8:00 Hi & Check-in (Personal highlights from the month)

Conference Call Assignments: Facilitator (David), Secretary (Jackie), Timekeeper (Kevin)

Present: Peggy, Jackie, Rick, David, Kevin G, and John! Orlene in Spirit!

Warren NOT PRESENT.

Motions made in this meeting:

Rick – I move that we all look at the previous minutes of this, AND the previous meeting, and at our next meeting we formalize it by ratifying. JACKIE : I add that we do this by cutting and pasting offending passages and sending them to the Secretary. These shall be posted as a report prior to the next meeting and voted upon at the beginning of the meeting.

[General concerns – do we have a quorum? Orlene and Warren are absent.]

Proceeding as if we had a quorum – Peggy Seconds.

Unanimously PASSED.

8:10 AYCO Board Guidelines

Listen with Heart and Eyes J Take Risks J Don’t Blame J Don’t tell someone how THEY are feeling J Reflect/Confirm what’s said without having to agree or disagree J Stay on point J Respect each other, even if we do not agree on statement/issue J Take turns, Give turns J Have Accountability (Follow through) J Communicate outcomes: How? Why? Amplify J Don’t interrupt J Don’t negate; Don't block J Be part of the Solution J Delegate J Gather ALL opinions before deciding J Don’t Pounce/Reflect J Give benefit of the doubt: Ask Questions / Don’t Attack J Engage in Non-violent Communication J Email correspondence should be limited as much as possible to information/facts J The only dumb question is the one you don’t ask J

8:15 Reports-Highlights – not listed in task list for discussions
(2 min or less)

· AYCO STORE

John – It’s all there. Rick and I talked last night.

Rick- The upshot of the store is – I designed a whole new look and implemented a new functionality on it: there’s a shopping cart. Paypal ahs free shopping cart software. All the $ would go into an AYCO store account. I’ll be working on that this week. We’ll put the DVD on the store, water bottles, t-shirts etc. We can also give 10% membership discount, so can sell memberships at the store too.

· FESTIVAL VIDEO REPORT

John! The DVD is out!! All 17 of them!

Kevin: Q on the videographer, how much to pay her?

Peggy: It was $100 for a sound thing.. I think we’re done, I’ll find out. Ashley. Did she get a check?

Kevin: I don’t have a check for Puja (?).

Peggy : I hope I cut a deal for a strait trade. I’ll check on that.

· WEBSITE

Rick – I included that in the report. Implemented an online donation page, by the Network for Good Org. They send out tax info to donors. We have registered with Guidestar, the big database that all foundations research non-profits that are soliciting grants, through Network for Good also. Updated bulletin board (ongoing, member news too.) Put together a page for Social Circus conference. Whenever you send me any information I’ll add it within 15 minutes-24 hours. New AYCO store ook. Web usage is remaining consistently higher than pre-festival. Fest is proving to be more than an August fluke, showing more usage of the website after the festival.

· AYCO ACCOUNT REPORT

(Xylophone sound please) Kevin: $26,210.04 as of January. Outstanding deposit, $900. Outstanding receivable from SLISKA for $1,000, hopefully on KOK’s desk. Pending payables: $2500 to Carlo & Orlene, phone, … Net balance and pending: $24,639.84.

· ED CONFERENCE

David: Waiting to hear from Michelle about the details. Whenever we mention Cirque we need their okay on it. Michelle will send me the criteria for participation. Donna has a rough draft of the schedule, it’s done. Waiting on the schedule before another programming meeting.

Rick – to confirm, Cirque doesn’t want their name on anything without prior approval?

David – Yes, they probably have some standard language. We’re waiting for Michelle.

Rick – So I”ll keep this out of the AYCO gram.

· OTHER?

Rick – Next AYCO gram due out soon. Solicited submissions. Every 3 months? And another out in June. Need Cirque approval for next one.

Jackie – We haven’t posted/ratified last minutes.

David – If you don’t hear back within 5 days, we should post it. Otherwise it should be posted.

Rick – We said we would wait until the next conference call to ratify.

