Organization > Chapters > Greater Philadelphia > Minutes and Reports
Minutes
January 22, 2004, Meeting
The Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Visual Resources Association met at 1:10 p.m., January 22, 2004, in St. Augustine Center at Villanova University. This meeting was to replace the fall 2003 meeting. Attending were Alice Bampton, Villanova University; Cara Burns, Rosemont College; Carol Campbell, Bryn Mawr College; Heather Glaser, University of Pennsylvania; Celia Martin, Philadelphia Museum of Art; Mary Wasserman, Philadelphia Museum of Art; and Kay Wood, an artist and graphic designer.
Carol Campbell, Chair person, reported that our annual report is due to national on February 9, 2004, and a mid-year report will be due in June. She also reported that the meeting notice went out, in addition to VRA members in the Greater Philadelphia area, to the regional national members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. Carol noted that our chapter began in the spring of 1998 and we were formally organized in 1999 with the adoption of by-laws.
Carol announced that the national board requires local groups to collect dues with a suggested minimum of $10 per year per member for dues. Our group had not collected dues until June 2003 when we voted to collect $5.00 per member. However, only two members paid dues for that year, giving us a treasury of $10, too little to open a bank account. A discussion followed regarding how to handle dues collected from institutional members (who constitute approximately half of our active members). The national board has informed us that institutional members must pay local dues individually. Until now anyone belonging to national who attended one local meeting was counted as a chapter member. Banking issues were discussed and Carol announced that these would be resolved by the new officers.
Carol called for a discussion regarding Greater Philadelphia Area Chapter dues for 2004, noting that Joan Beaudoin and Laura Grutzeck, who were unable to attend, were in favor of collecting dues. Members present questioned the purpose of dues and we decided that it would be "to support future programs and attendance at conferences." After further discussion Celia Martin moved that we collect dues of $10 per year per member. Alice Bampton seconded the motion and the motion was carried.
Carol asked if in the annual report due February 9 we want to request supporting funds from national. The consensus was that we are not structured for this yet. However, Mary Wassermann suggested that we should be planning for a collaborative effort with another group.
Since Carol's two year term as Chair person is completed and she is unable to accept another term we must elect a new chair person. According to our Bylaws, Articles IV and V, Heather Glaser is the next candidate for chair person. She agreed to serve. Mary Wasserman moved to accept Heather as our new Chair person; Cara Burns seconded the motion and the motion passed.
Although our Bylaws Article V has worked well for the past five years, national does not approve and it must be revised. The proposed revision is that if we have ten or less dues paying members and no one responds to the Chair's request for a volunteer, the Chair will go down the membership list alphabetically for the new Chair person. If we have over ten members, then we shall have a two member Nominating Committee. After discussion we decided that the 2003 Chair shall rewrite Article V and resubmit it to Heather, the new Chair person, for presentation at the first meeting (spring) of 2004. The new national President, Kathe Albrecht, takes office in March. If approved at the spring meeting, the revised Article V can go to Kathe, or be submitted in the Mid-Year Report in June (under "Board Action Requested").
Carol brought up the availability of $ 100 support from the national Education Committee for a conference workshop registration in Portland, OR in March. Joan Beaudoin received a belated reimbursement for a workshop she attended at the national conference in Houston in 2003. If Heather finds that she can go to the 2004 annual conference, Carol will submit her name for the $100 support. There was no response for other nominees from chapter members when polled by e-mail before this chapter meeting.
For Membership Outreach Carol sends announcements to <vrap-l> and to others not on <vrap-l.> Mary Wasserman is willing to continue outreach with local library schools.
Carol reported that several points in the national strategic plan are useful: to encourage more contact among chairs with an electronic list and to have an expanded chair workbook on the web.
There will be a four day Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management at Duke University in July 2004 with faculty drawn from VRA and Duke University. Mary Wassermann provided handouts and noted that electronic registration will become available in February. This is a "key training area" designed to aid in the transition from analog to digital with space for fifteen to forty attendees.
Carol announced that our national contacts are Jenni Rodda, New York University, membership coordinator; Caroline Luccareli, Pennsylvania State University, our liaison for the Education Committee; and Kristin Solias, at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, who is preparing an electronic bi-monthly newsletter, with chapter news, to all members of VRA on <VRA-L>.
The location for the next meeting will be determined later.
The business meeting was adjourned. Refreshments were served, followed by a visit to the Villanova University Art Gallery in the Connelly Center where Alice spoke about the Villanova art collection.
Alice Bampton, Secretary
