EAC Meeting Minutes

      March 20, 2023 Minutes

• Mascot info has been passed to A Yang

• Grant Request~Billy Menz Northside Baseball $650.00 for 100 baseballs which will last 2 years. 30-35 students  Edison-North-Henry (summer league). Chris moved. Lynnisha 2nd. Motion passed  funds came from Legacy fund line

• Lesley Earles had received funds for the Band Festival which was canceled this year and requested to reallocate the monies for the band students to go to feeder schools to play for them instead. George moved. Chris 2nd. Motion passed.

• Badminton Grant Request for $500.00 for modest uniforms. Chris motioned. Lesley 2nd. Motion passed

•  First cheer coach did return purchased items (jackets and pom-poms) granted from EAC to the girls and the school will be working on getting those from the girls. Second coach disappeared too

• A majorette team has been procured.

• Dance and cheer equipment is in the equipment room.

• Sound System for the gym is waiting to be installed, hopefully Spring Break. Go-to people on this are Eryn and Brett. Shot Clocks no date is set yet.

• Fan Bus was a huge hit!

• Girls Basketball went as far as Boys Basketball and were bummed they didn’t get as much fanfare as the boys.
• Current sports registration numbers: Badminton~23 students; Boys Track~29; Girls Track~13; Boys Baseball~23; Girls Softball~11; Citywide LaCrosse~2; Boys Tennis~5; Adaptive Bowling~0 (Coop Program); Boys Volleyball~19; Golf~?

•  Very few Freshman students have signed up for any of the sports. Planning an outreach to get more involved.

• Spring Pep Fest held Friday March 17 to introduce all captains of teams and they were all in uniform.
• Spring Sports relay Staff vs Students
• Beach Party Dance 6-9 P (Troy from Beacons will do a hula hoop competition)

• The Director of Facilities said he is going to get a new scoreboard outside which will include speakers! Hopefully it’ll be this school year.

• ETA on the monitor that is supposed to be installed across from the indoor concessions.

• Blue and Gold planning committee and day of event needs volunteers.

• George brought language change for coaches accountability to the table for the grant application and Eac’s expectations. All agreed.

• Change format of grant request form so it clears out for the applicant. Motion George. 2nd Chris.

• Twins Fundraiser: $10.00 tickets available/ Boys play April 12 play at Target Field 4 or 4:30. Girls play May 11 at the U of M stadium 4 p.m. Text “Target Field” to 44321 to donate. No ticket needed for not going to the game, but want to see kids on the field
• Next meeting held at Edison in room 104 April 17 at 6:30

November 21, 2022 Minutes

Budget Review – Chris Duffrin

EAC General fund balance – $44,711.89. 

So far this year we have given about $2000 in grants, budgeted $11,000.

Leaf raking Fundraiser – Billy Menz and Adrian Young

Nine teams participated (boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, band, baseball, boys volleyball, girls tennis and football), raking 52 yards and raising about $7,275.00. The suggested donation is $100, but some homeowners give more. Adrian and Billy presented a proposal to pay a guaranteed amount of $500 for three yards, $1,000 for six yards, etc. to make the system fairer and more predictable for teams. They also hoped to get more teams to sign up for at least three yards this way. If tips do not provide the full funding, the EAC would need to supplement the payouts. They noted the benefits of a positive promotion in the community for the school, and also the value for a team to work together on a project.

The proposal was discussed. A “tip sharing” system was suggested, rather than the guaranteed amount. The proposal was tabled until the December meeting so Chris and Billy can look at the numbers (tips vs. yard payments) and present the actuals at that meeting.

Grant Requests:

1. Steph Colgan (art teacher) requested $77.25 for food items used in two classes (60 students) for art projects – the students then consumed the food. Moved by Jenny Arneson, seconded by George. Grant approved. 
2. Girls basketball coach Benny Randall,  requested $1,350 for 30 gym bags that would be used by team members over several years. Jenny A. moved, and Chris D. seconded a motion that based on EAC policy for a 25 member team, a grant for $1,000 could be offered. Chris noted the team currently has $477 in their EAC account, and the coach commented that the girls are very excited about fundraising this season. Grant approved.

Grant Updates:

1.  Jason Norden has decided not to take $1000 grant request, noting difficulties organizing and shooting the fall seniors shoots. He did do work with the teams this fall, so Jenny A. moved, and Chris D. seconded, that the EAC should pay him $300 for his fall work. Motion carried. The EAC will email the winter and spring coaches about options for doing special/senior individual photos. 
2. The Cheer coach quit abruptly. The order for shirts, skirts and pom poms paid for by an EAC grant was already placed and paid. Chris D. will contact the vendor to find out where it was delivered. The school is talking with Beacons about next steps for the Cheer program. The district is pursuing a return of the salary funds provided for the coach from the EAC last year.

Senior Party Sub-committee

Heather Craig offered to chair the committee, and is seeking a co-chair. Jill Pearson Wood, Jenny Arneson, Jenny Rizer, Chris Duffrin, Martha, Lynnisha and Coach Randall all volunteered to serve on the sub-committee. The first meeting will be in January.

