Minutes of the Regularly Scheduled Meeting of
The Virginia Master Gardener Association, Inc.
August 12, 2006
Gloucester

Attendance
(Arlington/Alexandria) Vivian Ballard; (Bedford) Bob and Patty Gamache; (Chesapeake) Pinky Derieux; (Fairfax) George Graine; (Gloucester) Florace Arnold, Bonnie Bernard, Mary and George Simpson, Bettsy Lane, Mary Soto, Kathleen Gierlak, Jan Price, Susan Malcolm, Linda Jales, Betty Hegamyer, Nancy Cleoquette, Betty Darrette, Sally Moore, Noel Priseler; (Goochland/Powhatan) Chuck Miller; (Halifax) Bill McCaleb; (Hanover) Cheri Haggerty, Christy Brennan, Brenda Shimchick; (James City County/Williamsburg) Anne Odle, Angela Cingale; (Mathews) Jo Anna Brown; (Norfolk) Lynn Adams, Jackie Camire, Linda Fox, Paula Griffiths, Marcia Oubre, Don Snipes; (Northern Neck) Jinny Estell, Pat Rogers; (Prince George) Cheryl Sebera; (Prince William) Bill and Janet Scott; (Portsmouth) Sylvia Heaster, Bill Smoot.; (Roanoke) Kathryn Debnar; (Rockbridge/Bath) Ted Jenks; (Virginia Beach) Mary Ann Kincaid, Fran Shelton, Betty Villers (Virginia Tech/VCE) David Close; (Western Tidewater) Betty Jo Hendrix; (York) Jackie Lohr

Call to Order
President Cheri Haggerty called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

Welcome
Bonnie Bernard, Gloucester Master Gardener, welcomed everyone present and introduced the hosting team members. She drew our attention to the Gloucester MG’s PowerPoint presentation that was showing their projects. As an added bonus for the unit reps, a tour of the historic Abingdon church was arranged after the meeting. Introductions followed around the room

President's Report – Cheri Haggerty

Cheri informed the members present that the new and former officers met informally to discuss important issues concerning the MG’s. The Executive Board’s vision for the next two years is to help everyone understand what VMGA can do for your unit and to expand membership and service to members. Education: As the voice for Master Gardeners in Virginia, this board will work with any unit that desires assistance with their educational programs or projects. It is the intention of this board to have a member from each of the 6 districts on the education committee and plan an event in each district or assist a local unit with their event. .The MG’s throughout the state must also be willing to help one another and other units by sharing information. Cheri is going to arrange the meetings around the state by district. In order to fill in the calendar for units hosting for the year 2007 and 2008, the units that weren’t scheduled were asked to perhaps fill in a slot. Hosting by units would make the traveling closer for the furthest unit reps when it’s nearby. Cheri has asked Betty to be in charge of the unit reports after all reports have been sent to Angela. .This assignment adds another level to the Vice-President’s duties. The VMGA newsletter will be revamped with the unit reports reported as districts with full report on the web with hard copies available as needed. VMGA newsletter will still have the President’s report, endowment news, and the Graine report. The new format could include articles on Plant/ flower of the year, new publications by ANR or articles of interest from unit newsletters. Cheri made available a copy of the VCE districts so all the representatives are aware of their district.

Cheri acknowledged Bill McCaleb for his outstanding service as 2004-2006 VMGA President. Bill commented on how it was an honor to serve the MG’s throughout the state and how much he enjoyed being our representative in the regions that he has visited and assisted towards achieving some of their unit goals.

Minutes – Angela Cingale
Revised June minutes, as posted on the VMGA website by Betty Villers, were approved by all members present

Treasurer's Report – Ted Jenks
See Treasurer’s Report at the end of the minutes.

Report was accepted as presented at the meeting pending annual audit. The attached report reflects the total balances and receipts and disbursements without changes. What has changed is some of the categories and how we present the data. It is more accurate from an accounting point of view and easy to understand and track from a non-accounting point of view. Ted also introduced and is implementing a Request for Reimbursement form to be used whenever expenses are to be paid by VMGA. With Ted’s new form, the requested information is filled out, receipts attached, sent to him, and a check will be sent from the checking account. The form will be sent to all unit reps, committee chairs and officers by Angela via e-mail.

Committee Reports - Education - Fran Shelton and Pinky Derieux, Co-Chairs
Members - Al Thompson, Chuck Miller, George Graine, Pinky, Kathryn Debnar, Lenore Plissner, Debbie Hamilton, 

and Nancy Drewry

Fran Shelton reported the committee will be conducting a Fall Educational Program at Maymont in Richmond on Friday, October 27th. Speakers include Peggy Singlemann, Horticulturalist at Maymont, and Leanne DuBois, Extension Agent with James City County/Williamsburg. Prices are $12.00 for VMGA members and $24 for non-members. The additional $12.00 would go towards membership in our organization, if so desired. Lunch, tour of home and gardens are extra. The information for this event is posted on the website, http://vmga.net/calendar.htm., and members can register on line. Topics include: The History of Maymont and Heirloom Gardening and will conclude with separate guided tours of the gardens and mansion. The Calendar of Events webpage will be updated as new educational opportunities are planned.

