MEETING NOTES
This section contains minutes taken by the Club Secretary during the last three regular membership meetings as well as the last three Board/Officer meetings.
I. Regular Membership Meetings
OAK RUN PHOTO CLUB
MINUTES OF MEETING
OF JUNE 14, 2010
The last meeting of the 2009/2010 season was held in the Orchid Club Auditorium. Outgoing President Laurie Stamm called the meeting to order at 7:00PM. 27 members were present, and four guests were welcomed.
CLUB BUSINESS:
Treasurer’s Report: Checking: $622.59
Petty Cash: 37.47
Total: $660.06
Secretary’s Minutes of May meeting: Approved as posted on website.
Laurie thanked all Board and Committee members who had served during the last year.
Marty O’Grady announced that he will be taking photos of Oak Run’s 4th of July activities. If you are interested, you may submit your photos to Marty for inclusion on the CD he will present to ORHA.
ELECTIONS FOR 2010/2011 SEASON:
Laurie asked if there were any nominations from the floor. Guest Louise Werner volunteered to join the Program Committee. Larry Werner, Linda Glick, NC Sizemore and Jim Carrell volunteered to assist her with at least one program during the season. There being no other volunteers or nominations, the following were elected by acclamation:
President: Jim Carrell
Vice President: NC Sizemore
Secretary: Trinette Collmer
Treasurer: Jim Collmer
Members-At-Large: Nancy Frost
Art Holt
Past President: Laurie Stamm
Program Committee: Chairperson TBD, Louise Werner, Larry Werner,
Part-time help: Linda Glick, NC Sizemore, Jim Carrell
Field Trip Committee: Laurie Stamm (Chair) Walt Markowski, Marty O’Grady,
Carolee Carter
Publicity & Raffles: Muriel Koehler
Set-Up Committee: Frazer Crane
ORHA Photo Support: Marty O’Grady (Chair) & his staff of volunteers
Webmaster: Jim Dillman
LIGHT BOX PRESENTATION: Year-end Competition Entries
All photos submitted were shown on the light box, and then placed on tables at the rear of the auditorium, so that members could view each of them close-up before marking and submitting ballots for “People’s Choice” awards during the break.
YEAR-END COMPETITION RIBBON AWARDS:
This year’s competition was judged by Gary Uhley, of the On Top of the World Shutterbugs Photography Club; Frank Curtis, employee in Wal-Mart’s photo department/winner of a National Geographic Photo Competition; and Scott Hughes, one of this season’s guest speakers. Points were given for technical quality, composition, and impact. In the “Non-Creative” category, ribbons were presented as follows:
Award: Novice: Title:
1st place Gail Reilly Skiing in Powder Paradise
2nd place Nancy Frost Garden Surprise
3rd place Gail Reilly Cliff Swallows’ Home Delivery
Honorable Mention Olga Fernicola Reflective Moment
Award: Intermediate: Title:
1st place Shelley Sizemore Sunken Garden
2nd place Ed Garrepy Rainy Afternoon in Venice
3rd place Frazer Crane Making the Final Entrance
Honorable Mention Jim Collmer Forward Focus
Award: Advanced: Title:
1st place Mike Baker Storm in the Valley
2nd place Mike Baker Mountain Moss
3rd place Laurie Stamm Bailey’s Irish Cream
Honorable Mention Carolee Carter Double Purrr!
There were no judging points awarded in the “creative” category, because there were only two submissions. However, Mike Baker (Advanced) was awarded a ribbon for “Art in the Alley”; and Trinette Collmer (Intermediate) received a ribbon for “Rainy Day in Tampa.”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS:
Club members selected the following entries by ballot:
Winner: Title:
Novice Nancy Frost Garden Surprise
Intermediate Ed Garrepy Rainy Day in Venice
Advanced Mike Florey The Hay is in the Barn
All photos will be displayed during the July 10, 2010 ORHA Donut Drop-In. Any member who did not wish to have a photo displayed at that event was asked to take it home this evening.
RAFFLES: Connie Swakla conducted the two raffles. The 50/50 was won by Olga Fernicola, and the 60/40 raffle was won by Dick Wolf. The club’s net was $23.00.
The first meeting of the 2010/2011 season will be held on Monday, September 13, 2010 in the Orchid Club Auditorium at 7PM.
Members were reminded to leave their name tags in the designated box as they exited.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Trinette Collmer,
Secretary
OAK RUN PHOTO CLUB
Minutes of Meeting of
May 10, 2010
The meeting was held in the Orchid Club Auditorium, and was called to order at 7:00pm by President Laurie Stamm. 30 Members attended, and 2 guests were welcomed.