Capital Expenditure

Last month we discussed spending up to $25,000 for a new sound system for the Edison Gym. This is the capital project most favored by the administration, because it will affect the most students: sports events, pep fests, and gym classes. After brief discussion, the resolution was passed to approve up to $25,000 for the gym sound system project, accepting any other donations to offset the cost through November 30. As of December 1, the EAC authorizes Edison High School administration and athletic department to execute a contract and ensure installation.

Edison Booster Club (defunct) bank accounts

This club last met 2012/2014. Funds came primarily from pull tabs, and the funds were distributed to coaches who attended the booster club meetings. The school cannot accept funds from gambling, but the EAC can. Chris D. has filed a claim with the Minnesota State Unclaimed Funds administrator for the over $6,000 in the defunct bank account. The consensus was that if we succeed in claiming the funds, they should go towards athletics.

NEXT MEETING will be Monday, December 19 at 6:30 on Zoom.

October 24, 2022 Minutes

Centennial Update: The parade was great, the new uniforms were sharp, and people had a good time. Unfortunately there was not a huge push for the capital campaign.

Telethon Update: We reached our $20,000 goal a few days after the telethon, and funds are still coming in. This year more students were involved. We paid for more acts, but that made for a more entertaining show. Jenny R is hoping it will become an annual event, held on the same weekend each year.

Budget Review:  Chris presented an updated balance sheet, which includes a new line item for the capital campaign. Looking at the actual budget, we planned to spend another $16,000 yet this year in grants or dedicated expenditures.

Leaf Raking Fundraiser: Contacts are Billy Menz and Adrian Young. They need coaches/clubs to sign up with who will be raking and what days. Sports team, cheerleading and the music department are taking part this year. The suggested donation is $100. 30-35 jobs are scheduled, Billy is hoping for 60. 

Grant Application Form Update/Review: Jenny R reworked the grant application form after the discussion at the September meeting. It requests more specific information, and includes the fundraising guidelines. Currently it needs to be emailed but the hope is to have it available as a Google form. There was discussion about requiring approval from either the Administration or the Athletic department to show the group/coach is in good standing – this will be discussed further and may result in further updates to the form. Lynnisha moved, Heather seconded, that the form as presented be accepted and immediately replace the existing form. Motion passed. 

The group also discussed having groups that receive funding provide photos or video that can be shared on social media to spotlight their grant. 

Accountability for Groups Associated with the EAC: George raised the issue of creating a policy or amending the by-laws to prevent bad behavior by a group that banks with the EAC or receives a grant to come back on the EAC. Currently the by-laws have no guidelines for what would bar groups from banking with the EAC. The Executive Committee will put something together to present at the November meeting. 

Capital Campaign: Chris – There was a discussion about using some of the extra funds in the EAC account towards one of the capital campaign projects. This would show the community the EAC can do big things (like the drinking stations a few years ago) and provide momentum for other capital campaign items. 

Brett just received an updated quote for the indoor gym sound system of $23,500. Eryn noted the gym sound is a priority because the space is used for pep fests, classes – not just athletics. This improvement would benefit the entire school. It is impossible to hear and understand anything with the current system. Chris said the EAC could cover this entire project right now. Eryn will check the timeline and see how soon a new sound system could be operational if the funds were available in November.

Brett noted the indoor scoreboard they are looking at is $68,000 (and comes with a video screen for playback, fan cams). The outdoor scoreboard would start at $65,000 but likely be higher, and would include a sound/speaker system. Eryn said because the Edison field was one of the first to be improved, we did not get the “deluxe” fields that other got (which include scoreboards). She will be requesting funding towards a scoreboard through the district. 

There will be a vote on this proposal at the November meeting.

Grant Request: Edison Cheer Team, Carla Ekwall-Hemmingston (coach) – 25 pairs poms ($329.56) and 25 skirts ($519.48) – total of $849.04.

She is in the range of under 25 students, and the cheerleaders will be doing the leaf raking fundraiser. Chris moved we approve a $500 grant, George seconded. Motion passed. 

Senior All Night Party: Martha ? led the committee last year and has a senior this year. Jenny R will see if she will chair the planning sub-committee. Heather C volunteered to co-chair. Jenny R will send out a recruiting email for people to serve on the sub-committee. Seniors will need to be surveyed to find out what kind of party they want. A party date of June 3, 2023 will be suggested to Ann Englund.

By the November meeting, the aim is to have a date on the calendar and a sub-committee in place.

Tommie Mascot Costume: The EAC approved a grant last year for $1400 for a replacement costume, but a legitimate company could not be found. Jenny R is in contact with Midwest Mascot Company, which cleans mascot costumes but also builds new costumes. She will work with Coach A to send them photos and specifics, and he will send a quote. The cost will likely be more than $1400. This will be discussed further at the November meeting.

The next meeting will be held Monday, November 21 at 6:30 pm in Room 104 – live and in person!

September 19, 2022 Minutes:

Tommie Telethon (Jenny R):

The telethon started during Covid lockdown, when all other fundraisers were impossible to do. It raises a large amount of funds with one event. This year includes student acts, Lush drag queens, Miloe, Unknown Prophets, Valhassa, Pyper, Sonic Love Child, NE Community Band, Edison Rock Band and more. There is unlimited room for student acts. We are pushing for a live studio audience and would like to see groups that are asking for grants in the audience and posting on social media. Athletic coaches have been contacted.

