Ballroom Dance Club of Fairbanks, Inc.

ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES
November 21, 2003

Meeting called to order at 6:45 P.M.
Quorum met
Board Members Present: Terry Daniel, Don Turner, Patty Davis, Richard Kemnitz.
Members present: Nina Tartakoff, Margo Matthews, Terri Barbers, Debbie Gudschinsky, Dee Carpenter, Luke Hopkins, Elyse Guttenberg, Jeanne Daniel, Sue Trabke, Bruce Lougheed, Kurt Byers (by proxy)

Agenda:
Minutes from previous meeting report were not available.

Treasurer's Report:
The Certificate of deposit was renewed and earned $116.62 interest. The current balance is $7,879.21 earning 1.75% yearly. The checking account is $10,129.66 not including outstanding checks. Earning from dance classes were approximately $7,000.00 the second session brought in approximately $3,000.00 +/- $100.00 before expenses. Money is approximately the same as last year. Instructor's payments were discussed. Patty stated the correct and most accurate way to pay the instructors, would be to pay them every week, based on the number students. However for several reasons they are paid on the 1st week based on attendance of the 1st week. The next week they are paid for the paid in full students and at the end they are paid for the drop in's.
Terri Babers proposed that we establish a contract for instructors. Amended to advise new board to consider a contract for instructors. Motion carried.

Committee Reports

Programs: We have good instructors. The students are happy. New January classes proposed: Social Ease 2, Rumba/Cha-Cha, American Tango, Ivette and Angel will continue teaching beginning and intermediate Salsa. Judy Kreith will teach Beginning West Coast Swing.
It was moved and 2nd that the 2 dance practice CD's (Waltz and Foxtrot) and (East Coast Swing) produced by Richard Kemnitz and Don Turner be sold for $15.00 each.

Communication: Terri Babers will continue with some of the communication. The question came up how are people finding out about the dance classes Terri brought up display ads, Sue mentioned the use of the News Miner - free What's Happening, Events Arts and Entertainment. Send Email to KUAC, The Web site cost $130.00 per year. Patty Davis picks up the mail.

Membership:
We have 106 members as our new year begins. Last year we had 96.

Social Activities:
The Symphony Ball grossed $8000.00 expenses were approximately $3,500. It will be put on again next year. Starlight Ball Feb 7th 2004 at the Convention Center $720 for hall rent.

Facilities:
The club donated a new refrigerator which all are enjoying. Everything appears to be okay.

Presidents Report:
It is attached

Old Business

IRS Status
The club received approval for Non Profit Status for 7 years. Will have to re apply at the end of that time. Not for Profit Tax returns will have to be prepared.

Litigation:
$4,500 was set-aside for the attorney. The CD burner was returned to the club by Zitos. It was judged to be technically obsolete and of no use or commercial value at this point.

Bylaw Revisions
Patty Davis moved to accept the Bylaws as revised and approved by email poll of the membership. Seconded and approved.

New Business

Nominations for new Board Members
The following were nominated:
Don Turner
Judy Kreith
Jerry Blemke
Dee Carpenter
Bruce Loughheed
Mary Christensen
Sue Trabke
Ballets will be sent via email

Membership Comments
Many comments were received all very positive and encouraging.

Adjournment

Motioned to adjourn by Sue Trabke seconded by Richard Kemnitz at 8:30 P.M.
Presients Letter:

President's Report 2003

As I look back on the accomplishments of the past year, I'm impressed at what we've been able to do together as club members, board members and friends to enhance and enjoy this wonderful dance club.

Accomplishments of the Past Year

Facility
Our club is financially strong and healthy and we have taken some of those funds and put them to use in enhancing the Dance Hall.

Sound Reinforcement
Speakers - We now own a set of powered JBL speakers, which provide excellent sound reinforcement for our dance music at the Hall. These speakers are also portable so we are able to detach them from the wall mounts and carry them to events offsite. The speakers made their premier this year at the Starlight Ball in February where they provided dance music between the sets of the live band. In addition we have purchased a number of miscellaneous devices to simplify the connection of the DJ box as well as the Bose system to the new speakers.

Wireless microphone - We've recently purchased a wireless microphone for the instructor to use during lessons to help the student to hear, especially in larger class venues.

Refrigerator - As the existing Hall refrigerator was beginning to fail, our club was able to purchase and donate the new refrigerator with icemaker for the enjoyment of all clubs and dancers at the Dance Hall. This donation was well received by all the member clubs that use the Hall and we should all be proud that we were able to make this donation to support all types of dancing in and around Fairbanks.

Classes & Workshops
Our lesson year ended in May and we had good attendance levels at all of our classes and anticipated picking up where we left off to begin the fall. Unfortunately, we were faced with the loss of our only instructor right before the fall session was due to kick off.

With a little arm twisting our former instructor, Jerry Blemke, agreed to take on the Monday night classes for the first fall session. An emergency members' meeting was called to brainstorm possible solutions for continuing Wednesday lessons. We had a great turnout and many wonderful ideas were submitted for the board to follow up.

We have filled the gap with Latin instructors Angel & Ivette Ramos and LB who have exceeded expectations and are packing out classes with their Latin expertise. Contact was made with the exceptional dance team of Wade Godfrey and Tanya Clayton who agreed to step into Jerry's footsteps and they are now taking on the Monday night smooth and swing dance lessons. Our only hole appears to be we have no qualified WCS instructor at this time.

Also we were able to bring Tango instructors, Frank Canha and Janice Faber up from Anchorage this summer to give a weekend workshop. All who attended the workshop raved about it and there have been requests for more of these types of events. Since we are on sound financial footing, we will be making more efforts to have periodic weekend workshops focusing on different dance styles. We are already in the advance planning stages for a weekend workshop to be scheduled in the not to distant future. Further announcements as plans solidify.

Richard Kemnitz and Don Turner are collaborating on converting Jerry's VCR tape into computer playable format and eventually into DVD format. They are bringing in their laptops so that we can have easier access to these learning tools during practice times.
Concerns
Volunteers Desperately Needed
We have VERY important club roles that need urgent filling for the club to remain viable and healthy. These positions include:

Program Committee - workers needed
Social Activities Committee - chair vacant and workers needed
Facilities Committee - chair vacant and workers needed
Membership Committee - workers needed
Starlight Ball Committee - Jeanne Daniel and Linda Gilhuly have agreed to co-chair

Acknowledgements and Thank you's
I want to take this opportunity to thanks each and every member of the board that I have served with over the past year. Each of you has contributed uncountable hours and in innumerable ways to keeping us on track. Each of you has given unselfishly of your time and talents and I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for each of you. THANK YOU!! We've made a great team and I look forward to working with each of you down the road.

Thanks also to those individuals and couples who have contributed their time and efforts in hosting a dance or practice, brought food, helped open/close the hall or helped in cleanup. Your help has been and will always be appreciated. Your assistance no matter how small or insignificant it might seem to you has contributed to the success of this club.

I'm looking forward to what the New Year might bring. We have a very talented group of individuals that have expressed interest in serving on the Board of Directors and I'm excited about having fresh faces and new ideas that will continue to make this the greatest Ballroom Dance Club in Alaska.

Respectfully submitted,

Terry Daniel
President