Club Business:
Members were reminded that tonight’s meeting is the last opportunity to submit entries for the Year-End Competition. Carolee Carter and Carol Norton collected photos at the rear of the auditorium.
Laurie noted that the Club has a new link on the website for “Classified” items for sale, or free. Follow the process on the site, and notify the Webmaster when the item is sold; items will be removed automatically after 30 days. Items must be photo-related.
Treasury Report: Checking Account: $767.18
Petty Cash: 17.45
Total in Treasury: $784.63
In Reserve (Projector bulb) ($300.)
Net Available: $484.63
The club’s laptop computer purchase of $666.53 has been paid in full. A total of $671.00 came from member contributions and the monthly 50/50 raffles. The credit surplus of $4.47 is included in the “net available” amount noted above.
The anticipated disbursements for the remainder of the year will be approximately $100, for year-end competition for judges, and miscellaneous prize ribbons, etc.
GUEST SPEAKER:
NC Sizemore introduced the evening’s speaker, JEFF TIBBETTS. Jeff provided the members with an interesting program entitled: “My Eyes for You”.
He shared his photos and wealth of knowledge about local birds, bees, butterflies and other insects.
PHOTO REVIEW:
This month’s digital review was put together by NC Sizemore, from member’s submissions. It was followed by a Light Box review of photos brought to the meeting.
There will be no Photo Review at the June meeting. Members will have the opportunity to view all year-end photo submissions, and to vote for a “People’s Choice award in both “Creative” and “Non-Creative” categories at that meeting.
Upcoming Elections of Officers and Board Members:
Elections will be held at the June meeting for the 2010/2011 Officers and Board.
As of this meeting, the following have stepped forward:
President: Jim Carrell
Vice President: Co-chaired by Ed Garrepy and NC Sizemore
Treasurer: Jim Collmer
Members-at-Large: Nancy Frost and Art Holt
Past President: Laurie Stamm
Program Committee: Amer Pederson
Field Trip Committee: Laurie Stamm, Walt Markowski, Marty O’Grady,
Carolee Carter
Set-Up Committee: Frazer Crane
ORHA Photo Support Committee: Marty O’Grady and his volunteer staff
Webmaster: Jim Dillman
Connie Swakla, Publicity & Raffles, and Trinette Collmer, Secretary will not be standing for re-election. They briefly described the duties of both positions. To date, no one has volunteered to fill these vacancies.
One of the evening’s guests, Louise Werner, volunteered to join the club and be a member of the Program Committee.
Interested members should speak to Nominating Committee members, Laurie Stamm and Bob Durocher.
50/50 and 60/40:
Connie Swakla conducted the drawings. The 50/50 was won by Shelly Sizemore, and Bob Norton won the 60/40. The net to the club is $20.
Adjournment:
The next meeting will be held Monday, June 14th. Members were reminded to leave their nametags in the box upon leaving. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00pm.
OAK RUN PHOTO CLUB
Minutes of Meeting of
April 12, 2010
The meeting was held in the Orchid Club Auditorium, and called to order at 7:00PM by President Laurie Stamm. 25 members were in attendance. Laurie welcomed one new member, and one guest.
CLUB BUSINESS:
Treasury Report:
Checking: $767.18 / Petty Cash: $14.45
Total on-hand $781.63
Reserve: $300 (projector bulb)
Net Treasury Available: $481.63
Anticipated expenses for balance of the year: gratuities for May speaker and judges for year-end competition; miscellaneous cost of ribbons/certificates for year-end awards.
The laptop and accessories total purchase price: $666.53
Donations & 50/50 received to date: $660.00
Friday Photo Classes:
The April 9th session had to be cancelled due to technical difficulties. The classes missed will be shown at the April 16th session. The last date for the course is April 23rd.
June elections:
Bob Durocher and Laurie have been serving as the “Nominating Committee”. Several people have stepped up for Board positions. All interested members are encouraged to speak with Bob or Laurie, or current Board members.
GUEST SPEAKER:
Bob introduced PJ LUCKEY, the evening’s speaker. Ms. Luckey is a gifted artist, known for her blended works of watercolor and photography. Several members attended her recent opening at the Gainesville Ten Gallery. Ms. Luckey’s presentation was accompanied by a series of her photos displayed in the Club’s Light Box. Many pieces of her work were on display for members to view during the meeting break.
