CSC Minutes Wes Brown's home in Northampton, MA Dec 7, 1996

Attending:

Wes Brown(wbrown@smith.edu), Paul Freundlich (dbqa47a@prodigy.com), Robin Flinter-Freundlich (visitor), Margaret Flinter (gate keeper dbqa47a@prodigy.com), Neil Cowan (neilcowan@juno.com), Anne Moss (facilitator adm6558@IS4.NYU.EDU), Bill Basset (billbass@concentric.com), Bill McAvinney (time keeper bmcavinney@aol.com), Carolyn Fuller (note taker fuller@mit.edu).

Paul & Margaret have a new fax number:

(860) 345-4922

Agenda -

see attached:

I. Review of 11/10 Boston Weekend:

1. Review - minutes: all ok

2. Review proposed timeline: Does this committee disolve because we have found a camp for '97? No. We might lose committee members now that the immediate crisis is over. But the need to look at long term alternatives is still there. After reviewing the timeline, we decided to keep the timeline as is because we think the energy is there. Do the research. Answer the questions - Can we afford to ever buy a camp?

   Budget proposal needs to be in by January 1. Anyone who has spent money should have expenses in by Christmas.

3. Review all subcommittee reports: all ok
   • Land use/arch
   • Communication
   • Sites to purchase
   • Sites to rent long-term

II. What about next summer: Site Search 1997 (15 min)

1. Bill McCarthy's update: Camp Mataponi is a possibility for long term rental. The price they came back with was $20,000 for the 15 days through Labor Day. Omni Camp was $24,000 for the 16 days before Labor Day. CSC recommends that we say 'YES'! Unanimous!

2. Updates by state/area - MA - Chimney Corners found by Sylvia Brallier (spiritxtc@aol.com) - much too expensive. Duxbury (Wing/Stockage) looked good but there was no follow through because Mataponi looks so good. Get notes from individuals on any research they have done for purposes of archiving. CT - Margaret contacted the Camp Connection in Long Island (Ronnie Bergman 516-379-4102) - they are brokers - they came up with the best options including Camp Mataponi - We should use these folks in the future! NY - 6 camps in NY that could handle size but all their camp programs end too late in the summer. We could have a June camp or 9 days before Labor Day.

III. Where are we now: Updated reports from subcommittees (30)

1. Land use/arch - Camp Mataponi is somewhere between "Camp as we know it" and the ideal except for the length of time. Essential camp was 3 to 4 weeks. We will be referencing what we find against the criteria. They don't plan on being more specific at this time. Eventually will be looking at what is possible for specific site. Committee will draw in consultants like Paul Marienthal and Matt Weinburd later. They should both see this report (Carolyn will ask Susan (Sarnsten@AOL.COM) & Teegan (TeeganDB@AOL.COM) to mail the it to them).

2. Financial/Legal - no report. They haven't met.

3. Communication - Archival on web has happened. Great place to do research. Announcements at dance beginning to happen. Susan (Sarnsten@AOL.COM) & Teegan (TeeganDB@AOL.COM) in Ithaca, NY receive the minutes electronically and mail them out to those not on-line. Great that geographical distance is no longer a handicap to being involved. Bill Basset's e-mail billbass@concentric.com.

4. Sites to purchase - Camp Connection & other camps that Margaret talked with - 100% thought we were nuts to think about buying a camp. To own a camp is a full time job. They liked what we are doing but they thought the idea of our owning a camp was off the wall. Bill looked up possible web resources - realtors, sites, etc. A ski area is for sale in NY state 300+ acres $600,000. Prices very low in Northeast Kingdom (northeastern Vermont). 175 miles from Northhampton, MA. Affordable land prices - nothing in CT, MA, most of NH. Prices are depressed in Catskills, northeastern Vermont, northern NH, Southwest Maine.

5. Sites to rent long-term - no one from that committee is present to report anything further than what has already been reported.

6. Partnership arrangements (purchase or rent) - read Paul's proposal. Are there conversations happening with "Friends & Lovers"? There are three "Friends & Lovers" folks, Andy Towlen (ACTOWLEN@AOL.COM), ALisa Starkweather (Alisastar@AOL.COM), Tom Boynton, who are on CSC. So conversations will begin as soon as subcommittee is given go-ahead to start such conversations. We can look at possibilities of buying into an existing camp that needs a cash infusion. This answers the concerns that the Camp Connection, et al had. CSC likes the proposal and formally says "go for it."

IV. Where do we go from here (40):

• Feedback to each of the subcommittees
  1. Land use/arch: We have nothing to meet about at this time. We don't need to meet again for now. Land use/arch has come up with broad criteria. No reason to meet again until sites are found. Neil's e-mail address is: ncpuppet@aol.com (actually between the meeting and the publication of these minutes it changed to: neilcowan@juno.com). Wes questioned whether land use after a camp was purchased was part of this subcommittee's mandate. No. Paul - If we were to consider partnering with a residential piece then architectual would need to be pulled into that - another conversation down the line.

