Board of Directors ~ Agenda Committee Wed., Nov. 12  – 7.30 - 9.30pm

The Co-op: 18 Putnam Ave, Brooklyn

 

Facilitator:  Renée

Note-taker: William

Timekeeper: Keith

Present: Renée, William, DK, Sean, Keith, Rachelle, Allison, Jeannie, Lauryl, Joe (PSFC), Ann (PSFC)

Absent: Hillary (notified)

 

• Update on Action items from previous Working Session (All, 15 min)
  • Keith: store coordinators ideas for increased sales
  • SC Liaisons: can we do shopping during store-close hours?
    • Update from Lauryl: Going fine, not much sales, people appreciate.
      • Can we make it more formal, announce as a trial?

 

• ACTION ITEM: Write up for newsletter---who?

 

• GM at store updates: chairs, heat, cleaning
  • Insulation happening
  • Chairs came from Pablo
• If time:
  • Update on Membership/Outreach  EOY fundraising and membership drive ideas
  • Marketing: Status of in-store signage encouraging members to shop more.
    • Festive themes, etc.
    • DK talked about making a variety of membership materials “more welcoming”
    • Store decorating party on Sunday Nov 16, 3-6pm
    • Open shopping day in Dec 10th or thereabouts
    • Home delivery partnership w/cargo bike

 

• Finance Report (Sean, 10 min)
  • Sean speculates sharing some financial information with members as a way to spur more shopping

 

• ACTION ITEM: Print out shopping “matrix” for distribution - Sean/Marketing

 

• Joe: “temporary trial membership”, direct mailing to the neighborhood

 

• ACTION ITEM: Three month provisional membership (how to make that work) - William

 

• Discussion about opening the store all the time
• Need to generate membership reporting similar to financial

 

• ACTION ITEMS: Keith & Allison Ann: schedule Lauryl effectively when member leadership is weak

• ACTION ITEM: Jeanne, Matt & Lauryl: Need to strengthen member leadership in the store -  Had mtg, in progress

 

 

• Store Coordinator check in  (SC liaisons, 10 min)

 

• Investment fee amount, why so high? Can we lower to entice more members to join? (Renee/All, 10 mins)
  • Joe: give people more time to pay their investments?
  • Most Board did not support

 

• PSFC discussion with Ann and Joe (All, 45 min)
  • One fee, shop at both? - How to manage the member status aspect?
    • Joe “I really want you guys to make it”; idea could backfire; too tempting for sales to go to PSFC or other places
    • ACTION ITEM: Joe/Ann: Letter to PSFC members in GH catchment area: PSFC members can shop at GHFC for next three month if they complete? Find out why they have not joined GHFC, would they join?  
    • Joe: idea needs to be approved by PSFC general coordinators
    • Rachelle: could PSFC designate one of its staff members to work at GHFC on a consultancy basis?
    • William: turn Rachelle’s idea around and send some GHFC members to PSFC to learn from their staff.
  • We become PSFC annex?
  • Finance support
  • Solutions for improving sales?
  • more?

 

ACTION ITEM: Next Agenda meeting devoted to hammering out six month plan to open store all the time

 

Board decided to hold AM and GMs at 7:30pm

 

• Why are we a member only Co-op?  Should we consider opening to the public? (All, 15 min)

 

• GM Agenda:  (All, 10 min)
  • POS update/vote (need one sheet comparison and client reviews)