 |
||
|
The Washington DC Chapter Online for |
||
|
||
|
The Washington DC Chapter Online for |
||
Executive Board Meeting Minutes: |
|
September 11, 2007 Executive Committee Meeting Watters House Chapter Chair Paul Ray called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Present: Newsletter Editor Steve Glaros, Young Members Co-chair John Grayson, Trails Chair Paul Elliott, Backpacking Chair Paul Fofonoff, at-large member Dick Hillman, Fall Gathering Co-chairs Al & Jacque Pulsifer, Conservation Chair Mary Ann Ray, Chapter Chair Paul Ray, Treasurer Sylvia Reis, Immediate Past Chair Paul Rowe, Leadership Chair Lolly Schorreck, Secretary Christa Watters, Membership Co-chairs Kristan and William Weber. Minutes: The minutes of the July 21 meeting were accepted. Financial Report: Treasurer Sylvia Reis distributed a current spreadsheet of our financial status, a copy of which is filed with the official copy of these minutes. As of September 11, the Chapter has $11,976 on hand, which includes the $2,500 cash prize for having the largest increase in chapter membership renewals. Membership: We have approximately 2,000 memberships, which Bill Weber believes equates to about 2600 individuals. He noted that the exact numbers fluctuate from month to month. Committee Reports Annual Meeting Report: Paul Ray announced that 3 representatives from the Boston office have said they will attend the meeting at A La Lucia restaurant. Christa Watters will confirm the arrangements for Nov. 11, 2007. We have made a $500 deposit. Paul Elliott will lead a hike. Fall Gathering 2008: Al and Jacque Pulsifer reported that members of the committee would visit the site at Sandy Hill on Tuesday, September 18. Whether DC Chapter members who work on the event should have to pay to attend or whether the chapter will cover all or part of their costs will be on the agenda of the next meeting. Paul Ray reported that in Judy Cochran’s absence he has signed up the band, Chesapeake Runoff, as the entertainment. Leadership: Paul Rowe reported he ran a Map & Compass course for 4 attendees on August 26. He will run another session in October. Paul Ray reported that a Wilderness First Aid Course will be offered through PATC at a cost of $130 per person. He has requested SDA funds to cover, and the committee will consider whether, if the funds don’t come through, DC Chapter can cover at least half of each future leader’s training. Chair Reports Backpacking: Chair Paul Fofonoff reported he has run 4 successful backpacking trips plus the backpacking workshop. The most recent trip was to 4,000+ -foot Mount Isolation in New Hampshire. He also ran a beginners’ level trip for 12 in July. He plans two more backpacking events this fall – a beginners’ trip in Virginia and a more advanced one Columbus Day Weekend near Roanoke, of 30 miles in 3 days. Baltimore: No report. Canoeing/Kayaking: No report. Conservation: Mary Ann Ray presented a Stewardship Society members’ patch to Paul Fofonoff. Upcoming September events include an invasive species clearing at Turkey Run Park in Virginia, the Snowgoose Eco-Cruise in Baltimore, an event at the Talbot County Audubon Society Center, and a bluebird box building and cleanup event at Wye Island. More events are scheduled for October. We now have 27 members in the Stewardship Society. Newsletter: Steve Glaros reported the next newsletter should go to press by September 15. Social: The annual potluck Christmas Party will be held Sun., Dec. 9 at Christa Watters’ House. Trails: Paul Elliott reported the next Trails Committee event will be another workday at Meadowood on Sept. 29, National Public Lands Day. A trail maintenance and building course will be available to us at that site in November, and possibly another in December. Webmaster: In Sud’s absence, Paul R. reported that the Web site is up to date. Young Members: John Grayson reported that Julie Tasillo will remain co-chair, and that he hopes more young members will complete leadership training. Chapter Chair’s Comments Paul Ray said he hopes to soon have an active bicycling program led by John Sykes and Dianna Souder (she is completing leadership certification soon). He said the chapter will have it’s largest contingent ever, 7 members, at the Fall 2007 Gathering. He noted the following changes in Headquarters personnel: New Trails Coordinator is Don Hofses; Julie Wormser, Matt Heid and Ed Winchester are gone; Sarah Rowe has moved to a development office position as a grant writer and Faith is due back from maternity leave by the fall gathering. New Business The Committee decided to prepare a shorter annual