Newsletter - Florace Arnold, Editor

Florace stated that unit reports are to be sent to Angela for review and assembly as this process is very helpful to her. We are planning to shorten the “around the state” section of the Newsletter to include only the most significant item from each district with the full unit reports being available at the VMGA website. Florace also indicated she would appreciate all units with newsletters to select articles from their newsletters of potential interest to other Master Gardeners across the state and send them to her. With the shortened “news around the state” there will be room to use many of them. She is also looking forward to receiving articles sent in by the members.

Membership - Mary Ann Kincaid, Chair

Mary Ann Kincaid reported we have 447 current members, of those 295 are Active members; 7 are Auxiliary members and 145 are lifetime members. Renewal notices have been sent once by mail and twice by e-mail to those whose memberships expired in May 2006. Letters will be sent to lifetime members for changes in information. Also included is a form stating if circumstances change and the MG can no longer maintain active status, they can signup for auxiliary status for $12.00.

Communication/Unit Support - Frank Reilly, Chair
Unit Support /Website Members - Pat Reilly, Karen Sacasky, Kerry Goldmeyer, and Pinky Derieux

Communications Members - Kathryn Debnar, Shelby Snyder, Betty Truax, Tom Bolt, and Paul Campbell.
Report read by Angela. Since the June regularly scheduled meeting there have been 15,910 visitors to VMGA.net. This is about 3000 less visitors than the same period last year. Nearly all of our visitors visit the front page during their stay. This makes it a very productive place to make announcements and why we place most new items of interest there. The most popular pages in the last three months have been the Endowment page, Hort Updates, Minutes, Unit Reports, MGPW, College, Stewards and News. Frank is interested in getting pictures from MG College so that the committee members can begin to produce the MG College recruiting page for next year in time for a December posting. We were reminded to send all unit events to Kathryn Debnar for updating on the website.

Finance Committee – Bill Scott, Chair
Under new business.

Special Committees

State Fair - Christy Brennan, Chair
Christy stated the State Fair will be the week of September 28th thru October 8th. Many units are already assigned for most days and units /MG's that want to sign up were given the open dates and asked to signup.  Bedford volunteered for Sept. 29^th, and Chesapeake for Oct. 7^th. Other days that needed volunteers were: August 25^th, Sept. 25^th, and October 2^nd.  On October 9th the flower containers used at the fair will be sold and could use additional MG’s for assistance. There will be many MG demonstrations including grass cutting, mulching, and pruning.   Planned for the children will be a segment on insects.

State Coordinator Endowment Committee-Pat Reilly, Chair
Members - Angela Cingale, Dave Close, Kathryn Debnar, Carol Dixon, Jane Pratt Schilling and Jim Scibek, Bill McCaleb, and Max Bales, Director of Development for CALS.
The success of the $50 for 5 years of the Dogwood lapel pins introduced at MG College was very well received. We were reminded to tell our units to sign up for the Food Lion Rewards Program at www. foodlion.com. The total in the endowment fund is up to $210,000 from contributions and pledges.

Extension Liaison - Dave Close, MG Coordinator

Reported on the following:

Intern Nametags are in and will soon be shipped! Replacement Nametags for everyone else (including agents and university faculty) are not ready yet. AAG – Another Partners meeting scheduled for September 12 in Williamsburg and they will be discussing a statewide contest effort. VCE News: Mark McCann has been designated as Associate Dean and Director of Extension. It was effective July 1, 2006. State Record Keeping System – On hold; met (via teleconference) with folks from Michigan that has a system where volunteers enter their data and manage their own information. Dave is waiting to get a time line from Agriculture, Human and Natural Resources-Information Technology(AHNR-IT). Wildlife Chapter – Memorandum of Understanding draft from Department of Game and Inland Fisheries(DGIF) is being reviewed by VCE. Dave is waiting for it to be modified and approved by VCE Admin; then we’ll get to work on the chapter. Endowment Effort – VT has a couple of potential corporate donors, such as Scott’s, and Max Bales has setup meetings to discuss their involvement with the Virginia MG program. MG College 2006 – will be sharing evaluation results with different folks on campus (primarily housing) to plan how to resolve problems before next year. Dates for 2007 are June 19-24. Tony Avent is already lined up as a speaker. Dave will be adding more and will keep everyone posted. Tour of VA – most recently in Danville; beginning to schedule more for upcoming fall. Handbook Revisions – compiled list of previous authors and reviewers; will be constructing a Handbook Revision Team; contacting authors and others that have expressed interest in helping with the process. Misc. - MG College Advisory Team (MGCAT) will meet in September to review MG College 2006 and continue working on MG College 2007. The summer issue of In Season will be sent out via listserv again. Please inform him if you have changed your e-mail address. Dave has been selected to serve on a National Extension Master Gardener/Consumer Horticulture Committee. He will be representing the Southeast region. They will be asking for funding on a national level. The 2008 International Master Gardener Coordinator Conference will be co-hosted by VA and Washington, DC.