David – Let’s take this up as additional discussion at end of meeting.

8:25 Acknowledgments-Successes

· CFA Relationship!

Continuing. Yay!

· Continued planning for Educator’s Conference

Yay!

· Cirque is offering Training!!!

Yay!

· Orlene has a local phone number!!

Yay!

· Festival DVD being shipped out!!! YAY!

· OTHERS?

Congratulations to Jackie for surviving her circus~

8:35 Task Review’s and Discussions (see time allotment for each item)

· Discuss topics and tasks as we move through the list below: Complete table with due dates & assignments

Task Timeline + Topic Table

x = done		Task		Timeline (deadline)			By Whom?
		REVIEW TIMELINE REGULARLY. Follow through!		posted			ALL
BUDGET / FINANCES (5 – 7 MIN)
		Festival finance wrap up. Any word from Kezar? Kevin-Payment to videographer; finalizing fees from Kezar still outstanding. If we don’t hear from Kezar by the next one, we will close that. That will knock out about $3,800 worth of expenses. I have one question: the publicist/ Rick, I looked at checks, didn’t see anything paid to David Perry. Rick – I don’t recall ever paying a publicist. Kevin- I’ll follow up with Orlene. If he forgot to invoice us, and given the coverage wasn’t that great… I’ll check with Orlene. That would be another $2,500. This would make the festival look better than we had thought.		Ongoing. Close books by next meeting if outstanding bills don’t get resolved Check with Orlene			Kevin, Orlene Kevin
Membership / Communications (10 MIN)
		Affiliate and Chapter membership options. Report and Discuss. Rick – No forward movement on that this month. I did put in 2 emails and 2 phone calls to the affiliate chapter at IJA for his consultation. I’ve heard nothing. Does IJA think of AYCO as competition? I’m still keen on initiating this membership in AYCO, and for AYCO to form chapters, with AYCO as an umbrella and fall under our insurance. Speaking of insurance, I had a long conversation with the person that does all the challenge and ropes courses. They are about the same size as us, same reason for being; they got ANSE approval, accreditation, one insurance company does all the insurance for all these courses. I have the name and will follow up. I’ve written Warren and offered my help, this org. has already gone down this path. I could possibly see this very company as the one that insures AYCO. If we can get our chapter membership in AYCO to sign onto those standards, then it makes progress in that area.		Ongoing updates Re: insurance follow up: March			Rick Rick
Education Committee (7 – 10 MIN)
		CAPHERD AND AAHPERD upcoming conferences. Creation of Promotional Materials. Expense Report. Future conferences. John – I can do CAAHPERD. I’ve purchased a booth. Multiple reasons for doing that. I haven’t receieved any items since our last meeting. T-shirts. Is Redlands still on for that? Peggy – It depends on what’s happening at the school… If we could think of another way to get the stuff up there. Can we put out the word? David – Kevin and I got the banner today, we’ll drop it in the mail. The t-shirts and bottles, I don’t see why we don’t just send you a box of programs etc. and ship them down to you. John – Don’t send too many. The programs are important. Orlene mentioned something about the PVC that goes into the banner… The stuff should stay together wherever it goes. David – I’m not sure about the PVC. At CC we just ran a pole through it, but not an elaborate thing at all. Just mount it on the front of your table. If hanging, get some PVC couplings. David – expense report is so we can fund these festivals out of the AYCO budget. John – I can see splitting California Juggling by a third, AYCO store a 3^rd, … The company that I have a distributorship was supportive in sending out the booth. It costs a lot to do that, we have some local guys who will present at other conferences in southern California, the school program guys have the booth. It would be great to share expenses. There’s also the educational program. Jackie – John – What is booth fee? Rick – Promotion is worthless unless there is a call for action. Package of equipment they can buy; or have a track at the 2007 AYCO fest, to give them a reason for coming to the conference; having educational materials available. David – Last board meeting , what are our goals? What’s our intention of being there? Getting that clear will drive what we’re investing in. This will be valuable. There are people out there that are doing circus in schools. I just got back from New Orleans, the school said they’d been teaching juggling, and the kids didn’t know anything about juggling. John – There are long term programs re: building programs in schools. We can put our materials out to those different values. Can deliver standards to the different areas. Sort it out and get started on it. David – This is ongoing. Jackie and John, let’s see what this is going to cost us. John, could you whip up a whole proposal of the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 – I would vote for that but we should get us all on board. John – We can also think of the store as financing, or splitting the cost with AYCO. That’s part of the deal. Kevin – It would be fun if we could plan our board meeting around the bigger events. John – Especially if there’s a national AYCO conference near by. Rick – Another model: I met the leader of MAHPERD (Massachusetts) who asked me to do a workshop with the Mass. Teachers. She will go to the expense of contacting all of them. Professional development day. Any one of us can do these around the country. We have a core of 5-10 AYCOns if the local AAHPERD chapter will promote it. We would have zero expense, and actually profit from it. Jackie – John – Is this the only group we want to focus on? There’s an elementary school group also… Jackie – Action Item – John & Jackie: Get the mission statement together and get this on track for all teachers.		