Annual Meeting Minutes – May 16, 2020

Meeting Time 10:00 – 13:00

Meeting Place – Online with Zoom

Chair and Zoom Moderator:  Andrea Ariman / James (Jim) Palik

Minute Taker:  James (Jim) Palik

10:15 – Opening and Introductions

12 Attendees:  Andrea Ariman, James (Jim) Palik, Jadi Campbell, Hannah Kontos, Mohammad (Sako) Sabouni, Michael Brown, Barbara Gilchrist Feyl, Erica Applezweig, Katharine Schmidt, Cindy Halbert-Seger, Ayomide (Ayo) Fatunde, Harish Srinivasan. 

3 Paid members that did not attend: Ellen Wulff, Vlora Kleeb, Irene Brueckle.

2 Pending members that did not attend: Maria (Mimi) McEvoy, Sabine Marschner

The above represents all paid and pending members listed on the WiS Membership Roster.

10:15 – Meeting started

Agenda: 

Animated conversation took place for each agenda topic. The following represent decisions made.

 

  • Writers in Stuttgart (WiS) Structure:
    • It was agreed that the Writers in Stuttgart will continue without a formal set of officers. 
    • Concern about legal aspects of Writers in Stuttgart’s structure were discussed. It was decided to continue operating in our current state.
    • Mohammad (Sako) Sabouni has volunteered to find out how we can legally operate without having to register as a Verein (e.V.)
    • Members discussed Writers in Stuttgart being defined as an “artist collective”.
  • Member Decisions:
    • Decisions about events, readings, management, and monthly meetings will be determined by a majority vote of the members present at the meeting.

Continuing WiS Member Responsibilities:

    • The membership year is January 21 through January 20 of the following calendar year.
      • The annual meeting for 2021 will be scheduled for February 2021. 
    • Annual dues: 
      • Membership dues are €20,00 for the 2020 membership year. 
      • Membership dues will be increased by €5,00 to €25,00 for the membership year 2021.
      • To be considered an active member and remain on the mailing list and on the membership roster, annual dues must be paid no later than January 20th of the membership year.
  • Membership (New Member Contact Person):
      • Prospective new members will be managed by a New Member Contact Person. The responsibilities of the New Member Contact Person will be:
        • Replying to and collecting a sample writing from prospective members.
        • Submitting the sample writing from prospective members to a New Member Vetting committee.
        • Replying to prospective members as to whether the vetting committee has approved or denied their joining WiS.
      • Approved prospective members are allowed to attend one meeting to determine if the group is a fit. If they decide to join the group, they will be required to pay the annual membership fee regardless of the month they join.
      • Jadi Campbell will remain the New Member Contact Person for the current membership year and continue unless she submits a formal resignation to the membership.
      • The current vetting committee will remain for the current membership year and continue unless a member submits a formal resignation to the membership.
      • The new member contact Person will be responsible for finding a replacement for resigning vetting committee members.
  • New Member Vetting Committee:
    • As a result of past experience of people wanting to join WiS to learn English, it was determined that new members must already be serious writers. Consequently, prospective new members would be required to submit a sample of their writing to a New Member Vetting Committee to be screened and approved for membership.
    • Members of the New Member Vetting Committee are:
      • Jadi Campbell (New Member Contact Person),
      • Barbara Gilchrest Feyl,
      • Katharine Schmidt,

11:10 – 15 minute break

 

  • Treasurer:
      • The treasurer is responsible for:
        • Collecting membership dues.
        • Paying membership approved bills based on submitted receipts.
        • Maintaining a file of receipts for each membership year.
        • Providing a treasurer’s report at the annual meeting.
      • Cindy Halbert-Seger is the 2020 membership year treasurer. She will remain treasurer for the current membership year and continue unless she submits a formal resignation to the membership.
      • Cindy reported on the current financial status. The report will be posted on the new WiS documents page.
  • Member Volunteers:
      • Monthly Meeting Chair: The chair is responsible for running each meeting according to the defined meeting structure. The chair for the next meeting will be chosen at the end of each meeting. 
      • Getting the Key or organizing an online meeting in ZOOM: The chair will be responsible for either getting and returning the key if the meeting is at the DAZ or organizing a ZOOM meeting with the DAZ if it is online.
  • Creator of the prompt theme: Barbara Gilchrist Feyl and Erica Applezweig will work as a team to be the creators of the prompts until the end of 2020.
  • Minutes Taker: James (Jim) Palik has volunteered to take the minutes for the remainder of the current membership year.
  • Readings and Event Volunteers: A volunteer manager is determined for each event and will be responsible for managing all aspects of the event, including finding additional volunteers to assist, until the event is finished. Reading events have a defined structure that will be posted on a WiS website documents page.
  • The October reading for the DAZ 25th Anniversary:
      • Andrea Ariman is the manager of the October 25th reading.
      • It was decided that to have a public meeting will be determined based on the status of the Covid-19 pandemic.
      • Andrea will ask the DAZ again to consider having a digital presentation.
      • Members decided that if the DAZ insists on the reading being an onsite reading at a public venue and members felt that Covid-19 exposure was still risky, WiS will have the option of canceling the reading.
      • Andrea will contact the DAZ and inform them of this decision.
  • Webmaster:
      • The webmaster is responsible for:
        • Maintaining and updating the current WiS website.
        • Posting the minutes of each monthly meeting.
      • The cost of maintaining the website is approximately €250,00 per year. Jim will prepare a document that details the cost and post it on the new documents page.
      • James (Jim) Palik will remain webmaster for the current membership year and continue unless he submits a formal resignation to the membership.
      • The WiS website has two functions. A public section that introduces Writers in Stuttgart to the public, and a Members Only (password protected) section.
      • The public Section includes:
        • The current event schedule
        • How to join WiS
        • Active Writers list
        • Past readings
        • Partner links
        • Privacy policy
      • The members only section is intended as the place paid members can refer to for all information pertaining to internal membership information. This includes:
        • Members News – This menu item is for Webmaster-based announcements.
        • Member Comments – For member communications to each other to be seen by the whole membership. Requests for website additions or fixes, calls for volunteer help on an event or project.
        • The meeting schedule and location.
        • The reading rehearsal schedule and location.
        • Current and past Meeting minutes.
        • Membership roster – Member contact information with email address, phone numbers, and volunteer assignments.
        • Member mailing list information.
        • Member volunteer task table.
        • Documents repository.
      • If additional information is needed for members to more easily participate in the group, ask for this in a monthly meeting or posting the request via Member Comments.
  • Recommendations:
      • The Member’s Mailing List will be corrected for missing semicolons.
      • Jim suggested a table for the assignments could be added.
      • A WiS documents menu selection will be added. It will contain legal and reference documents such as Readings Structure, Meetings Structure, Annual Meeting minutes, and the Annual Financial Report.
      • A members writings menu selection will be added.
      • How to add PDF documents that can be downloaded will be investigated.
      • A method for printing current (non-PDF) documents will be investigated.
      • A table for voting on pending subjects for voting online will be investigated.
  • The monthly meeting Structure:
    • The current monthly meeting format and structure as it exists was reviewed and approved.
    • Members wishing to read must arrive on time and stay for the entire meeting to allow all readers to be critiqued.
    • The order of readings to be critiqued will be determined based on the member’s arrival times
    • Members that did not get a chance to read will be the first readers at the next monthly meeting.

13:00 – The meeting was formally adjourned. Several members stayed for another forty minutes to allow Jim to finish discussing some website functionality.

13:40 – The Zoom session was closed

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