YEAR-END COMPETITION:
The deadline for submitting photos will be May 10th, the date of the next meeting. Members were urged to view the website for rules, and download forms for submittal. Photos must not exceed 16x20 overall. Photos must be matted or adhered to a backing board, but not framed. Members may also drop photos at Laurie’s home; be sure to call first.
FIELD TRIP:
Walt Markowski announced the club will make a third attempt to visit Dudley Farms in Newberry. The trip has been postponed twice due to weather.
Members will leave from the Palm Grove Exercise parking lot at 8:30AM on Saturday, April 17th. Following the photo taking session, the group will have lunch at The Bistro Café in Haile Plantation.
PHOTO REVIEW:
This month’s digital review was prepared by Art Holt, who asked each of the photographers to comment on the photos they had submitted. This was followed by the light box review, with members discussing the prints they had brought to the meeting. The deadline for digital submissions for the next meeting is May 3rd. NC Sizemore will be preparing that review.
The 60/40 and 50/50 were conducted by Walt Markowski. The Club received a
total of $20.00 from the drawings.
The next meeting will be held on May 10, 2010.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:50pm.
II. Board/Officer Meetings
ORPC Board of Directors
Meeting Minutes
July 5, 2010
The Oak Run Photo Club Board of Directors, and various Committee Members, met on Monday, July 5th, in the Orchid Club Auditorium. The meeting was called to order by President Jim Carrell at 1:30 p.m.
Present: Jim Carrell, Muriel Koehler, David Simmons, Louise Werner, Walt Markowski, Laurie Stamm, Carolee Carter, Nancy Frost, Art Holt, NC Sizemore, Bob Durocher, Marty O’Grady, Trinette Collmer, Frazer Crane (left early). Absent: Jim Collmer
Agenda Items Discussed:
Financial:
Jim read the account summary provided by Jim Collmer. There is $685 available, with $300 of that considered “in reserve” for the projector bulb.
The Treasurer suggested that the club plan on budgeting based on 45 members. Two known expenses are the $28.00 annual fee to be billed on August 1st for web hosting by Dave Simmons and the cost of buying spare light bulbs for the photo light box. Jim Carrell will follow up on purchasing the bulbs.
When the programs have been developed, and the number of speakers is known, a budget can be prepared for the year. The average for speakers has been $125 annually. The cost of the year-end competition has been about $100.
Advanced registration will be offered again this year. Jim Collmer will email the membership in early August. This relieves the “crush” of registration at the first meeting. Dues will remain at $10 per person.
Projector Optimization:
Bob Durocher, NC Sizemore, Amer Pederson and Jim Carrell met on June 23rd for a “brainstorming” session on optimizing output from the projector. On June 29th, they tested various projection options for getting the best images. NC reported that the best images are obtained by following guidelines 1) relating to how images are prepared by photographers and photo review assemblers, 2) how projector features are set, and 3) how the projector is physically set up relative to the Orchid Club drop-down screen.
NC, with assistance from Jim Carrell, will document the guidelines, which will be posted on the web site. These guidelines, if they are to be used for the September meeting, will have to be sent by email to the membership no later than mid- August. Hard-copy handouts will be available at the September and October meetings. Additionally, an initial “how-to” session will have to be conducted to familiarize the membership with the process, followed up by additional sessions if needed.
The email address for submitting photos will remain the same, for the time being. Laurie, Jim and Dave will discuss alternatives off-meeting.
Holiday Luncheons:
2010: Bob Durocher advised that the 2010 luncheon will be held on Saturday, December 11th, at The Waterfront Inn, Seaside Landings at The Villages. The restaurant is amenable to offering either an open menu, with the most expensive item in the $12.95 range, or a catered menu with prices ranging from $6.00 to $9.00. Bob will finalize details and forward information to Laurie, who has a template for flyers and tickets. Ticket sales will begin at the September meeting.
2011: Laurie and Carolee are working on a proposal for the 2011 luncheon. They are suggesting Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee as a venue. There are numerous restaurants at this hotel complex, and an annual Ice Sculpture show.
The pricing would be multi-tiered as it would involve the luncheon, the ice show, and possibly, hiring a 30-person bus. Pricing would range $50-60 per person. Weekend prices for the ice show are higher than during the week. It was suggested that the membership could be surveyed to see if they would consider going on a weekday, instead of a Saturday. This will be put “on hold” until January 2011, so there will be no confusion with the 2010 luncheon plans.
Field Trips:
Laurie Stamm will be hosting a meeting on July 7th and will advise Board members by email of any actions or recommendations following that meeting. Louise Werner suggested adding Tarpon Springs to locations being considered.
