Meeting Minutes – Dec. 11, 2007

Location – Frankie Doodle's Restaurant, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Michele Martin, Webmaster

Jim has done considerable homework regarding the necessity of getting IRS recognition as a Non-Profit Organization, and found that we will not be able to deduct any contributions without it. There are other aspects which make it necessary, as well, but it also takes 6 months before the IRS will even tell us whether they will grant the status. On that basis, we have decided to set the issue aside for now, and work with Kelly Croft on getting grants. She will help us with the paperwork. We also recognized that producing the May show is top priority for now and after the holidays we will meet with Kelly and Marie Malloy to seek donors. However, KKZX has just undergone a downsizing and everyone including Marie is now very occupied. We will work with her when she has time to be available.

Discussion later in the meeting brought forth the uncomfortable reminders that we have virtually no member participation, and that we will be electing new officers in May. We are currently very pessimistic that dedicated people will step forward to carry on the efforts, and the point has been made that if we somehow get money from donors, and then the efforts dissipate, there will never be any money coming from those donors again. We need to demonstrate that the Association is viable and active, if not growing, in order to secure money from sponsors. Presently, we are unable to demonstrate that, much less guarantee it. This is a serious issue, for which we currently have no answers or solutions.

David Wright responded with information about Reece Anderson and Bobby Black. Reece will want $800, room and airfare, and Bobby will want $600, room and airfare or gas money to drive here. Reece also wants to do a seminar, and will contribute some of the income from that to us. So far, we are holding off on responding, since we are without funds to commit to them.

Leonard Martinez, who works with Tom Palmer on guitar covers, called to ask us our plans for May. We will contact him after the holidays to let him know what we are doing.

Russ suggested that we do a telephone campaign to find 6 people who would donate $50 each, and we could raise the $300 IRS filing fee. He said he would donate $50 himself. The suggestion was positively received, but no direct action was taken. Jim said he would contact John Graham and Kelly Hydorn along those lines, remarking that they both are go-getter types who could possibly make some things happen.

There was further discussion about the kinds of requirements we would need to meet, should any donors step forward with money. We will need to show viability, as mentioned, plus show that they would indeed receive value for their contributions. This would mostly be recognition, but they will want to see that we are indeed promoting steel guitar in the community in a much more aggressive manner than currently. We again recognized how much we suffer from the lack of participation, and are seriously concerned about the future of the Association. This will have to be addressed after the holidays are behind us and people can devote attention to such matters.

The next meeting will be at Frankie Doodle's Restaurant, January 8, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 PM.

Meeting Minutes – Nov. 20, 2007

Location – Valley Rosauer's cafe, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer

This meeting was not well attended, and could only serve as a means for updating progress on activity. It was brought to order at 6:04 PM.

Jack brought a balance sheet which showed that, after paying our website hosting fee and reimbursing Michele for the Nonprofit filing fee, our balance stands at $343.34.

Jim reported that he has had very positive response from Marie Malloy, who is enthusiastic about working with us and put together a draft proposal for prospective clients. The idea at present is to benefit both NWSGA and the client through advertisement on KKZX. A client would give NWSGA money and receive a large number of free minutes of radio advertising time for their venture. There was no real inspection of the proposal yet, as it is a draft and we had too few members present to adequately discuss it. Marie will be putting together her list of potential clients. We are told that ExpressJet, based here, flies to Sacramento and LA, and we will approach them to see if they can provide sponsorship through free travel for such people as David Wright and the Strangers. Jim also spoke with Kelly Croft, who will confer with us on obtaining grants.

Jim said he had talked to David Wright about contacting Bobby Black and Reese Anderson, but had not heard back from him.

Jim has been asking at the radio station about computers in hopes of finding one for Michele, and results are slow in coming. After some discussion, he realized he might have one himself which could be suitable.

Chris presented IRS forms regarding getting recognition as a Non-Profit organization. The IRS wants to know great detail about our finances, both present status and future expectations, and there is a $300 fee to file the application. This seemed to be a great burden for possibly little return, so Jim said he would ask Marie and Kelly how it might hinder us to not have IRS recognition.

The next meeting will be at Frankie Doodle's Restaurant, December 11, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 PM.

Meeting Minutes – Oct. 30, 2007

Location – Frankie Doodle's Restaurant, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Michele Martin, Webmaster

Jack was not present, so there was no Treasurer's report.

Michele presented the certificate we received from Olympia showing NWSGA as a Non-profit Corporation in Washington. Jim thanked her for the work she did getting this done, and Chris for writing the bylaws in electronic form and the articles of incorporation so the submission could be made. We now have to file a Master Business application with the County, and an application for recognition as non-profit by the IRS. At this time, we are official enough that we could begin talking to organizations with an eye toward getting sponsorship. Jim wanted to first make contact with Marie Malloy, a salesperson for Clear Channel, who has extensive experience obtaining grants and funds for organizations and causes. Jim will try to get her to work with/for us, and we would pay her a commission from money obtained if we can reach an agreement. Jim also mentioned once again Kelly Croft, of Lilac Foundation for the Blind, who also is a resource for us. Michele suggested asking Marie to come to the next meeting, and Chris suggested the same for Kelly. Jim will begin dialogs with them both.

Discussion turned to the May show with mention that Chuck Back had called, asking about the show and expressing interest in coming again. We thought about who should be our headliners this year, and the names of the moment are Bobby Black and Reese Anderson. Bobby would be of great help in showcasing something other than pedal instruments. Chris said we need to be including all forms of steel guitar as much as possible, and mentioned that it is likely that Kelly Bogan, a Dobro player, will participate. Jim will contact David Wright and ask him to initiate contact with Bobby and Reese. We also need to think about getting The Strangers lined up for the show.

Jim brought up the subject of awards for the Hall of Fame and Achievement. He suggested Dean Simmons and Lee Lessig, also David Wright. Russ suggested Darrell Klein, and Michele suggested Stan Remick, both of whom we recently lost. This made Michele suggest a Wall of Remembrance, which was well received. As there were so many deserving people we could think of, Chris suggested we induct/recognize a whole group of people now, and then start adding a new name every year. The idea seemed to have merit, but the cost of so many plaques might be prohibitive. Jim said he would see if we could get a quantity discount from the engraver.

Michele reported her computer suffered a serious breakdown, and is now able only to get email at school. Jim and Russ said they would see if their companies' upgrading efforts might be a source of a unit for her. Russ asked Chris to send him the link to the IRS for the pertinent form we have to submit so that she could have access to it through his computer.

The next meeting will be at Valley Rosauer's cafe November 20, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:35 PM.

Meeting Minutes – Oct. 9, 2007

Location – Frankie Doodle's Restaurant, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Michele Martin, Webmaster

Jim was not able to attend, for medical reasons, and was not available by telephone.

Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM by Russ Rask

Treasurer's Report – Jack reported no activity financially, and our balance remains at $443.69.

Michele reported that in order to complete the application for incorporation, we must have a document called Articles of Incorporation, which closely resemble the Bylaws but must not be identical to the bylaws. She said there are sample Articles on several websites, which Chris will examine, and modify a copy of our bylaws to create the Articles. Chris and Russ will look through their files to see if they have the bylaws in electronic form. Chris will also create an amended copy of the bylaws and provide this to Michele.

Russ had suggested earlier that we forgo the Fall show and focus on getting ready for the May show. There had been some discussion over the phone, and tonight's formal discussion brought forth the points that: there are no dates available at either Eagles' Club which were suitable, we have very little money, attendance at the last Fall show was poor and we lost money, and the companies who do sponsorship distribute their money typically in January, so we have limited time to get ready to approach them. Russ moved we cancel the Fall show, Chris seconded, and the vote was unanimous.

Jack said that John Graham had asked if he could borrow our stage for his show Oct. 21, and there was no objection to the proposal. He will have to contact Chris to make arrangements for pickup.

There was expression of frustration about our members' lack of involvement, and ideas were mentioned. The unfortunate part is the realization that each idea required people stepping forward to perform some activity or another, which brought us back to the original problem. The discussion was ended with no meaningful conclusions, and the feeling of frustration is unabated. Chris said he has a list of members who need to be called to ask for their email addresses, and put forth the word that he is looking for someone to do the telephoning.

