Matt Strait typed up these minutes from a paper copy in 2021.  No OCR was
involved.  Original errors, if any, are lovingly retained, and marked with
[sic] when I noticed them.  Other content in square brackets are likewise
transcription notes. Additional errors may have been introduced.  Original
errors may have been inadvertently corrected.  The minutes were typed or
perhaps printed on a daisy-wheel printer, and use a fixed-width font; this
rendition mostly reproduces the formatting exactly. Exception: underscores
surrounding words are used to represent real underlines in the original.
Yes, the indentation varies between four and five spaces as shown.

Since this is the first (known) board minutes where the "One Treu [sic]
mailing list" intentional misspelling appears, a note on that. I asked
on natter in 2020 what the joke was. No one remembered, but speculations
included, "Part of it is probably the juxtaposition of the concept of true
with the typo. Also, there is a long fanzine tradition of doubling down on
typos (in part because they were so hard to correct) such that Chuck Harris
became Chuch Harris, and so forth." (Lydy) And/Or because it is German for
"true" (Gary). And/Or because there was a local Vietnamese restaurant named
Mi Treu Chau (Beth).

================================================================================

                                               [handwritten:] A #5

Minn-STF Board of Directors -- minutes -- meeting of 13 August 1987
            site: Ihingers'-on-the-Lake

Present: Board: Don Bailey, David Cargo, Rob Ihinger, Karen Johnson,
                Geri Sullivan
         Officer: Denny Lien (recording secretary)
         Others:  Eleanor Arnason, Margo Bratton, Mike Dorn, Eric
                  Heideman, Peg Ihinger, Polly Peterson, Mark Richards
                  Joyce Scrivner, Kevin Stahl
*********************************************************************

The 7:30 meeting was called to ersatz order at 7:40 pm, it being noted
that this was the earliest we had ever been late.  An agenda was
hastily thrown together, then caught an item at a time, as follows:

SPINDIZZY: Threat or Menace?
     Geri Sullivan reports that virtually all remaining copies of this
circular drug on the market has been turned over to KFAI, who thinks
it still has a street value and is welcome to find out otherwise.  GS
also reports that her basement was dampened but not flooded during the
recent torrents, and that all Minn-STF sales stock stored is fine.

MINNEAPOLIS IN '73 PARTY AT WORLDCON
     Joyce Scrivner wants Ken Fletcher to do art for same and wants an
OK to pay him out of the $250 authorized for party.  No objections.

FALLCON (C'NTRACTION)
     Might be at Roseville Holiday Inn, or might not be.  Somewhere...
((Later followup: Might be and will be, 13-15 November.))

RUNE
     For the record: Jeanne Mealy and Dave E. Romm are the official
editors.  They expect to have issue out in time to carry to Worldcon.
((Followup:  And did so; kudos owed.))  Cryptic note that Ihinger will
inform Romm on talking to Jerry Stearns and/or Geri Sullivan.  With
four people involved, presumably one of them will remember what that
was all about.

WORLDCON FOLLOWUP
    Geri Sullivan has flyers, stickers, and 1973 penny stock (for
payment of post-supporting Mpls in '73 memberships) for someone going
over.  Joyce Scrivner reports interest on Brit part for a beer-tasting
and encourages anyone who can to bring along Interesting Local Beers.

TALES OF THE UNANTICIPATED
    Eric Heideman reports that issue #3 is coming along: material has
been accepted and artwork assigned.  Finances running a bit slow:
circa $750 raised from copy sales of $1150-1200 hoped; $50 on ads of
eventual $300 expected.  Issue #3 to be out probably by early winter
but not by Fallcon; by Minicon at very latest.

