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ALASKA FOLK FESTIVAL
GENERAL PLANNING CALENDAR
Last updated 4/5/06
GENERAL TOPICS
MEETINGS
Approximately Monthly. Less frequent in Summer.
Increasing to weekly with the performer scheduling meeting 5
weeks before the Festival
NEWSLETTERS
Four a year. Approximately January, May, September,
October, more if deemed useful. Each newsletter costs money
to print and mail, but they are a way to keep in touch with
the AFF supporters. Each newsletter also puts the membership
form in front of people, bringing in numerous memberships,
both new and renewal.
Once a year, the newsletter should have the USPS label
endorsement in a USPS approved location "RETURN SERVICE
REQUESTED" [the current (2004) USPS wording]. This
will mean newsletters sent to bad addresses will be returned
to us (with a postage due charge, a necessary cost to make
the database person's life easier) so that the database can
be updated and dead addresses culled. The MAY NEWSLETTER is
probably a good time for this because being a small
newsletter, the returns will only cost us one ounce of
postage.
The newsletters will ALWAYS contain Membership Form
(backing it against the mailing label area in the layout is
best).
Other newsletter items usually include a list of Board
Members, AFF contact information, membership
solicitation.
POSTER ART & MERCHANDISE
Art work is solicited with a fall due date for submissions.
Merchandise is worked on from December (maybe) or January
(definitely).
GUEST ARTIST
Work on Guest Artist is on-going. We need to start nailing down
the next Guest Artists following the finish of the AFF, in April.
AFF VENUES
Centennial Hall we can schedule up to 7 years ahead (the rules as
of 2003). The Armory may go away at some point as a dance venue, or
may morph into something else run by someone else that may or may not
be available as a dance venue. The ANB Hall is NEVER available to
anyone on Saturday night. Bingo trumps ALL other activities, even the
Biennial Celebration
FUND RAISING CONCERTS
Possibilities for such concerts come up from time to time. Some we
go for, some we don't, depending on who enthusiasm there is on
the board for a particular artist. We want to avoid losing money on
concerts, though breaking even is OK. They ARE a way to make some
money, usually not a lot, AND have a nice concert. Scheduling a date
without conflicting events is getting harder and harder to do.
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MONTHLY CALENDAR
JANUARY
Meetings: Two
One meeting early in month to schedule Board meetings through the
Festival and get organized for the up coming newsletter (with the
performer application) and the push to the AFF start.
One meeting to get the Newsletter mailing ready to take to the
Post Office. This newsletter meeting will take place 11 to 12 weeks
before the start of the AFF.
Newsletter:
Will contain the Performer Application, Volunteer application,
articles about Guest Artists, Membership Form, articles about
volunteering, becoming a member.
Mailed approximately mid-January, depending on when the AFF
starts.
[Note: The Performer Applications are DUE IN OUR HAND at least
5 weeks before the Festival. We send out the Tentative Schedule by
the Friday following the due date, a MONTH before the start of the
AFF. This policy (dating from 1992) was in answer to complaints from
performers wanting time to make travel arrangements after the
Tentative Schedule was made available. Therefore, the January
Newsletter MUST be mailed out at least 10 weeks before the festival
starts (to give the newsletter time to be delivered) via USPS Bulk
Mail (out of country newsletters HAVE to go First Class mail). Since
the change to Bulk mailing of newsletters, mailing the January
newsletter 11-12 weeks before the AFF is advised.]
Guest Artists:
Plans for the Guest Artists need to be finalized before the
January Newsletter goes to press, if contracts have not been signed
by now. Travel and housing arrangements should be getting worked
on.
Chief Sound Engineer:
We should have the Chief Sound Engineer signed up, by now, along
with any assistant plus a Sound Engineer for the dance venue.
Merchandise:
Lots of work to on this front for the next several weeks.
Renew permit:
$175/yr USPS non-profit mailing permit #194
-
Tax filing
AFF federal tax form 990 is due Feb. 15 for previous fiscal year Oct 1 to Sep 30.
A second copy should be filed with the state Dept. of Revenue.
efile.form990.org/
FEBRUARY
Meetings: Several
Planning Meetings -- two.
The Scheduling Meeting -- will take place either the evening of
the Performer Application due date or very shortly there after.
Tentative Schedule Mailing -- Not later than the Friday after the
Performer Application due date.