$15,000 is coming through sponsorships – we have secured 4 sponsors so far. We have an ongoing ticker on screen – the more they give, the more often their name is on the ticker. They also get a sponsorship section on screen/stage. The sponsor minimum is $300.

Discussion: What is EAC future objective?

Jenny A. shared a brief history of the EAC as well as our Fundraising Values –  We will:

• Provide all teams in an equitable communicable way fundraising opportunities. 
• Ask that groups bank with EAC if they ask for assistance (EAC receives a 3% cut of funds deposited). 
• Ask that Edison leadership work with teams to provide equitable experiences. 
• Reach out to all coaches and talk to parents on those teams. 
• Will encourage groups to go raise their own money, but not to undermine EAC fundraising efforts.
• Will monitor recommendations between the groups for gender equity. 

The group discussed athletics expectations, the student impact of grants, the value of the grants to the school. Is our recent record of grant approvals a sustainable model? 

Lesley Earles suggested a sub-committee be formed to restructure the grant request letter – the current form needs more background information, questions about other funding sources and requests. Noted we should have all the information needed to make a decision when the request is received.

MOTION: Jenny A. moved for this year, moving forward, that the EAC grants include the following parameters: Grant requests over $1000 will come with support and commentary from the Edison Administration as part of the grant request. Grants for groups with less than 25 people will be limited to $500; Groups over 25 people can request up to $1000. Lynnisha G seconded. Motion carried.

Approval of the Budget

The vast majority of the budget is raised through the Telethon.

Lynnisha G moved to approve the budget. Motion carried.

Grant Requests

1.   Jason Norden – $2700 request for sports pics – he takes individual photos, pieces them together into a team photo. Tabled from last meeting. After a lengthy discussion, Jenny A moved the EAC fund a grant of $1000, which will cover team photos for all 22 sports teams, plus two senior photo days (an initial day and retake day). Coaches (or non-athletic groups) can request a grant from the EAC for individual photos if they wish. Seconded by Amy H. Motion carried.

2.   Jason Knighton, football coach. $689.99 (+ tax) for a 2XL football helmet for an incoming freshman. Jenny A. moved we support this grant. Lynnisha G. seconded. Motion carried.

3.    Lesley Earles & Charlie Preis. $350 for guitar capos (serves 25 students). Charlie Preis is adapting the guitar curriculum to be more student centered. A capos is a device put on the nect of the guitar to change the pitch to make the instrument sound higher/lower. He has 5 or 6 guitar classes this year, these would be reusable year after year. Jenny A. moved, Lynnisha G. seconded. Motion carried.

4.   DJ Ralph Jones. $5000 for DJing boys and girls basketball games, contributes to school spirit and attendance. The school has said they will pay for 2 boys & 2 girls games. EAC suggested this request go back to the Edison Admin team. There is a student DJ club, could students be the DJ’s at the games?

2022-23 Board Members

The following slate was voted on and approved:

Co-Chair, Jenny Rizer

Co-Chair, Lynnisha Grigsby

Vice-Chair,  George Fischer

Treasurer,  Chris Duffrin

Secretary, Heather Craig

School Liason,   Lesley Earles

Social Liasons, Jenny Arneson and Amy Hernandez

Lesley will recruit a second school liason.

Homecoming Update

We have a solid Homecoming plan. Student groups will be marching in the parade with signs and pom pons. There are volunteer needs – parents to help with logistics. There will be a student dance Saturday night at the Edison gym.

Meeting Adjourned.

Next meeting Oct 24 at 6:30 pm in Room 104 – in person!

August 15, 2022 Minutes:

Treasurer’s Report

Chris will email the July balance sheet out to the mailing list. We still have some 2021-2022 funds available. The EAC approved a grant for a new mascot costume, but it has been difficult to find a quality supplier. Coach Yang & Ms. Earles have some connections.

Chris moved that EAC approve a $400 expense for the Northeast Parade (trailer rental, supplies for the float). Seconded by Amy Hernandez. Motion carried.

Grant Requests

1. Christine Sanguinet requested a $500 grant to pay for a cheer coach (this amount to be combined with the $500 grant awarded – but never used – last year for cheer uniforms, for a total of $1,000). New cheer program funding would go through the school rather than Beacons. There is an applicant for the position, and students interested in cheer. The goal is for this to be a one-time request, and to find ways to sustain the funding in the future. Motion by Chris D for the 2021-2022 $500 grant for uniforms be reappropriated, and an   additional $500 be given towards coaching and/or uniforms (to be decided by the administration how to use. Seconded by Jenny Rizer. Grant approved.

2. Jason Norden requested a $2700 grant for sports photographs (individuals, teams and candid shots): Same amount as last year, but in 2021-2022, all but $493 came from the yearbook line. In 2021-2022, 185 individual athletes participated, representing 9 sports. There was discussion on how to make access to photographs easier for parents and an alternative Team Portrait pricing model. The request was tabled until the September 19 EAC meeting, to provide time to work out more details and investigate other funding opportunities.

3. Laura Erickson, representing the Boys’ Soccer Team parents group, requested two $840 grants to cover half the cost of 22 jackets for the JV and Varsity teams. The parents group plans to do additional fundraising. While the EAC prefers to do grants for things that will stay with the team, we have also funded grants for items the students keep. Boys’ Soccer currently has about $1,000 in their account. Motion by Chris to grant $500 grants to each team ($1,000 total). Seconded by Lynnisha. Grant approved.