The next meeting will be at Frankie Doodle's restaurant October 30, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 PM.

Meeting Minutes – September 18, 2007

Location – Frankie Doodle's Restaurant, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Michele Martin, Webmaster

Meeting called to order at 5:56 PM.

Treasurer's Report – Jack reported that he has been recalculating our records and comparing them against the bank statements, and after much investigation has been unable to reconcile his total with the bank's. Jack says our balance actually stands at $442.76, and the bank says it is $452.74. Not a great difference, but we will continue to watch the numbers and see if the difference is ever resolved. It is likely we will simply accept the bank's figure and move on.

Michele did some serious investigation into the requirements for incorporating and getting non-profit status (and other items). She said we had never completed the necessary work, and so we have never actually had non-profit status and have been operating illegally all this time. What we need to do now is establish a "registered agent" (who officially receives mail and is the contact person) and then submit an application and a $50 fee to the Secretary of State. This will provide us with a Unified Business Identification (UBI) number, and non-profit status. Once we have this, we can then take further steps, such as registering with Department of Licensing and the IRS. Russ mentioned that once we are incorporated we can begin applying for grants. Jim asked if there was any downside to any of this, and all that could be thought of was the administrative work involved. Jim then announced he would accept the position of registered agent. Chris moved and Russ seconded that Michele file the application right away. It passed unanimously. Michele said we would get an information packet with the return documents, and further decisions will be made after this packet is reviewed.

Jim reported that Bill Barnett's health prevented him from going to Scotty's convention after all. We will need to contact him to see how we can use the material he has developed so far.

Jack brought out a bill from the web hosting service which they claimed was overdue. It was revealed that when we paid the domain name fee, they were to bill us in early September. They did not, and now we are overdue. Jack will pay this bill right away and we will expect no further difficulty.

Jim commented about John Graham's jam session, which he, Russ and Chris had attended. It was regarded as a good thing to hold, but attendance was rather slim. We agreed we need to keep the momentum going, and Chris will contact John to see how frequently he is willing to be a host.

The topic was started about the Fall show, and the initial steps are being taken. Russ was sure the Valley Eagles club would be willing to be a venue, and so he will contact them, and Jack will contact the Northside Eagles, to gather information about what they each can offer and what they will charge. Jim will contact some West side musicians to see if they will come out to play, and will also contact some local musicians for backup band duty. It was noted that we have very little money with which to pay them, and Jim will be attempting to get them to either donate time or play for a reduced rate.

Michele again issued the call for material to post on the website, and Chris took the opportunity to ask whether we are serving the public well by having a "members only" section. We are trying to get more people interested in the organization, and any exclusivity is counterproductive. The thought was well met, and Chris moved & Russ seconded that we eliminate the "members only" area and have everything open to all site visitors. This passed unanimously.

The next meeting will be at Frankie Doodle's restaurant  October 9, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:05 PM.

Meeting Minutes – August 21, 2007

Location – Frankie Doodle's Restaurant, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Bill Barnett, 5^th Voting Member; Michele Martin, Webmaster

Meeting called to order at 5:56 PM.

Treasurer's Report – Jack reported that Don Benoit had renewed his membership for two years, and including his $30.00 payment our balance stands at $443.69.

Jim reported that he had spoken with David Mercury, who says he is not interested in working with us as our seeker of corporate sponsorship. His deterrent was the fact that though we have non-profit status, we are not incorporated and do not have a tax registration number. There was discussion of what it takes to get this, and Chris reported that over ten years ago, one simply had to fill out some forms with the Secretary of State and pay a modest fee in order to incorporate. Jack had said when he went through the process over 20 years ago, he had to have an attorney do the work. Michele said she would contact the Secretary's office and investigate our requirements.

Russ announced that Michele needed information about John Graham's jam session and about Darrell Klein's passing away so that these things could be posted on the website.

Bill reported he has 32 pages of his newsletter put together, and intends to publish quarterly. He plans on taking 500 copies to Scotty's convention, as well as T-shirts, hats, and other items, and will put forth effort to expand our membership out to the international level. Bill wants to change our membership fee to a straight $20 to help offset the expenses of producing a newsletter. Chris said we certainly could do that but would have to do it by vote. Further, we very recently established the two-tier structure and it would look a little odd to change it so soon. He proposed we wait until next January to announce the change to a single fee, after we had sent out two newsletters and shown the membership that there was something of value to justify the change. Jim made it a motion, which Chris seconded. After much discussion, the motion passed with Bill voting against.

Michele said that people have been asking what they get for their dues, and so far we have very little content on the member pages. Chris suggested that some of Bill's work could be put on the pages, as well as starting a classified ad page. Bill said he would get her some material on disk. She also asked if it was OK to post links to other sites, as she has been getting requests from sites to do so. It was agreed that if the site was musically related, and legitimate and safe, that it should be OK to post the link.

Jim asked Jack to tell us a little about how the snowmobile club goes about its fundraising, and we learned that they make all their money at a one-day event which is heavily publicized and attended. They sell all kinds of gear on an entry fee/percentage-of-sale basis, and have great success. Out of this discussion, Jack suggested that at our events we could allow people to sell instruments and equipment beyond steel guitars so that we could expand the amount of activity.

There was again talk of affiliating with other groups, but it was not pursued. We recognize that it should be, and we again mentioned connecting with the Inland NW Bluegrass Association. The thought was put forward that perhaps we could have a bluegrass band perform at the next showcase. These thoughts definitely deserve further exploration.

The next meeting will be at Frankie Doodle's restaurant September 18, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 PM.

Meeting Minutes – July 31, 2007

Location – Frankie Doodle's Restaurant, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Lee Lessig, Member

Tonight's meeting was delayed in that Jim did not appear, and was not available by telephone. We later learned there had been a death in his family and he was occupied with the situation.

Meeting called to order at 6:25 PM by Russ Rask

Treasurer's Report – Jack reported we had paid the domain name fee of $31.90 and the post office box fee of $68.00, and our balance stands at $413.69.

The only business Russ had was his uncertainty regarding the web hosting service, which has not given us a physical address where we can send a check, and wanted payment via credit card. Jack said he had obtained the address, and the fee was paid by check. This resolved the question.

Chris asked if John Graham had been told to go ahead with plans for holding jam sessions, and nobody knew for sure. Chris called him and discussed various aspects. John was indeed getting ready, and realized that the date he had set with Jim was not as good for him as he had thought, so the date was changed and the first jam will be Saturday, Sept. 15. We will get more details later.

Lee reported that he and Darlene will not be able to participate in activities on account of a difficult medical situation. Darlene will have historical information about the Association available, but will not be able to administer any of it for the foreseeable future. We all wish them well and hope for a speedy recovery.

The next meeting will be at Frankie Doodle's restaurant August 21, 2007 at 6 PM.

Meeting Minutes – July 10, 2007

Location – Frankie Doodle's Restaurant, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Bill Barnett, Member; Lee Lessig, Member

Meeting called to order at 6:08 PM

Treasurer's Report – Jack reported that after all bills having been paid regarding the Jamboree, we have $493.59 in our account. It is a good thing that we ended up in the black, but we also need to begin fundraising activities.

Chris had asked Jack about whether Gary Ball had renewed his membership, and the answer came back tonight that he had, and Suzy Simmons also had paid for her membership. It was noted that management of the entry table at the Jamboree left room for uncertainty, and we are still unclear about a few items. It was resolved to do a better job next year. Chris said that Jack had wanted to have a separate money box for each activity (membership, show entry, etc.) and all felt that was an excellent idea. Other topics will be discussed later, and Jack wants to have a meeting to clarify the treasurer's duties. No date was set.

Jim reported that John Graham is very eager to hold jams at his shop. Jim asked whether we should specify any conditions, and Chris felt that everything should be up to John, as the host. He should schedule them, and determine how open they should be, etc. This was agreeable, and Jim said he would contact John again and tell him to start whenever he wanted.

Jim told us that a coworker, David Mercury, is experienced in various forms of fundraising and corporate involvement, and asked if we would agree to his contacting David about being our paid person to go after corporate sponsorships. While the discussion digressed a little, the consensus was that it was a good idea and that Jim will approach David to see what might come of an association with him. Bill wanted to focus on selling memberships at Scotty's convention and elsewhere, and Chris said that was very worthwhile, and we should do both. The group seemed to agree on this, and Bill was given encouragement to continue his efforts. He reported he has been at work on his publication, which as yet has no name. At present, the closest type of name we can give it is "newsletter", but it will be more than that. He expects to have it released around September, and that it will have about 40 pages.