report for this year. Paul Ray announced we would reinstitute the Appie award and took nominations. Nominees for the award are Paul Fofonoff, Paul Elliott, and Dick Hillman. Paul Ray will poll the committee via e-mail to select the winner. Paul Elliott announced he would give a talk about hiking and his book at an REI event on Sept.18 and at the Rockville Barnes & Noble on Sept. 26. Paul Rowe recommended 5 books on Map & Compass training. Al Pulsifer suggested we try to sell the remaining AMC shirts at the Annual Meeting. The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m. Christa Watters, Secretary July 21, 2007 Executive Committee Meeting April Folly, Royal Oak, MD Chapter Chair Paul Ray called the meeting to order at noon. Present: Social Chair Judy Cochran, Young Members Co-chair John Grayson, Backpacking Chair Paul Fofonoff, at-large member Dick Hillman, Fall Gathering Co-chair Al Pulsifer, Conservation Chair Mary Ann Ray, Chapter Chair Paul Ray, Treasurer Sylvia Reis, Immediate Past Chair Paul Rowe, Leadership Chair Lolly Schorreck, Secretary Christa Watters. Presentation: Paul Ray presented Immediate Past Chair Paul Rowe with a picture of Tuckerman’s Ravine and a backpack stove. Minutes: The minutes of the May meeting were accepted. Financial Report: Treasurer Sylvia Reis distributed a current spreadsheet of our financial status, a copy of which is filed with the official copy of these minutes. As of July 21, we have $7,901.16 on hand. Sylvia noted that she had not recorded the $2,500 cash prize for having the largest increase in chapter membership renewals which she had just received. Total in the account is over $10,000. Committee Reports Membership: We have approximately 2,000 members. Bill Weber is in contact with Boston to clarify the exact figure. Nominating: Dick Hillman presented the slate chosen by the nominating committee: Paul Ray, chair; John Grayson, vice chair; Sylvia Reis, treasurer; Christa Watters, secretary. The nominees will be presented to members for election at the annual meeting in November. Annual Meeting: Christa Watters confirmed that the dinner meeting will take place Nov. 11, 2007 at A La Lucia restaurant in Alexandria, preceded by a hike led by Paul Elliott. Fall Gathering 2008: Al Pulsifer presented a list of the committees needed to organize the event, pointing out that some still needed chairs and all still need workers to sign up. He will send the list out via e-mail seeking to fill those jobs. He also provided a spreadsheet of the schedule of tasks to prepare for the event. Paul Ray reported that he still has not had an acknowledgement that Boston has paid the required deposit to Sandy Hill Camp. Paul also reported that he has lined up a speaker and possible entertainers. Judy Cochran, who is seeking singers or other entertainers, asked about flexibility in what we could pay them. Paul Ray confirmed that the post-dinner speaker will be Director of Education for Sultana Projects Chris Cerino, who is a Chesapeake historian, expert on John Smith, and is also reputed to be an entertaining singer. Paul Ray also noted that we should have preliminary publicity about the 2008 Fall Gathering available at the 2007 Fall Gathering, and serious publicity and registration materials available by the 2008 Spring Gathering. Sandy Hill needs a final count 1 week in advance. P. Ray asked Al to schedule an opportunity for volunteers to visit the site sometime this fall. Backpacking: Chair Paul Fofonoff reported on a successful and well-attended backpacking workshop and also a backpacking trip, as previously reported on-line, with wonderful pictures. Baltimore: No report. Canoeing/Kayaking: No report. Conservation: No report. Leadership: A 1-day Leadership Training led by Aaron Gorban from HQs was held June 23 at Christa Watters’ house. Those completing the training were: Laura Inkeles, John Pacovich, Nicole Pasternak, David Raines, Dianna Souder, Julie Tasillo and Christa Watters. These leaders now need Map & Compass training and First Aid and Safety training. Paul Rowe will plan a Map & Compass course sometime in late August. P. Ray will discuss joining with Delaware Chapter for first aid training. Newsletter: No report. Social: The annual pot-luck Christmas Party will be held Dec. 9. Judy Cochran will finalize a location soon. Trails: Paul Ray noted that the Trails Committee held a meeting July 8. Only 4 people came, but those present (Paul Ray, Paul Elliott, Paul Fofonoff, Christa Watters) discussed ways to operate in partnership with existing groups and facilities, frequency of events, type of trails to work on and type of