Present: Beryl Falcone, Bill Monroe, Dale Bartlett, Gordon Spink, Henry Nelson, Jim McCaffrey, John Whitwell
Guests: Lynn Brown, Gary Baron, R.J. Bullock
Secretary's Report
Treasurer's Report
Old Business
Band Director's Report - John Whitwell: John Whitwell reported he would be on sabbatical leave Spring Term thus John Madden would be in charge of the Spring Alumni and Student Band concert. If we have any suggestions for the Spring Alumni Concert, let Madden know. He also announced that John Madden was with the Spartan Marching Band today in Detroit at an Open Clinic for the Detroit Public Schools. Whitwell also reported on the many good things that have recently happened to the Band Program in the School of Music ("things just came together with a new dean, a new provost and a new athletic director"): We now have a third band director (tenure track), the Spartan Marching Band Director position has been moved into the School of Music (also in the tenure track), the Athletic Department is permanently committed (in writing) to contributing to the School of Music operating funds, money for uniform and instruments. Whitwell is chair of the search and selection committee for the tenure track position for the Spartan Marching Band Director and John Madden is a candidate for the position. The University requires a national search. The position has also been upgraded from what it was previously. A final decision will be made in the next few months. Whitwell also addressed the status of the new School of Music Building. The marching band building will not be a separate item and will be discussed/included with the planning for the School of Music building. It will go forth as one proposal.
Executive Secretaries Report - Beryl Falcone: General comments were made on the Fall Reunion. Beryl also distributed handouts that will be discussed at the next Board Meeting.
President's Report - Bill Monroe: Status of Encore - The last issue cost more than previously because there was a need to get it out and mailed as soon as possible. Also, all the cost of this issue was absorbed by the Alumni Band. Some previous issue costs were not fully carried by the Alumni Band. As discussed previously, all members (paid or not) would get the one general issue (Summer Issue) in the fall. There will be two other issues going only to the paid members. There was a general discussion about the future publications. The first issue to be resolved is that we need an Editor and a Publisher. Motion made and seconded and passed that Bill Monroe will be editor and Jim McCaffrey will do the publishing and the two will start work on the next issue. As an example of what other alumni bands do, John Whitwell gave Gordon Spink a copy of the publication of the Alumni Band of the University of Michigan.
Fall Band Reunion: The problem of members registering late is still a big problem, particularly for John Madden. It is also a problem for the people registering them that morning. On the field it takes up valuable time in trying to fit them into the formations. The feeling of the Board is that a deadline is important and members should be able to understand this. A full disucssion was held by the Board of this topic. A suggestion was made to increase the late fee to $25 and also if persons do not register by the deadline, they would be told that they could march to the stadium with the Alumni Band, sit in the stands with them, but they would not be allowed to perform on the field. (Also, members signing up late would not be guaranteed box lunches.) This is the policy of Western Michigan and it works for them and they are very happy with it. Bill Monroe will discuss this with John Madden.
Gordon Spink made the recommendation that we have the MSU Athletic Office handle all the requests and mailing of football tickets for the family members of the Alumni Band. We spend too much time on fulfilling ticket orders. Since the Athletic Ticket Office no longer offers a group rate, there is no advantage for persons to buy the tickets through us. The Athletic Ticket Office could set aside a block of tickets so family members would be sitting together in the stands. We would send out the ticket form with the other information about the Fall Reunion and members would send the form and the money directly to the Athletic Ticket Office and they would mail the tickets to each person.
Internet Connectivity: Bill Monroe announced that within two or three weeks he would be on AOL. The Board gave him a standing ovation with that news.
University Archives and Historical Collections: R.J.Bullock provided a very detailed report on his activities with the University Archives and Historical Collections. Bullock went over in detail his work on his project to locate, preserve and digitize the older video and audio recordings of the MSU Spartan Marching Band. He also discussed the "Falcone Collection." He encouraged the Board access the University Archives and Historical Collections' Online Exhibit of Falcone materials - http://www.msu.edu/unit/msuarhc/falcone1.htm. Bullock made a proposal to spend up to $2,000 to digitize the oldest collection of film. That will be considered at the next Board meeting. The Board really appreciated all the work that Bullock had done and were also very excited about what could be done to properly preserve the Falcone Collection.
Next Meeting: It was determined that the NEXT MEETING of the MSU Alumni Band would be January 7, 2001 2 pm, Buddies, Okemos.
Meeting adjourned.
(Minutes by Gordon Spink)