MINN-STF LECTURE SERIES
     Set for the U of MN West Bank Union Auditorium; theme: "Through
Alien Eyes."  14 October: PC Hodgell; 21 October ((Phyllis Ann Karr;
correction from earlier announcement)); 28 October John Sladek.  It is
possible that Univ of MN will co-sponsor (if so, better publicity etc)
with Minn-STF and/or with Minn-STF plus Rivendell Group.  Dave Lenander,
Rivendell officer and University wage slave, is exploring.  Someone
suggested that the MINNESOTA TECHNOLOG may also be interested in having
a finger (or a waldo) in on this.

MINN-STF CHECK SIGNERS
     Window of circa 25 August to 14 September during which only one
authorized signer (two are required) will be in down.  It was decided to
pay up advance bills in advance and to presume that no crisis would
occur during the window.  ((Later: None did.))  Suggestion that we take
the Minn-STF checkbook to England and rely on the British postal service
as needed was hooted down.

THE ONE TREU [sic] MAILING LIST
     David Cargo reporting:  Minicon 22 records input: 5,126 names now
on the List, but many duplicates not yet weeded: circa 3,600 are
expected as a final total.  If so, will indicate that we had about 800
new people attending Minicon this year.  Gulp.
    Fallcon and RUNE need their desired subsets of the OTML *soon*.
Mark Mendel is/was hosting Minicon PR1 outgetting party on 21 August
and thus needed same sooner than soon.  Undeliverable PR1s will be
returned and thus provide address update information. Bailey asked if
PR1 could include a note to effect that if "you get more than one of these
PRs and are not more than one of you, please notify us."  ((Possibly
could, but didn't--later update.))

THE BUCK STARTS HERE
     Almost all of the noncontroversial stuff having been handled, the
discussion of what all of the visitors ["was" overwritten by hand to "were"] there to comment on opened.
This begins with a statement for the record of:

THE BUSINESS MEETING THAT TIME FORGOT
    The Board met immediately previous (1 pm) to the Minicon meeting
of Sunday 10 August 1987 to set money guidelines for the Minicon.  No
secretary having been present, Don Bailey presented oral report: Board
felt Minicon should budget for an expected profit of $4,000, with the
expectation that this was conservative and more likely to go over than
under.  Attendance expected to be in (ugh) the 2000-2400 range.
Possibility raised of using greater profits to rebate attendees.

WORKING FOR THE YANKEE DOLLAR
     Polly Peterson:  What is philosophy behind setting of that goal?
Minn-STF is an educational organization and has several educational
programs which could use hypothetical excess profits.  For instance, the
Lecture Series is budgeted so as to be unable to bring in more than one
out-of-town lecturer.
     Geri Sullivan: Noted that last year Board gave Minicon a target of
$4,000 and Minicon made profit of $10-12,000.
     Joyce Scrivner brought up example of 1984 LA Worldcon, which caused
large uproar by making c.$200,000 profit.  Has since worked hard at
spending same for educational and other good causes, plus rebates; still
much left and still much hard feeling. // Two kinds of "educational":
within/among fandom vs. "outreach" beyond fandom.
    Mike Dorn: Fans relatively prosperous these days and thus able to
afford more conventions: short of cutting rates drastically or throwing
money away, we can't really _avoid_  making money on Minicon; thus we have
responsibility to use it wisely, especially as we are Nonprofit
Organization.  Minicon profits should go to Minn-STF and from there
assigned by Board to Minn-STF-wide Good Things, rather than be used for
Minicon rebates in some way. // Also presented letter from Marianne
Hageman, who could not be present.
    Eleanor Arnason:  Agrees with Peterson and Dorn.  We should expend
funds so as to satisfy IRS, but also to be "honorable for its own sake."
    Peterson:  Possible new way to use funds: grants to writers/groups
in sf field.
    Eric Heideman: Minicon is Minn-STF's chief fundraiser; it should not
thus also be our sole or major example of "service" to the outside
world.  He knows of projects various people would suggest if they
thought the money to fund them was available.
    Sullivan:  Last year we had to dip into capital and hence were
cautious in funding  items, as we expected Minicon to bring in its usual
$4,000 or so.  The caution appears in retrospect to have been overdone,
but we do not to go to [sic] other extreme and assume ongoing commitments
which would force us to budget assuming a regular $12,000 profit either.
    Arnason: Grants etc. could fluctuate year by year; wouldn't need to
be locked in at pre-guarenteed [sic] level.
    Scrivner:  Board has been good about responding to people
volunteering their time and energy if funding supplied; level of
response has varied as funds available.
    Peterson echoed Scrivner's comment.
    Margo Bratton:  Another use of funds--could donate to local public
radio and public TV stations.
    Hageman"s [sic] letter read out: Favors Minicon moneys used by Minn-STF
rather than Minicon-only uses: Lecture Series, TotU, possible books like
MATURITY or poetry chapbook, funding grants, additional Minicon Guests.

