Subject: [Fwd: Minutes for Oct and Nov]

From: Mary White <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:18:42 -0800

Here are the minutes in case you have a chance to read them before the 
meeting.--Mary

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Minutes for Oct and Nov
Date: 	Thu, 8 Dec 2005 01:35:35 EST
From: 	[email-masked]
To: 	[email-masked], [email-masked]

Minutes for Darwin Day Celebration Board Meeting 10/6/05

The meeting was held at 343 Lexington Drive, Menlo Park (Bob Stephens’ home) 
and was called to order at 7:30pm.  Present were: Bob Stephens (Board 
President), Ben Wade (Treasurer), Arthur Jackson(Vice-President),  Mary White 
(Secretary), Lola Stephens and David Harris.

Minutes for the September Board meeting were approved unanimously, with minor 
corrections.  

Ben presented the financial report.  Ben has balanced the books for last year 
to a zero error. The statement shows $14,708.71 as our current balance.  Lola 
reported that, including newly written checks, the balance is $13,907.90. Ben 
is working with the CPA, Bob Memole, who will complete our tax returns.  The 
cost for his work will be $300-450.  

Ben requests that we use the bank credit card, currently in Lola’s name, or 
checks to pay any DDC expenses.  There was discussion about the need for a 
second credit card in Bob’s name.  One anticipated expense is Earthlink, which 
will increase somewhat from the current rate of $19/month, the initial rate.  We 
also will have to buy lists of the email recipients.  Ben asked whether there 
are any other forms needed for our annual corporation renewal.  Bob replied 
that these have been mailed to us to renew with a $25. fee.

David reported on the website.  His update of the website shows 2006 events.  
There is now a News section on the front page.  

We have recently communicated with Sigma Xi, and they have offered us the use 
of their science news, which is in electronic form.  It is a frequently 
updated summary of various science happenings.  Currently, Mary subscribes and 
receives an email a couple of times a week from a scientist at the US Geological 
Survey.  Bob asked Mary to forward this to him and David.  It is unclear how 
many items are related to evolution and how much work would be involved in 
gleaning the relevant items, although Sigma Xi has offered to help. David suggested 
an "Evolution" navigation bar would be possible for the science news items.

Lola expressed concern about the point of the website being mainly to help 
initiate events about Darwin Day.  Certainly, it is great if the new items help 
attract people to the website, but we don’t want to get distracted from our 
main effort.  Bob also noted that another Darwin Day event elsewhere had been 
sponsored by Sigma Xi and would like to clarify the different possibilities for 
funding from Sigma Xi.

Bob and David shared a sample letter which is being sent electronically to 
28,000 K-12 science educators (5,000 have gone out so far).  Not a lot of 
responses as signed-on supporters, but more hits and longer visits to our website 
have been observed.  People who sign on stay involved.  David is in the process 
of revisiting the lists:  28,000 now as well as 3,500 college/university 
professors in "hard" sciences constitute our target recipients.

Bob spoke about DDC recently to the Secular Students Association.  Bob has 
been contacted by Barry Lynn of AU (Americans United for Separation of Church 
and State), about a new local chapter starting—"Silicon Valley Chapter."  They 
seem to have a fairly political agenda, so we discussed whether it would 
violate our charter to participate, as well as how much time it would take.  It 
really is not our fault that the issues have become so political; there seems to 
be a neoconservative agenda to change science education.

Ben noted that on a daily basis there are news stories about intelligent 
design because of the lawsuits about public school policies in various parts of 
the U.S., including an upcoming major lawsuit in California.  Religious schools 
are suing the University of California because their biology classes are not 
approved for UC admission requirements as science classes.  DDC should be a key 
piece, bringing SSA’s and UA’s political campaigns together.  Eugenie is a 
consultant for the Dover case about intelligent design.  

It was decided that Bob will respond to the SSA; the SSA really need to have 
advisors on their own campus.

Ben requested more brochures for the conference he will attend at Amherst, 
organized by Paul Kurtz and the Center for Inquiry.  We also viewed bookmarks 
David had produced.  Bob and Lola are visiting the Darwins at an event in 
England next month.

We examined the format of the press release of the Americans United.  They 
have added a logo/banner across the top of the page.  This format is attractive 
and "brands" the press release visually.  David thinks something similar could 
be done for Darwin Day press releases, using the images we have created for 
the stationery perhaps.

Bob’s granddaughter is helping to compile a list of science editors and other 
appropriate media contacts to whom we plan to send our press release.  It 
would be great timing to push on this now, since it is coming up closer to 
Darwin’s birthday.  Mary will generate the press release, which will be sent out 
electronically, with the banner incorporated.  David agreed to assist with the 
banner.

