amsterdam, 2019

Written By Siena Walker

WFHI Business Meeting Minutes 28 May 2019
SISTERS Women and the Silent Screen X
EYE Filmmuseum
28 May 2019, 9:05-9:55am CEST

Zoom recording https://vimeo.com/339701208
For the password, see the email to the membership listserv.

Present (in person)

  • Martin Johnson

  • Liz Clarke

  • Elif Rongen

  • Mark Lynn Anderson

  • Elena Mosconi

  • Maggie Hennefeld

  • Asli Ozgen Tuncer

  • Kate Saccone

  • Tami Williams

  • Drake Stutesman

  • Elaine Burrows

  • Kiki Loveday

  • Nita Smit

  • Jorge dela Brea

  • Elena Albuerne

  • Dora Guzmán

  • Karen Pearlman

  • Victoria Duckett

  • Jennifer Bean

  • Susan Potter

  • Minette Hillyer

  • Jenny Horne

Present (by Zoom)

  • Canan Balan

Viewed the Zoom recording (notified the Steering Committee via wfhinetwork@gmail.com)

  • Donna Casella

  • Annette Förster

Apologies

None

  1. Welcome 9:00-05 The Chair, Susan Potter (SP), welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked everyone for coming early, and in light of the general transport strike in Amsterdam.

  2. Previous minutes Shanghai 2017 9:05-10 SP talked through the minutes currently on the WFHI website. She moved that the minutes be accepted. Seconded by Jennifer Bean.

  3. President’s report 9:10-9:15 SP noted the following changes to roles on the steering committee and officer roles: Amy Dixon was elected as President in 2017 but because of Ph.D commitments she resigned later the same year. SP as Past President stepped back into the President role. Jenny Horne (JH) was electedChair of the STeering Committee. Minette Hillyer (MH), Future President, stepped into that role when JH had to resign due to other commitments. SP noted in relation to dues and by-laws that there was a vote in 2018 to permit the organisation to collect dues. 56 people voted, a ⅔ majority is required to change the by-laws, and 89% voted to ratify proposed changes. Mark Cooper, Treasurer, will report to some non-substantive changes to by-lws required to becoming a non-profit organisation. SP noted that WFHI will ask members to vote on these administrative changes later in the year. SP noted that the purpose of being a dues-paying organisation is to provide seed funding for future conferences, in recognition and to acknowledge the difficulties the lack of seed funding has posed to past conference organisers, who graciously came forward and committed to hosting conferences. SP noted that the Steering Committee had also been discussing other ways that WFHI might develop, such as using the website and other technologies to sustain and grow a collaborative scholarly community in-between the major conference. She will invite JH and others to talk to that in the second half of the meeting. Relatedly, she noted that the Steering Committee will be asking for additional volunteers to help WFHI develop the website and social media presence.

  4. Treasurer’s report 9:15-20 Minette Hillyer recorded WFHI’s deep gratitude to Mark Cooper for taking on the Treasurer role, which has been deeply transformative for the organisation. MH read the Treasurer’s report on behalf of Mark Garrett Cooper (points 1-6 below):

    1. am very sorry I cannot be there to join you, thanks to the organizers and to EYE.

    2. As requested by the Steering Committee, Susan Potter, Christiana Lane, and I formed an ad hoc committee to explore options for managing membership dues. We determined that forming a nonprofit corporation and seeking 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the US would be the best option. (MH: noted that the Steering Committee had also explored other options, such as fiscal sponsorship, assisted by Rob Byrne from the SF Silent Film Festival (who was supportive and generous in giving WFHI advice about that process); Drake Stutesman also engaged with Women Make Movies on the committee’s behalf on this point.)

    3. With SC approval, Mark: a) incorporated WFHI as nonprofit corporation in South Carolina (where this turns out to be relatively cheap and easy to do). b) established a business checking account with Wells Fargo Bank c) established a PayPay business account d) applied for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with the IRS.

    4. As of May 27 at 6 pm CDT (in Dallas, TX) we have 24 paid members, including two Angel Members: Leslie Midkiff DeBauche and Rob Byrne. Thank you!

    5. We have begun collecting dues, and have current assets totaling $1,464.75, and we have spent $406.25 on various fees. In addition, Paypal does take a small fee on each transaction.

    6. The full SC may want to speak to decisions about setting dues amounts (noted that could be covered in the discussion later in the meeting). Our hope was raise about $5000 every two years to seed the conference, as well as other work such as that on the website. About 50 more members should do it! SP: reminded attendees of Institutional Memberships, which allow for two conference registrations at member rate, and which generate more revenue for WFHI. MH: going forward, membership will be a requirement in order to attend a Women and the Silent Screen conference. From the floor: Maggie Hennefeld noted that the PayPal receipt says donation, and request that PayPal receipt and receipt from Treasurer do not read ‘Donation’ as this can be difficult to claim as reimbursement. Action: WFHI to change the email from the Treasurer, if not from PayPal, to enable members to claim their membership.

