DOWNTOWN MEDICINE MOUNDS PRESERVATION GROUP

BOARD MEETING

Quanah, Texas Public Library - April 21, 2007 - 2:00 p.m.

ATTENDEES:

Board Members: Myna Potts, John Potts, John Bates, Jeanene Stermer, Monica Wilkinson, Bill Neal and James Crowder

Guests: Gayla Neal, Richard Braziel, Doris Cozart and Shirley Barnes Tate.

Meeting commenced at 2:12 p.m. with Chairperson Myna Potts asking John Potts to stand for recognition of his faithful support.

John Bates began his Director's Report to the Board with a complete "walk-through" of the Downtown Medicine Mounds Preservation Group's (DMMPG) web site www.medicinemound.com and then launched into a discussion of the following key points:

Sustaining Powerful Partnerships (e.g. McCombs Foundation; UNT's Portal to Texas History, and the Priddy Foundation).

Value of the internet and MySpace.com noting that 70 percent of all adults now use the internet for research.

Immediate need for seed money

Three-year mission of capital improvements, marketing campaign, cooperation with other organizations, emulating the success of others while maintaining special uniqueness.

Need for a constant freshening of ideas and vision.

Bates then recommended establishing a standing committee called the Advisory Council on Tourism with Dr. Monica Wilkinson as chair. Wilkinson said we needed to study and decide what our goals are - be a mega tourist stop or retain the relaxed, rural environment. Neal suggested we work with Tai Kreidler of the West Texas Historical Society. Bates said he hoped to increase the momentum and fine tune the vision once he was able to relocate to Hardeman County, hopefully in the summer of 2007.

Next the discussion moved to the need for multi-tasking as the DMMPG prepared for crucial progress in 2008. Dr. Wilkinson felt the first duty was to save the buildings. Dr. Crowder was eager to preserve the artifacts. Doris Cozart presented the Texas Pioneer Family certification program as a way to engage potential supporters. Shirley Tate said she could include any DMMPG information in her forthcoming letter to Big Valley Cemetery patrons. Stermer noted t hat the biennial Medicine Mounds Reunion would be October 13, 2007 and the opportunity to win additional support was paramount. Neal hoped we would visit and learn from the operation of Abilene's "Frontier Texas." Richard Braziel noted that the Red River Valley Museum would be willing to hand out any DMMPG brochures or notices. Tate recommended Carolyn Wilson as a local veteran of publicity campaigns.

At this time, all attendees watched most of an on-line video "The Plow that Broke the Plains" which exemplified not only part of the rural Texas story that we wished to tell but how existing sources were already available.

Next meeting tentatively set for October 13, 2007.

Meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted by

James L. Crowder

Board Secretary

Minutes Approved by

John A. Bates

Executive Director