Journalism Education Association of Northern California (JEANC)
Minutes from Oct. 18, 2008 Board Meeting
2331 Moreing Road in Stockton, California 95204
1. Call to Order (10:27 a.m.)
Members Present: Michelle Balmeo, Marjorie Bell, Don Bott (Past President), Randy Hamm (Treasurer) Sarah Nichols (President), Tracy Sena, Greg Stobbe, Rachel West.
2. Communications
1. Letters of recognition sent out to Karl Grubaugh of Granite Bay for Adviser of the Year recognition, Senator Leland Yee for SB 1370 efforts
2. Will be sending recognition letters to NorCal members for Pacemaker Finalist
3. Reports of Officers (10:30)
1. Treasurer (Randy)
i. Blue and green sheets handed out
ii. $10,000 transfer to a CD in June
iii. $15,217 current balance, with $10,000 in CD
iv. Connie and Sharon “Oops, we’ll send you a check” for JEA curriculum guides
v. Amy Wilkenson says will send a check but hasn’t
vi. Made $4,000 at convention after late payments
1. Joe deposited all convention/mail-in contest money together, so amount on sheet is misleading (We didn’t lose $730ish like it seems on the transaction report.)
vii. Rachel shared promo items—pens, $429 for 300—which will be shared for speaker gifts, promotion, etc.
1. Maybe each have a stack that we could hand out whenever appropriate
2. Any formal motion to distribute to each new member? Maybe reserve for face-to-face interaction since not flat.
3. Pens should be cheaper the next time we order from them.
2. President (Sarah) (10:41)
i. Receiving a lot of emails about JEANC-related things.
ii. Getting about one email a week asking when the next convention is—the interest is there.
iii. Nov. 7 will be going to CalJEC meeting in Sacramento. Trying to reach advisers through survey. State of journalism in CA.
iv. Wants to discuss how we can be more “green” in our meetings.
1. Bring handouts on PDFs. Share on laptops.
2. Tracy not giving handouts at conventions anymore. Puts all items on website. Gives out business cards.
3. Randy agrees to send out PDFs before the mtgs.
v. Sarah has “What’s in it for me?” and “09 Things Worth Knowing” handouts that she can email for distribution at any event.
1. If anyone wants to make changes, email her.
3. Others—none
3. Old business (10:50)
1. Adviser workshop
i. Fresno cancelled workshop because of too few applicants, though some showed interest after deadline.
ii. San Francisco workshop: Don says good job for a small number of people, very intimate setting.
1. Figure out if there’s a way to increase interest.
2. Wavering at the last minute, but glad we stuck with it.
3. Advisers seemed appreciative of the day.
4. Sarah commended Tracy for hosting the workshop and coordinating the lunch (which was great).
iii. Margie suggested perhaps we should send the announcement of workshops to principals.
1. Problems sending email—getting blocked.
2. Hard to know if people are receiving it.
3. JEANC will probably not send snail mail any more.
iv. If we are going to host again, would like to set the date far in advance so that we can remind people along the way.
1. Set date at next meeting, so come with calendar. (TO DO FOR NEXT MTG)
2. Revised bylaws (Greg for Ed Galdrikian) (11:06)
i. After board discussion last spring, Ed went through them and added items.
1. Have been approved and updated on JEANC site.
ii. Please email Greg with corrections, and provide article and section.
iii. Ed worked over the summer with Sarah’s input/proofing and both feel confident that these are pretty complete.
iv. Sarah noted that Ed spent a significant amount of time doing them and did a really good job.
v. Please type and send Ed your bio: name, school, city, email and 60 words of background. If he already has it, please check yours on the website and send him any updates.
3. Officer ballots (Greg for Ed) (11:11)
i. Ed wants it to happen by Dec. 5.
ii. State intent to rejoin board. Posted on website and online voting.
iii. Everyone present expressed intent to re-run for board position. Sarah will notify Ed.
iv. Waiting for decision from Cindy Hopkins, who is taking a leave of absence. Update: Cindy has decided not to return to the board this year.
v. Diane Honda going to run. Ed talking to Diane.
vi. Nicole Gordon from Lynbrook may join. Michelle will talk to Nicole.
vii. Not sure about Dwight Evans and Mark Chrasta. Also unsure about Lynn. Ed will follow-up with Lynn.
viii. Tracy will contact and invite Ellen Austin to join the board. Update: Ellen will run for the board.
5. Continuing business (11:16)
1. Mail-in contest
i. Working meeting to sort and collate contest items.
ii. Sarah encouraged nominations for a new contest coordinator.
iii. Taped or stapled forms, clarify full-page.
iv. Each item clearly marked with arrow.
v. Newspaper entry form lists news photo as category but no description.
6. Break for lunch (12:52)
7. Contest Discussion, cont.
1. Put forms in one place on JEANC site.
2. Create a how-to for preparation of entries as a separate document.
3. Sarah brought up the idea of adding an online component to the contests.
4. Divide newspaper and news magazine and online
i. Complaints from Paul Kandell and others that there’s no online category
ii. Everyone agreed that for the sake of simplicity, all writing categories should be just writing (not unique to publication type)
iii. Overall web category?
