TORCH CLUB of the FOX VALLEY
M i n u t e s
9 February 2009
Atlas Coffee Mill & Café
Present: Jim Baumbach, Al Button, Leota Ester, Barb & Bill Kelly, Mary Poulson, Bob Swain, Peter Thiel, Lee Weis, Janet Wullner-Faiss Cloak
Guests: Alice Baumbach, Bill Melvin (Barb Kelly’s father)
PRESIDENT Barb Kelly called the meeting to order at 6:35 PM in the Atlas Classroom.
MINUTES were approved as written.
TREASURER’S REPORT:
Assets Ending 8 January 2009: $1,923.88
Income reentry: $ 70.00•
Expenses Setup fee 3/13/08$ 52.50
Two (2) name tags 1/12/09 $ 16.80
accounting adjustment$ .04**
Total Assets 12 February 2009 $1,924.54
Notes: * The $70.00 income reentry was an expense not taken.
**The $.04 is an accounting adjustment.
The Treasurer’s Report was approved. Mention was made that we have received about 43 paid reserva- tions for the Convention and deposited $13,780.00.
CONVENTION 2009: (Since Travis was absent, Barb gave the report.) “Favors” were discussed. Al showed some handmade paper notecards from the Paper Discovery Museum. Barb suggested the possibility of four or five cards representing the creative work of our group, e.g. Peter and Janet. Input as to what might be put on the front of the notecard will be welcomed. Travis and Barb discussed food options with David Hegelson(?) and Barb will create a postcard to send to people for indicating their menu choices. The Empire Room will be “dressed up” for the Paxton Dinner. Note: There will be NO BUFFETS. Partial registrations are fine and anyone who works can eat. Flexibility is all! There will be lots of jobs: packaging before the convention, bus tours, hosting. A list of jobs will be worked up and appropriate people asked to serve.
ANNUAL MEETING: Len, Al, and Peter agreed to serve as the Nominating Committee. They will have a slate of nominees for our Annual Meeting in March.
REGIONAL DIRECTORSHIP: Our group approves of Richard Allen’s continuing in that position.
PAXTON PAPER: It is too late for us to submit one.
We adjourned at 7:05 and moved back to the Atlas Dining Room for dinner, then returned to the Classroom for Jim Baumbach’s PowerPoint program: The Displaced of Columbia. He will present the program to Representatives and Senators in Washington, D.C. this month. Here is a summary of Jim's presentation:
After decades of usurping the lands of Colombian farmers, American and European corporations have caused untold pain and suffering to over 4.5 million people now known as the displaced of Colombia. The recent visit of a group from the Winnebago Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA to the the Uraba Presbytery in northwestern Colombia was done to listen and ally ourselves in solidarity with the innocent suffering that has been wrought by our American way of life. A lifestyle which has thrust these men, women and children into extreme poverty. Three factions in Colombia: the military of the federal government, the paramilitary--protectors of the large plantation owners and the FARC--resistance fighters all have contributed to the misery of ordinary indigenous farmers who were forcefully removed from the lands of their ancestors to make room for the giant fruit plantations.
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Wullner-Faiss CloakHere are a few photos of club members and guest Bill Melvin listening to Jim's presentation: