Minutes from the Board of Director's Meeting

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Fair Hill Nature and Environmental Center
Minutes from the Board of Director's Meeting

June 22 , 2005

Attendees:

Clower, Dennis	xJentzch, Tracy	xPerkins, Ron
xGangemi, Mario	xLevia, Del	Schneckenburger, Dan
xHannum, Holly	Milburn, Ilene	xSmith, Hinda
Hill, Doug	xMiller, Cynthia	xSnyder, Barbara
Janusz, Joe	xPannill, Bill	Sopa, Chris
		xSpeakman, Dan

Mario Gangemi called the meeting to order at 6:40 P.M.
The minutes from the March and April Board meetings will be distributed for approval by the Board members.

Executive Director’s Report: Cindy Miller

We can get free advertising from the Cecil Whig in the Weekender for future events if Cindy writes the articles.

FHNC needs a volunteer coordinator as Catherine Harjung has resigned.

Memberships:

115 Renewal letters sent out for June, July, August
28 New memberships for May and June
Database is full of expired memberships – some as old as 1998 – before removing from database, need someone with historical knowledge to go over them before sending a letter of intent to terminate.

We need to update the database in order to ensure that “life members” are not ever removed from the membership database.

Fundraising

SpringFest Recap

Children’s activities and hay ride – down $919 from last year
Sponsors – down $2230 from last year
Silent Auction – down $1173 (number will improve a little)
Plant Sales – down $57 from last year
Parking and 5K were new – added $1348 to income
Gift shop – no figures from last year
Overall income -- $7.077 – down $3,189 from last year

Springfest to be held next May 13, 2006. The Fox Trot Run 5K will be done on Easter Weekend April 15, 2006 (separate from Springfest.)

Dog Dayz at Fair Hill – Aug 6, 8 a.m. to Noon

Have three rescues on board – waiting response from 20 more
Have solicited 4-H to do the fun show and canine games
Have solicited Wilmington Kennel Club to do obedience demo
Have Agility demo lined up
Putting Flyer together for advertising –Cecil Whig who has expressed interest in covering this event for us.
Pre-registration for show and run/walk encouraged.
Publicity

Will draft press release for community papers and WVUD
Flyers at Vet clinics, Pet Stores
Weekender, community papers and calendars.

Pricing –

Run/walk and conformation match $10 to participate
$5 per game or

5 games for $20
10 games for $40
all games for $60 (15 games total)

Positive feedback from the membership survey indicated that the “Dog Days” event indicates that this event should be successful. Cindy has been contacting Rescue shelters. Costs for this event will be minimal. Run will be a non-competitive event walking through the woods. Games for pets will also be held. Flyers are being put together now. Will go out in the next week. Pre-registration is recommended, but not required. Will be held at the pavilion. No reservation is required.

Fair Hill Folk Fest – September 10 – Noon to 10 p.m.

Giant yard sale to start at 8 a.m.
Have six bands tentatively lined up plus Costello’s to return
Pig Roast – Sell plates for $5 or $6 ea
Beer – (Get liquor license signed) $2.50 or $3 per cup (we don’t want drunkenness.) I’m thinking one keg only.
Publicity – Band web sites, WVUD, Flyers in music stores, colleges, bars, taverns and restaurants, Weekender
Pricing cost of pig and roasting (estimating about $400 total – might be able to get it a little cheaper)

People will be bringing items to sell. Storage may be an issue as it cannot interfere with camps or prep for school.
Can put multiple events in one liquor license request (remember for future, saves application fees)
Had great response from Membership survey for this event.
No tickets. Money made by selling beer and food.

Foxtrot Ball – October 22

Send out “save the date post card”
Still interviewing bands – WILL NOT pay them more than $300 to play
Dan Schneckenberger has sent request to Connectiv for $1500 grant
Membership survey results – of the 15 to 20 returned surveys, only one (from Ralph Young) expressed an interest in the Foxtrot Ball. All others indicated it was too formal for their taste.

Ralph Young will follow up with Walmart. Walmart may match our contribution.
We discussed reducing the price and making the event less formal.

Ron asked if we have set timelines and goals for each event. This would be used by Board Members to help and to monitor the events and to assess their performance. Ron would like an action item list with dates for all upcoming events. This will help substantially with Springfest. Ron said that we should start Springfest planning in August. Ron would also like conversations tracked (ie conversation with Cecil Whig) so that follow up can occur.

