Dirk Diggler

-Jay Unidos

2008 Gilman Financial Report

The 2008 financials arrived shortly after last Saturday's Gilman membership meeting, and the good news is that we had a gain of $3849.06.

A gain of $3849.06, according to Will's (Gilman's volunteer treasurer) financial report, which may or may not be 100% accurate. Much like 2007's financial report, where Will had us losing $2,752 when in fact we had a loss of $1,752. This report appears to have many of the same oversights and or just a puzzling disregard for decisions made by membership at our bi-monthly meetings.

Most of that is still speculative at this point.

On page two of the 2008 report it lists "out of the ordinary" expenses. Those expenses are: new sound board, cpa retainer, and new trees. All three of these items were voted on at monthly membership meetings, and all three passed with an amendment (made by myself) that these expenses would come out of our savings account, and not our checking (i.e. day to day account), and that they would not be included on our year end financials. So why are they there? If these expenses had been left off the year end financial as requested by membership, then we would have had a gain of $8239.06!

Again, speculative.

On the 2007 financial report, our annual loss was shown to be a $1000 more that it was because a $1000 lawyer's retainer was noted, even though we voted in a meeting that it come out of savings and not be noted on the year end. The rest of 2007's loss (or shortfall, which is the term most used at Gilman) was literally one check cut by the ex-treasurer (without permission from membership) to buy sound gear that we gave away a month later, after a now famous band decided to give back to the club by installing new sound equipment. That means, left to bookers and income from shows, Gilman either broke even or had a slight gain in 2007.

Not speculative.

This is all very inside Gilman stuff and probably boring to most, and ultimately all expenses must be paid one way or the other, but when you have three different bank accounts for three different purposes, then it becomes a matter of making sure everything is managed in a way that accurately reflects the work of club volunteers, past and present. The savings representing the past, and the checking the present in most cases. The third account is the "stoar" account, and that is, as you might have guessed, managed by the Gilman store.

So I guess the good news is that in 2008 we had a gain of several thousand dollars, either way, ending many years of mounting financial loss for the club.

-Jay Unidos

An Hour Ahead

In case you were wondering about my last blog - Harmony Korine Part 2 - look no further than a parallel universe: http://blog.wethepunx.com/

Just to update anyone and everyone who follows this blog, we had a final vote this past Saturday for Gilman's Board of Directors, which as you may recall were hand picked in a misguided move by the club's treasurer at the end of last year, resulting in an uprising (I wish) by club membership that forced a proper nomination and vote process to take place.  Three of the previously handpicked Board Of Directors failed to muster enough voter support to retain their seats on the board (one chose not to run).  The booking department, which had been left off the board by the handpicked, non-democratic process back in 2008, easily attained a seat on the club's Board on Saturday.  The new Gilman Board Of Directors consists of four women (all ages), and Pat Wright, who is in his late sixties.  The people have spoken.  

I feel like drinking some Belgium or Belgium style brews today, but what I really want to know is if anyone is as bummed as I am at the number of first wave punks who are dropping dead all around us?  Was it the lifestyle back in the day that did it?  Could it have been the stress of eeking out an existence in the post apocalypse of the late seventies and early eighties?  Lack of any kind of regular dental and healthcare?  No need to answer because I'm sure we all know the answer.

-Jay Unidos