Tuesday April 12, 2022, 7:30pm
Attendees: BOARD MEMBERS: Alex Welch, Christain Montes, Steven Irving, J.J. Pearse, Erin Trampel, Grace Diebolt, Rose Rodriguez Staff:Jeanine Asay, Jessie Riggins Members: Rameka Sahadeo
Acting Proxy: Alex for Nathan
Called to order at 7:35 pm.
Reports
Secretary,
No Report. Alex likes my glasses and Rameka gave me a most courteous welcome.
Artistic Director, Lee
Sorry I can’t be there tonight as I’m working the Joyce DiDonato concert for Harriman-Jewell Series. Libby Hanson will be doing a story on our May 1 concert for either KCUR, Classical KC, or KC Studio. Soloist for Stonewall is Neal Long. Still trying to get the poet to commit. Mrs Jones and Tajma Stetson will be joining us for the concerto. April 21 will be the big rehearsal with all the soloists for the two big pieces. This should be an excellent concert!
Assistant Artistic Director, Jessie
Our next show Kansas City Sweetheart is on the books for June 28th! Rehearsals are going well, and we are starting to weave in some additional time for stylistic exercises - such as mini improv lessons, saxophone jaw vibrato, etc.
We have been invited to play at the Rose Day celebration in Loose Park on Sunday, June 5th. I am gauging availability of the band, and we will play lighter/easier tunes at that gig (Sesame Street, some of the Jazz Goes POP) and a few swing standards. If we cannot get the full group, I will arrange to have a small combo of Mighty Mo members go out that day.
My budget requests have been sent via email to Christian, Lee, and Ian.
Board Chair, Christian
We will be continuing to stay virtual. It seems to be the most convenient for everyone and allows accessibility to more people.
Please don't forget to submit your requests for next fiscal year’s budget by Friday the 15th. If you need an extension please talk to me beforehand. We will be dedicating May’s meeting to going over the budget. If you need actuals or budget from this fiscal year please let me or Nathan know and we will get those reports over ASAP.
I have been in communication with Shawn Mullane for AIDS Walk. We will be playing but not at Mill Creek Park like usual. More info to come once they get it all planned out.
We have tabled discussions for Vaccination requirements until June. We will continue to make vaccinations mandatory but masks will be optional depending on covid levels. The deal with the Gem did fall through due to storage needs. Ian is still searching for something else that might suit our needs.
Vice Chair, Alex
Now might be a good time to do a Spring Cleaning of the office space at the church so we can organize everything. I’d also like to get the instruments in the back cabinets labeled. Do we have a list of when all of the instruments in our possession were last serviced?
There is a list of services, but we haven't been lending them out recently.
On a similar note, Sandy WeidmanWeidenmann wanted to inquire about a trombone that the band owns and trading it for one of her own? She states that the one that she has in her possession is better quality and she would like to give the one that the band currently has some TLC in hopes of improving it.
We have spoken previously about forming a committee to oversee reaching out about opportunities to perform. I think now is an excellent time to get that up and running with Pride coming up.
Performance committee would find opportunities and present them to the signing members;Lee, Chirstian, Jessie, or Ian. Rose was suggested as committee head. Steven agrees to be a part of the committee to assist.
Treasurer, Nathan
Redacted
Business Operations, Ian
Ian is traveling and will be sending out an email later in the week with his report.
Kelly, Social Director
I’ve already paid for and picked up the group tickets for Fiddler on the Roof. Those who ordered tickets will be invoiced this week. The show date is Sunday, May 8. The 2022-2023 Broadway touring season has been announced. The upcoming shows are: Pretty Woman, 9 to 5, HADESTOWN, My Fair Lady, Six, Aladdin, Hamilton, Les Miserables, and R.E.S.P.E.C.T..
I’ll send out a personal reminder to those who are attending the conference in Chicago to encourage everyone to firm up their travel plans if they still need to. From the information I gathered, most of us are intending to travel to Chicago May 25, returning to Kansas City on May 30, with the exception of LGBA/Pride Bands Alliance board members who need to arrive a day prior for their board meeting.
Not specifically on the social agenda, but I wanted to bring it up so we don’t overlook it…and that is decor for the upcoming concert–things for the lobby tables, etc. And do we intend to revive concert raffles? Maybe we continue contests like best dressed, but leave raffles behind.
Rameka has mugs, stickers, and pins that we could maybe sell at concerts. Something like a merch table. Maybe make an announcement that lets attendees know that there are items for sale. We need thworrp fans! Could use more volunteers for Front of House during concerts. Grace could help run merch at the May 1st concert.
Jeanine, Librarian
Nothing to report.
Webmaster, Erin
Nothing to report.
Committee Reports
Fundraising, Rameka
I’m going to start a Drag Night task force! The thought is to keep it simple (aka traditional Sidekicks gig) this time around, as we continue to navigate the COVID situation. Thinking late summer? Fall? I will send out communications to the band asking for task force volunteers to start planning. Austin is the liaison with Sidekicks. Rose is interested.
I have the left over pins, stickers and mugs. Do we want to hold on to them to sell at concerts? Would it be a pain to do this for Front of House (to collect funds, etc.)?
Marketing, Grace
Still marinating on ideas. We’re wanting to take more pictures and videos during rehearsals. It’d be nice to find volunteers that are present at rehearsals. We should make a drive folder that we can have people add to. We can use these to promote the band and use for the website. Do we have money in the budget for a photographer? Rose has some cameras that could use some practice. We should continue to reach out and use other avenues to spread word of the band and performances. We could print flyers or posters to help post info at work places or supporting establishments.
Membership, Alex
At the most recent membership committee meeting, we discussed bringing snacks back for next season. If the rest of the board would like to do so, do we want to go back to having the membership bring snacks from home potluck style or do we want to provide pre packaged snacks to reduce COVID risk?
With the season ending, the Membership Committee is interested in doing an end of year event to celebrate the season and everything the band has accomplished. This could be a picnic similar to our beginning of season cookout that we’ve done in the past or we could do an indoors event. Or we could do something else entirely. St. Louis Band does an indoor banquet style event with awards, that could be something we look into. Are there any upcoming milestones for members that we should acknowledge?
Meeting adjourn movement/time 8:17PM.