WEEKLY MEETINGS begin with the performer scheduling meeting
[Note: The Scheduling meeting and the Tentative Schedule
mailing party take place either in LATE February or EARLY March,
depending on the DUE DATE for the Performer Applications which in
turn depends on the start date of the AFF. See below for details.
Number Buttons:
Need to be ordered not later than _EARLY_ February to assure they
arrive before the Tentative Schedule gets mailed.
Newsletter: None
Proxy Cards:
We could mail the Proxy Cards, anytime in February. The Bylaws say
90-20 days before the Annual Meeting during the AFF.
Merchandise: The work continues
AFF Program:
Need to arrange for a program designer by early February
Need to start on soliciting program ADVERTISING the beginning of
February.
Child Care:
This often seems hard to arrange, so work should start in
February.
Scheduling Meeting:
PERFORMER APPLICATIONS due in our hands NOT LATER THAN 5 weeks
before AFF (such as the Friday, 5 weeks and three days before the
AFF). This "more than five weeks before" date may end up in late
February or early March depending on the AFF start date.
The Scheduling meeting will be on, or very shortly after the
Performer Application due date.
Tentative Schedule Mailing:
We will get the Tentative Schedule in the mail on or before the
FRIDAY following the scheduling meeting, a little more than 4 weeks
before the AFF starts, at the minimum. The Tentative Schedule with
Cover Letter (containing essential performer information) will be
mailed First Class to all the performer applicants (whether in the
schedule or not) in sealed (USPS requirement) envelopes with number
buttons.
MARCH
Meetings:(Weekly until the start of the AFF)
Scheduling Meeting in Late February or Early March depending on
the Performer Application Due Date. [See details above.]
Mail Tentative Schedule to performers ASAP after application due
date, usually a lunch time meeting, since it should barely take an
hour.
WEEKLY Planning meetings begin with the performer scheduling
meeting
Meeting w/Centennial Hall, approx. two weeks before AFF.
Proxy Cards:
Mail Proxies in EARLY March, at the latest, if they did not go out
in February, 90-20 days before the meeting (according to the
Bylaws)
APRIL
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Meetings: Several
Pre-Festival Meeting with Centennial Hall Staff a couple weeks
before AFF start (in March, most years)
Board Meetings, weekly, up to the week before the AFF
AFF set up day -- The Sunday before the Festival Starts, probably
11 am to 8 pm.
AFF Annual Meeting: Held during the AFF (according to the Bylaws),
traditionally held on the Friday of AFF
Postmortem meeting with Centennial Hall (not always held, in the
past). We can compare notes on charges and discuss issues, if needed.
In recent years, the "meeting" has just been one of us going in.
Post-AFF Board meeting to include election of officers for the
coming year and a postmortem, as soon as possible after the AFF (May
at latest).
MAY
Meetings: One or two
One or perhaps two if the postmortem meeting, is delayed. There
will be a newsletter mailing party, at the very least. A second may
be needed if work on Guest Artists needs discussion.
Newsletter:
Mail this by mid-May (waiting too late risks running into the
slackening Post-AFF enthusiasm of Board members). The newsletter
should contain a membership form, any post-AFF summaries, plus a
listing of the new board and all the other normal newsletter bits,
and any solicitations we want to make (like artwork submissions for
the next poster) and. The newsletter should have the USPS label
endorsement in the USPS approved location ÒRETURN SERVICE
REQUESTEDÓ [the current (2004) USPS wording] to allow
culling out dead addresses from the database and keeping up with
folks who have moved and didnÕt tell us. Newsletters that
canÕt be delivered are returned to us (we have to pay First
Class postage due). This costs us money, but we can delete dead
addresses, which saves money.
Guest Artists
We need to be working on Guest Artists, if we have not signed
anyone.
AFF Venues: SCHEDULING AFF DATES:
At this point with the AFF just finished, we should have four AFFs
in the Centennial Hall calendar. Schedule the 5th future AFF at this
time. There is a $500 non-refundable deposit (2004). We are allowed
currently (as of 2004) to schedule ahead as much as seven years at
Centennial Hall. We have opted for five year advance planning on
dates. See the end of this document for details on AFF date
scheduling.