Tracy added that we need to track attendance at our events. This is happening to some extent, but needs to be improved. Continued maintenance needs to occur on the membership and marketing databases.

Potential Future Events:

Casino night? Texas Hold-em Tournaments have been very successful in Cecil County. Possibility of revising Fox Trot. Tracy and Hinda will follow up on contacts with a company that conducts “Casino nights”.

Mario suggested that we start a committee for Casino night during Fox Trot
This information will be presented electronically to the Board and we will vote.

Car Show

Overall Fundraising to date: $15,077

Ron asked where we were on income from events as compared to last year. Cindy and Bill stated that we were approximately $2,500 less from October 2004 to June 2005 compared to the same time period the prior year.

Community Relations

CEPAC Committee from BEPAC – putting together a speakers bureau with community businesses for education.
We need to invite Mark Gunns to tour the Nature Center this fall – possible Photo op for him in the Cecil Whig.
Adult continuing education program either in conjunction with Cecil Community College or hire experts on our own to teach courses in:

Nature and wildlife photography
Organic gardening
Geological formations
Something using the weather station and its data
Identifying native Species
Good bugs v bad bugs in your garden

Guest speaker/lecture series

Local politicians, council members, etc
Cecil Soil conservation
Recycling
Landscaping with native plants

Tracy asked about a Senior continuing education program, similar to what the U of D offers. Holly stated that we had cooperated with Cecil Community College in the past. Cindy will follow up on this idea. Tracy will provide a contact at the U of D. We would have to find teachers.

Building

Doug Hill advised us a copier might be available for us this Fall
Currently have no copier, but I’m reluctant to enter into a contract for a new one until our financial picture starts looking a little better.

Program Committee: Barb Snyder

No Report

Treasurer's Report/Finance Committee: Bill Pannill

No Report

Nature School Report: Holly Hannum
Amy Smith works with Del, has a doctorate.
Mario to look into CPR training through Duffield. Hinda to look into CPR training for staff through CCPS.
Ron has had people approach him about material donations to the Nature Center. A butterfly collection and an exotic insect collection have been offered. Holly said that we need a resource person to maintain the collections that we currently have. Everything that is donated has a maintenance component. Ron asked if he should forward those potential donors to her. The beehive in the Nature Center has become inactive. It would appear that the bees have died.
The Nature Center will be getting its own electric meter and will have to pay an electric bill.
Mario will check into a budding, energetic entymylogist that he knows of.

Personnel Committee: Hinda Smith

Personnel committee met 6/21/05

Hinda met with Cindy to review her job description.

Cindy has not fulfilled the goals set in her job descriptions
Our funds are way below the amount that they were last year. We made more without her, not even considering her compensation.
A common belief was that the 40 hours expected of her per week were not being delivered.

Motion made to hire Lisa Perkins as the Administrative Assistant (title subject to change) The motion was made by Bill Pannill and 2nd by Barb Snyder. Motion was unanimous

Board discussed job description and responsibilities
Board discussed hours. It was decided at 15 hours a week in July. August is pretty slow. Once school starts, increase the hours to 20 per week.

Motion made to terminate Cindy Miller as Executive Director. Bill Pannill made the motion. Ron Perkins 2nd the motion. The Personnel committee shall work out the details of the position termination. Her last day is July 8, 2005. All information is to be turned over directly to Mario.

Potential Board Members

Cindy White

Motion was made to invite Cindy to become a Board Member. It was 2nd and unanimously approved.

Connie Green and Chris Carpenter will be invited to attend the next meeting and be introduced to the Board.

Discussion over expanding Holly’s role as ED, at least in terms of being the face of the Nature Center. We could hire an additional teacher and redirect Holly’s efforts towards ED. The Personnel Committee shall discuss this in the future.

Lisa’s role may extend to organization of events.

Tracy brought up the idea of unpaid interns—we should recruit. Barb said that this has been advised before and has a contact that may be able to help us. Pam Leyland is the contact. The Board will pursue this. Mario will contact Theresa Clower.

Possibly could have teaching interns in the fall.

President’s Report: Mario Gangemi
The Board discussed, voted on, and approved dismissal of Cindy Miller as Executive Director with an end date of July 8th. Mario was directed to have the discussion with Cindy.

Community Relations: Doug Hill
No Report

Membership: Joe Janusz
No Report

Building and Grounds:
No Report

Next Meeting: July 20, 2005 at 6:30 P.M., at the Nature Center.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 P.M.
Respectfully submitted by Daniel Speakman