  5. Prize draw announcement 9:20-25 SP conducted the prize draw with the assistance of colleagues at the meeting who drew the following names:
    Kino Lorber: Christina Lane
    Milestone DVD: Rob Byrne
    Stamp Book / Lois Weber: Elaine Burrows
    UA books: Liz Clarke; Kiki Loveday, Maggie Hennefeld
    Comic Venus: MLA

  6. Election of officers 9:25-35 SP and MH talked to the different roles on the Steering Committee, including the members at large, as well as the potential labor and time required to commit to the roles. There is a need to maintain the momentum in terms of the transformation of the organisation, but this needs to be careful, consultative, inclusive, and in service to the membership. MH noted the collegiality and support of the committee and called on members to join the committee. The following nominations were received: Drake Stutesman - Future President Mark Cooper - Treasurer Christina Lane - Membership Secretary Jenny Horne - Member at Large Tami Williams - Member at Large Canan Balan - Member at Large The above were elected unopposed. In addition, the new steering committee also includes the following members: President - Minette Hillyer Past President - Susan Potter MH and SP recorded gratitude and thanks to Kristen Wagner, as the membership co-ordinator, Yiman Wang, as organiser of the Shanghai conference, and Michele Leigh, for their years of work and service to WFHI. There was some discussion of the institutional acknowledgement of the contributions of members to the organisation of the conferences from Utrecht onwards. Action: Review and amend the Bylaws to correct the original members whose efforts produced the original Utrecht conference and the organization separate from the conference structure.

  7. Next conference 9:35-9:45 SP noted that several conversations are underway about possible hosts for the next conference. She invited those at the meeting to talk to whether they are interested in hosting in the conference, or hosting smaller satellite events connected to WFHI. JH represented some of the comments and points of discussion brought up at the steering committee. Part of the effort to distinguish the WSS conference from WFHI but to also give back, and make the membership dues do something for members between the conferences. Two ideas: (1) Develop a pattern of regular off-year meetings that could be guiding scholarship, open only to members, e.g. Saturday morning writing meeting (virtual via Skype), this would require some co-ordination and effort to publicise it among the membership; or e.g. match more experienced WFHI members with newer participants to workshop an idea or conference proposal or even to think of future themes for conferences. (2) Working papers, or half day symposiums in a member’s local area, that would result in public form of scholarship hosted on website e.g. work group on research tools, or partner with AFI on new project. This would require sub-committee or partnerships. It would be important that the work also came with some credit attached for members and their institutions. MH noted that WFHI actively seeking a committed conference host, as well as volunteers to assist with web site, social media; this would require liaison with the Steering Committee. Dora Guzman (Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Mexico) indicated here interest in hosting the conference. Kate Saccone indicated the possible interest of Columbia University/Jane Gaines in hosting a future conference. JH noted that it would be important to acknowledge Jane’s labour and history with organization. Karen Pearlman (Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia) discussed the potential 100th anniversary event of Kate Howarde’s Possum Paddock (1921) in 2021 event with the National Film and Sound Archive in Australia.

  8. Any other business 9:45-55 Tami Williams noted that the next Domitor conference is in Paris June 2020. The call for papers is currently being refined - she asked members to look out for the CFP and encouraged members to be involved. Tami also called for those interested to put their names forward for the vacancies coming up in Domitor for the President and Vice-President roles. Elaine Burrows noted that the next 5th Doing Women’s Film and TV History conference will be in Ireland, May 20-22, 2020 at Maynooth University. MH also noted that WFHI now has Twitter and Instagram accounts, and called for volunteers to manage those accounts. Kiki moved to thank the steering committee members for their work. VIc Duckett asked about whether WFHI had organised a collegium or information meeting at Pordenone. Action: Organize an information meeting at Pordenone, and a possible WFHI sponsored Collegium - Elif volunteered to speak with Jay Weisburg.

SP closed the in-person meeting at 9:57, and thanked everyone for coming

Donna Casella noted that for remote viewers some parts of the Zoom meeting recording were difficult to hear.

Action: Write up a Zoom meeting recording protocol that includes (1) positioning the recording laptop in a way that records all voices rather than just that of the Chair, and (2) includes the Chair repeating questions and key discussion points for remote participants.

Summary of actions for Steering Committee

  1. Change the email from the Treasurer, if not from PayPal, to enable members to claim their membership dues.

  2. Review and amend the Bylaws to correct the original members whose efforts produced the original Utrecht conference and the organization separate from the conference structure.

  3. Organize an information meeting at Pordenone, and a possible WFHI sponsored Collegium - Elif volunteered to speak with Jay Weisburg.

  4. Write up a Zoom meeting recording protocol that includes (1) positioning the recording laptop in a way that records all voices rather than just that of the Chair, and (2) includes the Chair repeating questions and key discussion points for remote participants.

Siena Walker https://www.sienaleigh.com/
Next

shanghai, 2017