Minnstf board meeting, July 27, 6pm by videoconference.

Attending board members: Linda Lounsbury, Scott Raun,
Aaron Vander Giessen, Matt Strait (recording).

Non-attending board member: Eric Forste.

== Approve last meeting's minutes ==

Approved!

== TODO list ==

* (2020-06) Scott will finish writing up how he has done the Einblatt
for Osce.

Scott has done this, and sent it to Osce.

* (2020-06) Does Con or Bust still exist? Scott will find out. He'll
also look into other organizations we might support for supporting fans
of color.

Scott reports Con or Bust is dormant at best, has gotten some
suggestions and is continuing to look into other possibilities. Scott
thinks we should focus on our book donations idea and perhaps circle
back to other ideas once we've accomplished that. He has a lead for
suggestions when we're ready: Shannon Gibney, a Minnesota author and fan
of color.

* (2020-06) Eric will run proposed virtual meeting bylaws language past
Laura and Michael.

Eric is not here to report.

Done:

* (2020-06) Matt will find out about getting Osce a Dreamhost panel
account, or whatever the minimum needed is so he can administer the
Einblatt announce list.

Matt got info from DD-B and passed it on to Scott, who passed it on to
Osce.

* (2020-06) Scott will talk to Jonathan about whether we can donate
to Uncle Hugo's. He'll also find out the rules for giving to other
non-profits.

Jonathan says that we are NOT allowed to give money directly to
for-profits. We can buy stuff from them if it matches our purpose,
though.

* (2020-06) Aaron will remind concoms how voting status works. He'll
also prod the Minicon 55 chairs into thinking about whether a concom
meeting is needed, etc.  Done.

* (2020-06) Matt will make a mailing list for officers to announce board
meetings to them. Done, and e-mailed them the info for this meeting.

== Review recurring task list ==

* Did our domains get renewed?  Yes, Scott says.

* We should send bills for past due accounts.  Matt will do this.

* Shall we get a report from the Quartermaster? We'd at least like to
hear a confirmation that our stuff is still at the storage locker (and
that the storage company isn't about to auction it off), with that
information coming from someone who's seen it less than 6 months ago. So
if Joe could go over there and just verify that, that's as much report
as we want at the moment.

== Assumed name ==

Our assumed name renewal for "Minicon" was accepted on 6/15/2020. Our
next deadline is December 2021, right? Right. We could renew at any time
during 2021.  We now have a recurring task for this, right next to the
Secretary of State renewal on the list.

== Bylaws amendments ==

* Do we need modified voting eligibility for the 2021 board elections?
Because of the pandemic, so far this year we've only had one
semi-in-person Minnstf meeting, plus three virtual (as of Aug 1) and no
general concom meetings. This doesn't work very well for long-time club
members who don't find virtual meetings appealing.

Matt proposes that we make everyone who was a voting member for the 2020
election also a voting member for 2021, plus anyone who gets 5 meetings
this year, counting virtual meetings as we have been. We note this does
lock out people who both (a) just joined the club and (b) don't like
attending virtual meetings. This is probably a rare case, but just in
case, we'll put out the word that if someone feels locked out, they can
petition the board and we will listen. Scott suggests that Matt write an
exact sentence to that effect that we can announce. Matt agrees.

This requires a bylaws amendment. Matt will write up language for that.

* The suitability of a proposed amendment about virtual meetings is
under discussion.

We haven't gotten feedback on this, but it can hang out while we work on
other language.

* We previously agreed to add a sentence at the end of III.3: "Only
hand-marked paper ballots shall be used." Let's keep copying this into
each set of minutes until we adopt it.

* Scott points out that our procedure for making bylaws amendments
official have posting them at meetings as one possible route. We should
amend the bylaws to clarify that this can be done at a virtual meeting.


== Donations ==

* Emily asked us by e-mail just before the meeting whether she can post
to all of our social media things suggesting people donate to GPS. We'll
tell her yes (and that she didn't need to ask us permission). Aaron will
tell her.

* Should we donate to GPS? They have to keep paying rent and utilities,
but because of the pandemic, they have lost most/all income.

We quickly review our finances. We all agree on a $500 donation. For
implementation, we'll send them a check so they get all the money (no
gofundme or credit card or whatever fees). We already send them a check
every year as part of our partnership agreement, so this is easy. Scott
will talk to Carol about cutting them a check.

