Minutes

American Reading Forum

Board Meeting

2 May 2002

 

 

Present:  Joyce Fine, Missy Laine, Jane Matanzo, Gary Moorman, Laurie Elish-Piper, Brenda Townsend

 

 

Meeting called to order by M. Laine at 8:05 AM.

 

1)      Agenda approved unanimously.

2)      Minutes approved unanimously.

      3)  Treasurer’s Report                                                                    Laine for Dowhower

        

AV costs for the Sundial are becoming prohibitive.  Missy will check with Sundial personnel to see if we can get reduced rates. Approved unanimously.

 

     4)  Committee Reports.

     

            a. Nominations & Elections                                                       Laine for Hager

 

At the end of 2002, Missy Laine, Jane Matanzo, and Woody Trathen’s term in office will expire and their positions will need to be filled.  Missy asked that all members of ARF be encouraged to apply for Board positions.

           

b. Membership                                                                        Townsend

 

As of this date, we have 111 members.  Brenda has received inquiries membership, mostly from graduate students of ARF members.  ARF members are encouraged to distribute brochures at conferences they may attend.  While there is a present focus on CRA and IRA, we should also consider other conferences, in particular, we might target NRC.  Laurie suggested writing personal notes on brochures.  We are taking graduate student proposals until October 15, 2002.  Brenda is preparing the June all-member mailing.

           

c. Publications and Editorial Advisory (Combined today)           Moorman

 

All present thanked and praised Gary for his fine work on the ARF Web site.  He has received 18 papers and three graduate student papers for the 2002 Yearbook as of May 1.  The ASU local board is presently reading them and will send the papers out for review in May.  ARF Yearbooks for 1998-2001 are now on line with 1980-1997 to be scanned.  The Yearbook format presently offered is PDF.  Paper copies will be made available to those who want them Gary will look into software that would give more sophisticated use statistics than now in use.  Gary was instructed to prepare a one-page proposal submission time-line for the website.

           

d. Call to Forum                                                                       Laine for Walpow        

 

Ray has received several suggestions for books for this December’s Forum and would like more suggestions before he puts the list to vote.

           

e. Proposal Review                                                                   Moorman

 

Not counting grad student proposals (not due until 15 October), 34 proposals have been received.  Gary reminded us that Rebecca Barr and Darrell Morris will be keynoters in December.  The editors of Reading Online will present the IRA co-sponsored session at ARF at the end of the discussion of scheduling sessions, the consensus was that graduate student presentations be intermingled throughout the program and not identified as such.  A request for an abstract with proposal s will be added to the 2003 Call for Proposals as follows:

Submit an abstract of 75-100 words for inclusion in the online program if your proposal is accepted.  We will also change the receipt statement to read “Receipt of proposal will be through email.  You may request snailmail, in which case you must provide two (2) SASE.  

        

f. Budget                                                                                  Laine for Dowhower

ARF has a sales tax exemption at any Office Depot for materials and copies.  (Contact the chair for the number if needed.)  Sarah has refilled a second time for Wisconsin sales tax reimbursement for 1999 and 2000 Yearbook publication ($459.83).  First request lost by state.  No sales tax paid to Florida this year.  Sundial allowed inclusion sales tax as part of $7000.00 paid them.  AV costs for next year’s conference are still a concern.  Since this year’s balance is about $4900.00, Sarah recommends keeping membership and conference costs the same this year.

           

g. Graduate Student Mentoring                                                Laine for Bullock

 

Terry welcomes all donations to the Scholarship Fund.

           

h. Site Selection                                                                        Laine

 

Peggy Ransom and Suzanne Lapp volunteered to do some looking at alternative sites.  Our priorities include:  travel distance from major airport, meeting spaces, sleeping quarters, beach, and restaurants.

           

i. Public Relations                                                                     Laine for Cochran

 

2001’s Shrimp Fest was a success.  More than 50 people attended.

           

5.  Old Business                                                                                   Laine

 

Missy reiterated the information from the Budget report.

 

6.  New Business                                                                                  Laine

 

Conference dates for 2002 are December 7-10; Board meeting and Welcome on Friday, late Sunday morning brunch, Spirit of the Times on Sunday, and Shrimp Fest on Monday.  Missy handed out tentative proposal for the 2003 conference.

 

Meeting adjourned at 9:45 AM.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Alice Randlett,

Secretary