Hi everyone,

The wind is blowing again today out here on the prairie. Not unusual, but it sure makes me think we should have one of those wind generators hooked up to the house, and a giant battery in the basement. With all the hype on “going green” lately, it may be worth looking in to.

Speaking of “green”, did you know that cold, undiluted white vinegar will remove coffee, tea and wine stains from linens? It also works as a room freshener. Dip a cloth in white vinegar, wring it out, take it into the room you want to “freshen”, and swing the cloth around over your head. The room will smell like vinegar for a short while, but when the vinegar smell is gone, so is the offensive odor. Sounds crazy, but it works and we’re not poking holes in the ozone with our room spray.

Did you see the Spring/Summer Great Getaways flyer in the Sunday, April 27th newspaper? BBISD is right there on page 14, upper left-hand corner. We also received our Midwest Living Magazine with the co-op ad with Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes. Another very impressive ad. A great big THANK YOU to the marketing committee for an ad that will benefit the entire association.

Ron and I want to thank Eileen and Warren for hosting our board retreat on the 18th and 19th of April. It was well attended and we accomplished so much. We heard a proposal by Cindy Olson of Hospitality Central on capturing the international market. Later we discussed the pros and cons of her proposal and decided that it was not in the best interest of all of our members. If you want to know more about this discussion, please contact us and we’ll fill you in.

The South Dakota Office of Tourism has in place the “Million Dollar Challenge” which is a grant program designed to increase tourism spending in South Dakota. We’ve a committee established to explore the possibility of BBISD writing a grant to secure monies to spend on digital marketing. We’ll keep you posted on the outcome.

This issue of the newsletter will contain our proposed changes to the by-laws. We’ll be voting on them at the annual meeting in January of 2009.

Have a great season! May our South Dakota winds blow guests your way from all areas of the US and beyond!

Blessings,
Carla & Ron

The Tourism FAM tour came through Platte yesterday. They toured Platte, had dinner at the Lyric Dinner Theatre, (No show, but some did stay for the movie.) and stayed over night at local motels and lodges. (I had 4 here at the BARN)

I helped serve the meal and was given an opportunity to talk about my business. There were approximately 50 people from the various Interstate Information Centers. So I had on my "tie dyed" South Dakota Innkeepers T Shirt. Most of the group had received the T Shirts last year and commented on the fact that it looked familiar. Ha!

So I had my chance to promote the INN-Route to the visitors center staff. When I showed them the map on our brochure, and explained the inter-active map on our website and how we were promoting all the area attractions across the State, I heard comments like: "That is a great idea!"

The 4, who stayed here at The Barn, got a double dose! I, again, showed them the map on our brochure and then the interactive map on our website. When they saw the lists of attractions on the inter-active map, they were impressed.
I'm quite sure, none of them had ever seen our website before. At least, not the 4 who were here.

Hopefully, the staff now have a better understand the concept of the INN-Route.

I enjoyed visiting with the 4 who stayed here. They said they had fun visiting "main street" Geddes. We hit the 2 local bars and got the traditional "stare at the strangers in town"!!! (We did go to other attractions also!)

Betty West and Vera Emerson from the Vermillion Information Center, stayed here at the The Barn. (They said they know you, Sara.) The other two were Natasha Bothun & Aske Whitebird from the Dept. of Tourism.

Judy

NOTE: We are posting the By Laws for review. Please note that there have been some changes made - they are indicated by the use of (change) (end change). If you have any questions, please contact Carla or Ron from Foote Creek: ftcrkbnb@nrctv.com


BY LAWS
OF
BED & BREAKFAST INNKEEPERS OF SOUTH DAKOTA INC.

ARTICLE ONE

NAME

The name of this organization is Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers of South Dakota, Inc.

ARTICLE TWO

LOCATION OF OFFICE

The address for the transaction of business for the organization shall be P. O. Box 7682, Rapid City, South Dakota 57709-7682.

