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341 discussions

Re: [Organizers] Organizers Digest, Vol 39, Issue 2

by Jeff Raymond

Doing only a little organizing these days but still I feel transparency of the organizations numbers is very important, mostly as I have always operated as a not for profit so all info is lawfully public. If asked I tell all in a genetal manner. But I would not post such on the net, as it also is the business of the bands & callers as well. I am more interested in how other folks gain results, not the details of their bottom line. But thanks for asking. Jeff Raymond

12 years, 10 months

[Organizers] Transparency: attendance and financials

by Jeff Kaufman

I help run a twice-a-month contra dance series in Boston (BIDA), and we keep track of attendance and financial information with a spreadsheet on google docs. I have the impression that if we made a read-only view of the spreadsheet on our website that it would be useful and interesting to other organizers. Would you find it so? I'm trying to decide whether it would be worth it to convince the rest of our board to let me put it up. Jeff

12 years, 10 months

Re: [Organizers] Organizers Digest, Vol 39, Issue 1

by Carol Geisler

I'd be interested. On Sat, Oct 20, 2012 at 12:00 PM, <organizers-request(a)sharedweight.net>wrote: > Send Organizers mailing list submissions to > organizers(a)sharedweight.net > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > organizers-request(a)sharedweight.net > > You can reach the person managing the list at > organizers-owner(a)sharedweight.net > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Organizers digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Transparency: attendance and financials (Jeff Kaufman) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2012 09:35:06 -0400 > From: Jeff Kaufman <jeff(a)alum.swarthmore.edu> > To: A list for dance organizers <organizers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: [Organizers] Transparency: attendance and financials > Message-ID: <20121020133506.GA28145(a)melfpelt.swarpa.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > I help run a twice-a-month contra dance series in Boston (BIDA), and > we keep track of attendance and financial information with a > spreadsheet on google docs. I have the impression that if we made a > read-only view of the spreadsheet on our website that it would be > useful and interesting to other organizers. Would you find it so? > I'm trying to decide whether it would be worth it to convince the rest > of our board to let me put it up. > > Jeff > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Organizers mailing list > Organizers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers > > > End of Organizers Digest, Vol 39, Issue 1 > ***************************************** >

12 years, 10 months

Re: [Organizers] bank accounts and dance status

by Carol Geisler

Hi, I've been trying to open a business bank account and ran into the problem that we are not legally established as an organization. I understand we could become a corporation, but in speaking with the bank, all we would need to be is an unincorporated association. Has anyone done this? It's not like we have money to pay a lawyer, so I'm looking to see if I can find the forms online or through another group that has already done this. We are not looking for non-profit status. Just a way to open a business bank account. I would also be interested in organizers who opened a personal bank account and how they handled the tax consequences. Thanks for any comments, Carol Geisler

13 years

Re: [Organizers] Variety--the Montpelier experience Organizers Digest, Vol 38, Issue 3

by Timothy Swartz

In the Montpelier/Central VT dance community centered at the Capital City Grange, we have the ongoing, very successful series organized by the Contra Dance Umbrella (CDU), held every 1st, 3rd & 5th Saturday, plus the Traditional series held every other month on 4th Saturdays, plus occasional "advanced" dances, frequently held on Sunday afternoons. As these are organized by separate groups, there does not seem to be a problem for people distinguishing them--pretty much the way Chrissy describes the Guiding Star dances. At both of these venues, the dance community is aided by relatively low costs for the dance spaces as well as a great dance community. We organizer types think it is excellent to have a variety of options, to satisfy people who particularly like one dance style or another, or who are put off by the large attendance and sometimes crowded conditions at the CDU's "zesty contras". --Tim Swartz > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:10:36 -0400 > From: Chrissy Fowler <ktaadn_me(a)hotmail.com> > To: "organizers(a)sharedweight.net" <organizers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Organizers] Variety > Message-ID: <COL113-W1766D95C91B007D64B58098DBD0(a)phx.gbl> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > > Have other groups tried things like this?? Would a > > pattern like "3rd > > Sundays are contras, 1st Sundays anything goes" be too much > > for people > > to remember? [2] Would it hurt our community, because people > > who have > > come to expect one thing from BIDA (contras) would come to > > 1st Sundays > > expecting that and be disappointed? > > > > Jeff Kaufman > > Boston MA > > > > You could think of it like dances at the Greenfield MA Guiding Star Grange. > Each Friday (or Sat) dance has its own flavor, in part because of who's > organizing it. > Some people dance every Saturday night, others may choose. > > Or you could think of it as if BIDA were organizing two different dance > series. > (As you know, NEFFA does this with the Thurs night dance and the Family > dance) > Third Sunday BIDA dance is a contra dance. > First Sunday BIDA dance is a wonderful variety. > Both are lots of fun. > You could even market/publicize them separately. > > In any case, you can't be responsible for people who choose not to pay > attention to your clearly expressed publicity information. > (If they are disappointed because of misguided expectations, perhaps > they'll tune in more next time.) > Plus, they might actually be pleasantly surprised by something unexpected. > Chrissy Fowler > Belfast ME > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Organizers mailing list > Organizers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers > > > End of Organizers Digest, Vol 38, Issue 3 > ***************************************** >