Lee said that he had delivered the plaque honoring Neil Livingston, and that Neil was very appreciative of it and our effort. Lee also said it was time to pay the fee for our website domain name. Russ made mention that we need to start working on fundraising activities. There was discussion about a picnic, which led to the suggestion that perhaps it and John's jam could be combined, so that non-players could have a way to be social. This seemed to be a good idea, but there was no exploration of how it could be a fundraiser. Jim said he would talk to John about it, and next meeting we can revisit the topic.

The next meeting will be at Frankie Doodle's restaurant July 31, 2007 at 6 PM. Also, the meeting after that will be on August 21, 2007, location to be set later.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 PM.

Meeting Minutes – June 12, 2007

Location – Valley Rosauer's Cafe, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Bill Barnett, Member; Lee Lessig, Member, Michele Martin, Webmaster

Meeting called to order at 6:08 PM

Treasurer's Report – Jack presented a nearly full accounting of what happened at the Jamboree, but had some unanswered questions. At the start of the meeting, he reported the balance at $1280.12. We will take up his questions toward the end of the meeting.

Jim presented and read a letter from Duane, wherein he resigned from his position as Past President, on grounds of a full schedule. He also stated he was making his museum an official entity, and offered it to the Association for consideration of the possibility we would have a building of our own and could house his collection. He would remain the custodian until such time as we no longer could provide a home, should that occur. Comment was made that it was a very nice thought and gesture, and we should keep it in mind as time passes.

There was some discussion of the Jamboree, and all felt is was a pretty good success. There were few difficulties, and some thoughts for next year were: from Big Jim Baron, the idea that we should start Friday and shut down early on Sunday, and Friday would be more of a party, where people could mingle with the headliners. There could be snacks and a no-host bar, and all of it would be only for the preregistered guests. Russ's thoughts were: we should have a better venue (there are problems with the service at the Mirabeau), we shouldn't pay so highly for local players, we need to manage the seminar/warm-up rooms better, the main show should start earlier, possibly have a jam after the main show Saturday night, provide music stands on stage, feed the out-of-town players when they arrive, and have a discreet food room for the staff and players. Jim thought we could improve the preregistration numbers by providing a "goodie bag" which would have such things as a raffle ticket, a program, a steel guitar Rag (handkerchief) and other items to both welcome the guest and help justify the price we would be charging.

While the Jamboree was a success overall, Chris said we now need to expand our activities. So far, all we have done is present the annual Jamboree, and a Fall show, and we only present showcases. It is time we hosted a real jam, and had some other social-type events, like a rummage sale or an outing of some sort. Jim said that John Graham had offered his garage for a jam site, and Jim agreed to follow up on that to attempt arranging a monthly session (if not more frequently). John also has room in his house, so there might also be a second jam for beginners. This would be a major step forward.

Bill reported the details of his activities re the Jamboree and we came to a final figure for reimbursing him. Jack wrote a check for a little over $1000, and Bill kept the receipts he has accumulated, and he is now fully paid. He sold 103 programs, got some 15 people to become members (including all the Strangers!), and sold many shirts and hats. Separately, he has paid for his booth at Scotty's convention, and has arranged for someone to print the brochure he intends to distribute. The thought has come forward that it could possibly be a newsletter as well, which would finally get us into the position of having a decent newsletter to send out on a regular basis. Such is the goal, and Bill could be well on his way to meeting it.

There was some discussion about a new location for the Jamboree. There is thought that holding it at a casino which has hotel facilities would provide some ready-made audience which has money to spend and would be attracted to the music which would be immediately present, instead of off to the side (as at the Mirabeau). We will not be able to do this next year, as there is no hotel service yet available at the Airway Heights casino, which is our best likelihood. We will use the Mirabeau for next year's convention, and will discuss with them the concerns we have about some shortcomings we have experienced.

As Duane has resigned, there is a need for his replacement, so Russ moved and Chris seconded that Bill Barnett be made the 5^th Voting Member as Duane's replacement. The motion passed unanimously. Another motion was made by Russ, at Chris's suggestion (and seconding) that Bill seek all steel guitar associations we can find and join them in the name of NWSGA, paid for by NWSGA. This, too, passed unanimously. This should go a long way toward getting people aware of our organization, plus create a lot of goodwill in the various clubs.

Jack asked his questions after squaring up with Bill, and received answers to all. He needed to know such things as how many tickets were sold for the Saturday show. He will now be able to bring our accounting fully up to date. He also asked about our non-profit status, and Jim reported that for this year, as long as we stay under $25,000 in the bank, our status is unchanged, but there is a new law which will requires us (and all other organizations) to file a return in 2008 and beyond. We should still keep our status, but we now will have to report to the IRS. Jack said we also need to think about liability, as we could get in great trouble if someone were to be injured at the Jamboree and decide to sue us. It brings up the necessity to investigate becoming a corporation, to provide personal protection from actions and to establish a means for the Association to obtain insurance.

The next meeting will be at Frankie Doodle's restaurant July 10, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 PM.

Meeting Minutes – May 15, 2007

Location – Fred Meyer Café, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Bill Barnett, Member; Lee Lessig, Member, Joel Johnston, Member, Bob Darilek, Member

 Meeting called to order at 6:05 PM

Treasurer's Report – We have received a number of checks for preregistration, and the bank balance stands at $5272.86.

Jim showed the two plaques he had made for honoring Duane Becker and Neil Livingston. They are very nice indeed and should be well appreciated by the recipients.

Discussion with the hotel management has yielded these arrangements: Friday setup is permissible, and we should be able to jam afterward as well. We will again have the same ballroom as last year, and there will be a warm-up room added to our package. There will be a room upstairs for seminars without instruments. We also have been given another executive suite for free.

Jim reported that Kelly Hydorn will arrive after all, but will only have a table. David Wright and others will arrive on Saturday at 9:25, Joel will pick them up. Jim will get the Candlers and Joe Wright, and Bob will get Russ & Laney Hicks.

Bill showed us one of the T-shirts which will be sold and it looks good! He has about 160 of them. Scotty sent a number of brochures to make available, and Jackson Guitars sent promotional material. Bill also showed the program he put together, and though it was done on short notice, it is much better than last year's. They cost $638 for printing, folding and stapling 200 copies. He also said he is developing his "book" to be distributed at Scotty's convention with a paid membership in NWSGA. He would like to issue it quarterly. Joel suggested interviewing Norm Hamlet for an article for the publication.

For the auction, Pawn 1 gave us a guitar, The Cable Guy gave us some movies and books, Jeff Foxworthy provided books, KIX96 gave us a number of CDs from their library, Hotel Lusso provided a weekend stay and Fugazzi Restaurant provided a dinner for two. A nice collection of items indeed. Jim also obtained a pedal bar from MSA and will get it autographed as yet another item. He will also set up and prime a donations box.

Russ said that Mike Perlowin has turned his Curly Chalker video into a DVD and will send a box of them to be sold at $30 per copy.

Joel asked about equipment for the warm-up room, and we have arranged for a guitar from Russ, a bass from Joel, and an amp from Milt Asher. We should be able to use Paul Valsvig's bass amp for the stage.

Jim has developed a list of those who will get in for free, though we have decided that everyone will pay $10 for the Saturday night Pro Show. Also, the issue of hotel-provided coffee was raised, and it was yet to be discussed with the hotel management.

The next meeting will be at Valley Rosauer's Cafe June 12, 2007 at 6 PM.

 The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 PM.

Meeting Minutes – May 1, 2007

Location – Fred Meyer Café, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Bill Barnett, Member; Lee Lessig, Member, Dan Marvicsin, Member, Michele Martin, Webmaster

Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM

Treasurer's Report – We have two more new members (Pete Storms, Scott Ellis) since last meeting. Jim gave Jack a group of checks totaling $205 from show preregistrations. Added to the figure Jack presented in his summary, the bank balance stands at $4261.93.