Programs:
Jim Carrell has offered his “Seeing & Capturing Light” program, NC Sizemore has committed to coming up with two programs, Linda Glick volunteered to assist with one program, and John Ware of OTOW Shutterbugs has tentatively committed to do a presentation on “High Dynamic Resolution (HDR)”. Frank Curtis and Norm Taylor have been suggested as speakers. NC volunteered to follow up with Frank Curtis. Nancy Frost, a Garden Club member, who saw Norm Taylor’s flower presentation for that club, said that Norm has since revised the program, and she volunteered to preview it for possible showing at one of our meetings. She will work with Louise on this.
August 1st was set as the date for finalizing the September 13th program. If possible, plans for the October 11th meeting should be firmed up by that date as well.
It was generally agreed that we are interested in programs that emphasize tips and techniques, i.e., “what I saw, what I did”, and not just presentations of speakers’ images.
It was generally agreed that the Area of Concentration has not been picked up on and that members have not taken advantage of the mentoring program.
Discussion ensued about themes or specific goals, one subject at a time. Bob suggested architecture or reflections, and NC suggested everyone shoot photos in auto focus and submit them straight from the camera with no editing, thereby leveling the field for everyone. The decision of whether the reviews should be themed, open or a combination of both was referred to the Programs Committee. Bob Durocher’s program, “Art of Seeing”, was also suggested. Dave Simmons suggested a general Q&A session, which was quite popular this past season.
The question of whether members would be interested in having informal critiques/feedback sessions was discussed, but not acted on. Jim Carrell suggested that photos could be submitted at one meeting and brought back the following month, where feedback would be provided. Nancy Frost felt that brought up the intimidation factor and that the “fun” element should still be part of the meeting.
Web Site Changes:
Jim Carrell referred to the email he sent out to the Board detailing suggestions that he and Dave Simmons are proposing for the web site. Jim and Dave will continue with the changes, taking into consideration comments made by Board and Committee members. Further comments/suggestions must be emailed to Jim Carrell.
Secretary:
Trinette Collmer requested, and it was agreed, that the responsibility for name tags revert to the membership. They will no longer be turned in it at the end of meeting. New tags with the member’s name, and the current year will be issued as dues are paid.
Publicity & Raffles:
Muriel has met with Connie Swakla, and is familiar with the process for sending information to the ORHA newsletter, Channel 12 and the weekly “Citizen”. Due to the long lead-time for ORHA, a generic write-up can be sent in, and a more detailed release can be sent to the Citizen for the week before a meeting.
We have an ample supply of tickets on hand for the coming season.
It was decided that “drawings” is the technically-correct term for what we have been calling “raffles” and will be used from now on as term for that activity.
The Club does not raise enough money from drawings at this time for it to be an IRS reporting issue.
It was decided to retain the 60/40 drawing and eliminate the 50/50. Carolee suggested, and it was decided, that a separate drawing could be instituted to help raise funds for a specific purpose, if needed.
ORHA Support:
Marty O’Grady said that in the three years the Club has been taking photos, as requested by ORHA, he and his assistants have become good photo journalists. However, after the first event, ORHA has not posted photos in the lobby. They say it is due to space constraints. There was discussion as to whether the Club should continue to document OR events, given that the photos are being stored in the OR Library and not displayed. It was suggested that a meeting with ORHA should be scheduled.
Marty also mentioned that he needs help putting music on the disks. Currently, he and NC do this, but it is very time consuming.
Dave Simmons suggested displaying the photos across the top of the club’s web site. It was pointed out that there is already a link to the Club’s web site on ORHA’s web site.
Nancy Frost suggested utilizing the Citizen as an outlet for photos. While at the July 4th parade, she heard a number of favorable comments on the pictures published of the year end winners.
Donut Drop-In Display:
Jim Carrell read a letter that he drafted to the President of ORHA, regarding the situation that arose around the Club’s planned display of year-end photos at the July donut drop-in. Jim hopes to speak with Jim Waddell regarding this matter and possible ways to promote club activities within the OR community. Approval was given to send the letter.
Member at Large Comments:
Art Holt suggested that the club define its focus, saying that if the club continued to focus only on the “curious” instead of the “serious” the club will continue to decline. He asked what the club’s purpose was—who we are here to serve and what are we here for.
Although everyone who has an interest in photography is welcome to join the Club and a positive audience is welcome, it was agreed that the Club’s focus should be on serving those members who actively want to/can be motivated to shoot and share photos and receive feedback on them.
