Minutes of Meeting 5/3/2023

by Masonin 2023, Minutes of Past Meetingson Posted on

1. Opening: 5/3/2023

  • Bills
  • Communications
  • Initiation Ceremony for May 24
  • Reports
  • Parking Lot Restriping
  • Workday – new details or budget or clarification of what’s to be in communication to members, renters, friends of Oddfellows
  • Decorative Lights Schedule
  • Potluck Theme
  • Water Lantern Festival
  • Rose, White and Blue
  • Grand Lodge – Elected Reps
  • Jamba Juice cards

2. Roll Call: 

(Silent preferred)

Mason W – NG

Randy (by phone) VG

Debbie W – Secretary

Ben Shuler – Financial Treasurer

Debbie Shuler – Treasurer

Scott – left early

Jane B – chaplain

Zandria – Right Supporter 

Jeff R – Color Guard

Andrew C – Warden

Honor W – Musician

Yvonne Litfin – RS VG

Andrew Litfin – Inside and Outside Guardian

Helmuth Litfin – Serving Financial committee

3. Introduction of visitors: none

4. Previous minutes posted by email and read aloud. 

  • Minutes approved as emailed and read.

5. Sick and in Distress:  

  • Randy R has medical procedures 15th
  • Scott Spence just had a visit with dentist, had tonsil stones removed (needed to leave early)

6. Visiting Committee: (Sunshine committee):

  • Jane spoke with Liana H – she’s in grief counseling 
  • Mason went to Aikido class at Cupertino and spent time with other bay area Odd fellows

7. Bills Read and Referred: (All utility bills can be paid without a vote. A report on what was paid is still required to members and the secretary. Non-standard bills need votes. Estimates for an expected expense can be voted on as a pre-approval: this means the treasurer can reimburse a person immediately or pay the vendor directly without waiting for the next meeting’s vote. This is still required to be reported at the next meeting.)

  • Regular bills: (current bills this session are underlined)
    • PG&E: $483.93 (includes current charges plus repayment toward balance)
    • Comcast: $175.33 
    • Republic Services: 250.58 
    • Canfield’s cleaning: $
    • JBK air: 750 (this also covers walkthrough with hall manager)
    • San Jose water: 398.87
    • UBS: 337.00
    • Ruben: (regular amount – 245 )
    • Trudy: (regular amount – 500)
    • The Hartford: 467.07
  • Irregular expenses and reimbursements:
    • Mason: approved motion from prior meeting, provided exact receipts to Debbie Shuler – 199.92
  • Income: 
    • Paying renters
    • SVEA: 100
    • Goodmorning Meetings: 125
    • Lifeline Screening:
    • Eastern Star Observatory: 100
    • Richmond C: 450
    • Fundraisers (H Fry and C&O Breakfast): $ 220
    • Emory street rental house $2500
    • dues received
  • Review by finance committee (done during meeting)
    • RR1 / HL2 // Move to pay the bills
    • Passed

8. Communications Read and Disposed of:

  • Emails from Barry Prosk:
    •  (Summary – flyer Invitation to 50s theme Good Fellowship night in Modesto, Friday May 19th from 7-10pm, location -TBD)

Flyer is attached

  • Email from AI Music.
    • (Summary – an invitation to Odd Fellows to attend a concert on Friday, May 12 at 7pm at 345 S. 1st Street, San Jose.)

Dear Trudy and Mason:

You are cordially invited to our 8th International Aimusic Festival Bluegrass Twins Concert on––

Fri May 12, 7:00pm

California Theater

345 S. 1st St., San Jose, CA 95113

Please extant my invitation to Odd Fellows Temple friends. The concert is in general admission. Hope I’ll meet you after the concert.

Thank you very much!

Sincerely,

Gordon

aimusic.us

408-253-5998

  • From Brother Alex Gentile:
    • A flyer (Summarized – game day at True Fellowship, Saturday May 6, from 10am – 4pm)
  • From Brother Andrew Crocket, a forwarded email 
    • (Summary: an estimate of $1000 to scan blueprints and drawings of the building and digitize.)

From: Blakely, Blake <blake.blakely@hhs.sccgov.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2023 10:38 AM
To: Crockett, Andrew <Andrew.Crockett@hhs.sccgov.org>
Subject: Scanning drawings of Odd Fellows building

For scanning your drawings of the Odd Fellows property (site and bldg), I would estimate $1,000 (see below for estimate details).  Odd Fellows should reverse roll and reasonably flatten them, possibly tape some tears.  It is OK if they curl somewhat, but not a lot.  I would do this within a few months to a year, since bluelines and blueprints fade very fast sun sunlight, and also fade from age.  They may have degraded substantially already.

BLAKES ESTIMATE:

Based on qty 60 sheets of 24×36” it is 360 sf, x .69 = $248.40

Blake estimates extra handling at 8 hours x 88 = $700.

Best to provide USB thumb drive, or pay about $40 for email transfer.

Odd Fellows needs to deliver and pickup at Prints Chares shop in Milpitas.