ARTICLE THREE

PURPOSE

The PURPOSE of this non-profit association is:

(1) To set and maintain high standards of quality, guest safety, and professionalism in the organization; to ensure a quality lodging experience for guests staying in BBISD Inns.

(2) To provide educational resources to increase member knowledge of the industry; to share ideas and actively communicate with other BBISD members in relation to the bed and breakfast industry; to broaden public knowledge and appreciation of the bed and breakfast industry.

(3) To support the membership through collective action with state and local regulatory agencies; to educate these agencies in relation to the bed and breakfast industry.

(4) To promote and exchange marketing and promotional ideas among members; to encourage an active interest and participation to promote public interest, understanding and goodwill toward bed & breakfast inns; to provide a widespread, concise means of cooperative/referral advertising to promote BBISD members.

(5) To participate in other functions, consistent with these bylaws, which advance the interests of the organization and South Dakota's bed and breakfast industry.

ARTICLE FOUR

MEMBERSHIP

Membership Classes: The Association shall have various classes of Members, one voting and two non-voting. Only voting Members shall have all rights and privileges of members of the Association. Non-voting Members shall have such rights and privileges as set forth in these Bylaws, but in no event shall Non-voting Members have the right to vote.

The following are the classes of members:

(1) Full Members. Bed & breakfast establishments are eligible for full membership. Properties such as hotels, motels, and other such businesses, although they may offer bed & breakfast accommodations, are not eligible for membership. Bed & breakfast establishments are residential in nature or reflective of residential character. The following are requirements for full membership:

(a) The inn must have a resident innkeeper.

(b) The lodging is short term, and breakfast is included in the room rate.

(c) Each member will carry adequate and current Bed & Breakfast liability insurance. The Association and all its members shall be exempted from any liability to an individual member.

(d) Each member will assume full responsibility for meeting all applicable Bed and Breakfast business requirements (i.e. sales tax, business licenses, health regulations, zoning, etc.) to be enforced by state and local authorities. Members will operate in a professional business-like manner.

(e) Hospitality and personalized attention to guests is foremost. Owners and staff members are encouraged to present a good appearance; operate on an ethical, business-like basis; and provide a pleasant, warm and friendly atmosphere, with conscientious attentiveness to guests' needs.

(f) Cleanliness is of primary importance: High standards of housekeeping are to be evident in all areas including guest rooms, common areas, bathrooms, and food preparation and serving areas. The inn must present a well maintained appearance on the exterior and grounds as well as the interior.

(g) Adequate bath facilities with hot water and shower or bath must be provided. A ratio of 1 bath per 2 guest rooms is recommended for inns with shared baths.

(h) Breakfast should be attractively presented and served on the premises with the resident innkeeper present during normal breakfast hours. It shall reflect the unique qualities of the inn and consist of more than coffee, tea, and juice. Appropriate table settings shall be used and guests shall have a place to sit down while eating.

(i) Each inn shall exhibit its own unique character.

(j) A common area for guest social interaction is recommended.

(k) Inns are to provide facilities for their guests which maintain a "safe and secure": environment as addressed in the BBISD inspection criteria.

(l) Each inn is responsible for paying current dues and submitting a current proof of liability insurance.

(m) Guest evaluation-comment cards must be provided for each guest. The Quality Control Committee will have the discretionary power to request more frequent inspections if an inadequate number of comment cards are received from the B & B guests.

(n) Membership is transferable when an inn changes resident innkeeper or ownership. A transfer fee will be submitted and a review conducted by the Membership Committee within a three (3) month time period.

(o) Members are expected to inform Regional Directors of possible new inn members.

(p) Members are encouraged to attend annual membership meetings, regional meetings and other activities sponsored by the association.

(2) Affiliate Members. Affiliate membership is available to any business or organization that is associated with the Bed & Breakfast industry; with the exception of commercial lodging establishments. Affiliate members will not have voting privileges or serve on the Board of Directors except in an advisory capacity. Their business will be advertised in the newsletter twice a year, and their dues shall be fifty ($50) dollars per year.