4. Roz Anderson submitted a $5,000 grant request to pay DJ Ralph Jones for work at indoor sports events (mainly wrestling and basketball). As she could not attend the meeting, this request was tabled until the September 19 meeting. Eryn noted that Ralph is a teacher, and last year the school paid him extended time from the school budget for 4 games (2 girls basketball, 2 boys basketball), and this will happen again this year. 

Jed Van Zee / Livestreaming

The EAC wants Jed to receive a stipend for livestreaming events. Eryn will talk to him about invoicing the school (or the EAC) when he does livestreaming.

Centennial Year Spiritwear

Jenny Arneson reported the EAC is taking over the spiritwear sales (t-shirts, sweatshirts, pins). Wendy Johnson is working on orders/designs. The EAC Centennial committee requested $2,000 to be used to purchase spiritwear, with the understanding that we are charging to make money. Motion by Chris to approve this expenditure. Motion approved.

Tommie Telethon

The telethon will take place October 15, 3 – 7 p.m. There will be more student acts this year, but we are still looking for more acts. There was support for participation by clubs/teams that request grants to provide acts or attend as the in-studio audience. 

The person in charge of sponsors has had to bow out – a volunteer is needed to work on sponsors.

The goal this year is create more of an event, with a much larger in-person audience. There may be watch parties at area establishments. 

Jenny Rizer noted that when successful, the telethon is able to raise a lot more money than we had in the past for grants. She encouraged a conversation in the coming year about how the EAC will help with grants in the future – keep the $500 grant model, or work for larger items?

Broken Athletic Equipment

Kenny Jones reported that the eliptical and the treadmill in the weight room have been broken for at least a year and a half. Eryn said the expense will either be paid by the donor (the MN Vikings) or be a shared cost between Edison and the Athletics department. Christine, Brett, Eryn and Kenny will connect offline to get this taken care of.

The next meeting is Monday, September 19 – with hopes to meet In Person!

Meeting adjourned.

June 20, 2022 Minutes:

We talked about different fundraising opportunities:

• Is Cub Foods ready to start with bagging fundraiser again?
• Leaf raking: We need to form a more solid direction for this to be more lucrative. 
• Third Annual Tommie Telethon: There will be a preliminary meeting soon to nail down a date. Thinking Oct. 15 or Nov. 5. Would love thoughts from people on those dates.
• Ms. Earles brought SNAP in and will be implementing that through the EAC account. This will be money raised directly for the band and she would also like to get some better or more equipment for the concession stand. We talked about the possibility of a traveling concession stand to go out on location.
• We considered the possibility of not doing the Great Eastside Get-Together as the Edison 100-year celebration will be in full swing when school resumes and the Tommie Telethon shortly after. Open to more conversation regarding this and/or a much smaller something.

One grant request was approved for Edison Centennial t-shirts at $1,225.00

Jason K. will be amending his football grant request and submitting that by our next meeting.

Audubon Farmers Market has reached out to Edison and the EAC in hopes of having Edison representation at their market over the summer. The new location is at 29^th Avenue and Johnson Street Merchants parking lot. This would take some organization, but it would be awesome to showcase Edison within our community. Please reach out if you have any interest in helping with this. Contact George Fischer at ge.fischer@gmail.com and he can help with connections.

EAC Treasurer, Chris Duffrin, provided an EAC budget and grants update (see below).

We are always looking for new parent volunteers for the EAC, please spread the word with new Edison parents that all are welcome and encouraged to participate.

Next EAC meeting will be held July 18 at 6:30 p.m. Location TBD.

May 16, 2022 Minutes:

A football grant request is being postponed to June’s meeting.

NE Parade:  We have entered and will be moving behind the Edison marching band. A group of students are working on float design and decoration. EAC will fund up to $200 for the float. Our next EAC meeting is the evening before the parade and we will need help with decorating the float. That will happen in the Edison parking lot.

We also need clubs to walk in the parade to show Edison pride and help promote the 100-year celebration coming this fall. Please spread the word—parade units are more fun and impactful with more people pumping it up!!

Senior Night: Will be held June 4 on the Plaza, weather permitting. Otherwise we will be in the gym and gym lobby. Planning is underway and we will be putting out a volunteer signup soon. 

100 Year Celebration: There is a need for students to be involved in talking with an alumni representative regarding homecoming events that will take place at Edison. 

Suggested doing a practice pep fest this spring so kids know what it is—sadly they don’t. 

Not sure what the status is for the spring play other than they are working with Stacy and Dudley and Morris Park Players. The plan was to write something to collaborate with the 100th Celebration.

Blue/Gold Banquet: June 6th on the Plaza/practice field. Need help getting the coaches to participate in recognizing athletes. Any help here is appreciated. There is a Google form from Jenny Arneson located in the EAC email chain for coaches to fill out. In case of weather they are hoping to use the auditorium. Jed VanZee will live stream the event for anyone that can’t attend. 

Reminder that fall 2022/23 is very busy with lots of moving parts, any and all help is needed and appreciated.