March, April			John & Jackie With 2007 AAHPERD conference in mind, : Determine AYCO costs Determine AYCO’s call to action to PE teachers Determine AYCO’s services to PE teachers Define vision and mission of education committee Define proposal for Board review
AYCO STORE
		AYCO store web page – design & function agreement implementation – SEE REPORTS ABOVE					Rick* & John
Standards Project (5 MIN)
	Standards report with update David – I guess this is on hold since Warren is just returning home.				On Hold	Warren
AYCO Events Planning (15 min)
		Criteria for Regional Festivals (to qualify as an AYCO event) + Regional Planning John – My component is on hold. This particular festival, Imagination Celebration, county wide, a month long… is show season for me. It’s just the wrong time of year to be part of that festival, but we can look at ways to do it at other times of year. Their focus is a month long… We don’t have anything on criteria for a regional festival. Redlands, Fern St. Jumbo Shrimp – we could get together for a day and plan it out. Their mailing list, we could make it like a mini AYCO festival I guess. I haven’t contacted Dic Wheeler. David – This is ongoing.		ongoing			Jackie + John
		Send out call in AYCO Gram looking for people to serve on the Regional Festivals Committee – pending Dic’s agreement to head this AYCO gram going out this month.		pending			Rick
		Follow up with Al Light, need specific answers to questions about costs Peggy – Al was going to get more info to Orlene. Right now we have this strange triangle going on with Orlene, is she today or tomorrow? I’d like to take this on direct with AL. I’ll get them from Orlene, then ask Al the questions. He seems a little scared, I think we need to support him more. He’s trying to put this huge international German Wheel conference together.		March ?			Kevin + Peggy, Orlene Peggy to get info from Orlene and will contact Al directly.
		2007 FESTIVAL SITE DECISION AND PLANNING Circus Center Losses: DH $1,696.74 ( $6000 when including utilities, staff work on festival, etc.) David – I emailed Boulder, I haven’t heard back. Orlene did send more information from the aerial dance people. To me it doesn’t feel right, doesn’t feel big enough… Peggy – I’m with you about that, that’s why I’m hopeful about Al. We all went there and can envision it. Functioning spaces. David – Would it behoove us to ask Smirkus to submit? Peggy – Smirkus is just getting out of this crisis. At some point we’d want to get together with them. Jackie – If Al falls through, we’re in rough shape. Rick – Smirkus, in conjunction with U of Vermont Jackie – What about UNH? They have a circus/aerial program now. Smirkus might be able to participate in NH, with tent etc. Peggy – Let’s see what Al wants to do. Kevin – I think it would be smart to check out our options… Peggy – We need to define the deadline for Al. Depending the way the wind is blowing… If I talk with him when he’s slammed, it’ll be different… Illinois, we’ll also get a lot of support from Juventas, and Jessica. Lots of support in that area. Jackie – Peggy, can you put out a preliminary feeler for support from these groups, so Al can know that he’ll have some kind of support? David – Paul Miller has already made it clear that he’d support us.. David – In talking with Jessica, would it be worthwhile to ask her if she has a relationship with the university of Missouri in St. Louis? David – FYI, costs to the Circus Center, our host – Patrick says the CC lost $1,696.74. He followed that with, considering utilities (CC would normally be closed), and the staff work… it was about $6,000. I’m guessing water, people paid in classes, etc… We need to have this on record. Jackie – So we need to tell this to Al, right? David – Yes,… Peggy – I’m not sure about the staff time, like when staff is on vacation usually. Teachers are supposed to be on vacation. They were excited to be there. It does take a hit on the volunteers, teaching staff, students… We need awareness…		ongoing April 1 April 1 May 1			Board PEGGY – will call Jessica, Betty, but first I’ll call Orlene, and then call AL David – I’ll call Paul DEADLINE FOR NORMAL DECISION
Educator’s Conference: Social Circus “Youth Development through The Circus Arts” (15 MIN)
	Conference Schedule + Planning Associated Cirque S.C. Training. Board Participation in participant selection. Report and Discuss. David: Once we get moving on the training, are all of you willing to serve on the committee to determine the people who can take it? Peggy – Following the criteria, we review the different people? Jackie – What’s the time frame? David – It’s got to be spring. Jackie – Spring is too full for me at school John – Probably yes. Rick – Yes, I can support – might have a conflict of interest, I’d like to take this myself. David – This could be time consuming. I have no idea how many applicants we’ll get. 60? WILLING PEOPLE: Peggy, David, Kevin, possibly John, Possibly Rick, not Jackie. Orlene would be interested. We can ask Carlo. Peggy – We’ll know a lot of these people. We’l need to make clear, clean decisions.				Ongoing	David
