08-10-2015 Meeting Minutes for Northern WI NORML

Northern Wisconsin NORML Board Meeting for August 10th, 2015

Roll Call for Board of Directors: Rich,  Jason, Jay,  Jessica, Gene were all present.

In addition, 6 other people attended, and 1 stopped in before the meeting but could not stay.

There were no Public Comments:

August  Treasurer’s Report: Beginning Bal $1,698.79, PayPal $278.05, Spreadshirt $4.60 ( last sale in Feb 2015), Contributions $97.00

 

Field Activist Reports from the Field:

2 New Members online, 0 Renewing Members, 1 recruited by Jay:   $30 and $42 online memberships via “Join” and Jay cultivated $25 donation.  1 member joined at the meeting – $25 LEVEL

We all need to promote the spreadshirt shop:   http://northernwisconsinnorml.spreadshirt.com/

Jay discussed submitting receipts for expenses and in kind donations.  We should start logging our time also, as an in-kind donation. This would include logging your hours worked, mileage to drive to meetings and events, mailing and postage expenses, etc.  We do not get compensated for this, however we do need to be able to keep track of these expenses for other reasons.  In the future when we look at getting grants, this will also be important information to have. Nox mentioned a youtube video project that he is working on for the chapter.  Those hours should be logged as well.

Website Analytics:  Jessie reported on the website statistics.  In the month of July, Jessie posted over a dozen blog entries on different dates.  These included news from National NORML, as well as medical study information and local news. By promoting these articles, we we were able to increase the website traffic by almost 50% for the month of July.  Many of our website visitors are using mobile devices, so last month, Jessie made the website mobile friendly, as well as updating the layout of the website for desktop users.

Joint State Tour:  Jim and Jay gave us details about the 2015 chapter fundraiser trip to Washington and Oregon.  The trip is Nov 6-9, 2015 – Deadline is August 31st to sign up for the trip. For more information:   https://www.northernwinorml.org/2015/06/16/joint-state-tour-wa-or/

NORML Nation: Membership Drive:  $25, $50 and $100 levels… if you sign up at the National NORML website, make sure to mention that Northern WI NORML is your local chapter!  Contest for chapters runs Aug 5-12th, 2015. http://blog.norml.org/2015/07/31/support-the-norml-nation/

 

There are currently 3 bills in legislature this session.  

Assembly Bill 246 “Decriminalization”:   https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2015/related/proposals/ab246

Assembly Bill 224 “Regulate Adult Useage” :  https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2015/related/proposals/ab224

Assembly Bill 215 “Industrial Hemp”:   http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2015/related/proposals/ab215.pdf

Medical Bill expected this Fall?   Jay suggests that we contact our legislators and offer input as to the wording and content of future legislation.  We can offer our services as experts in the field, share our experience and knowledge, and ideally, help to shape the next set of bills.  We need to have a chapter coordinator that will contact past bill sponsors and potential new ones, also to work with folks in Madison on this issue.

Rich handed out a list of legislation that we have in Washington currently. Please, write to your legislators and politely and concisely tell them how you stand.  I have a physical printout of this document, but will try to get it online this week for everyone else.

 

Old Business:

Adopting new National NORML bylaws:   Big changes are being implemented with the National NORML membership dues.  We are no longer allowed to offer the lowest level memberships.  Going forward, the minimum membership level is $25, and the levels go up from there. We need to review this item and take action ASAP so that we can update our print materials(Gene) and websites/PayPal, etc (Jessie/Jay).  Jessie mentioned maybe going to a shopping cart or ecommerce account with more control than just PayPal? Perhaps our memberships should be processed that way, at the very least.  Each board member will go home and come up with a suggestion for the structure of our membership pricing and we will discuss it further on our next Board of Directors call.

Also, updated bios and pictures for website are needed! https://www.northernwinorml.org/chapter/board-directors/ –  review your bio, and let Jessie know bout any changes, also National NORML will want an updated resume from our board members.

Gene: Business Brochure Update.  We his waiting for our feedback and the final information about the change in membership dues.   Please proof the brochure and give Gene feedback.

No one seems to have any Freedom Cards stashed, so we need to re-order them.

Tablet expenditure approved last meeting, need to implement the project to get the chapter a tablet for collecting signatures in the field. We discussed this briefly, and will discuss it further on our Board of Directors call.

 

New Business and Upcoming Events

Aug15th/16th : TLC Gathering in Stephenson MI: Jessie will table.   http://www.treeoflifecaregivers.com/tlc-gathering.html

September 15th Lobby Day in Madison: http://www.winorml.org/blog/2015/06/save-the-date-lobby-day-september-15/

Email from Nate: September 15th is the date as it starts the fall legislative session dates and seems to be best to give the most time for bill passage afterwards. We’re working to coordinate documentation creation as well as training both the week before and the day of lobby training.  

This effort will specifically be in support of Mandela Barnes’ decrim bill. We were asked by legislative staff not to cross medical and legal lobby days as well as each attendee should schedule 15 minute meetings with their legislator then show up on time in acceptable dress.  

October 3rd 4th Harvest Fest in Madison:  Rich is the liaison for the event.  Idea: Premade signs ready to color for the march – we could work on them as a group during our September meeting, and/or work on them while working at the festival.  We should think of slogans that we want to put on the signs.  We took a vote, and all 5 board members agreed to spend $100 on sign making materials.

We agreed that the 1st Monday of the month, we will continue to do our Board of Directors conference call.  And on the 3rd Monday of each month, we will meet  in public from 4pm-6pm.  For the time  being we will meet in Marinette at the Railhouse.

Gene discussed the brochures and the revisions that need to be made. We have empty space – Ideas and input welcome.  Jay suggests that if we are moving to the new norml membership pricing, then the empty spaces should be pictures of merchandise.    We all agreed that was a good idea.

 

August 29, 2015 Highway Cleanup Project in Rhinelander:

We invite you to join us for a highway cleanup project! As you may know, Erica, a Northern Wisconsin NORML field activist from the Rhinelander area, organized the Adopt A Highway program for the chapter in 2014. This will be our second official highway cleanup of 2015!

Meet at the Intersection of Cty Hwy K & US-51 at 3pm to help out.

Please Contact erica@NorthernWiNORML.org for any questions, or to sign up to help!

Here is a link to the facebook event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/915385275200478/

See more at:

Our next public meeting will be September 21, 2015 at the Railhouse in Marinette, Wisconsin.

Meeting Adjourned 5:17pm