Board Minutes Jan 2025

Minutes for Board of Directors Meeting Lindheimer Chapter NPSOT Jan. 14, 2025

Meeting start time:  Called to order by President Sara Torres at 9:35 AM, at TPML.

In attendance:  President Sara Torres, Secretary Dick Bigelow, Treasurer Sarah Mato, Director of Formal Education Craig Bruska, Director of Communications Marian Stasney, Past President Mickey Riviere, Facebook Coordinator Nancy DeMarco, Membership Coordinator Bev Willmann, Field Trip Coordinator Christina Campbell.  Quorum requirement was met (6 of 6 required directors present).

Not attending:  Director of Plant Sales Debbie Kyrouac, Hospitality Coordinator Charlotte Wright, Director of Community Outreach (Open), Plant of the Month Coordinator Leon Dominick.

Old Business:

None.

State Society: Sara Torres:

• Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas grant application period open until February 1^st.  We need to begin our application for the Chamber of Commerce.  Plant list was revised and Debbie volunteered to complete the grant application.
• Marian, any other news from State Director of Communications?  Marian said that The Pollinator Festival at Guadalupe State Park will be March 15^th from 10 to 2.  We will have people there.
• Upcoming State Board Meeting on February 1^st over Zoom.  Is anyone interested in attending?
• March 8^th Spring Symposium at Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.

President’s Report:  Sara Torres:

• CLACC Community Awards this Friday night January 18^th at the Holiday Inn resort on FM306.  For tickets call the Chamber.
• Continue Board meetings at TPML at 9:30, reserved through April 2025. 
• Better late than never, I need to appoint 2 people, not on the Board to review 2023 chapter finances per our Bylaws.   This has been completed.  The same people will do the 2024 review when Sarah M. has 2024 finalized and the review prepared.
• Please turn in your Event Liability Forms.
• Programs:  Ideas?
  • January is Ryan Spencer, Executive Director of Comal Conservation with his water presentation. need to request presentation description, bio, and photo for promotion.
  • February 18^th is Michael Eason, need to request presentation description, bio, and photo.
  • March 18^th is Debbie Kyrouac, Ecological Succession.
  • April 15^th Craig suggested Monica Maeckle.
  • May is annual chapter picnic and volunteer appreciation event.
  • June
• May is annual chapter picnic and volunteer appreciation event.

Secretary’s Report:  Dick Bigelow

• Dick moved that the December minutes be approved, Craig seconded, unanimous approval.

Treasurer’s report:  Sarah Mato: 

• Wells Fargo Checking $524.12, Wells Fargo Savings $339.14, and Chase Checking $1,759.66 for a total of $2,622.92 as of 1/13/25.   We will be getting the Chase debit cards soon.
• Q4 reporting has been submitted to State.
• Sarah will look at doing 2025 estimated actuals for the 2026 budget.

Director of Formal Education – Craig Bruska:

• Emailed Linda Foss re: NLCP Rebates and Expense Reimbursements for 2024 classes
• NLCP Level 1, April 26^th on Texas Wildflower Day.
• There was a discussion about looking for ways to develop funding to support the ongoing expenses of the seed libraries.  Craig said he would take this under advisement.
• The Headwaters of Comal is looking good for having their construction complete in time to have this years NLCP IV class there.

• Seed Events
  • Tye Preston Memorial Library
  • 1/17/25 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
  • 2/14/25 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
• Mammen Family Library
  • 1/23/25 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
  • 2/13/25 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
• Garden Ridge Public Library
  • 1/18/25 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  • 2/20/25  1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • Seed Library Grand Opening – 2/22/25 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Educational
  • Plant Propagation Series – Spring 3/29/25 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Director of Community Outreach:  Open:

• NICE Committee
  • Asked Lorraine to design the poster again.
  • Are we going to have information tables at each of our NICE Partners again this Spring?  Yes.
• January 31^st Volunteer Fair at TPML from 3-4pm, chapter table and information.  Who can join me?  Craig.
• Agrilife Open House, April 5^th from 9:00-1:00 – Have a kid’s activity with seeds?  Anyone want to manage this?  Bev and Christina.