LUCRE WARS, PART TWO: THE BOARD STRIKES BACK

     Ihinger agrees not necessary to tell Minicon to put a lid on
possible acceptable profits; Minn-STF via Board ought to be able to
spend any such wisely.  Worldcons are a different case, as they are
effectively one-shot as regards to any one city/committee--attendees don't
want to see their money going to build a clubhouse in City X.  Minn-STF
is a continuing entity, does things other than put on a single one-shot
convention, is set up legally as a nonprofit.  // Idea of funding grants
seems very sticky: most applicants presumably will be Minn-STF members.
Aside from social awkwardness, there is legal awkwardness (member of a
nonprofit personally profiting from organization's funding)--it would be
possible but difficult.
     Cargo emphasized that the Board's charge to the Minicon was meant
as a floor, not a ceiling.  ((Peterson comment that it was being
perceived as a ceiling.))
     Bailey: Minn-STF originated as Just This Bunch Of Fans, You Know
(and in large part is still that).  Problems with legalities and (too
much) money are relatively new to us, and some questions not yet worked
out.  Is our constitutency [sic] Twin Cities fandom or fandom at large?  _How_
nonprofit are we?  ((Bailey would advocate getting rid of our nonprofit
status ["is" corrected to "if" by hand] retaining it gets in the way of being/staying Fannish.))  Do
we want to take in and spend large sums of money just because we can do
so?  We need to control growth and to determine reasonable amount of
rainy day assets to maintain.  However, while happier dealing with small
cash flow and the simple life, fears Dorn may be right that we no longer
have a choice in the matter and cannot avoid making money unless we
throw it away.  "Personally I haven't gotten used to the feel of being
respectable yet."
     Johnson: Minicon profits were stable in $2,000 to $4,000 range for
several years, though creeping up.  We were committing a bit more to
Minn-STF projects as it crept up.  We made B*I*G jump this year.  Does
not want to greatly increase our ongoing funding commitments.  Board
should perhaps have given Minicon Exec figures in a range rather than as
a floor only.  Mailing privileges need to be (and are) carefully watched
to maintain our nonprofit status.
     Sullivan:  Question is less "Oh, boy, money!" than "What are the
purposes/constituency of this club?"  She is experienced United Way
fundraiser; her opinion is that Minicon is not (and is not perceived as["?" added by hand])
charging what the traffic will bear.  If Minicon members are supporting
us, we owe it to them to inform/educate them on our finances and let
them decide if they want to vote with their wallets.  As size of
cashflow increases, possibility and intensity of unhappiness does also.
     Cargo is working on 1987 Welsh convention, also for a nonprofit:
they are spending much more, charging much more to fewer attendess[sic].
Comparatively, Minicon is still operating on the cheap.