We will start Tommie Telethon talks in June (date TBD). This event has raised a lot of money for the EAC and has helped fund many club needs at Edison. Participation from our students, coaches and staff is needed for the future success of this fundraiser. This coming year we look forward to many more students becoming involved with this event. Please help promote participation in any way you can!

Next meeting is June 20th at 6:30, room 104  

January 17, 2022 Minutes:

Capital Campaign

We discussed the idea of a capital campaign which would group several large requests together for a larger financial goal. The Centennial is a good time to reach many alumni. Principal Warne suggested three big-ticket items the school is interested in:

1. A new sound system for the field – better speakers, wireless microphones 
2. New sound system for the large gym
3. New scoreboards for the field and in the gym 

The EAC discussed a goal of $100,000 for the 100^th. That amount would probably cover the gym sound system and a new scoreboard for the field.

Next steps are to coordinate communications with the ECF – get help identifying large donors to approach, find out if they are using the centennial to raise scholarship funds – and figure out a format for collecting the money. Jenny Rizer, Jenny Arneson and Principal Warne will move forward with this conversatin.

Treasurer’s Report

No grant requests in January. In December $1,500 was approved for boys basketball (bags for 3 teams). Chris has not heard from the girls basketball team as to how they’ll spend their matching grant. We also approved up to $1,400 towards a new mascot costume. Chris proposed consolidating some long dormant accounts:

Edison Glee Club to Choir ($47.14)

Edison Photography to Yearbook ($21.34)

South Africa Trip to General ($266.36)

Minneapolis Gymnastics to Edison Gymnastics ($194)

Motion made by Chris Duffrin, 2^nd by Jenny Arneson. Motion carried.

100^th Anniversary Planning Committee – 2 major updates

1. Friday Night Show – This spring, students will develop material (vignettes, video plays, songs) for the anniversary show, with Dudley Voight leading them. This “preview” will be staged in May during Art a Whirl. In September, they’ll have about 3 ½ weeks to work with the material and polish it for the final show. 
2. There will be a parade on Homecoming Friday before the Football game. Sarah Larson and Chris Duffrin are heading up this effort. Goal is to have lots of clubs, classes, groups participate with floats or units. There will be other centennial activites that whole week.

Gina O’Meara and Jenny Arneson are regularly meeting with ECF.

Spring Events

The Blue-Gold Banquet has traditionally been the last Monday of the school year. 

The last day for Seniors is June 3^rd – the Senior party will be that night. Chris Duffrin will check with Krista Eduarte and see if a party committee is active.

Meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm. Next meeting Monday Feb 21^st over zoom (school release day)

November 15, 2021 Minutes:

Beacons Biggest Fan Club Grant: Roz Anderson presented a $500 grant request to seed a Beacons Biggest Fan Club, to amp up school spirit and identity, and make attending sports events a positive energy space. This will be student planned, with fun things like theme nights, drawings, 3-point contests. Chris Duffrin moved the $500 grant be approved, seconded by Jenny Arneson. The motion carried.

Fan Angel Fundraising Idea: Bernie Kunza presented an idea for fundraising which could be used by any team or club. It is a web site called Fan Angel – teams post player profiles, enter contacts that can receive a donation request, and make a video to pitch for donations for a specific goal. The site takes fees of about 10% of all donations. This was very successful for the Henry baseball team. Bernie asked the EAC to provide the 501(c)3 status and to bank this fundraiser. Baseball will bank with the EAC for this fundraiser. No vote was required, but information on Fan Angel will be sent out to clubs and teams. 

Chris also offered to look at Fan Angel and confirm there are no hidden fees, and see if there is a school process to approve fundraisers.

Budget Review: Chris Duffrin  The EAC has currently approved and distributed 3 grants so far this school year, for a total of $1,564.

Telethon update: The Telethon raised $23,000! The goal was $23,000 combined from the Eastside get-together and the Telethon. $15,600 was from sponsors. Chris will send out donation letters to the business sponsors, and also send an email to all donors asking if they want a donation letter. We ended up with between 600 and 700 views. The committee shared some thoughts for next year, and hope to recruit more 1^st year / 2^nd year parents for next year.  Tommie Telethon replay is available on Edison Activity Council YouTube channel!

Social Media Presence Discussion – Jenny Arneson  After a discussion about the pros and cons of having both a Facebook Group and a Facebook Page, a motion was made to drop the public Facebook Group, and keep the Facebook Page, along with Instagram and our email list. Moved by George, second by Billy Menz. Motion carried.

The December 20 meeting will be held virtually, in case there are grant requests to review. 

The January 17 meeting (the MLK Jr. holiday) will also be virtual.

October 18, 2021 Minutes:

Finance Report: General EAC accounts (formerly NE Barbecue and Senior All Night Party) have been consolidated into the General Fund. Chris will look into clubs with low account balances that may not still be active. Chris delivered a $564.00 check to the school today for free homecoming game tickets to students with proof of vaccination. Leslie Earles reported that there was some confusion with students thinking they had to be vaccinated to attend, but that the incentive got students talking about vaccination.

Gov. Walz announced a new program for teens – $200 for teens who get vaccinated, and a drawing for newly vaccinated and already vaccinated teens for a $100,000 scholarship drawing. 5 scholarships will be awarded.