work we could do. P. Ray noted that the new Trails Coordinator in Boston, Don Hofses, is willing to work with us. The committee hopes to have at least 2 working trails events before year’s end. Webmaster: No report. Young Members: John Grayson reported that Co-chair Julie Tasillo is actively planning new events. Chapter Chair’s Comments:Paul Ray reminded all that the deadline for the Oct. issue of Outdoors is August 15. He reported that William and Kris Weber will attend Familiarization Weekend at Little Lyford Camp, an inter-chapter event. He reported that seven chapter members will attend the Fall Gathering 12/13 October at chapter expense and we may have up to 12 members present. There being no further business, the business meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m. Christa Watters, Secretary 7/27/07 : [Informal paddling and vegetable collection followed.] May 8th, 2007 Chapter Chair Paul Ray called the meeting to order at 7:12 p.m. Present: At-large member Sukumar Balachandran, at-large member Paul Elliot, Backpacking Chair Paul Fofonoff, Newsletter Chair Steve Glaros, at-large member Dick Hillman, Baltimore Chair Wendy Matt, Conservation Chair Mary Ann Ray, Chapter Chair Paul Ray, Treasurer Sylvia Reis, Leadership Chair Lolly Schorreck, Young Members Co-chair Julie Tasillo, Secretary Christa Watters, Membership Co-chairs Bill and Kristan Weber. Minutes: The minutes were accepted with one correction: The correct name of the site of the June 2 Potluck is “The Meadowood Environmental Education Center.” Financial Report: Treasurer Sylvia Reis distributed a current spreadsheet of our financial status, a copy of which is filed with the official copy of these minutes. As of May 8, we have $9, 498.89 on hand. Paul Ray noted that the Chapter will receive $2,500 in cash as a prize for having the largest increase in chapter membership renewals. (We increased from 30% to 37%.) As a further information item, he said we still expect a sizable special dues allocation from Boston HQS for travel purposes. Committee Reports Membership: Kris and Bill Weber reported we have 2,054 members, including 154 new members in March and 60 in April. Bill passed out copies of a new brochure he developed to offer to new or prospective members, and asked for e-mail input from committee members. He reported that Boston HQS would in future generate and mail new members a welcome letter customized by chapter, which will look like it comes from our chapter chair. We discussed the value of a second mailing directly from our chapter within 60 days or so of the new member’s sign-up date. Nominating: No report. Dick Hillman will report in July. Annual Meeting: Christa Watters reported we have made a $500 deposit confirming our reservation at A La Lucia for the annual meeting dinner, scheduled for Nov. 11, 2007. Fall Gathering: In the absence of the Pulsifers, who are scheduled to present an updated plan at the July meeting, Paul Ray reported that the contract for the site, Camp Sandy Hill in Northeast Maryland, has been sent to Boston requesting a deposit and signature. Backpacking: Chair Paul Fofonoff reported the first backpacking hike will take place on the C&O Canal and in Green Ridges State Forest. The next one will be a Memorial Day Weekend backpacking trip in the Paw-Paw Tunnel area. He still seeks experienced backpackers to give presentations at a backpacking workshop for June 3 at Seneca Creek State Park. Baltimore: Wendy Matt plans a Locust Point and Federal Hill hike in conjunction with the Ft. McHenry Conservation/Cleanup event on June 23. Other activities are planned for July 4 and Oct. 31. She suggested someone consider leading mid-week hikes on a regular basis. Canoeing/Kayaking: Chair Carl Lohman was absent. Conservation: Chair Mary Ann Ray reported the purchase of 6 “nifty nabber” tools to aid in conservation cleanup (the cost will be largely reimbursed from The Conservation Special Projects Funds from HQS). She reported five conservation activities so far this year, with an average attendance of 14-15 people. Activities have included species removal, cleanups, shoreline plantings and tree potting. Upcoming events include the Miles River Sultana Cruise, a Horseshoe Crab eco-discovery trip, and a Baltimore Harbor eco-cruise. Leadership: Chair Lolly Schorreck suggested trip leaders file liability waivers directly with Sara Rowe at Boston HQS. Paul Ray said we will hold a Leadership Training class here at Christa Watters’ residence June 23/24 [since amended to a one-day training on June 23]. Aaron Gorban will come down from HQS to lead the training. Newsletter: Chair Steve Glaros reported the next newsletter would be mailed shortly, and the annual report is almost ready. It will be posted on the Web site and put on disc for Paul Ray to print some copies. Steve announced that he is stepping down as Newsletter Editor effective the end of the year. Social: No report. Trails: Chair Paul Elliott reported that Social Co-Chair Judy Cochrane would organize the potluck for the Inauguration of the Trails Committee on June 2. He is contacting the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club to discuss cooperative efforts through which our members could learn trail building and maintenance techniques from theirs. He is considering several sites where we could focus our efforts, including possibly Jug Bay Wetlands Park. Webmaster: No report. Young Members: Co-chair Julie Tasillo plans a camping trip to Caledonia State Park in Pennsylvania for Memorial Day Weekend. Chapter Chair’s Comments Paul Ray reported that seven chapter members attended the Port Jervis Spring Gathering. The Fall Gathering will take place 12-14 October at the Highlands Center. Other Business: Paul Elliott suggested a solution to the Web crawler problem that leads to e-mail spam. Paul Ray offered brochures for the new MM& M Trail in New England, a new National Scenic Trail. Dick Hillman suggests at the July meeting we discuss the invitation to participate in the Maine Woods Initiative and AMC excursions to AMC facilities. The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Christa Watters, Secretary 5/15/07 March 13th, 2007 The meeting was called to order at 7:19 by the Chapter Chair at the home of Clayton and Judy Cochran, Kensington, Maryland. Present: Sukumar Balachandran, Chapter Co-Chair Clayton Cochran, Social Chair Judy Cochran, At-large E.C. Member Paul Elliot, Backpacking Chair Paul Fofonoff, Newsletter and Nominating Committee Chair Steve Glaros, Young Members Co-Chair John Grayson, At-large E.C. Member Dick Hillman, Baltimore Chair Wendy Matt, Conservation Chair Mary Ann Ray, Chapter Chair Paul Ray, Treasurer Sylvia Reis, Past Chapter Chair Paul Rowe, Secretary Christa Watters, Membership Co-Chairs Bill and Kristan Weber. Financial Report: The treasurer distributed a current spreadsheet of our financial status, a copy of which is filed with the official copy of these minutes. As of March 13, the chapter has $7,202.86 on hand. Expenses for the year to date have been $2,164.46.
Committee Reports: Membership: Paul Ray welcomed new Membership Co-chairs Kristan and Bill Weber. He also noted that there may be inaccuracies in the membership numbers given at the previous meeting. Corrections will be reported as they come in. Nominating: Steve Glaros announced his resignation as chair and member of the nominating committee. Dick Hillman volunteered to take over the chairmanship. Judy Cochran volunteered to join the committee. The committee proposed Sukumar Balachandran as the new at-large member of the Board. The board voted unanimously to accept the nomination. Annual Meeting: Christa Watters reported on three possible Alexandria restaurants for the annual meeting dinner, scheduled for Nov. 11, 2007. The venues she suggested were: Dishes of India, Union Street Public House, and A La Lucia. After brief discussion, the board voted in favor of A La Lucia. Christa will firm up the reservation for the their new private party room, which holds up to 50. We can select a menu capped at $25 per person with an open bar. The restaurant is two blocks from the Mount Vernon Trail and is also about a 20-minute walk from Braddock Metro Station. Backpacking: Chair Paul Fofonoff is planning a 30-mile, 3-day Memorial Day Weekend backpacking trip in the Paw-Paw Tunnel area. He also plans a backpacking workshop for June 3 at Seneca Creek State Park. He still seeks experienced backpackers to give presentations. Canoeing/Kayaking: Chair Carl Lohman was absent, traveling in Patagonia. Conservation: Mary Ann Ray reported on a successful first event, removing invasive species along the C&O Canal in a joint project with the Nature Conservancy. She also passed around a photo album she has started of both conservation and hiking events, and solicited photos from others to use when we have events publicizing the chapter and its activities. The next conservation events will be held March 24, March 31, and April 14. She also reported on AMC headquarters’ Energy (Carbon) Reduction Initiative, and the request that each chapter come up with ways of reducing our individual and collective carbon footprints as a way to help fight global warming. We should also