LOWER MERION HISTORICAL SOCIETY Executive Board Meeting Tuesday, June 7, 2005 Lower Merion Academy Second Floor Meeting Room I. PLACE/DATE Tuesday, June 7, 2005, 7:30 PM at the Lower Merion Academy II. PRESENT Jerry Francis Ted Goldsborough Denise Francis Phil Eidelson Ross Mitchell S. Hamill Horne Andy Amsterdam Jack Hagner Joan Roberts Lynne Kauffman Alison Graham Irene McNeil - Guest Speaker EXCUSED ABSENCES Bobbie McElroy Bruce Reed UNACCOUNTED FOR Jack Maguire III. PURPOSE General Quarterly Meeting Call to Order Pledge of Allegiance Introduction of new members: Lynne Kauffman & Andy Amsterdam IV. NEW BUSINESS Item Subject Description 01.01 MINUTES We reviewed minutes from the last meeting and from the Annual Meeting. TG noted that "alumni" was misspelled on page two. Both sets of minutes were accepted. TG made the motion. 01.02 PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL JF introduced our guest speaker, Irene McNeil and laid out the connection between her mission and ours. He gave a synopsis of our efforts to promote the township and its history, our outreach programs and our need to publicize ourselves. Our book was a good first effort but we need to do more. The expansion of our efforts into a public access cable channel is the next logical step for LMHS and is in-keeping with our strategic plan. IM is trying to start an all public access channel in Lower Merion and presented the history of our local public access channels. LMT has three channels by contract with Comcast. One is for the township, one for the School District and an unused one for public access. It was in operation for a short periodbut was discontinued. IM would like to spearhead the effort to start the channel up again and needs support, funding and a great deal of content. LMHS could give political support and content. The channel needs to have 501(c)(3) registration. 01.03 PRESIDENT'S REPORT JF reiterated the need to support IM's mission to bring cable access TV to LMT. 01.04 EDUCATION TG reported that LK makes calls and arranges intergenerational programs and educational programs. TG thanked her for her hard work and dedication. The education committee gave six 2 hour bus tours in March. The intergenerational program is continuing. TG takes propsto the programs e.g. telegrams, ink pens, etc. Two Harriton students contacted JF to see if TG would sponsor their senior projects and it was agreed the he would. JF gave Lenape talks to the different schools. It was an active spring with 26 volunteers, 37 lectures given to over 2,000students. 01.05 PRESERVATION JF is working with BR to save Cynwyd Train Station. There was concern expressed that too many houses are being demolished in the township. Especially in desirable neighbors like Gladwyne where $500,000 houses are being taken down for larger houses. TG initiated two building documentation projects with Max Buten and John Powell. It was asked if we could get a master demolition list from LMT and apparently BD has sent a list to TG. MB has taken photos of the houses before they are demolished. JP is also documenting our structural losses. The Bryn Mawr Hospital demolition site is also being documented for posterity. 01.06 LIBRARY & WEBSITE RK continues to maintain our website. PE continues to catalogue our vertical files. AB & JF have cataloged the flat files. A 1950's LM history article entitled "Glimpses of Lower Merion" has been added to the website. Merion Friends Meeting has made more long-term loans to us from their library. The First 300 book is being converted from its original format to "HTML" with corrections and will be put on-line. LMSD graduates names are also being added on-line. 65,000 items are now indexed. Website attendance numbers: 2003 - 63,000 visitors 2004 - 98,000 visitors (5 months) 2005 - 73,500 visitors 01.07 MEMBERSHIP DF is ready to send out the second renewal notices. There are approximately 100 non-renewals. The second notice will go out first class so they will be returned for bad addresses. That way we can clean up our membership database list. We are hoping for a good response. Many existing members are renewing but there are many one time members who do not renew. 01.08 PROGRAM The board enjoyed the venue at the Tavern for the annual meeting. JF is looking for a new programming chair. 01.09 STRATEGIC PLANNING Video is our next logical avenue of expansion. JF has experience and we have large quantities of local talent that we can utilize. 01.10 ASK THE PRESIDENT PE asked about the state of the General Wayne renovation project. JF said that they need a second round of fundraising to complete the project. They ran into many difficulties regarding code compliance issues. They will gut the building except for the historic post office. MEETING ADJOURNED VIII. CONVENTIONS, ABBREVIATIONS AND FOOTNOTES 1. Symbols and Definitions: Item numbers which have a vertical line to their left indicate those having been acted upon during this meeting. Item numbers in parenthesis ( ) are considered to be completed and will not be carried forward to the next meeting. Discussions within brackets [ ] have been added by the author subsequent to the meeting as clarification. Parties shown "Boxed" items in "By" column indicate items where immediate action is required. 2. Abbreviations used in meeting minutes: AA Andy Amsterdam AB Ann Bagley PB Phil Bagley MB Max Buten BC Betty Cannon BD Bob Duncan PE Phil Eidelson DF Denise Francis JF Jerry Francis TG Ted Goldsborough AG Alison Graham JH Jack Hagner HH S. Hamill Horne LK Lynne Kauffman RK Rod Keller LMHS Lower Merion Historical Society LMSDPHTRSHLM Society for the Detection & Prosecution of Horse Thieves & the Recovery of Stolen Horses LMT Lower Merion Township JM Jack Maguire IM Irene McNeil RM Ross Mitchell DM Dennis Montagna JP John Powell BR Bruce Reed JR Joan Roberts Respectfully Submitted Ross L. Mitchell