Charlotte
Court House, Virginia
October
14, 2000
William McCaleb (Halifax), Susan Wingfield, Betty Drinkard, Catherine Powers, Karen Sacasky (Lynchburg, Campbell, Amherst), Julie Cochran, Peggy Bouchard (Goochland, Powhaten), Pat Reilly, Scott Cochran (Prince William), Frank Reilly (Fauquier), Ann Gorell (Fredericksburg, Stafford, King George, Caroline, Spotsylvania), William J Rea, Lorraine Rea (Bedford), Kathy Pruden (Suffolk), Jack Slapcinsky (Fairfax), Alice Nicolson (Arlington, Alexandria), Gary Bill (Newport News), Sybil Przypek (York), Kerry Goldmeyer (Chesapeake), Cheri Haggerty, Pamela Armstrong (Hanover), Chuck Norrington, Caroline Norrington (Rockbridge, Bath), Shelby Snyder, Tina Green (Roanoke), Tom Geer (Prince George), Kerry Reynolds, Sherri Hughes (Charlotte), Sarah Lineberger (Virginia Cooperative Extension).
Kerry Reynolds, the President of the Charlotte County MGs, welcomed us and gave us a brief history of their MG program. They now have 27 members. They do several projects including a Yard of the Month award where they feel like Ed McMahon giving an award to a local gardener in the county. They help with 4-H and several school projects like bird and butterfly gardens, an ecology day, and a wildlife habitat. They work with the elderly at a local retirement home where they give a choice of either a tomato plant or a flowering plant to individuals and prepare planters for the lobby. They have an educational herb garden at their Extension Office and another educational garden at the library. Recently they were approached by the County Administrator for help to maintain the character of the landscaping for the historic office of the county clerk. Those present at the meeting introduced themselves.
President Pat Reilly called the meeting to order at 10:09 in Charlotte Court House, VA.
Minutes:
The minutes of the August Regularly Scheduled Meeting of the VMGA were approved as written.
Sybil Przypek reported that we have a total balance of
$16,026.41
Pat Reilly reported on her progress towards more committee involvement. The Education Committee is progressing that way. The loss of Tom Park as the editor of the VMGA Report was quite a blow in that there was no committee to take up the tasks. A steep learning curve, and a loss of continuity is the price that is paid when the chairperson of a committee of one needs to be replaced.
Gary Bill, Alice Nicholson, Pat and Frank Reilly recently attended the NE MG Conference in Wheeling WV. She and Frank Reilly gave a presentation regarding volunteer retention, and it hit home for her as she was giving it. One of the suggestions for retaining volunteers is recognition of those who put forth extraordinary effort. So she is instituting a VMGA Star program. She recognized the first VMGA Stars for their efforts above and beyond the call of duty. Frank Reilly, Ann Gorrell, Joan Clements (who sent out the Education flyer), Angela Cahn and Barbara Shorts (who helped Joan), and Jude Serevino who jumped to the rescue of the VMGA Report were recognized for their efforts in support of the VMGA.
Ann Gorrell reported as the de facto chair. She recognized some of those VMGA Stars already mentioned above as Education Committee Volunteers, and added the names of Roddy Jones who is organizing the local arrangements, Margaret Van Winkle, and Debbie Green.
The Education Committee has scheduled a mini conference November 18th in Henrico. She requested that anyone who has a Hort Hook plan on attending, and sharing. She defined Hort Hooks as some way that encourages the youth to learn more about the environment, etc. These will be presented in conjunction with lunch at the conference.
There has been considerable interest in the conference already by non-VMGA members, and even non-MG folks. So please, if you plan to attend, get your advanced registration in ASAP. Remember that one of our benefits of membership is early notice, but later this week the notice will be sent to all the Unit offices in the state, and be advertised on the MG listserve, and on the 4-H listserve.
After the conference there will be a social hour for more networking.
The committee also plans to have a meeting in late November in order to plan the rest of the year’s activity. Please come if you have any interest, and share your ideas with them.
The next deadline for the VMGA Report is October 28th. Jude Serevino will edit this next one, because there is still not a chance to catch up with a staff. Bob Avery will be the Assistant Editor. There are regional editors who will prepare local news segments. Sally LaCava will help with the production.
Alice Nicolson asked if we will return to the bulk-mail. Pat replied that the highest priority is to get the VMGA Report out to the members. Some discussion ensued about the advantages/disadvantages of various postal plans. First class is faster, and corrections or bad addresses are returned by the post office. Bulk rates may seem a little less expensive, but we never know who is not getting the VMGA Report.
We still need someone to take the reigns of this already functioning and highly talented committee.
Gary Bill reported that our membership is 388 active members, of that 35 are lifetime members. We culled out just less than 100 names of those who are no longer active, or deceased.
One of the requirements of the bylaws is the publication of the membership list. Prices for this printing seems to range from about $1.00/ea professionally done to the use of a city printer who will do it for a total of $250.00 or about half of the rate. If there are any corrections they have to go to Gary Bill ASAP.
Pat and Gary have already addressed several classes of new MG Trainees. One of the things that most of them don’t understand is the relationship of VMGA with VCE, and with local Units. So he would like to add a section to the membership directory explaining these things.
