May 2017

May 9, 2017
6:00 - 7:20 p.m.

In attendance: Dan Medinger, Bryan Coster, Lisa Coster, China Williams, Caroline Feil, Carollee Mutchler, and Richard Youcum.

Dan’s Medinger’s Columbia office

A. Review of May 2 Meeting with Chris Van Hollen as guest speaker for joint club meeting

  • Venue was good
  • Tech issues prevented the previewing of the promotional video. Need to conduct a dry run in the future with any technical equipment
  • Produce a handout for a takeaway
  • Emails will be added to the database
  • Close doors to main seating area until a half hour before the event so that everything is prepared, i.e. reserved seating and tech issues
  • Add hashtags and social media information in publicity before meeting
  • Conduct joint meetings once a quarter with clubs interested in partnering (not all clubs are interested)

B. Committee plan review

We discussed purpose, membership and reporting of each of the six committees. We hope to provide members with action items and grow the membership. At the June meeting, we will ask people to go to a committee table and leave with an action. Ideally, everyone will join a committee.

Carollee Mutchler will no longer lead the recruitment committee due to personal reasons. We will ask for a new chair in June.

The legislative committee will attend each meeting with a monthly written wrap-up of high-profile bills to discuss and distribute. It will also organize a Howard County day in Annapolis at the state house in the fall.

The communications committee will consider writing letters to the editor.

C. Election of Officers for 2017-2018

We are behind in completing the nomination process because of the extraordinary May meeting with Sen. Van Hollen. To fulfill responsibilities to the by-laws, we will ask for a motion at the June meeting to continue the current officers until an election at the September meeting. We will ask for nominations at the June meeting.

D. Programming

Dan will solicit a legislative speaker for June.
Other speakers/topics of interest that were suggested:

  • Gerrymandering
  • Past elected official, i.e., Liz Bobo
  • Panel discussion about issues of race/color in HoCo with the Muslim Council and others
  • Sen. Edward Kasemeyer

In July we will host our annual social. Dave Osmundson offered to host, as he has done in previous years, but some members were concerned that the Club has gotten too large. Dan Medinger offered his home. Lisa suggested a hall or picnic area, as well.
In August, we will staff the HoCo Fair Dem booth on Tuesday. We also will invite members to participate in the parade on Saturday.

Respectfully submitted by Lisa B. Coster, secretary