BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEETING FAIR HILL NATURE
CENTER November 12,
2002 6:00 P.M.
Attendees:
Josh Brown, Bob Carroll, Dennis Clower, Holly Hannum, Larry Klevans, Dan Schneckenburger, Nancy Simpers, Hinda Smith, Barb Snyder, Dan Speakman, Rebecca Taccone, Rick Waterhouse
Dan Schneckenburger called the meeting to order at 6:35 P.M.
The minutes from the October Board meeting were approved.
Program Committee: Barb Snyder
Discussion:
Springfest – May 3, 2003 - Amos has left Upper Bay. Ralph Young is tied
up with CCC. Need two people to run Sponsorship Committee. Upper Bay is hiring
a replacement for Amos, but this may not happen right away. Barb needs someone
from our group to be one of the co-chairs. Hinda has a person who will work
with her on the trail run/ride. Looking into an “Antiques Roadshow”
type event. There is a meeting of the committee on Nov.14 at 4:30. Let Barb
Snyder know if you can contribute to SpringFest.
Finance Committee: Larry KIevans Report as of October 31, 2002 :
1. In October, 2002, expenses ($13,217) exceeded income ($9982)
by $3232. The majority of income items were $4250 from Program fees for CCPS
and other school groups, a $3120 grant for a Partnership Program, $2429 from
the United Ways of DE and Cecil County, and $105 from Membership. For the last
two months we have not received any individual or corporate donations. Perhaps
the Board Donation Program will help.
2. Major expenses for October 2002 were $ 8348 for staff, $3105 for Liability
Insurance (our annual payment), $648 for payroll taxes, $640 for office expenses,
and $164 for Work man_s Comp. Insurance.
3. As of October 31, Year to date Income (YTD) totals $94,659 vs a budget of
$93,217, while YTD expenses total $98,763 vs a budget of $93,217. Thus, our
YTD net income is now - $4105.
4. The fund balance as of October 31 was $13884. This is reduced (from $17045)
because of the Octobers negative cash flow.
5. To conserve cash, there will be no payrolls issued in December. What little
work is required will be paid in January 2003.
6. We need a concerted effort to get our bank account replenished.
Larry Klevans, Treasurer
Discussion:
Larry suggested that we have an annual report from each of the committees for
the end of the year. He will not be present at the next meeting.
Nature School Report: Holly Hannum/Karen Aspinwall
Karen Aspinwall reported on the after school program. This extends the ideas
and activities that are presented at the summer camps and at school visitation
programs, giving the kids an extension of ecology education and a push toward
stewardship of the environment. It is going very well. Both groups are full.
$5600 from the two grants has been provided. Most of this money has gone to
salary and development. This is hopefully a trend (funding salaries with a grant)
that will be followed by other grantors. Agilent money can be applied for again;
Cecil Partnerships cannot. Need to find new sources of funding for next year.
Some new development money will be needed for next year because the fourth graders
will probably sign up as fifth graders and will need new activities. November
23 will be the final session, held at the Nature Center, with family members
invited. Next spring, there will be a follow-up with the BEPAC partners –
setting up bluebird houses on company property, etc.
Tome did not come today because of the rain. Should be rescheduled in the spring.
Grade One finished soon. CCPS will be contacted with invoice. Grade Four begins
the end of this week.
Soil Conservation District was invoiced for half of their money; the rest will
be requested next spring.
Presentation of tape will be made to Cecil Soil Conservation Cooperators meeting
at Sandy Cove.
CCC will give us ten microscopes.
October 19 was rainy, but Holly still did the program. Still did the hayride
and refreshments.
Waterfowl Festival participation went well.
Will be doing a presentation at Gilpin Manor at a morning “Muffins for
Moms”. Holly will tell about the activities done with school children,
to find out level of parents’ knowledge about the Nature Center programs.
Wreath-making program is full and closed.
November 26 – Holly will attend a state meeting on environmental education.
Holly will present an interim report on spending of the Waterfowl money as soon
as fall sessions for schools are finished.
Holly will make a presentation to the Board of Education about requests for
funding in the next budget.
