Rain City Symphony Board Meeting
August 26, 2014
In attendance: Hanan Bell, John Dunne, George Fichter, Lindsey Harris, Teresa Metzger-Howe, Koko Morgan, Linda O’Gara, Doug Potter, Dana Rosenbladt, Patricia Shannon-Garvey, Gennie Winkler
July Minutes - approved
1. Email Business:
Koko Morgan was nominated and approved to be on RCS Board, then elected to be Secretary.
2. Church Rental Agreement:
The church rental agreement has been signed for the year. An expanded search for a new rehearsal site north of 145th St. was suggested, which is beyond Seattle City limits.
3. Facebook: - The following Standing Rule was adopted regarding the use of Facebook for Rain City Symphony purposes:
Facebook is to be used for actual Rain City Symphony announcements, membership recruitment, pictures, event sharing, and concert promotion. The Publicity Person has the authority to decide what is published on the Facebook pages. The Publicity Person represents the Board on this matter.
4. Membership Report:
The music for the fall concert is on the RCS website and should accessible to all members. An email regarding the music will be sent out to all the last years’ members and new interested players. All music will be distributed electronically. Hanan will bring a computer and printer to first rehearsal for those who need assistance.
5. Review last year's one-year action plan – See Below
6. Review and Revise five-year plan – See below.
7. This year's one-year action plan – See below.
Review last year's one-year action plan:
1. Recruit more bass players - Patricia is on it.
- We still need to find string bass players. The website 8notes.com might be used to recruit new members. All members should be encouraged to look for string bass players. Placement of flyers for string bass plays will be placed in string shops.
2. Finding a stage manager
* Gennie recruiting and training. Talking to Bruce Sherman first.
- Gennie has recruited Bruce Sherman as the stage manager.
3. Improved House Management
* Dana is working on it and talking to Cheri about info from last winter’s Concert: audience member counts, donation box, and collation from last season's questionnaires.
2013 -2014 Performance in Review:
- Performance attendance increased with each performance. The audience was mostly friends and relatives.
- Audience's feedback was that they liked the music, however intonation needs improvement. The March performance received the best response, perhaps the Moldau was the reason.
4. Better Publicity
* Putting more in the programs (donors, coaches, board members) and stepping up the board president announcements (use mic. and such).
- Ways to increase publicity for 2014 - 2015:
a. Putting more in the programs include donor’s names, coaches’ names, board members and Board President's announcements
b. Continue with surveying the audiences along with the accompanying prize going to a survey pulled from a hat.
c. Have greeters in the lobby before each concert
- Facebook should be used to represent the Symphony as a whole. A Standing Rule regarding the use of Facebook was adopted. It is stated above under "Actions decided upon at this meeting".
- Logo for the website--change the brown background color
- Audience survey's will still be used with the accompanying prizes.
5. Chamber Music Survey
- mention it the first rehearsal, remove from list
6. Get insurance on the tympani. - Doug is finding it as soon as possible.
- We now have insurance. The librarian's additional duty will be to catalog the RSC equipment. Need a board member to keep track of the equipment and figure out how to identify it as RCS equipment.
7. Record Volunteer time - John will solicit via a form.
- Need a list the of the members and the amount of time donated
8. Expand Funding - check with Horizon Foundation, bolster annual fund and publish donors/business sponsors in the program and on the website -- John will announce at first rehearsals.
- check with Horizon Foundation – acknowledgement sent?
- need approval from donors to add their name to a Donor List in the program
Review and Revise five-year plan:
1. Find better rehearsal space - the acoustics in the current rehearsal space are way less than ideal.
- The search will be expanded outside of the City of Seattle, the performances have to be in Seattle to get funding from the Seattle Arts Council.
2. Have a full orchestra (including 4 string basses).
3. Better stagecraft.
- Goal is to have a higher standard of dress
4. Expand outreach via chamber groups - Have a chamber music coordinator to facilitate opportunities for performance in the community.
- remove
5. Increase audience at concerts. Encourage people to bring a friend and ask orchestra members promote. Put that in the program and the president should say that out loud.
- keep the same
6. Expand the funding base in order to get a better rehearsal space.
- keep the same
Actions decided at this meeting:
This year's one-year action plan:
1. Look for better rehearsal venue - Gennie
2. Recruit bass players - All board members, flyers for string bass plays will be placed in string shops. - Patricia
3. Investigate how PayPal could be used to for Web donations and membership fees - Doug
4. Program (given out at concert) improvements -- additions to the program - include PayPal information and acknowledgements of the Board Members, Coaches, and Grant Donors - Patricia
5. Make sure we are treating donors and donations right - Linda, Doug, George
6. Take inventory of equipment - document the equipment belonging to RCS - Hanan
7. Record volunteer time for grant applications - John
8. Concert attire --Woman wear black bottoms with white or black shirts. Men wear black bottoms with a collared white or black shirts - Announce to members - Doug
9. Contact section leaders - most have been contacted - Contact the rest - Dana