contact our legislators in support of emissions-reducing legislation. Paul mentioned that because of spam controls, some people are no longer getting the AMC Conservation Network alerts, and if so to let him know. Young Members: John Grayson reported that the committee is losing Roger Barkman, but is gaining David Raines and Laura Inkles. Leadership: In Chair Lolly Schorreck’s absence, there was no report. Dick Hillman will send the trip reports to her. Newsletter: Steve Glaros reported the next newsletter would come out in the next few weeks. It will feature articles on the George Washington National Forest, water conservation, and Highlands Conservation projects, a book review from a member (perhaps of Paul Elliott’s new 60 Hikes in the Washington Area), and notes on the new family hiking program he has started for families with young children, as well as the usual trip reports and calendar items. He continues to work on the club’s Annual Report. [Paul Elliott noted that he is donating a copy of his book to the Chapter.] Social: Co-chair Judy Cochran reported a successful potluck supper on March 11 at a home in D.C. Some nonmembers attended and one new member joined. The next social events will be the meals after the Trails Day event and the backpacking workshop in June. Clayton Cochran reported on the chapter’s successful participation in the Adventures in Travel Expo at the Washington Convention Center on March 3 &-4. He also reported that he has mailed our activities calendar items to the Washington Post Weekend. Webmaster: In Sud’s absence, Paul Ray reported that the site is completely up to date. Paul Elliott suggested that while the site is great in many ways, it is harder to get at the hike details in a coherent list for comparison purposes. He also noted that the old format made for better printouts as a marketing tool for the chapter. Steve noted that the required information can be easily downloaded from the newsletter pdf file on the chapter website in usable format. Trails: Chair Paul Elliott reported that 15 members have signed up so far. He plans to cooperate with other trail groups in the area. The kickoff event for the new Trails Committee is set for June 2, National Trails Day, and will take place at Meadowood Recreation Management Area on Mason Neck in Fairfax County, Virginia. This is a new property of the Bureau of Land Management. Our event will consist of:
Our chapter will sponsor the AMC Fall Gathering for 2008. We already have a list of volunteers and are seeking a chair. Sylvia Reis and Judy Kandel will serve as registrars. We are looking into getting the capability for taking credit cards for Internet registration. The objective financially is to break even. HQS will advance us $2500 that we need to repay. We need to find a site. The following sites will be researched within the next 2 weeks:
Revised Draft of 3/28/07 January 9, 2007 Present: Clayton Cochran, Paul Elliot, Paul Fofonoff, Steve Glaros, John Grayson, Dick Hillman, Alan Hyams, Mary Ann Ray, Paul Ray, Sylvia Reis, Paul Rowe, Lolly Schorreck, Julie Tasillo, Christa Watters. The minutes will reflect that prior to the meeting this evening, the following items were accomplished: (1) The chapter website was updated to include a section called “Management of Chapter Activities”. This section presents the following: 1. By-laws 2. Schedule of Executive committee meetings 3. Standing agenda for executive committee meetings 4. Agenda for Jan. 9, 2007 executive committee meeting 5. Directions to the three venues for the 2007 meetings 6. Minutes of the November 12 meeting and election of officers; minutes of future meetings to be posted when available (2) An e-mail poll was taken regarding the invitation of Richard Hillman to become an at-large member of our executive committee; said invitation was extended and accepted. Paul Ray announced that Recording Secretary Alan Hyams would be resigning because of a move out of the area. Alan thanked the group for the opportunity to hold the post of Secretary and conveyed his regrets at having to depart the club. The various chairs gave their reports: Treasurer’s Report: Sylvia Reis handed out copies of her report. She noted that about $6,000 had been transferred to Boston HQ for investment in AMC’s accounts, in order to earn a higher return. As of yet, she hasn’t heard from HQ about this money. Two special dues allocation requests are set to go before Chapter Chairs Committee: $500 to cover half of the cost of a projector; and $603 to cover half the cost of November’s Annual Meeting. Paul is also looking into an answer for a question from a prospective donor about whether it is possible to donate to the DC chapter without going through AMC HQ. Membership Report: There are currently 1,839 members in the DC chapter. 