June 24, 2020 Minutes

Zoom Meeting
6:30 PM

ROLL CALL:

Toi Lyn Flick, Kelsey Gronlund,Heather Pittman, Nathan Schreier, Jonathan Tinsley, Becky Tinsley, Derek Olson, Robert Soderstrom (@ 7:45)

READING AND APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE PRECEDING MEETING:

Motion to approve by Jonathan/seconded by Heather

REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF BILLS:

No bills at this time

REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

The Night of One Acts is still tentatively scheduled for September.

Website

I have created the Volunteer Spotlight and will be talking to other people to get stories from them. I am kind of avoiding BOD members right now but will get to them down the road. Don’t want the website to feel like BFACT is just these few people. Toi sent me her BOD bio, but I need bios and photos from everyone else. I would like to get this up in the next couple of weeks. We will begin pushing Jupiter & Mars more coming up, so hopefully we will be getting more eyes on the site and I would like that section filled out more.

I am also working on creating new sections of the website to hold Jupiter & Mars and the Storytime Readings. I have begun work on the design and once that is done I will begin the build on it.

Merch

We have our store online now. Right now it is just t-shirts and one bag all with our logo on it. My goal is to start creating other items with our logo and then create designs to go on the shirts just branded BFACT, which might increase the number of people who want to buy them. I am also going to be creating Jupiter & Mars merch, several cast members have expressed interest already in that. The goal will be to push the store via the BFACT Facebook page, but it would also be great if Board Members share it as well to their own accounts.

SD Arts Council Grant Application

With Kelsey and Heather’s help we have submitted to the SD Arts Council CARE grant. We were eligible for the smallest amount they give, $2,500. This would be to help pay staff, which would be me. Right now we don’t have enough money to finish my contract, especially if we start buying things for BFACT. This would help make sure we can still spend on events but be able to pay my contract. We should know by the end of July if we get it.

REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES:

President
- No report at this time
Vice President
- Happily, I have something to report about this meeting! To be precise, I have four items about which to speak.
- First, Kelsey and I did the quarterly audit. We handled this over messenger as there wasn’t a terrible lot of fiscal activity over which to look. We are currently solvent, yea! However, we will need to generate some revenue in order to keep the doors open(figuratively)and to pay our executive director(realistically). Kelsey, I’m sure, will have more specifics in her treasurer’s report.
- Second, I have been in contact with several people/families about creating videos for our library reading program project. Taran Garman had agreed to do one of the videos, but messaged me this morning that she has to forego it. I have contacted 5 other individuals/families and so far have one maybe and one yes. Carrie Donovan has also agreed to help with this project. I have not heard back from the other 3.
- Third and fourth, I wrote my bio for the web page, as Derek had requested. I will figure out how to do the annual report and get that completed. I saw that an extension has been given and also something about the first anniversary of formation, so I will be looking more into that.
- I will conclude this report by saying that I think our Jupiter and Mars radio play is a “stellar” idea and that so far I really enjoy the script!
Treasurer
- Current balance is $2623.00. We have received $18.95 from Amazon Smiles donations this quarter. Quarterly audit and statement reconciliations are done.
Secretary
- No additions to report at this time
Grant & Fundraising Committee
- Considering holding an online auction.
Membership Committee
- Need to schedule a meeting time with Kelsey to go over missing members in Arts People
Public Relations Committee
- Working on Facebook ads for Jupiter & Mars– will increase ads closer to release of show.
Creative Committee
- We haven’t met this month but I am hoping to get a meeting going in July to talk about some new ideas of projects to do online.
- The Man Who Came to Dinner
  - Auditions are coming up for The Man Who Came to Dinner. I have spoken to the Rec Center about the theater. It is still closed. Nate said they will be meeting at the beginning of July to discuss when the theater will be reopened, but I don’t have a specific date yet on that. I have concerns about putting on this show. It sounds like when the theater reopens there will be precautions put in place to limit the amount of people who can be in the theater, which is great, but could hurt us. I have calculated the total cost of this show, licensing, rental and set, to be around $1,500. If we have to limit the amount of tickets sold we may struggle to make back that money which unfortunately we don’t have a lot of wiggle room with our bank account.
  - Beyond that I am still worried about COVID-19 and the theater. I have noticed most other theaters in the area have cancelled their summer season. Indoors seems to be the places with the best chance for transmission, so it would be hard to guarantee our actors don’t get sick. Beyond that, putting hopefully a couple of hundred people in the theater together at one time might really increase risk. I know Butte still doesn’t have any cases, but I fear us being the reason cases start in town. I have my thoughts on this, but I want to discuss with the BOD their thoughts on possibly cancelling this show.
  - I have been in contact with Nathan about this and we have talked about some alternatives. Possibly doing an original smaller scale show, and original that wouldn’t cost licensing or set, and really reduce the number of seats we sell or even doing it at Community Hall with enforced distance seating. Maybe even something outside. Practices could be held online for the first week or two as well to help keep spacing.
- Jupiter & Mars
  - I held auditions for Jupiter & Mars a couple of weeks ago. It was done online only which took some scheduling but we had over 30 people try out which was awesome. We have found a place for everyone that auditioned, not all in the first episode but some others. We are planning to record the first two episodes this coming Friday, June 26. I know not everyone will be able to do that night so I will spend the week after getting audio from everyone who can’t do Friday. We are hoping to record the third episode in the next few weeks. Then I will begin editing, which will take quite a few hours to do. Once I have the first three episodes created we will start releasing, I am hoping in July. We will create a release schedule where we will Premiere an episode on Facebook with people and then it will be placed on our YouTube channel, which I have to create, where it will stay. We will probably release every other week. Everything will also be available on our website.
  - While this is going on, the next batch of episodes are being worked on, led by Robert and Isaac Otterman. The fourth episode has been started and other episodes will begin being written. On all videos once they are done we will have a list of our sponsors and we will encourage donations to BFACT since all of this is free to the community.
- Storytime Reading
  - Toi has been a huge help in getting the Storytime Reading program, tentative name, going. She has been speaking with other people to record episodes. This will be something we do in conjunction with the library. We will have different people read stories in whatever way they want and record them. I will then edit them to make them web ready, with the library logo and our sponsors. The library will link to these videos as well. They will be on our YouTube channel and website.
  - Toi and I are also discussing doing a live show of this, closer to school starting at the bandshell. There would only be a few people involved to help with distancing and since it would be outside the worries of indoor groups are lessened. We could potentially partner with the Arts Council or Chamber of Commerce on it.

OLD AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Discussion was held on moving forward with The Man Who Came To Dinner. Concerns were voiced about the potential of the show having to be canceled at the last minute and the risk of lost revenue if that happens. In light of the uncertainty of COVID it was decided that this show should be postponed until 2021.
10th Anniversary of BFCT/First Show: This year is the 10th anniversary of the first BFCT show. Discussion was held on promoting this milestone. Derek will work on a t-shirt design for supporters/members to buy.

NEW BUSINESS:

July 4th Parade: Discussion was held on entering a float in the parade. Jonathan offered to use his truck and make signs. ToiLyn will contact the city to complete registration.