Minutes for November 20, 2007 Board Meeting

Attending were Claudia McEwen, Paul Buckley, Ginger Michael, Tom O’Neil, Alicia Merel, Gail Burnett, Nancee Rainaud, Suzanne Terpos, Sandy Holland, Pat Robenolt, Kim Capps, Rita Irwin, Arnie Steinmetz, Loretta Geotis

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 by Vice President, Claudia McEwen, filling in for President, Fred Hundhammer, who is currently in Fishermen’s Hospital.

Rita made a motion to approve the agenda with a second by Kim Capps.  A motion to approve the minutes from the last meeting was made by Alicia Merel and seconded by Tom O’Neil.

An item of new business was moved as requested to the top of the order to accommodate Rita’s rehearsal schedule.

Rita requested that we give four season tickets to Home Depot for sponsorship of the show and four additional single tickets to “The Smell of the Kill”.  Home Depot is loaning the entire kitchen set for our use.  However, the appliances and cabinets go back to Home Depot at the completion of the show.  This request was agreed to with a unanimous yes.

GM report

1         BOX OFFICE REPORT

a)     Body count for October is 1154.

b)     Season tickets are still selling but slacking off. 

c)      California Suite tickets are selling slowly.

d)     Ginny just celebrated her two-year anniversary with us.  Yeah Ginny!

 

2        CINEMA

a)     Slide program continues to sell and be successful.  Have added Marathon Garden Club.  I have a couple more potential advertisers that will be coming on soon. I am adding an “advertising opportunities” window on our website.

 

   Other stuff

a)   Volunteer school was held on November 3.  Alicia attended as well and gave input on other areas besides the front-of-the-house where volunteers are needed. Attendance was small, but I have talked with several others who were unable to be here that day or were not back in the Keys yet.  I plan to hold training after Christmas to recruit a few snowbirds. 

 

b)     Please help me distribute flyers and brochures in your businesses and offices where possible.  I have created a list that I will be delivering to next week, unless I can get a volunteer to do this.

 

c)   The programs are collated for California Suite, but I will need additional help to collate prior to the January show.  I am now working on the insert for The Smell of the Kill and will need to work around Gemini’s Christmas vacation etc.

 

d)   We received the last payment of the TDC money from last year’s contract.  I have also received the new documentation for the 2007-2008 season. 

e)   Recent publicity appearances include:

i)        Morning Mix – prior to the fundraiser and will be on prior to each production

ii)       Cal Sutphin’s show – prior to OWO and California Suite – will most likely appear on this show to promote prior to each production

iii)     Am currently in the process of scheduling a time to appear on BUZZ TV in Key West

iv)     Will be appearing on “Crusin’ with Grusin” this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in Key West, 104.1 US1 radio.

v)      I have scheduled an engagement at the Shriner’s luncheon on November 30 at Key Colony Inn.

vi)     Photo op with The Salvation Army regarding the cinema donation

vii)   Recorded several TV spots with Key TV that will be airing mid-December through Spring.

 

f)   Report on memorial service for Marty Groffman from the Watercolor Society.  The FKWS wishes to thank the board for allowing them to hold the service in the gallery and for waiving the fee for the room.  We sold drinks from our concessions and took in $75 and some of Marty’s artwork was sold and we will receive a check in the amount of 10% of the sales.

g)   The artwork you see here now is from Artists in Paradise Gallery in Big Pine Key.  I have made the same deal with Artists in Paradise for 20% of any sales.  They will be joining with the Bougainvillea House to hang art for the January show as well. 

h)  Donation requests this month come from the Blood Mobile.  They plan to hold a raffle to encourage blood donations and would like to offer cinema or playhouse tickets.  WE NEED TO FIND OUT IF THE BLOODMOBILE IS A NON-PROFIT.  IF SO, BOARD AGREES TO OFFER TWO CINEMA TICKETS FOR EACH TIME THE BLOODMOBILE IS IN THE LOCAL AREA UP TO A TOTAL OF 10 TICKETS.

i)    As a reminder, the Christmas Concert is coming up on December 16 at 6:00 p.m.  I will try to get a volunteer Santa.  If anyone would like to help decorate the gallery or donate decorations, please contact me.  

