Aloha Everyone, Just a note to keep everybody updated on radio station happenings. I attended the Annual Mtg. of the Board of Directors (BOD) at Malama Kaua`i on Wed., Nov. 12, 2008. Also present from the Community Advisory Board (CAB) were Mickey, Arnold and Jimmy T and Mary. Good CAB representation. I gave the CAB report, which included the 3 recommendations from our Sept. 25 mtg. Following are some notes from my presentation, from the mtg. in general, and from other happenings. Mahalo Nui, fred
1. After many years of not including the CAB report and Public Input in the regular BOD agenda items, those 2 sections are now part of the agenda, thanks to Chairperson John Gordon. CAB minutes from our 9/25/08 mtg. are attached for additions/corrections. Please send any input to me ASAP. Mahalo to Mary for taking and transcribing the minutes.
Our next CAB mtg. is yet to be announced for sometime in Jan, 2009, as we are waiting for the Strategic Plan team and the BOD to schedule their meetings first. I have made a decision that the Public Input section of the CAB meetings will be at the top of the agenda, right after Pule and Roll Call. That is the essence of our kuleana and we want to make sure that we focus on the community concerns. We will reserve the last hour of our meetings for housekeeping agenda items and our recommendations to the BOD. If anyone disagrees with my decision, please let's discuss it ASAP.
2. THE KEKAHU FOUNDATION/KKCR membership successfully held its first ever membership election of a board member, and elected JimmyTrujillo to the Board of Directors for a 3 year term. Jimmy is a Community Advisory Board member, a programmer, a teacher, a musician, a Husband, a Father and an all around great guy! Congratulations Jimmy! After a 15 year adolescence, the Kauai community, which KKCR serves as stated in its mission statement, has made it clear that the KF BOD must be democratically elected. Some of us have been working for many years to see the process of restoring democracy to the membership begin to happen. We're very proud to have you represent the membership vote. Thanks for your commitment Jimmy!
Underwriter, programmer and former CAB president Steve Thatcher was selected by the BOD to continue in his own seat for a 3 year term. He's another all around great person and community activist. Mahalo Steve! The third person on the ballot pulled her name out of the process. The remaining 2 vacancies will be deferred until the next BOD meeting, yet to be announced. Next year the membership will get to vote for a second BOD member.
A tremendous amount of work and meetings and volunteer hours went into making this first election happen. Next year should require much less work, and we will have an entire year to search for more qualified community members to volunteer for this most important job, as well as to encourage even more participation. And, our new station manager Jerry Brocklehurst now has a somewhat democratically elected community radio station board to represent in grant applications as well as fund and endowment raising!!
Gratitude for everyone's attitude to make it happen, especially the Governance and Election committees. Open the attachment to see the detailed Election Report, put together by board Chair John Gordon.
3. After many hours of Strategic Planning Team meetings, Roxanne is putting together a draft presentation of all the good work that was done, for a public meeting. If there is any more input for the plan, that will be the time for it. For those of us attending, it was a truly amazing overall process of discovering all of our possibilities and concerns and future plans in a form we can use to become more efficient, more just, more relevant, and hopefully more financially grounded. It was also a great opportunity for old wounds and differences to be given attention, and for healing and togetherness to happen. I wish we could have had a process like this in the beginning, we might have avoided a lot of unnecessary turmoil and wasted time. Looking ahead, it has been a great part of our growth process for the 5 year future and beyond.
4. Our new Station Mgr. Jerry Brocklehurst. reported that the KeKula School of Kekaha will broadcast a radio magazine program starting sometime in Dec., in both Hawaiian and English language. The school has a great new recording facility and our signal will reach to Ni`ihau. Thanks for making it happen, Jerry.
Mahelani Sylva, CAB member and program host of Na Leo Hawaiian Issues, is a very dedicated community activist. She has recently made a proposal to the Boys and Girls Club of Kaua`i to help mentor island youth by using her program as a training ground. In her proposal, she said: "...it has been one of my goals to provide an opportunity for our local youth to be more involved with KKCR, Kaua`i Community Radio. As a media source, radio can provide an opportunity for our youth to develop an understanding of themselves in relationship to the world around them...To facilitate this project, I would like to offer one of my shows a month as well my services as a remote technician until the staff members and youth of the Boys & Girls Club of Kauai in conjunction with the YWCA have gained sufficient knowledge and experience as well as designated airtime to have a program of your own... Thank you Mahe for your dedication. We hope this proposal becomes a reality. I know that Butch and the Kekahu Family would be very happy about these great initiatives in outreach and diversity and support of the Hawaiian and local culture.
5. The membership/fund drive has ended, falling short of meeting the original goal of $75,000. The revised goal of $60,000 was surpassed by $60. New memberships were over 130. We're going to lose a lot of CPB grant funding for the coming year. The Strategic Plan team is addressing these serious financial issues, and now we'll be able to focus and work toward alternative funding solutions. Jerry has already been researching other grant opportunities. One thing is for sure, we will all be tightening our belts and getting more creative to help become more sustainable.
6. As you know, there will be a thank you party for Gwen at Malama Kaua`i on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 from 5-8pm. Please call Marj at 823-8162 to volunteer to help if you can, and please come to the party. Dress up in your party clothes, It will be a fun time and a good way for the community to thank Gwen for keeping it all together.
See you at the party, fred
