General Interest Articles from our 2004 Grapevine Newsletter
The Year in Review • Conference Moves to a New Location • From the Business Manager
From the Secretary: THE YEAR 2003 IN REVIEW
Leanne Johnson
‘Twas the week after Solstice,
And all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring,
Except the Northland's secretary's mouse.
A year's worth of board minutes
Were stacked up with care,
So many great achievements and
Memories to share!
The January meeting had gone
Without any hitch.
We (temporarily) lost Gwen,
But Hardy filled in the niche.
Committee reports were
Robustly proclaimed.
Youth voices were planned
And membership acclaimed.
Grants and loans were scrutinized,
And apprentices challenged,
New board nominations pondered,
And the budget? It balanced!
Final Spring Conference details
And National Conference clatter
Melted away into more pleasant
Madision guild hosting and chatter.
Then up came bright April!
And back to our Conference roots,
As "We are the Old People"
Welcomed record numbers of Newts.
The board met that Sunday,
And compiled a "We Done Good" List.
Then set next year's bar higher with a
"But, We're Still Not Perfect" List.
Board orientation packets were discussed
For newts Lucia and Steve,
Presenter memberships debated,
And more grants and loans received.
After summer's long sojourn,
(With our great representation at National)
The September meeting graced us
With new roles directional.
Committees reformed and regrouped,
A yearly schedule was arranged,
Grants and loans (again!) were reviewed,
Then the room we disarranged…
As we tackled Spring Conference planning!
With 70-plus proposal choices,
How could we possibly squeeze in
So many excellent voices?
With HoJo now too small
And Edgewood College now too expensive
Karen and Don found a new site,
The Edgewater – reasonably priced, eclectic, and expansive!
At the eclipse in November
We gathered once more,
To toast our progress during the year,
While a bonfire roared on the shore.
A long-range planning session was scheduled,
Staff support was reviewed,
Conference details confirmed,
Next year's budget previewed.
It's been a great year,
And we've all done our best,
Some folks will be stepping down
To a well-deserved rest.
Others will keep working,
And traveling far,
You're invited to join us!
Wherever you are.
My mouse now is tired,
So I'll just say "good night."
Happy 2004 to all!
We're doing all right.
Respectfully submitted,
(with apologies to C. Clement Moore)
Leanne Johnson, Secretary
CONFERENCE MOVES TO A NEW LOCATION
It was obvious to us at last year's conference that we had outgrown our present locations. Our biggest challenge was to find a facility to hold the conference for a price that wouldn't blow everyone away. We also knew from our member's requests that we needed the entire conference to be held in one space. So, with the help of the Madison Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, we requested proposals from establishments in and around the Madision area. These places included hotels, retreat centers, college campuses, business campuses, etc.
Don Falkos and Karen Wollscheid visited those places that met our financial and space requirements. We think you will be pleased with our new conference site.
This year's conference will be held at The Edgewater Hotel - Madison's only lakefront hotel. We have reserved the entire hotel for our conference. There is plenty of parking spots available in the parking garage. All rooms have been blocked for Northland's attendees at $89 a night. We have more than enough room for all our workshops. And the hall is large enough to accommodate up to 600 people for our concerts.
We are all excited with the possibilities that this new site opens up to us.
FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER
Karen Wollscheid
I have thoroughly enjoyed the last two years working with Northlands. The board of directors is very dedicated to the Northlands' mission, and works hard to meet the member's needs. Believe it or not, I also enjoy the weekend-long board meetings! It is great to work with people who can dedicate long hours to work, and also find time for fun.
The difficult part of my job is to inform this group of people that Northland's business outlook isn't as bright as they would hope. Following is a summary:
Key Points
• In 2002 expenses were greater than income
• In 2003 expenses were even greater than income
The Good News
• Past financial stewardship created the cushion to absorb these 2 years of loss
Explanation of Increased Expenses
• Facility rental costs and food costs have significantly increased over the years: approximately 70%
• Conference registration fees have not increased in proportion to costs: NSN absorbed over $42 per conference attendee at last year's conference.
• Conference must pay not only for itself but must pay all Northlands expenses: grants, administration, meetings, publications, etc.
• Re-institution of grants program
• Accurate reporting of true costs: fewer unrecorded and/or unreimbursed expenses by board members (meetings, postage, printing, phone, advertising, etc.)
• More accurate reporting/reimbursement of administrative costs in producing the conference (postage, printing, phone, etc.)
What Northlands must do to stay financially viable:
• Increase conference registration fees to reflect the true cost of facility rental, food, and presenter fees
• Apply for grant funding & request donations
• Continue to shop around for best prices on facilities, printing, supplies, etc.
• Advertise our concerts in the conference city to generate public attendance