8/09/23
Summary for the August RCMG Board of Directors Meeting
August 8, 2023 RCMG Board of Directors Meeting: The RCMG Board Meeting was held on August 8, 2023 on Zoom. The next Board Meeting will be on September 12th. Board meetings are open to all volunteers.
Committee Updates
Plant Sale Committee Update
Cheryl Brady, Plant Sale Coordinator, updated the Board on securing the Aldrich Arena for our 2024 sale. Not only will we have 17,000 SF of space (compared to 5,300 SF at Holy Childhood) there’s ample parking. Exciting news!!! The committee is already planning for the sale, which will require a significant increase in the number of plants. Yet to be resolved is whether we are able to sell our own plant divisions, due to concerns about jumping worms. A training session on how to properly clean roots to prevent passing on eggs or worms will being held on August 19th. See the SUG invitation.
Education Committee Update
The July Highland Bridge (St. Paul) tours were well-attended, interesting and informative. And the weather cooperated for both dates! Reminder—if you sign up for a meeting and cannot attend, it is helpful to remove your name from the SUG. Several of these events have limited space for attendees. The committee is finding that about a third of those who sign up are “no shows.” We want to assure that those who want to attend are able to!
Next week we’ll meet with Washington County (SUG coming shortly!)
The September monthly meeting speaker will be Heather Benson on the topic of therapeutic gardening.
Our October monthly meeting will focus on recycling and composting with a speaker from Ramsey County.
“Bud, Bloom, Thorn” is the theme for the November meeting, which will showcase experiences from members with their gardens…good, bad, and ugly. Watch for more information.
New Member Committee Update
The committee is working on a date and location for a Mentor/Intern picnic. They are collecting feedback from our 2023 mentors and interns. Applications for 2024 Master Gardener interns are available. We’d like to recruit potential members from parts of Ramsey County that are under-represented in our organization.
Communications Committee Update
In addition to their ongoing projects (which are exhausting!) a creative new poster advertising our 2024 Plant Sale has been created. It displays flowers in ice skates and will be an attention-grabber! Great work!
Healing Gardens Win Big Award! The Healing Garden at the Muriel Sahlin Arboretum in Roseville received an Award of Excellence from the MN Park & Rec Association. The project, under the leadership of Susan Mitchell and Martha Lantz and in cooperation with the City of Roseville, incorporated 14 interpretive signs created by the Communications Committee. Congratulations!!!
Leadership Updates
Secretary Update
The June Board Minutes and a July Retreat Synopsis were presented and approved.
Treasurer Update
The June and July Treasurer’s Reports (Transaction Report, Bank Statement and Fidelity account) were approved.
We are pleased to see a line item for interest from the high-yield account we opened with our Plant Sale proceeds!
Program Coordinator Update
See Darren’s Digest. He needs a home for a 10’ x 10’ metal gazebo currently “living” at the Barn Garden. Contact him for more information.
Old Business
Revised Bylaws Review
The 2023 Revised Bylaws, which were studied in depth at the July Board Retreat, were accepted by the Board and are now ready to be presented to the general membership for comment and vote in the next several months. This has been a lengthy process to say the least, but the result is a concise and thoughtful document which, if accepted, should serve our organization well into the future.
Annual Awards
An Awards Ceremony was discussed. Darren will recruit a task force of volunteers to plan this event, which hasn’t been held since before the pandemic. Typically at this gathering the interns who have completed the program receive their badges and are welcomed as full-fledged Master Gardeners. Members who have hit “milestones” in their years of service are honored. Plans are to add award categories, such as “RCMG Partner of the year” to our two existing awards (Ralph Thane and Leonard Gloeb).
New Business
Project Funding
Funds for several small projects were discussed. The Board approved $150 for the State Fair Garden project, and requested additional information for others.
2023 Board Leadership: Sandy McDonald (Chair), Julie Bechtold (Vice-Chair), Gretchen Hesli (Secretary), Kathy Passe, (Treasurer), Jane Carlstrom (Education Chair), Simba Blood (Education Co-Chair), Judi Ginter (Membership Chair), Karen Randall (Membership Co-Chair), Stacy Sola (Communication Chair), Nanette Boudreau (Communication Co-Chair), Darren Lochner (Program Coordinator).