OCC Meeting May 3, 2016

Called to order at 6:35 pm by Myers Burmeister president

Treasures Report $1669.70 new 1694.77 (3 new members $75 and memorial contribution $50)

Secretary’s Report A donation was made in the Honor of our Member Larry Fritz to the Midlands Humane Society who passed away on April 22, 2016.

Sandy has a backpack that she would like to give to someone….very useful. Comes with a Walt Disney rain slicker…

Thanks to Larry for the email sent out we have a lot to cover.

Went over the dates or the Next meeting 5/17, 6/21, 7/19, 8/16 and the program for September will be the lightroom presented by Alan Stamler.

Steve S. reported on Springbrook, it was the first chance. Choose not to go Friday and went Saturday only. They had attendance of about 55 the goal is 75. Only knew one person there. They had good presentations, lighting for portraits outside, trip to Greece presentation.

One good thing came of it, she asked to bring to our meeting and pass out. PSA council challenge Nikki McDonald winner.

April winners 40 entries 17 awards for N4C. See the website for the award breakdown on the blog.

Cookie Monster Mike Barker – Thank you!!

More books to be checked out of the Library – stop by and check them out.

Tonight we will be choosing the assigned categories:

This month is a transition between the old business/and new business. In November the new business meeting with be established. Catch up the assigned category and instead of putting down the categories get a survey out to pick the topics… Do we still have access to survey monkey to get the categories selected. Thoughts of topics on survey if you pick the top 5 out of 25 pick. Opinion out survey monkey and they were not happy about doing competition There has been issues finding judges and competitions….Jeff would like to see more critique on the photos instead of running through. Likes Ina’s idea of having a topic and discuss what they like, what they don’t like and what went into making the photo. Larry, the contest would be more accepted if they get comments. Sign up in advance to be a judge like you do for cookies. D Cross, when he was managing the same meeting that the reveal we asked someone to judge. Be proactive in getting judges. Use to sign up for the whole year. 6 digital competitions that would be 24 judges. Part of the problem if they are not participating they should not be made to judge. Judges training…show of hands of the people who want to have the competition. Since we are moving the business meeting to November…move the December competition to May. It seems like the majority that is here wants the competition, I think we should do a judging and critiquing class in September and judge sign up. Tom, another topic related and 3 meetings a month. 6 or 7 months out of the year. The only other club that has 3 meeting a month is Des Moines. Jeff was surprised we had 3 meeting when he joined. Two would be plenty…thank you thank you cut down the number of.

Competition for novice people, tiered system would be difficult to maintain. Show and tell and digital reveal on both nights. Jeff would have to determine how to do both. Cut show and tell back and move through digital reveals and you are not getting critiques. Entering contests and not getting any feedback. No idea why they like it or why it is a low rating. It is a surprise and does not know how to improve. People actually talked about the shots at the last meeting. It was not just blasting through the photos, the where, how and why they took the shots. Nikki is just giving a suggestion. More interaction with the people getting the story. Bring the person to the front to talk about their photo the where, how and why and then questions and what I could have done better. The opportunity is there….but the comfort level, what is the feel. If they don’t want to talk they don’t have to talk….It is asking for the critique what do you like etc.

