Dave Hunt opened the meeting at 10:50am. Participants introduced themselves and their affiliations.

 

DAVE:

  • The action/heart of AYCO is the festival and the educator’s conferences.
  • 2008 – Boulder, CO – Cindy Marvel – The facilities are good for an educator’s conference on juggling. This is an opportunity for AYCO, IJA, and the European community to share information.
  • 2009 AYCO Festival – Scott O’Donnell from Ringling has expressed interest to hold the conference in Baraboo Wisconsin.
  • This year’s festival had a late start in getting organized. The bulk of the work was primarily done by 4 ½ people (one out of the country). The realization is that the festival takes a full two years to put together. This year audience attendance was not successful and more programming was needed for adults.

 

TUBA:

  • Out-reach to the non-circus community is important.

 

RICK:

  • The festival is not so much about financial success as it is the “individual experience.”
  • This is the first festival where there was not a “local youth-circus-face.” However, more people from further distances attended this festival.

 

AILEEN:

  • Thank you to Jackie, Rick, David, Orlene, and Kevin for organizing the festival. Also, an apology for not giving more recognition to the AYCO Board throughout the event.

 

DAVID:

  • How can we make the festival “easy” for coaches and chaperones in the future?
  • Perhaps enlist parents of kids or AYCO allies for committee work.

 

BINDLESTIFF/LAURA

  • Criticism is a sign of people caring.
  • What do you need from us (those at the meeting) now? Make this meeting as useful as possible in the limited timeframe.

 

CIRCESTEEM:

  • Find closer logistics: food, venues, shuttle, hotel, etc, were too spread out.

 

DAVID:

  • ACTION ITEM:
    • Rework the specification sheet for viable host organizations. The current form is out-dated. Switch from the current question format (i.e.: Do you have…?) to using firm statements of what is needed from the host venue.
    • Send the current spec. sheet to the participants present in the room for review and edits.
    • What is missing on the form?

 

CIRCESTEEM:

  • Send the form while the festival is still fresh in people’s minds.

 

 

JACKIE:

  • Have volunteers come early to help with set-up. Ex: Dic Wheeler’s group put up the AYCO arrow signs. This was a big help to the organizing committee.

 

CIRCESTEEM:

  • Stagger the start time to be later and later each day of the festival. The kids are tired and as the festival continues it is more difficult to get them up for the early morning meetings.

 

AILEEN:

  • Facility requirements should include: air conditioning and dressing rooms.

 

BINDLESTIFF:

  • It seems that the venue was the host and not a participant.
  • The venue must be on the committee from the start.

 

DAVID:

  • Gamma Phi is currently not in season. They provided Russian Bar, Russian Swing, and Flying Trapeze. Al Light + 3 people taught the most high-risk activities at the festival. Gamma Phi served as ambassadors for the school.
  • AYCO needs to reach out more to the hosts (i.e.: many of the hosts did not get welcome packets).

 

RICK:

  • Missed items from this festival:
    • No meeting with chaperones
    • No orientation meeting
    • No meeting with volunteers
  • Need increased Board communication – right now committee members can almost read each other’s minds.
  • There is a need for more systematic communication.

 

LAURA:

  • In light of time constraints, let’s focus on how to make future festivals better.

 

JACKIE:

  • Need a Festival Volunteer Coordinator.
  • Two HUGE things the board needs to focus on:
    • Festival
    • Work of the Board: vision, out-reach, global (can’t remember what this meant, but it’s in my notes), programs AYCO could be offering or generating.

·         With the maturing of AYCO the festival coordinators cannot be the board members.

·         Need Board recommendations:

    • Someone with legal expertise.
    • Great need for a funding/grant writing person – because AYCO is a national organization it is tricky to get local funding.

 

DAVID:

  • AYCO does not have a fund-raising board. It is a working board.
  • There is a need for Festival Committee members not on the board.
  • The Board discusses organizational structure at least once per year.
  • Should AYCO become a membership organization where the members elect the Board?
  • Why become a member of AYCO? What are the benefits?

 

 

 

JACKIE:

  • AYCO Board President = Festival Director
  • AYCO Vice President = Next Festival Director

 

RICK:

  • Let’s open the floor for burning issues.

 

LAURA:

  • Get people on committees first and then graduate them to the Board.
  • Circus Fans of America – get youth participation on the festival committees.

 

BINDLESTIFF:

  • Set up a series of forums on the AYCO website (i.e.: Festival, Vision, etc). Participate in the forum so people do not get inundated with emails.

 

JACKIE:

  • Who in the room would be willing to serve in a committee capacity?
    • Aileen, Dic, Tuba, Laura, Geralyn, Donna, Vivica, Crystal, Chuck, Amy Cohen – youth rep, Jean (?)
  • Do people agree that the committee should arrive two days early for set-up? The general consensus was “Yes.”

 

TUBA:

  • Pending availability, he will serve on the 2009 Festival Committee.

 

RICK:

  • Financial statistics for the 2007 festival:
    • $901.00 ticket sales.
    • The festival lost money.
    • Most expensive festival to date.
    • Attendance = approximately 180.

 

JACKIE:

  • ACTION ITEM - Email the following to the meeting participants:
    • List of committee needs
    • Description of duties for each committee
  • AYCO will send the list. The participants will amend the list and personally identify their strengths in serving on a committee(s).

 

The meeting closed at 11:45AM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Geralyn Berkery

AYCO Member, no affiliation