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MADISON MINUTES BOUCHERCON BUSINESS MEETING Madison, Wisconsin, USA Friday, September 29, 2006 8:00 a.m. Attendees were welcomed by Chair Dina S. Willner and she introduced the Standing Committee: Al Abramson, Current Bouchercon Conference Chair, Madison, Wisconsin Dana Stabenow and Dee Ford, Bcon 07, Anchorage, Alaska Ruth Jordan and Judy Bobalik, Bcon 08, Baltimore Deen Koogan, Bcon 03, Las Vegas (not present -- leaving the Board this year) Patricia Pedersen, Bcon 04, Toronto Sonia Rice, Bcon 05, Chicago (not present) Members-at-large Liz De Vries (resigned) Dina Willner (05/06/07) Sally Fellows (06/07/08) Jim Huang was introduced to explain a probable bid for Bouchercon 2009. Indianapolis is centrally located and the eleventh largest city in the U.S. There is a conference center connected to hotels. They hope to make this "The Family Bouchercon" involving children who are readers of the future as well as adults. The dates would be September 12 to 15, 2009. The convention would be located downtown. Specially invited would be Children's publishers and audio publishers. There were questions. Chris Aldrich moved and Jim Dorry seconded that if Indianapolis gets its material together, the standing committee should approve the bid. Al Abramson reported on behalf of the current Bouchercon. They capped their registrations at 1200. The budget was $200,000. They expect to have some money left off and wanted that money to support the national committee expenses and to aid future Bouchercons. Dana Stabenow and Dee Ford were recognized to report on Bouchercon 2007. It will be held September 27 to 30, 2007, in Anchorage, Alaska at the Egan Convention Center. The Hotel is the Hilton. Room price will be $120 per night. The registration fee is $200. There will be box lunches available Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The Break-out hotels will be the Howard Johnson and the Ramada both close by. Sister-in-Crime will be sponsoring Authors in the Schools (what was known at Left Coast Crime as Authors in the Bush). There will be pre-programming on Wednesday for librarians, kids, and aspiring authors. The actual convention will begin Thursday a.m. and go until noon on Sunday. Ruth Jordan and Judi Bobalik were recognized to report on the Baltimore Bouchercon, 2008. The primary hotel is the Wyndham Hilton, but is about to become a Sheraton. Room fee will be $175 per night. Committees are in place to do various functions. The dates are October 9 to 12. Old Business: The Bouchercon Website was discussed. The current site costs $125. The website could be used as organizational tool. For $500 we could have a basic website. Al volunteered to donate $1000 to support a website. New Business: Encouraging bids for future Bouchercons: the website it is hoped would be helpful. There is a committee preparing a book on how to run a Bouochercon and it is still hoped that this will be completed soon. Election of member at large for 2007-2009 was held. Two candidates had volunteered: Doris Ann Norris and Sarah Weinman. Doris Ann withdrew her name because of many other commitments and Sarah Weinman was unanimously elected. A discussion was held involving some money being made available to the Standing Committee to be used for such things as the website. It was suggested that future Bouchercons could budget in money for the standing committee. Al Abramson moved that as part of the bidding process, the bidding committee included at least $1000 to support the national committee. This was seconded by Rick Kovalcik. It was explained that until Bouchercon was incorporated the Standing Committee could not have a bank account. The motion was withdrawn. Rick moved that Bouchercon accept the donation of approximately $1000 from Madison and pass it on for website. Sally seconded. This would create the same problem. The motion was withdrawn. The committee went into a committee of the whole. The decision was to write a rule to be presented at the next Bouchercon. Chair Willner appointed Rick and Sally to write that prospective rule. The meeting came out of the Committee of the Whole. Incorporation report by Dina Willner. Papers have been filed in New Jersey by a law firm that is working pro bono. Tax forms still needed to be filed. There was a suggestion that incorporation in Alaska might be even easier and this is being explored. Tax forms still need to be filled but not until the final decision of where to incorporate is made. Bouchercon will continue to use the name. If someone wishes to challenge that, they will have to bring suit. The efforts of the Madison Committee were applauded. Thanks were given to Liz DeVries and retiring Committee member Deen Kogan (Las Vegas, Bcon 03). The meeting was adjourned.
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