Florida Chapter Meeting Minutes

Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009 — Boca Raton, FL

Kellie Woodward of Vizcaya Museum Cafe & Gift Shop called the meeting to order at 11 a.m.

PRESENT

Seventeen members were in attendance: Terry Aulisio, Diane Bilodeau, Heather Blades-Premet, Sarah Brutschy, Mari Bueno, Sallie Chisholm, Sandra Sue Dent, Lucia Gates, Karen Anne Gilbert, Susan Keller, Ava Maxwell, Kris Northrup, Audrie Rañon, Lawrence Singer, Laura Toia, Joy Wallace and Kellie Woodward. Also in attendance were Nancy Fowles and Sally Glenn of the Museum of Art – Fort Lauderdale.

OLD BUSINESS

The May 2 meeting minutes were reviewed prior to the meeting. A motion was made to approve the minutes of May 2, 2009, and was seconded.

Lawrence Singer reported the chapter bank balance is $288.

The officers were introduced: Kellie Woodward, president, Lawrence Singer, vice president, and Terry Aulisio, secretary.

A recap was given of MSA benefits, MSA money-saving programs and of the 2009 MSA Retail Industry Report. Participants in the MSA Industry Report Survey were thanked.

MSA materials and various marketing tools were distributed and discussed, including: The Cultural Traveler, ShopTalk, MSA’s Facebook page and MSA's strategic alliance with Shop America Alliance. Attendees were encouraged to attend Sunday’s social marketing workshop focusing on Facebook and Twitter.

The next topic was MSA’s green initiatives. Now available via MSA's Web site, Museum Store Marketplace is where members can access vendors’ contact information. Also, the Web site has chapter updates, minutes of past meetings and MSA Conference information – the MSA Web site is a good resource. Members are encouraged to think green with their own publications.

NEW BUSINESS

The next MSA Conference & Expo is in Austin, TX, April 17 – 19, 2010. Ava Maxwell explained the Sam Greenberg Scholarship for members who would be first-time attendees.

Discussed again is the request to make the MSA Conference more affordable to smaller museums not able to finance attendance at the three-day Conference & Expo, but could perhaps afford a day pass, and to bring this suggestion before the MSA board or directors.

Possible cities discussed for the next chapter meeting were Gainesville and Tallahassee. Suggestions were made to have the meeting in conjunction with a tradeshow or with the Florida Association of Museums (FAM) annual conference. A meeting in a university city should easily provide resources needed for the educational component, which is vital to us, to our organizations and to our chapter’s growth.

A new group project was discussed and examples were given. It was suggested that a percentage of the proceeds could go into the educational fund.

Also brought to the floor’s attention is that not all chapters, including Florida, are represented on the National Committee. Ava Maxwell then read from MSA’s national by-laws. These would need to be changed to allow an increase from five to eight members on the National Committee, to ensure equal representation of each chapter, thus diversifying the nominees and consequently, the national board.

A motion was made and seconded to form a chapter committee, to represent our desire to increase our regional meetings’ educational content and toward equal representation of our chapter at the national level. This committee will explore options for generating funds to pay for honorariums, presenters, etc., and for a possible scholarship fund to attend our chapter meetings. Kellie Woodward said she will contact the national office regarding equal representation. Karen Anne Gilbert, Lawrence Singer, and Ava Maxwell volunteered to be on the committee.

It was requested that we notify MSA headquarters of any changes in membership, as has been done in the past. If members are aware of changes, they are to inform one of the Florida chapter officers, who will then forward it to the national office.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The following hosts of the weekend — the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the Henry M. Flagler Museum, The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, and the Norton Museum of Art — were thanked.

ADJOURNED

The meeting was adjourned at 1:04 p.m.