 Other business – Jim reported that Pete Burack and Bill Easton would not be appearing as players after all, and thought he might ask Ryan Giese if he wanted to take a spot in the lineup. Jim has been trying to contact Warren France, who we have heard is ready and willing to play, but has never contacted us. We discussed the commitment of Bob Levan to be our sound system provider, and details of what he would cover. He presented a bid of $900 for the two days, and as this was $300 lower than Alpha Sound's bid, he was given the contract. Bob also works at the Mirabeau, so he will have a few extra contacts which should help us in some ways. Jim reported the Mirabeau has reserved a warmup room for us, and that we have surpassed the rental requirement set by the initial contract with the hotel.

 Bill Barnett reported on the many tasks he has addressed. He and his wife Sherry are making T-shirts and hats with the "Universal Language" logo on them, to be sold at the show. He has sold many ads for the program, and thinks he has enough for 14 pages. Way to go, Bill! There is word that Kelly Hydorn will be coming after all, as he has paid for a display table. Bill signed up a new member, Tom Henderson, and received promotional material from Jackson Guitars. Dan Marvicsin renewed his membership. Jim distributed tickets for the Saturday show, to be sold by those taking the tickets. There was comment about how the price ($10) was too low, to which Jim agreed, but said that the word had already gotten out and it was too late to make a change. We will examine the outcome and determine after the show whether it was an appropriate price. The coffee situation at the Mirabeau is still unresolved, and Jeri Arnold will be talking to the hotel about that and other matters.

 The search for corporate sponsorship is still fruitless. We had spoken initially with the Confederated Tribes, who sounded very interested at first but have never responded since the first contact. After talking with other contributors, we have learned that their money is usually allocated in January, so we will start asking early in December. We discussed the need to get Jamboree notification into the media, and Bill offered to take out some ads in Wheels & Deals and talk to his neighbor, Randy Shaw. Michele will put notifications in the community calendars on the TV stations. Jack will organize the telephone tree and get it going.

 Lee brought up a topic which has been bothering Russ, that of whether we should be charging players and other help. The compromise offered was that everyone except the actual players should pay $10 for the Saturday show after 5:30. Chris made that a motion, Jim seconded, and it was passed.

 Bill suggested we put together a small magazine and have an appearance at Scotty's convention. The magazine could be given out with a paid membership. This gave rise to discussion which culminated in Russ' motion that we should make Bill Barnett our ambassador/spokesman. Jim seconded and the motion passed. Then Jim moved that, as Bill was going to have a booth of his own at Scotty's, he should represent us officially at the booth. Chris seconded, and this too was passed. Bill said he expected sales of T-shirts to pay for the booth cost, otherwise he would cover the cost from his own pocket. He also said he would cover the postage for the newlsetter which is being mailed out this week.

 Michele reported she will be having surgery May 11, and requested that website submissions be given prior to then. Jim said he would be picking up Joe Wright at the airport, and offered to do any Friday pickups. Chris said his wife Irene was willing to perform taxi service as well.

 The next meeting will be at Fred Meyer Cafe May 15, 2007 at 6 PM.

 The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 PM.

Meeting Minutes – April 17, 2007

Location – Fred Meyer Café, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Bill Barnett, Member; Lee Lessig, Member, Bob Darilek, Member, Joel Johnston, Member

Meeting called to order at 6:05 PM

 Treasurer's Report – We have two more new members (Jon Hyde, Ben Jones) since last meeting. Jack did not have a report to present this meeting. Jim gave him $600, which includes two dues payments, three prepaid show attendees and a donation from Rock Placement Company.

 Other business – Jim had said he would have tickets at this meeting for us to begin selling, but they were not yet printed. We were able to examine the proof sheet, however. Flyers have been printed, and were passed out to meeting attendees for posting around town. Jim reported that while much publicity has been done on the Forum about the show, with lukewarm response, what caused intense interest was the announcement that Haggard's band The Strangers will be appearing. Even Wally Giffin said he was dropping everything and coming to the show. Jim said he tries to post something on the Forum once a week on average. Jim reported that we are getting great support from the Lilac Blind Foundation. They are helping with publicity and selling tickets, and have contacted Neil Livingston, trying to get him to come to the show. We have learned that several Canadians (Don Benoit, Bruce Hamilton and Len Ryder) will not, for medical reasons, be able to attend the show. Of the people on the showcase list, two are still unconfirmed: Merrill Fich and Pete Burack.

 Chris reported he has not yet received any charts or set lists from anyone, and is frustrated at not getting any response at all from Russ Hicks. Mention was made that we will need to supply some band equipment, and Jack volunteered two amplifiers and Lee has one. We need to talk to the drummer in Duane's new band to see if he has a set we can borrow/rent. Russ will be contacting Danny Middleton to see if he is available this year. Kevin Williams, bass player for The Strangers, is confirmed as coming to play. David Wright and Cindy, and Frank Carter will be arriving together on a 9:25 flight Saturday. Jim said he had received requests from players for a warmup room, and it was agreed that this was a necessity. Jim will contact the Mirabeau to arrange it.

 Alpha Studios has been contacted and will give us a quote for doing the sound by the end of this week. It will not include any recording, either audio or video. Chris said he would talk to Jim Braukmann about possibly covering the audio recording. Joel recommended we form a telephone tree and start calling all the members and fans to remind them of the upcoming show. Jim reported that he has made some good contacts within the Spokesman-Review and now expects to get better coverage than we did last year. We are getting publicity from many places, including the Western Swing Association, the Texas SGA, and Steelradio.com, which hosted a show last week where Terry Bethel was interviewed and spoke highly of us. There were many mentions made of the Jamboree on the show.

 Jack will be contacting the Guitar Center and others to ask for contributions or even sponsorships. Jim said he has arrangements for several raffle prizes, to include a dinner and overnight for two at Hotel Lusso, a dinner at Fugazzi, and a number of CD packages from the program director at KKZX. Billy will be in contact with Vangie Fich for help in putting together the Jamboree program, as she likely still has items which can be included this year. She also might be able to do the layout, or at least the organization of the content. Chris suggested material from the Steel Guitar World files that Russ has, and getting biographical information on the players. Joel said we should also be asking for their pictures, preferably while playing. Hopefully we can gather enough material to be able to add one more sheet to the program.

 The next meeting will be at Fred Meyer Cafe May 1, 2007 at 6 PM.

 The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 PM.

Meeting Minutes – March 27, 2007

Location – Fred Meyer Café, Spokane WA

 Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Bill Barnett, Member; Lee Lessig, Member, Michele Martin, Webmaster

 Meeting called to order at 6:45 PM

 Treasurer's Report – We have two new members (John Sandell, Jack Williams) and one renewal (Barbara Crowell) since last meeting. With their dues and Merle Haggard's $700 check, the balance stands at $3,196.93.

 Other business – Prior to the call to order, Chris received a phone call from Jim Baughman, who stated that he, Biff Adams and Norm Hamlett are expecting to be our backup band and are eager to make it happen. Jim had been told we knew they wanted to appear, and he still felt it was necessary to reassure us. He is a great guy and represents a treasure to us. With this band, we will have a very fine show. Chris asked him if their bass player, Kevin, was also available, and Jim said he would find out. In addition, he reported that in conversation with David Wright, the likelihood is strong that along with David will be Big Jim Baron, Frank Carter and JayDee Maness. This is truly exciting news.

 Jim reported he has not yet found anyone to be a corporate sponsor, but is still working on it. John Graham and Laurie Clements are working with him, and have a very appealing package for prospective sponsors to consider, to include $7500 worth of radio advertisement time for a $5000 sponsorship. Russ suggested talking to Dave Smith Motors, and Chris suggested Parker Toyota. Copies of the ClearChannel proposal were distributed so that other presentations could be made in addition to Jim's crew.

Jim has received many emails from people saying they will be coming to the Jamboree. It looks like attendance will be good. Jim asked Jack for the leftover tickets and nametag holders from last year. Jim also reported that Pegasus Photography will be organizing the promotional flyer for the show, but we will wait to submit information to them until we know who will be the corporate sponsor.

Jim asked us all to become ticket salesmen when the tickets become available. We should all take 10-ticket batches and sell them to friends and workplaces, etc. The price for the Saturday night show will be $10.

