MINUTES OF THE MANITOBA MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

November 7, 2015

Location: Canadian Mennonite University, the Chapel in the South Campus

The 2015 Annual General Meeting of the Manitoba Master Gardener Association was held on November 7, 2015 at the Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg.

* Requests for the MMGA to undertake specific actions have been identified with a tracking number enclosed in square brackets.

A. Call to Order

  • Co-Chair Colleen Zacharias and Interim Co-Chair Diana Dhaliwal called the meeting to order at 10:00 am On behalf of the Board of the MMGA, Colleen welcomed everyone to the 2015 Annual General Meeting that marks the fifth year of the Master Gardener program in Manitoba. Colleen made mention of the eight poster presentations displayed in the meeting room. The poster presentations are:
  • Argyle Park – Brandon
  • Daly House Museum – Brandon
  • English Garden – Assiniboine Park
  • Fort Whyte Gardens
  • MMGA Ask a Master Gardener
  • Riel House – Winnipeg
  • Upper Fort Garry Gardens
  • Whyte Ridge Community Butterfly Garden – Winnipeg
  • To minimize the use of paper, this year’s Board documents were distributed by email.
  • MMGA name tags with the member’s name are available for $22. Also, MMGA postcards describing the Master Gardener program are available for circulation.
  • Report on Events and Progress – Colleen Zacharias and Diana Dhaliwal
  • Introduction of current MMGA Board members.
  • Five years since the Master Gardener program was launched in Manitoba.
  • 19 registrants for the 2015 – 2016 Master Gardener program.
  • The MMGA hosted an Orientation Evening on September 21 to promote the Master Gardener program to potential students.
  • The MMGA has added the Board position of Public Relations Director to facilitate promotion of the Master Gardener program.
  • The MMGA website is successful. The number of unique visitors (first-time visitors, which are the most important stats to note) until Oct. 31, 2015 is 17,290 compared with 10,431 for 2014.
  • Positive fiscal position because of growing membership and three successful garden tours over the last three years.
  • Five MMGA-sponsored events over the prior year.
  • MMGA continues to work on criteria for educational credits.
  • Next MMGA-sponsored event is Xeriscaping with Cathy Shaluk to be held January 20 at McNally Robinson.

B. Board Business

  • Adoption of Minutes of 2014 AGM
  • Interim Secretary John Frazer asked if there were any changes to the Minutes of 2014. There were none. John requested that a motion be made that the minutes be accepted. Moved by ??. Seconded by ??. All in favour 33/0.
  • Motion to Fill Board Vacancy regarding Public Relations Director
  • Since there was one nomination for the position of Public Relations Director, Interim Secretary John Frazer requested that, instead of a vote, a motion be moved to appoint Cathy Shaluk as Public Relations Director. Moved by Kelley Liebzeit. Seconded by Teresa Lopata. All in favour 33/0.
  • MMGA Financial Report
  • Treasurer Teresa Lopata presented the 2015 Financial Report.
  • Interim Secretary John Frazer requested that a motion be made to accept the 2015 Financial Report. Moved by Marilyn Dudek. Seconded by Deborah Stern. All in favour 33/0.
  • Motion for MMGA to Exist as an Independent Organization
  • There is no reference in the current By-Laws to the MMGA being an independent organization. The wording of the motion was unanimously approved by the Board at a meeting on April 20, 2015. It is now presented to the membership for ratification.
  • Interim Secretary John Frazer requested that a motion be made to include the independent organization reference in the MMGA by-laws. Moved by Marilyn Dudek. Seconded by Roswitha Hammann. All in favour 33/0.
  • Motion to Change MMGA Fiscal Yearto January 1st to December 31st
  • Currently the MMGA fiscal year is April 1st to March 31st of the following year.
  • Interim Secretary John Frazer requested that a motion be made to change the MMGA fiscal year to January 1st to December 31st. Moved by Deborah Stern. Seconded by Lori Graham. All in favour 33/0.
  • Motion to Update Volunteer Coordinator and Newsletter Editor Positions to the MMGA Bylaws
  • These positions were created at the 2014 AGM however were not included in the By-Laws.
  • Interim Secretary John Frazer requested that a motion be made to include the two positions in the MMGA by-laws. Moved by Shelley Walker. Seconded by Carol Bender. All in favour 33/0.

C. General Q & A – Part One

The first Q&A session began at 10:54 am.

