Highlands and Islands Association of Celtic Gatherings, Inc.

January 11th, 2010 Meeting Minutes
 

Attending:

  • Tommy Chambers - President

  • Joe Adams - President 2011-elect

  • Ronnie Quin - Games Chief

  • Games Chief 2011-elect

  • Joe Brister - Treasurer

  • Walt Lonnborg - Secretary

  • Jayson Tisdale - Trustee 2010-2012/Athletic Director

  • Bill Compher - Trustee - Absent

  • Jen Compher - Trustee - Absent

  • Layman "Lee" Gilmore

  • Tammy Brister

  • Sherrie Quin

  • Julie Black

  • Adam Spradling - New Member

  • Rachael Spradling - New Member

Prior to the business meeting Walt Lonnborg presenting training on Roberts Rules of Order.

Tommy Chambers brought the meeting to order.
2009 Treasurer's Report: - presented by Joe Adams 2009 Treasurer
He said we have $ in the Checking Account, $3765.04 in the Advertising Account and $43.14 in the Savings Account.
He said that Mississippi Development Authority Grant funds would be transferred from our advertising account to the checking account. He presented the online banking login and password to 2010 President - Tommy Chambers and 2010 Treasurer - Joe Brister

Joe Adams presented a 1009 Games Chief plaque to Tommy Chambers.

President Report:
Tommy Chambers accepted a 2009 Games Chief Plaque and talked about his misunderstanding with Linda Hall about the plaque.
He said he still wanted a breakdown of the financials of the games. Joe Adams said he was still working on a spreadsheet to break that down.

2009 Secretary reading of the minutes was distributed by email prior to the meeting and accepted by acclaimation.

Tommy Chambers introduced the new officers for 2010.
President - Tommy Chambers
President-elect - Joe Adams
Games Chief - Ronnie Quin
Treasurer - Joe Brister
Secretary - Walt Lonnborg
Trustee - Jayson Tisdale

Tommy Chambers introduced & welcomed new members, Adam & Rachael Spradling.

Layman "Lee" Gilmore - past Trustee and 2009 Parade Marshall announced that he was the recipient of the "Bone Award" that was presented to him unofficially by his peers in H&I for his actions at the 2008 Games.

He moved to make it an official award and present it on a routine basis to a member to honor them for "pulling a boner" and immediately present it to Tommy Chambers for his service "below and beyond the call of duty." There was discussion of "what happens at the games stays at the games." Tommy said "The earth loved me so much it jumped up and kissed me."

Tommy Chambers set a board meeting for Wednesday January 20th, 2010.

Ronnie Quin offered having the meeting at his house in Northwood Hills.

Tommy Chambers asked what we wanted to do about ceilidhs this year. There was general discussion about Mardi Gras, St Patricks Day Parade and Mobile Scottish Society's Burn's Dinner coming up.

Tommy asked that during each meeting we have someone present an informal speech about thier family history, the bone award or something of interest, 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Layman Gilmore volunteered to do a reading on Scottish stories and traditions at the next regular meeting.

Tommy asked that the members think about what they want this organization to do, which way they want it to go, write it down and bring it to meetings.

Adam Spradling presented the idea of doing a "topless car wash". The gimmick was that topless firemen were washing cars behind a screen. He related that they raised enough money to buy a new firetruck.

Joe Adams related that we had successfully done two "Kilted Car Washes" last year. There was discussion of the boldness of the patrons and the wearers of kilts.

Layman Gilmore 2009 Parade Master discussed and idea to move the front gate to a position on the entrance driverway between the games field and the public parking area and permit only vehicles of the handicapped, vendors, pipers, etc to pass. This would assure that our patrons would pay to attend the athletic events and encourage them to participate in the festival area also.
He also suggested that if we get a 20-30 clans set them up in their own tents in the south field across from the athletic area rather than in the pavilion.

He advised that he was going to be more involved with his Clan Morrison and the Scottish American Military Society for the 2010 games and volunteered to train and help the person that would be 2010 Parade Master.

Layman volunteered to attend other public events, specifically Ocean Springs springtime activities and others and set up an H&I display tent to promote H&I, Clan Morrison and the Scottish American Military Society.

Tommy asked Ronnie Quin if he had started laying out his ideas to his people for coordinators. Ronnie said he would have a form with all the jobs are for everyone to fill out what they were most interested in and he would have that out in a couple of weeks.

Walt Lonnborg related the officer's email addresses and how to communicate. All are preceeded with the title and end with @HighlandsAndIslands.org. (President, GamesChief, etc.)

New Business:
Jayson Tisdale addressed sponsorship challanges and suggested we consider offering a position of acquiring and pursuing sponsorship moneys and offering an incentive of 10% commision. Walt Lonnborg pointed out that the State requires licensing of solicitors for non-profits.

Walt Lonnborg spoke of the Mississippi Center for Non-profits who has received $300,000 to train and certify officers of non-profit organizations They have published that many donors are considering donating to only non-profits that have said training and certification.

Walt Lonnborg made a motion that we become a member of Mississippi Center for Non-profits. It was passed by acclaimation

Jayson made his suggestion a motion and asked for it to be tabled until the next board meeting. The motion was to appoint a person to a position of acquiring and pursuing sponsorship moneys and offering an incentive of 10% commision. [Sponsorship Director]

Further discussion: Joe Adams said he would like to talk to Marie Ballentyne, Karen Green and Linda Hall about sponsorship and grants.

Tommy Chambers appointed a committee consisting of Jayson Tisdale and Walt Lonnborg to look into it and report to the board.

Walt Lonnborg made a motion to hire a CPA to perform an audit for the purposes of MDA as suggested by Marie Ballantyne and setup the Quickbooks software chart of accounts so that questions about our financials are quickly and easily answered. Joe Adams suggested Strogney and Strogney. Joe Brister asked the motion be amended to include the purchase of a license to Quickbooks for the new Treasurer. The motion was so amended, seconded and passed by acclaimation.

Tommy asked Joe B to setup a meeting with Strogney and Strogney and get a price.

Walt Lonnborg made a motion that the association accept Jen Comphers resignation as Trustee. It was discussed that both Jen and Bill have misssed many meetings beyond the three and Jen has verbally resigned twice. They have not responded to emails and phone calls. A similar motion was tabled in the November meeting. Tommy Chambers tabled the motion until the board meeting so he could contact Jen Compher and Bill Compher and ask their intentions.

Walt Lonnborg said he had contacted Volunteer Match a community support organization.

Fiddling Bill had asked for interest in a Guitar workshop.

Ronnie asked for dates for nonprofits training. Walt said he would get the info out as it becomes available.

Jayson Tisdale asked for ideas from the membership how much they would like to do in terms of athletics for the next event so that he could prepare a budget to present to the board. Ronnie Quin asked Jayson to be Athletic Director for 2010. Walt Lonnborg recommended continuing the women's competition and the men's A,B and Masters and commented that the pros and north/south competitions were too expensive. Layman said he would like to keep the N/S competition. Last year was a starting point and we should give it another year to show its true potential. Joe Adams commented that the athletics is what it is all about and he had never seen so much activity in the Athletic area. Ronnie Quin said it's a question of money and it cost us thousands of dollars and that's why we need better financial reporting to be able to tell where the money comes from and goes. Layman Gilmore asked if we really needed the jousters. Joe Adams said the Jousters have proven to be an asset.

Walt Lonnborg moved that the meeting be adjourned. It was seconded and passed.


Tom McCabe Mary Newmyer had taken grant writing classes.