Penguicon Board Meeting Minutes, May 18, 2025

Posted on by Jessica McQuiston Posted in Meeting MinutesTagged ,

Board Members 

Heidi Hawkins – President 
Ron Blanchett – Vice President
Chelle Silas/Lloyd Williams – Treasurer
Gillian Mayman – Secretary
Paul Keys – IT Officer
Jessica McQuiston – Communications Officer
James Hice – Member
James Brown – Member
Meph(Norm Witte) – Member

Attendees

  • Heidi, Chelle, Ska, Gillian, Paul, Jessica, James H, James B mstev,Ian Sterrett, Wayne Garmil, SKA Green, Meph, Ron, 
  • Called to order: Heidi

New Business

Masquerade Update

  • Thanks expressed to one board member for leading the majority of the work.
  • Tickets sold: 125/150 (paid)
  • Total attendance: 132/150
  • Total budget: TBD
  • Paid by Penguicon: Sponsorships $4,000
  • Paid personally by officers: Some expenses covered directly
  • Net revenue: Ballpark estimate $4,000–$5,000 (including auction proceeds). Concerns were raised that the numbers may not be accurate; more time is needed to finalize. Spreadsheet will be updated this week.
  • Sponsorships received: Alma Linux

Current Financial Situation

  • Financial overview presented (Financial Overview 2025.pdf).
  • Forecast is positive; projection indicates Penguicon can hold a con in 2026.

Penguicon 2026

Conchair Charter

  • Charter reviewed; considered usable for 2026, though will be updated yearly as lessons are learned.
  • Discussion on what would happen if a con chair became unavailable — board would need to vote to remove, and if no replacement is found, responsibility falls to the board.

Vote to Adopt Charter

  • Motion: Lloyd
  • Second: Heidi
  • Results:
    • Ron – Yes
    • Chelle – Yes
    • Lloyd – Yes
    • Gillian – Yes
    • Paul – Yes
    • Jessica – Yes
    • James H – Yes
    • James B – Yes
    • Meph – Absent
    • Heidi – Yes

Vote to Begin Conchair Search

  • Motion: Heidi
  • Second: Ron
  • Results:
    • Ron – Yes
    • Chelle – Yes
    • Lloyd – Yes
    • Gillian – Yes
    • Paul – Yes
    • Jessica – Yes
    • James H – Yes
    • James B – Yes
    • Meph – Absent
    • Heidi – Yes

Next Steps

  • Announcement to be included in the next newsletter (June 1).
  • Application process will be private; only the announcement will be public.
  • A form will be created by two board members and shared by another.

Hotel Comparison Chart

  • Spreadsheet prepared for hotel quotes.
  • Request to upload quotes to shared folder.
  • Discussion on the need for multiple board members on email chains with hotels.
  • Suggestion to define baseline expectations before proceeding.
  • Hotels contacted should be logged in the shared spreadsheet.
  • To be discussed further at next Operations Committee meeting.

Upcoming Events

  • Note: Even free events should frame attendance as fundraising opportunities.

Completed Events

  • Tabletop therapy: 3 attendees; organizer open to hosting again.
  • April Tech Event: 12 participants, $50 donations.
  • Masquerade: 130 participants.

Upcoming Events

  • Linux Install (June 20–21):
    • Led by one board member, with donated computers provided.
    • Two-day event (Fri/Sat), streamed online for remote donations.
    • Sponsored by AlmaLinux, using their OS.
    • $50 per participant; attendees keep the PC.
    • Beginner-friendly; no cost to Penguicon.
  • Board Game Event (Fall): Venue search ongoing.
  • Horror Role-Playing Event (October): Possible venues discussed.
  • Accessible Meetings Workshop: Hybrid event, venue-only cost, targeted for summer/fall.
  • Community Pool Party: A board member coordinating with host; awaiting confirmation.
  • Board D&D Fundraiser Stream: Planning to continue offline.

Pending Community Events

  • Stitch and Bitch
  • Miniature painting
  • Picnic at the park
  • Quarterly gaming days
  • Dice Olympics (winter timeframe)
  • LAN party proposal
  • Event form: Link to be distributed to website, newsletter, and social media.

Proposal: Rename Business Back to Penguicon

  • Legal review pending.

Motion to Rename from “Penguicorp” Back to “Penguicon”

  • Motion: Heidi
  • Second: Jessica
  • Results:
    • Ron – Yes
    • Chelle – Yes
    • Lloyd – Yes
    • Gillian – Yes
    • Paul – Yes
    • Jessica – Yes
    • James H – Yes
    • James B – Yes
    • Meph – Yes
    • Heidi – Yes

Finance Transparency Proposal

  • Proposal made to publish quarterly or monthly financial summaries in newsletters.
  • Clarified: summaries should address current standing and capacity to fund a future convention.

Community Engagement Proposal

  • Proposal made to restart monthly SMOS community events with community leadership.
  • Community events charter still under development, but events need not wait.
  • Beer with the Board to be coordinated; preferred date requested.
  • Bonfire planning to be coordinated with volunteers.

Officer/Subcommittee Updates

  • General: Subcommittees should recruit more community members and host public meetings (monthly or quarterly).
  • Operations:
    • Restricted attendance policies under review.
    • Con Committee Charter discussed.
    • Gaming by-laws still under question.
    • Community Events Charter in discussion.
  • Communications:
    • Newsletter: next release to include masquerade wrap-up, conchair call, financial report, rookery update, event promotions, and website updates.
    • Meeting minutes to be posted.
    • Social media posts to promote events.
  • Technology:
    • Slack usage under review; currently on Pro tier.
    • Account audit ongoing; decisions needed on which to delete.
    • Discord access to remain for board and new conchair.
  • Sponsorship:
    • Leadership to be confirmed.
    • Subcommittee needs revitalization for 2026 prep.
  • Community Events:
    • Responsibility for hosting shifted.
    • Coordination in progress for gaming day and pool party.
    • Next meeting scheduled for June 23.

End of Meeting

Motion to Adjourn:

  • Proposed by Heidi
  • Seconded by Jessica
  • Result: All in favor