The question came up as to the official name of the May show, and it was decided that it will be called the "Jamboree". Jim reported he had talked to the Western Swing Society, and they are very much in support of us and eager to help. He also talked with Art Talley at Texas SGA for promotion of the Jamboree.

There was preliminary discussion about holding a raffle and having door prizes. Many prizes were suggested, ranging from CDs to a weekend at Duane Becker's steel retreat. Bill Barnett reminded us he can produce T-shirts with logos which can either be sold or used as prizes, or both. Work will begin immediately on organizing the raffle and gathering prizes.

Michele is very happy with her new software, and has been working with the Jukebox feature. She put out the call for material, and Chris told her about the stagecoachwestmusic.com link to the KPBX Kids' Concert recording. Lee offered some cuts from his CD as well.

The next meeting will be at Fred Meyer Cafe April 17, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:37 PM.

Meeting Minutes – March 6, 2007

Location – Fred Meyer Café, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Bill Barnett, Member

 Meeting called to order at 6:15 PM

 Treasurer's Report – Jack was not present, so there was no report. However, Jim had the check from Merle Haggard's promoter for $700 (not $750 as reported last month) which was to be given to Jack. Also, Bill Barnett renewed his membership at $25.

 Other business – Russ reported that Michele has received the update of the website-producing software, but needed more memory for her computer. Russ thought she has obtained it and should have begun using the software.

Jim received the check from Merle Haggard's ticket sales, and gave Chris the promoter's address so that we can send a thank-you letter to him. This was so successful that Jim is thinking of trying the same thing on George Jones' promoter in the near future. Jim reported that Chuck Back, of Desert Rose Guitars, is confirmed for renting a table for his wares and for doing a showcase. Big Jim Baron now might be coming to the show after all. This is being worked on by David Wright, who is also talking to Frank Carter and JD Maness. He is persuasive enough that we might get these folks to return this year. Duane Becker and his new band will be doing a ½ hour set, and the list of performers is now long enough that we should have both days well scheduled. As insurance against cancellations, Jim has a few more people to contact. Also, Russ is trying to get Danny Houlihan to come from Michigan.

Jim will meet Thursday with a promotion company to gather contact names in the search for a corporate sponsor. John Graham has made a presentation to his employer, Huntwood Cabinetry, but we have no word yet on the outcome.

Jim reported that Winters Printing will be making our Jamboree programs at cost, which is to say they will charge us only for the typesetter, paper and ink. This is another great show of support.

Jim will contact Alpha Sound to determine their availability and willingness to again handle the sound needs for the Jamboree.

The next meeting will be at Fred Meyer Cafe March 27, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:22 PM.

Meeting Minutes – Feb. 13, 2007

Location – Fred Meyer Café, Spokane WA

 Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Michele Martin, Webmaster.

 Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM

 Treasurer's Report – Jack reported that after receiving several membership renewals, the bank balance is $2633.45. He wanted to know how far back to go for making retroactive accounting, as we had changed the membership fee and there were some renewals of $25. The answer was the new schedule would be effective as of Jan. 1, 2007, and anyone paying $25 would have their membership extended by a prorated amount. Russ noted that he had paid his dues and it was not properly accounted, and he raised the question of how many others might be in the same position. Discussion revealed that Jack was using an outdated membership list, and that the information passed by Lee and Darlene concerning membership expiration might not have been current. Chris said he would ask Lee about the currency of the information, and would give Jack another updated list from which to work. Jack also said he would print up new membership cards to replace the obsolete cards we presently have.

 Other business - Michele reported she needs the update of the website-producing software, as her trial version has expired. Chris moved and Russ seconded that Michele be paid $163 to purchase the update, which will give her the tools she needs plus the ability to include sound and video clips on the website.

Jim reported that we will be receiving $750 from Merle Haggard's ticket sales. This is a really nice show of support for us and the steel guitar community. Jim has been at work on a proposal to present to Mark's Guitars, as well as Huntwood Cabinetry, seeking support as a corporate sponsor. Jim reported that Kelly Hydorn has purchased table space at the Jamboree for showing his new pack seat, and that Bobby Black is interested in appearing at the Jamboree. His charge will be $400 plus either gas or airfare. Jim is holding off on committing him until we have  obtained a corporate sponsorship. There has been discussion with someone named Kelly at Lilac Blind Foundation about our offering a special rate for the Jamboree if they can gather a busload of attendees. Jim wants to talk to the VA hospital to arrange the same thing. Wally Giffin told Jim he has been in contact with Dan Tyack, and thinks there is interest in Dan's coming out to play at the Jamboree. Jim will contact Dan to firm up this possibility.

Chris reported that he met with Biff Adam and Norm Hamlett, who expressed much interest in being part of the Jamboree. As before, it will depend on Merle Haggard's booking schedule. They seemed to think they would know whether they were available around three weeks before the show. Chris asked them to let us know what they would require to appear. Biff has already agreed to $300 plus room and travel, and Norm will reply later. We will likely need to have a drum set and amplifier available for them so they won't have to bring much equipment.

The next meeting will again be at Fred Meyer Cafe March 6, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:08 PM.

Meeting Minutes – Jan. 16, 2007

Location – Fred Meyer Café, Spokane WA

 Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Lee Lessig, member; Michele Martin, Webmaster.

 Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM

 Treasurer's Report – Jack reported that after receiving donations from several of the Kids' Concert players, and a change of Post Office, the bank balance is $2548.45. He noted that we need to remind people of their expired memberships, and that we currently have five paid members. Our new mailing address is NWSGA, P.O. Box 48507, Spokane WA 99228-1507.

 Business matters: The membership question was resolved after discussion which had been postponed from last meeting. The membership dues were reviewed, and it was decided that a more appropriate structure was to reduce the rate and establish a Family membership. Consequently, the new structure is a Single membership at $15.00 per year and a Family membership at $20.00 per year. Jack will now contact the members to get their renewals.

Jim reported progress about the May Jamboree, that Joe Wright is confirmed and will be coming with Tom Baker of Sierra Guitars. We will pay their airfare to Portland, and Joe will be paid $500. He will conduct a 5 hour seminar and charge $75 per person, all of which will go to Joe. Russ and Laney Hicks are also confirmed and will be paid $600 plus their airfare. We are still awaiting word from David Wright regarding whether Bobby Black and Reese Anderson will appear. Larry Behm has said he will conduct a seminar Friday from 6 to 10 PM for a possible $20 charge, in a lecture/demo format. He requested that attendees not bring their instruments. Dave Burton will be conducting a free beginners' seminar on Sunday.

Jim has signed the contract with the Mirabeau Park Hotel, and we are obligated to "sell" 25 rooms. Last year we "sold" 49, so we should have no trouble meeting this requirement. We have two Executive suites this year for the headliners. Our discounted room rates will be $76 and $86 for old wing and new wing, respectively. Attendees can reserve their rooms directly from the hotel website and receive the discounted rates by using the code NSGA. Jim also reported he has a printing shop which will produce the programs, and we will be selling ad space this year.

A very nice happening is that Laurie Clements, through her public relations firm, got Merle Haggard to donate $1 to us from each ticket he sells at his concert in February at the INB Performing Arts Center. This led to the question of whether we would have any members of his band available to us, and Chris said he would contact guitariast Jim Baughman again.

Jim is still working on getting a corporate sponsor, and there is the possibility of having Huntwood Cabinetry step forward. Member John Graham will be presenting a proposal from us. STCU is still being considered but has not yet been approached.

At the Kids' Concert, we were approached by Peter Ellis, from Cooper Elementary School in Spokane Valley, about doing a presentation in their auditorium for the students. Jack agreed to follow up with Peter and organize the event.

Michele has reported new success in getting past the earlier problems with the website software, and has been making great progress. She wants to purchase Microsoft's new program, which is almost released, and will be offered a student discount. It was agreed she should have this tool to work with. She also wants more submissions from people to add to the website, to include new and updated bios, new tips, links to other related websites, and the like.

The next meeting will again be at Fred Meyer Cafe February 13, 2007 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 PM.

Meeting Minutes – Oct. 31, 2006

Location – Rosauer's Café, Spokane WA

 Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer.

 Meeting called to order at 6:09 PM

 Treasurer's Report – Jack has the stage extension built and is ready to get it to the Eagles building. Jim will arrange assistance for the move on Friday evening.