* Should we buy $1000 of books by Black authors and donate them to
school libraries and community centers? Variant idea: $1000 of any SF
books and donate them to schools libraries/community centers/schools
serving people of color?

We all approve. Aaron prefers the variant, and specifically suggests
giving to the Hennepin County Library.

Matt suggests appointing a speaker-to-Don to organize this purchase from
Uncle Hugo's. Linda agrees to be speaker-to-Don, and she will figure out
the best places to send the books and the way they will physically get
from A to B.

Should we also spread the love with a purchase from Dreamhaven? Sure,
let's do that. Matt will be speaker-to-Greg. We'll buy $300 and they'll
also go to Linda for distribution.

* Are there any fannish organizations supporting fans of color that we
can/should donate to? The Carl Brandon Society? "Sends a writer of color
to Clarion or Out of Excuses on a full scholarship, resurrecting awards
to books by writers of color or about dealing with issues of race and
ethnicity."

As above, we'll think about this later after we accomplish the book
donations.

Scott notes that promoting Native American authors and readers should be
included in our goals as well as Black authors and readers, and perhaps
also Asian authors and readers. No one objects to this.


== Conventions ==

Minicon 55 in 2020: Aaron says:

"Reached out, ended up talking to manager/general manager for DoubleTree
Saint Louis Park and received an email from them confirming that we do
not owe them any money.

"Further, and actually a surprise to me, they have rolled our entire
deposit to next year [$600], which means in essence they did us a
'solid' in that our meeting rooms for concom (and the extension on that
space for the Pool Party) were free.

"I only mention that as that is absolutely something they did not need
to do. Also, as suspected the Catering/Convention sales team is on
furlough."

* Minicon 55 in 2021

Aaron did get in contact with Don and Sharla. There are, as yet, no
meetings scheduled or other updates. We should invite them to the next
board meeting; Aaron will do this. We need to discuss the possibility of
an in-person Minicon but with many fewer members, because even if the
pandemic is easing by April, and even if Minicon takes all appropriate
precautions, many people will decide not to go to large gatherings.
Hopefully the hotel will work with us to make that a financially viable
option. We think this is likely, but have not opened the conversation.

* Minicon 56

A couple of months ago Don and Sharla said "maybe" when asked if they
were still chairing Minicon 56 given that it will be in 2022. We'll ask
them again when we meet.

* Decongestant 5

Matt expects that he will cancel it in a few weeks. In case there's a
miracle, he's waiting until we're coming closer to the pre-reg and hotel
reservation deadlines. He'd like to make this one of those "postponed to
2021" things, but we'll need a 2021 hotel contract for that.

* Decongestant 6

Y'know. We'll talk more later.

* Minneapolis in 2073

No update.

== Picnic ==

Linda asks if there's any interest in a picnic this summer. Outside
events are pretty safe if you stay 6' apart and wear masks. Scott notes
that the result of a poll on natter was that very few people would come.
Doesn't seem worth scheduling a picnic for 3-5 probable attendees.

== Next meeting ==

Aug 10, 6pm, on Jitsi. Possibly to be rescheduled if it means Don and
Sharla can make it.


== New TODO list ==

* (2020-07) As he will do every time, Matt will announce the next
meeting to all our officers.

* (2020-06) Eric will run proposed virtual meeting bylaws language past
Laura and Michael.

* (2020-07) Matt will send bills for past due accounts.

* (2020-07) Matt will talk to Quartermaster Brother Joe about making
sure our stuff is still in the storage locker.

* (2020-07) Matt will write a sentence that says that people can
petition the board if they feel they are being locked out of voting
status for 2021.

* (2020-07) Matt will write up language for the bylaws to allow the
pandemic voting member rules we want. And the rules for announcing
amendments needs to be updated.

* (2020-07) Scott will talk to Carol about sending a $500 check to GPS.

* (2020-07) Linda will talk to Don at Uncle Hugo's about us buying
$1000 of books by authors of color from him and sending them to
libraries/community centers/etc. to (predominately) reach readers of
color.

* (2020-07) Matt will talk to Greg at Dreamhaven about us buying $300 of
books, as above.

* (2020-07) Aaron will invite Don and Sharla to the next board meeting,
and maybe the one after that if necessary.


>> Perpetually recurring items for next time

* Approve last meeting's minutes
* Review TODO list
* Review recurring task list
* Conventions
* Next meeting