Trying to find the name of the local Units is also difficult. He has tried to find out the names of all of the Units served by each local association. So far has only been able to associate 25 Units with their local associations, although there are MGs in over 70 counties. The problem with association names is that they do not identify the area served to anyone other than the members that are familiar with their own geography.
Communications:
Frank Reilly reported that the Communications Committee is recruiting. If you have any time, and are even moderately proficient with ANY word processor, VMGA Communications can use your help. No special web skills are needed to help. He introduced his committee – Julie Cochran.
The Committee has added more news items than ever before, and plans to continue adding information and news items as they come up. In the past two months the web page has been updated over 20 times - on the average of an update every day and a half!
He plans to revamp the web page in the coming months so that it will load more quickly, and print more easily. The committee will be adding a links page, so send in links of interest; especially those that point to things that MGs are doing in each unit. The links can be to association sites, VCE sites, county or city sites, or to links of interest.
Coupling this information with the information obtained from each unit in its Unit report will allow MGs around the state to get the help they need, but it will also allow the public to find MG and Extension activities and information in their area. Eventually this information will be accessed by clicking on a map of VA, and being led to information about local Units.
Also planned is an interactive calendar, a list server for VMGA, and a virtual board room on the web page that acts like a chat room.
As a result of his plea for help Alice Nicolson, Cheri Haggerty, Shelby Snyder and Sherri Hughes volunteered to join the committee immediately.
Pat reported about speaking with several local MG groups. Kerry Goldmeyer met with Isle of Wight MGs and their organizations. There is a new group of MGs in Onancock. They could use a mentor to help them get organized. Peggy Noel Bouchard volunteered to help mentor them. Bill McCaleb reported that New Brunswick/Mecklenburg has a new ANR Agent, and they are trying to get a training program for this spring. They will probably run concurrently with the Halifax MGs to share resources. Karen Sacasky has been to the Nelson County MG training class to talk to them about VCE and MGs.
Ann Gorrell pointed out that the Unit data sheets are still needed from many Units. Please submit this information.
Cheri Haggerty reported about State Fair since Evelyn Parker was unable to attend. She pointed out that it wasn’t an official report, but she had been to the Fair. She had made handouts for websites and over 800 were distributed at the booth before supplies ran out. The peabrain game went very well, but some counties really excelled at roping people into the peabrain game. Frank Reilly was singled out for praise since he was able to use a whole roll of peabrain stickers during his stint at the VMGA booth at the fair.
Pat reported that Bill Bonwell is considering changing the approach so that units volunteer for a day until 5:00 PM, and then the MGs from nearby counties can work the evening hours, making travel a little easier.
The Fair will be at the same site again next year, and then probably move to a new site that is under construction now. The new site will have a lake, and a flat racing track.
Kerry has gotten 35 surveys back, and would like more. She is entering the info into a Data Base. The results so far indicate that most folks think that meetings should still be Saturday and commence at 10:00. The VMGA Report, and Educational Events are getting kudos. More data will be presented later after all of the results have been received and tabulated.
Pat showed a report that the state of NJ MGs prepared. It was an executive summary of what all the counties are doing (have done) in the past year. It has narrative, but also has the total number of hours (to date as well as annual update) and the dollar value. There is also a section about significant cost saving programs. This helps them toot their horn especially with funding agencies.
Following this, those Unit Representatives present made brief presentations about their MG Units’ activities, contacts, etc. This information will be collated, and eventually be the basis of the Unit section of the VMGA web site.
Report of the discussion at the August Mtg. Pat passed around a draft for review. She asked for changes, comments or additions, and she will get it collated.
Sarah Lineberger thanked us for her welcome here, and enjoyed meeting us.
Updates:
1. The Water Steward manual is nearing completion and under review.
2. She is revising the MG Coordinators manual.
3. She is working on the VA MG policy manual addition to the MG Handbook.
4. VCE is updating the MG slide presentation. It is revised, shortened, and now comes with a script.
5. She is scheduling each of the districts to have an update/coordinators’ training in each of the VCE Districts.
6. The volunteer hours reporting software is nearly done and will be taught at the above meetings.
7. She is conducting a survey for a MG web site. She sees a need for a way to direct the public to our local activities.
8. She is available to us via email (slineber@vt.edu) or telephone (540-231-2714).
9. She has the most updated list of Unit Coordinators.
We received a thank you note from the Hort Gardens at TECH for our donation to their expansion of the Hort Garden.
Dues were questioned. Should there be a family dues rate? Discussion was tabled until next years’ dues discussion.
December Regularly Scheduled Meeting. James City Co/Williamsburg will be the site of our December meeting on the 9th.
VMGA Officers will meet with VCE leadership on the 8th of Dec. Communicate to her your concerns and issues for discussion at their meeting.
Editorial Changes to the Pest Management Guide and MG Handbook will now be coordinated by Tom Geer. He will funnel concerns about the MG training manual, and the PMG. If there are concerns get them to Tom ASAP, since the MG manual will be put to bed by Nov 1.
Cost of MG Handbook Updates. Sherri Hughes raised the issue of the cost for the updates for the MG Handbook. It seems to be $35, and this is too much to buy. Sarah Lineberger will look into it.
Long-Range Planning Survey. Kerry Goldmeyer pleaded to get the survey within the next
three weeks.
The official meeting was adjourned at 1:28 PM
Respectfully Submitted:
Jim Scibek,
Secretary VMGA, Inc.