(3) Honorary Members. Honorary Memberships shall be approved by the Board of Directors as special recognition and share the same privileges and restrictions as affiliate memberships. Honorary members shall have no voting privileges and are not required to pay dues.

ARTICLE FIVE

DUES

Dues and other funds collected by the association shall be used to pay for activities and projects that the membership agrees are to its benefit, and for any legal fees and other operating expenses incurred by the association.

Association dues shall be proposed by the board to the general membership at the annual meeting. The dues structure shall be a base amount for B & B’s having four or fewer rooms. B & B's with five or more rooms will pay an additional amount.

(change: this paragraph will be deleted) Organization members whose membership is approved after the fiscal year will be required to pay a prorated membership fee until annual association fees are due the following fiscal year. The prorated amount will be made on a quarterly basis. (end change)

ARTICLE SIX

MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The Annual Meeting for the election of (change: delete) officers (end change) the Board of Directors shall be advertised to the membership at least three (3) weeks prior to the event (change: delete) held(end change). The time shall be at the discretion of the current Board (change: delete) officers (end).

Special Meetings of the members may be called by the President, The Executive Board, or upon a written request to the President signed by five (5) or more members.

ARTICLE SEVEN

FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Association shall begin January 1 and end December 31.

ARTICLE EIGHT

TERMS OF OFFICE

Elections to the board of directors shall be made by the association membership at the annual meeting. The board of directors shall consist of a minimum of eight (change: delete)to twelve(end change) member innkeepers. Board terms shall be three years with no more than two consecutive terms. After the meeting the board of directors will elect officers. (change: addition) Any Inn Member may hold more than one office at the same time.(end change)

ARTICLE NINE

OFFICERS/COMMITTEES/VACANCIES/ELECTIONS/REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

Section I: The Executive Board

The Executive Board Shall consist of a majority of the Past President, the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. The Executive Board shall have the power to replace any director or officer who has failed to attend three (3) successive meetings of the Board of Directors, or who has demonstrated a wish to be relieved of duties. These occurrences may be declared by the Executive Board sufficient to create a vacancy. Reasonable notice will be given to the director or officer prior to such declaration.

All vacancies in the elective positions, except that of the President, shall be filled for the un-expired term by persons selected by the Executive Board.

Section II: Board of Directors

Past President, President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Chairpersons of the Membership, Publications, Marketing, Public Relations, Legislative, and all Regional Directors shall constitute the Board of Directors. The Board shall meet at least 2 times per year in addition to the annual meeting.

(1) PRESIDENT: The President shall preside at all membership meetings, at the meetings of the Executive Board and the Board of Directors, and may serve ex-officio on all committees. The President shall also be responsible for the overall coordination of the organization.

(2) VICE PRESIDENT: The Vice President shall assist the President in the conduct of all meetings and serve as the chairperson whenever the President is absent.

(3) SECRETARY: The Secretary will coordinate all written records, minutes and by-laws.

(4) TREASURER: The Treasurer shall dispense and collect all association funds, balance the monthly bank statement, make financial reports in May and November of each year, and collect and maintain the financial records. This person shall handle any administrative duties as required.

(5) MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON: This person shall formally approve new member applications, coordinate new applications, conduct membership drives, and contact potential new members. This person shall be responsible for accepting or denying a potential new inn for membership and oversee the Quality Control Inspectors.

(6) PUBLICATIONS CHAIRPERSON: This person produces and distributes the annual directory, collects membership information, and is responsible for the directory layout and costs.

(7) MARKETING CHAIRPERSON: This person is responsible for general advertising and layout, coordinating special events and trade shows, writing and distributing press releases, and coordinating co-op ads.

(8) NEWSLETTER CHAIRPERSON: This person is responsible for the quarterly newsletter.

(9) LEGISLATIVE CHAIRPERSON: This person shall keep current with the laws and any law changes on the state level that affect the Bed & Breakfast Industry, and inform the board of directors and membership of these laws. Any questions regarding the operations of Bed and Breakfasts in the State of S.D. will be researched by this person and or committee. This person also drafts any proposed law changes that will be presented to legislation by BBISD.

