Minutes of the
Board of Directors Meeting
Of the
Native Plant Society of Texas
January 15, 2000
Georgetown, Texas
President Georgia Prakash called the meeting to order. Board members present were Georgia Prakash (President), Bill Lindemann (President Elect), Bill Scheick (VP-Publications), Pam Pate (VP-Finance), John Snowden (VP-Chapter Liaison), Michael McBride (VP-Administration), David Heberling (Austin), Covis LaFleur (Fredericksburg), Denny Wedgeworth (Northeast Texas), Peter Loos (Mercer), Cassanger Loos (Mercer), John Carpenter (Midland), Diane Sherrill (Georgetown), Don Cacace (Collin County), Dorothy Atkins (Concho Valley), Terry Tate (Concho Valley), Bobby Peiser (Concho Valley), Lou St. Germain (Concho Valley), Kathy Burris (Columbus), Peggy Oliphint (Brazos Valley), George Lowes (San Antonio), Louise Lowes (San Antonio), Linda Alldredge (Beaumont), Jack Alldredge (Beaumont), Sharon Odegar (Beaumont), Owen Yost (Trinity Forks) and Dana Tucker (NPSOT Office).
Georgia announced that the Spring Symposium is scheduled for the Wildflower Center February 26. She encouraged chapters to sign up if they would like to have a table display. All chapters were encouraged to bring or send newsletters and other literature for display at the Spring Symposium.
Georgia announced that an email directory was in the works and passed around an email list to check.
Minutes were presented from the board meeting and membership meeting held in Harlingen.
Motion: Approve the minutes as corrected. 1st Peter Loos. 2nd Bill Lindemann. Motion carried.
David Heberling reported on the NPSOT libraries including the slide library and the bookstore. He has done a lot of duplicating of the slides. Software and hardware purchases have been made to accomplish the work of the slide librarian. The Benny Simpson slide collection has been loaned to Wayne Mackay at Texas A & M Research Center in Dallas. Wayne will duplicate the slides and return them to us, along with a CD of the images. The regional plant lists will also be turned into a database and computerized. The slide collection will be keyed to a database of the slides.
A suggestion was made that members be encouraged to document where the slide was taken. This helps with future archiving of slides. This encouragement could be done through the NPSOT News. We also might want to mention that you can take two pictures instead of getting them duplicated in processing. David is working with the Wildflower Center to coordinate efforts with them.
David also presented his ideas for a future web site link to the NPSOT libraries including links to the slide collection, herbarium collection, lending library, purchase library, etc.
Pam Pate, VP Finance, presented a financial and budget report.
As of 12/31/99, NPSOT's total assets were $37,334, including two six-month Certificates of Deposit for $5,647 and $5,645 and an interest-bearing checking account balance of $26,000. 53% of the chapters reported through 9/31/99 with total assets of $48,900.
Concerning the proposed budget, Pam told the board she would like to increase the amount for the library expense from $2,000 to $3,000 on the proposed 2000 Budget. In the future we might want to consider having the bookstore on line with a shopping cart system.
Cassandra Loos reminded the board that past boards were in favor of saving funds was to build enough money to sustain a full time 40-hour week executive director working only on NPSOT business.
Pam will work on writing a goal for saving monies and what the monies will be used for. Pam will determine how much money should be kept in checking account and what should be invested more long term at a higher rate of interest. She will report her findings to the board at the April meeting.
Pam reviewed a draft of the revised chapter quarterly report forms. She told the board that she has tried to simplify the forms.
Jack Alldredge suggested that we might want to consider getting some quotes for liability insurance to cover various NPSOT events. We should probably consider how the chapters and their activities would be covered under such a policy.
Sharon Odegar told the board that a license to sell plants through the Texas Agricultural Department is usually needed. How does TDA look at this…should we have a license? Dana will visit with TDA to determine what NPSOT should be doing in this regard.
Motion: Accept the adjusted budget and financial report as presented. 1st Peter Loos. 2nd Dorothy Atkins.. Motion carried.
The board discussed records retention and safeguarding of files in two locations. Mike McBride will work on developing a plan for records retention.
Motion: Accept Owen Yost as the Environmental Liaison appointee. 1st Bill Lindemann. 2nd Peter Loos. Motion carried.
New Wray Trust Mini-Grant guidelines were discussed. The board discussed the Wray Trust Mini-Grant monies. Since we have not heard if the grant was given to NPSOT for 2000, Dana will check with the Wray Trust as soon as possible. John Snowden volunteered to serve as an additional committee person on the Grant Review Committee.
Peter mentioned that, in the past, Wray Trust Grants were divided among applicants partly on the basis of the individual chapter's financial status. For example, a chapter would receive less money than they applied for if they had substantial financial assets.
The board discussed the development of a logo for NPSOT. T'Lee Sollenberger, graphic designer and member of the North Central Chapter, addressed the board about logo design. She presented samples. Several other graphic artists, including Linny Heagy, illustrator of Shinners and Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas and a member of the Dallas Chapter, were represented with samples that were presented to the board.
