The Officers and the Directors of the Robert Benchley Society conferred by telephone on Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.
On the call were:
1.) Robert Benchley Society Humor Writing Competition 2010
DAVID reported on the 2010 Robert Benchley Society Humor Writing Competition:
Winners (in order from first place through fourth place
2.) Robert Benchley Society Humor Writing Competition 2011
KEVIN will work in getting a celebrity judge. TOM knows Jeff Daniels in Michigan who may be a contact to Woody Allen. Committee KEVIN (chairman), EILEEN, and TOM to work on getting judge. Progress report in one month. Once judge is set HORACE will set timeline.
3.) 2011 ROBERT BENCHLEY SOCIETY ANNUAL GATHERING AND HUMOR AWARD DINNER.
DAVID suggests Washington, D.C. in the mid-Oct to mid-Nov range. KEVIN suggests New York. Both will return with specific proposals in one month.
4.) Membership.
DAVID reported that new ten dollar annual membership fee has been implemented and persons are joining.
EILEEN will work on design for membership certicate/card.etc. HORACE has agreed to let us use the artwork he created for the Annual Humor Award. DAVID will ask CHRIS to assist with project [Chris, consider yourself asked. -dt.]
KEVIN donates to every member one free New York City walking tour (value $20) and will write up benefit description.
5.) Communications.
GORDON will find a Benchley image for the Facebook group that is unquestionably public domain. DAVID has asked PAMELA [not on the call] to take over management of the Facebook group page. ROSE has set up a Twitter account, @BenchleySociety.
Committee formed to develop idea for RBS journal: TOM (chairman), ED, and ROSE. Project reporet in one month.
6.) By-laws.
By-law committee of DAVID (chairman) and HORACE to report in one month.
7.) Report from chapters
KEVIN: New York City "Fascinating Crimes" chapter has for past five years celebrated benchley's birhtday at monument to the amiable child.
TOM: Ann Arbor "A Moderate State of Preservation" chapter has event coming up National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Book Cadillac Hotel, June 23-26, 2011. The chapter has 12 members.
DAVID: The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" chapter will have an event soon.
ROSE: Reports interest in a Philadelphia chapter which would be the seventh, or "eta" chapter.
Note, each chapter, when formed, is assigned a Greek letter designation in order, so that the first chapter formed is alpha, the next beta, and so forth. Chapters also choose a Benchleyesque name which may reference some Benchley work, or something from Benchley's life, and which may have some local significance.
Respectfully submitted,
David Trumbull (acting as secretary the meeting)