151 new members were added in December. Backpacking Chair Report: Paul Fofonoff is planning a backpacking workship for June at Seneca Creek State Park. He intends to set the date by March 15th so it can be promoted in the newsletter. He’s looking for experienced backpackers to give presentations. There is no current Canoe Chair report. Conservation Chair Report: Mary Ann Ray reports that the conservation calendar has been put together, with events similar to last year’s. Christa Watters is helping to create more conservation opportunities in Virginia. There is a new eco-cruise on the schedule—a trip on the Snow Goose, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s work boat. The goals this year include performing 6 conservation work days in Maryland and 2 in Virginia, and increasing the Stewardship Society to 30 members. A listing of all six committee goals is available upon request to Mary Ann. Leadership Chair Report: Lolly Schorreck, John Grayson and Paul Ray are now the three chapter-level activity approvers. Webmaster Sud Luthra is still working with Kelly Powers on setting up a system to automatically download activities. Changes to the website should be emailed to him with the title “DC Website Change.” Newsletter Chair Report: Steve Glaros is finalizing the new newsletter, with big eco-news items about the successes at Blackwater Wildlife Refuge and the Maryland Park Lands Amendment. The outcomes of our club election will also appear. Finally, Steve continues to work on the club’s Annual Report. Social Chair Report: Clayton Cochran is pulling together his Powerpoint presentation about the club. Paul will be ordering the projector for the presentation within the next few days. Clayton is also waiting for information about the Adventures in Travel Expo at the Washington Convention Center on March 3rd-4th. There is a question of whether or not the chapter will have to pay liability insurance, should it do a presentation. Discounted tickets will be available to members and 10 tickets will be made available free to members who volunteer to run the presentation. Regarding the continuing difficulties in getting Washington Post Weekend listings—no one can reach a live person in charge there. Clayton will mail out a hard copy of the schedule in the hope that this will work. Paul Ray asked Clayton if he and Judy could put together a social event for Earth Day (April 22) (idea rejected because it conflicts with the Clubwide Spring Gathering) and a hike and picnic was discussed for National Trails Day (June 2, 2007). Paul Elliot suggested contacting the DC Woodlands organization for a speaker for one of the events. Young Members Chair Report: Julie Tasillo is putting a trip together for February. She also has a volunteer interested in leadership training. John Grayson suggests that using the Delaware Valley chapter’s leadership training will be much more economical than using Boston HQ. Paul Ray will contact Lennie Steinmetz, the new Delaware Valley Regional Chair, to get more information. Julie and Clayton are also working on a social event to accompany the traveling Banff Mountain Film Festival, which will be held at the National Georgraphic Society in DC on March 7th to 12th and March 10th at Loyola College in Maryland. There is no current Webmaster report. Paul Ray motioned for a temporary suspension of By-Law Section 4.2, which reads: By-laws and all amendments thereto must receive approval of the Board of Directors of the Club before taking effect.” The permanent deletion of this by-law section will be voted upon at the annual meeting on November 11th. The motion was seconded and approved. The by-laws also require a nominating committee (Section 6.3) to prepare a list of candidates for the offices of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary Treasurer, Committee Chairs and Members-at-Large. Paul Ray asked for a volunteer to chair this committee. Steve Glaros volunteered and Dick Hillman and John Grayson volunteered to sit on the committee. Paul Ray asked for a volunteer to get an early start on planning the annual meeting, to be held on November 11th in northern Virginia. The volunteer will chair the event and locate a reasonably priced restaurant to serve as venue. The preliminary information should be available by July, with the final details due in September. Christa Watters volunteered to chair with Paul Elliot assistaing on the pre-meeting hike. Paul