 Business matters: The Fall Roundup is on schedule, but the playing times will be variable, as Kelly Hydorn is not available after all and other players are not certain. The schedule is planned for 8AM arrival for setup; Duane, Darrell and Joe Evans will do a gospel segment from 9 to 9:30; first showcases are Joe, Darrell, Warren France, and Russ with his band. Lunch will follow, then second showcases will be Dave Burton, Dean Simmons, Chris, Duane, and Lee Lessig with the Desperadoes. Russ will get Joel's PA set on Thursday, and will check with Danny Middleton to see if he can attend. Jim has established a "no pay" list for the Roundup. It was noted there is an outside possibility that Terry Bethel (with Mel Tillis, who is in town for a show) may appear. Chris will put some text on a color photo of Stan Remick so that we have something to place at the entry table.

 The next meeting will be at Fred Meyer Cafe on Freya November 21 at 6 PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 PM.

Meeting Minutes – Oct. 10, 2006

Location – Lilac Lanes Café, Spokane WA

 Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Lee Lessig, member; Joel Johnston, member.

 Meeting called to order at 6:07 PM

 Treasurer's Report – Jack reported that there were two donations of $100 each towards the rental of the Eagles Hall, which brings our bank balance to $2138.85. Jack also said that as the Bingo equipment is set up on stage, we won't have access to it, and so he will build a stage extension for us to use.

 Business matters: Jim reported he is having better success than he expected in finding players for the Fall Roundup, with Kelly Hydorn, Dean Simmons, Dave Burton, Joe Evans, and Darrell Klein among the confirmed. Lee expressed a desire to play, and Chris said he should be available after all, for the afternoon. Jim said he had talked with Wally Giffin, who was honored by our appreciation, but was unable to commit to playing. He did not rule it out, either, as he does not know what may be happening that day with his business.

Russ said that his drummer is available for the Roundup, but not the bassist. Lee had some possible ideas for a replacement, and though was unsure of any of them, said he would go to work finding someone. Chris suggested Jim Braukmann might be able to handle it, and will contact him to see how he feels about the idea.

 Jim also reported that David Wright has confirmed his appearance at the May show, and will be bringing Jonathan Chandler, the young blind steeler, with him. The group was excited to hear this news, as he is reported to be quite something. Jim Baron will be going to the Denver show this May instead of coming here. We talked about getting Joe Wright and Larry Behm signed up before they commit to the Denver show. Jim talked to Bobbe Seymour and Lee said he had talked to Russ Hicks, and Chris brought up Jim Baughman and drummer Biff, all with the fact that we need to get them booked right away, since they are undoubtedly in demand.

The likelihood was expressed that the show will again be on the third weekend in May, and Chris expressed unease about setting a date in competition with the Denver show. Jim said that Jim Baron's opinion was to go ahead with our own date and simply outdo the Denver show, with the expectation that people would choose our event instead. Chris suggested we set the date to be one week away from Denver so that people could choose to attend both events instead of having to pick one or the other. The discussion left off with the realization we do not know the date of the Denver show, and Jim said he would learn the date. Joel mentioned he would like to see Larry Behm be regarded as an ambassador for us. Chris said he would contact Jim Baughman regarding his availability, and would ask if their bass player might be available also. Mention was made that we will need a sound system and operators for the May show, and Chris said he would ask the people at Big City Recording if they do that kind of work. Jim asked Russ to contact the players for the Roundup, to get their song lists and charts for the backup band to study.

 Jim brought up the question of what we will do about honoring Stan Remick at the Roundup, considering the report from Rosalie that Mended Heart will need at least $2000 to appear here. As of today, we know of no churches who would sponsor the group, and the thought was raised that perhaps one or two band members would be willing to make an appearance instead of the entire band. Chris said that we may only be able to make mention many times during the day about the dedication, and have a picture collage on an easel or some other display featuring Stan. Ruby Rask (who had just arrived) suggested a guest book for all to sign and then present to Rosalie.

 Returning to the May show, Joel suggested having someone as the designated photographer so we would have pictures for web site posting. The suggestion was amplified to have several photographers, so we would have a variety of pictures and photographic styles to choose from.

 Russ delivered about a dozen questionnaire responses and some returned envelopes, along with some updates for the membership list.

 The next meeting will be at Valley Rosauer's Cafe October 10 at 6 PM.

 The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 PM.

Meeting Minutes – Aug. 22, 2006

Location – Valley Rosauer's Café, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Lee Lessig, member.

Meeting called to order at 6:13 PM

Review of Previous Meeting's Minutes – Minutes of 7/25/06 meeting were reviewed by officers via email, no corrections or additions were noted by members present, and the minutes were accepted as written.

Treasurer's Report – Jack reported that he paid Kaleidoscope the fee for our website presence, and bank balance is now $2385.23.

Business matters: Chris asked for comments on the questionnaire; Russ had a couple of typographical items, and Jim had actually filled out the questions. Joel had offered some suggestions via email. The ideas will be incorporated, and Russ volunteered to do the mailing. Chris will provide the mailing labels and a quantity of #10 envelopes, and Russ will cover the rest. There was also the suggestion by Russ that we include a flyer advertising the Fall Jam.

Jim reported that Stan Remick is terminally ill with cancer, and that he felt we should offer to Rosalie that she take a break from the responsibility of maintaining our website. Russ was asked to contact her about this. He is, so far, the only officer to have submitted his bio for website inclusion. Further entries will have to be postponed.

Jack reported on his exploration of the Eagles' Club as a place to hold our Fall Jam, and said he has reserved November 4 (Saturday) by paying them $100 of his own funds. Discussion then covered Duane's objections of not being the same time period as all other events (2^nd week of the month) and the difficulty of keeping people from sneaking in. It was felt that these items may be of limited consequence, and coupled with the benefits available, we should be on safe ground to try this venue once as an experiment. The benefits include: having food and drink available, having better parking available, getting advertising from the Eagles association. A motion was made by Chris and seconded by Lee that we accept Nov. 4 as the date and use Eagles as the place. The motion was carried unanimously. Lee mentioned that Joel is to be out of town that weekend, and will not be available to be part of the band. Lee was concerned  about how much Joel would be able to accomplish regarding getting the backup band together, and the group felt we would be able to cover any area that Joel could not handle. Chris raised the question of whether we might have some band be able to continue the event into the evening, with jamming, as what we are putting on isn't actually a "jam" but rather more of a "show". The idea didn't go very far, but Jack said he might ask around and at the Eagles for some input.

As a result of looking through previous minutes, Chris had some questions to ask the group. First was the need to contact the Standing Committee members. Jim said the last word was that we would contact them once a year for their input. Chris felt this was too infrequent, and thought once a month might be more appropriate. There was general agreement on this, and now the task is to reidentify the members and make contact. Next was the note that we had agreed to give Wally Giffin lifetime honorary membership, and the question was whether it had actually been done and whether he had been told. As it turned out, the deed has not yet been done, so the decision is made for Chris to write to Wally and finish this task. Next was whether Russ was still interested/available to work on a Superjam publication. He said it certainly needed to be done, and that it required gathering material to include, but he also felt unable to be responsible for it at this time. He felt we need a small committee to handle it. Our immediate problem is that we do not have a pool of volunteers. However, Bob Darilek has shown interest, and Chris will contact him to see what might be possible. Finally, is Billy Barnett still interested in producing NWSGA T-shirts? Russ answered a definite "yes" and said he would mention it to Billy next time they talk. He also said Billy would be delighted to be asked to help, and that he "can sell anything", so he would be a logical choice to sell advertising.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:50, but without setting next meeting's time and place.

Meeting Minutes – July 25, 2006

Location – Lilac Lanes Café, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Duane Becker, Past President; Lee Lessig, member.

Meeting called to order at 6:03 PM

Review of Previous Meeting's Minutes – Minutes of 6/27/06 meeting were reviewed by officers via email, no corrections or additions were noted by members present, and the minutes were accepted as written.

Treasurer's Report – Jack reported two receipts, and bank balance is now $2444.63. Jack also reported that the transition arrangements with the bank and post office have been completed.

Business matters: Russ reported that he had contacted Rosalie Remick about the website, and she says she is happy to do the necessary work for us, and just needs us to send her the information we want published. This can be via email. Jim asked the officers to write short bio paragraphs, and obtain some pictures of the Superjam, to be put on the website.