President’s Items:
Communication: Board and Committee members can communicate freely between each other without going through Jim first. Items going before the full membership need Jim’s approval.
Club’s legal status: Jim asked if the Club had ever considered incorporating as a non-profit as there are a number of reasons to do so, which he explained At the very minimum, the by-laws should reflect what the IRS requires to be considered a tax-exempt organization. Also to be considered is what would happen to club assets in the event of dissolution.
Jim will continue to research whether the club is subject to IRS reporting requirements. If anyone present knows a CPA or lawyer, they are asked to see if we have any reporting requirements.
Retaining/attracting members: Jim will send out suggestions for consideration at a later date.
Other:
There was discussion about what to with the Club’s screen now that it has been decided to use the OC screen. Suggestions included putting a notice on the community bulletin board, listing it on the web site under classified, or offering it to another club. Frazer Crane left the meeting before this issue came up, but Bob or NC will check with Frazer to see if the Genealogy Club might be interested in it.
Adjournment: 4:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Trinette Collmer,
Secretary
ORPC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
END-OF-SEASON MEETING MINUTES
June 4, 2010
The Oak Run Photo Club Board of Directors, along with various Committee members, met on Friday, June 4th, beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Orchid Club Auditorium. Present were: Mike Baker, Carolee Carter, Jim Dillman, Bob Durocher, Walt Markowski, Marty O'Grady, NC Sizemore (part-time), Laurie Stamm and Connie Swakla. Those unable to attend the meeting, but sending in comments on the Agenda were: Jim Collmer, Trinette Collmer and Art Holt.
Agenda Items Discussed
What worked in the 2009/2010 season:
The meetings flowed better.
Good dedication and enthusiasm of the leaders, speakers and quality of members' photos.
What didn't work in the 2009/2010 season:
The Area of Concentration - not enough clarification as to where that was leading. Possibly drop this in the 2010/2011 season and try something different (see "Program Committee" item below).
Photo reviews need to be more challenging so that more people might participate (same people send in photos all the time, members come to look at them but don't participate themselves).
Discussion groups get carried away with more technical detail than the audience might want to hear.
Guest speakers need to discuss more aspects of how they took their photos (techniques) as opposed to just showing a photo presentation.
Projected images shown during photo reviews are not as colorful as the originals. A discussion ensued about the need to calibrate the projector and possibly use a different screen (beaded [better] vs. flat [worse - the screen in the Orchid Club Auditorium is a flat screen]). It was noted that in the off-season, 2-3 people will be getting together (Jim Carrell, Bob Durocher and NC Sizemore) to try to optimize the equipment.
There was also a discussion about possibly getting a modem so that we may take advantage of the Internet access in the room, but that was nixed because of the cost involved for a monthly subscription that would be needed. NC Sizemore offered to bring in his modem for a one-time Flickr demo, and that route could be repeated if there is a need. Bob Durocher mentioned that Decca had it in their plans to install a modem, but that is currently on the back burner.
The Club's Flicker site:
Photos posted in the 2009/2010 season will be removed after June, making way for more photos to be posted during the summer months and the 2010/2011 official season.
Laurie Stamm and NC Sizemore will remain Administrators, and Carolee Carter requested that she be removed as an Administrator on the site.
It was discussed and decided that any former members who have not paid their annual Club dues in the 2009/2010 season, will be removed from the site. To date, there is only one former member who continues to post photos from time to time, and Laurie Stamm will remove his membership from the group.
Help requested for setting up the Donut Drop-In Year-End Photo Competition Exhibit (July 10th):
Volunteering for various timeframes were: Carolee Carter, Bob Durocher, Art Holt, Walt Markowski, NC Sizemore and Laurie Stamm. Set-up will begin at 7:00 a.m., tear-down will commence after 10:00 a.m.
The Following Agenda Items were Discussed, and Will Serve as "SUGGESTIONS" to the Incoming Board and Committee Members Who will be Elected at the June 14th Meeting
Any suggestions on how to convince people to step forward for Board/Committee positions?
With the exception of needing more Program Committee members, the problem may be solved for the upcoming 2010/2011 season. However, it is an on-going problem that will need to be addressed by the new Board.
Laurie Stamm, through the Club's Secretary, will send out a recap of the Board/Committee positions along with the reminder e-mail for the June 14th meeting. We may also send out individual e-mails prior to the June meeting requesting members to give some serious consideration to being on the Program Committee next season.
