Board Meeting Minutes 11/30/20

 The Society

Special Board Meeting Agenda

November 30th, 2020 Time: 8:03 PM

Location: The Society Discord Group

Attendance:  Board:  Facilitator, Co-Facilitator, Secretary, Member at large, Archivist, Treasurer

Guests:  D, G, PS, J-B, S, BC

Meeting Items:

  1. Call to Order 8:03pm
  2. Quorum Check -yes
  1. Discussion on Alternate Revenue Streams
    1. Facilitator:  there were lots of conversations with SirGuerrett about moving to online style education and classes so I will let him talk
    2. Co-Facilitator:  We really do need to put a heavy focus on the way we are providing our classes because financially we need these opportunities.  Have had a lot of people come up with ideas.  Put an official call out to everyone and get them in a room together to talk about their ideas, abilities, etc.   Start those open dialogues with a narrow focus of getting ideas together and start moving forward with some of them.
    3. Need a platform:  like zoom.  Business account is 20 per month unlimited meetings unlimited time.  Multiple licenses are double.  Can get an annual subscription for $200 a year.
    4. Treasurer:  why can’t we use the free one
    5. Co-Fac:  because it limits us to 40 minutes and we can’t transfer the host.  We need to be able to transfer to the person doing the class
    6. Sec:  Discord is fine for forums.  Zoom is good for classes
    7. Co-Fac:  We need zoom to collect money
    8. Treasurer:   want to be careful about spending money
    9. Co-Fac:  as far as forums when we first shut down it was with the thought it was only for a month or so.  
    10. Sec: I have issues with charging for Forums.  I can see classes but I have issue with a support service having  a fee
    11. Fac:  Yeah, I think we can get away with doing forums on discord and paid presenters on zoom
    12. Co-Fac:  we should have a min. Number a month that we charge and some that we say donation, but we need to be generating a net positive
    13. Also, once we start creating virtual content, we are a member co-op and the members have to have a higher income for taxes, so have a two tiered pricing to give people a value for their membership
    14. We have new people who we can give an access pass to for member content.   Not a membership.  Give them the same discount as members.  Lower tiered, not quite member
    15. Fac:  they can attend things for a discount. And get time served towards membership
    16. Co-Fac:  yeah I look at it like what you said, access pass or Patreon.  Still have to go through all the steps to be a member.  
    17. Sec:  I don’t want it to take away from membership.  Because there are rights that come with membership, like voting and stuff.  I don’t want to interfere with that.
    18. Treasurer:  Existing members have the access pass, and new people can purchase an access pass that is just for online stuff.  Has nothing to do with membership.
    19. Co-Fac:  It can be kept separate from membership and help them feel appreciated.  Members will automatically be given the access pass perks.  Not to mention that if they pay for a year, but only get 6 months or so to have voting rights that is not fair.
    20. Fac:  Is this something you think that we should pursue?
    21. Treas:  Yes as long as it is separate from membership
    22. Sec:  same
    23. Archivist:  same
    24. Co-Fac: yes
    25. Fac: yes
    26. MAL: yes
  2. Fac:  moving forward on online classes and moving forward with online presenters, the access pass to create a tiered service.  Adds to our membership package.  Because members automatically get it.  So long as they are in good standing.  You will get together a team of members.
  3. Co-Fac:  yes.  101 level are great but need to be more than 101 level.  We should do advanced level as well as 101 level classes.  Different level classes.  I need board to green-light putting together a committee and initially, I will oversee it before we figure out who the ideal chairs would be.  Zoom is the biggest tool that we need.
  4. Fac:  i compared google meet vs. zoom don’t bother with google meet.  Zoom is better
  5. A 1 yr. Annual zoom 100 participants with unlimited meetings and unlimited time is $199 per year.
  6. PS , S, and J-B offered to help pay for the cost of the zoom. 
  7. Member at large:  can be part of the education budget as well
  8. Facilitator:
    1. Motion that we, along with member donations, allow the expenditure to get the small and medium zoom business license to help facilitate our online meetings, classes, etc and the website zoom add on.
    2. Second: Co-Fac
    3. 5 Ayes, 1 Nays,  0Abstain
    4. Motion carries
  9. Co-Fac:
    1. Motion to create the Online access pass Program for members and non-members to receive reduced rates for online events and exclusive content.
    2. Second: Facilitator
    3. 6 Ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain
    4. Motion carries
  10. Co-Fac:
    1.  Motion to automatically enroll members in the Access pass program as part of their membership benefits.
    2. Second: Facilitator
    3. 6 Ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain
    4. Motion carries
  1.  Online Membership Renewals
    1. Facilitator:  There has been a lot of talk about past members being able to renew their memberships without coming to the space but can not do that since they can not come to the space and take the 101.  I can see two ways to do that.
      1. Either  waive the 101 altogether
      2.  require the 101 when they return to the space
    2. Sec:  I had made 3 motions in an email to the board.  I would like to offer 101 online for renewals because that is a refresher.  We can do the tour when they come back.
    3. Co-fac:  realistically we could do the tour on zoom.  There will be no new members for awhile.
    4. BC:  what about those that can’t get there for their third visit. Those in limbo who have the 101 and 2 visits but end up not being able to do the third before the year is up.
    5. Facilitator:  Do we want to just do away with that.
    6. Secretary: that is in our bylaws
    7. Facilitator:  It has to be within the year then
    8. For future bylaw proposals, Maybe add a piece that says in the event of a crisis or emergency the board can vote to extend that.  If no extenuating circumstance the bylaw still stands
    9. Facilitator:  That one will need a vote.
  2. Facilitator:
    1. Motion to allow for an online 101 class for people who need to renew when their membership has been expired for more than a year.
    2. Second: Secretary
    3. 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstain
    4. Motion carries
  3. Secretary:
    1.   I Motion that we allow past members that have expired and left in good standing, and have taken the above 101 class, or an in person 101 class, be allowed to renew their membership online.
    2. Second:  Member at Large
    3. 6 Ayes, 0 Nays, 0 abstain
    4. Motion Carries
  4. Secretary:  I motion that we start a gift of membership program that allows anyone to gift a current or expired within 1 year (after 11/1/2019) member a renewed membership.
    1. Second: Member at large
    2. 6 Ayes, 0 Nays, 0 abstain
    3. Motion Carries
  1. Options for the Physical Space of The Society
    1. Renting space idea:  Table to next board meeting
    2. Garrett to get together with door people to discuss options.
  2. Should we close again due to COVID higher numbers
    1. Facilitator:  looking at the online conversation on fet and state numbers with covid we are currently in a situation where we have much better disinfection procedures in place however much higher covid numbers than when we first closed.  Part of what I want to have a discussion with the board and the rest of the community is basically do we want to close our doors again and set up a new criteria for when we re-open.  Putting that out there now to the rest of the board.
    2. Secretary:  I am torn but i think that with the current numbers we should be closed
    3. Co-Fac: I am also torn but don’t think that we should be with the way that the numbers are.  We need to focus our energies onto online content.
    4. Sec: if we are gonna commit to closing and doing online then we need to move on the online fast and follow through because we do not have the funds to keep going without it
    5. Fac:  the community is very quiet. We want to hear from you.  We would be setting up an emergency town meeting for Thursday night to vote for whether or not to close.
    6. Archivist:  couldn’t we just close for a month or so at a time
    7. Facilitator:  Garret and i had the thought of tying it into CT’s numbers for what causes a state to get on the travel advisory.  That is 10 per 100K or more.  
    8. Gonna ask each board member if we should move to have a special meeting on Thursday for the membership to vote on opening or closing:
    9. Archivist:  yes
    10. Treasurer: yes
    11. Facilitator:  Yes
    12. Secretary:  yes
    13. Member at large: yes
    14. Co-faciltator:  Yes
  1. Facilitator:  I believe we should set our numbers to if the states rates are where they should be to be a low enough rate 10 per 100K or no longer than 10% test positive rate for 7 days.  Currently the state is at 44.4 per 100K for past 7 days. 
  1. Motion to Adjourn: Facilitator
  1. Second: Member at Large
  2. all in favor:  all
  3. motion carries
  4. Meeting ended at: 9:47

       VI.       Next Meeting Date:  Thursday 12/3