The historic criteria for scheduling AFF dates: First full week in
April if it does NOT end on Easter, or the Second full week if the
First full week does not work. (This criteria hasn't always been
followed.) With the advent of the rotary Pillars series, we ALSO try
to avoid the Third Wednesday in April.
We schedule the Sunday before the Festival as our Set-up day, just
renting the ballroom, and the week from Monday 8 am through Sunday
renting the entire facility.
Past examples:
AFF28 April 8-14, 2002 [Easter: 3/31/2002] Set-up: April
7th
AFF29 April 7-13, 2003 [Easter: 4/20/2003] Set-up: April
6th
AFF30 April 12-18, 2004 [Easter: 4/11/04] Set-up: April
11th
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
Meetings: None or one, if we have something needing to be
worked on, like a September concert or Guest Artist decisions
Newsletter:
If there is an early September Concert, we might want to do a
newsletter for the advertising value
Guest Artists
If there are no board meetings, work is going on behind the
scenes.
Concert:
Work on any concert for September, if we have one scheduled
SEPTEMBER
Meetings: Usually one, maybe two if we have need
Newsletter:
Newsletter, should precede any concert. This might be a month for
the first newsletter of the Fall, especially if we feel we need to
solicit for poster art, or contact the membership about other
items
Financial Action:
End of Fiscal Year: Sept 30
IRS Tax Form 990EZ must be filed
DUE DATE: On or before the 15th day of the fifth month after the
close of the annual accounting period.
FILING PENALTY: Yes
Thus, NOT LATER THAN February 15th.
Guest Artist: Should be working toward a guest artist
Fund Raising Concerts: This might be a good month for a
concert
NovemberFest:
If we are going to do a NovemberFest, this would be a good time
(by mid-month) to start venue scheduling and other preparations.
OCTOBER
Meetings: Usually one, a second if we are doing a concert,
perhaps.
Dance Venue:
1st of month -- If the Armory is still available, contact Armory
about using facility for the up coming AFF. They may tell us to get
back with them after the first of the year.
Guest Artists: Continue working on Guest Artists.
Chief Sound Engineer: Should be working on a Chief Sound
Engineer
NOVEMBER
Meetings: Usually one, a second if we are doing a
NovemberFest, perhaps. Guest Artists: Continue working on Guest Artists. Deadline for AFF inclusion in Sing Out! Jan-Apr festival list
[Dec 2 or so is the deadline] Concert: NovemberFest? Other?
DECEMBER
Meetings:
Often we don't have one, except maybe early in the month when we
may feel we need to deal with Guest Artist, Artwork, Merchandise or
other issues.
Domain Name and Web Hosting Renewal
Due the 7th of January, so don't wait
too long. Our Domain Names (2006):
akfolkfest.org
alaskafolkfest.org
alaskafolkfestival.org
AFF DATE SCHEDULING:
Future AFF dates (Schedule the immediately preceding Sunday as
Set-up Day):
We want the first or second full week in April, avoiding ending on Easter, and avoiding the 3rd Wednesday for Rotary Pillars series.
- AFF 36 April 5-11, 2010 (Easter is April 4th) Set-up day is April 4
- AFF 37 April 4-10, 2011 (Easter is April 24th) Set-up day is April 3
- AFF 38 April 9-15, 2012 (Easter is April 8th) Set-up day is April 8
- AFF 39 April 8-14, 2013 (Easter is March 31st) Set-up day is April 7
- AFF 40 April 7-13, 2014 (Easter is April 20th) Set-up day is April 6
** If there is a conflict with the Glacier Valley Rotary Pillar's luncheon series - be sure to give them plenty of advance notice.
Future Dates (Suggested):
- AFF 41 April 6-12, 2015 (Easter is April 5th )(not scheduled w/C Hall yet) Set-up day is April 5, Easter
- AFF 42 April 4-10 2016 (Easter is March 27th )(not scheduled w/C Hall yet) Set-up day is April 3
- AFF 43 April 3-9 2017 (Easter is April 16h )(not scheduled w/C Hall yet) Set-up day is April 2
- AFF 44 April 9-15 2018 (Easter is April 1st )(not scheduled w/C Hall yet) Set-up day is April 8
- AFF 45 April 8-14 2019 (Easter is April 21st )(not scheduled w/C Hall yet) Set-up day is April 7
Future Easters:
12 April 2020
4 April 2021
17 April 2022
9 April 2023
31 March 2024
20 April 2025
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