OREGON FEDERATION OF SQUARE & ROUND DANCE CLUBS
MINUTES OF MEETING DATED May 17, 2015
Hosted by the Central Oregon Council
Pine Forest Grange, Bend, Oregon

President Dale Worthington called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m.

PLEASE TURN YOUR CELL PHONES OFF OR SET THEM TO VIBRATE

This meeting is being recorded.

Marliyn Schmit moved to appoint Lorri McIntosh as Secretary for the May meeting as LaDauna Hartzell will not be present. Steve Murphy second the motion. Motion passed.

Appointed Officers: All present except: Secretary, LaDauna Hartzell; Membership, Coleeta Quigley; Education/Publicity, Barbara Wines; BMI/ASCAP, Ralph Lambert; ORDTA, Sharon Greenman; Round Dance Screening, Tammy Helms; and Caller Advisor, Leonard Snodgrass Delegates: All present except South Coast, Chuck Quigley Goodwill Ambassadors: all Absent

INVOCATION: Immediate Past President, Dave Cooper

FLAG SALUTE: 2nd Vice President, Sarge Glidewell

MINUTES: Lorri McIntosh, Minutes approved as written.

OFFICER REPORTS

PRESIDENT: Dale Worthington, Dale and Kathy- 47th anniversary. Dale appointed committee to count the ballots: Ray Jones, Roy Belcof, and Brenda Putnam. No presidents report

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT: Kay (Jim) Rogers: "Think Positively: for the coming year to improve dancing in the state of Oregon.

2015 MID-WINTER FESTIVAL: George & Patty Hermann: Last official act as Midwinter chairman is to give check to OFSRDC for $5,500 profit.

2016 MID-WINTER FESTIVAL: Tim and Cheryl Hagey: Cheryl and I have started our trail to Mid-Winter by attending Pear Blossom Festival in Medford, last month. It was so much fun listening to dancers talking about how much fun they have at Mid-Winter, and many of them said they have already purchased their ribbons for 2016. WHilw we have started selling ribbons (our registration chair informed us that she received one registration form in March and another in April), whenever we attend a dance, we do our best to emphasize and promote Summer Festival-making sure everyone knows Mid-Winter is secondary at this time.

Our committee is complete, and we had our first meeting in the 3rd of May. Our next meeting is scheduled for the 12th of July.

For those state delegates who are interested, we put together flyer packets and will make them available after the meeting.

We have come up with the idea of a "Welcome to Albany" basket for Summer Festival from Mid-Winter Festival Committee. We are gathering itemsthat are either made in Albany or are the Albany, hoping this will generate more interest in the City of Albany. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Our future schedule of visitations at this time include Golden State Roundup in San Ramon, Ca this coming weekend, and the National Square Dance Convention in Springfield, Mass., next month.

Zola Jones reported that the Emerald Empire Delegate will arrange meeting places and inform the delegates and officers where and when the meetings will be at Midwinter 2016.

2015 SUMMER FESTIVAL: CeCe Glidewell- We will be dancing in the street, Main St that is! Thursday, July 16, from 6-7pm. The free demo is followed by our Trails End dance at Triad School from 7:30 to 10pm. The Festival begins on Friday, July 17 at the Fairgrounds with a casual dance at 2pm.

See our website http://www.2015.oregonsummerfest.org/, there you can find all the information about the festival as it is updated. All major details are confirmed. The program books will be distributed to Officers and Delegates at this meeting to save us some postage. We are now working on the fine details of the Festival. We have been making visitations all over the State and more are planned for May and June.

Some Statistics:

We have a total of 100 adult and 6 youth preregistrations as of May 6. OR: 91, WA: 13.

Clubs with the most pre-registrations to date-Calculation for Wood Award and Chair's Trophy:

Star Promenaders =10
Independence Wagon Wheelers =8
Charlie Browns =6

We want to thank all the dancers who have already preregistered and the gifts we have received for the raffle and silent auction.

