VALLEY FORGE MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION

October 17, 2024 – 6:30 PM

Meeting held @ Sham’s House – 85 Forge Mountain Drive

MEETING MINUTES

1. Treasurer’s Report – Deferred for next month

2. Board Position refill – Syntel will most likely stay on till end of year, possibly later; Claudia/Sham/Others to reach out to potential candidates after Halloween

3. Past Events

§ Corn Hole – Feedback; none received, based on attendees it was a successful event

§ Octoberfest – Successes/Areas for improvement – Event went well, it was well attended, don’t have final dollar amounts/ticket sales; some other thoughts:

1. Event should be held in early October; weather is better

2. Beer tent/pavilion planning & management should have a more inclusive team for next year; beer tent/pavilion crew should be responsible for all items they need, i.e. ice, table cloths, tv set up, etc. since they know what they need

3. Need to explore options for getting other neighbors involved in Octoberfest; Maybe have a voting option for neighborhood choice or other categories for beer/cider selections to be served

4. Approach to Ticket sale changes needed; it was suggested to have 2 ticket options for Adult Food only and Adult Food and Beer Tent Donation, it’s too confusing for folks to purchase multiple tickets for food and beer tent; Also $20 for non VFMA member is too much for food option. Question was raised if it needed to be a “donation” for beer tent/pavilion for legal reasons

5. Next year we should look at food truck option in lieu of grilling (too wasteful, plus not enough volunteers and difficult to get exact quantities to purchase food); Claudia to reach out to German Food Truck Vendor for next October availability; a deposit by the board would be better option than purchase of food

6. Need more lighting at check-in area, porta-potty and remaining field – solar lights/motion sensor (may need to discuss with neighbors); Also need to look at bringing in a second porta-potty; additional costs should be incorporated into the ticket sales

7. Need to have a chilly contest sign up prior to the event, so folks are committed to making and bringing it to the event

8. For intro’s next year, VFMA should go first, followed by others; it may have been confusing to new members if event was VFMA or entity

9. Look at signage options similar to VFMA dinner dance for promoting Oktoberfest, so we can have visibility in other areas besides just at bottom of Welsh Valley and Paul Lemen

10. Kids Halloween Parade should be part of the Halloween Haunted Trail Event

4. Upcoming Events

§ Halloween Haunted Trail – 10/26 (VFMA Table with leftover candy from Octoberfest)

§ Fall Food Drive – Was planned for 11/16 (Ann’s Heart drive is happening now; It’s too much for board to take on now in short time, so it was decided to collect goods for PACS at the Santa Visit; Must have a person sorting through donations at event to make sure they are not expired and acceptable per PACS guidelines

§ Santa Visit – Need to start planning ASAP – can we possibly get volunteers so board members are not burned out with events; Decided on having it on December 8  - at 3 pm, Claudia will be away, but will be able to help with planning, Need to find a Santa! Claudia, Tracy, Kat to reach out to Santa, if not perhaps have SANTA try outs in the neighborhood; Kat to look at signage options, similar to VFMA dinner dance to promote event; in lieu of gift drop off look at candy cane/other options; have hot chocolate & cookie table; December 1st Decorate Sunbowl Mailbox for kids to drop off letters to Santa; have a Letter response party for Santa’s Elves Sham, Claudia, Tracy and others can write responses to the kids and inform Santa

§ Ladies Wine & Cheese 1/12 – Have multiple offers, Libby, Caryn, Marcie, Sham, Let’s confirm who is available for 1/12 and also post meeting note - let’s have an alternate identified just for emergencies, so no last minute cleaning by the hostess

§ Dinner Dance Planning – February/March preference from Survey results, need to start planning after Halloween; Kamila should be involved in talking with Phoenixville CC, Sham to reach out to Kamila; Also discussed a spring fundraise event at the grove, more casual event

4. Maintenance items

§ Paul Lemen Sign – Eileen Blazek will be starting restoration this fall; need to share her Facebook write up in email to others so folks know what is going on

§ Sunbowl Lawn Maintenance – request quotes from Mike and Wyatt; have quote from Leaping Frog

§ Basketball Court paving – Spring (wood retaining wall repairs will be needed within next few years; middle section of wall is starting to overturn, few sections of timber rail is significantly rotted; so during heavy storms and with winter it will continue to get damaged; should really have a swale behind the wall to direct water away from the wall; Sham recommends fixing wall prior to paving repairs for court so paving doesn’t get damaged in future

5. Communications

§ VFMA Website – Need to have Syntel train others on how to manage

§ Emails – Also need an alternate person to send out/review emails

§ Facebook - Sham can manage

§ Wooden Sign Boards – These are too heavy to move around and fit in most of our cars; it was suggested to look at alternate signs

6. Membership Renewals – Membership Fee Increase for 2025; discuss at next meeting

8. VFMA Merch – T Shirts/other items; Syntel to share T-shirt photo, Sham checked with Marla, T-shirts were ordered in 2018 last time, Dave Blazek may know also, but should be in 2018 Treasure’s report; Post meeting discussion – let’s look at new logo, perhaps have a logo contest so all can participate

8. Pool Lease – Need to discuss with Pool Board; $1,000 per year for VFMA capital fund, with 5% increase; look at possible 10-year lease option, also have provision for pool to reduce amount should the pool experience any future hardships as in the past

9. Anything else - no

10. Next Meeting – Sham’s House – November 14 at 6:30 pm; Tracy will bring snacks

Sunbowl Maintenance & Playground Liaison – Blair & Kat

Website & Social Media (Facebook, Google) – Syntel/Rami

Pool Lease/Insurance/Legal - Tracy

Membership – Claudia/Syntel & Sham