ABA Meeting Minutes

(No Minutes were taken at our year-end party on December 6. See the bottom for Minutes from the January 10, 2012, Steering Committee meeting.)

General Meeting - October 4, 2011

EARLY NETWORKING – Members fortunate enough to attend were treated to Pizza from the Framingham bakery, cookies and apple cider courtesy of the ABA before the meeting.

Guest Speaker – Lisa Slowman of Happy Chemo gave an overview of what her organization does and how it helps support individuals and families where cancer has created upheaval in their lives. Visit www.happychemo.com to learn more.

Presenter – Tom Carey of Jamie Oil spoke to the group and provided great insight into the oil industry in terms of prices, costs, and supply lines. He answered the age-old question, Is it worth it to convert to gas? You had to be there to get the answer. Tom was very informative, interactive, and entertaining. Great Job, Tom!

Ashland Day – The ABA booth at Ashland Day netted $152.30. The money will be donated to the Ashland Emergency Fund.

Membership Spotlight – Anyone interested in having their business profiled on WACA, please contact Bill Gath (billgath@gmail.com). WACA (Channel 8) actually gets people to watch. Dave Teller, John Ellsworth, and John Kirwan have had plenty of feedback over the years as residents commented on their antics that were broadcast on cable access.

Membership Drive – The volunteers for calling prospective members will be contacted over the next week, and given their lists of prospects to call.

ABA Maps – It’s that time again. For members who had a spot on the last map, you will have first dibs on your spot until 10/31/2011. After that, they are up for grabs on a first-come, first-served basis. Be on the lookout for a communication from John Ellsworth with details.

Holiday Lighting – Volunteers are needed to distribute hot chocolate and cookies. This year, Holiday Lighting will be on Saturday, December 3 (rather than Sunday), and will start around 5:00 p.m. If you’re interested in helping (it’s not hard), please contact Bill Gath (508-989-0181) for details.

Presentations and Guest Speakers – Presenters are needed. Please let Mike Kane or Dave Teller know if you are interested in making a presentation about your business at a future meeting. We are also looking for Guest Speakers.

Next Meeting – It's not a meeting, but our Holiday Party. It will be on Tuesday, December 6, starting 7:00 p.m. at IL Forno restaurant in the Market Basket Plaza. The alcohol policy is BYOB (that means bring your own beer or wine – no flasks, nips or other bottles). Bring a $5 to $10 wrapped gift for the Yankee Swap, plus a donation for the food pantry. Invitations will be emailed weekly starting 10/17. It’s $15/person if paid ahead (by November 25), or $20/person at the door.

STEERING COMMITTEE – Next meeting Tuesday, October 11 – 8:45 a.m. at Town Hall.

Steering Committee Meeting - January 10, 2012

8:45 a.m. -- Town Hall
Attendees: Mike Kane, John Kirwan, Julie Nardone, Bill Gath, Linda Herring, Cynthia Whitty, and Adam Sachs via phone

1. Speaker – February, Elka Troutman – Coordinator for Summer Reading Program.
2. Presentation – February, Movie on Bellingham, WA – 25 minutes.
3. Speaker – April, John Kirwan will ask Kevin Kilpatrick from ADP to talk about credit card processing.
4. Presentation – April, Cynthia Whitty will arrange for the Farmers Market presentation.
5. Speaker – June, John Kirwan will try to get a speaker on payroll processing.
6. Membership Drive – Bill Gath targeting the end of January for a meeting to get people talking to new prospects. Integrate with open house.
7. Maps 2012 – John Ellsworth is currently recovering from a surgical procedure (knee replacement) and was unavailable to provide an update. Mike Kane will follow up.
8. Spring Open House – A beer and wine tasting event. Julie and John will get commitment from Il Forno to host the event. Questions regarding the license and what we can and cannot do seem to have been resolved as Il Forno’s license is like any other pouring license except they don’t have inventory nor do they actually serve the alcohol.
9. Nominations – Dave Teller, President; Mike Kane, VP; Dick Bennett, Treasurer; John Kirwan, Secretary; Margie Matteson, Webmaster; Cynthia Whitty, Publicity Coordinator. Bylaw changes will be needed to add Webmaster to the list of Officers. Members-at-Large: John Ellsworth; Ed Furey, Bill Gath, Julie Nardone, Adam Sachs, Steve Levine. Need new members!
10. Scholarships – Application is on the website. Steering Committee voted 5-2 to add a phone number to description on the website, in case of questions or problems. Adam had discussions with Ashland High School (CeeCee Doucette and Tina Hunter). The ABA Scholarship will be added to the list of scholarships on the Ashland High website. Information also will be made available in Ashland Directions and The MetroWest Daily News. Bill Gath volunteered for the committee to award scholarships. Need one more person.
11. Next Steering Committee meeting – 8:45 a.m. on February 14 at Town Hall.