ACLS
Meeting minutes Jan. 23, 2020
In Attendance:
James Hundt, James Heck, Will Brocious, Robert Habiger, Karen Schmidt, Greg Lewis, Shelley Kolman Smith
Minutes Approved – Unanimous
Treasurer’s Report – Robert – MONTH of DECEMBER 2019 and
SUMMARY of END of YEAR 2019
DECEMBER 2019
$45,531.65 – Balance in Checking account as of December 31, 2019
Revenue: (Months of December 2019)
$0 – Membership Renewals
$16,473.72 – Oberammergau 2020 Trip $16,473.72
Expenses: (Months of December 2019)
$104.07 $150.00 $9.95 $264.02
END of YEAR 2019
All Oberammergau travelers are paid up.
Expenses for the month were: GTM, & SWLC program ad
Total revenue – question about how to list paypal deductions on quickbook acct
$113 cost for biennial dinner
Germany expenses $1000 leftover – Will is going to use for extra tickets etc for transit.
Tickets will be purchased a month before the trip.
Membership dues for 23 people have come in.
Karen – Membership – new website form looks good, no new applicants. The ease is helping to get members to renew. Reminder should go out soon. 40 have not paid. Website still shows old numbers – but will be changed as new site comes up.
Webinar – Hundt via Paul’s email –
As we have previously reported, we have our webinars set for 2020 and are beginning work on 2021.
The first LTP Virtual Workshop was conducted on Tuesday 1/21/20. The next two are set for 2/4/20 and 2/28/20.
The introductory pieces for the ACLS Webinars is done and the 2019 webinars are completed with the packaging. They are ready for website publication. We included the second of the two disclaimer notifications (the simpler one) given to us by the board.
We have also discussed how to make the archive of past webinars more available to members. We have been working with Jim Hundt to get the archive easier to navigate. We have also discussed sending out reminders of past webinars and also having a reminder in newsletter and in promotional materials that the archive exists. (It is mentioned at every webinar but if people aren’t at the webinar, they don’t hear that.)
Archiving webinars? new website will link them Hundt will tell Paul we approve.
Recording availability – Hundt got a notice these were only up for 2 weeks. Heck watched presentation- says only 15 people were present. Some non-members. Hundt – feedback from audience will be similar format to our webinars. Heck noted that the multiple screens were distracting.
Paul will upload old webinars to YouTube so they can be on our website by next meeting and we can discuss then.
Newsletter – Shelley – April deadline to send out next newsletter. Old ones need to be uploaded to the new website.
Communications – Jim Heck – a year and a half ago evaluation of social media was done – he will send this out to the board – with limited budget mail outs are limited. At SWLC – he brought the old brochure, but rates are incorrect – Will could revamp as he has old file. Jim Heck and Will will work together on this.
Voting results: 29 to 0 for ratifying new bylaws. Only half the membership voted. Jim Heck will get the new set of Bylaws uploaded to the site.
Oberammergau – Will – we are slightly in the red. The Synagogue will only be seen from the outside as Shabbat is starting. A 25 euro charge showed up and is believed to be a bank charge.
Webinar Flyer – Greg needs photos to put this together. Hundt will check with Paul.
Sidebar- Greg reported the Abbey is moving forward with other issues but offered for us to speak with Christians in the World and asked him to do it. He will submit a proposal by the end of 2020 or 2021. They offered him an honorarium of $350. He will be representing ACLS and the Members work. This presentation will be for the public and their oblates. Jim Heck requested that he use the ACLS intro slide. Greg would like to work on grants for ACLS – a “program grant” or for our booth at conferences.
Website – Jim Hundt – Member dues and other payments will be able to make through PayPal at the initial application for membership. If membership is rejected, funds will be returned. Robert mentioned that this will provide a record of when new members apply. This will change renewal dates – as renewal will be automated. Rejections will be few as qualifications are less for the associates category.
. Website update by Jim Hundt – input needed from Board
– 1. What do you think about letting people pay with application submission, and refund those who are rejected, or partially refund those moved to a different category rather than the two-step process we use now of applying, getting accepted, sent a username and paying online at that time?
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– 2. What do you think of taking the new site live before all the portfolios have been moved over, knowing that they will follow shortly?
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– 3. Do you see any issues with deleting portfolios of members who did not renew in 2019?
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– 4. Do you know who was supposed to be reviewing pending portfolios?
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– 5. What do you think of limiting the number of photos per project to 3 or 4? (You would still be allowed to have up to 12 projects in your portfolio.)
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– 6. Do you think webinar videos should be made available to non-members?
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– 7. Should they be free or a nominal charge per video? If so, how much?
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– 8. If we do charge for videos, any objections to using Vimeo (it gets rid of all the suggested videos that you get now with YouTube).
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– 9. Suggestions for additional identification on Member Listing.
Response from Board:
#1. We agree to change policies
#2. Site is ready to move but the portfolios will take some time.
#5.It’s decided that 3 images of 7 projects is reasonable.
Jim Hundt suggested that member’s current project images be moved to the new site in order of dates of renewed membership. The new site will provide for a link to each member’s personal websites.
#3 Robert will send Jim Hundt the names of all non renewed members.
#9 New website – add another category?
1) members will get a 76 character description
2) 3 choices of categories from the list
3) 1 st line of services provided
Will suggested a webinar to introduce members to the new site in March or April
Jim Hundt will send out info to communicate with our sponsors
Robert will send out an email announcing the results of the vote.
Jim Hundt’s asks the board to give feedback on the new site – we will need to log in with passwords to see it.
Next meeting – Feb. 27, 2020