Motion: The elected board will present a recommendation on obtaining a NPSOT logo and present a proposal to the board at the April board meeting. 1st Bobby Peiser. 2nd Don Cacace. Motion carried.
Peter Loos, Award Chair, announced that they are still looking for additional members to serve on the Awards Committee. Bobby Peiser, Reid Lewis and Peter are on the Committee at this time.
Bill Lindemann discussed the idea of a NPSOT Spring Field Trip. It would be the intention that the Spring Field Trip be an annual event held each year in different part of the state. There would be no papers or formal socials…just a field trip or two. Host chapters in the various vegetative regions would select a hotel and work to get a good rate. They would also line up field trips and guides. There would be no registration fees associated with the Spring Field Trip.
Motion: Develop options for an annual spring field trip beginning with Spring, 2000. 1st Dorothy Atkins. 2nd Lou St. Germain. Motion carried. Bill Lindemann will handle the spring field trip this year.
Bill Lindemann will send out a letter to the chapters stating that we are looking for a chapter to host the Spring Field Trip.
The board discussed funding on the Benny J. Simpson Memorial Web Site. Wayne Mackay's funding for the project has run out. He is looking for additional funding sources of $6,000 - $8,000. We want to attempt to reach out and join with the Texas A & M organization. This would be a good way to reach out to Texas A & M and Wayne and support their efforts. John Carpenter told the board that he would like to see us be a regular contributor of this project on an ongoing basis.
Motion: NPSOT establish a donation to help finance the Benny J. Simpson memorial web site with an initial donation of $2000 at this time. 1st Peter Loos. 2nd Dorothy Atkins. Motion carried.
NPSOT should encourage chapters to contribute their chapter funds to this project if they are looking for a worthy project to support.
The board discussed appropriating funds for archival copying of past NPSOT newsletters.
Motion: Spend $450 for the 3 sets of hard copies (complete sets) of the NPSOT News. 1st Mike McBride. 2nd Dorothy Atkins.
Bill Lindemann discussed the need to move the 2001 Symposium to a different weekend if it is to be held in Austin or the nearby Austin area because of a UT football game on the 3rd weekend of October, 2001. The board discussed that a date change must be submitted to the whole membership for their approval either by mail ballot or at the annual meeting in Denton.
Motion: Hold the 2001 Annual Symposium in the Austin area. 1st Dorothy Atkins. 2nd John Snowden. Motion carried.
Motion: Explore moving the date of the 2001 Annual Symposium to a different weekend in the month of October and petition the general membership for approval of the change. 1st Dorothy Atkins. 2nd Don Cacace. Motion carried.
Bill Scheick , VP-Publications, discussed changes in the bylaws as noted below:
Revisions in Duties of the Vice-President Publications, page 7 of the NPSOT Bylaws -
Item No. 1 - No change recommended.
Item No. 2 - Delete the entire entry and replace with…
"Shall serve ex officio as Chair of the Publications Committee, composed of the President and Vice-President Finance and up to two other optional Society members designated by the Chair, which shall oversee all publications of the Society other than membership materials."
Item No. 3 - Delete the entire entry and replace with…
"Shall be responsible for the appointment of an Editorial Advisory Board, including the option of an associate editor (not a co-editor), all of whom serve at the editor's discretion. The Editorial Advisory Board also includes the Society's botanical advisor."
Motion: Recommend Accept the changes to the VP-Publications section of the bylaws as presented and submit these changes to the membership. 1st Kathy Burris. 2nd John Snowden. Motion carried.
The VP-Publications changes to the by-laws need to be approved by the membership after they are published with advance notice in the NPSOT News.
The board discussed the possibility of hiring someone to research the history of the NPSOT Awards and create written biographical sketches of the people for whom the awards are named, indicating their contributions to our organization. After discussion, the board decided that we probably have the information in our files or with the NPSOT historian. This item was tabled for further discussion after an investigation of our files is completed.
Georgia told the board that we need to start working on exploring the use of our funds for scholarships or grants. She has been searching web sites for schools that offer botany degrees or some field of study related to native plants.
Motion: Contact all university programs within Texas that might focus in native plants and let them know that we have scholarship/grant monies available up to $1000 maximum/student. Ask them to recommend qualified students that would be appropriate for our support.
1st Bill Lindemann. 2nd Dorothy Atkins. Motion carried.
John Carpenter reported that, as of 11/30/99, the endowment principal in the Benny J. Simpson Scholarship Fund was $74,000. 5 scholarships were awarded in 1999 in the range of $200 - $900 scholarships for a total of $2900. The endowment earned 14.8% last year.
Georgia suggested that we should have an article on who was awarded the scholarships and what they are working on. This should be included in the NPSOT News.
Dana told the board that a letter had been received from Debby Broach. She is wanting to incorporate her business as Native Plant Designs, Inc. The Secretary of State has told her we must give permission before she can use that name. Georgia told the board that the elected officers will follow up on this matter and respond to Debby Broach.
Motion: Adjourn the meeting. 1st Bill Lindemann. 2nd Mike McBride. Motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Dana Tucker