MBNA volunteers will be out again. They should be coming once per month.
Dee Sargeant is a new volunteer. She came to trim butterfly garden.
Bill Snyder, the home school student volunteer, is still coming regularly. Holly
suggests that we recognize him in some way ie.: an award, scholarship to a camp,
or other.
Bottle Project – Doug gave Holly bottle samples. There are 130,000 of
them. They are ours to use, sell, etc. It will take three pick-up trucks to
get them. Need to think of a use for them, or a way we could sell them on E-bay,
etc. People need to think of a way to use them. Please let Dan Sch. or Doug
know if you have an idea.
Discussion:
Dennis suggested that we have a flyer to present to organizations about after
school program, so they can donate with that program as a target. It would cost
approximately $1000 to take this program to a new school.
March 26 – Dennis would like to set up a visit for Cecil Leadership Council
to see what we do with school groups. Caravel Academy will be here that day.
This will be arranged.
Bee colony will be left until after November 23.
Personnel Committee: Hinda Smith
Hinda and Barb are working on grant writing. They will bring information to
the Board.
Hinda has looked through our grants file and she found a lot of good information.
The problem is the time it takes to write grants.
Public Relations: Dan Schneckenburger
We have about thirty groups that board members have offered to visit. We need
to have people contact the groups about being put on their agenda. Then let
Dan/Doug know about when presentations are coming up. They will arrange for
video, tape copy, etc.
We need to put banners up to acknowledge their contribution and/or acknowledge
them on our website, in the newsletter, etc.
Make sure we target a specific program at the Nature Center for the contribution
by a particular organization.
Some board members have not responded. We still need each to choose three. Bob
would like to have Doug assign groups to contact.
Barb restated the fact that we need to avoid double contacting groups, especially
with SpringFest contacts to be made as it draws nearer. Dan said he will make
sure this will not happen.
Public Relations Committee will meet before the next board meeting to discuss
visitations further.
Nancy Simpers will send a copy of a contact letter she used, as a reference
for others.
Membership: Bob Carroll
We have received $950 from seven members of the Board so far, on the special
request for contributions. Bob would like all of the rest to please respond
in the next two weeks.
Bob and Dennis discussed ideas about increasing membership. A Nature Center
Calendar is an idea – would cost about three thousand dollars. Could then
sell them. Would take a while to develop this, so we need to get started. We
would aim at 2004. Could ask CCC photo instructors about using the students
there to photograph nature scenes for the proposed calendar.
Mass mailings – we have not had much success with these in the past. Dan
suggested we go ahead with this, using previous letters as a template.
Could have an informational/promotional activity at SpringFest, which would
gain members. Maybe give something away free at SpringFest for new membership.
Brochure handout at International had mixed success. Many people were from out
of the area, so they were not interested.
We should take membership brochures when we visit organizations to make the
video presentations.
We should target any parents who come to our functions with their children –
summer camps, after school programs, etc.
Gift memberships – have done this before. We got about ten percent repeat
members after gift expired, from the last attempt. Barb has a gift notification
letter from the previous campaign. We can do some at Christmas, but also at
other times of the year. It will cost five dollars for Board members to give
these to people. Bob will talk to Barb about the certificate and then e-mail
the Board with information on this.
Buildings and Grounds:
Dan has stabilized the steps to the pasture and will now decide, with Josh,
whether to use a wooden or metal railing.
President’s Report: Dan Schneckenburger
Dan attended the Waterfowl Festival and really was impressed by their event.
There were seven other nature groups there who receive money from the Festival.
Dan got some ideas about partnerships, having some of these groups come to SpringFest,
etc.
Take a look at the website. New things have been added.
We should do a follow-up of last year’s Board workshop, to look at what
we have accomplished and what we should aim for in the next year. We will discuss
this at the December meeting.
New Business:
Dan Sp. has a new modem for the Nature Center.
Next Meeting:
Tuesday, December 10, at 6:30 P.M., at the Nature Center. This will be a meeting/party
so each board member is asked to bring some food to share.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Rick Waterhouse