Present:

Dave Morrissette (President)

John Noack (First Vice-President)

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

Ed Kinney (Treasurer)
Jack Kennedy (Director of Local Chapters)

Glen Broman (Director, Foreign Liason)

David Von Almen (Journal Editor)
Steve Dottavio (Junior Activities Coordinator)

Mary Jane Kinney (Office Manager)
 

1.  President Dave Morrissette:

1. Categories for the National contest - look at splits carefully.  May want to pre split some categories to allow better advertising in the consistently under populated categories.
   ACTION:  Dave to talk to Aris

2. Constitutional Amendment Ballot – Amendments need to get to David ASAP.

3. Officer Election – Most of current board running plus first timers Dick Montgomery (DLC), Jim Woody (HPD) and probably Jim Corley (Sec)

4. Dropping membership.  4401 current members.  How do we fix this?  Looking for any and all good suggestions.  Dave and John to draft a letter about situation for Journal and general distribution.

1. Operating Parameters for IPMS/USA National Convention – Reviewed the draft.  Do we want to limit trophy costs?   We will limit our costs for trophy prices to the cost of our supplier plus 10%.    Should we suggest people look at medals for save costs?  We will put in some language to make it clear that it is the responsibility of the host chapter to confirm all entered models are from IPMS members.  We will require a six-month deadline to submit reports and payments the National Office.  We will require bonding of the convention chair. 
   ACTION:  Ron will work on update the language.

2. Phoenix Update.  $2,700 profit for the National Office.
   Negatives:  Phoenix charged more on trophies than anyone other than Chicago and the trophies were not $5,000 better than those at Oklahoma City.  They lost money on the banquet.  Because of convention center rules, Phoenix were required to spend money to employ convention center personal that often are covered by the clubs at no cost.
   Positives:  1566 walk-ins.  Very good.  They had some good suggestions.  Should be take registrations nationally so that we can take credit cards rather than Paypal only. 

1. Progress of the charter renewals – 200 renewed; same as last year.  Lost a few chapters including 5 chapters in Region 3.  Six new chapters this year.

2. Bob is working to integrate the chapter database, the member database, and the contest database online.

3. Regional contest rules in place and will go into effect in January

4. Chapter of the Year – The RC's could not come up with an agreeable standard guideline for picking the COY in their regions so it will be up to each RC to choose a COY according to their own standards as has been done in the past.

1. Paper price increase coming in May.  $150 per issue range.  David got three quotes to print the magazine.   One quote was way high.  One quote was sort of high.  One in Wisconsin was a little bit less expensive than the current printer, but not enough savings to move it that far away.

2. Question on the Dragon Expo.  Concerns with for profit business using a non-profit to do PR for their convention.  Dragon doesn’t want to buy ads; they want to let Atlanta do their PR. 

1. Balances:
   Checking - $2,017.02
   Savings - $7,364
   Convention Account - $14,114.49
   Investment CD - $103,524.85
   Make ’N Take Account - $2042.55
   
   $20 K down.  Raising dues helped, but need to increase membership.
    

2. Liability and convention cancellation insurance is due.

3. What is up with Phoenix?  Ron has e-mailed Dick Christ.  Where is check?  No answer.
   ACTION:  Ron will attempt to get an answer from Dick

4. We will go back to calendar this year.  Hopefully we will have an 18 month year this year.  (Possibly it will be a short year. Whatever the IRS tells us.)  2006 will be a calendar year.

1. Picked up 45 members since the last Journal.  Renewals still coming in.

7. Junior Activities Coordinator Steve Dottavio:

1. Going well.  A few kits are running low.  A few schools interested for after school programs.