  2. Financial/legal: Margaret has talked with Robbie but not Wes because Robbie couldn't come up with a possible meeting date. They need to meet to come up with some financial models. Paul worked through some financial models several years ago in connection to the Home Place. Where are those models - Margaret has. Bill McAvinney - how much can we borrow within the community. Legally, if we will buy, we will have to restructure. We need a 501-c3 instead of a 501-c7. Paul has one that DNE could take over. Margaret feels that the reps need to take this one on. She doesn't feel that this is an appropriate CSC or Financial/Legal activity. What is the impact of buying a camp on our 501-7c status? Margaret feels this is a valid Financial/Legal research issue. CSC would like a report from Financial/Legal by either next CSC meeting or the next time-line marker. Margaret wants to try to get Myra Romain at this Legal meeting. She is aiming for mid January. Financial - how much money can we collect from community? Methodology - full mailing, sample, Alphonse, sample folks who have attended camp in the last couple of years? Should mailing list be culled first? What are we looking for - how much money we can raise in a pinch? how much money can we raise now? Margaret says it helps to build the financial model. How much money can we raise internally? How much money can we raise externally? Margaret thinks we should come up with a sample and call. Bill agrees with Margaret. What is feasible? Paul wants to know what the universe is - 1000? 2700? Paul thinks sample should come from data - attendance at recent camps. Margaret wants to know who has been to summer camp for the last 3 years? End of January is timeline. Carolyn will get list of people who have attended camp in the last 3 years to Margaret.

  3. Communication: Bill Basset would like to see knowledge acquired by Site Search '97 subcommittee saved for future use. on-going - no timeline.

  4. Sites to purchase: They need to come up with a written statement to send out to the realitors and Camp Connection. Timeline - Margaret will do it and send to Bill McAvinney within the next week. Bill McAvinney will mail it out by end of year. Report back - next meeting will be sometime in mid to late January after responses have come back. No specific date as to when we will report back to CSC because we don't know when realitors will get back to us.

  5. Sites for rent long-term - Bill McAvinney suggested to Bill Bassett that since he is coordinating the Site Search '97 research he also contact the Long Term rental committee for a set of "what are you doing next and by when"? When will they report back to CSC? He will get this by the time the minutes go out.

  6. Partnership arrangements (purchase or rent) - They got approval on their proposal. Next step - getting a preliminary read on what is out there and who is interested. Friends and Lovers, Circle Dance. Potential camps. End of January beginning of February timeline. If anyone knows of groups - get in touch with Paul Freundlich (dbqa47a@prodigy.com).

• Establish report back times for subcommittees - review of timeline from 11/10 meeting. It seems ok. Clarifications - Feb/Mar Subcommittee publish proposals/information. Late March evaluate proposals/information. We should highlight important milestones on e-mail so that people make sure they read it. Sometime in late Jan & early Feb specific proposals from buy, rent, partners will be coming through. Late Feb & early Mar the other subcommittees can evaluate those proposals. We might not have specific site proposals at the end of all this. We might have a set of recommendations to take to reps and whole community. Our goal might be to prepare a document - a feasibility business plan on how to proceed. We might not have enough community concensus to actually buy something, etc. It might make much more sense to have a solid business plan. Bill McAvinney agreed but added that having specific proposals as sample directions can be very helpful in this document. Neil wanted to know if we were making a committment to Mataponi beyond '97. The answer is no. The contract this year is a one year contract. If we want to rent in '98 it will probably need to be a longer period contract.

• Fill in any missing links re: subcoms (liaisons, meeting schedules, timelines) - CSC to reps - take mataponi. approve '96 CSC budget of $300 if it hasn't been already. Where we are going is as likely to be developing a strategic plan through a dry-run as it is to be specific site proposals.

V. Schedule next CSC meeting - Core Group will take responsibility for calling next meeting when there is a reason to meet.

VI. Meeting evaluation - great meeting, agenda, etc. meeting ended at 3:30!!!!!! This was a 3 hour meeting! Not bad!

Core Group met at the end of the CSC meeting:

The Core Group came up with the following liaisons between and among subcommittees:

subcommittee	liaison from subcommittee	liaison to Core Group
Land use/archit	Neil	Neil
Financial/Legal	Margaret	Paul
Communication	Anne	Anne
To Buy	Bill McA	Neil
To Rent	David Kahn	Anne
Parnerships	Paul	Paul

The way Anne understands it, liaisons from subcommittee should be giving out information to the CSC and the community of Reps, Elders and everyone. And liaisons to the Core Group are supposed to keep the Core Group informed on a regular basis. I think we have yet to define what we mean by a regular basis. Members of the Core Group will be checking in with each other online biweekly.

We also approved a new budget of $500 for the year.

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