Public Meeting Minutes 11/2/25

Written By Pride Team

Ashland Kentucky Pride Meeting Minutes

Sunday, November 2, 2025

Call to Order

A public meeting of Ashland Kentucky Pride was held on November 2nd, 2025 at the Midland Branch of the Boyd Co Public Library. It began at 1:48pm and was presided over by Holly Blevins with Jenee Kesling as secretary.

Attendees

Board Members in Attendance: Holly (she/her), Jenee (she/her), Taylor (she/her), Sean (he/him), Desire’ (she/her), Taz (she/her), Heather (she/her),  

Board Members Absent:  Lu (she/her), Brontë (she/her), Elliot (he/they)

Quorum: yes General Members: 7

Approval of minutes

Holly made a motion to accept the meeting minutes for the month of October.  Sean seconded. Motion approved.

Treasurer's Report

Holly made a motion to receive the treasurer’s report for the month of October. Sean seconded. Motion approved. 

Paypal: $263.93 People’s: $5,934.08

Outgoing:

  • $91.21 for Youth Halloween Party

  • $194 for Print My Threads shirt order

  • $100 for Tabling fee for Huntington Pride

  • $200 for filing taxes

  • $82.84 for food for TrailGayzers and Found Family: Pumpkin Carving

Incoming:

  • $1300 from Huntington Pride

Special Items

Board vote on gap year (Sean)

  • Sean made a motion to reintroduce the gap year to the bylaws. Des seconded. Motion approved.

Committee Reports 

Y’all Means All

  • Need new head of committee and plan future meetings

  • Des has all the information ready to hand over to whomever wants to take it

Safe Zone Training

  • November 16th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Safe Zone Training

  • Still no one showing up

  • Need to find a way to reach more people. Flyers, contact yma businesses

  • Taylor says in person trainings are getting traction

Events

  • Event Planning Committee

    • November 4th,  5:30 - 8:00 pm - Game Night at the Ashland Branch

    • November 6th, 5:30 - 8:00 pm - Craft Night: Paramount tree at the Ashland Branch, or whatever you are working on

    • November 9th, 1:30 - 4:00 pm - Tea Party at the Midland Branch

      • Eridanus is donating tea

    • November 11th, 5:30 - 8:00 pm - Craft Night: Paramount tree at the Ashland Branch

    • November 13th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm - A Gay Old Time comedy night at Sawstone

      • Getting good traction

      • Getting sound for free so Taylor proposed moving that money to pay performers

        • At least 5 performers

        • Holly recommended $50/person

    • November 15th, 1:00 - 4:30 pm - Friendsgiving at the Midland Branch 

      • Sean is making a turkey

      • Ask people to bring side dishes, potluck style

      • Sean asks everyone to push the event, invite lots of people, work on community building

    • Nov 16th - set up at paramount

    • Nov 20,22,23 - float building at Taylor’s house

    • November 25th - Christmas Parade 

      • People can stand or sit on float or walk along side and throw candy

  • Holigay

    • Dec 12th, 5-8pm, potluck style, cookies and cocoa, Sean will read a christmas story

  • Masquerade Ball

    • Taz and Holly meeting today to go over performances

    • Updates soon

    • Need to figure out food options and ability for alcohol sales

    • April 3

  • Pride Picnic 

    • May 23rd is tentative date

    • Holly is working with the city on the events form

    • Start planning in January

Media

  • Social Media

    • No updates, trying to use instagram more

  • Newsletter

    • Taylor suggested that board members who are not able to physically make it to many events could take over the e-newsletter so that we can make sure they still feel involved

      • Taz will take on this task

  • Website

Misc

  • Youth Pride

    • Looking for temporary replacement for D&D

    • Jen and Sean have people in mind they will ask

  • Community Survey

  • Fundraising/Sponsorship

    • Keep an eye out for new annual grant opportunities

    • We need to help Taylor. Grants are too much work for 1 person

    • Tabling opportunities 

      • Ymca - Dec 6, vendor fair

      • Taylor made a motion to attend craft fair for $35, Holly seconded, motion passed

Unfinished Business

Threadless Merch store

  • Holly still looking for old designs from old computers

  • Looking for new design ideas

  • We can start sharing the link and attach to website

Print My Threads t-shirt campaign 

  • Closed today

  • Board shirt order in, will distribute next meeting

Scheduling TCCC training

  • First aid for events

  • Holly needs to reach out to Barker

  • Andrew, Elliot, Holly, and Holly’s husband

  • Will ask for more signups

Pride beer at Eridanus

  • Need to find a date in feb

  • We will work for tips as a fund raiser

Taxes and non profit status

  • Taxes are done. We should continue to use H&R Block

  • Holly made a motion to continue to use H&R Block every year until we get a treasurer

    • Discussion: Sean asked that we use them every year regardless of having a treasurer

  • Holly made a motion to continue to H&R Block to do our taxes every year, even after we get a treasurer. Sean seconded. Motion approved.

  • We need to start keeping better expense reports

  • Holly made a motion to appoint Taylor as treasurer. Sean seconded. Motion approved.

  • Taylor made a motion to get an annual vendor license, instead of paying the daily fee each time, for $100/yr. Holly seconded. Motion approved.

