Leads & Introductions
Members introduced themselves and announced leads and thank you's. 

Member Spotlight
This week's spotlight is Lin Schmelzer.  Please keep this member top of mind this week for referrals. 

Board Items
The traveling box of brochure covers - Use them or lose them?  Sandro Menasci offered to keep store them so we can use them in the future.  Lin Schmelzer has a tri-fold sample that she will bring to the meeting next week for members to see.  Melissa Matthews suggested a simple, always current, print-ready pdf on the website that members can print as needed and insert into the brochure cover pocket.

New board position - MABE Historian (or other title TBD), thoughts?  Members agreed that it was a good idea to have this position.  Don Ellis is already on the board and can fill the position until the fall.  

Meeting Schedule

• May 7, 2010 - Nutrition, Exercise, ‘Intro to Small Group’, Contest Rules, Testimonials on Success

There will NOT be meetings on the Friday's before Memorial Day or 4th of July.

Treasurer's Report
Nick Mawrenko presented the Treasurer's Report.  He asked members what tools they use to review their business performance.  Top answers were P&L, balance sheet and cash flow analysis.  He had two of these tools, P&L and balance sheet, for MABE that he used to present his report today.  The last brochure printing took a chunk out of the bank account.  Nick has discussed possible investing options with Andy Jensen.   Diminishing membership has also decreased the account.  Three more members would bring us to breakeven.  Chris Curran recommended waiving the membership fee and offering an incentive to the proposing member.  Another membership contest was also suggested.  Members would like to see a regular report presented to membership.  Nick will bring in copies for members to take and review (don't leave them on the tables!).   Jim Bache suggested a basic budget to better track our income and expenses.   Five new members that don't eat would solve our problems!     

Today's Hot Topic:  Immigration
There was much discussion on this topic.  Here a few points presented...

Joe Zingale's company has e-verified every employee since that law went into place.  You can get false documents that will pass e-verify so that system is not without problems.  He has 150 employees and some of them could be illegal but he couldn't tell you who they are.  Joe told a story about an incident that happened to his employees where profiling was already being used (abused). 

Nick Mawrenko said that sometimes to solve the problem you need to know the history that lead to the issue.  He then gave us some history of how the immigration policy used to work and how the immigration law came about.  It comes down to supply and demand.

Stacy Hyder believes this is a very dangerous law that has been passed.  People are going to be suing all over the place!  If they hold you and find out you are legal, they will find something to charge you with.  Police departments can be sued for not enforcing it.  We are all going to pay for this.  A huge misconception is that the majority of crimes are committed by illegal immigrants.  There has to be immigration reform but this law is not the solution. 

Mark Menasci is concerned that the federal government has done nothing to solve the problem.  Arizona is flipping the bill.  California is broke.  We needed to do something.