Russ wanted to set the date for the October jam, and discussion ensued. Duane remarked that earlier minutes should show that there had already been a determination that the 2^nd weekends of May and October were reserved for the jams. (This would be October 15 for this year). (Secretary's note: a review of previous minutes does not show this to be the case. The various events appear to have been scheduled by discussion rather than prior reservation of weekends.) Chris brought up the point that there had been conflicts with other events during the Superjam, and we might want to see what events were scheduled elsewhere in order to try avoiding conflicts. Jim asked Chris to research this. As a result, the next Superjam date is to be determined. Discussion then turned to performers at the October jam, including Kelly Hydorn, who is welcome and encouraged to bring his gospel music. After some discussion, Jim said he would start contacting people to sign them up as performers. The problems of conducting Round Robin jams next took up much time, as this is a thorny problem for all guitar clubs. The thought of having the day start with a RR jam, possibly with a gospel leaning, was brought out, as well as the idea of having two RR jams at different levels of proficiency. There were no hard decisions, and the topic will likely reappear. The next topic was whether to again use the Wildlife building, and it is likely it will be the choice. However, there was talk of how nice it would be to have food and drink available, and Jack was asked to look into whether the Eagles club would be suitable and available for such an event.

Chris had submitted a list of questions to be turned into a Questionnaire for the membership and other interested people. It was well received, and everyone thought they could add no more. Discussion produced a few more questions, and Chris will begin creating the document.  The costs were analyzed, and Jack offered to pay for it all himself. There will be stationery and postage costs, and the need for a stuffing party. Chris estimated the questionnaire would be ready for distribution in a couple of weeks. It will be sent to everyone on the mailing list, not just members.

Next meeting was set for Aug. 22 at Valley Rosauers Café at 6 PM.

Meeting adjourned at 6:48.

Meeting Minutes – June 27, 2006

Location – Valley Rosauers Cafe, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Russ Rask, Vice President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer

Meeting called to order at 6:08 PM

Review of Previous Meeting's Minutes – As last meeting's minutes have been in Officers' possession for several weeks, review was deemed unnecessary and minutes were adopted as written.

Treasurer's Report – Jack reported that he had paid JD Maness his $300 fee for appearing at the Superjam, Alpha Studios the $250 agreed upon at last meeting, and the coffee bill from Mirabeau Point. Current bank balance is $2,344.63.

Old Business – There was no old business to discuss.

New Business – The main topic of the evening was how to improve membership and member participation. Many ideas were explored regarding how to achieve this improvement. Chris suggested creating a questionnaire to send to members and interested people to get badly needed feedback and ideas from outside the Officership. Jim spoke of the need to put effort into the website, which has received minimal attention. We need to contact Rosalie Remick and work with her in a coordinated fashion. Discussion also covered the need to put out more of a newsletter.

Jack emphasized the importance of advertising and promotion and had several thoughts about what would be helpful. Russ added the idea of having meetings include other members, not just officers, and including a showcase player at each meeting. Other ideas surfaced regarding rewarding people who participate in helping out. We could have such things as a Hall of Fame, an Awards Banquet, a Player of the Year award and a President's award as incentives to volunteering.

Chris suggested that we need more representation of different styles and instruments. It was noted that there were only pedal steels at the Superjam and it would be good for our image to ensure that other music is presented wherever possible.

The question was posed as to whether the newsletter should be available to all interested people rather than just the members. It was originally supposed to be an encouragement to join, as it was one of the benefits of membership. So far, the newsletter is not much of an incentive to join, and may serve us better to simply be given to all. Some discussion ensued, but no conclusions were reached on this. (Secretary's note: in a conversation with Joel Johnston a week later, he said that the decision to exclude non-members had been made in a previous meeting. A review of previous minutes revealed that the only solid mention of newsletter availability was on 5/2/05, where the thought was to have the newsletter be available to all for 30 days and then moved to the secure area of the website. Since then whatever newsletters were produced were included with mailings regarding jams and benefits, and no other distribution. There has been further discussion, but no real decision concerning newsletter publication. In my conversation with Joel, the thought came up that there could be a "for-all" newsletter which would have general interest information, etc., and a "for-members" sub-newsletter available only to paid-up members. No discussion was held about how to implement this. I conclude that the topic is still very much open for discussion, and that a major component of the answer will revolve around what content we include. It also means we need to devote significant time and effort towards making the newsletter something worth having.)

At meeting's conclusion, there were short-term goals set, namely putting together the October minijam, improving the website, and getting a questionnaire created. For the questionnaire, the officers will think up as many questions as they can, regarding various aspects of polling the membership (and others) for opinions, and then combining everything into the questionnaire. Jim asked Russ to contact Rosalie to find out how she wants information given to her, and whether she has time to get the website updated. There will be further discussion regarding the October minijam.

The next meeting was set for July 25 at Lilac Lanes café.

Meeting adjourned at 7:20 PM.

Meeting Minutes - May 30, 2006

Location - Lilac Lanes  Cafe, Spokane WA

Members in attendance: Jim Arnold, President; Chris Howie, Secretary; Jack Peters, Treasurer; Duane Becker, Past President; Lee Lessig, Member (outgoing Treasurer); Bob Darilek, Member; Joel Johnston, Member (outgoing Secretary)

Meeting called to order at 6:30 PM

Review of Previous Meeting's Minutes - May 16th minutes were read by Joel and agreed to informally.

Treasurer's Report - Lee reported on the financial aspects and success of the Superjam and presented a summary of the income and expenses. Income was $2483.00 and expenses were $2361.05. There are some uncompleted transactions outstanding, but at present the checking account balance is $3128.79, which shows we posted a profit resulting from the Superjam.

As this is the first meeting where new officers are now in office, both Lee and Joel conducted transfers of files, information and comments to the new Treasurer Jack Peters and Secretary Chris Howie, respectively. Lee made mention of the need to go to the bank and change the names of the authorized check signers. We first need to decide who those members are. Joel offered a short recap of the officers' duties per the bylaws.

Old Business discussed - The purpose of this meeting was primarily to discuss and analyze the detailed handling of the Superjam, and as such, this is all the business intended for discussion. At first, members were polled for their opinions and observations, and soon there was general discussion of topics rather than individual commentary. Many topics were covered, and it was felt overall that we had performed well for this being our first attempt at a convention.

Specific items of mention are:

                Joel reported that David Wright had posted comments on the Forum and that there were around 25 other postings by attendees, and the general tone was very favorable. Jim also read a letter to us from David, wherein he praised us, offered suggestions for next year's event and heartily expressed his dedication to and support of our Association.

                Duane felt we needed more attendance, both from the public and from our own membership, plus he noted that many showcase players did their set and then went home. Effort needs to be made to encourage members to participate more fully.

                Duane noted that Alpha Studios had done a great job providing sound and recording services, though few players made use of the recording service. After some discussion, the general feeling is that we should make more mention (and earlier in the process) of what they have to offer, both from the MC podium and in public advertising. Specifically: that they are recording, each player can get a CD of their performance, and sales of CDs to the public would be transacted by the individual performers. Further, it was noted we should make more mention from the podium of the vendors in attendance.

                Jim noted that Alpha had only five players purchase CDs, and suggested we give them some money to offset their expenses, as they did not earn much at all and had done us a very good service. Joel moved, Lee seconded that we send them $250. Motion was unanimously passed.

                Jack noted that we needed to have done more types of advertising. His experience with the snowmobiling club shows that various simple things are very effective, such as flyers at grocery stores and banks, and paid classified ads in the Musical Instruments For Sale classification. His information and experiences should be very useful for next year's effort. Further brainstorming will be needed, as Duane and others have noted that the commercial media are difficult to persuade to advertise the way we want. Jim said he felt his name was regarded by the media as an association with his employer rather than the NWSGA, resulting in a negative impact on our advertising efforts, and his name should no longer be used in dealings with the commercial media.

