Attending: Ellis Burruss, Phil Graves Jerry Knight, Cheryl Wathen, David Swope, Ben Mourad, and Rosemary Huf The meeting was called to order at 6:40 pm.
1 - Minutes were approved as written.
2 - Dave gave the final finance report for 2009. Ben will review it. Dave will contact Jim George on filing the Maryland Personal Property Report. Ellis will file the Federal Tax Form.
Brunswick Main Street Music Festival: Brunswick Main Street has requested a GBACC donation of $2,000 to host the June 19 Brunswick Music Fest. Board members raised concerns that donating nearly one-third of our reserves to the Fest does not benefit many GBACC members who are not in the downtown Brunswick area.
In a letter dated last March GBACC committed to presenting the request for the $2000 donation to the membership. That request will be presented to the February meeting. A motion was passed that the Board recommend that GBACC donate $800 as the Graphic Arts Sponsor and be open to considering a larger donation depending on how GBACC as a whole can benefit from participation in the Music Fest. The motion was passed with one abstention.
Rosemary and Phil will present ideas at the February meeting as to how GBACC can use a higher level of sponsorship to its benefit.
3 - Rosemary gave the Membership Committee report. Cheryl has given her the primary membership records and she reviewed some of them with the board. The January reminders have gone out. Two members are not renewing for a total of 87 current members.
4 - The board discussed the Plans for 2009 as stated in the January 2009 minutes. Most items had been accomplished, still in progress or have been cancelled. Jerry will put into the Friday bulletins a request for GBACC Members to use "A Member of GBACC" on their business advertising.
5 - The GBACC Awards Dinner will be at Beans in the Belfry on Thursday, March 18, 2010. Beans will provide menu suggestions. That decision and others will be made by the Board through email. Phil will MC the event.
The next Business Card Exchange is Thursday, January 21st featuring speed networking along with the LBA. The February Business Card Exchange will be at the Brunswick Crossing Welcome Cottage on February 18.
A proposed GBACC and Main Street brochure was briefly reviewed. Christina May, Patrick Kay, Robert Bell and Jerry Knight is working on the brochure. More details and pricing will be available by the February board meeting.
Phil Graves will preside at the February membership meeting. The Music Festival will be discussed. The speaker will be from a PATH opposition group.