It was also suggested that as the season progresses, we ask one person at a time to take on some small occasional role such as making phones calls, picking something up, looking for some kind of special photo on the Internet (i.e., a challenging subject) to show at the next meeting. Small involvements will generally lead to greater ones eventually.
Possibly initiate a different approach to monthly programs (see "Program Committee" item below).
Continue on in the same place, same evening, same time?:
Laurie Stamm reminded everyone that we already have the 2nd Monday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Orchid Club Auditorium for the September, October and November 2010 meetings.
Since meeting rooms, dates and times are so difficult to schedule in Oak Run, it was suggested that we continue as is in 2011. The new President will be advised that a Room Request Form will need to be filled out to continue to reserve the room for the months we meet in 2011 (January through June, September, October and November). According to the Decca Scheduler, this form can be turned in any time between June and October 2010 (the earlier the better), but be advised that Laurie Stamm has already informed the Scheduler that the Club will more than likely continue on as is in 2011.
Should dues remain the same?:
It was agreed that dues should remain the same - $10/person ($8/person if joining after January). It was mentioned that our dues might be a little higher than most clubs in Oak Run, but Connie Swakla pointed out that it equates to only $1/meeting.
Should the 60/40 remain the same, and the 50/50 be dropped?:
It was pointed out that people are basically gamblers. Even after the laptop computer purchase was completely paid for, we continued with the 50/50 drawing for the balance of the season, and people continued to purchase chances. Therefore, it was concluded that our suggestion to the new Board would be to leave both drawings intact, with the possibility of the proceeds from the 50/50 drawing targeted for the purchase of future Club equipment (i.e., a new projector and/or screen, etc., based on the results of the off-season work to calibrate the equipment [see above].
Bob Durocher asked what the Treasury balance is at this time, and it was thought to be approximately $700, including $300 in reserve for a new projector bulb; and prior to the expenses for the Year-End Competition. (As a side note: Laurie Stamm found out from Jim Collmer after the meeting that the Treasury balance as of 6/4/10, is $710.06 [both in the bank and petty cash], including $300 in reserve for a new projector bulb, and after expenses for the Year-End Competition.)
It was discussed that some of the Treasury money could possibly be used to supplement the potential high cost of a field trip, or to rent a small bus to transport members to a future Christmas luncheon if the function took place a great distance from Oak Run.
Should we continue to present $25 gift cards to guest speakers, or simply give them a $25 check, which might be easier for the Treasurer?:
Those at the meeting determined that a $25 check would be best.
Program Committee - What are suggestions for programs in the new season?:
There are only 8 months in which programs need to be conducted at the meetings.
The programs need to have a different approach each month and not repeated back-to-back. As an example, a different approach can be taken where 2 speakers, 2 in-house demos, 2 videos and 2 Q&A sessions are rotated throughout the season.
If no one steps up to the role of Chairperson on the Program Committee (currently there are only two people who have expressed interest in being on the Committee for next season), a point person needs to be appointed who would feed the President the plans at least two months out so that publicity could be sent out. Ideally, if more people stepped up to serve on the Committee, each person could take just 1 or 2 months out of the 8 months to plan a program. But, there needs to be coordination among the members of the Committee to ensure that there is no duplication of subject matter and staging (speaker, in-house demo, video, Q&A or other).
Instead of an Area of Concentration, which seems to have not attracted many contributors, the group agreed that "Challenges" for each month (i.e., taking photos of various subject matters, like: shadows, curves, reflections, glassware, looking up, flowers, patriotic, texture, fill-the-frame, the color red [or some other color], etc.) would be worth trying. However, these "Challenges" might require some explanation during the prior meeting. The Challenge might inspire more members to participate in the photo reviews.
Field Trip Committee:
The Field Trip Committee members for the new season are basically in place, and it was decided to keep 4 trips in the 2010/2011 season. The months might vary depending on the venue chosen, but basically the trips would occur in September, November, February and April.
Some venues that are close by were suggested: tours of Marion County conducted by Darlene Weesner (suggested by NC Sizemore), or Lucy Tobias, who also conducts tours of Marion County; the Webber Quarry in Williston (suggested by the President of the OTOW Shutterbugs Photo Club); Dunnellon Days; Downtown Ocala during the Christmas holidays; and both the Ocala and Gainesville historic districts (although some of these areas might prove to be a parking challenge). It was also suggested that the Committee check out the brochure that the City routinely publishes listing attractions in the area.
