American Reading Forum Board Meeting

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

Sundial I, 5:00 - 6:00 P.M.

Sanibel Resort, Sanibel Island, Florida

 

Present: R. Bass, T. Bullock, L. Cochran, S. Dowhower, L. Elish-Piper, J. Fine (Chair), M. French, S. Lapp, J. Lewis, M. Matthews, G. Moorman, B. Schlagal, B. Townsend, L. Yribarren

 

1.       Welcome and Opening Announcements

 

Meeting called to order at 5:15 pm. Joyce Fine thanked the program committee, the on-line aide, and all program chairs. Joyce also thanked Alice Randlett for her service as secretary and announced that Lynne Miller was appointed to the secretary's job because Randlett had requested to step down. L. Yribarren standing in for L. Miller because of traffic delay.

 

2.       Approval of Agenda                                                                                                     Fine

 

Agenda was approved with minor addition of 2004 Conference Program.

 

3.       Approval of Minutes                                                                                                    Fine

 

The minutes were approved as submitted.

 

4.       Treasurer's Report                                                                                                    Dowhower

 

Report dated 12/7/02 - 12/6/03. Dowhower reported a balance of $22, 595.96. (M/S/P to approve the Treasurer's Report).

 

5.       Committee Reports                                                                                                    

 

a. Nominations and Elections                                                                                            Laine

 

Laurie Elish-Piper and Michael French are the newly elected Board members. Jill Lewis is the Chair and Lessie Cochran the new Vice Chair. Lynne Miller accepted as secretary.

 

b. Membership                                                                                                                     Townsend

 

We have 98 members as of this date. Summary of Membership and Conference Attendance from 1990 - 2003 and Membership Mailing schedule were given with the Membership Report. Motion and discussion to include all ARF members on list serv with the option to reply to Gary Moorman to be removed from list serv. (S/P to approve inclusion of all ARF members on list serv).

 

c. Publications and Yearbook Advisory                                                                          Moorman/Lewis

 

G. Moorman submitted Yearbook Report which will be taken over by Thrathen and Schlagal with Moorman supporting Online service. All past ARF publications have now been scanned into the ARF web site and are available online. Moorman shared the statistics from the web traffic for the ARF site. They indicate that the visits are from around the world. We received 31 manuscripts including two keynote, two co-sponsored sessions (IRA & CRA), three panel, 23 paper and one reaction. Ten were accepted outright and 18 were revised, all have been accepted. The ARF Yearbook Online Volume XXII, 2003 is now available for members. J. Lewis submitted a Status Report for ARF Scrapbook Online. Discuss putting Conference Power Point presentations on web site at Business Meeting (M/S/P). Discussion about obtaining permission from individuals in photos and arrangement of photos followed. Moorman will continue to monitor and update ARFOnline with the help of graduate student(s). Guidelines with a checklist included on web site for contributors to Online Yearbook. Assistance with APA format also included.

 

d. Editorial Advisory                                                                                                           Thrathen/Shlagal

 

The Editor submitted a new timeline for submissions to the ARF Yearbook Online.

 

e. Call to Forum                                                                                                                    Wolpow

 

R. Wolpow would like to pass on Call to Forum duties. Fine explained duties and asked for volunteers. None were forthcoming so Fine will ask for volunteers at the Business Meeting on December 12, 2003.

 

f. Proposal Review                                                                                                               Laine

 

M. Laine thanked Bullock and App State for help with this year's program. Laine suggested that deadline extension for graduate students helped increase proposals. There are 140 names for presentations. L. Cochran and C. Hendricks will do the 2004 program. Matthews suggested that proposals be sent to reactors before the conference.

 

g. Budget                                                                                                                               Dowhower

 

Treasurer's Report showed ten-year record of budget. Report included a graph of balance over the same period. Dowhower suggested automatic online payment be continued and announced at Business Meeting on December 12, 2003. Motion to publicly thank S. Dowhower was passed.

 

h. Graduate Student Mentoring                                                                                         Bass/Yribarren

 

Fifteen nominees from four institutions were submitted. Discussion about the amount per student recipient and amount donated from Board. Pledges total $1395.00 at this time. (M/S/P to authorize up to $750.00 so each recipient receives $150.00). Bass thanked T. Bullock for assistance and Board for support.

 

i. Site Selection                                                                                                                     Ransom/Lapp

 

No Report as we are booked at the Sundial for the next three years.

 

j. Public Relations                                                                                                                Cochran

 

This year's Shrimp Fest will be held in L-203, Michael French's room. It will cost $13.00 each for shrimp and $8.00 for non-shrimp. There will be five recipes of shrimp, wings, and stir fry vegetables. Dowhower thanked Cochran and all applauded.

 

k. Bylaws/Parliamentarian                                                                                                   Laine

 

Minutes from May meeting were used as reference. Draft of Procedure Manual will be reviewed then sent to Moorman for inclusion on the web site with Bylaws.

 

l. International                                                                                                                      Kossack

 

Report will be e-mailed to list serv members.

 

m. Archives                                                                                                                           Jarrolds/Fine

 

Archives continue to be stored at Florida International Library and with Jerrolds but will now also be available online.

 

6.       Old Business

 

a.        Bylaws

Fine will review and make additions.

 

7.       New Business

 

a. Yearbook                                                                                                                           Moorman/Shlagal

The web address will be changing from www.fd.appstate.edu/arfonline to www.americanreadingforum.com and eventually to include www.americanreadingforum.org

Discussion to approve new estimate of $4,264.46 to buy server. Motion to pay $4200 or higher for App State to buy and manage server, $250.00 each (total $500.00) honorarium for tech support for two graduate students, $500.00 for graduate student for 2004 Conference as honorarium under publication and $2,000.00 Graduate Assistant payment. All seconded and approved. Statistics are posted on web site.

 

b. Conference Program 2004                                                                               Cochran

 

Twenty-fifth Anniversary subcommittee, Scrapbook unveiling, recognition of and invitation to original and/or long-standing members, service award plaque were suggested ideas. J. Lewis will accept e-mails of recommendations for awards. Honorarium amount discussed with $500.00 maximum accepted.

 

c. Conference Program 2005                                                                               Bass/Bass

 

R. Bass submitted "Literacy: What is the Next Big Thing?" Approved with minor adjustment of addition of web address.

 

d. Conference Program 2006

 

Volunteers or nominations requested but none were forthcoming. Fine will seek conference chair(s) and will report on the progress at the business meeting.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Lynn Yribarren