The meeting was called to order at 8:24am by President Terry Likens.

The Minutes of the 2007 SDCA Annual Meeting were read by Secretary-Treasurer, Jill Likens.  The Treasurer’s Report showed a checking balance of $3922.28 - not including SD Teams related money or expenses or the Website / Bulletin expenses. The Secretary’s Report included 30 paid members comprising 3 Family; 20 Regular and 1 Junior membership – up 1 membership and 3 members from last year. 

Reports from Committees included Wes Schmidt with the Scholastic Committee Report.  Wes Schmidt reported that Kaitlyn Loos of Rapid City’s South Middle School will represent South Dakota as the Girls’ Champion for the Susan Polgar tournament.  Zach Truelson – as the State Scholastic Champion - will represent South Dakota in the Arnold Denker Tournament of HS Champions.  The meeting attendees voted that $250 be sent for each player’s parents – to help to off-set their expenses.  The amount returned to the usual amount – as last year’s amount was higher due to a check from the Sioux Falls Kiwanis to go toward Scholastic Chess.

Further scholastic discussion and reporting included the increase in scholastic chess activity in East River – including a Chess Tournament planned in Garretson, SD in October and Alex Yermolinski’s 10 week chess programs that will be starting in Sioux Falls in the fall.  Discussion included commentary about how Sioux Falls chess participation dwindled when the Scholastic Chess Championship moved to Rapid City and Pierre and differences between the Rapid City (and for that matter Pierre) sites and the sites available in Sioux Falls (being more open to families – with parental participation being important to children traveling to tournaments.)  The plan this year is to have the Scholastic Chess Championship in Sioux Falls.

Other Scholastic related topics included a suggestion to include an unrated novice section at tournaments with memberships as prizes and information from Mark Derby that the Vice-President of the South Dakota PTA suggested that holding a chess tournament at the same site as the state-wide meeting of the SDPTA would allow PTA members (interested parents) to see the benefits of chess as an education related activity.  Jill offered to provide a copy of the Chess Organizing Outline, Templates for Results Sheets, Signs and Flyers to organizers.  Mark Derby suggested that this could be put on the website as a Zip file.

The final suggestion was that the President of the SDCA writes to sponsors to solicit additional monies to support our Scholastic representatives to the Arnold Denker and Susan Polgar tournaments.  It was suggested that the state officers would pull more weight with the sponsors than a parent or SDCA member in general. At that point, it was suggested that the Scholastic Report was completed and that further discussion would better fit in the New Business section of the meeting.

Mark Derby provided the Website Committee report. He explained that the Second Temporary website was in place with the bare essentials.  He went on to explain that Mark Knudson had been planning to set-up the website using ASP Net – a Microsoft tool – but as of yet, he hasn’t had the time to do so.  Mark K. is familiar with the Microsoft tools for setting up the network, but Mark D. is not.  For that reason, Mark Derby is suggesting that the Website be returned to a Linux Server, because he is able to set it up himself – and that we use a new Hosting Server – such as Host Monster – which will reduce expenses.

Mark explained that some of the Archive files are “locked” in a folder – with the idea that the password would be given to SDCA members as a benefit of membership.  This is something that he could unlock.  There was some discussion about setting up on-line chess tournaments – with the idea that the price of gas is making travel to chess tournaments more costly – and it is only going up.  At this point, it was suggested that the Website Committee report was completed and all other discussion should be tabled until we get to New business.

The Election of Officers and District Coordinators was the next order of Business.  Nels Truelson, Jill Likens and Greg Waters were all nominated.  Nels and Greg declined, so Jill was “elected” by default by not declining the nomination.

Nels Truelson was nominated for Vice-President and was the only nomination that was accepted.  Terry Likens was nominated for Secretary-Treasurer – and was elected with no contest.

Lyle Hanson was nominated and elected as Rapid City Coordinator – since he didn’t make the meeting.  Greg Waters was nominated and elected as Sioux Falls Coordinator after it was noted that the other Nominee – Alex Yermolinski – was not an SDCA member.  Bob Boland was nominated for The Rest of the State Coordinator – and after some discussion about getting new blood into the board he was elected to the position unopposed.

The discussion of Unfinished Business included the discussion of additional membership types – including the Patron membership for Sponsors.  It was suggested that we add the patron’s names to the front of the bulletin or on the website.  Nels felt that publishing the names of the patrons tarnished the idea of giving support anonymously.  Greg Waters added that publishing patron’s lists puts pressure on those who don’t donate when a list is published.  It was moved that discussion be tabled on this issue until next year or the next meeting.

Discussion of New Business included a question for the Date for the Closed.  The Closed will be held in Sioux Falls this year. Bob Wallace offered to donate $100 toward the expenses of the site if the tournament is being held in Sioux Falls. Nels Truelson and Greg Waters were appointed to the committee to organize the tournament details.  Jill motioned that $500 be allotted as a budget for expenses related to the Closed – the motion was later amended to $250 after Terry Likens noted that there are already TD expenses that the SDCA covers. The motion passed.  There was also a motion that the prize fund be limited to Trophies – and in lieu of cash prizes, free entry into next year’s Closed be the prizes for First place, First Junior and Class prizes.  This motion passed.  The motion to give free entry to the Closed for International Titled Players failed in a close vote.

There was a motion to close meeting.  Meeting was adjourned by 10:04am