Edison Centennial – 2022 (Mike Icarella, Edison Community Sports Foundation): Ike presented the many event activities that have already been planned for next fall, September 29 – October 2, 2022. They have a good alumni list for classes up through 1990, but need help tracking down more recent graduates. Friday, September 30 there will be a parade, and they are hoping each current class at Edison will make a float. After the football game, there will be a student-written Centennial show.

After discussion, an EAC sub-group of EAC members and student representatives was organized to meet and discuss ways to involve current students and grads since 1990. If you are interested, more members are welcome! The committee will meet in November, after the Telethon.

Tommie Telethon Update: The Telethon is November 13^th, 1 to 6 pm in the Edison Auditorium. We need more acts! Any kind of live or video performance, especially seeking broader community acts. A wireless camera is available for acts that perform outside or elsewhere in the school. The fundraising goal is $21,000. Invite your friends and neighbors!

October 29^th Dance: Ms. Warne is hoping to have a costumed dance on Friday, October 29^th on the plaza outside. The EAC may be needed for help with set-up or chaperones.

Please join us for the next EAC meeting: Nov 15, 6:30 pm in room 104.

October 9, 2021 (Emergency Meeting) Minutes:

Homecoming week was rescheduled for October 11-15 with home football on Thursday night and senior night for volleyball on Friday. Leslie Earles requested a meeting to discuss the EAC helping with free admission for students to the games.

Each school gets only two free games each school year—one was used for the Great Eastside Get-Together and Brett is saving the other for a future Tommies night this winter with a girls’ sport. Student tickets are $2.

Discussion about possible incentives soon settled on asking students to provide proof of vaccination to get in free, given Edison is just coming out of quarantine, and the EAC has an interest in promoting vaccination among students.

Motion to offer free admission to both the football and volleyball games to Edison students who show a COVID vaccination card, or proof of at least one vaccination dose. Free tickets will be tracked, and the EAC will pay the total (amount not to be capped). Principal Warne will run this plan by General Counsel to make sure it is “blessed” for students to provide vaccination proof. If the vaccination proof plan is not acceptable, the backup plan is to pay for all Edison students. Moved by Chris Duffrin, seconded by George Fischer. Motion carried.

August 16, 2021 Minutes:

Volunteers are needed! Wed, Aug 25, 3-6 p.m., Edison will be hosting Mission & Vision on the Plaza. Please reach out directly to Eryn Warne or Christine Sanguinet if you can help.

Yearbooks will be mailed to all families who ordered one. 😊

Friday 9/10 is Edison’s annual Activity Fair 1:35-3:00 Does EAC want a table and if so can anyone man the table at those times? Deadline is 9/3.

The Great Eastside Get-Together is in full swing! This is taking place on the Plaza on Edison’s 1st home football game of the season, Friday 9/3, 5-7 pm. This event replaces the Eastside BBQ. Free food options for students, food trucks, Edison concession stand (free Tommie Trio with a game ticket purchase), cornhole and other fun showcases!! Please come have some food and help build up our community. 😊

The second annual Tommie Telethon  is also in the planning mode. Since we had such overwhelming success last year, we are definitely doing this fun event again. The event will take place Saturday, October 16 (save the date!). This year we hope to raise $21,000!!! If you are interested in helping with the planning committee please let Jenny Rizer or Jenny Arneson know. 

Will the Makers’ Fair take place this Nov? If not, would Makers’ Fair planners be interested in helping with the telethon? If the fair will happen, have dates been determined?

We will be in need of a new EAC secretary as Miss Jenee has graduated out. Please consider stepping into those shoes! Contact the EAC if you’re interested.

Next year is Edison’s 100 year anniversary and we will definitely be working on some pretty amazing things…just planting the seed.

We will be holding in-person EAC meetings this year. Meetings will take place on the usual 3rd Mondays with new time: 6:30. 

Sept 20 @ 6:30 will be our first 2021-22 meeting. Join us on the Edison Plaza with refreshments and snacks!!! Hope to see you there!!

May 17, 2021 Minutes:

In our May meeting, we discussed grants, a possible celebration for 2020 grads, the yearbook photography stipend, Senior Carnival, Blue Gold Banquet, and other end of year odds and ends.

Below is an update of the grant requests for the year. Also below is the balance sheet.

Picnic blankets and jump ropes had been purchased for the outdoor lunch area and could be used during the Senior Carnival. Julie Neitzer-Carr had made the purchase without filling out the grant form. Billy and Chris discussed it over email and decided the funds could be pulled from the Senior All-Night Party budget. A motion was passed to refund the money, with further discussion that it’s always a risk to pay ahead.

Donna Sanders is attempting to coordinate a ceremony or celebration for the 2020 class.It was suggested that an outdoor event could possibly be scheduled for Sun, June 6, which is the day after the Senior Carnival. The tent would still be up, and it could be live streamed easily. There would be some cost, with engineering, gown rental? Food? Other? We motioned a year ago that funds raised for the 2020 seniors would not go in to the general fund, that they would be set aside for their celebration. Since that time, money was used for t-shirts and lawn signs, and a special full-page ad in the Northeaster was purchased. It is unclear how much of the original funds remain for the 2020 grads. In any regard, the 2020 class will be polled to see if there’s wide interest, and hopefully some additional 2020 parents could help plan the event.

