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Shareholder Relations Committee: March 3, 2004

MEETING MINUTES HISTORIC ARCHIVE

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Year

 

 

MAD RIVER GLEN CO-OP
Shareholder Relations Committee

Minutes of meeting on 3/3/04

Officially started at 4:50 p.m.

Attending:  Rick Moulton (chair), Bill Heinzerling, Jane Bancroft, Irma Heeter, Wendy Bridgewater, Rocky Bleier, and Lu Putnam.  Representing staff: Andrew Snow and new shareholder Steve Schulek sitting in for the first time.  Steve has thirty plus years skiing at MRG and has spent more time helping Jay Appleton on trail maintenance lately than skiing.  See Steve’s comments later in the minutes.

The committee applauded Bill Heinzerling, and a few of his friends, for selling $300.00 dollars worth (60) Co-Op shareholder pins in the last three weeks.  We still have plenty more to sell in the coming months.

Much discussion ensued back and forth on how the current task group (active) should proceed with the pilot directory project.  Wendy announced that an article will appear in the mid March issue of the Echo about this project and hopefully the subsequent feedback from shareholders  will give her (director) and the task group some idea of how much interest there is in this project before hours and hours are spent on it for nothing.

The following methodology evolved for a project outline and proposal:
Description, Goals, Time Frame, Financial requirements (whether from the Co-Op or private), volunteer needs, resource needs, management input/and or Board involvement and approval.  Once these concrete terms are defined, then the project can be implemented by the task group.  Jane volunteered to be added to the task group.

Rick’s comment: On the broader pro-active SRC committee is that it serves to float ideas, suggest scheduled community events and planning, act as a sounding board, solicit volunteers, listen to and acknowledge volunteers ideas and enthusiasm, and encourage them to proceed with the task at hand.

Irma’s comment: For the past nine years, this active and pro-active group/committee has been all in the same one.  Although, it has been called communications, share sales, and preservation certificate committee at various stages since inception of the Co-Op.

OLD BUSINESS
In response to Rocky’s letter to Rick (chairman), he is looking into why the suggestion box monthly summary report is not getting distributed to our committee, not getting posted on the Co-Op bulletin board, or posted to the Co-Op web site.  This is an old action item and the procedure for reports and their posting was approved by the Board some time ago. The problem is that is not being done in a timely or consistent manner.

The committee kicked around why there was such a lack of interest and poor showing of in-state candidates this year (two openings and only two candidates) hardly a choice as stated in our by-laws.  The committee felt that Deb Steines did an excellent job chairing this committee and running the candidate forum this year.  SRC’s suggestion to next year’s election committee, if the current Echo schedule remains the same with an issue in Sept. and the next one not until mid-February, then the election committee should consider sending out a special post card, or request that the Board provide a Co-Op News to stir up interest in the election and solicit candidates from the entire shareholder community. Electing our trustees is one of the most important yearly events that the Co-Op has.

NEW BUSINESS
Ideas and dates were floated around on doing something for the Co-Op’s 10th anniversary coming up next year (2005).
Dates suggested for a big party:  Dec. 11th, Green and Gold week end, around Christmas time, date closer to actual anniversary date, toward the end of Jan. (slow period).
Ideas suggested for a commemorative merchandise:  Irma showed a beer glass that could be itched on one side with our Co-Op logo or single chair and on the other side, MRG  Co-Op 10th anniversary 1995-2005.  Lu suggested wine glasses.  The committee wants to solicit ideas from the Board, management, and shareholder’s at large for this upcoming big deal.

COMMENTS:
A shareholder stated that he has put many suggestions in the “Suggestion Box” over the years and asked for a response and has yet to get a response so far on any of his submissions. The committee agreed that there needs to be more diligence on getting responses back to the people as well as reporting to the general public on the suggestions made.

Steve’s comments were:  More marketing of  our single chair, mountain scenes, and things that are only unique to MRG. i.e. a replica of our single made into x-mas ornaments and maybe a small lamp. Painted MRG scene on the back of an Adirondack chair. He encouraged us to think on how to cut the cost of mailing the Echo.  We thanked him for his very creative thinking and ideas which could trigger other great ideas.

A committee member asked about planting a tree in memory of a deceased long time MRG ski patroller and the committee referred him to the Stark Mountain Foundation.

Next meeting Wed. April 7th at 4:30 p.m. (this time could change with the skiing conditions).

Meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Irma Heeter