Please help us promote this Festival! We are nowhere near breaking even, even with the grant money provided by the Klamath County transient room tax grant program.

2016 SUMMER FESTIVAL: Kay (Jim) Rogers: Everything is going well in beautiful Seaside, Or. Kick off will be in Klamath Falls to start registering for Summer Festival 2016.

OREGON FEDERATION NEWS: Tim Roberts: We seem to be getting into a rhythm. About half of the councils send me club news be the 10th of each month, and the people around the state who take lots of pictures are starting to send them to me. I announced the opportunity for paid advertising last month, we now have our first ad.

I have 480 names on the email notification list, and it looks like I'm getting about 1,200 hits per month on the primary OFN web site. I think that's pretty good.

Because our domain name is somewhat difficult to remember, this week I bought "ofn.club" to host the OFN. Nothing changes in the procedures for submitting new content, it's just an easier to remember path to the magazine content. And, if you can't remember the Federation URL, you can go to ofn.club and link to it from there. This has the additional advantage that, should some other sucker ever wish to take over the OFN, they could take the OFN name without taking on the Federation web site as well.

2ND VICE PRESIDENT: Sarge Glidewell- Cece and I have been traveling around the State promoting the 2015 Summer Festival. As we travel I've been asking dancers how they feel about having the directory online as opposed to hard copy. The result is 80% want to remain with hard copy and about 20% would like to see it online. When asked if they would like to see it both ways 75% said yes. The committee result was about the same as mine. I recommend we keep the hard copy going. I suggest that we offer both online and hard copy and re-evaluate in a year or two. Having it online will make it so those dancers who want to get them online can and that maybe the dancers who are holding to traditional hard copy can get familiar with the online access and eventually we can go with only the online version.

SECRETARY: Lorri McIntosh, No report

TREASURER: Marilyn (Ron) Schmit My time since Mid-Winter has been spent dealing with OFN refunds and recording the checks. All requests, either refund or donation back to the Federation that were received by email, were answered back with a thank you on behalf of the Federation. There were 91 checks written for a total of $2197.79 to date.

The bulk mail postage account at the post office has been closed and a refund of $70.17 has been received for the balance in the account that remained. Vivian also wrote to the Post Office to cancel the permit.

A multitude of email requests to the prior editor for the money she has received since her last deposit in October, have gone unanswered. She also has a deposit book and deposit stamp.

I have also made contact with the clubs that had unpaid ads. Some have provided proof of payment for some ads listed. I have also collected a bunch more for a total of $1103.75 to date. I am hoping to have the OFN business transactions completed by September so the new treasurer is not bombarded with loose ends remaining.

I will be meeting with Kay before the Summer Festival meeting to assist in preparing her proposed budget. Will also meet with the incoming treasurer to find out how he wants to receive records after the September meeting.

I have made contact with the clubs who had directory ads on pgs 14-15. I asked them how far their ads were paid to, so I could figure out if they had any refunds due. The responses for that are slowly coming back. Most had to go back in their records to figure out the expiration month of their ad. I have collected $70.20 so far and will continue until July or so and then see about closing out the OFN Books.

MEMBERSHIP: Coleeta (Chuck) Quigley No report-

INSURANCE: Kay (Jim) Rogers: Great job, insurance running well, added 70 new club members to rosters, another 20 waiting to be added.

PAST PRESIDENT: Dave Cooper: Packet handed out ad MWF for Randell Award, none have been returned. The nominations must be returned by Summer Festival to hand to Dave in person.

PARLIAMENTARIAN: Tim Roberts: I've distributed an update for your P&P copies. , This contains a couple of cases where I missed the combined secretary change, and is contains the dues and where and when change, which I'm guessing is about to change again. I have not yet rewritten the OFN chapter, in part because we haven't really settled on what the practices actually are.

