05/29/2018

Kennebunk High School VPA Boosters General Membership Meeting Tuesday May 29, 6:30-8pm

Call to Order: 6:30 pm-Introductions: Connie Plaisted*, Catherine Lindgren*, Jeni Kingston*, Emma Hauser*, Lisa Crimp*, Emilie Spas*, Karen Ennis*, Scott Ellis* , Rose Hines, Leslie Trentalange, Nate Menifield, Wendi McPike* ,Tom Macisso, Lorretta McDonnell, Ian Durham, Alyson Durham, Gillian Charbouneau, Bryan Hauser, Laurie Ellis, Aaron McPike, Kevin Crimp, Linda Morrison, Amy Johnson, Michelle Taggert, Dean Plaisted, Ben Potvin, Heid Kirn?.( Apologies for any omissions or misspellings)
Minutes from 1-17-18- approved
Annual Appeal Update -73+ Supporters
-2 Major Benefactors (over $1000), 5 Benefactors ($500-999), 4 Patrons ($250-499), 31 Sponsors ($100-249), 31 Friends ($1-99)
-$10,878 raised
-will be easier next year-hope to match what we spend
-great to have student involvement
Treasurer Report -attached -accepted
-Great East Festival- money will be coming back -provided above and beyond what was needed
Clynk Update: Need more volunteers to pick up from HB provisions
-maybe use student help this summer and next year- community service hours available
-need a sign/box saying donations for VPA Boosters
-at beginning of year, get notice to VPA students, through faculty to suggest student involvement -Emilie can work on process and help get that going better
-Ben has tags usually
-suggestion to bring tagged bags to performances
Music, Art and Theater Department Updates -Senior Send Off 6/1
-Class Night 6/8
-Graduation 6/10
-Alumni and friends benefit concert 6/23
-position for choral director not yet filled
Theater- we loaned $1000 to run production. Logistics for spending are much more involved.
Steve Marquis will be new finance person. Current process for theater funding is morphing. Suggestion to request to get the front $ back if enough comes in for show, so the district doesn’t expect we do this each time. Proposal- to front $1000 for each show.
-Art department very grateful for Dark room door -possible request for set of display panels for next year.
-Harvey Help needed, concessions, donations, tickets, ushering. Sign up form online.
-Band-2 people needed shoes for parade, and a few other small requests. Receipts for instrument repairs. 9 microphones are still missing. These are the 12 we had purchased, Rudy has promised to replace them, we need to follow through with that.

Great -East Festival- was great/hot. All students in the music program were involved. Band Gold, Chorus/Platinum! Our support made it possible for all to go.

7. David Dionne Update

-we received $2000 grant from the David Dionne Trust

-$1000 for instrument repair- underway

-$1000 for Chamber Choir master classes, details still in progress- with the Portland Conservatory

Scholarship Committee Update
-4 students nominated to receive awards. 11 Fantastic applications
-recipients to be announced class night
-New policy worked well. Only major change was that faculty reviewed applications and recommended top 5 students. This information was considered as extra data in our determination
-Volunteer to get plates for scholarship plaque-
Review of funding, scholarship, and constitution changes. All have been up on website for 1 week. Constitution: Major changes: Passed
1. Membership definition change- either parent, grandparent, or guardian of current or former student or someone who lives in district
2. Voting for financial matters to go to executive board
3. Voting of the executive board can be done by email
4. Slight alterations of officer descriptions. However, we can alter in another way and do away with all
positions other than President, Treasurer and Secretary 5. Removal of Advertising and fundraising committee
6. Updated scholarship policy
Motion to remove all labels for officers- with exceptions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary. Motion Passed-
Funding Policy: Major changes based on previous discussion:
-only executive committee votes on funding requests
-exceptions made on a case by case basis -Passed
Scholarship Policy: Major changes based on process this year:
-Faculty not involved in committee discussion
-Faculty to give their input which was considered as additional information- Passed
Election-Need to replace Secretary- Passed Slate:
Pres: Emma Hauser
Vice: Connie Plaisted Secretary: Michelle Taggert Treasurer: Scott Ellis
Lisa Curran-Crimp
Jeni Kingston
Catherine Lindgren
Karen Ennis
Emilie Spas
Potential directions for future -goals as President for first year

-annual appeal to generate our spending

-constitution, policies and goals/actions to be transparent, accurate, reflect both what we do and what we want to do

-formulate working membership list

-increase accuracy of website and Facebook site -continue to support VPA departments

-ongoing goals:

-Continue Annual appeal

-Continue and improve communication with membership

-Consider starting community instrument drive to provide instruments to young students -Goals/Actions: Advocacy- need to spend more time talking about it.

Other
Facebook- like the page.
using this media is working to help get the word out. Share with ‘I love Kennebunks’, class pages, band alum, 3 towns, Kennebunk Moms, etc...
-Need a budget figure for boosting posts.
Concerns:
Advocacy-we all want to support, we do not all agree on what our advocacy goals should be.
-monies and budgets from this year’s plays- we should be able to find out what the final budgets were. Does the money from the show go back to the department?
-If VPA is expected to come up with $ each time- need to know.
- need to be able to have discussion with admin on how this works
-School Board makes the policy- we should be able to ask them how this works.
-Be proactive, set up an amount ($1000) to loan to provide cash flow for shows, with the expectation it
will come back.
-one- feels the plays and sports should be supported the same.
-Choral position is to be advertised as 1⁄2 time position- request to advocate separately for this. -originally was a full-time position. Shrinkage is an issue with other offerings, IB. etc. -
-Art department- was reached out to help with Playbill, but wasn’t enough time or interest.
-should be looking to include the older generation for advocacy- need to find a way to reach out to this demographic
-concern about the theater program- directors/ funding etc.... what now? Advocate funding/support, etc. How do we bring all the voices together? Need to figure out where the balance lies. Maybe we can find a way to effectively advocate.
Everybody agrees that tax payers spent money on theater we have a right to ask
Educating people on how this works, and where the money that we raise goes.

- Suggestion that Tri M- could certainly assist more with the departments - Shoe drive, instrument drive, etc....

Need to instill this all in the students- get them involved. Meeting Adjourned 8:24

Respectfully submitted: Wendi McPike