| Minutes of the SFTGG General Meeting |
| Monday, November 15, 2004 |
| Board members present: Ulla Kaprielian, Joyce Ferman, Jet Lenssen, Matt Chatta, Jane Utsumi, Susan Driscoll, John Eagleton |
| Absent: Rick Spear |
| 1. Welcome |
| Ulla welcomed members and announced that we are celebrating 20 years of the guild. She mentioned the founding members: Pat Alex, Shahrzad Ammir-Moez, Egidia Bollini, Frances Friedman, Peter Hall, Greer Hopkins, Rosary Matteson, Nancy McCormick, Ann Meagher, Denise Rockwill, Glen Salback, Svend Schjoerring, Maurice Del Toso and honorary member Gladys Hansen |
| Ulla then introduced the current board Matt Chatta (membership), Susan Driscoll (public relations), John Eagleton (longtime membership and mentoring), Joyce Ferman (secretary), Jet Lenssen (certification), Rick Spear (treasurer), and Jane Utsumi (programs). Also mentioned were the members who have been helpful for several years, Pam Dahlen (messages, telephone and website), Nancy McCormick (certification progress), and many members who have given their time by conducting training tours. |
| Ulla thanked the members for bringing canned food which will be donated to the San Francisco Food Bank, and thanked Henry Hyman for organizing. |
| 2. Speakers |
| Jane Utsumi introduced speakers from the Steps of Rome restaurant, Ann, John, Lucca, Mateo and Scott who spoke about their restaurants group, Steps of Rome, the G Bar, Figaro and the Steps of Rome Trattoria. They mentioned that the restaurants were available for private parties and conducted a raffle of 33 gift dinners. |
| 3. Programs |
| Jane thanked the various people who helped with the programs. |
| We did 20 programs this year, over 284 members attended and generated over $1600 for the guild. Walking tours with city guides included: Ferry Plaza, Inner Sunset, Victorian Homes, Rising Steel, Academy of Sciences, Ghost Walk at City Hall, Main Library, California Pioneer Museum, Eureka Valley and Castro, Holiday Lights. |
| Training tours: Muirs Woods, Chinatown, Napa Valley Wine, SF City Tour |
| Additional tours: 2nd Gold Rush, Richmond Oakland Museum, Oakland cemetery |
| Jane also thanked to all who helped conduct tours for the guild - Andy Hartman, Maureen Grinell, Brian Beer, Rob Spoor of City Guides, Renata Coombs. |
| Jane also thanked people who wrote reports of the tours for the website, Jay Archibald, Michael Crowe, Michael Stortz, Maureen Grinnel, Dick Shalley, Pat Shalley. |
| She announced that she is leaving her position and encouraged the members to participate in the board. |
| 4. Certification |
| Jet Lenssen introduced the newly certified members, Mary McCloy, Lucy Perdichizzi, Frances Gorman, and Joan Wollenberger and handed out their certificates. Lucy was the first member to take the slide portion of the test. Jet encouraged members to get certified. |
| 5. 2nd Speaker Ferris Suer, San Francisco Company |
| Ferris explained what it takes to bring a job to the guild members. He emphasized that a program originates with a RFP or request for proposal. All DMCs need good contacts on the vendors and buyers side, and a good reputation. Typically, the DMC is given a RFP, (a request for proposal) which only goes out to a select number of DMCs. Hundred of hours and phones calls are involved in writing the proposal which can be prepared as far as two years out. After the proposal, there is an interview process with a smaller group of DMCs. The business is changing in that there are more last minute jobs. Much depends on the pre-existing relationships with the clients. He emphasized that our guild members are on the front lines of the work and the success of his company depends on our performance. |
| 6. Membership |
| Matt Chatta said that we have 274 members, 152 associated, 65 certified and 57 friends. We have added 13 members in the last 6 months. He asked them to introduce themselves to the guild. He thanked Barbara White for her help in doing the membership cards on short notice. |
| 7. Mentoring |
| John Eagleton welcomed the new members and encouraged them to take advantage of the mentoring program. New members can pick up the telephone and talk to an experienced guide to get answers to their questions. New members will call John Eagleton to enroll in the program until the end of the year when he'll be leaving the board after four years. Ulla encouraged experienced members to share their information with new members. |
| 8. Jean Feilmoser comments |
| Jean Feilmoser spoke about the World Federation meeting in Melbourne January 30 - February 4. It is a good opportunity to network, make contacts. Jean spoke about her experiences as a tourism development specialist in Armenia. She spoke about her San Francisco On Track tour, December 8, with Craig Smith as tour guide. |
| 9. Discussion issue: National Federation membership |
| After sending two members to the National Federation meeting in Boston in January 2004, Ulla stated the board's recommendation that membership in the NFTGA is better for individuals than for the guild as a whole. Membership is $500. |
| A discussion ensued, after which by a show of hands, the general membership decided that we should join the National Federation of Tour Guides. |
| The benefits mentioned were belonging to a national organization who could lobby for the interest of guides at the national level and also networking and possible job offers. Also mentioned was the fact that the per-person cost is minimal. |
| 10. Christmas Party |
| Susan Driscoll thanked Ulla for taking over for John Howard as Board President. We will give her a $50 gift certificate from Nordstroms to thank her for her hard work. (Lina Malamud announced that Pacific Agenda is now Panache.) |
| Susan announced that we have the use of the USS Potomac for our Xmas Party, Monday Dec. 13, and we will need various committees to help organize. It will be catered and Toys for Tots will be collected. She asked members to please RSVP by Dec. 6. and asked guests to pay $5. |
| 11. Treasurer's Report |
| Ulla gave the Treasurer's Report as Rick Spear was not at the meeting. We have a CD of $15,000, Savings of $5,000 and Checking of $7,000. We spent $1,400 on Printing, $900 on the Guidepost, $6000 on the Website, $1200 on Travel and promotion, $550 postage, and $375 for accounting. We had income of $10,859, which is in line with our expenses. |
| 12. Nominations for new board members |
| The following members have volunteered to be on the Board. Liz Burton, Joan Wollenberger, Mary McCloy, Susan Guerguy, and Robin Perry. |
| Volunteering at the meeting were Felicity Wilson-Brown, and Wolfgang Borgstede. All nominations were seconded. |
| Ulla pointed out that one of the members could serve for one year term as the remainder of Jane Utsumi's term. |
| All nominees will write a statement about their plans to serve on the Board and voting will be conducted by email. |
| Meeting was adjourned at 7:45 pm. |
| Respectfully submitted by your outgoing Secretary, Joyce Ferman. |
