MARCH 25 ‘01 FEDERATION MEETING MINUTES

The March 25, 2001, Federation Meeting was convened at 3:00 p.m. at the Red Hill Community Center.

1.    Attendance: Chairman; Treasurer; and Secretary.  The following clubs were represented:  Hayseeds, Square Wheelers, Pali Twirlers, and Tsunamis.  Guests:  Al and Yona Chock.

2.   Minutes:  The Minutes of the February 25, 2001, meeting were reviewed.  No corrections were noted and the minutes were accepted as submitted.

3.    Treasurer’s Report: The Treasurer’s report was distributed for review.  The balance in checking, as of 3/25/01 was $2,010.17, and in savings $1,374.19 for a total of $3,384.36.  This is $1,411.12 less than the total assets reported by the treasurer at the same time last year. The Treasurer's Report was accepted as submitted.  A bank activity report and transaction details were also distributed for review.

4.    Committee Reports:           

            a.    Festival 2002: 

                  (1) Volunteer Schedule: Tim Voss distributed a proposed Schedule of Duties for the 37th Hawaii State Festival.  Janet will refine the format and pass on the schedule to all clubs, requesting volunteers.

                  (2) Bus Transportation: After discussion it was agreed to eliminate bus transportation to the Festival, with the exception of the Luau and the Whale Watching Cruise, because only 32 dancers at the 36th Festival used the bus transportation to and from the Palladium. Next year dancers will be referred to commercial taxicabs and advised to "share the ride" to save money. 

                  (3) Budget:  A draft budget was distributed and discussed.  The need to control expenses was stressed, as there is virtually no "cushion" left in this year's reserves.  After discussion, it was moved, seconded, and unanimously carried that no expenditure in excess of the approved budget line items will be allowed without prior approval of the Board of Directors.

5.    Correspondence:  Henry reported that an e-mail request for Festival activity information and pricing was received from caller Ray Lowry, who plans to bring approximately 25 dancers to the Festival.  It was agreed to mail him a few Early Bird Registration Forms with a cover letter informing him that the final pricing for the PCC Adventure and the Whale Watching Cruise have not yet been set because of rising prices for those events.    

6.    Old Business:

      a.  2002 Festival Special Events: 

            (1) Polynesian Adventure: Pricing has not yet been set for this event because PCC plans to raise its prices and Dave is still negotiating.

            (2) Luau by the Bay: The Pali Twirlers will again host the Luau by the Bay on Tuesday night at the same price of $30.

            (3) Trail-in and Local Callers Dance: The Hayseeds will host the Wednesday night trail-in square and round dance which will again be $5.

            (4) Whale Watching Cruise. Tim reported that prices for the Whale Watching Cruise would also likely be raised and he is still negotiating.

      b.  Tax Exempt Status: Nothing new to report.  David reported that State and Federal income taxes have been completed and nothing was due because of last year's losses.

7.    New Business:

        a. Club Dues: The possibility of raising dues paid by the clubs to the Federation was discussed. It was felt by some that fixed expenses (insurance, Post Office Box and Hot Line) should come out of fixed income, leaving the Festival to pay for itself.  This matter will be discussed again at a later date.

        b.  Hot Line:  John questioned whether the usefulness of the Hot Line justifies its expense, which amounts to $528 per year.  He said that although David does an excellent job of keeping it current, local dancers who have unlimited access to handouts seldom use it.  However, David reported that he gets three to four calls a week from referrals from the Hot Line. A second look will be taken at the Hot Line and this matter will be discussed again at a later date.  Inputs from the membership are requested.

        c.  Address Book: The secretary reported that all additions, deletions, and corrections have been completed and asked directions on how to handle former members of the Diamonds Heads n' Sides and the Aloha Paradise Dancers, which no longer exist.  It was agreed that no active dancers should be dropped from the book, but those who do not currently belong to a club should have their affiliation indicated as "none."

        d.  Tenderfoot Dance: Dave reported that he is in the process of contacting the media regarding the Tenderfoot Dance on June 3rd.  He has appointments with Channels 2 and 4, has been in touch with the Advertiser, and will be contacting the Star Bulletin regarding publicity for the dance.  He asked Club representatives to remind their members to contact friends for possible students.  Andy has agreed to conduct a new class with a minimum of 16 people.

8.   Club Reports/Events: Future events are listed on the Web Page, recorded on the Hot Line, and printed in the Coming Events Flyer (remember, written notes are requested to ensure accuracy).

       a.   Pali Twirlers: Nothing to report.

       b.  Square Wheelers and Hayseeds: John reported that the Square Wheelers and Hayseeds had performed before the City Council at the request of Councilmember Duke Bainum and received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Council, which he passed around.  John Zapotocky commended Dave for his efforts on behalf of square dancing and said that this is the first time in the history of square dancing that this has happened.

      c.  Dancing at Aloha Tower: Wednesday, April 25 from 6:30-9:30.  Approximately 75 dancers from a cruise ship have been invited to join Hawaii square dancers at the Aloha Tower Pier 11for a dance. Parking should be available.  Professional callers and cuers from Rockin 'M Records will be leading the dances.   $3 donation requested. 

      d.  Tsunamis:  Tim reported that he is expecting to have Byron Ishimura, a caller from San Jose, CA, come over to call for a special dance in late July or early August.

      e.  Maui Clubs: The Maui No Ka Oi Festival will be held April 26-29, 2001. Dennis Farrar (The Great Yodeler) from Glendale, Arizona and Maui’s Bill Peters will be callers.             

       f.  All-Oahu Dance: April 8th at the Ala Wai Clubhouse.  Round dancing at 6:30 p.m., square dancing at 7:30 p.m.  Andy Scott calling, Dan Drumheller, cueing.

       g.  St. Patrick's Day Dance: Dave reported that the St. Patrick's Day dance at an open-air restaurant at the Waiakea Village Hotel in Hilo was a big success, with 10 squares.

       h.  USA West: The next USA West Convention will be held August 21-24, 2002, in Boise, Idaho.  Registration is $40.00.  Our membership in USA West is not costing us anything.

       i.  National Conventions: The next National Convention will be held June 27-30 in Anaheim, CA, in 2001, in Minneapolis in 2002, and in Oklahoma in 2003.  9,185 dancers are registered as of March 1st, 15 from Hawaii.

9.    Next Meeting: The next meeting will be on Saturday, April 28th at the Maui No Ka Oi Festival.

10. Adjournment:  The meeting was adjourned at 4:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Janet Granich, Secretary               

Note:  Federation Minutes, Hot Line Narrative, and Coming Events are posted on the World Wide Web at http://www.inix.com/squaredancehawaii .