Present:  Chris Hill (beginning only), Gary Hodges, Charlene Ledoux, Marjorie Nelson, Steve Organek, Laurie Strubbe, Melissa Waterhouse, Sue Wilkes, Tony Varga, Larry Veal, Alison Yankowskas.

1. Update Orchestra Festival.  There is a good turnout today of around forty high school students, great for a first time event!  They join UNH orchestra students for a full-sized ensemble.  Next year, during October 2010, students should bring their own folding stands, because transporting all the stands from the music building to the MUB was very difficult.  In January, the dates begin getting reserved for the following year.  The Paul Creative Arts Center is not available (theatre is scheduled there first).

2. Treasurer’s Report.  Laurie Strubbe reported errors in the past treasurer’s reports.  She had accidentally neglected to subtract all of our expenses.  She took over on May 31, 2007  but has not been consistently recording all checks withdrawn on our account.  Our current balance is only $7,022.63 and has been corrected.

3. Minutes Corrected with Treasurer’s Report.  September minutes are therefore corrected.

4. Orchestra Festival finances. 

• With 41 students registering today, we grossed  $820, minus $300 for Chris Hill to conduct, and minus $113 for copying and postage fees. Thus a credit of $407.  (UNH Music Dept. will pay for own copying.)  Next year we need a maintenance fee, and possibly an earlier deadline for the music. We need to advertise the Orchestra Festival at Stringfest, as well as on our website. There were problems this year with copying music.  Music can be directly downloaded from the web.
• More concise and complete information is needed for the parents so that they can decide if their child can attend.  It was listed on the UNH website.
• Which building, room, and available parking need to be clearer.  Faculty parking IS open on the weekends, although not during the week.  The B lot is not ticketed.
• The UNH campus map should be put on our website.
• What is the ability level required for the students to attend?  A sheet of skill levels is important.  Less is more.  For example, third position is required for violinists.
• We need a piece that is readily accessible, but also a piece that is “beyond”.  Students need to aspire to a greater challenge, which is a great motivator.
• The musical selections need to be chosen way ahead of time.

5. Stringenda Ad discussion.  Are we putting ads on line?  We still need a paper copy this time.  We will keep the same ads as last year, and then bill them.
Do we do a web-link to each company for free?  We need to pursue a web-link.
What do we charge for an ad on-line?
Full page:  $175 in paper, with free web ad included.
Half page:  $150 ($25 more than now)
Quarter page:  $125
Business card:  $100
For a web ad only:  $75 (the cheapest)
These ad rates are for one year.
We will stay at the current ad rate for this year, and let our advertisers know about the new rates.
Stringenda is sent out in October, March, June, and will still be printed on paper.  Fifty State presidents and all NH members receive Stringenda, as well as all advertisers.  Steve Organek’s e-mail AND phone number should both be included.

6. Membership recruitment.  Each Board member needs to recruit a new member.
Why do we want to spend $99 a year to be a member?  We need a carrot to entice new members.
It would be nice to have inter-school libraries on-line.  Schools could then share music.  NHASTA members could then share music from their schools’ libraries.

7. Stringfest planning. 

• Registration should be put on-line.  We could even register on-line.  The first pages of scores could be put on-line and save us money.  Currently we spend $400 to mail out scores.
• The metronome markings must also be on our website.
• Stringfest registration forms only will be mailed out.  Go on-line to look at the score, or request a paper copy from Melissa Waterhouse for the full score in print.
• Muriel needs our proof of insurance faxed to Mountain View MS anytime now.
• Alison Yankowskas will let Steve Organek and Melissa Waterhouse know when the scores are available on-line.

8. Website update. 

• NHASTA will hire King Yeh to be in charge of our website. Several articles and pictures in Stringenda will also go on-line.
• Tony Varga asks about the new member’s corner. We just want a tiny biography to introduce yourself to the other members.
• There is an MENC friends on-line, something like Facebook, for NHMEA members. We could put a message board on our website.
• Eventually all of Stringenda will be on the web.
• We will pay King Yeh $500 a year to maintain our website.
• The NHMEA have their scholarship form on-line
• We will discuss the scholarship at our next meeting.
• Our 1 pm meeting adjourned at 2:20 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Marjorie Nelson, Secretary