ABS Board Minutes

Minutes of the Meeting of the American Bamboo Society Board 1.May.2022
 
Call to order: 11:00 AM PDT [via Zoom]
 
Quorum (7 Directors Minimum, 7 Present): Meckes, King, Lewis, Comstock, Edwards, Boeraeve, Simmons
Directors absent: Pierce, Banks, Saporito, Connor, Hollenback
Others present: Dan Fox (Mid-States Chapter), Michael Bartholomew (Publications)
 
(1) 2022 ABS Annual Meeting/Conference update –
(a) There are several unknowns: Board and AGM days/times, and auction plans (if any). Luc will email Shanti Pierce for details. Kristen Comstock confirmed that the $1000 nonrecourse loan was transferred from the Southeast Chapter (which made a profit for ABS2021) to the Florida Caribbean Chapter to help with ABS2022, although receipt of the funds has not yet been acknowledged by the FCC.
(b) By email, Shanti said the FCC website is being rebuilt, and ABS2022 tickets will go on sale 1.June. There will be an evening of short talks relating to the future of bamboo, and an art contest one evening.
 
(2) 2023 ABS Annual Meeting/Conference update (Judge Edwards) – 
(a) The LGCC meets every 4 – 6 weeks and the program and location are under discussion.
(b) The meeting theme will be “What do you do with your bamboo?”.
(c) Alain Flexer’s bamboo garden has been designated as a bamboo arboretum by the state of Louisiana.
(d) A small bamboo grower’s coöp may be in the works for Louisiana.
 
(3) Website and Membership (Carole Meckes) –
(a) Current ABS membership (primary members only) stands at 351.
(b) The “ABS” and “No Chapter” membership groups will be combined.
(c) The “Institutional” (subscription-only, non-voting) members need to be listed separately.
 
(4) Financial (Carole Meckes) – The new Chase checking balance is $18,875.54; the old CapitalOne account still has $3715.24 and will be closed when Bill Hollenback has the opportunity to do so. There is $9241.28 in PayPal which also needs to be transferred to Chase.
 
(5) Publications (Michael Bartholomew) –
(a) Michael detailed the process and effort involved in printing and mailing each ABS publication. It is time-consuming and often involves multiple trips to the printer and to the postoffice for each issue.
(b) Some of the work could be eliminated if the mailing list he receives were formatted differently, such as selecting either the street address or the PO box for those members who have both.
(c) Reimbursement for Michael’s internet service, at present $555/year, will be recategorized as magazine storage and administrative fees. A flat rate will involve less documentation and will be set by the Board at a future meeting to be a similar or higher total amount.
 
(6) The earliest ABS newsletters have been scanned and will be accessible via bamboo.org.
(a) Kristen Comstock will look into how to make them easily searchable online and David King will send her a copy of the Newsletter/Magazine index, meticulously compiled by Betty Shor for all issues through 2012.
(b) Granting access to these past issues of newsletters and BAMBOO Magazine (public vs. members-only), as well as the index, was discussed but no vote was taken. A policy will be decided at a future Board meeting.
 
(6) Nominations for the Board – (Harry Simmons): No candidates have thus far stepped forward. Two names were mentioned, and they will be contacted to determine their interest in running for the At-Large position now held by Carole Meckes. Carole will serve again if no others are interested.
 
(7) SEC news – (Daphne Lewis):
(a) The SE Chapter wishes to rescue the neglected Japanese Timber grove at the Coastal Gardens (historic bamboo farm and former bamboo importation station in Georgia) and is considering a tree service for grove grooming.
(b) The Mythmakers, who construct large bamboo sculptures in public places, have been approached to create one at the Coastal Gardens to increase local appreciation of bamboo.
(c) Kay Koppedrayer (new SE Chapter President) is producing a bamboo cookbook.
 
(7) Luc suggests the ABS publish an obituary for Bill King, former ABS President, who died in April 2022. The funeral home’s published obituary can be adapted for BAMBOO Magazine. David King will put something together.
 
(8) Luc also announced an upcoming meeting in Beijing November 7-9, 2022. It will be presented both in-person and online by INBAR (International Network of Bamboo and Rattan), and titled BARC (= Bamboo and Rattan Congress).
 
(9) Next Board Meeting –
19.June 2022, 11am PDT via Zoom.
 
Adjournment: 1:15 PM PDT.