1. The group decided against having an overall category for just web after several pointed out that an equivalent category does not exist for newspaper or yearbook.
iv. The group discussed some visual categories for just web related to design.
v. How to enter
1. Greg explained that NSPA does just URL, but they don’t have sub-categories (seven categories)
2. Tracy said CSPA is doing categories and expanded this year
3. Writing categories should be printed and submitted in general writing category
vi. On general excellence
1. Haven’t considered since Best of the West fizzled
a. BoW part of conventions
vii. Tracy thinks we should table the discussion until next meeting
1. Sarah asks us to commit to make a decision next meeting
2. Send out questionnaire to members to get an idea
viii. Round the horn discussion of contest from board
1. Greg: Are we going to repeat/imitate NSPA/CSPA? Likes the idea that it’s now and not past. Likes that it is small and competitive. (Rules state, though, that it’s previous year. Should we change?)
2. Tracy: Let’s keep it to two entries.
3. All: Let’s keep it so that any one kid could win.
4. Randy: Delineate covers since very different. Newsmag cover vs. newspaper cover.
5. Michelle: Interactive graphics, audio slideshows, video.
6. Rachel: Agrees all around. Some newspapers are also doing computer illustrations.
7. Margie: No opinion.
8. Tracy: Cartooning in print and web (strip), opinion piece that’s not a staff editorial and not a column, enter three columns instead of one so they are judged on series, question the nameplate category, one entry per school.
9. Randy: Best page design (inside page, one page) should be added.
ix. Sarah will send out survey and create a separate how-to info sheet.
x. Michelle and Rachel offered to serve as contest coordinators together next year. Sarah accepted this nomination and thanked them both.
5. Membership (1:48)
i. Randy handed out membership list.
ii. Has been doing the job of “Membership Chair” and coordinating with CNPA.
iii. Please check names and look for anything that needs to be updated.
iv. 11 people who didn’t respond to 2006 request to update, 23 who expired in 2007 that did not respond—all will be dumped from the list.
v. 2008 expirations will get a letter to renew
vi. Two that haven’t paid
vii. Randy is willing to make sure that financial records and membership align, and willing to oversee CNPA actions, willing to follow up with unpaid members—no outreach. Don noted that all of our events and projects have outreach automatically.
viii. We have not been sending out a “Thank you for joining” letter for the past six months.
1. Joe would be willing to do that. Sarah will drop off cards.
2. Margie asked about how we are learning of new advisers. Steve and mentors should be telling us who new advisers are in northern California.
8. New business (1:55)
1. Banking changes
i. WaMu (the bank we use) is now CitiBank.
ii. Bank never changed over to a corporate account. Now rules say we have to create a new account. We need to have minutes that reflect who signers on account will be.
iii. Signers can go to their local branch and sign locally, and that information will be sent to the Bakersfield branch.
iv. Randy Hamm will be a signer. Sarah Nichols will be a signer. Michelle Balmeo will be a signer. Don Bott will be a signer. Tracy Sena will be a signer.
v. Corporate resolution will be signed by the secretary.
1. We don’t have a secretary. Sarah volunteered to be the recording secretary at the end of her presidential term.
2. Rachel offered to be secretary, so Sarah made the official appointment. Rachel West is acting secretary for the remainder of this officer term and will take all future minutes.
vi. Tracy nominated herself as President Elect. Greg seconded.
2. Adviser support groups
i. Michelle
ii. Sarah’s area aligned groups by sports conferences.
1. Also created newsgroups for kids to share information, eg sports.
iii. Social component vs. resource list
1. Perhaps resource list could be through website. Would be nice to list areas of expertise.
iv. Website
1. Create and discuss later. Michelle will put together a sample.
3. State convention
i. Sarah receives emails once a week requesting information.
ii. If we think we’re having one in October, we’re behind the ball.
iii. Spring 2011 is not San Francisco for sure. Spring 2010 Portland.
iv. We may change our minds and not do a convention.
v. If we want Sacramento, convention center was affordable and centrally located. Convention center best option if we go with Sacramento.
vi. NEED TO HAPPEN NOW: Selection of a date, assign jobs
1. Sarah will get speakers and do convention program/schedule.
2. Don is willing to give the organization a shot. Doesn’t think that it’s his forte.
3. Budgeting job, available rooms, keynote speaker, on-site contests, bookstore, adviser hospitality, speaker schedules, puts together a program, donations and gifts, Best of the West, dance and DJ
a. Critiques
b. Budget
c. Speakers
d. Bags
e. Bookstore/Hospitality
f. Facilities—Don will call Monday Conv. Center, Randy will make a no-interest loan to JEANC for reservation
g. Contest
h. Keynote
i. Vendors
j. Social
4. Late October
a. Definitely going to hit HC or break. Just not JEA weekend.
b. Possibly Halloween weekend.
i. Sarah not comfortable with Halloween weekend due to adult activities in the city and safety concerns.
5. From now until next meeting, we will communicate over email. We need to be more efficient online. Anyone not communicating through email will be out of the loop.
6. JEA and JEANC will need to communicate, find a way to work out dates earlier.
4. Summer workshop—tabled
5. Speaker bureau or contact database—tabled
i. Everyone going to try and get connected through Facebook
9. Good of the Order
1. Done
10. Adjournment (2:54 p.m.)