  1. Newsletter Editor Mick Manfield continues to encounter incorrect email addresses when he mails the monthly MMGA newsletter. Please send updated email addresses to him and to Deborah Petrie so that the MMGA membership files remain accurate.
  2. All members should consider submitting articles to the MMGA Newsletter (Mick Manfield). E.g. describing their volunteer activities.
  3. Brenda Oosterveen, a volunteer at Assiniboine Park, declared that Assiniboine Park will be seeking additional gardening volunteers for 2016. Some volunteers will be employed in the new Butterfly Garden. These volunteer activities are education and responding to questions from the public. Volunteers must take the full Assiniboine Park volunteer training course. Because of the union environment at Assiniboine Park, there is no opportunity for volunteers to participate in typical gardening activities.
  4. If you are interested in applying for the Master Gardener Award of Excellence, 2016 Canadian Master Gardener Conference, please visit the MMGA website member login page or contact Volunteer Coordinator Dawn Hicks.
  5. Carol Bender has requested that the MMGA provide signage describing that MMGA members volunteerat the Beausejour Daylily Gardens.Co-Chair Diana Dhaliwal proposed that the MMGA to consider providing signage at all MMGA volunteer opportunities. [15-036]
  6. Brenda Oosterveen proposed that the MMGA provide funding to speakers for MMGA-sponsored educational events. [15-037] Diana Dhaliwal requested that all members submit candidate names for potential speakers.
  7. Co-Chair Colleen Zacharias proposed that MMGA members consider submitting gardening articles to Prairie Garden magazine. This effort would count towards their annual volunteer credits. The MMGA will consider working with Prairie Garden magazine to offer a discounted rate on magazine subscription. [15-038]
  8. Mick Manfield: Would the MMGA pay for the costs incurred by entrants to the Master Gardener Award of Excellence to ship poster and project information to the location of the Master Gardener Awards meeting? [15-039]
  9. Cathy Shaluk: Not all MMGA members may have internet access or even use technology. The MMGA needs to reach out to these individuals despite this constraint. [15-040]
  10. Marcia Hamm Wiebe: Several individuals with whom she works in Brandon are avid gardeners, would like to benefit from membership in the MMGA, yet lack the financial resources to take the formal courses prescribed by the Master Gardener program. How can the MMGA assist these individuals? This situation can be more relevant to individuals outside of Winnipeg since the majority of MG courses are only offered in Winnipeg. Co-Chair Diana Dhaliwal responded that MMGA funds are typically employed to benefit all MMGA members, not individual members. The MMGA will consider how it could use its funding to encourage more membership. [15-041]
  11. Madeleine Nield: Many school gardens need gardening volunteers to assist teachers during the school year, and to maintain the gardens over the summer holidays. Mick Manfield stated that Sustainable Development is now part of the Manitoba Education curriculum and teachers are assigned to deliver this material and provide hands-on opportunities. Could the MMGA provide volunteers to assist the teachers with these activities? Could the MMGA approach individual school divisions? Could the MMGA approach Manitoba Education and the head of the Sustainable Development program? Could some training/orientation occur during teacher in-service days? E.g. volunteers already work with schools through programs such as the Whyte Ridge Butterfly Gardens, Fort Whyte (Pembina Trails School Division), and schools in Brandon. [15-042]
  12. Jane Kesselman: Jane is seeking gardening volunteers for Ralph Connor House, home to the University Women's Club of Winnipeg for over 70 years. Volunteer Coordinator Dawn Hicks will work with Jane on this. [15-043]
  13. Glenda Macphee: The Little Green Thumbs program that operates in Manitoba at several schools for elementary and high school students is always seeking additional gardening volunteers.
  14. Jeanette Adams: Would the MMGA develop presentation(s) describing the MMGA and its volunteer activities? The presentations would be available for use by all members to promote the MMGA. [15-044]
  15. Can the MMGA web site store resource materials for teachers? [15-045]
  16. Request for Ad Hoc Committee members. Mark Bauche, Jeanette Adams and Lois Maclennan are potential AHC members.
  17. Colleen Zacharias: If the MMGA is to consider bursaries to encourage more Master Gardeners, legacy donations may be a way to fund bursaries. [15-046]

D. Beausejour Daylily Gardens

  • At 1:00 pm, Shelley Walker introduced the AGM Guest Speaker, Carol Bender.
  • Carol gave a presentation regarding the Beausejour Daylily Gardens.
  • Garden volunteers are assigned (“adopt”) a ten foot section of the garden.
  • There is a book that guests may sign when visiting the garden.
  • Local scout and Girl Guide organizations employ the garden to earn gardening badges.
  • See also
  • Madeleine Nield was the winner of jam from fruit grown in the gardens.

