ABOB Excutive Board Meeting Minutes
Monday, September 27, 2021
6:00 p.m.
Alton H.S. orchestra room

MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE
Ruth Waggener – President
Jeanna Hasty – Vice President
Dawn Humphrey – Treasurer
Ed Gray – Financial Secretary
David Fritz – Craft Fair
Jill Mitchell – Vendor Fair

TEACHERS IN ATTENDANCE
Laura Plummer
Blake Korte
Luke Griffin
Julianna Swanson
Sally Pierce

GUESTS
Mike Halliday, chair Craft Fair – kitchen

President Waggener called the meeting to order at 6:05 pm.  Minutes from our August meeting are posted abob.net. 

The August and September Treasurer’s reports were reviewed Laura moved to accept the August Treasurer’s Report.  Sally seconded.  Motion passed.   In reviewing the September Treasurer’s Report Ed asked for information on the staff stipends paid by the Alton School and for clarification on ABOB flag line staff payments, which has been paid for Winter Guard staff and design staff.  Laura will send Ed a list of music stipends paid by the district and those paid by ABOB.  Laura moved to approve the September Treasurer’s Report and Ed seconded.  Motion passed.

Laura presented a revised 2021-2022 Budget after meeting with Ed, Dawn, former Treasurer Cindy Kirbach, Ruth, and the music staff over the past month.  The security bond now covers all ABOB board members and the AHS music staff. There was discussion on bringing back M100 Button Days to fund major M100 purchases.  Also can sell brooms.  Dave brought up a clarification that the Carry Forward should be removed from the actual Expense and Income Budget as these funds are in the reserves.  Most of the craft fair booth fees are in the Money Market.  If needed, we can borrow from the Conrady or Thompson CD’s.  These budget line items are funded from ABOB’s annual income.  Any funds borrowed from these CD’s should be paid back to the Money Market.  Jeanna asked if either of these CD’s have any stipulations on how the money is spent.  Only the Dunlope CD, which is a trust and has the stipulation that it is funded from interest earned.  Ed proposed in the future when we have surplus funds to put some of the surplus back into the Money Market.  Jeanna suggested if we get more income than what is budgeted to identify and prioritize who gets what.   Laura suggested we put $1,000 back into Instrument Repair and putting funds back to M100 budget.  Jeanna moved to accept the revised ABOB 2021-2022 Budget.  Blake seconded.  Motion passed.

TEACHER REPORTS

High School Orchestra – Laura Plummer

• Symphonic Orchestra had a great performance at The Nature Institute Friday, September 24.  Had 150 people attend.  Chamber had a very good performance at the wedding the following day.

High School Band – Blake Korte

• M100 had a good weekend at EIU.  Won Best Music, Best General Affect, Best Drum Majors, Best Percussion,  Best Soloist (overall for large schools 4A, 5A, 6A)- Melanie Parker, and first place in their class.  Melanie also gets a full scholarship to attend Eastern’s summer music camp.
• Washington, MO competition this coming weekend.  Prelims – Finals format.
• First concert is next Thursday, October 7.  Goal is to perform 4 concerts, 1 concert a quarter.  Heighten their musicianship.  Ensembles are all doing well.
  Luke Griffin – Percussion Class Report
• Working on percussion basics snare drum, keyboard, and music theory
• Working out the structure of the class and how to best teach 3 different band sections of percussion in 1 class.
• Winter Drum Line – helps the marching percussion to continue learning and progressing during the offseason.  Open to wind players, as well.

Middle School Orchestra:  Sally Pierce

• Have started Schumann and Jazzios.  Groups are a little smaller, but kids are excited and they want harder music.
• 9 kids signed up for ILMEA auditions.
• West elementary numbers are decent.  Have a decent beginning 5^th grade orchestra. About 45 in West orchestra.  West band also about 45.  North and East are at 50 and 60.  East band is good.  Blake has about 30-35 at North band. 

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Hospitality

• No report.

Ways and Means

• Laura P. reported on behalf of Laura Gibbs:  Tom Evans is delivered next week. High school kids sold really well this year. 
• Dine out at Olga’s Friday, October 15.  
• Perfect Pastry fundraiser kicks off in a couple of weeks.

Communications

• Ruth and Laura handling communications via social media and email blasts.

Technology

• No report. 

Trivia Night

• Laura brought up COVID concerns for Trivia Night and all of the people in a room sharing food, drinking alcohol.
• Recommended to cancel Trivia Night.

Craft Fair – David Fritz

• Reviewed 2019 from where we were then to where we could be.  2019 Craft Fair at capacity with 171 crafters 242 booth spaces rented (some booth spaces are double and some are triple.)  As of to date have received 126 contracts and have 45-50 booth spaces available for this year’s Craft Fair.  Looking to possibly consolidating floors – using 1^st and 2^nd floors.
• Sent out a press release that was picked up Riverbender.com and did a radio interview with Doug Jenkins for WBGZ saying we are still looking for crafters. 
• David shared his concern with enforcing the mask mandate.  Laura has reached out to Edwardsville and O’Fallon asking how they are approaching the mask mandate and possible resistance to the request for patrons to wear a mask.  Not really concerned with compliance from crafters but more so push back from the customers.
• Mask requirement should be part of all publicity.  David mentioned it in his interview with WBGZ.
• Offer masks at the doors.  We should be able to get these from the school district. 
• Limit entrances to the Aud-Gym and the AHS main entrances.
• Also shared uneasiness with keeping our student workers safe during Craft Fair.  Is on the fence about moving forward with Craft Fair. If we cancel Craft Fair, all booth fees will be returned to crafters.
• Decided to only use Alton H.S. students this year.   
• Looking to condensing the cafeteria menu.  Mike suggested easy carry items.  Ed brought up food trucks. 
• Next steps – contacting Madison Co. Health with a list of our food crafters and sending out letters to crafters confirming their location and final info.
• Ruth and Laura will work on a Craft Fair Event on Facebook.
• If Craft Fair is cancelled ABOB will refund the booth fees or ask the crafter if they would like to make a donation, which Cindy Kirbach has suggested.

Dinner Auction – Ed Gray

• Serious concerns with having a dinner and auction will be successful. Biggest concern is getting people to attend especially with the uncertainty with the future of this pandemic.

Move forward with the Virtual Auction.

• Discussion on how to recognize ad sponsors that’s cost effective.  Poster at our concerts and/or an insert to our band and orchestra spring program with list of sponsors. Dinner Auction brought in close to $5,000 in 2020.
• Whole note sponsor – $250, Half note sponsor – $150, Quarter Note sponsor – $75, “Business card” sponsor – $50.
• Virtual Auction listed all of our donors.  Hard to recognize the donors on the Virtual Auction Facebook page.
• ABOB will be combining Virtual Auction and Dinner Auction solicitation lists.  Ed, Jeanna, Ruth and Laura will meet to figure out donors and set plans for the ABOB Music Matters Virtual Auction.
• Laura will cancel ABOB’s 2022 Dinner Auction date with Lewis & Clark Community College.  Because ABOB is cancelling more than 90 days out from the event we will get a full refund of our deposit.

Spring Vendor Fair – Jill Mitchell

• No contract posted yet.  Still waiting to see what happens.
• Jill has an event at Civic Memorial H.S. in Bethalto the first weekend in November so will see what happens.
• Spring Vendor Fair could be an outside event in the parking lot at AHS.

Old Business

No old business.

New Business

No new business.

Next Meeting – Monday, October 25, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.

Meeting adjourned at 7:58 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,
Laura Plummer