Board Minutes November 2025

Minutes for Board of Directors Meeting Lindheimer Chapter NPSOT November 11, 2025

Meeting start time:  Called to order by President Sara Torres at 9:32 AM, at TPML.

In Attendance:  President Sara Torres, Secretary Dick Bigelow, Treasurer Sarah Mato, Director of Plant Sales Debbie Kyrouac, Director of Formal Education Craig Bruska, Director of Communications Marian Stasney, Past President Mickey Riviere, Membership Coordinator Bev Willmann, Field Trip Coordinator Christina Campbell, Hospitality Coordinator Charlotte Wright, Future Hospitality Coordinator Jan Walker.  Quorum requirement was met, 7 of 6 required directors present.

Not Attending:  Facebook Coordinator Nancy DeMarco, Program Chair Mike Laffey, Plant of the Month Coordinator Leon Dominick, Director of Community Outreach (Open).

Old Business:

None.

State Society:

• BBMT Grants and Fundraising Campaign.
• New Executive Director Mary Sirgo.
• State will not host the fall symposium next year, the Rio Grand Valley will be the host.

President’s Report:  Sara Torres:

• Introductions.

• Continue Board meetings at TPML at 9:30, on the second Tuesday, reserved for September to December at TPML.  Reservation application for January to April submitted, both Board meetings and Chapter meetings reserved.  During construction our Board can meet in the Chamber of Commerce meeting room.  We will hold our chapter meetings at Mammen Family Public Library during construction.
• Please turn in your Event Liability Forms.

Secretary’s Report:  Dick Bigelow

• Dick moved that the October minutes be approved, Craig seconded, unanimous approval.
• Discussion of candidates for board positions to be voted on at our next chapter meeting.  Currently there are no candidates for 2026 President, President-Elect, Director of Outreach.  All other directors and committee leaders have agreed to continue (Charlotte is transitioning her duties to Jan Walker).  Marian will put a request in our Newsletter for people to step up for the open positions.

Treasurer’s report:  Sarah Mato: 

• Chase Checking $5,404.73 as of 11/10/25.
• We have $1,000 in donations budgeted to give out.  Suggestions?  After discussion Dick made a motion to give $150 each to The Heritage Museum, The Headwaters of Comal, TPML, The Museum of Handmade Furniture, and Comal Conservation.  Craig seconded. Unanimous approval.  Sarah made a motion to give a maximum of $150 to the Comal Chamber of Commerce via the purchase of tickets for their Fundraiser (who gets the tickets is to be determined), Dick seconded, unanimous approval.
• Increase in-person presenter honorarium to $125 in 2026.  Decrease amount for Zoom presenters?  Honorarium is intended to cover time and travel costs.  Was approved in the last board meeting.
• The budget is being worked on, a number of people requested changes to last year’s amount and for new expenditures.

Director of Formal Education: Craig Bruska:

• NLCP Level 4 was taught at the Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture on November 8th.  Location is not well-suited for a class of this size.  This will be taught at the Headwaters of the Comal in the future.
• Native Seed Library Program, upcoming workdays:
  • November 13^th (second Thursday) Mammen seed cleaning 2-4 PM.
  • November 20^th (third Thursday) Garden Ridge seed cleaning 1-3 PM.
• Winter propagation class will be taught Jan. 17^th at TPML.  Class material will be sent to Charlotte for spelling/typo/grammar/consistency review.
• Christina will start learning how to teach NLCP classes from Craig.

Director of Community Outreach:  Sarah Torres, acting:

• NICE Committee Leon is drafting a list of plants for 2026
• Outreach Events – Fall Fest with the Heritage Museum at TPML, Bev and Pam Henderson joined in giving out candy.
• Chamber of Commerce CLACC – Community Awards/Casino Night – January 16th.
• Mamman Library – “How To” event Sat. Nov. 15^th, Debbie will be making a presentation at 2:15.

Director of Communications:  Marian Stasney:

• Facebook – Nancy, any new updates? We now have 116 followers.
• Stammtisch Entry for November Seed Exchange.
• Website – goal to clean up the resources page and update links, this is being worked on and was discussed.
• Send upcoming events to Dick to be updated on the website.
• We have 400 people in our MailChimp database.

Director of Plant Sales:  Debbie Kyrouac:

• Spring plant sale is tentatively set for April 4 or 18, leaning toward the 18th.  NLCP 1 will be held at the same time and place.
• Does anyone need plastic pots to pot up plants for the plant sale or know of someone who does?

Past President: Mickey Rivere:

Demonstration Gardens:

Question from Dick: Are we over committed on the demonstration gardens we are supporting?  This was discussed and a number of suggestions were made.

 Texas Museum of Handmade Furniture – Bev Willmann

• Bev has agreed to take the lead on this garden.
• We wanted to have the MOU signed before sending volunteers back to the site, however with their November Board meeting cancelled, they will not be able to consider it before December.  The MOU was approved after some changes.
• Upcoming workdays: any updates to the dates or times?
• November 12^th (2^nd Wednesday) 9:00 AM
• December 10^th (2^nd Wednesday) 9:00 AM

Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country:

• Mickey Riviere, 1^st Thursdays at 9:30-11:00

Chamber of Commerce demonstration garden. 

• We have $171.94 left to spend on plants and $87.23 to spend on supplies. 
• $88 was spend at Native American Seed for two pounds of “Scorched Earth Mix”, their recommendation for construction sites.
• Our next workday is on Wednesday, November 19^th at 9:00 (day after chapter meeting).

Membership:  Bev Willmann:

• Bev Willmann, 143 total members, 102 home chapter members and 41 affiliates.

Hospitality:  Charlotte Wright:

• Jan Walker has agreed to be Hospitality Chair for 2026
• RSVP and Side Dish Signup Genius will be done by Debbie.
• Theme for Holiday party?  No theme.

Program Committee Chair:  Mike Laffey:

• November 18th is our annual seed exchange
• December is our annual holiday party
•  January: Emily Lorkovic, Wildlife & Fisheries Biologist Ecological Research Group (ERG) The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. She will speak about invasive plant removal in the San Marcos River.
• February, Victoria Raven, Manager of the Esperanza Winery and Master Naturalist, will speak about Native Grapes of the Hill Country.
• March, A speaker from Central Texas Mycological Society will speak on Mycology 101 for Gardeners and Growers, which covers Native Mushrooms & Their Ecology and the Plant-Fungal Relationship in Soil (Mycorrhizae).
•  April 21^st or June will be Cyrus Harp, the author of Native Food Plants of Texas, an Austin Forager’s Guide based on indigenous knowledge.
• May 19^th Chapter Picnic

Field Trip Coordinator: Christina Campbell:

• Looking at the possibility of a Gorge tour in January.
• A late January or early February field trip to the Meadows Center is being considered.
• Central Texas Mycology Tour? March?

New Business:

There was discussion on doing a new survey.

Adjournment:

President Sara Torres adjourned the meeting at 11:44 AM.                                           

By Dick Bigelow, Secretary.