	Conference Budget Planning David – Numbers will change, food issues pending. Will keep you posted.				Ongoing	David + Orlene
	Conference Fundraising David – Rick, Peggy, said they’d help, we need to meet outside board meetings. I’ll initiate that by weeks end. Peggy - Q: ; I emailed you about the special needs. Have you planned the presenters for the conference part? Who might they be? David – We’re working on that. There’s a call out. Anyone you know that might be interested, tell them to submit an application (online) or get in touch with me. Next planning meeting we’re going to tap very specific people. Kevin & Erin, family and group. Peggy – When the whole thing about the unicycle was happening, Kevin was doing a huge thing with disabled people… Maybe he could present on both. We may have people coming that can do multiple things. Kevin – Is it 20 people who can take the training, including AYCO board? How many people want to take this training? Jackie -Will they allow auditors? David – I doubt it. Peggy – I don’t need to be there, I need to talk to someone who has gone. Jackie – I would defer to people who would use this training.				Ongoing By March 10	Board David will initiate planning
Board Development
		board packet creation/production David – I got stuff back from Orlene. She’s resting when she’s not training. AI - Orlene to complete by Jan 22; David – is this about the board packet? Peggy to print out, put in folders, send out.		Ongoing??????			Orlene, Peggy, DH
		Send names to Orlene for potential Board Members New nominating committee Bring proposal to the board		ongoing			Orlene (new chair), Peggy, Jessica
Board Structure / Logistics (15 MIN)
		Board Structure working document David - ongoing		ongoing			Executive Committee
		Make and mandate formal amendments to By-Laws for resignation and removal of Board members David – I know that Orlene has added the procedure.		December 2006 DONE?			Executive Committee
		standards for committee members		April 06			Jackie
		Research model self-evaluations Peggy sent a great link. Peggy – We can decide which one we like best. David – proposes we all look at those models in APRIL for approval/ratification by MAY.		MAY 06 APRIL –review models for board structure meeting			Peggy – DONE ALL
		Research other organizations for removal of board procedure David – Rick it was great what you sent out, but then Orlene said that was done.		DONE			Rick
		Add Resignation/Removal procedure to Board Standards / Board Packet. David – Is this actually done? Rick _ I haven’t looked at the bylaws since then.		March ?			Orlene David Check with Orlene if this has been done.
		research IJA Excellence Award in Education John – Did anyone look at the juggle.org link? I’m wondering if I can get more information about what we’re looking for? My conversation with Mark opened up… Once I get in touch with Laura Green,		By next meeting			John to contact Laura Green
		Create committee on Vision / strategic planning statements David – Orlene sent this out… This is an hour long meeting… I have one suggestion, if there can be a subtle e-mail dialogue until we meet face to face. Peggy – distilling language, takes all of our brains to do it. Jackie – We need a separate time for board business. David – Oh, this is an idea! Our next board meeting should be board meeting only. At the end of this month, just to discuss our vision, goals, priorities, board structure… Peggy – how about a phone conference to knock off some of the basics to speak articulately to funders… If we’re all going to the conference in October, we add another day then. David – The next time we all get together, I’d vote this to be a priority. So let’s continue this as an online dialogue until we meet face to face again.		Next Face to Face Retreat			All??
CFA(10 MIN)
			Contact CFA President. Mary-Jane Foote; research local CFA tents in Chicago (Paul Miller?) David- Orlene did contact Mary Jane but has not heard back. I want to call Jim Cole casually about the relationship, to make it more friendly. I did look at Circus News; top article CFA has a youth committee.		April?			David Call Jim Cole
			Talk with Neil Cockerline and Herb about the benefits of CFA relationship Peggy – They said, who are you working with, what are they working on? I said it’s not defined. There was a huge pause. They can help us: when we have ideas, they can advise us, and when we’re talking to certain people, they can advise us! They approve and will support.		????			Peggy
			Vote/ discuss partnership		ongoing			Board
Other
			Organize Spring Retreat – Chicago??		March, April			Kevin
			Arrange for next month’s phone conference with Orlene – Sat, April 1?		March			David
			Add time for Minute Ratification at beginning of board meetings.		Next meeting			David
Youth Ambassador
		Inform YA’s of the aforementioned responsibilities Rick – I did run into Jacob Sharpe at a Smirkus event. He’s still enthusiastic, just needs to know what to do and he’ll do it?		March 15			David.

