although some have driven to Burlington from there).
• Consider two levels of membership fees depending on planned studio use.
• There are Jan. and Feb. 2021 expenses still projected for utilities, rent, and insurance, and internet (although internet waived during time we can’t use studio).
• $9,000 per year total if continue lease.
• Liability insurance may need to continue even if lease not renewed.
• Have sublet or rent generating options for current space been explored? Too complicated, won’t work.
• Current space gave us a leap into professional sphere. Perhaps people weren’t donating

because they didn’t appreciate importance of studio? Ask those who want to use it for more money.

• Hybrid model could work, of meeting in person and Zoom.
• The space is important, could justify $4/month as a membership fee.
• Do we know if those who attend only by Zoom make donations? List is growing through membership form, so now can email or snail mail for fundraising. We know that some Zoom participants have become sustaining members, but don’t have summary data yet.
• Pay member who has skills in grant writing to do that? Some grants were written that have not been obtained.
• GoFundMe was a way of initial support and could be considered.
• Motion made, seconded to not renew lease in 2021: 14/25 voted not to renew the lease; all opposed to letting lease go in 2021: 3; Abstain: 3. Motion carries, with regret for loss of the space.

New motion: Amend Bylaws to require all BWW participants to fill out the Contact form in order to participate.

• That will help us understand who is participating and have a way to reach them.
• Initially post on every workshop webpage and ask them to do that.
• The burden is on workshop leaders. They will ask new members to fill it out.

• Form now has suggested donations at the bottom. Can this be fine tuned, the wording ‘official member signup’ is offputting.
• Why do we need to amend bylaws to do this? Bylaws don’t require it, only require 18 years old and provide name, so this is a minor change.
• If someone doesn’t know if they have filled it out, should everyone do it again? Don’t ask everyone to fill this out again—too challenging administratively.
• As a workshop leader, it might be hard to know if someone has already filled out the form already through another workshop, so enforcement challenging, but list of database could be provided to workshop leaders so they would know.
• Proposal is reasonable, and from this point forward, it could be simple request for someone new to group for first meeting.
• Motion made and seconded, vote: 22 yes, motion passes.

Strategic planning team (Presented by Candelin)

• Slides were attached to meetup announcement and are available for review.
• Where we want to be in 3-5 years, and how to get there.
• Worked with consultant judiciously as funded by the grant.
• Initially started in 2018 with mission statement.
• SWOT analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.
• Lot of good identified, we change people’s lives.
• How we do it is evolving, and we’re working on sustainability, make it easier from human resources and financial.
• 12 on LT were surveyed.
• Four groups formed to work on goals: achieve a sustainable financial model and fundraising; produce powerful programs and events to meet writers’ needs; strong communication and outreach, with emphasis on digital platforms; build leadership and volunteer resources.
• As an all volunteer non-profit, we don’t have paid staff, and sometimes talk about same issues without making progress.
• Year-end appeal out for fundraising, just sent out.
• As lists of contacts through membership form grow, that fundraising may get easier.
• Specific volunteer needs:
  • coordinator of calendar listings in Seven Days and elsewhere
  • regular contact for Crow and Phoenix because they have given gift certificates for fundraisers.
  • Create Advisory board from authors around Vermont who could help with their connections?
  • Get interns?
• Concerned about volunteer burnout, but this will be a long-term plan, not spinning wheels, not expecting to accomplish in 1-2 years. Need slow, measured, deliberate, sustainable progress over time.
• Commitments to the four small groups: (*contact)
  • Finance and Fundraising: *Dick Matheson, Millie Eidson, Candelin Wahl
  • Communications & Outreach: *Elaine Pentaleri, Stephen Kastner, Nancy Volkers, Margo Mertz
  • Program Impact: *Rikki Moss, Kerstin Lange, Olga Hebert, Elaine Pentaleri

• Build Resources: *Candelin Wahl, Mary Chafee, Jim Rader, Nancy Kilgore
• Motion of approval to proceed with 3 years strategic planning process; 23 passed.

Nominations for slate of new and continuing board members

• Nancy Kilgore as Chair
• Dick Matheson as Treasurer
• Millie Eidson as secretary
• Nancy Volkers and Dennis Bouldin as board members
• MSRU Review Editors: Elaine Pentaleri, Grier Martin Motion to accept; 23 passed

Motion to approve budget with lease not renewed: Passed (majority of remaining participants with a few dropping off at 3:00 pm)

Meeting officially over at 3:12 pm.