Section: NorCal Conference

1. Norcal president Melissa Korber presided over the meeting.

2. Introductions

3. Email corrections to state NorCal minutes to either Melissa Korber or Nancy Kaplan-Biegel.

4. NorCal Conference Report-

• Overall very few problems at this conference and the ones that did occur were easily solvable.
  
• New "send back" contest: Photo essays centering on the conference must arrive by November 15th.
  
• In the past few years, the conference has made money; this year, we'll probably be more likely to break even, partially because of the start-up costs of doing online registration.
  

5. Convention/Conference Updates-Timi Poeppelman

State Convention:

• Online registration for the 2005 Statewide Convention at the Doubletree in Sacramento will be available after January 1st.
  
• Biggest changes to the conference
  
• Online registration
  
• 50th anniversary of JACC: Jay Seidel from Fullerton City College will be the convention historian. He's asking for artifacts from your paper from the last 50 years. These can have a JACC connection or just be connected to your paper. Items might include such things as old plaques, old typewriters, etc. But they really want all colleges represented.
  
• Friday night dinner: This year, there will be heavy hors d'oeuvres instead of a dinner. The event will be interactive and include the mail-in awards. They will also have photos of your college from the present time, so please start taking photos of your staff, perhaps during production, etc.
  

Morro Bay: This will take place March 5-6, with a Blue Heron session on March 4. They still need a Blue Heron topic. If you have suggestions, contact Timi. She'll find someone to run the workshop; she just needs the idea. Online registration will be available in January.

Editors' Camp is back. It'll be held at a hotel in Pismo Beach and will focus on non-journalistic skills, i.e. leadership and communication skills and such things as time management. Participants don't have to be editors. All workers there are volunteers and advisers don't have to attend. Normal hotel costs are $250 but Timi has secured students rooms for $129, with an adviser rate of $149.

Black, White and Read All Over: This time the event will be held August 26 in Long Beach. They need auction items; these can but don't have to have a journalism theme. Please come or donate money. A workshop will possibly follow the event to entice more students to attend. Also, students will receive a discounted rate. The target audience for the event is still not clear, but they want to increase the mailing list for the event.

6. Treasurer's Report-Ed Remitz: We're solvent.

7. NorCal President Report on Executive Board Meeting

• Black, White and Read All Over fundraiser not making money yet, but it takes time for fundraisers to make money. The location and format have been changed for 2005 in hopes that the fundraiser is more successful.
  
• State convention fees are being raised from $150 to $200 per delegate. She gave a heads-up that membership fees will probably be discussed at the state convention.
  
• They're looking into incorporating JACC to decrease personal liability issues and to make it easier for people to make donations.
  
• JACC video project almost complete, according to Rich Cameron. The 10-minute DVD will be sent out soon with the idea that it'll be helpful for promotion and recruitment, as well as educating people about what we do. Former JACC adviser Art Carey wrote the script and footage was filmed at five locations. You can get a customized copy for a $50 donation.
  
• To increase our visibility, the NorCal and SoCal presidents will be sending letters to each college's president letting them know what our programs do.
  
• There will be a non-membership fee at a higher rate for the 2006 state convention. (Get your state membership fees in by December 1.)
  
• There will be a $10 late fee per delegate for the state convention.
  
• The code of conduct is being revised to make the policy clearer, if not more complicated. Melissa asked for feedback.
  
• Still prohibits alcohol, re: state code, but focuses on behavior.
  
• Provides more than one choice of recourse.
  
• May scare people more.
  
• Deals with individuals.
  
• Other topics discussed were the fiscal viability of the state convention and the merged magazine contests.
  

8. Next year's NorCal conference:

• Still need a conference chair for next year. Reminder: There's a stipend for the conference chair.
  
• Mary Mazocco moved we stay at SFSU for 2005; Cindy McGrath seconded. Motion passed: Decided on keeping the 2005 conference at SFSU, with the possibility of moving it, perhaps to Sac State, in 2006.
  
• Potential date for 2005 conference is Oct. 22/23 or Nov. 5/6. Christina Azocar will check dates and Melissa will post the decision online.
  
• Christina Azocar reported that this year's conference planning went much smoother because of the three meetings conference planners had at SFSU. Also, they switched caterers this time. Doris Owyang will be the new program manager on the SFSU side next year.
  

9. Equivalency Report--Rob O'Neill: Jeanie R. Wakeland motioned and Mary Mazocco seconded that we have Melissa Korber write a letter on NorCal's behalf supporting our freedom to hire who we want. Motion passed.

10. Online registration: For Morro Bay and State convention, registrants will be able to pay "on site" (i.e. without having to go to another web site).

11. Plaques versus Paper: Several ideas bounced around, but general feeling was that people supported plaques. One idea was to have certificates that could be mounted onto a plaque (with the ability to be slipped in or out) for an additional fee.

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