WiS Meeting Minutes – December 5, 2020

Meeting Time 10:00 – 13:00

Meeting Place – Zoom

Chairman:  Andrea

Minute Taker:  Jim

Attendees:  Andrea, Jadi, Barbara, Erica, Jim, Ayo, Cindy, Danielle, Michael, Katharine

Conversation:

  • Cindy was denied access and was not able to log in until she changed computers.
  • Note: Do not use aliases when logging into a ZOOM meeting. If the alias is not recognized, the member may be denied access to the meeting.
    • ZOOM does not allow anyone denied access to attend that meeting. Because denials are based on the denied person’s IP address, the only way to attend the meeting is for a denied person to login from a different computer. In addition, Aliases show as the members’ names under their image. This is difficult for members not familiar with the alias to identify who’s talking.
  • 20th of January is the dues deadline. Please send in your 2021 dues early. This will make it much easier for Cindy to do the banking and prepare her 2021 financial report.
  • Remember, access to the Member Login area of the WiS website is based on paid membership. The password for the 2021 membership will be changed when Cindy gives Jim the final paid roster.

The meeting started at 10:20

The prompt: 10:30 – 11:00 – Write a poem or a scene that contains a conflict

Readings for critique/practice for January 11:00 – 13:40

  • Jadi – The swirling vortex
  • Erica – My life in cars
  • Andrea – Pandemic Pandemonium 
  • Jim – Chaos the perfect storm, the climax – Rev 3

Business:

  • The next write-in is Saturday, January 2nd. 10:00 to 13:00 on ZOOM
  • Dark Monday, members reading:
    • Andrea
    • Barbara
    • Cindy
    • Jadi
    • Katharine
    • Erica
    • Danielle
  • The final rehearsal for the Dark Monday reading is Friday evening, January 8th  at 18:00 (online via ZOOM) until finished.
  • The Dark Monday Streamed ZOOM (youtube) reading is Jan 11, 2021, at 20:00 (8:00 pm)
  • Ayo, It is our understanding that, even though you will not be reading, you will still be producing the ZOOM, youtube Dark Monday event. Please let the group know if there is any change to this. We will be expecting you to attend the practice on January 8 to co-ordinate and remind the group of any changes?
  • Who will be doing the introductions and closing of the Dark Monday event?
  • 2021 Dues ($25.00) are due no later than January 20th
  • The annual meeting is set for February.
    • Remember, all members must attend the annual meeting. This is the only meeting that is required. If you cannot attend, we must know in advance. This is your chance to voice your opinion, make suggestions, and vote on our future direction.
    • Send Jim what you would like on the annual meeting agenda.
    • Cindy will present a financial report and Jim will present a website update.
    • Do we make the February regular meeting the annual meeting or do we schedule a separate meeting for the annual meeting? This should be the first business item of the January 16, 2021 meeting.

The meeting finished at 14:10

Other:

  • Writers in Stuttgart Meeting Minutes: As you are all aware, after our December meeting, I was again in the hospital and was not able to get the December minutes finished before.
  • I would like to continue to do the minutes for our meetings. However, I find it difficult to get the most out of each meeting having to take notes and still participate in the meeting. I would like to ask for a minimal amount of help from the participants.
    • Individual members take a number of notes during each meeting. Please send me a list of the discussions and decisions made as you remember them right after the close of the meeting. These can be a simple list in an email.
    • I will maintain the structure and the wordprocessing of the minutes.
    • This will allow me to get the minutes posted within a few days of the meeting and still participate. (my goal is to post them no later than the following Monday evening).
  • Preliminary Annual Meeting Agenda: 
  • Please send me a direct email with items you want to see on the agenda starting now as you think of them. Following are the items that I will include:
  1. Treasurer’s (Cindy’s) financial report.
  2. Webmaster’s (Jim’s) status report including annual cost.
  3. Webmaster’s 2021 ideas for the website.
  4. The current meeting structure (to be reviewed annually) and any changes needed?
    1. Consider conducting no business between 10:00 and 13:00. This time should be reserved for the prompt, readings, and critiques.
    2. Review and re-affirm our current meeting structure.
      1. Monthly meetings are between 10:00 and 13:00 monthly
      2. Meetings include a 15-minute free-writing exercise based on a prompt.
      3. The free writing exercise should start no later than 10:15.
      4. Members read their free writing (without the benefit of critiques) between 10:30 and 11:00 followed by a short break (10 min max).
      5. 11:00-13:00 readings critiques for attending members based on a prior request or first-come basis if they do not arrive before the free-writing exercise is completed.
      6. Members who are not able to read or have their critique before 13:00 are automatically scheduled first for the following reading.
      7. All members attending the monthly meeting should stay for the entire meeting. Members belong to this group and read their work to get feedback. It is not fair if all the members don’t stay for the full meeting. It is only three hours once a month.
    3. Business will be conducted entirely between 13:00-14:30 or earlier if finished.
    4. If members cannot or do not want to stay after 13:00, they will find all decisions made in the following minutes. If members want to participate in business decisions, they should plan to stay for the business section of the meeting.
Welcome
Members Only