Present:

Dave Morrissette (President)

John Noack (First Vice-President)

Ron Bell (Second Vice-President)
Jim Bates (Secretary)

Ed Kinney (Treasurer)

Glen Broman (Director, Foreign Liason)

David Von Almen (Journal Editor)

Mary Jane Kinney (Office Manager)

Bob Hester (Internet Coordinator)

1. President Dave Morrissette:

A. Dues increase

Ed – based on the numbers we have no choice. What does each member cost us?   $25.57 last year. $18.82 so far this year. When? How much?    Go to $25 and see what happens. Start July 1, 2004, which is the beginning of the fiscal year.

VOTE: John Noack moves for a dues increase to $25 starting July 1, 2004. Jim Bates seconds. Vote: Passes unanimously

ACTION: Dave will layout the facts to show how we are losing money per member in his next President column. (May issue.)

B. Monthly e-mail updates
We will try this every other month or so and see how it works.   ACTION: Dave will contact RCs. Do we want e-mail to them or just post on website?

2. 1st Vice President John Noack:

A. Review status
All going well. Need to get more on-line, real time reviews posted on the web.

B. CD-ROM Journal index
We are getting positive responses - 39 so far. We will let it run for a while longer.

C. Hobbytown USA Hobbies for Heros update
We got the APO addresses for kit donations. Will post the address on the web site and have Jack get the info to the RCs. We are going to Charter them as a chapter.

ACTION: MJ will send a honorary charter certificate with a few copies of the Journal. We will also send a couple hats, and stickers. We would love to get a picture of meeting or our stickers on a tank, etc.

3. 2nd Vice President Ron Bell:

A. 2006 National Convention
So far only one bidder - Kansas City. No actual bid yet, but they have formally said they will submit one. Minneapolis dropped out. Kansas City has asked about our trophy packages.

B. Phoenix Update
Doing fine. Just got registration stuff out. Online up and running, though only through Paypal. Hotel rooms are starting to go. They are doing awards themselves. They have a guy who is doing them at cost.

4. Director of Local Chapters:

A. Chapter renewal fee amendment?
Seems this is an important potential source of funds and that we should not let it slide till “next time”. Amendment is in. Dave is not sure what to do. It is a lot of work for one amendment, but we need money.

B. National rules at Regional Convention
We want to do this for consistency. Not categories – just follow the national rules for judging. RC's polled the membership. Most agreed with it, but some vocal dissent. It will be up to RC's to oversee it.

5. Secretary Ron Bell:

A. Nothing at this time

6. Internet Coordinator Bob Hester:

A. The online Membership Registration System
Is active and operating well.

B. The online Products Ordering System
Still under development, as a last minute modification was requested. It will be up soon.

C. The online Membership Database
Under initial Development. It will be a fully integrated system, maintained by the Office Manager, with limited access available to the Journal Editor and DLC.

D. An Online Chapter/Events Database
Proposed, and will part of the main database, to be used contests.

E. Hit Count
An average of 700 visitors per day in January. We are approaching 1,000,000 visitors since the website was started in 1996.

7. Office Manager M.J. Kinney:

A. Scholarship donation

We have $1000 in CD in trust for winner Joseph Seman. MJ found a three-year CD with a 2.75% net interest rate. Give him everything once he proves he is in a school of higher learning and close the account.

VOTE: John Noack motioned to do the CD. Ed Kinney seconded. David asked what about interest? Give him everything. No opposition.

Will this happen again? Is Phoenix planning a scholarship fund? Yes. Did OKC give them money? What about Aris’s comment in the Journal?

What about Arizona? We need to talk about it.

ACTION: Ron will contact Arizona and let us know what they think is going on.

Future? Is it in Atlanta’s parameters?

ACTION: RON will contact Atlanta and let us know what their plans are.

We are not into supporting it in the future. We will discuss this issue again at the next meeting.

B. Make’n’Take donation update

$3316 in the account due to the Niagara challenge. Steve Dottavio would like some models in inventory. Steve would like some cars and airplanes.

ACTION: John will contact the model companies and ask for donations or at-cost product.

ACTION: Dave will get Steve up to speed with John’s help. David Von Almen asked what about the donated C-130s? We still haven’t gotten them from Tim Kirkland. John Noack suggested that we draft a local member to help get them.

ACTION: Dave will get in touch with Tim and get the C-130s back

C. Liability Insurance/Crimes Policy

$11,261.00 paid

D. Director and Officer insurance policy

$1,000 paid

E. Need the numbers from Phoenix to get convention insurance.
MJ hasn’t been able to get Phoenix to respond.

ACTION: Ron will contact Dick Christ and get the numbers.

8. Journal Editor David Von Almen:

A. Nothing at this time.

9. Treasurer Ed Kinney:

A. Update
Checking account - $459.53
Regular Savings - $12,358.76
Make ’N Take account - $3,911.20
Money Market Investment account - $102,350.85
Convention savings - $14,084.03

Things going south and this includes the check from Oklahoma City for $5,000. We are living off convention funds these days and may soon have to tap into the money market investment account.

10. Director of Foreign Liaisons Glen Broman:

A. Update
Working on foreign links for the web site. Sent letters to SIG owners who haven’t responded. IPMS/UK will allow us to reprint some of their articles. We have asked for three articles from IPMS/Finland. IPMS/Canada has been contacted. They will discuss this and get back to us.

David Von Almen asked us to remember Fred. He is having knee surgery in early March.