Minutes

Meeting of the Society of Professional Journalists, Valley of the Sun Pro Chapter

March 21, 2021, 10 a.m., via Zoom

Started: 10:10 a.m.

Attendees: Tim Eigo, Deb Krol, Mark Scarp, Teri Carnicelli, Doug MacKenzie. Special guest: SPJ National President Matt Hall, Zooming in from Beautiful San Diego

Opening

• President Tim Eigo introduced SPJ National President Matt Hall, who was visiting our chapter meeting. Board members introduced themselves and talked about why they are members.
• Secretary’s report/approval of minutes from Jan. 16, 2021 – Moved (Tim) and seconded (Teri) — unanimously approved.
• Treasurer’s report – Teri reports our investments with Russell Life Points/Northwestern Mutual as of March 19 lost $97.81 in the past quarter, to $19,764.90. Our checking account as of the same date contained $4,853.22.
• Mark’s Mighty Minute! – Mark informed the board that he had paid the annual rental fee for the chapter post office box, which had gone up to $140. A late fee of $40 was charged as it was paid after the deadline of Jan. 31. Unfortunately, the Postal Service didn’t put the bill in the chapter box until after Mark last checked the box Jan. 12, just before our last meeting. Mark is making a note to check the box during the last two weeks of January next year to avoid the fee.

Old Business

• SPJ/PRSA panel discussion on Jan. 20 (“What Big Changes in Media Could Mean for the PR-Media Relationship in 2021”)
• SPJ/PRSA “Speed Networking: Master Pros” on Wednesday, March 17 – postponed, April

New Business

• Tim is a member of the national Nominations Committee, which is working to find good candidates to run for national office and regional coordinator; first meeting was March 20
• The chapter’s SPJ annual report is due on Monday, May 31. Tim asked Doug MacKenzie to review the chapter financial records beforehand as he has done in the past. Tim said he will find a second chapter member to do so.
• Publicity Summit discussion and possible dates: Oct. 2, 9 or 16 – Mark will consult with the Publicity Summit Committee and come back with a certain date to recommend (and whether it should be virtual) at the board’s May meeting.
• Update from Region 11 and National – Regional coordinator Deb Krol – Brief discussion of upcoming super-regional conference April 10 and about returning to in-person conferences in 2022, with Hawaii being host (2023 San Francisco? 2024 Phoenix?)
• Update from National SPJ – President Matt Hall presented to the board about the following:
  • The SPJ Strategic Plan, which the national board approved March 20
    • SPJ describes itself with four “core pillars”, the “Core Four”:
      • (1) We Are Champions for Journalists,
      • (2) We Are Fighters for the First Amendment,
      • (3) We Are Stewards for Ethical Journalism,
      • (4) We Are Producers of Journalism’s Future
  • Convention sites and whether to go hybrid or continue with virtual platform
    • Board members pressed Hall to make it a policy to:
      • Confer w/chapters in cities under consideration
      • Plan destinations where you can sight-see
      • Ask ethnically based j-groups to be partners

NEXT MEETING: Saturday, May 8, 2021, 10 a.m.

Adjourned: Noon (110 minutes)

Respectfully submitted,

Mark J. Scarp, Chapter Secretary