Even though it is up to the Program Committee to find a venue for the annual Christmas luncheon, it was suggested that the Gaylord Palms Hotel near Orlando be seriously considered for the 2011 luncheon. The hotel, which has an immense enclosed atrium, is completely decorated for the holidays, providing good photo opportunities, and the annual "ICE" show event they host every year is an additional treat for photographers and visitors. There are also two good restaurants within the hotel for lunch. Laurie Stamm and Carolee Carter could coordinate the event if the new Board considers it a viable option, and we might also be able to schedule a bus for travel, the cost of which could be supplemented by money from the Treasury.
Update on the 2010 Christmas Luncheon:
Bob Durocher updated those present on the plans for the 2010 Christmas luncheon at The Waterfront Inn at Sumter Landing in The Villages on Saturday, December 11th. The deposit has been mailed in for the function, we will be seated in a section of the main dining room (as a private room would have been an additional expense), and it will be decided at a later date whether to order from a special menu or from the regular dining room menu. There is ample parking at the site, good photo opportunities around the Inn, and we can always drive closer to the Sumter Landing area for more photo opportunities.
Bob Durocher said that even though he will not be on the Program Committee next season, he will continue to work with the Inn on the arrangements.
OAK RUN PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB
BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING
ORPC Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
July 10, 2009
The Oak Run Photo Club Board of Directors, along with various Committee members, met on Friday, July 10th beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Orchid Club. Present were: Mike Baker, Carolee Carter, Art Holt, John Jacobson, Warner Malson, Walt Markowski, Marty O’Grady, NC Sizemore, Laurie Stamm and Connie Swakla.
Laurie began the meeting by announcing that the Program Committee consisted of Art Holt, NC Sizemore, John Jacobson, Bob Durocher and Mike Baker. John had already been slated for the Field Trip Committee as well, and when asked which committee he would prefer, he elected to remain with Field Trips. Therefore, the Program Committee is tasked with finding another member.
Reporting for Bob Durocher, NC said that Bob was willing to be the Chair of the Program Committee if each member would agree to be responsible for one or two monthly programs. NC said Bob had agreed to take two and he would take two. Art and Mike agreed. The committee members were in agreement that this would not be a problem. Bob has already met with one possible speaker, Kate Hart, who has had an interesting career that includes a strong focus on photography. The group said it would be a good choice for the September meeting if she was available. Other suggestions for speakers were discussed.
Laurie reminded the Program Committee that they needed to schedule a meeting prior to the launch of the new season to develop the season’s schedule as well as to find a venue for the 2010 Christmas luncheon. She added that the meeting should also include a discussion on how to run the annual competition at the end of the season as well as the possibility of including an additional category to focus on members’ Areas of Concentration. NC indicated he would confer with Bob to select a date and email the other members. Carolee mentioned that she was available to prepare the photo reviews from time to time.
Laurie then reviewed the list of members of the remaining committees as well as a recap of treasury funds. The group agreed that the membership dues should remain the same but stated that the Rules and Regulations should be updated to reflect that field trips and the Christmas luncheon should be member-only events with the option of adding their spouse/partner. Additionally, a guest may attend one meeting or field trip but is expected to join the club if they return for additional meetings or field trips. Laurie agreed to rewrite the document, send it to the Board for a “virtual” vote and upon agreement, email it to the membership.
Funds are in short supply, but Laurie mentioned that we still needed to discover ways in which to purchase a laptop sometime this year if possible. Carolee again suggested that we could solicit anonymous donations, and after a short discussion, it was agreed that we should mention it beginning at the September meeting and have a box labeled “Contributions for Computer Purchase” set on the display table. Additionally, Warner suggested we do a separate 50/50 drawing with the proceeds targeted for the laptop. Art mentioned that perhaps the members could produce photo cards for sale at a consumer site, but the group agreed this may not be easy to do from a marketing/profit standpoint.
Items with little discussion were shared as follows:
- Laurie reviewed the status of the Freedom Library display and noted that she and Carolee will be setting that up in September according to Library guidelines.
- The Christmas luncheon details are basically in place, and tickets for that event will be sold beginning in September. Laurie, Trinette and Jim will continue working on this function.
- The group agreed that the location, day and time of ORPC’s monthly meetings should not be changed.
- The 60/40 ticket event will now contain two winners if the money collected is over $20. The cost will remain the same: $2 for 5 tickets.
- We will continue to have a door prize for wearing nametags.
- Gift cards for speakers during the season are approved.
- When new business cards are ordered, the Flickr site information will be printed on them.