AND THE BEAT GOES ON
    Dorn: No problem with Minicon spending more money on improvements,
only on them ratholing money to reduce profits.
    Lien: Definition of conspicous [sic] con consumption--Minicon bringing in
and showing all three STAR WARS movies would not be so.  Minicon funding
and making the fourth one _would_ be.
    Heideman: Minicon does good job of networking/educating attendees
during the convention itself; Minn-STF could improve on this elsewhen.
    Scrivner: Minn-STF philosophy should support fannish roots vs. Big
Money.
    Bailey: Minn-STF could be seen as an Antiliterary Society--readers
get to meet other readers and soon become too busy to read much. //
Lack of any overlap between Minn-STF Board and Minicon Exec this year
makes communication more difficult.
    Dorn suggest board clarify to Minicon that the $4,000 figure is a
floor and not a ceiling, and that they should spend money as they can to
improve the convention, but not to rathole it for sake of reducing
profits.
     Bratton queried if we have policy on Minicon funding computer time
needed by/for Registration.  ((Don't believe an answer was presented.))
     Scrivner feels Board is trying to come up with goals and long-range
planning; this is good.
     Ihinger asked Heideman if TotU #3 is delayed because of money; if
so, Board could afford to advance funds to bring it out sooner.  Reply
that money is large part of delay; could probably bring date up by a
couple of months if this were done.
     Arnason agrees that a grant program (not her idea) could be a can
of worms.  Board should solicit membership ideas on special projects.
Lecture Series operating on cheap results in personal expenses: for lack
of an extra $100, PC Hodgell had to get the cheapest transportation rates
and will thus be sleeping on Arnason's floor for six nights and will
face increased personal costs for boarding her cats.  Board expressed
surprise and unhappiness with situation--too late to change the tickets
but could reimburse her for cat care and like expenses.
     Dorn emphasized concern of the evening's attendees was not for
funding of their individual projects so much as question of the Board's
philosophy.
     Bailey thanked attendees for their concern and communications, and
urged that Board be told when they have specific cashflow problems (such
as the Hodgell case)--for the present at least, Board can probably
handle.
     Cargo pointed out that, given declining number of possible meeting
host locations, we could use funds to rent meeting halls--preferably
air-conditioned ones in the summer.
     Ihinger:  More plausibly could discuss raising reimbursement of
hosts.

OTHER BUSINESS
     Bailey brought up the Gordon R. Dickson letter to the IRS re tax
changes making life much more difficult for freelance writers.  The club
can't lobby; individuals therein can.  We will post on Minn-STF
bulletin board and Lien volunteered to bring up as announcement at next
Minn-STF meeting.  ((Done.))
     Bailey: Re bank accounts for Minicon and Fallcon.  Banks getting
sticky about variant names; requiring an Assumed Name Certificate which
costs $38.  Fallcon will have people make checks out to Minnesota
Science Fiction Society, opening a new account therein.  Bailey moves
and Ihinger seconds that we get an Assumed Name Certificate for Minicon
(rather than option of a Registered Service Mark).  Could also do so for
Minn-STF and/or Minn-Stf and/or Minn-stf and/or MN-STF and/or MN-Stf
and/or MN-stf and/or MINN-STF and/or MINN-Stf and/or MINN-stf and/or
Minn-steff and/or MN-steff and/or MINN-steff...this could be expensive.
     Unanimously agreed to do so for Minicon; this about "official":
abbreviation and perhaps about a generic Fallcon name later.
     Lien requested a copy of present minutes back from any attendee who
didn't want to keep--large number of guests had exhauseted [sic] supply of
extras,  including file copy.  ((Got one back.))
     Cargo announced that the MINNESOTA COMPUTER USER article on the
Minn-STF One Treu Mailing List has been finished but not yet printed.
((Followup: scheduled for October, due any day now.))

BOARD WARS, PART WHATEVER:  RETURN OF THE JADED
     Next meeting will be held at Bailey/Bratton house on Wednesday,
30th September 1987, allegedly starting at 7:30 pm.
     This meeting was sort of adjourned around 9:45 pm.
     These minutes were finally finished around 9:45 am of 30 September.

                                [signed:] Denny Lien
                                    Denny Lien, Recording Secretary
================================================================================