Notes from Jan 22 Meeting.
Big Ten.

Attending: Rhamy, Jeremy, Ann V, Christina, Hannah, Anne O'C, Joy,  
Charlie.

Discussion: Health Policy and a Pint
It was proposed that HP&P think about inviting speakers to come to  
address the group. Some initial suggestions were Barbara Frey and  
Steven Miles. It was also suggested that the Varsity Theatre be  
considered as a possible alternative venue.

Discussion: National Conference
• Early registration deadline is Feb 15 for reduced rates on the  
conference and the hotel.
• It was decided that Anne and Ann would look into flights and ground  
transportation and costs for same. It would be nice to fly together  
or in a couple bunches to facilitate pooling of transportation  
resources.
Initial estimate for the price of flights was $315.
Initial estimate for the price of a cab was $60
Initial estimate for the price of a car rental was $30-50/day.
• The plan is to leave MSP Wednesday 3/12 afternoon and come back  
Sunday 3/16.
• We plan to pursue a group request for an alternate test-day for the  
exams in that week.
• Financing: ideas included
** Idea: requesting money from Dean Watson (it was noted that  
reimbursement for this can take a very long time),
** Idea: fundraising with a bake sale or T-shirt sale or something  
like that. Ideas for this sale, included having a coffee and baked  
goods sale in conjunction with the first year's PAS event with the  
Guthrie Theater.  It was noted that PIG is planning coffee and donuts  
on the 31st of January Joy will check with Noelle to confirm this  
date to make sure we aren't too close. Joy is heading up the baked  
goods sale idea  with a plan to solicit donated baked goods. It was  
suggested that solicitations for donations should be done by  
different people in the group perhaps with the support of a letter  
stressing the value of the conference and the potential marketing  
benefits of having product out and available as well as the overall  
good karma. It was suggested since we are looking for donations  
around valentine's day to try to get a commitment early so we could  
be sure to have something at a busy time of year. It was suggested to  
sell the importance of the conference.
** Idea: fundraising with a "medical student auction" perhaps in  
conjunction with the Talent Show it might also be directed at premed  
students as a kind of mentoring activity. Hannah will be heading up  
the exploration of this idea.

Discussion: Equipment Sale.
Sale is Feb 14.  Pre-information for EQ sale... EQ list will come  
from Dr. Allen.
It was proposed that the Master tutors might help first years pick  
out equipment or perhaps that there be a panel of second years to say  
what was valuable and what wasn't. The proposal was to come up with a  
little informational blurb to pass out in class that would be funny/ 
cute maybe a little like a movie review and pass it out a week before  
the sale. Rhamy is coordinating this.

Discussion: Regional Conference.
  Thank-you letters signed but not sent. Chris Lambert is asked to  
email R/J/A to ask for the addresses so that the cards can be sent.
Regional conference yielded $4256 to our chapter. We were given most  
of the profit from the conference by the Mayo chapter presumably  
because they ate the whole cost of the hotel overbook out of their  
portion of the profits. See discussion item under national conference.

Discussion: Transition to next year, Regional conference profit  
allocation, and National Conference Funding,
Because of the windfall from the conference we have potentially a  
little more than $4000 to use or save. We came into this year with  
about $3000 and have spent an undetermined amount of those funds. The  
question was posed: how much of the chapter's money including the  
Regional Conference money should be used towards defraying costs for  
the members going to national conference?Considerations included that  
not everyone in the chapter can or will go to national so draining  
the bank might not be appropriate given that only some people can  
go.  It was considered that we could stretch our funds further by  
limiting the number of people who we'll pay for and make awards based  
on some process for deciding who gets funded but this was believed to  
have caused bad feelings last year. It was also considered that since  
Mayo was very generous in giving us so much of the proceeds from  
regional that maybe we could do something nice for them out of that  
money. Paying for our hotels and theirs and staying together was  
proposed. After discussion, three proposals were floated. 1) Use the  
chapter's money, both pre-exisiting and including the regional  
conference profits, to defray as much of the costs of the national  
conference attendants as possible. 2) Use the money from the  
conference and whatever other funds might be necessary to pay for the  
whole hotel bill. Flights will be paid for from funds raised for that  
purpose and from the dean and stretched over everyone who wants them.  
3) We restrict paying for costs based on need or on prior involvement  
in the group.
***A motion was made on the second proposal: Fund the hotels for us  
and Mayo from chapter funds, Seek other funding for flights and leave  
a nest egg equivalent to this year's starting bank balance to support  
next year's start up and activities.
****Motion was seconded and voted on. 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstaining.
****Treasurer to approve or modify this plan as needed within this  
general framework in consultation with the presidents.

Discussion: Pharm Free Grant. No update currently.

New Business:
*Leadership Transition to begin following National Conference. Goals  
and Ideas for next year to be discussed in late March/ Early April  
with a complete transition by the end of the year.
*It was proposed for consideration that the leadership team for e  
group next year include a community liaison to maintain contacts  
acquired during this year and build on our outreach and advocacy work.
*MMA meeting Saturday Jan 26. Agenda is to plan coordination with  
other groups. and discuss money/funding  and support from the MMA to  
the medical school groups.
*Physicians for a National Health Plan (?) PNH. is looking for a list  
of student members. We are planning to offer this to our members.
* Any plans for a response to the RNC convention are to be discussed  
at the next meeting.