At this point, I'd like to make a speech. The erudite Dave Cooper asked during his tenure what would happen if the Federation simply ceased to exist. That got my wheels to turning. If you look at the desk in front of e here, I now hold and file reports for roughly ¼ of the appointed positions on this board. That is silly. It indicates a problem. In back room conversations over the years, I have often said that it would be possible to operate this Federation and continue its basic functions with a committee of 3 people and no meeting at all. Such an organization would work, but it would be a different organization from what we have been in the past. Unfortunately, it seems like with a circling in to that kind of organization, and we need to think about that. The clubs see the federation as a nuisance to be dealt with and swatted away, like the IRS. We make demands, we interfere, we get in there way, and provide nothing in return. We are supposed to be collaborative venue, like a Chamber of Commerce, working for the good of the members. We haven't had any really new initiatives in years. We keep eliminating positions, meetings, services, and people. That can continue to it's inevitable conclusion, but before that happens, we should all take a good , hard look at what we are and where we are going, and decide if that's really where we WANT the Federation to go.

FINANCIAL ADVISOR: Tim (Kathy) Roberts: no report.

PUBLICITY/EDUCATION: Barbara (Tom) Wines have moved to Washington. Patty Cooper was volunteered and accepted this position. Patty will be working on educational programs for Summer Festival.

HISTORIAN: Marilyn (Ron) Schmit No report, nothing submitted for the scrapbooks.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

BMI/ASCAP COORDINATOR: Ralph Lambert-(Not present): No Report

YOUTH ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR: Kathy (Tim) Roberts: Granting one $500 scholarship this year. Name will be given at the next meeting. Have been receiving requests for youth to attend Summer Festival. If you have kids that would like to attend, contact Kathy. Youth funds donated $400 for the Silver City Youth squares, The Knights and Dragons to cover expenses at the teen competition, at the NW teen Festival. The teens took 2nd in team completion, and 1st and 2nd in round dancing. Oregon is being considered for hosting the 2017 teen festival. Will need a lot of volunteers, the first weekend in May. Kathy would like to host a state youth dance with a club or council. Expenses will be paid for by Youth Fund. Zola: is there a location for the youth festival yet? Kathy: May be Silverton or somewhere else along the I-5 corridor. Dave Cooper: a number of youth at the dance last night. What does it cost. The club or council supply only the food. (Youth fund receive 0.50 for each dancer at MWF). Council finds hall and supplies the food. Need 2-3 months for advertising.

ORDTA: Sharon Greenman: No report.

ROUND DANCE SCREENING: Tammy Helms/Tim Keck: June rounds: Moonshine chosen by Interstate Highlander Council, Round of the month for July: will be chosen by MidWillamette Area Council tomorrow night.

CALLER ADVISER: Leonard Snodgrass: No report.

WEBMASTER: Tim (Kathy) Roberts: Nothing particularly notable. The Federation's web site is ebbing in usefulness as the online OFN ramps up. Fortunately, now that most of you are entering your club information and updates on your own, I can generate a lot of the web site automatically. It seems like a lot of what is used to be done on our web site is now more commonly done on Facebook. The Federation does not currently have a Facebook page, and I don't really want to undertake the task of maintaining one, but if there's someone else who enjoys the social media experience and might like to take on the task, I think it would be a good thing.

STATE FAIR REPORT: Marilyn Schmit- I sent an email in March to Eric Marcuse to let him know that the Federation dancers are available to dance again this year. I received a reply back stating we would be invited back and that we would hear in May or June when they start the planning phase of entertainment.

DELEGATE REPORT: Patty Cooper: Concern with directory going online and doing away with printed copy. Concern about security of information on line. Majority like printer version, would also like on line version for current information. Delegates would like a training session at September meeting for new delegates. Patty will consider this at the new education chair. Another concern was the alternate delegate in most councils, not having an alternate or alternate not in the loop for information. Zola: clarification about Delegate meetings at the state festivals was there a vote to eliminate these meetings unless notified by the hosting delegate. When the meetings, meetings are are clearly written in the P&P's, including festivals. There have been no motions to change anything.