Bring in the best photo and talk about it instead of blowing through the photos. Larry, lots of good comments we are mixing apples and oranges…show and tell is just what it is…I was here and took this and the reason I took it. There was not discussion on how to improve and get better. I’m seeing this and this is a distraction…if it is effective and good but does not think that is show and tell. Only take one of the show and tell critique night. More critique in the competition and feedback. Judging needs to critique….When we are volunteering to judge, and the few we have on smug mug that is when we need to know how to put in the critique and access to site to put in the critique. Can everyone get into smug mug to put in the critique. Didn’t you need a password you as a judge gives you access to the private gallery and you can critique everything should move to the public site. Larry, clarification, when the judges are in the private mode will they be able to see the other judges comments? YES….Nikki would make comments on a spread sheet and the last step before turning in the scores. Whatever your comfort level is you don’t have to read them. Jeff will have to look at it and now you have to take action to add a comment. Judges training and how to add comments That is something too is to publish scores to everyone Steve S is going to try to remember what he is going to say…I think that when he had show and tell…he appreciated they would say I’m thinking of entering this to N4C give me some feedback on what to enter. Irv Cobb most valuable is the live critiquing on the competitions. Tells me what people think about the images. Just the Comment on judging it a lot of work and he did not write anything…he is a negative type of guy.assigned “oh man it is a picture” and that is all. It is not a trivial amount of time…if you sign up you are committing hours on a deadline to fit this in your schedule and create text it is not a trivial task. Make sure they understand….what is expected, don’t feel it is good to have fewer judges change the scoring from 1-10 to 1-5 decided that there was not a lot of leadway…back in 1980 when Gary joined they were 5 point spread and you had to get a score of 33 to be show at the reveal. Nobody knew that you entered and you could re enter with different judges. They only ever show the top percentages…

What topics

Raising Dues dues have not been raised since 2009 or in the 90’s

Treasure audit needs to be completed needs to take a look at it. Someone who is not on the executive board or director Alan Stamler and Alan Kurth to audit books.

Term of office of current board…2 year term. I make a motion for the election of the officers and board. Nikki seconds the motion to elect new officers. Need to go through a transition…That is what will happen in November, we need a nominating committee there is advantage of having a staggered directors and executive committee. It was anticipated during the coarse of the transition it was assumed that people would retire and there would be a staggering. The President would put together a nominating committee was adhoc, and they turned to the person would you do it. People that were elected under one system, Paul read the old ruling under the old bylaws…. Results will be announced at the annual meeting. No way to follow the bylaws, it is how you look at the slate of officers and directors. Was the assumption that they were elected under the new bylaws or the old bylaws. Is it possible to be in order to request and authorize to remain in their position until November. Request and authorize the current slate of officers to remain in office until through the end of December, to take effect in January 2017, Irv Cobb 1^st motion and 2^nd by Alan Stamler. What was the head count of active members 49 and we have 26 members present tonight. Call for a vote, matter of procedure can the board and executive committee vote. All in favor, 25 opposed 1.

* * * * *Cookie Break * * * * * *

Books have been audited and a Thank you from Nikki and round of applause for all Tim’s work.

Tim is looking to pass the torch if you are interested please contact someone on the board. And a discussion will be put to a quick vote and then the board can decide. Send your interest off to the board…as Tim passes the torch, no one I would rather have watching over the funds. Thank you so much….

Topic – we have funds going out the door due to the meeting room of $100 a month. Need to fix the lights….we look at photos so we are in the dark anyhow. Tom P. I think that the thing that is most pressing a year We make just about that for what the dues are collected. Let’s look at an alternative, maybe we don’t need the funds sitting in the account. When we need to purchase a new equipment we need to decide what we want to have in reserves. What are our fixed expenses – Judges, dues to N4C and PSA and our memorial fund budget and then a reserves. Scholarships, what our future mission to be. How are you using the word scholarship Alan, state fair that submit entries to support the interest of photography. Traditionally the free membership is a “scholarship”. This is what the 501c3 will allow us to do. Fixed costs, capital expenditure, and misc. costs. The scholarship is not something we can do with our membership dues. We need to incorporate into our projection we need a scholarship committee….and ask the community we need to have a vision or scholarship objective. We need to have a long range plan.

If you have any comments or suggestions we can discuss at a board meeting and then bring it back to the membership. Linda May has always been a two meeting discussion. Send suggestions for the assigned categories to Larry so he can send them out to membership of who was not here. If we do scholarships that we have to file. No cost to file and as long as we remain a “non profit” status. And the expectations of the IRS ruling. We need to maintain the non profit form and maintain and be under 50K a year. A non profit can earn money it depends on what is done with the money.

Sandra W. question dues are tax dues yes.

This is a wrap and will be continued at the next meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Ina Ohnmeiss, OCC Secretary