Minutes Friday, February 26, 2010

Location:  Home of Sally Houser, 716 N. Allegheny St., Bellefonte.

Attendance:  JoAnn Knupp (President), Mary McMurtrie (Arts Administrator), True Fisher, Sally Houser, Colina Seeley, Dick Knupp, Maryellen Hill, Laura Goss, Dave Kurtz, Mark Van Horn, Gay & Jim Dunne.  Guest: Holly Wilson, President, HBI

Historic Bellefonte, Inc. (HBI)  (Holly Wilson): HBI is an umbrella organization for the Bellefonte Arts & Crafts Fair, Bellefonte Children's Fair, The Big Spring Festival, The Bellefonte Cruise, The Fall Festival, Bellefonte Victorian Christmas, The Bellefonte Museum, the Garden Club.  Each committee is responsible for raising its own funds.  HBI itself has limited funds. 

     HBI has been in contact with the Central Pennsylvania Convention & Visitors Bureau (CPCVB) about its grant policy.  Any group that brings visitors to Centre County is eligible to apply; 501(c)(3) organizations may apply.   CPCVB has requested that Bellefonte groups with similar activities, such as the Alliance for Bellefonte Community Development (ABCD), HBI and BHCA, should apply as a unit, rather than individually.  CPCVB evaluates on the ability to bring visitors to the area.  Marketing outside of the local area is a factor.  The Artie Shaw Orchestra might fit their criteria; the performance date of May 1 may allow us to apply for a grant for this concert.

     Independent of grants, there are benefits of intergroup communication such as pooling marketing efforts.  BHCA agreed to send a representative to the HBI marketing committee meeting and to send a copy of our minutes to HBI.  There was a brief discussion of marketing as it applies to the Artie Shaw Orchestra concert.

Fund Raising Activities:

1. Barnes & Noble Book Fair - June 25-27   (Joann, Sally, True)  On these dates Barnes & Noble will donate to BHCA a percentage off all book sales which are accompanied by a voucher.  We can distribute the vouchers through June 27 online, at performances & meetings, the Bellefonte Cruise, the Artie Shaw Orchestra Concert, via email attachment and mailings, but not at Barnes & Noble.  We will have a welcome table on Saturday, June 26 with promotional material and representative products of our programs such as art work from the BHCA Gallery at the Gamble Mill, and/or a performance of a group from Summer sounds or Sunday Afternoons at the Library (up to 1 hour).  We need volunteers to be at the table from 9-5.   A motion to proceed (Sally, True) was approved by voice vote.

2. Artie Shaw Orchestra Concert May 1, 8-10 PM   Estimated total cost to put on the concert - $5000.  Ticket printing cost - $78 for numbered tickets (# useful for evaluating the source of sale e.g. group sales, merchant sales, sales by phone, sales at door).  Laura Goss will take phone orders; BHCA will reimburse her for credit card & mailing costs.  Ticket prices set at $25, Groups of 10 or more with prepayment - $20 (Olli, dance groups, jazz groups, Foxdale, the Village).  Complimentary tickets for advertisers, radio show promotions, program ads if we decide to have them.  Ticket sales at door - two people required.  Colina volunteered.  John Zimmerman will let us know if the Middle School and 5th grade jazz bands will perform before the concert; the performers but not their parents will get complimentary tickets.  We have use of the Train Station display case for one week before the concert.  200 posters, underwritten by the Knupps, will be distributed by Sally, Mark (Tyrone) and Tom Wilson.  Maryellen is looking at multimedia advertising: Lock Haven Express underwritten by Logan Branch Insurance, Harrisburg Thursday Arts Supplement, Comcast.  Possible ticket outlets: Woodring’s, Cool Beans, Plumb’s, McLanahan’s.

ABCD Meeting (Dave Kurtz): Dave attended a recent meeting at which waterfront planning was discussed, including the economic value of canoeing.  Dave’s kayak group, Mach I, had 1456 person days in Bellefonte during the past year.  Dave thinks a water park below Lamb Street is practical, offering an economic value to the county.

Victorian Christmas Arts & Crafts Show (Sally Houser)  - Sally & Mary polled all the vendors after the December show.  All but 3 vendors favored a 2 day show.   The consensus of the group was to return to a two day show with hours of 9-5 on Saturday and 11-4 on Sunday.   The Bellefonte Elementary School was very successful in its debut.  Next year: Ralph Vaughan Williams: Quintet In D. Victorian Christmas dates: December 10, 11, & 12.  The Arts & Craft Show announcement and application will be available April 1.

Grants - Maryellen & Jim will work on a Centre County Community Foundation Grant for the Sunday Afternoons at the Library concert series for 2010-11.

Minutes of January 22, 2010 meeting were approved (Gay, True)

Treasurer's Report submitted for this meeting (see below) was approved (Sally, Dave Kurtz)

Next Meeting: Not yet scheduled

                                        Respectfully submitted,  

                                        James Dunne, secretary

BHCA Financial Report

February 26, 2010

ASSETS 2/26/2010                                        

   Checking                                4,645              General BHCA               16,710

   Savings                                          0              Gannon Fund                    1,731          

   MM Fund                             12,088              Talleyrand Park                4,461  

   Post Office Fund                        231              Perform Arts Fund            2,062

   CD’s                                       8,000             TOTAL                           24,964

   TOTAL                                 24,964            

Submitted: David H. Eggler, Treasurer