2023-04 Richard Lane, the owner of “Prints Charles” in Milpitas, quoted color scanning normally is $1.19/sf, but for Oddfellows would be $0.69/sf (42% off). 

Plus extra handling charge at $88 per hour, for difficult originals.  He uses a feed system, not a platen, but he can add a clear carrier envelope for tattered sheets that need it.

He has a lot of experience with difficult scans like blueprints and bluelines. 

  • By mail: none

9. Reading of Applications for Membership: 

  • none

10. Reports of Interviewing Committee: 

  • none

11. Balloting for membership

  • none

12. Application and Balloting for Degrees. 

Nominations for first Degree – when is next? Allison still needs

June 29th is next possible, so that thursday – first degree – Helmuth – NA, Andrew?, Allison? Chris P? Andrew C is available

13. Report of Finance Committee

April Startin balance was 14077.13

April Ending balance was 11,244.77

14. Initiation or Conferring of Degrees:

15. Reports of committees: 

(Reports can include past events, upcoming events, next meeting of committee if any, research, thanks to volunteers, requests for support, recommendations, etc. 

  • Potluck Social:  Allison has requested ideas for the next theme. Idea proposed: “A Casserole/dish that your mother would have made” idea proposed: make normal food – then label it with sci-fi theme names.
    • Discussion leading to a combination of the two ideas. “The MOTHERSHIP Potluck” 
    • 1MW/RR2//: move to make the theme a sci-fi dish name fpr a food your mother would have made. Amended – call the Potluck “The Mothership Potluck”
  • Hamburger fry: deposited $220 from that and breakfast (left just under 40 in cash box) add $23.90 Debbie Shuler requests a monthly report from square.
  • Website and tech support: Mason: 
  • Game Day: Alex Gentile:  (see flyer)
  • Omelet and Crepe Breakfast: 20 people. Scott took a turn cooking – excellent job. Thank you to all volunteers. AC – we should plan a calling night, 2-3 weeks earlier so that people will put it on their calendars. Next is July 29th.
  • Community Outreach: Scott Spence: (Mason delivered report on Viva Calle and shared new info on Rose, White, and Blue parade (unfinished business) since Scott left early)
  • Viva Calle – we had about a dozen Odd fellows at the booth and intersection. We gave out roughly 100 flyers. The most successful activity was getting kids to make buttons, which gaive their parents time to talk to us. There was about 10k click-counter of people crossing our intersection (not 10K unique individuals.) The biggest problem we had is that our intersection was not near anything else that would slow people down to browse. ?- Can the flyers be reused? Yes with updates. Some leftovers passed around to members.
  • Water Lantern Festival Outreach: Zandria: (see unfinished business)

16. Unfinished Business

  • Zandria – Water Lantern festival

no new information. Zandria is looking to partner up with our members and Oddfellow and Rebekkah community.  Mason needs copy that we can post online to do our part to “pay” for the booth.

https://www.waterlanternfestival.com/sanjose.php

  • Work Weekend – this was rescheduled by motion to June 3rd and 4th. Game Day will be affected.
  • Who is avail, Jane, Debbie W, Zandria – check with other members by email. Shulers and Mason will be at a reception on Saturday but avail Sunday. A request to members for volunteers needs to go out by email and be brought up in person during events and outreach.
  • Review of where we are at to make this happen
    • During May: Communication regarding this will go out to lodge in May to ask for volunteers and follow up on commitments to help.
    • Projects: Trustees will prioritize projects based on who are the committed volunteers and how many.
    • More details on prep work and budget expected at the next meeting.
    • Saturday June 3rd –
      • paint preparations for dining area
      • pole sand
      • lay out tarps and tape
      • apply primer
      • navajo white – paint chips and samples to be picked up by AC to view in lodge
    • Sunday June 4th –
      • Paint
      • pull down tarp and clean up
      • Could add more projects based on more volunteers
        • Fix lean to doors
        • Installing security cameras
        • chair maintenance
        • deep clean
        • Creating reusable signs for front display box for public events “Hamburger Fry,” “Potluck Social,” and etc.
        • Organize closets and storage
  • Review of Items from the Trustees Meeting – If you haven’t yet, please read through the detailed write up from brother Andrew Crockett provided 3 weeks ago by email and in the last meeting.
    • Wifi booster – a motion was passed to solicit funds for a wifi booster. There is now a link on our website true52.org to facilitate this and a flyer with a QR code on our bulletin board to do this. Cash or check donations can be earmarked and given to Debbie Shuler as treasurer.
    • Our trustees recommended purchase of a 50 chair dolly for dining hall, lowest price found was $470. This was not voted on as there was a possibility of a lower price. Expect this on the next agenda.
    • Replace gutters: still being investigated with costs and project parameters. Trudy Wilson is collecting bids
    • Security cameras – Jane Beckman is investigating needs and costs and solutions and quality and lifespan of items. She reported identifying solar-powered options as probably best but is not yet ready to make a full solution recommendation.
    • The Construction firm is moving out of back parking in 2 and a half months. They have been chastised for taking up multiple parking spots with their equipment and Debbie Shuler noticed dirt was dumped onto our sanded strips, causing weeds. TW will be notified to follow up with them on this.
    • Custodial replacement – we have not had a good report from our current cleaning team and TW is getting new quotes.
    • Parking lots – Andrew received back 2 reports from his engineer contacts. (See Information provided in attachments and motions and discussion on this topic in New Business)
  • Initiatory Degree, 24th. Both Paul K and Liana H should be available so it is a go!
  • Jane can be Warden Role, Debbie W is VG, Debbie S is past grand, Sara B is conductor, Mason W is NG – 
  • We would like to have an understudy available. NG and VG roles must be played by 3rd degree members.  Zandria will be a supporter, Scott avail, Yvonne L avail.
  • Menu  – must be five courses – food not specified. Salad, Appetizer, Pasta, Main Course, Dessert. 
  • Prop needed – platter with cover, Shulers have something that would work, skull needed.
  • Ben can cook – needs help with clean up. Jane offers appetizers. Debbie W can bring something.
  • rehearsal probably needed and can be done at potluck next week
  • Bike Rack – the company DS works for is still too busy to get this installed but hopes to get it done when there is time

