CHICAGO HEADLINE CLUB
Board of Directors meeting
Fri. April 1, 2022
President Amanda Vinicky called the Zoom meeting to order. Also present: Howard Dubin, Christine Wolf, Tahman Bradley, Greg Karp, Mike Ewing, Adam Rhodes, Jason Martin, Stacey Wescott, Alejandra Cancino, Suzanne McBride, Matt Kiefer, Michael Limon, and Susan S. Stevens
Minutes from the April meeting were approved as submitted by Susan.
President’s report: Amanda urges us to attend the SPJ Region 5 meeting a week from tomorrow and encourage our colleagues to join in the virtual sessions. Good programs.
Promote the $5,000 Brownlee scholarship. (Christine alerted editors of five college papers as we met.)
Mass for Ukraine journalists 2 p.m. Sun. April 3 at St. Mary of the Lake. Let Amanda know if you are going.
Website: most of the hard work is done though there are still glitches including our emails which Mike should be fixed today or tomorrow.
Amanda will present the CHC slate for 2022-23 to the board for its approval in time for Lisagor and the membership vote. Send Amanda right nowan email with your plans for the coming year. She would like for someone to step up to do public relations and social media for us.
Treasurer’s report: Greg said we have a bank balance of $104,746, with $84,747 in available funds. Foundation has $73,052 in the bank, $24,813 in available funds.
He paid $900 for web maintenance we approved in March and $800 as a partial payment to the Union League Club.
Programs: email from Nona Tepper:
The programming committee is in the early stages of organizing a semi-formal social in the fall (ideally at The Palmer House) that we’re hoping to co-sponsor with Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Online News Association, Journalism and Women Symposium and some of the other professional groups. If anyone has contacts at any of these organizations, please let me know!
Additionally, we’re also hoping to work with New York’s Deadline Club to organize a panel on not-for-profit news organizations in the coming months. And, we’ve got an informal journalism meetup scheduled for mid-June at the Sedgwick Stop.
Let me know if there’s anything anyone needs!
FOIAFest: Matt said a student is working on the videos for placement on YouTube. He will wrap up a report for the McCormick Foundation, a funder. He’s working on participants for program sponsorships for next year. Jason noted the Driehaus Foundation is intensely interested in further FOIAFest aid. Matt said we ended up with some leftover money this year; if you have ideas about how to use it, contact him. He suggests a pay-as-you-wish donation for next year, which would be easier to deal with. He says to still plan for a virtual fest, but with in-person events built around it.
Membership: Mike said turmoil at SPJ HQs has eased somewhat, with it becoming more responsive. Our membership drop was about 30, with many of those given free memberships last year. A lot of chapters were hard-hit, and are organizing around the HQs problems.
Media softball league: Mike asked for another $500 annual contribution. Board approved. He will see about a freelance team.
Lisagor: Amanda reporting for Cathy Larkin—
We are sticking with R.S. Owens for plaque production this year. Owens is finally sending the last of the 2020 plaques.
Ticket prices for dinner: Cathy recommends $130 for members, $150 for others – but with an open bar one hour preceding and one hour following the event. Board members present were reluctant to OK the open bar. Amanda will report back to Cathy.
100th anniversary planning under way. A salute to past presidents may be in the program. Offer your ideas and help
Need a program designer. Contact Cathy if you have one.
Board will check attendees for COVID vaccinations. Union League Club will be contacted about air filters.
BE PREPARED to help judge Utah’s contest. Line up colleagues to help. This is a huge undertaking, which Tahman leads.
Watchdog: Jason said he got a half-dozen applications for the grant, a good number. The winner of the Watchdog Award has been chosen, and he sent Cathy the information.
Meeting adjourned at 10:10 a.m. Next meeting: 9 a.m. Fri. May 6, same day as Lisagor.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan S. Stevens, secretary