A short discussion ensued concerning limiting the number of members’ photos displayed on the Club’s Flickr site to three of their best photos per month instead of the current ten (note that viewers to the site can click on the link under the photos to be brought to the individual’s Flickr site to see more of their work). The reasoning is that if ten photos are posted by one member, those are the only photos seen when a viewer opens the site and neglects to “page” to the next set of photos. The Club uses the site to not only showcase our efforts to the members but also to entice speakers to see the good photography work we produce. All agreed to the change, and Laurie will advise members via email as well as put a notice on the Flickr site.
Laurie and others then assisted member Jim Dillman to quickly assemble the new light box for displaying photographs during not only monthly photo reviews but also for our annual, judged competition. The group applauded Jim for his hard work and approved his expenses of $130.76. Since Jim did not charge any money for his labor, the group approved granting him a one-year membership for his efforts.
Walt then reviewed several field trip options that were under discussion, but since the group had not officially met, a monthly schedule had not yet been developed. Several suggestions included Crystal River State Park with a possible boat trip included in that event, Ocali Days, Yankeetown, Butterfly Rain Forest and an architectural walking tour of Main Street in Gainesville, and several sites, perhaps guided, in the Ocala National Forest along with a potential llama farm visit. Everyone agreed that a separate field trip in December to photograph Christmas lights in Oak Run and/or downtown Ocala would be good.
Marty mentioned that he and NC had assembled a photo slideshow on a DVD with music surrounding events on Memorial Day for the ORHA Veterans group and is currently completing another one containing photos from the Fourth of July gathering. We agreed that there would be time to showcase these at the September meeting since there would not be a photo review. John said he was working with ORHA to get pictures published on their Picasa site, but the quality on that site is diminished as compared to Flickr. He added that he also had pictures from our Community Fair to show.
The meeting ended at 10:45 a.m.
(Submitted by Carolee Carter)
MARCH 3, 2009 – 10:00 AM
(Stamm Residence)
In attendance: Laurie Stamm, Carolee Carter , Marty O’Grady, Art Holt, NC Sizemore, Walt Markowski, Jim Collmer, Trinette Collmer
Absent: Bob Durocher, Bruce Heaton
Discussion of Agenda
- Upcoming nominations for Officers for 2009-2010:
Board Members:
President: Laurie Stamm will accept re-nomination as President, but not as a Program Committee member. She will continue to attend Program Committee meetings.
Vice President: Carolee Carter will accept re-nomination as Vice President, and will continue to do meeting photo reviews. She will not be able to be a Program Committee member.
Treasurer: Jim Collmer will accept re-nomination
Secretary: Trinette Collmer will accept re-nomination
Member at Large: Bob Durocher – willing to continue?
Member at Large: Art Holt – willing to continue?
Committee Members:
Program Committee: Art Holt, NC Sizemore are willing to continue; new members needed.
Field Trip Committee: Bruce Heaton, Walt Markowski, Marty O’Grady are willing to continue – may need to find a replacement for Don Stevens.
ORHA Support Committee: Marty O’Grady is willing to continue.
Publicity: Open
Meeting Support/setup: Fraser Crane will be asked if he is willing to continue
60/40: Walt Markowski will continue to handle ticket sales/drawings at meetings.
Discussion followed for potential candidates to fill open positions. Board Members will make phone calls to prospective members for openings on the Program, Field Trip and Publicity Committees.
The elections will be discussed at the Photo Club meeting on March 9th.
- Club Laptop: It was unanimously agreed that a laptop should be purchased.
There is approximately $760.00 in the Treasury, but year-end competition prizes and other expenses will leave approximately $400.00. Art Holt is willing to make the purchase, and will submit paperwork for reimbursement. It was suggested that the laptop be purchased at the end of the season, allowing the summer for purchase and getting the computer “program-ready” for the first meeting in September.
- Request from the Oak Run Canine Club:
Laurie received a call from Jill Hulse of the Canine Club, looking for help in finding a photographer for that club’s annual fundraiser “Take a Picture with Santa”. Funds from this program are donated to “Pet Meals on Wheels”. The event takes place in October, on a Saturday, from 8-5. Members bring their pets to be photographed, and are offered on-the-spot photo packages. It was decided that the Photo Club would not be able to participate, but Laurie will contact our January guest speaker, Justin Lohmann, a professional pet photographer, to see if he is interested or could provide suggestions.
- Other business:
A set-up committee is needed for the June 13th Donut Drop. Club members’ year-end entries will be on display that morning. It was suggested that, with photographer’s permission, copies of submitted entries could be offered for sale, for the purpose of raising funds for the Photo Club’s laptop computer purchase.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:05AM.