Additional Discussions

· Next Board Retreat , available dates for everyone.

Peggy – for me, 1^st 2 weeks in June

Rick & Jackie – May or June Only

John – No July for me. Before that I could probably do it.

David – May would be best. No June. July or Aug. okay.

Kevin – Flexible.

David – We need to look at Orlene’s return – May 21, then they’re here for 10 days, then Alaska for 3 weeks...

Location could be Chicago. Or David’s parents!

Peggy – Chicago – If we get Al, there’s just so much happening around there, see where the conference is happening… Then in our own corners of the world we can talk about it.

Jackie – I would second that.

Daivd – Can someone take on the coordination of our next meeting?

Kevin – I’LL DO IT! Yay! I think it’ll be Juneau! KG will contact Orlene about dates.

AYCO STORE business –

David – What is the cost to the store for these things?

JOHN – I think AYCO should sell them to the AYCO store.

Kevin – We need to figure out the transfer of costs.

John – What will AYCO sell these items for?

David – Rick, did you and John work out some ideas?

Rick – We didn’t come up with a specific number. We just said AYCo would supply goods to the store, just like any other vendor, and AYCO would sell it to the store, like any other vendor… Then the store would mark itup, and sell it to non-members at one price, and to members at a 10% discount.

David – My understanding is that Ayco store does earn money for AYCO. So

Kevin – John, what can you sell a water bottle for, a t-shirt, and a program for? They were expensive for us to produce. It would help us if you told us…

Kevin – John, Rick, and I should talk about this offline. We will discuss this – ACTION ITEM>

Rick _ AYCO set s the price based on what it paid for them. Then the store sets the markup.

Jackie – Can I move that this be discussed as an adhoc or subcommittee?

MINUTES/RATIFIED

Peggy – Can I suggest that we don’t publish the minutes from the last meeting? Starting now, we look them over, write comments if we need things stricken… Send them to Rick. Then at the next board meeting, we all agree…

Rick – I was under the impression that that was what we were supposed to do last time.