E. General Q & A – Part Two

  1. The second Q&A session began at 2:00 pm.
  2. Leona Schroeder: Leona has been asked by Pinkham School (Winnipeg School Division) to design a medicine wheel for its students.
  3. Mark Bauche: Mark proposed that the MMGA become aware of the skills of its members in order to identify matching volunteer opportunities. [15-047] Mark volunteered to write an article for the MMGA Newsletter soliciting volunteers to complete volunteer sheets. [15-048]
  4. There were a variety of ideas pertaining to funding of courses: [15-049]
  5. Deborah Stern: Are there ways in which a volunteer can earn the funds necessary to attend an MMGA gardening course?
  6. John Frazer: Could the MMGA fund the shortfall of enrollments so that MG courses can take place with less than minimum enrollments?
  7. Mick Manfield: Can businesses be solicited to support bursaries for MG students?
  8. Roswitha Hammann: Could the MMGA fund an MG course?
  9. Brad Lenk: Could the MMGA employ fundraising opportunities to support a bursary fund?
  10. Diana Dhaliwal: FYI, FYI, Master Gardener courses in Ontario were funded by the Province of Ontario in order to create knowledgeable gardeners who would respond to gardening questions from the publicinstead of having provincial employees answer those questions.
  11. Colleen Zacharias: Funding of education opportunities to be placed on the agenda of the MMGA Board.
  12. Cathy Shaluk: Does the MMGA have charitable status? Charitable status would encourage public donations in support of the MMGA’s education goals. [15-050]
  13. Cathy Shaluk: Are there organizations other than Assiniboine Community College that can teach the Master Gardener courses in Manitoba? Response from Colleen Zacharias: No. ACC has the Manitoba rights to MG education granted by the University of Saskatchewan. Only ACC can teach the suite of Master Gardener courses.
  14. Roswitha Hammann: Can MMGA establish a presence on Facebook? Response from Marilyn Dudek: The Board will consider if this is practical and to what benefit. [15-051]
  15. Fran Wershler: Would the MMGA consider offering entrance exams and/or entrance training to so that MGITs possess some basic gardening knowledge before participating in the MG program? Colleen: This question was also asked at the 2014 AGM. Following that, the MMGA contacted ACC to inquire about an entrance test. Since ACC brokers the program from the U of SK, it cannot make changes to the program. At this point an entrance test is not anticipated. Colleen said, however, that perhaps the MMGA could offer programming on the topic of Gardening 101. [15-052]
  16. Fran Wershler: Would the MMGA consider offering advanced training to support the continuing education of its members?[15-053] Colleen mentioned that some members of the MMGA have enrolled in an online refresher course offered by the North Dakota State University Extension Master Gardener program.
  17. Madeleine Nield: How can the MMGA grow the community of gardeners in Manitoba? For example, mentoring MGITs? Encouraging potential Master Gardeners? [15-054]
  18. Shelley Walker: A CD of pictures from the most recent MMGA garden tour is available on request.

F. Door Prize Announcement

  • There were three door prizes:
  • birdbath from Lacoste
  • ? from ?
  • ? from ?
  • The door prize winners were:
  • Fran Wershler
  • Cathy Shaluk
  • Lois Maclennan

G. Adjournment

  • The meeting adjourned at 2:50 pm
  • The 2016 MMGA Annual General Meeting will be held Saturday, April 16, 2016

H. Attendees at 2015 AGM

Last Name / First Name / Status / MMGA Board Position
Adams / Jeanette / MG
Amman / Ed / MG
Bauche / Mark / MGIT
Bender / Carol M / MG / Member at Large
Bennett/ Dhaliwal / Diane R / MG / Interim Co-Chair
Bernjak / Susan / MG
Dahlin / Laverne / MGIT
Dudek / Marilyn / MG / Communications /Website
Frazer / John / MG / Interim Secretary
Graham / Lori / MG
Hammann / Roswitha / MG
Harrison / Marion / MG
Heppelle / Judy / MG
Hicks / Dawn / MG / Volunteer Coordinator
Kesselman / Jane / MGIT
Lenk / Bradley / MGIT
Liebzeit / Kelley / MGIT
Lopata / Teresa / MG / Treasurer
Maclennan / Lois / MG
MacPhee / Glenda / MG / Member at Large
Maher / Madeleine / MG
Manfield / Michael / MG / Newsletter Editor
Nield / Madeline / MG
Oosterveen / Brenda / MG
Peters / Anne / MG
Schroeder / Leona / MG
Shaluk / Catherine / MG / Public Relations (elected November 2015)
Slater / Becky / MGIT
Stern / Deborah / MG
Venton / Sandra / MG
Walker / Shelley / MG / Special Events
Wershler / Frances / MG
Zacharias / Colleen / MG / Co-Chair
Zoutman / Adriana (Jane) / MG
  • Board members absent: William Dowie – Educations Standards, Deborah Petrie - Membership

Minutes MMGA AGM 2015 - V21 of 82018-10-26 8:53 AM