Fund-raising was discussed.  Using Guidestar.org, Bob and David have 
generated a list of philanthropists to review.

A future meeting is set for 730pm on November 10.  Meeting adjourned.

 Minutes for Darwin Day Celebration Board Meeting 11/10/05

The meeting was held at 343 Lexington Drive, Menlo Park (Bob Stephens’ home) 
and was called to order at 7:30pm.  Present were: Bob Stephens (Board 
President), Arthur Jackson(Vice-President),  Mary White (Secretary), Lola Stephens and 
David Harris.  Ben Wade (Treasurer) was absent.

Minutes from the October meeting were not yet available.

Ben had sent a synopsis of the financial situation and Lola discussed the 
information.  The balance in our checking account is $12,969.  All is in order 
for timely filing of tax returns (Nov. 15). 

Ben also mentioned in his note that he had attended the Secular Humanist 
conference in Amherst and distributed a few pamphlets, although there was no table 
space to set up a display.  

There was no news about potential donors.  Arthur had reviewed the list from 
Bob and David.

We discussed various structures for donations, including a membership 
organization—that is, charging dues.  Lola commented that a one-time-of-the-year 
(Fiscal year) payments can work for groups that meet.  In distinguishing between 
donations and dues, Mary commented that we cannot have dues until something 
more is received for your membership.  Bob and Arthur discussed possibilities of 
having a donor for matching funds.  

David should be able to develop a donor "paypal" method (it will cost us a 
small percentage fee) for people to find out how to donate when visiting our 
website.  Amanda had tried this, but was not very successful.  However, it is 
more familiar to people now, so it might work better for us.  David explained the 
several steps involved:  code for paypal, identification of an address to 
send your check, things to fund with a targeted donation-- for example, "adopt a 
language."  Arthur agreed that the latter might be well received.  Lola 
suggested we start simply.  We should say something along the lines of: "If you like 
our website….." and be sure to mention that donations are tax-deductible.

Bob thinks we should send our mail list a solicitation, and now is a good 
time before we get too busy.  David confirmed we have email addresses.

Bob reported that there are plans for a Stanford University Darwin Day 
Celebration.  This event is sponsored by the Rational Students at Stanford and 
tentatively set for Feb. 9, 2006.  Frank Solliway is the lead organizer.

Lola reported on the Stephens’ visit to London and the "Dine with the 
Darwins" dinner they attended.  They also visited Down House, and shared many 
photographs.  The were able to meet with the Executive Director of the Trustees of 
the Galapagos Islands Conservation Trust.  The theme of the dinner, which 
included singing entertainment, was the sea.  Some of Darwin’s descendants read from 
his writings.  Bob and Lola set out some of our brochures.

Mary had produced finalized text for a press release and Bob finalized it 
even further.  It was set to go out with a banner in a day or two.  David was 
going to take responsibility for sending the final document.

Bob shared a specific request from the Americans United for our cooperation, 
and some materials they have generated for handouts at an event aimed at a 
theme of their issue, i.e., separation of religion and state.  Certainly we are 
sympathetic to their cause and they have done a nice job with the handouts, 
which include a postcard to send legislators.  We discussed the tone we want to 
set in an interaction.  It was decided to link to their website and some others 
mentioned in their handouts.  We need to decide the context to present these 
links on our website.

David presented the update on website activity.  He has sent out a huge 
email; sending to the 28,000-name list is completed, and now the email to 3500 
professors is starting.  David has also been doing some "stress-testing" to 
identify elements to make this process and the returns more reliable.  Among useful 
things he has found dynamic DNS to feedback IP addresses, allowing him to 
check from home on the status of the email.  He can prevent a crash (or restart if 
necessary) during the mailout, keeping the project going.  Of the 28,000, 114 
returns had unsubscribed with or without comment.  Comments ranged from "too 
busy" to "I’m a creationist."  

Another translation from someone in Uruguay has been accomplished.
Arthur asked how people are responding to the mailing.  David replied that 
25% generate a response essentially saying they are "not here anymore."  As to 
the rest, we do not know.  We see increases in website visits, but cannot match 
these up to names we sent to.  Some visitors are robots searching our site.  
Maybe we can screen them out.

Bob thinks the best bet is to send more out even though we cannot really see 
the result in detail.  Next send the same group a new letter to follow up.  
Tracking correspondence ("customer relations management") can identify 
specialists.

NPR news reported that the National Science Teachers Association responded to 
the Kansas education board’s insistence that intelligent design be included 
in curriculum by not allowing them to use copyrighted material to teach 
science.  Bob spoke to the Exec. Director of NSTA and is seeking to have NSTA put 
Darwin Day on their published calendar in February.  Mary will try to think of 
some lesson plan ideas they might include.

The next meeting will take place on December 8.