Board Minutes April 2024

Minutes for Board of Directors Meeting Lindheimer Chapter NPSOT April 11, 2024

Meeting start time:  Called to order by President Sara Torres at 9:39 AM, at TPML.

In attendance:  President Sara Torres, Secretary Dick Bigelow, Director of Plant Sales Debbie Kyrouac, Treasurer Sarah Mato, Director of Formal Education Craig Bruska, Director of Community Outreach Marian Henderson, Hospitality Coordinator Charlotte Wright, Membership Coordinator Bev Willmann.  Quorum requirement was met (6 directors).

Not attending: Director (acting) of Communications Bob Drake, Plant of the Month Coordinator Leon Dominick.

State Society: Sara Torres:

• 2024 Fall Symposium – There are a variety of roles available on the planning committee.  The next meeting is Thursday, April 11^th at 11:00 over Zoom (meeting link to be found on Workplace in the Fall Symposium group, in the post pinned at the top).

President’s Report:  Sara Torres:

• Continue Board meetings at TPML at 9:30, reserved through August 2024. 
• Going forward, please submit Board meeting agenda items you may have at least 2 days prior to the meeting.
• This Spring, every Board member should try to add folks to their committees.  Not only does this spread out the work, but it helps identify chapter members who might take on your role, when you are ready to retire from your role or get promoted.  We will do a casual survey at the picnic to ask about interest.
• Please turn in your Event Liability Forms.

Secretary’s Report:  Dick Bigelow

• Craig moved that the March minutes be approved, Marion seconded, passed unanimously.

Treasurer’s report:  Sarah Mato: 

• Checking $1,436.55 and Savings $789.04 as of 4/8/2024.
• Q1 State Reporting is complete.

Director of Communications:  Bob Drake:

• Please send Bob or Bev content for website posts.
• Set another meeting to train folks on how to create website posts.

Director of Formal Education – Craig Bruska:

• Spring NLCP Level 1 is April 27th and library has been reserved.  16 registrants so far. Need to promote.
• Spring Propagation Class, April 13^th register online @ tpml.org 1 PM.
• Review and VOTE to approve Memorandum of Understanding with TPML re: Seed Library.  Dick made a motion to approve, Sara seconded, passed unanimously.
• Craig discussed his request to approve up to $250 for a budget for the seed bank, there were questions and additional discussion.  Dick made a motion to approve, Marion seconded, approved unanimously.  Sara T. will try to purchase some of the items tax free.
• Craig said that his presentation at Mystic Shores on the 7 Principles of Xeriscaping went well and that he had 25 people put their names on the sign-up sheet.

Director of Community Outreach:  Marian Henderson:

• NICE! Plants posters were delivered to all but Pollinatives.  Does anyone want to deliver theirs?  Debbie will do it.
• After plant sale, would like to purchase 2 banner stands to be used at TPML and Mammen for National Native Plant Month (April), Pollinator Week (June 17-23), Texas Native Plant Week (3^rd Week of October) and a set about the chapter.  Initial cost for banner stands and first 2 banners, approximately $100. Purchase additional banners as events approach.  Will be designed to be reusable.  Dick made a motion to approve, Debbie seconded, approved unanimously.
• Chapter Photo Contest to create chapter bookmarks instead of ordering more business cards discussed.
• Upcoming Outreach Opportunities
  • 4/13/24 NICE King Feed 9:00-12:00
  • 4/23/24 5:30-7:30 Canyon Lake Chamber Mixer highlighting Lindheimer Chapter as new members, Marion is checking to see how many people can go.
• Debbie is doing a presentation at the Mammon Library May 1^st on Summer Success (plants) and there will be two other people there as a panel to answer questions (a PAL person from the Master Naturalists and Elizabeth Bowerman from CCCA).

Director of Plant Sales – Debbie Kyrouac:

• Date for Spring plant sale, April 27^th in conjunction with NLCP
• If you have plants to donate and would like volunteers to come help dig them up, let Debbie know.

Programs:  Sara Torres (acting):

• April is our annual chapter picnic.  There was discussion of what would be the best date for next year’s picnic.
• May is Colleen Dieter from Central Texas Seed Savers.
• June is Rufus Stephens co-author of Birds for Central Texas.
• July is Joanne Hall with South Texas Growers about ornamental native grasses.
• August is possibly Ricky Linex, Society President.  There was discussion about the programs for August, September, and October.
• September is possibly Craig Hensley, iNaturalist, September ahead of October BioBlitz for Native Plant Week
• October is possibly Dr. Shawn McCoshum, Inviting Pollinators & Other Wildlife Into your Garden
• November is our annual seed exchange.
• December will be our holiday party.

Demonstration Gardens:

Handmade Furniture Demo Garden: Craig Bruska:

• Demonstration Gardens Heritage Village – Landscaping around new Church Building
• Upcoming workdays:    
• April 10^th (2^nd Wednesday) 10 AM – 11:30 AM
• April 25^th (4^th Thursday) 10 AM – 11:30 AM
• May 8^th (2^nd Wednesday) 10 AM – 11:30 AM
• May 23^rd (4^th Thursday) 10 AM – 11:30 AM

Heritage Museum – Mickey Riviere & Peggy Haley.

• Mickey Riviere & Peggy Haley, 1^st Thursdays at 9:30-11:00.

Membership:  Bev Willmann:

• 134 total members, 95 home chapter members and 39 affiliates.
• Sara said that State is going to start limiting associate memberships to 4 so that may impact the number of members we have.

Hospitality:  Charlotte Wright:

• Charlotte Wright – Chapter Picnic coming up April 16^th, at the Heritage.  Chapter will do sandwiches, attendees to bring sides.  There was a discussion of a backup plan if the weather is bad.

New Business.

• Craig said that Wendy Lenord looked at the Bracketed Twistflowers on some Comal private property, and that the Headwaters of Comal is looking at growing some if they can get seeds.
• Craig said that several of our NICE partners are selling invasives and asked if we should continue to support them.  There was discussion.  Our conclusion was that continuing to be partners with these nurseries is providing more benefit than harm, we do not believe that there are any large nurseries that do not sell invasives since that is what the public wants.
• Marion and Sara brought up that next year will be our 25^th anniversary, there was discussion about doing a special event which we might sell tickets to.
• Charlotte discussed the wildflower articles in the Texas CoOp publication, one of which was on the threatened Bracketed Twistflower.  She will send the link for the publication to Bev to be added to Facebook.
• Dick was asked to copy some of the past month’s Facebook post to our website postings so that they could go out in our monthly email.

Adjournment

President Sara Torres adjourned the meeting at 11:31 AM.                                                                  By Dick Bigelow, Secretary.