                Chris presented comments from JD Maness regarding the type of attendees we should be trying to attract, namely steel guitar players of all stripes, and that in order to do so we should have a high quality backup band to attract top name players. Discussion ensued about the need for performers, especially the high-level ones, to communicate with the band to allow better understanding of what the performers expect. Suggestions were made of such things as elaborating on the current practice of their sending recordings of the pieces they want to play, and filling out a form wherein they make mention of how they will play pieces and what they want at certain moments. It was agreed the band needs as much information as they can get, and ideally there would be practice time with the performers. It was also said that many of the top performers are used to backup musicians who are very familiar with their material, which is something we would have great difficulty providing, and that these performers should be made aware of this. At present, Jim Baughman and his drummer Biff have been approached as possible backup musicians. They are willing, and we would need to decide whether we can afford to cover their expenses to bring them here.

                Much discussion was held concerning how to improve various aspects of the sound, especially on stage. It was felt by many players that the stage mix was inadequate on many occasions. Joel suggested we have a person who could relay information to the Alpha Studios people at the house board, and Chris suggested we have a separate mixing board for the stage monitor system with an operator at the stage.

                Lee brought up the idea that we should have a discounted early-registration fee, and a fixed price at the door on event days. There was also discussion about whether we could set up a method for people to pay for seminars at the entry table along with their badges, rather than have the seminar fee paid only at the seminar door.

Jim postponed setting the next meeting date and said he would contact us later regarding a date.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM.

Meeting Minutes – April 25^th, 2006

Location – Max’s at Mirabeau Park Hotel, Spokane Valley WA

Members in Attendance:  Duane Becker – President, Jim Arnold – V.P., Lee Lessig – Treasurer, Joel Johnston – Secretary, Russ Rask – 5^th Voting Member, Jack Peters – Member, Chris Howie – Member, Bob Darlick - Member

Meeting called to order at 6:40 PM

Review of Previous Meeting Minutes – March 21^st minutes were reviewed and approved.

Treasurer’s Report

Lee Lessig reported a renewal from Jim Watkins.  An exhibitor payment of $100 was received from member Tom Palmer to reserve a table to sell his steel covers at the SuperJam.  Lee mentioned that Stan Remick will not be able to attend. Stan had committed to attending the JayDee Maness seminar and had paid early.  Lee sent a refund.  The current account total is $2754.19.

Lee requested authorization to allocate some funds specifically toward purchasing supplies that will be needed at the admission table during the SuperJam.  He had an extensive list of specific items that he had assigned dollar value to and totaled close to $300.00.  Duane motioned that we authorize Lee to spend up to $400.00.  Jim Arnold seconded.

Old Business Discussed 

Showcase Schedule – Duane reviewed the two day schedule and announced that the Sunday schedule is pretty much set in stone, barring any cancellations.  The Saturday schedule is still somewhat flexible and could hold a couple more showcase players if we get more commitments.  Duane and Lee voiced a desire to have Joel ask Jerry Johnston if he would commit to a Saturday showcase.  Joel agreed to do that.

**At this point the meeting adjourned temporarily and the group was given a tour of the ballroom and the Conference Room #186**

The topic of a Standing Committee or Member Advisory Panel was re-visited and Duane confirmed that he will announce the advisory panel members at the morning business meeting during the SuperJam.

New Business Discussed 

Duane mentioned that Jim Baron will be bringing a lead guitar player named Jim Baughman with him.  Jim will pick lead for JayDee, David, Frank, Larry and Duane. 

Jim Arnold covered the topic of advertising and announced that we have an opportunity for some radio air time with “Coyote” on KIX96 on Friday, May 19^th at 2:00PM.  This will be interview time – maybe five 2-3 minute segments.  Joel and Jim agreed to do this.  Other advertising opportunities that will be pursued are KXZY and KHQ Community Calendars, possible opportunity for exposure with KHQ’s Dave & Shelley Morning Show.  Print ad opportunities with Spokesman Review & Inlander.  Chris Howie suggested we try to get some extra exposure with non-Country radio – AM1050, Oldies Stations, KSFC and the Arts Calendar on KPBX.  The group discussed advertising costs to pursue some or all of these opportunities and Duane made a motion to authorize an advertising budget for Jim Arnold of $500.00.  Joel seconded.

Jim told of contacting Guitar Center, Hoffman’s & Mark’s Guitar to try and sell them an exhibitor slot or at the very least an ad in the program.  He said it has been a tough sell.  Has had to leave messages and those who he has reached have been very non-committal.  He will keep trying.

Lee mentioned that Wade from College Road Studios will place a small ad.  Joel reported that Tom from Sierra Steel Guitars had a scheduling conflict and would not be able to attend, but would consider placing an ad.  Joel has e-mail Tom requesting he place the same full page ad that he ran in Dallas and Mesa.

Duane had a final thought that he will approach Merrill Fich (Vangie’s husband) to commit to doing a Showcase on Saturday and also help out with the stage/sound.

Meeting adjourned at 7:10PM

Meeting Minutes – March 21, 2006

Location – Lilac Lanes, Spokane WA

Members in Attendance:  Duane Becker – President, Jim Arnold – V.P., Lee Lessig – Treasurer, Joel Johnston – Secretary, Russ Rask – 5^th Voting Member

Meeting called to order at 6:40 PM

Review of Previous Meeting Minutes – February 7^th minutes were reviewed, approved and signed.

Treasurer’s Report

Lee Lessig reported renewals from Dean Simmons and Joe Evans and two new members paid dues – Robert Sloan and Kelly Hydorn.  Lee reported four committed participants in the JayDee Maness seminar at this time.  This brought the current account total to $2684.19.

Old Business Discussed

Discussion was raised again on the issue of the Program for the SuperJam as well as badges and wristbands.  A motion was made by Joel to respond to Vangie Fich positively on her offer to put a program together for us. Duane seconded this motion and it was decided that Joel would get a commitment from Vangie to handle badges and make a printed program.

Admittance Table – Duane asked Lee if he would head a committee or team to man the door, sell admissions, sign up new members and sell programs.  Lee has a plan in mind and will need 6-8 people and at least two which are computer savvy.  Names mentioned were Vangie Fich, Rosalie Remick, Bill Barnett, Ruby Rask.  Lee will need a couple tables and podiums.

Ballets - Duane suggested that Darlene Lessig be the election vote “Teller” to collect and count the votes and deliver the outcome to the membership at the SuperJam.

Advertising – Duane asked Jim Arnold to be the chair for and advertising committee.  Jim acknowledged he would take the ball and run with it.

Stage Support – Duane said Dave Johnson would be available to help with the stage.  Jim Arnold said Dan Marvicson volunteered to have his band come if we need more musicians and Jim is also available to work the stage.

Advisory Board – Duane committed to contacting Wally Giffin, Dean Simmons, Dave Burton, Jim Baron and possibly Don Benoit (Canadian member) to ask if they would consider being part of a Standing Advisory Committee that would be appointed by the Executive Board.

New Business Discussed 

Lee Lessig mentioned that Chuck Back with Desert Rose Steel Guitars would like to come up and display and possibly play a showcase.  Lee suggested we offer a free booth space to Chuck since he comes all the way from Arizona and would commit to a showcase.  Everyone agreed to consider it, but no motion was made at this time.

Duane announced that he had secured several new showcase players for the SuperJam – Larry Chester from Yakima, Bruce Hamilton from B.C., possibly Len Ryder from B.C. and Gene & Darlene Capps from Lewiston.  Mention was also made that Billy Easton and Russ & Laney Hicks had shown an interest while in Mesa in attending our 2007 event.

Meeting adjourned at 7:50PM.  Next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 25^th.

Northwest Steel Guitar Association

Meeting Minutes - February 7th, 2006

Northwest Steel Guitar Association

Location – Max’s at Mirabeau Park Hotel, Spokane Valley WA

Members in Attendance:  Duane Becker – President, Jim Arnold – V.P., Lee Lessig – Treasurer, Joel Johnston – Secretary, Russ Rask – 5^th Voting Member, Jack Peters – Member

Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM

Review of Previous Meeting Minutes – January 10^th minutes were reviewed, approved and signed.

Treasurer’s Report

Lee Lessig reported renewals from Don Benoit and Larry Chester.  An exhibitor payment from Bob Littleton at West Coast Steel Guitar of $100 to reserve a table for the SuperJam and a $50.00 payment from Benny Hensley to participate in the JayDee Maness seminar.  This brought the current account total to $2479.19.

Old Business Discussed

Nominating Committee Report – Duane presented for