Jackie – We’re meant to spend the first minutes to ratify the minutes of the last meeting.

Peggy – We’re fried. Can we defer?

David – Yes!

Rick – I move that we all look at the previous minutes of this, AND the previous meeting, and at our next meeting we formalize it by ratifying. JACKIE : I add that we do this by cutting and pasting offending passages and sending them to the Secretary. These shall be posted as a report prior to the next meeting and voted upon at the beginning of the meeting.

[General concerns – do we have a quorum? Orlene and Warren are absent.]

Proceeding as if we had a quorum – Peggy Seconds.

Unanimously PASSED.

10:15 Reminders

· Review Task Timeline regularly to complete tasks

10:17 Announcements

· Next conference call: Saturday, April 1 5:00 PM pacific / 8:00 PM eastern?

David – Will check with Orlene. Jackie will be at Spatial Dynamics, will have different phone arrangements and won’t be able to take minutes.

10:20 Adjourn

Actual adjourn: 10:08 pm EST! YAY!

REPORTS

3/4/06

Social Circus

Educators Conference Planning Report

David Hunt

Very little to report, I'm afraid, beyond the recent news of Cirque's participation in the Ed. Conference and offering training program during the week prior to the weekend gathering.

The programming committee will be meeting again in the coming weeks.

Donna has completed a rough draft of the weekend conference schedule - attatched to this document. 

We will begin a more assertive push to gather presenter submissions after our next programming meeting.

Fundraising is way behind.

DATE: Mar.1.06

AUTHOR: John Whitfield

REPORT:

Regarding the IJA Excellence in Education award, and the IJA Life Member experience, IJA Honorary Life member and other IJA awards, I recently spoke with Martin Frost, Communications Coordinator for the IJA, and he recommended contacting Laura Green.

He forwarded her email and mentioned    http://juggle.org/history/honoraryawards.php

EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Currently active preparing AYCO promo for CAHPERD. Vision and Mission work on hold.

REGIONAL FESTIVAL INPUT: Imagination Celebration 'Circus Fantasy' postponed because of competing calendars between local Circus's for April/May, but served as a catalyst to think festival, and retain the IC promo connection.

STORE: Have not taken delivery of bottles and tee shirts yet. Rick and I spoke 3/4/06 about quickening web page improvement and figured out some workable options.

FESTIVAL VIDEO: All 17 orders filled. Stock of ready sets available. Intend to sell at CAHPERD and pay AYCO per unit sold

REQUESTED ACTION ITEM:

Peggy, is the Redlands trip still happening? Looking for a sensible way to take delivery of shirts, bottles, and leftover show programs. 

(AYCO banner, promo material needed for CAHPERD conference by March 8. David?)

POSSIBLE DISCUSSION ITEM FOR AGENDA:

Cost to AYCO store for shirts, bottles, DVD/CD sets for resale?

~~~

John 'Jahnathon' Whitfield

1 800 300 5845

www.johnwhitfield.net

Rick's reports for January 22-March 4, 2006

Website:

1) I've implemented the online donation page. These donations will be validated and processed by Network for Good. They automatically send the necessary tax-related information to the donors, and keep records.

2) I've updated the Bulletin Board and the Member News pages.

3) I've created the SCC page.

4) Created new AYCO store look.

5) Website usage: (the red part is the most significant)

Fundraising:

1) Have taken 4 online courses through the Foundation Center.

2) Have written draft of statement of need.

3) Conferences with Ringling concerning fundraising.

Office:

1) Set up SCC email list.

2) Processed DVD orders and monitored payments.

3) Merged main AYCO database with Festival database.

4) Compiled previous donor list.

5) Forwarded items to Kevin as needed.

6) Kept time log of my AYCO activities.

7) Attended AAHPERD eastern region convention.

Membership:

1) No new members.

2) Contacted all organizational members for news for AYCOgram.

3) Plan to contact all organizational members again after plans for SCC and Cirque training gel.