Director of Communications:  Marian Stasney:

• Facebook – Nancy discussed two different options for setting up a new Facebook page so we could have administrative control (we do not have that control on the two existing ones).  Her preferred option is a Community Organization Page.  Dick moved that we adopt that option, Craig seconded, unanimous approval.
• Discussion, where to start posts, chapter website or Facebook?  FB posts can easily be copied and pasted back to website.  It isn’t as easy to make all website posts go to Facebook.
• Bob’s email
  • A2Z Hosting – $19.99 domain renewal notice.  Approve Bob reimbursement.  We should have debit cards by February and will put those in for payment (budgeted expense).
  • Elementor Pro – $59/year used for chapter website.  Approve Bob reimbursement.  We should have debit cards by February and will put those in for payment (budgeted expense).
  • State Link – Bob is proposing that we have lindheimerchapternpsot.org linked to the List of Chapters on the State Website, bypassing our chapter page on the State site altogether.  I don’t think he realized we were using the Events feature on our State Page when making the recommendation.  Marion and Nancy will look at making the link on the State website more obvious (has been done).
  • Meeting equipment – If we are going back to the old style of broadcasting (sharing the speaker’s computer and presentation in the Zoom meeting), then new equipment won’t be necessary.  The old style makes for a better quality presentation and recording.  We want to look at doing things differently to remind the speakers to repeat questions from the audience for Zoom and see how that works in the January meeting then reassess this in the February meeting.
• Send newsletter ideas and feedback to Marian@stasney.org.
• Discussed the draft survey questions, Marian will send it out (has been done).
• Discussed setting up automated welcome and other messages.
• Is looking at selling logo merchandise discussed logos.

Director of Plant Sales – Debbie Kyrouac:

• Spring Plant Sale – April 26th.

Demonstration Gardens:

Chamber of Commerce demonstration garden. 

• We need to set a meeting to discuss the plan and figure out our final plant list. 
• Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas grant is available, $600 for nectar plants and milkweed.  Deadline is February 1^st.
• King Feed and Ace have both agreed to donate some plants for the project.  We will probably ask them for plants that don’t qualify for BBMT funding, like trees and shrubs.  This was discussed.

Texas Museum of Handmade Furniture – Craig Bruska

• Demonstration Gardens Heritage Village – Landscaping around new Church Building, any update?  No.
• Upcoming workdays: any updates to the time?  No.
• January 23rd (4^th Thursday) 10 AM – 11:30 AM
• February 11^th (2^nd Wednesday) 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
• February 27^th (4^th Thursday) 10 AM – 11:30 AM
• March 12^th (2^nd Wednesday) 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
• Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country: Mickey Riviere, 1^st Thursdays at 9:30-11:00, unless otherwise noted.

Membership:  Bev Willmann:

• 147 total members, 97 home chapter members and 49 affiliates (December 2024).

Hospitality:  Charlotte Wright:

• Chapter Picnic in May, we discussed that the Heritage Museum site was good (Charlotte has reserved it).
• Charlotte has been providing monthly door prizes and would like to inform the Board she plans to continue in 2025.  This was discussed.   Sarah M. made a motion to approve, Sara T. seconded, unanimous approval.

Field Trip Coordinator: Christina Campbell has agreed to serve as Field Trip Coordinator for the Chapter.  Please welcome her and feel free to share field trip ideas.  We are shooting for 1 field trip per quarter to start.   Christina suggested a Central Texas Mycology plant walk, and a Prairie Grasses trip with maybe having one in mid February.  The board thought both of these would be great.  Christina will look at setting something up.

New Business.

None

Adjournment

President Sara Torres adjourned the meeting at 11:50 PM.                                                             

By Dick Bigelow, Secretary.