Oh, thank goodness
Jan. 12th, 2018 09:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
offcntrDenise and I went to the Saturday Market Board meeting last night.
I generally avoid these things, as too often I wind up getting vocal and the next thing you know, I'm on a committee. This time, though, we felt the need. She'd heard people talking at Holiday Market about Saturday Market opening March 30 in 2018, and I wanted to voice an opinion.
First thing to say, Market board meetings are really well-organized. Part of it was the process, parliamentary procedure amended by a step-by-step system that made sure everyone got to speak in a defined sequence. Part of it was the presider: Outgoing chair Willa was brisk, organized, and kept everyone in order without stepping on anyone's toes. They dealt quickly but thoroughly with several member issues, seated the new board members and elected officers, then slid onto the New Business: Starting date for 2018.
Turns out 2018 is one of those weird years where, because of a quirk of the calendar, there's one fewer Saturday between the beginning of April and Thanksgiving. That's one fewer selling day, one day less income for the Market as an organization. There's also the sense that weekends in April are better attended than later in spring, and having only four instead of five means less cash-flow as well. Someone also suggested March 31 could be a "soft opening" that allowed our new Market staff to shake-down the experience of opening the doors before the real opening on April 7.
On the other hand, starting in April is what we're known for. It's practically our brand. And I'm not sure I believe the April-Saturdays-all-sell-better argument. Opening weekend, sure, I've have great opening weekends when it was pouring rain. Pent-up demand needs to be met. But only on opening weekend. Other weekends in April are all over the place. I also tossed in the fact that April 1 is Easter, not necessarily a big deal for many of our vendors, but it might be for the customers, and I'd like for once to celebrate the holiday without being exhausted by Market.
Other points started popping up. We have precedent for this: turns out in 1985 they opened the season March 30. New board member Kate did a little research on her phone and announced that March 31 was still in Spring Break. Twenty-two thousand students not around to celebrate the new season with us puts a damper on the festivities. Diane had done an unscientific survey on our Facebook page and replies were running 2:1 against early opening (though she admitted that she didn't know how many replies were from current members, as opposed to retired). And Lyn pointed out that our fiscal year is actually April 1-March 31. Not only would this mess with the 2017 closing numbers, it wouldn't even pay for itself. Credit card sales processed and employee expenses would post March 31, but cash proceeds wouldn't be deposited until April 3.
Market manager and staff were asked for a recommendation, but declared themselves neutral on the subject. Ultimately, Eli moved that we open on April 7, and the motion carried. We stayed a little longer, but when I found myself tempted to volunteer for Standards Committee (again), made our goodbyes and went home.
Oh thank goodness.
I generally avoid these things, as too often I wind up getting vocal and the next thing you know, I'm on a committee. This time, though, we felt the need. She'd heard people talking at Holiday Market about Saturday Market opening March 30 in 2018, and I wanted to voice an opinion.
First thing to say, Market board meetings are really well-organized. Part of it was the process, parliamentary procedure amended by a step-by-step system that made sure everyone got to speak in a defined sequence. Part of it was the presider: Outgoing chair Willa was brisk, organized, and kept everyone in order without stepping on anyone's toes. They dealt quickly but thoroughly with several member issues, seated the new board members and elected officers, then slid onto the New Business: Starting date for 2018.
Turns out 2018 is one of those weird years where, because of a quirk of the calendar, there's one fewer Saturday between the beginning of April and Thanksgiving. That's one fewer selling day, one day less income for the Market as an organization. There's also the sense that weekends in April are better attended than later in spring, and having only four instead of five means less cash-flow as well. Someone also suggested March 31 could be a "soft opening" that allowed our new Market staff to shake-down the experience of opening the doors before the real opening on April 7.
On the other hand, starting in April is what we're known for. It's practically our brand. And I'm not sure I believe the April-Saturdays-all-sell-better argument. Opening weekend, sure, I've have great opening weekends when it was pouring rain. Pent-up demand needs to be met. But only on opening weekend. Other weekends in April are all over the place. I also tossed in the fact that April 1 is Easter, not necessarily a big deal for many of our vendors, but it might be for the customers, and I'd like for once to celebrate the holiday without being exhausted by Market.
Other points started popping up. We have precedent for this: turns out in 1985 they opened the season March 30. New board member Kate did a little research on her phone and announced that March 31 was still in Spring Break. Twenty-two thousand students not around to celebrate the new season with us puts a damper on the festivities. Diane had done an unscientific survey on our Facebook page and replies were running 2:1 against early opening (though she admitted that she didn't know how many replies were from current members, as opposed to retired). And Lyn pointed out that our fiscal year is actually April 1-March 31. Not only would this mess with the 2017 closing numbers, it wouldn't even pay for itself. Credit card sales processed and employee expenses would post March 31, but cash proceeds wouldn't be deposited until April 3.
Market manager and staff were asked for a recommendation, but declared themselves neutral on the subject. Ultimately, Eli moved that we open on April 7, and the motion carried. We stayed a little longer, but when I found myself tempted to volunteer for Standards Committee (again), made our goodbyes and went home.
Oh thank goodness.