Unit reports
Cheri asked all unit reps to use a new format for October’s meeting. The unit rep will report on a past project identifying its success and or failure and an aspect of a new project. Some units may have a fresh approach on projects that would be useful to another unit. Unit reports were given at this time. They can be found in the newsletter and on the VMGA website.

New Business

Fund Raising – Cheri Haggerty
Cheri has split the Fundraising Committee into two parts, Marketed items and the Silent Auction. She reminded us the silent auction is our biggest money maker for the MG Coordinators Endowment Fund. Pat Reilly has offered to chair this committee with help from all the units. Thanks was given to Pat Gamache for the goody bags. Cheri discussed other options for fund raising opportunities besides flags and T-shirts. More info at the next meeting regarding sale of polo, collared shirts, and hats after discussions with the fund-raising committee regarding marketed items and how to sell the existing items such as the garden flags once we have a new chair.

Finance- Bill Scott
Members - Lennie Mather, Brenda Shimchick, and Ted Jenks
Bill Scott stated that the finance committee has looked into opening an additional CD for the Educational Endowment Fund with higher interest rate so that we can yield a higher return on our money. The money market account has a very low interest rate. A motion was made to assign all funds in the money market account to the Educational Endowment Fund, close the money market account, and transfer all of those funds to a higher interest rate CD. The motion was seconded and approved by all present.
VMGA Annual Meeting: Cheri Haggerty
Cheri has asked that the VMGA June board meeting at MG College be switched to Friday at 5p.m. at Torgenson Hall, rather than Thursday 11:00a.m. The change discussed is due to MG’s being in class or being so far away that they cannot attend the meeting. This will be coordinated with Dave prior to MG College. Anyone with photos of their America’s Anniversary Gardens, please send them to Cheri. Pat Gamache, Bedford, 2006 MG College Goody Bag Coordinator, asked each unit to be responsible for 1 goody bag item – 300 total. With the units participating in this endeavor, it’s not such a big responsibility for one person to solicit the donations.

Volunteer Opportunities-Cheri Haggerty
Volunteer opportunities exist in the ongoing recording of the history of VMGA. Cheri has a box of VMGA newsletters and meeting minutes that could be used to continue using the process already posted on the website. She would also like someone to scan these documents and preserve them on CD/DVD . Please contact Cheri.

We are looking for Website assistance for VMGA.net Frank Reilly will train any volunteers that require it. He will continue to coordinate the website as webmaster. Although an active member is preferred, the individual does not necessarily have to be an MG. Please contact Frank Reilly via the website or Cheri Haggerty.

The Education Committee could use new members as several members have agreed to stay on only through 2007. The goal is representation from every district. Any member may contact Fran Shelton or Pinky Deriux.

Announcements
Next Board Meeting – October 14^th in Abingdon at Southwest Higher Education Building. More info will be posted on the website.

The December meeting will be held at the York County  Fire and Safety Building at 10 a.m. 

Meeting adjourned at 1:35 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Angela Cingale – VMGA Secretary

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VMGA Treasurer’s Report

August 12, 2006 (Revised)

		Data As OF:	7/31/2006
Overall Balance of Accounts
	Checking Account Balance				$12,496.93
	Money Market (including PDR EEF of $5256.89)				$7,668.05
	Reserve CD Balance				$6,684.06
	Total Overall Balance of Accounts				$26,849.04
	Checking Balance as of	5/31/2006			$9,457.68
		Receipts
			Coord Endowment Gifts	$332.41
			Dues FY 08-17	$504.00
			FY 07 dues (current FY)	$1,128.00
			Education	$0.00
			Fundraising	$3,383.25
			Gift for EEF	$12.00
					$5,359.66
		Disbursements
			Comm/Support	$0.00
			Coord Endowment Cmte	$522.00
			Coord Endow Gift Transfers	$645.95
			Education	$0.00
			EEF Gift Transfers	$0.00
			EEF Scholarships	$600.00
			Elections	$0.00
			Fund Raising Cmte	$0.00
			Fund Raising Gifts to Endowment	$0.00
			Lifetime Dues Transfers	$0.00
			Marketing