 

j)    Opening Night parties are very much enjoyed; however, as with most things I see why they were discontinued in the past.  I’m willing to continue but really need the entertainment committee to handle this.  Sandy Holland stepped up and did a fabulous job with her first go at it, but it needs help.

h)  Directors/Producers - Don’t forget to email me any changes/additions/deletions to your rehearsal schedules, cast information, meetings, use of rooms etc.

i)    Don’t forget if you’re the last one out, please make sure everything is turned out, turned off, cleaned up, locked up!  Thanks.

As always, if any board member has any questions or concerns – please feel free to contact me directly in the business office at 743-0408 or via email at gm@marathontheater.org. Loretta Geotis, MCT General Manager.

 

Rita noted that Dan is creating the set for ‘Kill” so that it can be moved for the Christmas concert.

Committee reports

Finance

Alicia reports according to financial report, numbers are down from last year but up from 2005.  Cash balance is $79,213.

Alicia reports that we have successfully re-negotiated the mortgage.  The previous payment was $1136, the new payment is $624.02.  Per recommendations from the finance committee, Alicia made a motion to continue to add an additional $500 to the monthly payment and have the liberty to add an additional $500 if appropriate.  Suzanne Terpos seconds the motion.

VP Production

Gail reports three shows are in production right now, please coordinate all rehearsal schedules with Gail and Loretta.

The Smell of the Kill cast is off-book.  Me and My Girl choreography is complete and in rehearsal.

 

Playreading

Arnie will schedule a meeting asap after Thanksgiving.

Stage and Sound

Tom will check out fluorescent lighting that dims to use upstairs.   The new headsets are ok.

Building

Building committee will schedule a meeting soon.  Issues needed to be fixed are the leak through the air conditioners, the leak over the cinema area and the moldy wall in the upstairs cinema area.

We also have a parking lot situation, potholes, that need immediate attention and Arnie suggests that the three entities meet together to get bids to do the resurfacing.  We should each share in this project equally. 

Entertainment

Opening night parties continue to be successful.  However, we need to make sure that each party does not fall on the same person every time.  GM suggests that two people from the Entertainment Committee work on each of the parties and make sure you have enough help willing to stay and do clean-up.

Membership

The next quarterly membership meeting is scheduled on December 5 at 7:00 p.m.

Need to add the additional meeting for voting to the schedule.  It is June 4.

Other

Arnie will bring suggested by-laws changes to next board meeting.

All directors will be ex officio.  Claudia will review time table issues for the voting committee and do we have other by-laws that are only voted on at general membership meetings?  Once we get proposed changes we will put them on the website as a 30-day notification to the general membership.  Policies and procedures need to be reviewed by persons experienced in each specific job description etc.  Please forward proposed changes to GM for written proposal purposes prior to creation of a new manual.  Claudia says that original policies were written by pulling information from prior board minutes.

Old Business

Regarding the insurance review and appraisal, Claudia had a long talk with Alan Schmitt about the value of the building.  This building was built in 1959 and is in the condition of a building 30 years old.  We are grandfathered in on some things that are not up to code.  We cannot insure this building for replacement value because of its age. If more than 50% is destroyed, we should take the money and look for another place.  It is currently insured for $3 million.  We are considered as 50% of the building and 38 % of the total property.   We are being taxed at $800,000 and the total tax value of building and parking lot is $3.5 million looking at the total square footage 3500 sq ft. (See Claudia’s report)  The question is should we increase the insurance value to $4 million? Remember, we are a one-third vote in this decision. Arnie is not in favor of increasing the insurance and is of the opinion that we should only have what we are required to have and procrastinate as long as we can.    Why not wait until we are asked again by the other two partners to do anything.

Regarding flood insurance on contents, we need to determine the elevation of building?  Find this out.

Anything bolted to floor is considered building and not contents.  Contents are tables, chairs, anything not bolted down.

New Business

Alicia brought us the cinema issues regarding Bob.   We will form an official cinema committee to handle these issues.  Bob refuses to come to board meetings and is not accountable to anyone.  The committee will supervise and require accountability.  Committee will find out what is required of his employees and train one or more persons to run the projector.  (Arnie has called a friend in another area experienced in this and they would be happy to come down and teach us how to run the projector).   We need to be in a position that we can still run the cinema with or without Bob.  Alicia moves to set up a cinema committee, Gail seconds the motion with all in favor.  The committee will be added to the by-laws with Claudia, Arnie and Alicia putting the information together for that purpose.

Good of the order

Tom O’Neil made a motion to adjourn.  Ginger seconded the motion.

Meeting adjourned at 7:21 p.m.