Attendees:        

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
Mario Gangemi called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M.
The minutes from the March, April, and June Board meetings were approved unanimously.  Approved minutes will be forwarded to Jerry Hendricks for addition to the website.

President’s Report: Mario Gangemi
FAIRHILL FUNDRAISING

• Company-match donations should be pursued.

See Mario’s list.
SWAT cleanup to be held Saturday, July 30, 2005  @ 8:00 am.  We will meet at Westley’s parking lot.

Board voted unanimously to run Fox Trot Ball/Casino Night 2005
Board empowered an ad-hoc sub-committee for casino night.  It will meet at a date to be determined by email.

We are missing opportunities for online donations.  We need to upgrade our website to accept donations.  Chris S. will contact Gerry Hendricks.  She will orchestrate ACFT merchant services (Kerry Hochstein) to upgrade our website for online purchases.

Program Committee: Barb Snyder

Coming programs:

Treasurer's Report/Finance Committee: Bill Pannill
   

Need to develop IMLS accounting improvements.  IMLS reports are printed quarterly.

Dan Sch. stated that we need to look at fundraising to attempt to pay down our credit line.

Chris S. stated that we need a packet to present to corporations as an attempt to solicit donations.

We really need more commercial sponsorships—untapped resource.

Dan Sch. has a corporate sponsorship package that he will forward to Chris S.

Nature School Report: Holly Hannum 

Summer camp is rapidly coming to a close.  We have just one and a half weeks left. Things are going very well except for the oppressive heat.  Registration turned out to very successful with a total of 227 campers attending.  The week of July 4th was a weak point.  We had only 28 campers that week.  We will rethink the wisdom of holding camp that week next year.  We have 26 teen volunteer helpers this year.  They will earn service learning hours for their time.

Tomorrow Indian Adventure Camp will take a field trip to the Indian Steps Museum in York County, PA.  This is a new field trip.  Lisa Kilby has her children in camp this week as well as her nephews.  She will be providing Kilby Cream ice cream to all our campers on Thursday.  This is an unexpected bonus.

The Mormon Pioneer Trekkers did an outstanding job of trail work.  On June 23rd they had 180 teens and adults volunteering for us.  They worked very hard and had excellent supervision.  Jerry Newman worked with them.  All concerned deserve a  special thanks.

Over the July 4th weekend we had a footbridge stolen. The bridge was made of treated wood, was 16 feet long, and was cabled in place.  It was located at the far side of the island. We filed a report with the Natural Resources Police.  A replacement bridge is in the works.

The Cecil County Arts Council is currently considering our request for a Community Arts Development Grant.  Kerry Rafferty called me last week with some questions.  We should hear soon and the checks are given out in September. This money would be for kindergarten.  Last year we received $2,000 through this program.

We will also hear soon about our request to the Waterfowl Festival at Easton.  That money would go towards a portion of the program fees for grade 5.

I have spoken with Rick Lonie to confirm funding for grade 3.  The total amount in the budget is $25,000.  This amount is more than the total of invoices for grades 1through 3 will be.  We need to arrange for the balance about ($4,000) to go towards support for grade 5.  The past few years we have supplemented Waterfowl Festival funding with money from our general fund to cover grade 5.  Please let me know how you would like me to proceed for this year.  I will need to get a letter out to principals in mid August regarding funding for the 2005-06 school year.

The fish program last Saturday drew three families in stormy weather.  They were unable to go out to the stream but they did some fish prints in the lab.

Rick Waterhouse will perform here this Saturday morning at 10:00.  A hot dog lunch will follow.

Astronomer James Morgan will host a star party in the Appleton Road parking lot on July 27 at 8pm.  He wants o hold regular campovers at the McCloskey site.  We will only have to advertise these programs.  Janet’s time to do that will be our only expense.  For this time those costs will be covered under the IMLS grant.
Board discussed and recommended that we keep camp to 5 weeks
Put link to the Waterfowl Festival on our website.
Email newsletter to Ron Perkins.
Ron Perkins asked who was writing the grants. 
DNR offered us a beaver.  The Nature Center will have to pay for the taxidermy.  Dan Schneckenburger made a motion that the Nature Center purchase the taxidermy of the beaver..  The motion was approved unanimously.
A couple wishes to be married outside of the Nature Center.  The Board said this was allowable for a $100 donation.  Someone on the staff or Board will be present during the event.

Personnel Committee: Hinda Smith

Barb Snyder and I met with Cindy on her last day (July 8) to go over details of the projects she has been working on.  We made sure that there is enough documentation that others will be able to take over these projects.  I think we are in pretty good shape as far as the membership database and the contacts.  The folders of information have been left with Lisa.

Lisa Perkins started on July 5.  She is off to a great start.  We need to finalize her salary.  I would like to propose that her salary be at least what Pat made, which worked out to be around $12.00/hour.  I would like to suggest $15.00.

We should probably make decisions as to what events to keep and who will be in charge of the coordination.

The Dog Expo was dropped as an event for myriad reasons, but mostly because it does not fit the mission of the Nature Center.

The Board needs to discuss Lisa’s salary, and her responsibility for programs.

Board Member Recommendations:

Dan Sch. recommended Connie Green as a Board member.  He gave a brief explaination of her credentials.  She was nominated and the Board made a motion to invite her to become a member of the Board.

Community Relations:
No report

Membership:
No report

Building and Grounds:
No report

Next Meeting: August 24, 2005 @ 6:30 P.M., at the Cecil County Chamber of Commerce.   233 East Main Street (near Main Street and Delaware Ave)  Back parking lot off of Locust Street
The meeting was adjourned at 7:56 P.M.
Respectfully submitted by Daniel Speakman