STATE DIRECTORY I am doing the input on the Excel report as new officers are elected. I will get emails out to the specific people who I need information from for various committees and upcoming meeting dates. I still plan on putting out a paper directory for those who want one. I personally think that there is still a demand for that information for reference. Delegates-please find out how many directories your council clubs will want. Bring the count back to the July meeting

STATE TRAILERS: Floyd (Jill) Bard

No Report

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

  1. Committee Report for Directories: Sarge: traveling around the state promoting Summer Festival and discussing the state directories. About 80% want the printed directory and 20% want the online version. Recommend we keep printed version and also have available online and revisit this again in 1-2 years.

    Delegates are to find out how many paper copies are needed for each council and give the numbers to Marilyn at the July meeting.

    Officers meeting report- the information online and ease of retrieving. Tim is working on the process of making it easy to obtain current information where it will look like the booklet..

    Steve Murphy made a motion to keep the state directory in a printer version and have an online version, revisit in 1-2 years for continuation of both versions. Dave Cooper second the motion.

    Discussion: Kay Rogers would like to see a password to stop the information being available to everyone. All this information is already online for others to see.

    Dave C.- information in the booklet is not always correct. Clubs and councils need to keep information correct and updated.

    Recess

    NEW BUSINESS

    1. Results of Ballot:

      1st Vice: Marilyn Schmit
      2nd vice: Chuck Garner
      Secretary: Lorri McIntosh
      Treasurer: Lane Clem
      Membership Chairman: Coleeta Quigley

      Motion to destroy the Ballots by Cece Glidewell, second by Dave Cooper. Motion carried. Ballots will be destroyed.

    2. Dave Cooper: September is National Square Dance month. Square Dance Day in September 12th, every club/council will put on a demonstration dance to promote square dance lessons. If we all did this we might be able to get some publicity by the media, show enthusiasm for new dancers. Patty (Publicity/education) this would be an excellent chance for clubs and councils to get together at summer festival for ideas and planning. Kay needs to be notified for a notice of event to have insurance coverage.

      Delegates to speak to council and bring back information to the next meeting.

    3. Motion by Kay Rogers to change the P&P's Section 5 page 17, a sample letter, delete "your ballot will not be counted if not returned in this official envelope" Delete this sentence from the suggested letter. Sarge Glidewell second the motion. It was recommended we provide a self addressed envelope for convenience. 24 clubs did not send in a ballot. Motion carried.

      DELEGATE REPORTS

      BLUE MOUNTAINS: Bill Putnam: The LaGrande (Star Promenaders) and Baker City (Elkhorn Swingers) clubs continue to alternate sites monthly dances. The LaGrande Star Promenaders celebrates their 53rd anniversary at the dance on May 16th in LaGrande. Clubs have gone dark for the summer.

      The Milton-Freewater Muddy Frogs have gone dark for monthly dances. The club has a very active schedule of demos and parade appearances (schedule provided) throughout the summer. The club will resume regular schedule October 4 with new dancer lessons and ballroom dance lessons. Monthly dances are in the third Sunday of the month and start at 3:00pm. The club has been very luck to get Bill and Neva Reid as caller and Cuer for dances and lessons.

      More information about council clubs, contact information and activities visit our website at www.square-dance.com

      Central Oregon- Patty Cooper: most of the clubs in central Oregon have completed their lessons for the year. Sundown round dance club is still in the middle of a beginning waltz class, Sagebrush shufflers are in beginning square dance class, and, Advanced/Plus group along with Jim Steele have an advanced/plus workshop on Wednesdays until September. Upcoming dances are the council dance with Denny Lantz and David Vomicil, Maverick campout June 12-14. Heaven Can Wait Cancer walk in June.