(change: addition)(10) VIA REPRESENTATIVE: BBISD shall maintain a membership in VIA. One member shall be designated as representative for BBISD at all VIA meetings.

(11) WEBMASTER: This person shall keep the website current and updated.

(12) (end change) REGIONAL DIRECTORS

(a) A Regional Director is defined as a member of the organization who is chosen by the membership from one of the regional geographic areas of the state for the purpose of coordinating inspections of potential member inns and recommending their inclusion into the organization. (See map of Regional Director areas.)

(b) Will be responsible for nominating new inns for membership and will collect information from their regional areas. They will conduct and will collect information from their regional areas. They will conduct one regional meeting per year to discuss common interests and nominations of possible new organization members.

(c) Will serve from one annual meeting to the next annual meeting.

(d) Will serve on the Membership Committee.

Section III: COMMITTEES:

(1) The Executive Board shall provide for the creation of any necessary standing and Ad Hoc committees.



Section IV: VACANCIES

(1) The Board of Directors may appoint a member inn to serve the unexpired term of any board vacancy. The length of term will last until the next annual General Membership Meeting.

(2) The Board of Directors may also appoint a member inn to serve the unexpired term of a Regional Director vacancy.

Section V: ELECTIONS

(1) All Board of Director members will be elected for their respective terms at the Annual Membership Meeting.

(2) The nominating committee shall develop a ballot to present to the membership at the Annual Meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor. Member inns may nominate themselves.

(3) Each member inn, in attendance at the General Membership Meeting will be allowed one (1) vote in the election and voting process. Robert's Rules of Order shall be followed.

Section VI: REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

(1) A petition signed by a minimum of 20% of the current membership may request the removal of a Board of Directors member. Upon receipt of such a petition by certified mail, the President will inform the membership of said petition within a week's time; and schedule a vote to be cast six weeks from the date of receipt. A two thirds majority of the entire membership will be required to pass the removal petition. Ballots will be tallied by the Regional Membership Directors.

(2) Regional Directors found to be negligent in their duties may be removed from office by majority vote of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE TEN

APPLICATIONS/INSPECTIONS/QUALITY CONTROL

Section I: POTENTIAL NEW MEMBERS

(1) A Potential new inn may be nominated for membership by a current member or Regional Membership Director.

(2) An application will be sent to the potential new inn by the Membership Chairperson.

(3) Potential New Members must submit a completed application, a signed membership agreement, descriptive photographs of the interior and exterior, a sample floor plan, 4 brochures, a nonrefundable application fee and proof of business liability insurance to the Membership Chairperson.

(4) The application is reviewed and eligibility will be determined by the Membership Chairperson. An inspection of the inn will be performed by a hired inspector using the BBISD inspection form.

(5) If an application is denied, the inspection criteria and discrepancies will be discussed with the potential new members by the Membership Committee. The inn will be allowed to correct the discrepancies and reapply after 6 months.

Section II: QUALITY CONTROL COMMITTEE

(1) The Quality Control Committee will be a Special Committee formed for the express purpose of handling serious complaints received from guests or innkeepers. Said complaints must be in written form, and the committee members shall be the President and the Membership Chairperson.

(2) Should a Quality Control committee member inn be under investigation, a substitute inn may be temporarily appointed to serve in their place on the Quality Control Committee by the President.

(3) The BBISD Quality Control committee shall confidentially review the complaint. The appropriate regional director shall discuss the complaint with the offending inn and inform the committee of the results. The Membership Chairperson shall write a letter to the complainant explaining corrective action. The offending inn will write a letter to the complainant regarding the corrective action taken and shall provide the committee with a copy.

(4) The Membership Chairperson will retain a confidential file of written complaints and the associated correspondence. Three or more valid complaints within a six month period will result in a reinspection of the inn in question.

