January 2006

AAJA Board Meeting Minutes — Jan. 8, 2006

In attendance: Tom Lee, Shruti Mathur, Lewis Leung, Nancy Ngo, Mary Tan and Nancy Yang

Absent: Annie Hua

NEXT BOARD MEETING: 9 a.m. Jan. 29, Perkins on 394 and Lousiana Avenue.

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Star Tribune. Conference room 2.

Budget:

Ÿ Approved 5-0; we’ll be spending $11,200 for the year

Ÿ Academic internships: Four (4) internships valued at $750 each (One each at the Strib, PiPress, local television station and an open broadcast station). Total: $3,000

Ÿ Academic scholarships: Three (3) scholarships. One, valued at $1,000, will continue through the University of Minnesota. Two will be parceled out by the local chapter at $500 each. Total: 2,000

Ÿ Professional development for members: Goes toward convention stipends, grants for leadership or newsroom training. Total: $3,000

Ÿ 2005 convention thank-you brunch: Approximately $300 for the room rental at Nicollet Island Inn. Approximately $2,500 for food and drink buffet. Total: $3,000.

Ÿ Promotional materials: Fliers for fundraisers, chapter brochures, etc. Total: $200

Ÿ Finance committee will be contacting other chapters and the national treasurer about possible investment opportunities.

Thank-you brunch:

Ÿ Set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5 at the Nicollet Island Inn.

Ÿ We’re expecting an estimated 100 attendees who helped us pull off the Minneapolis convention.

Ÿ Neal, Nancy N., Shruti and Mary will work on finalizing the invite list. We’re hoping to get paper invites out by Saturday. Annie — we’re hoping you can do this.

Ÿ Promotional material at the brunch to include a brochure with chapter information (officers, available programs, committees, etc.), as well as scholarship applications. We’re also looking into getting photos from the national office and those taken by local chapter members. Promo material will be ready by the end of January for review by the board at its next meeting.

Ÿ Neal, as convention chair, will speak about event highlights.

Future social events and fundraisers:

Ÿ Ideas: Karaoke event, talent show featuring local journalists, celebrity poker tournament, trivia bowl featuring local media teams.

Ÿ Board voted to pursue the talent show and the celebrity poker tournament and combining the latter with the karaoke. We should consider pursuing contacts to have it at Brit’s Pub again. We’ll need to get temporary gambling permits.

Ÿ Taste of AAJA will return this year as our signature annual fundraiser. The event last year was temporarily shelved because of convention planning.

Ÿ Social committee should have dates and locations for the talent show and karaoke/poker tournament by the next board meeting.

All about Tom Lee:

Ÿ Board voted to make Tom a full member of the board. Tom will now be director of membership development and fundraising. He will oversee the fundraising committee with Laura, and the membership and development committee with Mary and Annie.

Ÿ Tom also said he’ll be getting his driver’s license soon. Everyone cross your fingers because he failed his first driving test not too long ago.

Meetings:

Ÿ FREE FOOD! First general membership meeting of the year: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Star Tribune. Pizza and refreshments provided. Agenda to come.

Ÿ Next board meeting is 9 a.m. Jan. 29 at the Perkins on 394 and Louisiana Avenue.

Ÿ On the agenda:

Ÿ Promotional material: brochures will be done as will scholarship application forms.

Ÿ Thank-you banquet: Finalizing last-minute details.

Ÿ Future social events: Nailing down dates and the locations for the talent show and the karaoke/poker tournament. Also, look at the number of social events we’ll be having throughout the year.

Ÿ Taste of AAJA: Begin planning.