January 27, 2013 Board Teleconference Minutes [Unofficial until approved]

TO: National LHA Board
FROM: Kay Shelton, President/Beverley "Sue" Jacobson, Secretary
RE: Teleconference Meeting Minutes
DATE: January 27, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Agenda approved at 7:10 CST

I. ATTENDANCE:
PRESENT: Kay Shelton, President (IL); Beverley Sue Jacobson, Secretary, (IL) Jess Petersen, Treasurer (UT); Bob Dieterich, Executive Advisor (CA); Jerry Peppers, (NY); Paula Reynolds (NJ); Rosemary Rubin (OH); Jeff Blair (IN); Ronnie O'Brien (NE); Jerry Hansen (WY); Bob Beaudoin (UT); Brian Butko, At Large #1 (PA); John Jackson, At Large #2 (OH); Van Becker, At Large #3 (IA); Ron Colson, At Large #4 (IL) late. The group welcomed Jerry Hansen, the new Wyoming State Director ABSENT: Tim Wunsch, (CO); Jim Bonar, (NV); Jeff LaFollette, (IA)

II. MINUTES: Jerry Peppers (NY) made the motion to accept the minutes, seconded by Jerry Hansen, (WY); carried

III. TREASURER'S REPORT: The Final 2012 Budget Report had been sent electronically to the board members. The Financial Activity Report had also been sent to the board. To date, there is $44,000 in the bank, of which $25,000 is for the Centennial reservations.

IV. OLD BUSINESS:
A. Board update: New member John Jackson from Ohio. new At Large #2; no takers for Vice President
B. Update on Brian Butko's book:
--Mostly uses home computer for topics..roads, bridges,markers, signs, etc.
--Last Fall he was put in charge of publishing a Pennsylvania Civil War book, hence, was delayed in working on the Centennial Book
--Learned much from that experience to apply to the Centennial book....a couple of months to get to printer
C. Publicity update
--Nebraska Byways--special Centennial Brochure just came out: Kay will send an electronic "link" to the LHA Board
D & E. Update on Car Tours:
--Send contact information about states' centennial activities to John Peters in FL and he'll get it out on the internet. He has press releases available with publicity not only on the car tours, but all publicity concerning the tours. Need to make others aware of the Centennial and activities
--Kay is getting things together for the tour stops in IL; people are contacting her. John Jackson reported sending a cover letter to newspapers in PA

New Jersey Chapter: Paula Reynolds reported:
--Their annual meeting will be held this Sat. Feb, 2, 2013; they are getting pertinent information together to form the chapter via by-laws, membership, etc.
--They are set up for the car tour stop June 22
--They would like to purchase two concrete markers--one more post for Kingston--will possibly order three
--Met with Kingston Historical Society in Princeton,about hosting a tour stop.
They are planning a year round museum display of LH info
--Parade route in Kearney is laid out
--$20,000 shortfall...hope to get help from national
--7 committees are working on arrangements
Rosemary (OH) reported:

--Targeting Car Clubs, Historical Societies, newspapers, CVB, etc.
--Packard International is having an event in Los Angles, CA, to whom she sent 500 brochures
--Norway Car Tour in July, another Classic Car tour in May; Motorcycle group in June/July; Tin Can tourists in Grand Island & Kearney June 30th and July 1st, same time as our tour
--Almost 100 % covered on lunches/almost all coffee stops
--Bob Lichty's idea for tour with Henry Joy Packard to Kearney, NE; Jim Peters, Bob Lichty and Ronnie O'Brien belong to the Detroit Packard Co. A Packard is being transported by trailer to the Archway Museum from Warren, MI. It belongs to the Detroit Historical Society who is loaning it to the Packard Museum in Warren
--Hotels and dinners are in place, and most luncheons....participants on own for one time...Still need commitments from the eastern states
--Website info put together by Paul Gilger, Jimmy Lin and John Peters gives all daily stops, great press releases, terrific pictures
--Rosemary is getting phone calls daily about the website
--Hotels, dinners in place and most luncheons..on own for meals one time.
Still need commitments from the eastern states.
A committee for the car tours is made up of John Peters (FL); Paul Gilger (CA) Jess Petersen (UT); Rosemary Rubin and Bob Lichty (OH); Jim Peters (MA); and Ronnie O'Brien (NE) is meeting by phone and working on publicity. State directors or someone from each state should help with identifying media contacts so press releases can be sent to them. They meet once a month.
--Need help monetarily. Bob Dieterich (CA) reported some funds from the Centennial Book would possibly be available
--Treasurer Jess Petersen stated shouldn't take LHA funds, but on the other hand, we committed to support the tours
--Rosemary commented the tours should be self supporting
--By April 30th the committee should know the shortfalls/sponsorships
--Need assurance from the board for support; the Board took no formal action during the meeting.
--Can't handle more than 100 cars....only 40 some so far
--The tour will follow the 1928 LH route wherever possible

F. The LHA purchased an ad for $395 promoting LHA membership and the online Google map in an upcoming distribution of 50,000 Nebraska Scenic Byways brochures. Those are now available and are very appealing. Kay will send these out to board members. This is a very comprehensive brochure covering Nebraska.
-- Conference Registration will be in the next Forum--Lot of choices, variety of activities. Bus tours are not included in the conference fee. Must be paid separately...limited spaces

G. Other states' activities: CA...2 days hosting car tour/OH the same/IL also and planning to host a "Hobo Stew Dinner" at Franklin Grove's Chaplin Creek/ IN had kickoff dinner last fall, with Jeff Blair again walking the 1928 LH in IN, members will be painting 100 poles with the LH logo and working with the IN Tourism map groups. There will be a Centennial exhibition in the Studebaker Place which will be a stop on the car tour

H. Kay Shelton, president gave a presentation at the Transportation Research Board Conference, Washington, D.C. Tuesday, January 15, 2013.
--This was a huge convention with 11,000 people attending
--A speaker from American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) was the main speaker
--Kay informed the group of the LHA's upcoming Centennial Celebration, car tours, and activities, and displayed the Google maps, of which they were quite impressed. She handed out brochures with the URL for the Google maps

V. NEW BUSINESS:
--Kay was asked for a letter of support for a grant by Cece Otto a singer, and Video Game Group, Spark Media, working on an online video game about the Depression Era Federal Writers' Project. Kay e-mailed the addresses for both, plus the link to order the LH Centennial NE brochure/ the contact information for John Peters and the press release and pictures ready to go. If members didn't get this information, inform the secretary and it will be sent. The project has a chapter on the LH which is another good source. Kay will send info on the video games to the board. She asked the Board to approve providing a letter of support: Bob Dieterich commented that while he was President he used discretion and good judgment but routinely supported such endeavors without coming to the Board each time. While he observed it was probably not formally necessary. Jerry Peppers made a motion giving Kay permission to use her discretion in supporting grants. The motion was seconded by Jerry Hansen and it carried.

Ronnie O'Brien reported Daniel Herschberger will have his camper trailer at the 1920s tourist camp exhibit at the Archway.

Future Meeting: April 30, 2013

VI. Adjournment: Jeff Blair made the motion to adjourn at 8:22 CST, seconded by Jerry Peppers; carried
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Beverley "Sue" Jacobson, secretary