CET Booster Club Board Meeting

Minutes, June 2, 2026, Approved

Present: Annalee Appledorn (parent), Barb Chaffer Authier (treasurer), Sascha Matish (president), Margie Morris (producer), Alisse Portnoy (secretary), Rebecca Strzelec (parent), Emily Wilson-Tobin (director).

The meeting was called to order at 6:45 pm.

Introductions: We welcomed two parents who are not (yet) on the board to the meeting and introduced ourselves.
Previous meeting minutes (April 23) were approved.
Treasurer’s Report
1. Bank balance as of 6/2/26 is $27,402.39. The decrease of about $4,000 from the end of last year is expected because of more than $10,000 in capital expenses during this school year.
2. $507 went through CET’s account from Krisis to Ozone House.
3. Food: If Jerusalem Garden continues to donate food, $1000 still is sufficient. Otherwise, we’ll have to raise the food budget by $400-$500.
4. Preliminary budget items: There is no anticipation of big budget items for the coming year. CET will need a fight coordinator, and may save money with a new music director and perhaps not needing a choreographer for the musical.
Volunteers
1. Concessions: Kirsten Van Elling has agreed to be Concessions Coordinator, and may be interested in another role as well. It would be good to engage a second concessions person.
2. House Manager: Margie would be happy to be the House Manager in the coming year, and train someone new. It may be good to consider an Assistant House Manager. Some possibilities were suggested.
3. Board Officers: Annalee is interested in the Secretary position for 2027-2028 (and does not want to be Treasurer). Other possibilities for Board Officers were suggested.
4. Additional roles: CET will need folks to step up to coordinate food, as Jen Nelson and Kristin McGuire’s kids are rising seniors. It would be great to have someone to replace Patricia Beals in Costumes, to work with Abby Frank and Viva Rosenfeld. Rebecca expressed interest.
Banquet Recap
1. Generally, it was great!
2. For split enrolled kiddos, try not to have it on the same day as events at other high schools.
3. Give folks a heads up that board elections will be held at the event.
4. Call it a “Banquet and Pot Luck,” to normalize the expectation that everyone brings something to share.
5. Improve the RSVP system so that we’ve got numbers for family and friends who will attend, too.
6. Remember ice and coolers – and more drinks next time.
Matters Returning
1. Ticket Prices: CET tickets currently are $10 for students and $20 generally, which is cheap for local theater. Let’s try $22 for adults, $15 for students online, and $10 for student in-school sales.
2. Risers: There are more accessible and comfortable options. Emily will look into it more.
3. Video: We didn’t break even. CET paid $300 for the service and $75 for the rights. Tree Town Video charges $20 for streaming and $35 for the DVD. Often we’re not able to get the rights, and more people purchase the musical than the play. But it’s a cool thing, people really like it, it’s visibility for CET on Tree Town Video’s website, etc. So we can consider it on a case-by-case basis, but everyone agrees generally to stick with it even if CET covers part of the cost.
4. Capital Campaign
  1. Since it’s not for something specific, a “Seed the Savings” campaign.
  2. The goal is to create a cushion, and explain why. We can use the equipment we purchased this year as an example, and explain that other equipment is aging.
  3. Turn the fall usual call for dues into Dues and Seed the Savings.
  4. Reach out to alumni, so that students don’t feel like they have to do both.
  5. Get current students involved by creating videos, etc.
  6. In the meantime, start a savings account.
5. Land Acknowledgment
  1. Alisse will reach out to Cherry Meyer, professor at UM, about reviewing CET’s territorial acknowledgment.
  2. We talked about a formal land acknowledgment, perhaps a short acknowledgment that could be spoken informally at the start of events like the banquet, and also an acknowledgment that is more broad than a territorial acknowledgment – for example, connections to Jones School. Emily will check in with teachers at Community who have some experience with these connections.
  3. Perhaps since acknowledgments often are interpreted as more “authentic” if they are dynamic, we come up with some guidelines or a few options that can be kernels of informal or event-specific acknowledgments – in addition to a formal acknowledgment for, e.g., show programs.
Matters Arising
1. ICE Procedures: Emily will talk with Kevin and make ICE procedures part of our records. They can be shared widely, in ways we can brainstorm when they’re done (e.g., in bylaws, or in casting policy, or . . . )
2. Music Director: Conversations are happening as CET transitions from Brian Rose.
3. Musical Director: Brie Sloves, English teacher new to Community, has been involved already with enthusiasm in CET. Brie will be a guest director for the spring musical in 2027. It was Emily’s idea, and Emily will stay involved and mentor Brie throughout the spring season.
4. Costumes: Clothing donations are welcomed. The costume room is full but in great shape and could hold a few more items, especially vintage clothing.
5. Data about CET: The board discussed and agreed that it would be valuable to compile data from the last five years – for example, the number of students participating and how often, folks who come to CET from other schools or go to other high school theater programs from CET, etc. We’ll add this to the next meeting’s agenda.
6. A City Guide article about theatre programs in AAPS is forthcoming.
August Meeting
1. Set for August 25 at 6:30.
2. Reach out to CET’s Student Board to see if they have items for the agenda and/or want to attend part of the meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Alisse Portnoy, Secretary