BABA Minutes
Friday, January 13
Bright Lions
9:00
Welcome
Pledge of Allegiance
Attendee Introduction:
Diane Bender (Logan Supermarket); Rachel Lutz (Lutz Auction); Amy Fryman (Friendship State Bank); Tonya Wolfe (Preferred Rate); Andy Schindler (Schindler Wildlife Solutions); Rick Hughes (Millennium Business Solutions); Chad Barrett (Quad Que BBQ); Patty Riebsomer (Georges Pharmacy); Joni Helton (MaryKay); Kendall Eberhart (Bright VFD), Bebe Kinnett (Absolute Web Marketing), Kim Joerger (Tri-Force Fitness), Mark Munchel (Optimum Chiropractic), Nick Bader (First Financial Bank), Jeannette Huelseman (WorkOne Southeast), Nicole Wuestefeld (Andres-Wuestefeld Funeral Home)
Old Business
2023 Board of Trustees
President Nicole Wuestefeld
Vice President/Social Media Nick Bader
Secretary Jeannette Huelseman
Treasurer Kim Joerger
Membership Chair Mark Munchel
Golf Chair Lonny Barnett
Board Chair Emeritus Bebe Kinnett
New Business
Treasurers Report – Kim Joerger:
Current balance includes funds we donated in December $14,868.31
Member Report – Mark Munchel:
- Email blast inadvertently went out to all members regarding membership dues-disregard if already paid. Roughly 36 of 41 members are paid to date.
- Early bird gift card drawing for members who already paid their 2023 dues
- Gift cards were bought from member businesses who have already renewed for 2023
- Winners of Gift Card Drawing:
- Hidden Valley Golf Club won a gift card to George’s Pharmacy
- TriForce Fitness (Kim Joerger) won a gift card to Merriless
- Optimum Chiropractic (Mark Munchel) won a gift card to Bright Nutrition
- North Dearborn Library won a gift card to Logan Supermart
Monthly meetings:
- For 2023, we are mixing up our meetings with organization meeting focusing on BABA events, lunches to celebrate successes and member spotlights.
- Member spotlights can be held either at the place of business or at Bright Lions where the business can showcase themselves. Hold the date for now and we will update you on the time and place.
- If anyone is interested in being a member spotlight, contact a board member.
- Mark Munchel will create a brief video of the featured business.
Feb 10 (9-10 AM)
- Member Spotlight @ Andres-Wuestefeld Funeral Home, 25615 State Route 1, Guilford IN 47022 will include a tour and rundown of the day-to-day operations.
Mar 10 (12-1 PM)
- Shift Restaurant
Apr 14 (9-10 AM)
- Member Spotlight @ Lutz Auction & Cornerstone Realty, 25980 Auction Ln, Guilford, IN 47022
May 12 (9-10 AM)
- Bright Lions Club-final meeting before the golf outing
Jun 9 (12-1 PM)
- Lunch TBD to celebrate the golf outing success
Jul 14 (9-10 AM)
- Bright Lions Club-final meeting before the parade
Aug 2 (12-1 PM)
- Lunch TBD to celebrate parade success
Sept 8 (12-1 PM)
- At The Barn Winery, 4152 N Dearborn Rd, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
- Date subject to change…we’ll try to plan a date when fellow member Terry Hahn is playing again
Oct 13 Member (9-10 AM)
- Member Spotlight @ George’s Pharmacy, 24128 State Line Rd, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
Nov 10 Member (Time TBD)
- Spotlight (open) Time TBD by member preference
Dec 8 (9-10 AM)
- Bright Lions Club Christmas Breakfast
Bright Festival Update
- Based on the good conversation regarding the Bright Festival with Kendall Eberhart in December, we would like to dedicate the rest of the January meeting to discussing the Bright Festival.
Welcome and congratulations were shared with Chief Eberhart for his recent appointment as fire chief.
Behind the scenes festival Issues – Kendall
- The department has already had 57 calls this month
- Volunteers-the “volunteers” of the fire department are taxed with their time in mandatory trainings as well as their regular hours. State mandates 600 hours of training that includes classroom hours and testing over several weekends. There is too much work involved in the festival to add to these worker’s responsibilities. Most volunteer 30 hours a week.
- Community Volunteers have decreased over the years.
- Time to handle paperwork, coordinate vendors, booth rentals, carnival equipment, hiring a band, food, marketing, raffles, inspections, set up and tear down.
- Before COVID the festival earned about 30-40K in revenue for the fire department, which although is amazing, is a relatively small amount when looking at an Operating budget of $500-550K and total budget of $700-770 for fire & ems.
- Intention was to raise money, but also garner community support
- Costs include insurance, food, tents, bands, stage, carnival
- Fire Dept Board approval-had meeting recently where the board is skeptical about putting on the festival due to the hours already put in and the unknown of community volunteers. The board will have to be addressed again to get approval. If approved they could still hold it at the station.
- Bright Fire & EMS is unable to receive any funds from the Local Tax Income money, even though everyone pays into it, because Bright is unincorporated
Discussion on Solutions
- Kendall mentioned that this is a community festival and does not need to maintain ownership of the event
- Ask for donations from parade vendors as 100% proceeds to the fire department.
- Fire & EMS walk with boots for donations in the parade
- Use an event planner to administer the festival-a member will look into details and report back.
- Simplify
- Use food trucks
- Beer booth
- Do a battle of the bands: bands looking to get exposure play 30 minutes for free; with a chance to win the pot ($100 or so). Their contribution helps the cause and hopefully gets them some engagements.
- Do not use a stage-saves issues with regulations and cost and setup of stage.
- Tap into community events-Friendship has an ATV event that draws revenue from admission, rides, dinner, camping etc.
- Chief Eberhart-looking at partnering with a church to do the chicken fry as a separate event that benefits both charities-Nicole Wuestefeld will contact Father Meyer at St. Teresa’s, to get discussion going.
- QR Code booth-enables donors to use their phones to make donations.
- Get media coverage of the needs surrounding the departments budgetary issues, lack of funding, disproportionate allocation of county funds.
- Resolving Equipment needs (ambulance replacement $300K, fire truck up to $1 million, ambulance cot $50k etc.).
- New ambulance and fire trucks are on two year wait list.
- Ambulance has broken down several times on calls.
- Have a focus for donations/festival…specifically for a new fire truck and set a fundraising goal