(1) Quorum (= 8 voting Directors minimum, out of 13 total):

Directors present (10): Edwards, Connor, Banks, Rogers, Meckes, Boeraeve, Clever, Sanders, King, Ramsay

Directors absent (3): Pierce, Fox, Kohler

Others present:

John and Michelle Tkach

Danila Sheveiko

 

(2) ABS 2025 Conference (Connor, Clever) –

– Transportation and food settled.

– For 2025, 5 sponsors have committed.

– Vendors will need to be mindful of the space they take up due to facility limitations.

– Only a few ABS Directors have registered; total registrations = 20, including speakers, whose fee is waived.

– Meckes showed the Board the t-shirt design.

 

(3) ABS 2026 Conference (Meckes) –

– Will be at the “Bambootexas.com” nursery in Hockley, TX, about 30m west of Houston.

– Hotel options less expensive than the Embassy Suites are being sought.

 

(4) Membership and Web (Meckes) – 

– Current membership = 385.

– Bamboo.org has been slow; John Tkach will help Carole find a cause and fix.

– There are 8 active Hawaii Chapter members. Ramsay found a “bamboo playlist” of videos produced by “Homesteading Hawaii”; it is unknown if they are members.

– Ramsay suggested an ABS MeetUp group for posting events. Meckes tried this in Texas but it was not worth the cost in their case.

 

(5) Replacement Director & Officer Liability Insurance (King) –

– Current cost = $1500, replacement quote = $765 for the same coverage without the employee coverage (ABS has no employees).

– Motion (King), second (Lawton) to replace the current policy with the less costly one PASSED unanimously.

 

(6) Nominations (Ramsay) –

– The terms of ABS-elected At Large Directors #1 (James Clever) and #5 (Autumn Ramsay) will end at the termination of the November ABS Annual General Meeting. Nominations are still open but will close 12 September 2025, 50 days before the meeting per ABS Bylaws.

– Incumbent Ramsay is the only nominee so far, others will be solicited by a membership email.

– Chapter Directors are chosen by their own members. Terms expiring this year: FCC (Pierce), SCC (Banks), SEC (Rogers). SEC has confirmed Rogers, SCC meets in a week to decide, and no word from FCC.

 

(7) Privacy, Cookie Statements and Website Backups (Ramsay) –

– Ramsay presented drafts of both statements and after comments by the Board will revise them for the needs of the ABS.

– After discussion, a motion (Ramsay), second (King) to back up bamboo.org at least quarterly passed unanimously.

 

(8) ABS Director Job Descriptions (Boeraeve) –

– Boeraeve sent a draft to the Board for comments and approval is deferred until the next Board meeting.

 

(9) BAMBOO Magazine (Sanders) –

– Sanders just received an article by Francesca Ely, a Ned Jaquith Foundation grantee.

– The fall issue will be put together next week.

– Editing each issue becomes easier as systems to do so are developed.

 

(10) Timing of Online Board Meetings (Rogers) –

– The start time will be one hour earlier (10:00am Pacific Time) to better accommodate Directors’ personal schedules.

 

(11) Species Source List (Hollenback, by email) –

– Will work with Meckes to confirm sources’ information.

 

(12) Advertising (Edwards) –

– Advertisers are auto-renewed annually; Edwards requested notification of each renewal.

 

(13) Arts/Crafts Competition (Pierce absent) –

– Boeraeve will contact Pierce about the video for the ABS page on the World Bamboo website.

 

(14) Chapter Activities –

– LGCC: Planning to meet at Sean Farr’s (formerly Alain Flexer’s) nursery which has a large inventory of plants.

– TBSC: The 31st Texas Bamboo Festival might be held the weekend before Thanksgiving.

– PNWC: This year’s Ned’s Bash fundraiser for the Ned Jaquith Foundation was attended by fewer but well-motivated people; the auction and feast were good, featuring fresh-caught tuna. On 13 Sep there will be a work party near Astoria, OR.

– SEC: Working on signage in a NC grove. Daphne Lewis continues her research. Acquired some new members who grow bamboo.

 

(15) International Activities (Boeraeve) – 

– Boeraeve reported on a “Structural Engineered Bamboo” webinar from the Bamboo Society of Australia (BSA) about a 10-year plan to encourage a bamboo industry in the country.

– A reciprocal exchange of information between the BSA and the ABS, likely using digital media, will be pursued.

– World Bamboo Day is 18 September. Banks will remind the San Diego Botanical Garden to make them aware.

 

Next Meetings –

ABS Board: 7 September 2025 via Zoom. The start time will be one hour earlier as noted above.

 

Motion to Adjourn: King, second: Edwards passed at 13:20 PDT.