      EMERALD EMPIRE: Zola Jones: Our annual council Benefit Dance and end of March was very well attended by dancers from all of our area clubs. Calling and cueing was donated by the Cascade Callers & Cuers Association, and the Clogging Club opened the evening with clogging exhibition. Proceeds from the door (which was matched by the council), along with bid amounts from many great items of the Silent Auction, raised a total of $4,036.00 for the South Willamette Chapter of "Honor Flight", and it will pay for four World War II and/or Korean War veterans to go to the memorials in Washington D.C.- AND a flight just left Eugene Saturday (yesterday)!

      The Spring session of New dancer lessons is again sponsored by four of our area clubs and taught by one caller once a week---began in mid-February with 24 dancers and many club members angeling for 7-8 squares on the floor! Most of these new dancers are friends on ones who took Fall lessons and graduated in January; or who saw our "Ad" on the Eugene/Springfield bus lines last Fall and whom we kept in contact with. Now there are sixteen new dancers who will by graduating in June.

      Two of our area clubs again joined together to sponsor an annual "Mexican Fiesta" dance in May-where one club goes "dark" to help the other club on their dance night. A big, Taco Bar was served with all the trimmings and desserts. Dancers from other clubs came too to help make a real special and fun evening.

      Area club, Whirl-A-Ways, will go dark in July and August, and some other clubs go dark in August; so if anyone wants to dance with a club in out area in those months---be sure to contact them first.

      INTERSTATE HIGHLANDERS Cece Glidewell- The club party night is on the 3rd Saturday of each month. However, the May 16 and June 20 dances are canceled to support State meeting in Central Oregon (May) and the Gold Diggers Dance-in Yreka (June). The club meeting is changed to the 3rd Monday of each month. The 3rd weekend of July is the 2015 Summer Festival. August 15 is our club picnic. There will not be an evening dance. We will return to our regular schedule in September.

      MID-WILLAMETTE Harriett Livingston- nothing much going on, a few clubs going dark with several parades and demos. Will be picking the round of the month for July. Have 16 new dancers that will be graduating. June 18th will be a retirement party for Ray and Virginia Walz.

      PORTLAND Janet Belcoff: Al unable to attend because of surgery. Election of officers for the Portland Area Council have been held. The following are the new officers-

      President- Keith Miles
      Vice President- Anthony Egan
      Treasurer- Cynthia Ekberg
      Secretary- Angie Clark
      State Delegate- Janet Belcoff

      Many clubs celebrated anniversaries in April and early May. Silver Stars were 35 on April 25th. Buzzin' Bees were 57 on April 18th. Happy Hoppers also celebrated on April 18th and were 56. Oaky Doaks were 55 on May 2nd. Bachelor and Bachelorettes had their golden anniversary on April 15th. River City Dancers will be 25 on June 20th.

      We will have one trailer in the Starlite Parade on May 30th. Chuck Garner will call.

      The PAC will not have meetings in July and August. We will have a very short meeting at our June picnic on June 15th.

      Our next Council dance will be May 29th with Les Seeley calling and Tami Helms cueing.

      Plans are being finalized for our annual Tri-Council dance. It will be October 31st at the Clark County Square Dance Hall in Vancouver, Wa. Darrell Kalmbach will call and Molly Combs will cue. The PAC will host this dance. There will be no PAC dance in October 39th due to the Tri-Council dance being held the next night.

      There is a new club in Vancouver , WA. They plan to join the PAC soon. Richard Lane is the caller, They dance on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays.

      Due to financial problems and lack of membership, the Squaws and Paws voted to disband. Their last dance was April 25th.

      ROGUE SIS Q Steve Murphy: Rogue Sis Q is moving along with classes in all clubs, except Circle _ Squares in Yreka, Ca. Pear Blossom was a great success both days with Hunter Keller calling and David Vomicil cueing.

      The next festival will be Boatnik on Memorial weekend. Pat Carnath calling and Mary Anne Callahan cueing.

