CALL Executive Board Meeting Minutes – May 2022

Conference Call – May 10, 2022 9:04 a.m.

Board Members Present: Scott Vanderlin, Lindsey Carpino, Carrie Port, Sarah Andeen, Mandy Lee, and Tom Keefe

Board Members Absent: Jamie Sommers

Guests: Incoming Board Member Observing –  Jill Meyer and Todd Hillmer

Significant Actions:

  • Call meeting to order – Acting President Scott Vanderlin called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m.
  • Approve agenda – The agenda was approved.
  • Approve Secretary’s minutes – The April meeting minutes were approved.
  • Treasurer’s Report

    • Harris Balances as of May 1,2021: $20,859.70- in our CD and $16,375.07 in checking.
      1. More money than we have had an the past.
      2. Question as to where the Go Daddy renewal bill is going. Have not seen it.  Might be in e-mail, but not sure who has access to that account.  Will check with Jamie Sommers.
    • Will issue invoices to those who need it for their institutions to pay for renewals. On the web page and also there is a word document.
    • Membership numbers: 222 active members – might be inflated as we are at the beginning of the cycle.
  • Old Business
  1. 75th Anniversary planning updates
    • Social Event – June 23rd from 5-7pm at Columbia Yacht Club; Vendor Sponsorship update. Claire Willis is working with Blythe McCoy from Thompson Reuters and it is possible that they will do a full sponsorship.
    • Gift for members – Tote bags – choice between cooler/zipper versions or canvas ones. We are leaning towards the canvas ones.  We would distribute them at the two main events.
  2. Historical commemoration – Some people from Archives might be visiting Loyola. Maybe do a slide show at the Club in June, but there are not a lot of photos in the Archive.  Might be able to pull some from the Bulletin, but the quality may be bad.  However, we will go out to the members and ask if they have photos from old events we can use.
  3. Chapter audit; CALL certified as non-profit – Tom said we talked about doing an Audit. Started because our Neon bill went up and they said it was because we were not certified as a non-profit.  Contacted the people AALL use, but it was $1,500 to start – and it seems rather complicated and we would not recoup the costs.  So really no pressing need and probably not necessary.
  • New Business

    1. AALL Annual Meeting Activities
      • CONELL Marketplace – Saturday, July 16. Need to rsvp with contact by May 27.  Do we need to have a presence?  Scott has done this a lot in the past, but not sure it is really worth it since we are a geographic organization.  His recommendation is if someone is there early and is willing, great, but if no it is not a great loss.
      • Poster/Display Board in Activities Area- The deadline to reserve an activities area display board is June 3. Scott has done this in the past when it was more of a table than board/posters. Does the board want to ask people to create something or shall we just leave it alone.  Maybe do it this year just because it is the 75th.  Lindsey said normally no, but since it is the 75th maybe we should do something.  Have people write something and combined it with a photos – just bring them all and assemble the board at CALL.
    2. Invitations to Business Meeting – Policy for inviting guests, prospective members, students, etc. (Related item from Strategic Plan – Outreach & Advocacy I.B.1: Develop procedure to invite stakeholders to CALL events as guests or speakers.) – Should allow and maybe reach out to some limited groups. Maybe invite an outside stakeholder in the legal community who could attend for free to help raise interest. Maybe also reach out for virtual ones to people in other cities who do not have active chapters.
    3. Other Strategic Plan items to consider for upcoming year:
      • Establish visibility of CALL through correspondence with at least four local bar or community leaders. (May 2022)
      • Promote CALL events through at least three local legal news, library and legal organization websites and other publications. (May 2022)
    4. Committee annual reports – chairs to submit by June 15 – Just follow up to make sure they know they need to do that.
    5. Committee chair and volunteer survey for 2022-23 – Can create one in Neon to ask for people who are interested.
  • Committee Reports
  1. Archives – Tom – No updates
  2. Bulletin – Sarah – This issue will be a little late.
  3. Bylaws – Jamie – No updates
  4. Community Service –Carrie – Event Saturday May 14th. No one has signed up.  One reason is it is in Northbrook.  Hard to coordinate rides.  Pass along thanks for setting it up, but hard with the geography.
  5. Continuing Education – Tom/Todd – the joint event with SLA is moved to the fall.
  6. Corporate Memory – Sarah – No updates
  7. Government Relations – Mandy – Joint event with Con/Ed. Hard to get speakers.  Topic was panel with national/local people – and AALL is limited in who they have for national people.
  8. Grants & Chapter Awards – Lindsey – Our year to give away an AALL conference registration from AALL that is going to Leslie Strauss. Only one person has applied to a CALL grant.  However, they won one last year and are ineligible.  Currently have to wait for 3 years between each award.  Ideas on how to get more people to apply.  Will pitch at the meeting.  Awards went well.  Plaques went directly to the award winners. We have $7,000 to award
  9. Meetings – Scott/Jill – Winner of the lifetime achievement award is from Dentons – is coming to the meetings. Summer activities – do we want to do an additional happy hour or just rely on the 75th  Probably just rely on the 75th for the happy hour event. Thinking about doing a book club event. Also maybe think about people who are going to Denver do something there. Probably doing book not movie is better and book club in person.  Also maybe Race Judicata – set up a team – registration closes June 24th.
  10. Membership – Lindsey – Focus on getting the directory up and running. Lots of ideas for next year.
  11. Mentorship – Mandy – Update to CALL page.  Added links to Spectrum articles by CALL members, wants time at the meeting to show what they have added – yes – just make her a co-host to the meeting so she can share her screen.  The committee submitted articles to the bulletin.  Upcoming idea – solicit testimonials from members thanking their mentors.  Great idea.
  12. Nominations & Elections – Jamie – No updates
  13. Placement/Recruitment – Carrie – No updates
  14. Public Relations – Scott – Asked the committee for a banner/sticker, but nothing as yet. Hopefully soon. Also probably getting ribbons for AALL for 75th.
  15. Strategic Planning – Carrie – No updates
  • Announcements – Welcomed incoming and thanked outgoing members of the board.
  • Adjournment – The meeting adjourned at 10:31 a.m.