The yearbook photography stipend was discussed at length. Paige Haggerty volunteered to take photos for the yearbook. She has been taking pictures all year. Her efforts should be rewarded, but we concluded that the EAC doesn’t have the capacity to oversee this process. The IRS limit for stipends is $600 before it’s considered taxable wages. It was decided that the administration needs to sort it out and be the responsible party. Billy will follow up with Paige, and an email will be sent to Eryn Warne and Ms. Odberg (yearbook teacher). A motion was passed to recommend that the school admin shall pay their volunteer stipend up to $600. The funds will be paid from the yearbook line item, which has a balance of around $1900. And speaking of the yearbook, it will likely be ready near the end of the school year.

The Senior Carnival will be June 5, 7-11pm. The signup has general categories of setup and tear-down. Jobs will be delegated on site to run everything smoothly. Some paid staff will be present to help as well. Planning is coming along nicely.

The Blue Gold Banquet will be held June 7. Evites were sent out. It will be a hybrid event, with athletes and coaches present. It will be live streamed for the families. 

Tommie Fit Club changed its price from $30 to $40 for their summer program.

EAC meetings will be held over the summer for interested people to discuss special projects or to spark conversations for next year. The next meeting will be June 21 at 6:30.

This may be my last gig as EAC secretary as my kids are graduating! It’s been a pleasure to give my time. 

April 19, 2021 Minutes:

• A motion was passed to approve the softball grant request of $500 to replenish equipment that was misplaced during the sudden Covid shutdown.
• A motion was passed to support the football youth Tommie camp from the youth grant funds. The grant request was $747.60 for Tommie memorabilia footballs for the camp participants. The Edison football program is developing a feeder program through summer camps at Waite and Logan parks. The youth funds is a special line item managed by the EAC that uses donated and designated funds to support youth programs in the Edison attendance area.
• Also this summer, Coach Knighton-Johnson and others are developing a summer Tommie Fit program. This will be available to 7th-12th graders and cost $40. The program will be 4 days/week for June and July. Thirteen percent or $5/registration will go back to the EAC youth fund.

March 15, 2021 Minutes:

Be sure to check out Edison Theater’s presentation of Cyrano de Bergerac this Friday and Saturday at 7pm on Facebook Live!

• During our March meeting, we discussed sports and end-of-year celebrations in a fairly unconventional year.
• A request was presented to spend $500 from the EAC budget to replace 24 pairs of shoulder pads for the football team, which sparked a debate on equity. Although girls can participate in football, it is predominantly a boys’ sport, and far more money is spent toward football than, say, girls’ badminton. But admittedly football is a costly sport. To keep it safer, equipment needs to be addressed yearly. Pads, helmets, and nut cups all wear out. We will continue to keep equity in mind going forward, but the request was approved.
• We then switched gears to end-of-year activities, including the Blue Gold Banquet, Senior All-Night Party, and graduation.
• We anticipate having a Blue Gold Banquet. With strict district guidelines, it will likely be an outdoor event with a tent. It may be hybrid, with minimal in-person attendees, the athletes and coaches. Families could enjoy the livestream from home. A tentative date is the last Monday of the school year (June 7th). We think it would be beneficial to share the cost of tent rental by utilizing it for multiple end of year events. The bulk of the cost is set-up and teardown.
• Holly discussed the Senior All-Night Party. It will probably not be an all-nighter this year. Ideally the kids would have the tent and field access, which is fenced, so therefore pretty well contained. It would be a ticketed affair, to help with crowd control. There were some concerns raised by Brett McNeal with using the main field vs the practice field and potential scheduling issues. A likely date for the party would be Sat, June 5th.
• Graduation is listed in the academic calendar as June 8th. It is, however, a little bit in the air. The school is working closely with the CDC guidelines and the district to come up with a safe plan. They are looking at various proposals. It was only a recent consideration to be able to have a non-virtual ceremony. The next few weeks will solidify the possibilities. If we hold an outdoor ceremony, it would be more challenging, from parking and traffic to security. (We are not working with Mpls police). Regardless, announcements will be made through the district communication soon.
• Other year-end events we are anticipating are prom (Dave Salzer’s government class is looking into this), the senior scholarship reception, and various picnics.
• We are looking at how to organize these multiple events, utilizing a right-size tent. Between the EAC budget and the All-Night Party balance, there would be enough to cover the rental (@$2000?)
• At our next meeting, Mon Apr 19 at 6:30, one topic is a potential separate event for the Class of 2020.
• Be aware that Spring Sports sign-up is happening now online. Check out the Edison website (click “Athletics” at the top menu) for a link.
• Enjoy spring break! Stay safe out there!!

February 15, 2021 Minutes:

We approved two grants tonight:

• $98 for smoke detector batteries to accompany an ETSN educational piece.
• $500 for track pants to continue to outfit the boys soccer/track team

As COVID continues, we discussed events that traditionally occur during the second part of the year including the Senior All Night Party, Soup-tacular and Blue-Gold Athletic Banquet.