(5) Any member inn who has lost membership status through the inspection process or the actions of the Quality Control Committee may submit a written appeal to the Board of Directors within thirty (30) days of losing membership status. The Board of Directors shall issue a final decision within thirty (30) days of the appeal.

(6) Ex-member inns may reapply for membership at any time by applying as a new member.

(7) BBISD may follow PAII requirements for inspections and comment cards. Each inn member must have a minimum of five (5) comment cards per guest room received by the state association annually. If the minimum number of comment cards are not received from a particular property by the association, the association may require an on-site inspection for that year.

ARTICLE ELEVEN

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

A current edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of business in all cases in which they are applicable and not in conflict with this constitution and by-laws.

ARTICLE TWELVE

AMENDMENTS

Any proposed amendment, along with the date it is to be voted upon, shall be presented in writing to the entire general membership at least three weeks prior to the meeting at which it is to be voted upon. A two thirds (2/3) vote of the attending voting quorum shall be required for ratification.

(change: to be deleted) For organization under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (for the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).(end change)

We have two of our Member B&Bs for sale: The Custer Mansion B&B in Custer, SD is currently for sale. If you are interested, please visit their Web site: http://custermansionbedandbreakfast.com/

Also, Eagle's View B&B in Ft. Pierre, SD is for sale. You can find out about it here: http://www.eaglesviewbandb.com/

Are you thinking of selling your Inn? While we would hate to see you go, let me know and I will post it to our Web site as another member benefit.

info@steeverhouse.com

The 2008 BBISD Board Retreat was held at Peregrine Point B&B in Rapid City, SD on April 18th and 19th, 2008. Members gathered and covered a variety of topics. It is always great fun and a learning experience when members get together!

Welcomed guest speaker, Cindy Olson, Hospitality Central, who gave a presentation on the importance of the International Tourism Market and how our association could benefit from this opportunity. The Board will study this further as this market evolves.

Marilyn Oakes from Buffalo Rock Lodge had some great advice for us from her legislative work and experience in our industry. We are reminded not to show the credit card # on our receipts after they have cleared. It is critical business practice to carefully protect and properly dispose of this type of information. All B&B gift certificates must have an expiration date and sales tax should be charged during the purchase of the gift certificate, not just during the redemption of the certificate.

The SD Vistor Industry has new campaign to raise awareness of the amount of tourism money that circulates through our state. We can purchase a stamp at Impressions in Rapid City for $12 that says “Tourism Dollars at work in SD” to put on all of our correspondence.

We discussed our Web site: southdakotabb.com. We feel that navigation on our Web site is good, and that we have good content on our site. Our new visitor rate was 85% with 67% of our traffic coming from search engines. We discussed possible key word buys and banner placement that will begin in the near future and will drive more traffic to our Web site. We also discussed what makes our brand unique. Our key benefits are providing hospitality, a true experience, being an ambassador for SD, knowledge of the area and quality service—innkeepers with personality. We all are to look at our favorite web sites and those of other associations that do a good job of reflecting or communicating who they are. Please send any ideas to Sara Steever (info@steeverhouse.com) so we can look at a possible future upgrade of our design. We also discussed a virtual tour of the communities that our inns represent. It is the intent of the Board to pursue the Governor's Million Dollar Challenge matching grant to help fund online marketing for BBISD.

We placed two ads for the 2008 season. One for Midwest Living Magazine, in a special insert that is devoted exclusively to the State of South Dakota. We chose a prairie image and an image of Mount Rushmore to cover both ends of our fair state.

We also placed an ad in Great Getaways through SD Tourism. That listing is a 40 word description and a photo. We were unable to use the same creative as the Midwest Living ad because it had ad copy incorporated in it. Instead, we chose a table setting that hopefully represents us all.

Here is the 40 word copy for Great Getaways:

The finest B&Bs in South Dakota are along the INN-Route.

Our inspected and approved member Inns and B&Bs offer comfortable lodging, famous hospitality and the best inside information on a real taste of South Dakota.

www.southdakotabb.com
1-888-500-4667