New Business

A Very Draggy Christmas

  • Presentation from Advocates for Appalachia on working together with Pride for A Very Draggy Christmas (presented by Rachel Wilson and Taylor)

    • Link to presentation

    • Dec 14, 6-10pm at the Mill

    • Proceeds go towards queer/inclusive youth prom in spring

    • AFA made $900 from Halloween Ball

    • AFA has already worked out the kinks of the event model

    • Proposing a decision making team of 6. 3 from AFA, 3 from Pride

      • AFA - Racheal, Shawna, Preston

      • Pride - Heather, Sean, Taylor

    • Division of Responsibilities

      • Both - Advertise event, Set up/Tear Down, Provide 6 volunteers (4 to sit for an hour each at the admission table

      • AFA pay performers

      • Pride - Use square

    • Theme - Neon Pride

    • Budget (For Pride)

      • Proposed Budget $300

    • Trial run but hopefully both groups can work together in the future 

    • Holly requests that Taz be in the loop with performers

    • Racheal stated that part of AFA wanting to partner is to share values and insight on things such as performers and would love to work with us in that way

    • We have christmas decorations we can share

    • We are looking forward to rekindling the bridge between orgs

    • Sean makes a motion to work with AFA on this event. Taylor seconded. Motion approved.

    • Taylor made a motion to approve a budget of $300 for decorations and black tableclothes. Holly seconded. Motion approved. 

Board positions opening up for vote in February 

  • Which ones are up for election?

    • Sean and Lus terms end this year

    • Those appointed in last year, need the positions officially voted for

      • VP and CoC

  • We need to have a bylaws meeting and update election process 

  • Sean is putting together a subcommittee to look over bylaws 

  • We need duties listed for general board members

  • Also, we need to add to bylaws that board members must maintain attendance standards

  • Sean asked Holly to create a separate private discord channel for bylaws committee

  • Discussion of board size (Sean) 

    • Sean makes a motion to reduce board members from 10 to 6 starting as soon as bylaws are updated and approved. Holly seconded. Motion approved.

      • Details need to be hashed out before dec 1

Food drive 

  • Sawstone, Eridanus, and perhaps other YMA businesses to donate to River Cities Harvest / Food drive with AFC, KPU, AKP and AFA

  • Yesterday was a planning meeting for food drive

  • Asking local business to host supply drives for non perishable foods and menstrual items 

  • Collection bins placed at businesses 

  • Raffle for $25 gift cards

  • Social media shoutouts for businesses that are hosting 

  • Sign up list for community members that are in need posted on community bulletin boards

  • Nov 21st is the end date

  • Host businesses: Eridnus, Wings ect, Identity, Charisma, The Mill, Sawstone, Midnite Society, Tristate Counciling, Second Hand Rose

Building Community

  • Our theme/goal for the year was "Building Community" but we haven't really had the chance to discuss what that means to each of us. I'd love to hear what Building Community means to everyone to see if we have been succeeding or what we could be doing differently to meet that goal going forward (Taylor)

  • Community events have been great for base building and reaching the community

  • More visibility means we can cast a wider net and reach more people and make people feel safer in the community

  • Holly would like to design a sticker with a QR code on the back to our website

    • Could possibly leave them under the tree at the paramount 

    • The paramount might require that its an actual business card so we may want to get a small amount of business cards to hand out

New Year, Same Fight 

  • Is the coalition doing it again in January?

    • Holly says no. The focus this year is the food drive

Discussion of getting a PO Box for Pride ($192/yr) (Taylor)

  • Holly agrees because she receives so much pride mail to her house

  • Heather said UPS store has boxes that are considered a physical address box

    • She may be able to get a discount

    • Heather can contact them tomorrow to get prices

    • We can compare prices and make a decision in board chat

Community Care meetings

  • A time to come together and talk and vent and get things off your chest. A time to be vulnerable and show support

  • An idea Des brought to the board at the last special board meeting

  • Tentatively 2 weeks after a regular meeting

  • Weekday evening

  • Nov 19th, 6-8pm at the Ashland branch

  • Someone needs to create a fb event 

Des would like to address her conduct during the July and September meeting

  • Des wishes to apologize for her behaviors toward Preston, Jen, and other members who have felt any way about her behaviors

  • Des is officially stepping down from her board position effective today

Sponsoring a kid for christmas

  • Sean can sign us up through Cannonsburg Elementary to sponsor a kid or two for christmas

  • He will get details and ask for board approval in chat

Heather thinks we should start having a time keeper to keep us on task and get us out of meetings by 3:30

  • Heather made a motion to start keeping time on certain sections of the agenda , Sean seconded. Motion approved. 

Announcements

November 4th,  5:30 - 8:00 pm - Game Night at the Ashland Branch

November 6th, 5:30 - 8:00 pm - Craft Night: Paramount tree at the Ashland Branch

November 9th, 1:30 - 4:00 pm - Tea Party at the Midland Branch

November 11th, 5:30 - 8:00 pm - Craft Night: Paramount tree at the Ashland Branch

November 13th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm - A Gay Old Time comedy night at Sawstone

November 15th, 1:00 - 4:30 pm - Friendsgiving at the Midland Branch 

November 16th, 1:30 - 4:30 pm - Safe Zone Training

November 19th, 7:00 - 8:00 pm - LGBTQIA+ Council of the Ky Dem Party Monthly Meeting

November 25th - Christmas Parade 

December 12th - Holigay

January 2nd (tentative) - Queer-aoke hosted by MARS (also tentative)

January 15th - Queer Trivia

February 22nd - Tea Party

Adjournment

Holly made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 3:50 pm. Sean seconded. Motion approved. 

 

Respectfully submitted,Jenee Kesling (she/her)Secretary

Addendum

11.07.25

  • Sean made a motion to move the annual elections to June, shifting the financial year to begin July 1st and the annual meeting (formally January meeting) will take place in July for onboarding new board members. Jenee seconded. Motion approved

11.10.25

  • Taylor made a motion to approve a payment of $250 to the performers of the comedy night, equaling $50 per performer. Jenee seconded. Motion approved

Pride Team
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