13 years

Re: [Organizers] variety

by Donna Calhoun

One of our regional groups dances 1st and 3rd Saturdays. These are standard contra dance evenings with expectations for a mixture of novice and experienced dancers. When there is a 5th Saturday in the month, they have a special advanced contra dance. This has worked pretty well. Occasionally a novice dancer will attend, but the experienced dancers are usually able to bring the rare novice along for the ride. Sent from my iPad On Aug 25, 2012, at 12:00 PM, organizers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote: > Send Organizers mailing list submissions to > organizers(a)sharedweight.net > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > organizers-request(a)sharedweight.net > > You can reach the person managing the list at > organizers-owner(a)sharedweight.net > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Organizers digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Variety (Chrissy Fowler) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:10:36 -0400 > From: Chrissy Fowler <ktaadn_me(a)hotmail.com> > To: "organizers(a)sharedweight.net" <organizers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Organizers] Variety > Message-ID: <COL113-W1766D95C91B007D64B58098DBD0(a)phx.gbl> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > >> Have other groups tried things like this?? Would a >> pattern like "3rd >> Sundays are contras, 1st Sundays anything goes" be too much >> for people >> to remember? [2] Would it hurt our community, because people >> who have >> come to expect one thing from BIDA (contras) would come to >> 1st Sundays >> expecting that and be disappointed? >> >> Jeff Kaufman >> Boston MA >> > > You could think of it like dances at the Greenfield MA Guiding Star Grange. > Each Friday (or Sat) dance has its own flavor, in part because of who's organizing it. > Some people dance every Saturday night, others may choose. > > Or you could think of it as if BIDA were organizing two different dance series. > (As you know, NEFFA does this with the Thurs night dance and the Family dance) > Third Sunday BIDA dance is a contra dance. > First Sunday BIDA dance is a wonderful variety. > Both are lots of fun. > You could even market/publicize them separately. > > In any case, you can't be responsible for people who choose not to pay attention to your clearly expressed publicity information. > (If they are disappointed because of misguided expectations, perhaps they'll tune in more next time.) > Plus, they might actually be pleasantly surprised by something unexpected. > Chrissy Fowler > Belfast ME > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Organizers mailing list > Organizers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers > > > End of Organizers Digest, Vol 38, Issue 3 > *****************************************

13 years

Re: [Organizers] Variety

by Chrissy Fowler

> Have other groups tried things like this?? Would a > pattern like "3rd > Sundays are contras, 1st Sundays anything goes" be too much > for people > to remember? [2] Would it hurt our community, because people > who have > come to expect one thing from BIDA (contras) would come to > 1st Sundays > expecting that and be disappointed? > > Jeff Kaufman > Boston MA > You could think of it like dances at the Greenfield MA Guiding Star Grange. Each Friday (or Sat) dance has its own flavor, in part because of who's organizing it. Some people dance every Saturday night, others may choose. Or you could think of it as if BIDA were organizing two different dance series. (As you know, NEFFA does this with the Thurs night dance and the Family dance) Third Sunday BIDA dance is a contra dance. First Sunday BIDA dance is a wonderful variety. Both are lots of fun. You could even market/publicize them separately. In any case, you can't be responsible for people who choose not to pay attention to your clearly expressed publicity information. (If they are disappointed because of misguided expectations, perhaps they'll tune in more next time.) Plus, they might actually be pleasantly surprised by something unexpected. Chrissy Fowler Belfast ME