      Following Boatnik the next weekend is a round dance party featuring Randy Lewis and Debbie Olson.zler are working to make it another success. Come help support eh Cheetahs this year.

      June 20th is Gold Digger Festival in Yreka, Ca. Come support a club that is in need of dancers to stay afloat for another year.

      WildLife Safari Benefit Dance is a go in June 14. Lorri McIntosh, Lois Muck, and Roger and Linda Putl

      SOUTH COAST Chuck Quigley:

      No Report

      TUALATIN VALLEY Kathy Worthington- The TVC has lost their usual meeting place so we are trying out a few restaurant. For 5th Saturday dances we have one on May 30th Hillsboro Odd Fellows Hall from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm Jim Hatttrick was to call but because of his illness they are looking for callers from the floor, with Daryl Clendenin as MC, cueing is Tami Helms. The next 5th Saturday dance is the Harn Barn Dance on Aug 29. This is our picnic/barn dance. Dale and I were finally able to go last year, and as always lots of good food. Daryl Clendenin is calling and Yvonne Clendenin is cueing

      Kay Rogers has been working on the 2016 Summer Festival. She has a few ideas for "ways and means" to sell at the festival. Kay is trying to put together an after dance party at the 2015 Summer Fest, so come by and see what she has done.

      Our clubs have been busy putting on dances, be sure to see the ads in the online OFN.

      UMPQUA Frank Schuchard- FINALLY, going to rename to AAA Umpqua. Buckaroos had a birthday dance with 8 squares. Many new members, Buckaroo Round Up with Scot and Erin Byers, ribbons are for sale. Dark August 1st, county fair August 5-9 with demonstration dances each night. No charge at the fair if in square dance attire.

      GOODWILL AMBASSADORS

      Al Wolf & Gail Domine

      This may be the shortest report on record. Al had knee replacement on April 21. It was scheduled to be a partial, but due to bone deterioration, they did a full replacement.

      We have attended our club dances and PAC meetings and dances. We also attended the Evergreen Council dance on January 31st.

      Carolyn & Bob Bosch

      Since the last time we got together things have really accelerated. Our distribution of flyers through the business has really provided information to many clubs in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Michigan. We even sent flyers to British Columbia. With our trips to the Yuma Square Dance Festival and the Reno Square Dance Festival, we are out of flyers. Please mail us some more.

      We have dance very little but did not happen go to four dances in our area. We have enjoyed every dance and the overwhelming amount of HUGS to quench our hug thermometer.

      Why are we not at this meeting? Family comes first. We are at the Oregon Coast (house warming) and back home for a function on Sunday. We just celebrated out 38th anniversary and part of this weekend has to do with that numerical figure.

      We want to see you at the Mitch Campout (there are hotels), Summer Festival, Central Oregon Roundup and September meeting. We may even see a few of you at the Bo Mart Willamette Country Music Festival in August.

      GOOD OF THE ORDER

      Frank Schuchard- 20 people joined the club after lessons this year. Had an outside caller for lessons: Chuck Simpkins.

      Steve Murphy- think about the Federation changing it's structure. The point of no return when the number of councils outnumber the officers.

      Harriett Livingston- All the festivals, don't forget USA West in Montana, August 13-16.

      Ron- have any state pins, give them to me. I will take them to Nationals and give them out.

      Zola- follow-up with what Steve said, it is so important for delegates to attend the meetings, have an alternate is case the delegate is unable to attend.

      Patty- Crook County Mavericks are planning to add a youth to the club.

      Lorri- Thank You Steve for stepping up and sit as delegate for Rogue Sis Q Council.

      Next Scheduled Meeting

      July 19, 2015 Summer Festival, Klamath Falls, Oregon

      Delegate and Officers meeting on Saturday July 18th.

      ADJOURN: Motion to Adjourn

      Dave Copper motioned to adjourn the meeting, Sarge Glidwell second the motion, Motion carried.