MeetingMinutes:2002-09

Minutes from the 22 September 2002 Business Meeting of Atlanta OutWorlders

In attendance: Bil Boozer, Amy Coppeans, Chris Coppeans, Ed deGruy, Will Gauvin, Kris Harter, Joy Hatcher, Alan Siler, Lynn Swetz

Ed deGruy called the meeting to order at 1:08 pm.

Old Business

1. The group considered an amendment to the bylaws proposed by Ed deGruy and published to the AtlantaOutWorldersBiz mailing list on 22 August 2002 as follows:

   THAT Section 5 of the OutWorlders Bylaws be amended by adding the following statement: “In the event that a vacant position for officer in the Outworlders is properly announced according to the by laws and only one person is nominated by voting time, that person will be installed to the vacant position on the day the vote would take place.”

   The motion was adopted by a vote of 9-0.

2. Bil Boozer, who had previously been nominated by Joy Hatcher per Ed deGruy’s 25 August 2002 notification to the AtlantaOutWorldersBiz mailing list, was installed as secretary of the organization. No other nominations had been received since the vacancy had been announced at the August business meeting.

Officer and Committee Reports

3. Treasurer’s Report

   Joy Hatcher reported that over $1000 had been collected from the raffle and the silent auction conducted at Dragon*Con. A reimbursement payment for approved costs related to the room and party at Dragon*Con has been sent to Mike Allgood (via U.S. Mail at his request). The group decided that 20% of the proceeds from the raffle and auction would be donated to Chris Rainbow Home. (Additionally, the group would donate designated proceeds from the raffle held during Atlanta Pride to Chris Rainbow Home.)

   Joy reported that she had begun to work on the budget for next year and that she needed suggestions for activities that the group would be doing that would incur expenses. Ed deGruy noted that the group’s major annual expenses were the Atlanta Pride table reservation and the Web site. Although the Pride table is expensive, he felt it provided invaluable exposure of the group to the community.

4. Bylaws Committee

   The Bylaws Committee will meet on 12 October 2002 at 11 a.m. at Joy Hatcher’s house. Bil Boozer agreed to serve on this committee. Current committee members are Mike Allgood, Bil Boozer, Chris Coppeans, Ed deGruy, Kris Harter, and Joy Hatcher. Any OutWorlders member is welcome to attend the committee meeting.

5. Events Coordinator’s Report.

   Kris Harter thanked everyone who had helped with raffle sales during Dragon*Con.

   Kris requested approval for spending $40 for pizzas at the upcoming gathering at Miss Q’s to watch the season premiere of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. She said that Miss Q’s had agreed to contribute $20 toward the full price of the 10 pizzas she was planning to order. The group to approve her request by a vote of 9-0.

   Kris reannounced the planned trip to Knoxville the last weekend of October. The cost of the trip is $35 per person going, and there are 16 slots available. At the time of the meeting, eight people had committed to going.

   Amy Coppeans and Chris Coppeans will be hosting the group’s Hallowe’en party on 25 October 2002. Costumes will be required, and voluntary donations will be taken at the door to support the organization. Kris floated the idea of having monthly lunch get-togethers during the week for members who might be able to attend.

6. Writers’ Group

   Joy Hatcher reported that membership in the Writers’ Group had grown to 23, and that twelve members had made it to the meeting on 18 September 2002. The next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, 13 October 2002, at noon at Joy’s house.

7. Readers’ Group

   Ed deGruy reported that the group did have a book to be reading (Witchhunt), but a meeting had not been scheduled.

8. RPG

   Ed deGruy reported that a number of group members had on-going RPG campaigns and that he wanted to create a list of these to be posted to the web site.

9. Anime

   Ed deGruy reported that Mike H. would be hosting a third anime night on 28 September 2002.

10. Brit Com Night

    Will Gauvin reported good attendance at the Brit Com Night the previous evening. He announced that the next Brit Com Night would be in two months and would feature episodes of Red Dwarf.

New Business

11. The group considered a request from Mike Allgood for additional reimbursement for expenses incurred during Dragon*Con. Members agreed that additional information regarding the request was needed before voting on the request.

12. Ed deGruy reported that J.P. Rhea had expressed an interest in doing public relations work with the organization.

13. The group discussed the possibility of having a fund-raiser as was discussed on the AtlantaOutWorlders-Discussion mailing list over the past week. Several members thought a fund-raiser held in conjunction with a store at Ansley Mall might be more successful than having one farther from the city. Some members expressed a lack of support of such a fund-raiser at all, suggesting that having an internal fund-raiser (such as the voluntary donations at the Hallowe’en party) would be a more effective and better received venture among the membership. Members also discussed the group’s not having established membership dues and the resulting financial situation.

14. Ed deGruy floated the possibility of the group’s hosting a movie viewing at Miss Q’s on a Sunday before the establishment opened. Group members were receptive to the idea, suggesting it could become a quarterly event.

The meeting adjourned at 3:08 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Bil Boozer, Secretary
Atlanta OutWorlders