13 years

Re: [Organizers] Variety - Organizers Digest, Vol 38, Issue 1

by Laur

Hi Jeff. In Kalamazoo MI {http://people.albion.edu/ram/cdk/ } we (CDK)offer a once a month (1st Sunday afternoon) "Just for Fun" dance. That is an anything goes day. We have a 2nd Saturday regular contra/square series and an every 3rd Wed English dance series, and our 4th Saturday will be typically standard contra and square but it may include an Open Mic, an Advanced dance, a special afternoon dance attached with the evening dance with a special out of town band or caller. It might be a mixed event with an English afternoon and a contra/square dance in the evening. You might note on the calendar that based on the availability of the caller/ band we may make use the 2nd Saturday for a special dance, maybe with a potluck. It has never caused confusion because of the way it has been advertised. None of it has ever caused confusion. I think because we do an excellent job of promoting our calendar, and website, sending out calendars for all members, making announcements and paper schedules available at all dances and schooling our attendees and members to know they'll get the best of whatever is available if in fact they don't look at what's coming up... This is how our "Just for Fun" is advertised in our calendar: An afternoon of variety in couple dances & set dances, for example waltz, contra, English, squares, etc. Singles & couples welcome. Learn style & skill in a relaxed atmosphere. It’s a workshop and a party! If there is a "specialty" that will take prominence we might make special note that, for example, in honor of St. Patty's day this month will be Irish Ceilidh and set dancing. So if it were going to be a Techno dance then I'd clearly advertise and define it so someone doesn't show up for something they will grouse about and those that come for the uniqueness will bring others. Laurie Pietravalle West MI > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:46:42 -0400 > From: Jeff Kaufman <jeff(a)alum.swarthmore.edu> > To: A list for dance organizers <organizers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: [Organizers] Variety > Back in March, BIDA [1] went to twice a month, adding 1st > Sundays in > addition to 3rds. These are pretty much all contras, but we > also do > occasional special events in different styles. I've heard > from various > dancers, though, who want more special events. We'd like to > do more, > too. Practically, with the way we currently organize them, > we're just > not going to be able to have them more frequently because > the overhead > of a stand-alone event is too much. > > So, we're considering keeping our 3rd Sundays as a monthly > contra > dance series and making 1st Sundays be a "special events > series". This > would be things like techno-contra (Spark in the Dark), > english, > ceilidh, old time squares, scottish, swing, unusual > formation > contraish dances, family dance, international, kerry/irish, > lots of > different styles. > > Many of these would probably have some contras mixed in, and > we had an > english-contra dance we had a while ago that went well, but > the more > forms you want to mix in an evening the fewer bands and > callers are up > for it. We also might do these in partnership with other > organizations, looking for a larger audience and trying to > help > dancers of both groups find other dance styles they might > enjoy. > > Have other groups tried things like this? Would a > pattern like "3rd > Sundays are contras, 1st Sundays anything goes" be too much > for people > to remember? [2] Would it hurt our community, because people > who have > come to expect one thing from BIDA (contras) would come to > 1st Sundays > expecting that and be disappointed? > > Jeff Kaufman > Boston MA >

13 years

[Organizers] Variety

by Jeff Kaufman

Back in March, BIDA [1] went to twice a month, adding 1st Sundays in addition to 3rds. These are pretty much all contras, but we also do occasional special events in different styles. I've heard from various dancers, though, who want more special events. We'd like to do more, too. Practically, with the way we currently organize them, we're just not going to be able to have them more frequently because the overhead of a stand-alone event is too much. So, we're considering keeping our 3rd Sundays as a monthly contra dance series and making 1st Sundays be a "special events series". This would be things like techno-contra (Spark in the Dark), english, ceilidh, old time squares, scottish, swing, unusual formation contraish dances, family dance, international, kerry/irish, lots of different styles. Many of these would probably have some contras mixed in, and we had an english-contra dance we had a while ago that went well, but the more forms you want to mix in an evening the fewer bands and callers are up for it. We also might do these in partnership with other organizations, looking for a larger audience and trying to help dancers of both groups find other dance styles they might enjoy. Have other groups tried things like this? Would a pattern like "3rd Sundays are contras, 1st Sundays anything goes" be too much for people to remember? [2] Would it hurt our community, because people who have come to expect one thing from BIDA (contras) would come to 1st Sundays expecting that and be disappointed? Jeff Kaufman Boston MA [1] http://bidadance.org [2] I suspect anything more complex than "every Sunday" means people mostly rely on announcements. [*] I posted an earlier version of this on my blog: http://www.jefftk.com/news/2012-08-21.html

13 years

Re: [Organizers] admission price drop

by Dan Pearl

For Thursday NEFFA Contras at the Concord (MA) Scout House, full price is $8 (regular) and $5 (ages 22 and under). About the time of the waltz before the break, we start collecting $3 from all comers. With about one hour to go, we put out an "honor box" with "suggested $2 donation" on the top with the expectation that people will make their own change. Our thinking is that we don't want the Price/Benefit ratio to be too high for people who may be considering arriving at or after intermission. We'd rather have them dancing (effectively replacing the people who leave early) so as to maximize the fun. An exceptional situation happened some years ago when July 4th landed on a Thursday. Our pay policy that night was "Suggested donation: $1 per half hour" with the full expectation that people would be arriving late or leaving early for fireworks displays in various communities. Dan Pearl

13 years, 1 month

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