Call to order: 11:00 AM PDT [via Zoom]

 

Quorum (7 Directors Minimum, 10 Present): Meckes, King, Lewis, Comstock, Boeraeve, Connor, Simmons, Edwards, Banks, Hollenback

Directors absent: Saporito, Pierce

Others present: Alain Flexer (Guest, LGCC), Dan Fox (Liaison, MSC), Kay Koppedreyer (President, SEC)

 

(1) Fiscal Sponsorship of SEC for Art Installation Project at the Coastal Gardens (CG) – 

(a) Stanley Smith grant application is being prepared, with 40% chance of approval.

(b) If not approved, will seek other funding options.

(c) Increased interest by CG CFO and Director in preserving the bamboos there.

(d) The artists have done approx. 50 projects; the CG project is woodpeckers, which have mythical significance.

(e) (Flexer): In-kind donations must be accurately valued in the accounting.

(f) The final draft agreement between the ABS and the SEC was presented and attorney review is positive.

(g) A motion (King, second: Edwards) to accept the presented fiscal sponsorship agreement with the Southeast Chapter for this project CARRIED unanimously.

 

(2) Bamboo affliction involving running species in the Southeast –

(a) Lewis is working with a tree service to have dead & diseased culms removed in September from the historic madake grove in Savannah.

(b) Diagnostic studies have been requested from the University of Georgia, but no response so far.

(c) Flexer will help contact the USDA and requested info on contacts.

 

(3) BAMBOO Magazine

(a) Schedule (Don Shor email): the combines issues 1 and 2 (spring/summer) is ready. Issue 3 (fall) is planned for October, and issue 4 (winter) for December or January.

(b) EBSCO complaints about publication delays (Meckes): have been settled after explanation of 2022 schedule.

(c) Searching old Magazines on the website (Comstock): Found a $170 plug-in for WordPress with a 30-day moneyback guarantee. Creates online library of documents. A Motion (King + second) to allocate these funds carried, with the proviso that the ABS tech committee test and approve the plug-in.

 

(4) Nominations for At-Large Director (Simmons) – two nominees so far, nominations will be closed on 1.Sep, and an email ballot will be sent out thereafter. The Southern CA Chapter and the Southeast Chapter need to select  members to fill their expiring ABS Chapter Director terms. Names should be sent to the ABS Secretary before the ABS Conference in October.

 

(5) Publications reimbursement to Michael Bartholomew (King) – a Motion to set the amount at $590 annually in total (King, second: Edwards) carried. Was reduced below the IRS threshold of $600 to reduce tax paperwork.

 

(6) Membership stands at 334 (Meckes).

 

(7) Email issues (Hollenback) – the bamboo.org maximum has been exceeded, and Bill will try to have the web host further increase capacity (it has done so in the past). Carole Meckes uses an email service for the TBSC mailings.

 

(8) ABS2022 Conference: The web link is https://flcarabs.org/conference/.

 

(9) ABS2023 Conference (Edwards) –

(a) Likely date is the first weekend in November.

(b) 99% likely to be at Jefferson Island or New Iberia, both near Avery Island.

(c) Plans include touring Marler Spence’s old place and Alain Flexer’s property.

 

(10) Chapter news –

(a) TBSC: The 28th Bamboo Festival is the first weekend in November (Nov 5-6 with set up on Friday afternoon Nov 4).

(b) PNWC: A Bamboo Flowering Seminar is scheduled to discuss the flowering of multiple varieties of Ph. nigra.

(c) SEC: Ryane Holmes & Jess Brym are holding a BooFest the entire month of October, with a grand opening October 1 and 2. It is Halloween-themed, with haunted grove tours in the bamboos at Tobaris Holmes’ property in Georgia.

(d) NCC: The dissolution of the Northern CA Chapter is in process.

 

(11) Next Board Meeting –

4.September 2022, 11:00 AM PDT (12N CDT, 2:00 PM EDT) via Zoom.

 

Adjournment: 12:30PM PDT.