ANNUAL SPOOM MEMBERSHIP CONFERENCE

Sponsored by The Society for the Preservation of Old Mills

 

A meeting of SPOOM’s Board of Directors in conjunction with an annual membership meeting is required in its Incorporation Charter with the State of Maine. To facilitate compliance, SPOOM has historically offered a multi-day Conference that includes that requirement and other events that provide a means for members and others to become increasingly knowledgeable of mill properties, equipment, operations, and histories. Additionally, the Conference serves as an enjoyable avenue of rapport between persons of like interests and pursuits.

Conferences are programmed jointly by SPOOM as Sponsor and a Host upon its submission of a proposal to SPOOM’s Conference Committee and its approval by the Board of Directors. SPOOM assumes agreed financial obligations within the approval while the Host assumes compliance with the following guidelines, subject to amendment by both parties. One year lead time for submission of proposals is advisable.

 

Host Organizations

To qualify to host a conference, an interested entity should be an established mill organization, historical society, governmental agency, or the like that has the personnel resources and planning experience implicitly required to successfully oversee the undertaking.

The host organization assumes the lead in planning, organizing, and staging and coordinates closely with the Committee throughout the process. Conferences are held most often in the fall but can be held otherwise if advantageous.

 

Required Components

 

Adequate Lodging: Preferably at one location to be known as the Conference Headquarters, or otherwise within proximity. The range of attendance can be expected to be 50-100, depending on location, time of year, program content, and costs. Lodging costs per room, reservation details, and amenities need to be known.

 

Conference Headquarters: A reception/registration area or room should be reserved to welcome attendees and to serve otherwise as a hospitality venue and other needs.

 

Mill Tours: Types, conditions, and number to be visited should adequately represent general expectations and past conference experiences. In addition to mills, the normally two-day tour may include other historical sites of relevance. The Host is strongly encouraged to research and make information available for visitation or drive-by views of other mills for those wishing to add a pre or post Conference added experience.

 

Food Service: If breakfast is not provided as an amenity at lodging locations but is available, that cost and the cost of two lunches and two dinners will be covered within the conference registration fee. The Host will make food service selections and arrangements in consultation with the Committee.

 

Banquet: It is traditional to hold a banquet and membership meeting on the last evening of any conference, most often at the Conference Headquarters, if accommodation for a hall and food service is available there. Otherwise, it can be held at an appropriate venue. In addition to the meal, the agenda normally includes SPOOM’s president’s address, a guest speaker, the yearly photo contest presentation, staff reports and other relevant matters.

 

Transportation: Bus transportation for the tour excursion will need to be reserved after careful research into issues of reliability, comfort, policies, and price. Snacks and drinks are normally provided on the tours. Other transportation issues to be addressed are those of airport shuttles, taxis, and other means of public transportation.

 

Board Meeting: SPOOM’s Board of Directors holds a required Conference meeting in a reserved room at the Conference Headquarters with food service provided or at a nearby restaurant offering a set-aside room for the meeting. The Host will be responsible for the logistics and planning, again in consultation with the Committee.

 

Miller Training/Workshops: As of the date of these new Conference Guidelines, SPOOM is thoughtful of the need for true miller training opportunities as well as informative milling demonstrations. While miller training, per se, is not yet available through SPOOM and connected with conferences, milling demonstrations may be available through any operational mill, and Hosts are encouraged to add one or more to a pre-or-post conference agenda.

 

Costs: The Host must pay attention to all costs involved and strive to make the Conference self-sustaining for SPOOM to underwrite. The Board will set a registration fee reflecting the costs of transportation, meals, Conference Headquarters needs, honorariums, contributions to sites, and the like. The fee will be kept as reasonable as possible to provide affordable attendance by members.

 

Planning: All aspects of planning should be in consultation with the Committee, which will freely offer advice and other assistance to ensure that the Host and members are all offered an informative, educational, and enjoyable experience. SPOOM does, however, reserve the right to cancel the agreement if irreconcilable differences emerge.

 

 

For further information or assistance, contact:

Kyle Dugger kdugger78@gmail.com John Lovett fallsmill@gmail.com

Tony Shahan tshahan64@gmail.com Charles Yeske yeskecharles@gmail.com