Ray announced the updating of the chapter website and thanked Dick Hillman for providing new verbiage. Paul Ray announced that Boston HQ is pleased with our chapter’s conservation program, and the increasing membership of the Stewardship Society. Roger Scholl, Director of Volunteer Relations, offered to come down to our area and hold a dinner for our Stewardship Society Members. Paul Ray announced that, as the DC chapter is the only chapter without a Trails Committee, was there any interest among the board in creating one? An apparent agreement with the PATC not to involve our chapter with trails was brought up, and that will be explored. Steve Glaros motioned for the development of a Trails Committee and the motion was seconded. Sylvia Reis, Steve Glaros and Clayton and Judy Cochran all volunteer to become members of this committee, and Paul Elliot volunteered to become the interim leader. Dick Hillman suggested organizing a social function for National Trails Day—a call for interested members to join this newly created committee. Paul Elliot volunteered to organize a hike and picnic for that day. For the time being, the Trails Committee will focus on water trails and hiking and biking trails that seem of little or no interest to the PATC. However, Paul Ray had spoken to someone in southern Talbot County who owns shoreline property on the Choptank River. This person would like to create trails and work with an organization like ours. Boston HQ is aware of this opportunity and that Paul was to bring it up in this meeting. Sylvia Reis brought up the death of Barbara Medina, a life member of the club. She motioned to make a charitable donation in her memory; Steve Glaros seconded the motion and it passed. An amount in the neighborhood of $100 was agreed upon, and the donation will most likely be made to an organization she belonged to. Steve Glaros asked the group for input about potentially leading family hikes. These would be low-key, short-distance hikes. Response was positive, with the qualification that it needed to be clear that children had to be accompanied by an adult. Paul Elliot suggested reestablishing contact with Frank Carlson, an older member of the club. He also recommended the PATC’s urban/wilderness hybrid first-aid training course, which is upcoming. Upon the departure of Alan Hyams as Recording Secretary, Paul asked for a volunteer to serve in that position. Crista Watters volunteered. The nomination was made, seconded and passed. This now leaves a vacancy for a new at-large member. next board meeting will be held March 13 at the home of Clayton and Judy Cochran November 12th, 2006 Present: Clayton Cochran, Judy Cochran, Paul Fofonoff, Steve Glaros, Alan Hyams , Chris Rapacki, Paul Ray, Mary Ann Ray, Faith Salter, Lennie Steinmetz, Kristin Sykes, Julie Wormser. Paul Ray chaired the meeting, standing in for the absent Paul Rowe, whose father had passed away. Paul Ray announced the schedules for 2007 board meetings. The agenda for the January meeting is TBD. Judy Cochran discussed the issue of where to hold the holiday party. Faith Salter discussed the capabilities of the new, enhanced database. Mary Ann Ray gave the Conservation Activity report. There were 8 conservation events with 69 participants and a total of 804 hours. There are now 21 members in the Stewardship Society. There is going to be a new Back-up person for approving events (John Grayson). Steve Glaros will now put a personnel recruitment ad for event and chapter leaders into each newsletter, with Paul Ray to be the contact. Paul Ray has asked event leaders for a summary of why they want to lead, what activities they want to lead, and their goals. This will provide a picture of what our goals as a chapter will be and will form the basis of the chapter's first ever annual report. Dick Hillman and Paul Fofonoff have already responded. Paul announced that the Maine Woods Initiative land purchase agreement has been completed, pending approval by LURC, Maine's Land Use Regulatory Committee. He also announced that that Monday past, Maryland was purchasing 750 acres in the proposed Blackwater Resort Development Tract, in order to protect Blackwater Wildlife Refuge. The developer is also backing off. Funds for he purchase are to come from Maryland's Program Open Space fund. The AMC was one of the first six organizations to become a member of the Program Open Space Coalition and many chapter members actively fought to stop this development, so this is a substantial victory. The next board meeting will be held at 1 p.m. November 11, prior to the Annual Meeting Hike. |
| top |
