NORTHWEST CHORAL SOCIETY
MEETING MINUTES
February 14, 2012
CALL TO ORDER:
The February 2012 Board Meeting of the Northwest Choral Society was held at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 1095 Dempster/Thacker, Des Plaines, IL. The meeting was called to order at 6:36 PM by NWCS board president Penny Perles. The following board members were present:
Jonna Guendling John Morrison
Noreen LaValle Penny Perles
David Martin Chris Stukel
Mary Jane Matecki Diane Szuberla
Candy Mealer Ruta Veitmanis
Also present: Alan Wellman, Artistic Director
MEETING MINUTES:
The meeting minutes of the January 10, 2012 board meeting were reviewed. No corrections were needed. Diane Szuberla made a motion to accept the minutes. The motion was seconded by Mary Jane Matecki. The motion passed.
TREASURER’S REPORT:
Noreen LaValle presented the documentation for the November and December 2011 cash receipts, which were not available at last month’s board meeting. Mary Jane Matecki made a motion to accept the two cash receipts. The motion was seconded by John Morrison. The motion passed.
Noreen also presented the treasurer’s report for January. Cash disbursements totaled $1,576.03. Cash receipts totaled $2,299.00. Our regular account balance was $15,688.09. Including the J. Melcher Memorial Fund and petty cash, our final total was $18,780.09. Mary Jane Matecki made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report. Candy Mealer seconded the motion. The motion passed.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:
Alan Wellman presented the list and cost of the guest musicians for our March concert. These include 4 strings (Dolce Strings), and one each – percussion, harp, flute and oboe. The total cost will be $2015.00 and includes their attendance at Friday night rehearsal. (The full report is attached). Alan will also invite one of his fifth grade students from the Catherine Cook School to sing the boy solo in the Chichester Psalms. Alan suggested that we give an honorary gift to the student, for example, a gift card. Board members agreed.
PROMOTIONS:
Diane Szuberla has sent out the invitations for the donor’s party after our March concert. Season subscribers were also invited. Jane Peterson is planning the refreshments.
Diane will also hand out concert tickets to members this evening.
If we should need more audience seating at Trinity United Methodist Church, chairs will be available.
ADVERTISING COMMITTEE:
We still have a few blank pages at the end of this season’s program book. If no more advertisements come in, Penny asked the board members for suggestions how to fill these pages. All the board members agreed on including a thank you from the NWCS members to the audience for their support of our concerts. Chris Stukel thought that she might still be able to find an advertiser.
Mary Jane Matecki is working on the program notes.
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE:
Mary Jane presented the outcome of the Cookie Dough/Popcorn fundraiser. Twenty-four members sold 117 units. Our profit was $558.35 (last year’s profit was $967.95).
Our fall fundraiser, Yankee Candle, also netted less than the previous year and only seventeen members participated. This again presented the need for the ‘non-fundraiser’ fundraiser that was discussed last spring. The subject will be discussed at a later meeting.
PUBLICITY:
Penny is working on a press release for the March concert.
She has sent two pairs of tickets to WFMT, one set for the morning show quiz and the other for the afternoon quiz.
She has also arranged to have our concert advertised on the marquee in downtown Mount Prospect.
WORLD CHOIR GAMES:
Thirty people have signed up to attend the WCG: seven sopranos, ten altos, three tenors, five basses, three guests, one conductor and one pianist.
Besides our performance clothing, we will also take along our black T-shirts with the nwcs logo.
We still need to order the women’s scarves and the men’s ties for the performance wear.
OLD BUSINESS:
Penny will ask for volunteers for a small committee to form our Vision/Mission statement, with perhaps six people – two board members and one from each chorus voice (one soprano, alto, tenor and bass).
In order to have a better turnout for the March donor’s party, perhaps we should have a drawing for gift cards or gift tickets for next season.
Penny reported on this month’s Des Plaines Arts Council meeting. She is forming lots of contacts with people in the community. On October 20-21, there will be an Arts Fest at the Des Plaines Library. Perhaps a group of us could perform. The Northwest Symphony is already signed up for that Friday night. Perhaps we could join them. Penny will contact them about this possibility.
WTTW has accepted us for their March 3rd, 6:00 PM, fundraiser drive. Penny will put out a sign-up list.
NEW BUSINESS:
Should we have a video/recording of our March concert? Alan will arrange for a CD only for about $350.00.
We will continue our audience survey at the March and June concerts also. Since each concert may appeal to a different audience, we want to be able to hear from all of them.
Karen Pelletiere has again volunteered to provide the sandwiches for our lunch at the March 10th rehearsal. They will be three-inch sandwiches for $3.00 (We will ask for a $0.50 tip). Chorus members will provide salad ingredients. Penny will provide a sign-up sheet for the salad as well as member’s lunch choices.
On June 2nd following our Saturday rehearsal, we will hold our annual meeting of the entire membership. The board members can give a brief review of their work, the Vision/Mission Statement can be presented and any other members’ issues discussed.
Next concert season St. Martin’s has volunteered to take care of scheduling and paying for piano tunings. We will then pay our share of the cost as a part of our rent. This will be included in our next year’s budget.
NEXT MEETING:
Our next Board Meeting will be March 13, 2012, 6:30 PM, before rehearsal at St. Martin’s.
ADJOURNMENT:
The Board Meeting was adjourned at 7:23 PM by a motion from Noreen LaValle and a second from Diane Szuberla. The motion passed.
Ruta Veitmanis
Recording Secretary
Northwest Choral Society