• Fortunately, we don’t need to fundraise this spring because the Telethon was successful, and the All Night Party has funds reserved. 
• We will by-pass making any soup-tacular plans for this year. 
• We discussed alternatives to our traditional events but remain optimistic that we will be able to create something for students. 
• We talked about outdoor options, and the benefit of potentially coordinating so we can share amenities (such as tent rental).
• We also discussed the distinction between state public health guidance/executive orders and school district decisions, and how the EAC can navigate between them. 
• We agreed creating some flexibility in our plans will lead to the strongest likelihood of implementation.
• There was general agreement that the EAC has a role in creating/contributing to student activities this spring. 

Senior All Night Party:

• A committee will be meeting over the next month to discuss options. Contact Holly Hatch-Surisook if you would like to join those conversations.
• They will consider a range of options – from an outdoor event that lasts a few hours, to a tent rental, to exploring venue rental. 
• Some traditions, such as a senior t-shirt can definitely happen. 
• This group will talk more over the next month and come back to the March EAC meeting.

Blue Gold Banquet:

• A committee will be meeting over the next month to discuss options. Contact Jenny Arneson if you would like to join those conversations.
• We will consider a range of options – from the streaming event we created last year to an outdoor ceremony under a tent to the circumstances that would allow us to be indoors. 
• We will consider the role of food.
• We will perhaps incorporate options for other activities that in the past have been able to have their own events (i.e. arts)

Website:

• Amy Hernandez and George Fischer have taken the lead in creating our website and Amy has added some useful content recently! 
• They use wordpress and welcome additional people to offer editing/content skills
• We do lack pictures but would love to add a spotlight section on the website. Tag #edisontommies on your own social.
• Contact Amy if you can share your talent in this area. 

Edison Merchandise:

• Daniel Nierengarten reported that he and his special education program have been organizing Edison merchandise sales. They are looking to get out of the business and are interested in partnering more closely with the EAC to continue.
• There is overall interest in creating an accessible and versatile merchandise program for Edison. 
• There is general recognition that the school needs/wants to stay involved to provide some infrastructure (such as a distribution location), while the EAC can expand capacity and financial payment options.
• We discussed the connection between our website growth and merch support. 
• There is also recognition that we need to put thought into developing a sustainable system.
• We will form a committee to continue discussions off-line. Join by contacting Daniel Nierengarten. 

Consider joining any of the committees as we get creative in supporting our students this spring!
Submitted by Jenny Arneson

January 18, 2021 Minutes:

In our January meeting, we voted on how to spend the proceeds from the Tommie Telethon. A motion was passed that we would add $2000 from the grants funding, for a total of $9000 for improvements. 

$5200 will go toward 3 new water stations. Achieve Mpls will fund a 4th station. Capital Improvements will cover the installation, which is a major part of the cost. It was determined that other schools (including North and Henry) have used parent group funding as part of the funding for building improvements such as this. So there is some precedent. Equity was a concern. What do the other schools do? How do they get nice things like this?Hafsa spoke on behalf of the government class and stated that the proposal for water stations will limit disruptions and tardiness, students won’t feel the need to buy water, which will reduce plastic waste and cost, and will promote drinking water. It is essential.

$1200 will go to new video streaming equipment and capability, which will allow families access to sporting events online. A Yang said the cameras are installed, and it’s fully automated! No volunteers are needed to run the equipment. And since it is EAC’s equipment, it will not be used solely for athletics.
$1300 will go to band, as a portion of their grant request for drum line gear. Since it will not fulfill the full price for the equipment, it will go toward repairs and maintenance.
$1300 will go to the Outdoor Club for camping gear. It was decided that we will hold a springtime drive. That will reduce the amount of funding needed to achieve their goals. Many of us have some spare gear we aren’t using!
$300 for props for video class will be funded from the usual grant line.
A request for warm-up pants did not meet the deadline. Athletics may be the department to organize this, anyway, since the EAC has no interest in managing pants. We do own some jerseys that are utilized for special summer sessions.
There was a push to make gathering pictures easily through social media. We discussed the use of #EdisonTommies as a great way to share events, and there is implicit permission if students are posting pictures themselves.
We have a few ideas for next meeting, including the Blue/Gold Banquet and how to celebrate this year, and the Senior All-Night Party. The next meeting may switch to Monday, Feb 8th. (Originally Feb 15th). Thoughts?

December 14, 2020 Minutes:

December’s meeting was focused on grant proposals to spend the Tommie Telethon proceeds. There is still time to submit a proposal. We will be collecting them until Jan 13. We will be discussing them and voting in our next meeting on Jan 18 at 6:30pm. 

These are the current proposals/ideas:
– Students from Dave Salzer’s government class enthusiastically  proposed 3 additional water/hydration stations in the school. The cost is $4200, which doesn’t include installation or maintenance. This could be a collaboration with the Green Team.
-Megan McClellan (boys’ soccer coach) pitched warm-up pants. They are off the rack from Dick’s, unisex/universal Adidas brand. Since they are not custom, they are a good price. And she received a $500 grant last year which was matched by a friend. 
-Brett McNeil had a few ideas:-creating historical banners for the lobby of the gym displaying past athletic achievements-a new scoreboard for the gym and the field-a press box-outside stereo equipment
Again, there is still the opportunity for more proposals until Jan 13th. Tell us what you think! 
If you are on a subcommittee, please email Jenny Rizer with the details so we can get a bit more organized.