Attending

Kent Flanagan

Frank Gibson

Jennifer Peebles

Sharon Fitzgerald

Pat Embry

Gary Cunningham

Milt Capps

Sandy Dickerson

Amy Smith

Absent:

David Eason

Bill Lewis

Clint Brewer

Previous minutes

Minutes of the Jan. 11, 2002 board meeting

Held at 12 noon in The Tennessean's Board Room

Kent Flanagan called the meeting to order.

Hard copies of the minutes of the October 31, 2001 meeting were distributed and reviewed. Motion entertained to accept minutes. Jennifer Peebles made a motion that the minutes be accepted. Pat Embry seconded. A vote was held, and the minutes were accepted.

Flanagan announced that Frank Gibson has reviewed the Financial Report, which was previously presented in in the October 31 meeting of the Board. Peebles made a motion that the Financial Report be accepted. Seconded.

Discussion held on upcoming membership meeting ideas. Milt Capps proposed holding a meeting in late January or early February focusing on how the music industry has been affected by 9/11. He then suggested a meeting featuring Governor Sundquist be held in the second half of February.

Gibson said that the Governor gives his State of the State address on February 4 and that the budget would be released a week later. He suggested that a February meeting would provide opportunities to ask the Governor about the budget and other issues.

Flanagan said that he wants to look at holding a professional development meeting in the first half of the year.

Capps and Gibson agreed to work together to arrange an FOI meeting for March, possibly March 16. They will look at possible speakers, and the board will be polled through email.

Flanagan moved on to the next agenda item: Old Business.

He wants Gibson to work with him on audit of public records by handling Tennessee's audit in a similar fashion as that of Mississippi's last year. It would be done in the first half of the year and involved SPJ's Middle Tennessee Chapter, AP membership and the Knoxville and perhaps Memphis SPJ chapters if they are willing.

Flanagan asked Peebles to help with crafting the Chapter Bylaws, using the Bylaws of the Los Angeles Chapter as a model. (The Chapter's former Bylaws have been lost.)

Gridiron and the Drue Smith Scholarship were discussed. Gary Cunningham agreed to chair a committee, assisted by Pat Embry, to look at having the Scholarship professionally managed. Embry provided a brochure and proposal from The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Cunningham will study the Foundation's proposal. Discussion h e l d .

Only one permit from Metro is required to hold a Gridiron Show, because this falls under "unsolicited funds." When solicited, a 501(c) is required.

Cunningham said that after Drue Smith's will is probated, funds will come to SPJ for the Drue Smith Scholarship fund. The figure will be revealed at that time. He said that he can't remember the amount specified. A one-page report was distributed to the board showing contributions, to date, for the scholarship fund.

Flanagan asked Cunningham for Drucilla Fuller's address (Drue Smith's daughter) to let hre know of donations.

Amy Smith reported that the Gridiron account has a $15,000 CD and $15,000 in checking.

Cunningham said that the timing is right, and that SPJ could gross a substantial amount for the scholarship fund if a Gridiron is held within the next six months.

Flanagan suggested calling it the Drue Smith Gridiron Show with the net proceeds to go to the scholarship fund. He asked for suggestions from the board as to who could manage the show.

Embry said that an application letter for the Foundation is due April 1.

Discussion held. Gibson says that it's still too early in the process to meet the deadline, and that SPJ currently has money to do a scholarshp in Drue's name. We're not ready to hand this to the Foundation now.

Cunningham announced that "the Hooligans" want to sell a tape of Drue's memorial service as a fundraisers on March 16, which is the closest Saturday to St. Patrick's day for its annual event.

Embry, Cunningham and Gibson will schedule a luncheon meeting to discuss.

Gibson suggested starting the scholarship process by talking to school counselors to let them know that SPJ will be providing a scholarship.

Embry clarified that this would be for the 2002/03 school year and the 2003/04 school year and would include money donated for Drue Smith's scholarship .

Gibson said that the scholarship needs to be awarded in the spring.

Sharon Fitzgerald suggested that the chapter's scholarship be awarded to a journalism student already in college and would be awarded for the junior and senior years.

Embry, Gibson and Cunningham will discuss this suggestion.

Flanagan moved to next order of business. He said that if there is no objection, he will call Stacy Harris to let her know that the chapter can't help her. Fitzgerald made a motion that this action be taken. Peebles seconded.

Flanagan asked if he has a motion to adjourn. Capps made the motion. Seconded.

Posted March 31, 2002.