17. New business:

  • Grand Lodge Assembly
    • DS1/AC2// move to ratify sending Shulers to GL
    • Discussion: this should have happened back in March when applications were received. Only past NGs can be representatives.
    • passed
    • Covering Expenses for Shulers to attend. Last year was expense was $1500 for SHulers. 
    • JB1/DW2// move to approve expenses incurred at GL
    • Discussion: Ben wishes to be sure that time is made for their report. Expects important issues being covered this year.
    • passed
  • Restriping paving of parking area:
    • Two suggestions were both similar, both with 1 area change from current lines. 2 handicap spots are possible. It should not be in front of the trash since that is the loading zone in practice.
    • Are we in favor of moving the two spots back to their minimum? Do we want 1 or 2 handicap spots?
    • Discussion: how many spots will we have total? Presently 17, new design keeps the same number of spots but one becomes a second handicap and room can be made for at least one outdoor table and awning.
    • MW1/RR2 // move that we accept the wise counsel of AC and accept a design with the second ADA spot
    • passed
    • still need approval 2 spaces out to their legal max from the railing.
    • DS1/__ // move that the trash dumpster area be moved if declared feasible by the engineer.
    • Discussion: Andrew requests amendment to approve moving the spaces first and consult the engineers regarding the trash since moving it is contingent on feasibility
    • AC2// with amended motion: moving the spaces back to the legal maximum space from the lodge, making a minimum distance between the lodge side and far side and also consulting the engineers to see about the feasibility of moving the trash area.
    • Passed
  • Rose, White and Blue, Scott says we can get a booth for just $25 with no extra volunteers. This makes it a lot more doable and less stressful
    • RR1/AC2//: move to participate
    • Discussion: who can volunteer on July 4th. (Tuesday) 9:45 – 3
    • by headcount more than 5
    • Ben wishes to amendment to motion to add $200 budget for cost. (Some costs are covered by leftovers from Viva Calle but more will be needed)
    • RR accepts the amendment (friendly amendment) to include budget $200 to participate 
    • passed
  • Scanning old blueprints: AC has advice from his engineer friend helping with the parking spaces regarding digitizing our designs. This will both preserve them and make them more accessible for future projects.
    • Estimate attached from a scanning company recommended by the engineer is approx $1000 (this is a 40% discount) and would benefit future endeavors for this building.
    • Debbie Shuler suggests we consider doing this project some at a time instead of all at once and continue to use the more recent blueprints at present
  • AC proposes a calling session before next movie night with the purpose of inviting all members and other Bay Area Odd Fellows and Rebekahs – NG appoints AC as a committee leader to outreach, please call on Scott Spence.
  • Jamba Juice Cards – there were old gift cards found here  – AC is happy to purchase them from the lodge. Mason thinks they were Debra LaVergnes and recommends AC reach out to her first.
  • Light display colors – calendar of lights. Our hanging lights are programmable and can match color schemes to holidays etc. Mothers Day, 4th of July red, white, and blue – also president’s day, also
    • RR1/ac2// MOVE TO program lights with colors. Committee to be given charge rather than a vote on each color.
    • Discussion: Ben wants the display board to be updated at the same time. Mason is the committee, Jane offers to be involved
    • AC: this display board should be a suggestion to the committee but not an amendment. Mason agrees to put up something in the display box whenever possible to explain the lights and color choices
    • passed

18. Financial Report: 

current checking balance: 11,244.77

19. Good of the Order: 

  • RR fly a flag on memorial day. 
  • AC will see the Super Mario Movie Sunday – if you would like to join him, reach out
  • Shulers will not be at the next meeting. They will be here at potluck – (Pass mail key to Debbie W then)
  • Look for a game day flyer from Alex. He is out of the hospital.
  • Shulers share some of the issues expected at GL. They will bring the upcoming legislation they’ve received to the potluck to share with interested TF members.

20. Closing: 

Post author

Written by