NORTHWEST CHORAL SOCIETY
MEETING MINUTES
January 14, 2014
CALL TO ORDER:
The January 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 6:37 PM by NWCS Board President Penny Perles. The following board members were present:
Greykell Dutton Penny Perles
Kelsey Green John Schindler
David Hitch Diane Szuberla
Noreen LaValle Ruta Veitmanis
Mary Jane Matecki
Also present: Alan Wellman, Artistic Director.
MEETING MINUTES:
The meeting minutes of the November 12, 2013 board meeting were reviewed and no corrections were needed. Kelsey Green made a motion to accept the minutes. The motion was seconded by David Hitch. The motion passed.
TREASURER’S REPORT:
Noreen LaValle presented the treasurer’s report for November 2013. Cash disbursements totaled $2,124.69. Cash receipts totaled $3,090.00. Our regular account balance was $15,626.16. Including the J. Melcher Memorial Fund and petty cash, our final total was $18,677.16. Ruta Veitmanis made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report. Mary Jane Matecki seconded the motion. The motion passed.
Noreen also presented the treasurer’s report for December 2013. Two corrections were needed. Under cash disbursements, check #1717 should be deleted (The trombone player did not participate in the December concerts). Also, the cash receipts sum was incorrectly transferred to where final totals were calculated. All necessary sums were corrected. Cash disbursements were adjusted to a total of $10,345.15. Cash receipts totaled $5,699.20. Our regular account balance became $10,979.21. Including the J. Melcher Memorial Fund and petty cash, our final total was $14,031.21. Mary Jane made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report. Ruta seconded the motion. The motion passed.
The Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual July 2013 through June 2014 was also presented. As of this date, our income is $24,111.00, which is 96.9% of our budgeted income. Our expenses are $26,997.23, which is 81.7% of our budgeted expenses.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:
The cost of the music for members for the May concert is $30.00.
Alan Wellman has contracted the organist for our May concert, but not yet the instrumentalists.
Alan presented his proposed program for our 2014-15 concert season:
◦ December 2014: Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata and Shaw’s The Many Moods of Christmas. These are SATB w/Brass.
◦ April 2015: In honor of the 70th anniversary of WWII, we will present Whitbourn’s Annelies, the words of Anne Frank set to music. This is SATB, with soprano solo, and chamber orchestra (piano, cello, violin and clarinet).
◦ June 2015: The Magical Music of Disney. We will look for another venue rather than a church.
In honor of NWCS’s 50th anniversary in the 2015-16 season, Alan proposed a 50 by 50 project: to recruit 50 new singers by the 50th anniversary. The process will begin immediately, continue over the next 18 months and encourage growth and development indefinitely. Since every member is responsible for recruitment, there will be some training, such as workshops, webinars, etc. Besides eventually needing a larger rehearsal hall and performance venues, we will be able to expand our repertoire selections and create stronger ties to our communities.
PROMOTIONS:
Diane Szuberla presented the concert/ticket results for the December concerts.
◦ Our income was $4,415.11. 242 people attended: Saturday – 88, Sunday – 154.
◦ We received $275.00 in donations at the concerts: Saturday – $150.00, Sunday – $125.00.
◦ 46 members sold 186 tickets. 92 tickets were sold by the 10 top sellers. Tickets bought at the door:
Saturday – 28, Sunday – 34.
PUBLICITY:
Penny has posted on our website an article describing our May concert and Grace Episcopal Church in Oak Park.
FACEBOOK:
Kelsey Green has posted a link to Jerry Borek’s recording of our December concert on YouTube. This link is also on the Watch & Listen page of our website.
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL CHOIR TOUR:
Twenty five members have signed up for the trip: 7 sopranos, 8 altos, 4 tenors, 3 basses.
NEW BUSINESS:
The American Choral Director’s Meeting will be in Cincinnati this year. Alan is not sure yet if he can attend. The cost will be $190.00.
Hilary Ann Feldman has offered to hold classes for our members, covering topics such as basic reading skills, solfege, phrasing and articulation, etc. There will be 6 classes, 45 minutes long before each of our rehearsals the next 6 weeks. The course is $600.00, but we will only charge members $12.00. Mary Jane made a motion that we accept this offer. Kelsey seconded the motions. The motion passed. Please think of some members in your section who may benefit from these classes and suggest to them that they attend.
Alan suggested that we put on a cabaret evening at a club, bar or restaurant. We have plenty of talented people and volunteers who would be willing to help. The cost of putting on the event cannot be more than half of the expected income.
We will have another board members’ retreat in February. Possible dates are the 8th or 15th. Greykell Dutton has volunteered her home. She will check the dates with her family.
Recording our rehearsals is beneficial for many members. We need a volunteer to do this for us.
We are also looking for a new company to record our concerts.
When women members leave our chorus, we will buy back their dresses: the dress for $50.00 and the jacket for $35.00.
David Hitch has entered our May concert in the event’s calendar of the publication by the Northwest Cultural Council in Palatine.
We are working with Soozie Cotter-Schaufele to set a date for our outreach program at Lutheran General Hospital.
NEXT MEETING:
Our next Board Meeting will be February 11, 6:30 PM, before rehearsal at St. Martin’s.
ADJOURNMENT:
The Board Meeting was adjourned at 7:27 PM by a motion from Noreen and a second from David. The motion passed.
Ruta Veitmanis, Recording Secretary, Northwest Choral Society