Present: Ed Paynter, Barb Cesnik, Rob Sherman, Barry Levitt, Carole Francq-Gall, Susan Meyer

Others present:

Deb Boyer

A meeting agenda was proposed and adopted.

The following items were covered at this meeting.

1. Treasurer's Report

   Barry presented the Treasurer's Report for January and February. Since January 1st, the group has lost money on every weekly dance. The application for non-profit status has been filed with the IRS. We should have a determination letter within the next few months. Action: Treasurer's Report was accepted.

2. Board Election

   Discussed the timing of the next board elections. Reviewed the pros and cons of holding the election quickly vs waiting until after Gypsy Moon. Action: Voted to establish a Nominations and Elections Committee to make recommendations. This committee will also be responsible for candidate recruitment, ballot production and distribution.

3. Membership Roster and List Maintenance

   Deb Boyer will continue to maintain the membership roster. Also discussed the other tasks related to mailings and publicity, ie. newsletter production and distribution, flyer production and distribution, e-mail publicity for special dances, web page hosting and updates, ads in NUVO and the Indianapolis Star, etc. Action: Voted to establish a Communications Committee to coordinate these efforts.

4. Volunteer Positions

   Discussed how to fill the vacancies of several volunteer positions. Action: Decided to establish several committees to work on this issue. Each committee would have a director as a member so pertinent items could be relayed to the board. The following committees were established and the indicated directors assigned as liaisons to the board:

   Committee	Liaison
   Nominations and Elections	Susan Meyer
   Communications	(Deb Boyer will assist)
   Talent	Ed Paynter
   Site Set-up	Barry Levitt
   Food	Carole Francq-Gall
   Group Promotion/Dance Recruitment	Rob Sherman
   Special Events	Barb Cesnik

   All board members are responsible for volunteer coordination. By the next board meeting, all directors should have a draft of a "needs list" prepared. Any member willing to serve on a committee should contact the appropriate director.

5. Tamara Lowenthal's Request

   Tamara Lowenthal has offered to do a Quadrille workshop for the Indy group. The board expressed interest in the idea but needs to find out more information about the workshop before making a decision. Action: Susan will contact Tamara and get answers to the Board's questions.

6. Web Page Issues

   The Board would like to find a site that is free, easily accessible, and not tied to any one individual in order to minimize changes. Action: Ed will research options and move our web site. Carole will update the web page, with assistance from Ed and Deb.

7. Children at the Dance

   Discussed creating a policy concerning children at the dance, and more specifically, children in the dance line. Action: Deb will contact other dance groups to see if any have a policy they could share with us. Barry will draft a policy statement. The draft will be posted on the discussion list so other dancers may comment. By March 28th, the group will implement a policy on this issue.

8. State Fair Group Promotion Ideas

   Action: Postponed until the next board meeting.

9. Indiana Historical Society (IHS) dance

   The IHS has expressed interest in having the contra group hold an afternoon dance at their July 22nd festival. IHS will fund 2 musicians and a caller for a one hour dance. The specific time and location are yet to be determined. Action: The board was concerned about the liklihood of enough experienced dancers participating considering that we have a monthly Saturday dance that same night. Barry will contact the IHS for more information on time and specific location (size and surface). The board will then make a decision accepting or rejecting their offer.

10. Update the Mailing List

    We are currently mailing dance information to more than 200 individuals. Deb reviewed the mailing list with the board and asked if any deletions were necessary. Action: The board requested that local dancers who have not attended the dance in more than a year be deleted from the mailing list.

11. Gypsy Moon Ball Update

    Discussed the status of bands and callers for Gypsy Moon Ball. We do not have a second band as yet.

12. Next Meeting

    The next board meeting will be Wednesday, May 24th from 7-9pm at the Sierra Club offices. Topics to be discussed include the State Fair dance, Gypsy Moon Ball, and the process for negotiating dance space for next year.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Meyer