Minutes of the Meeting of the American Bamboo Society Board 4.September 2022

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

Quorum (7 Directors Minimum, 8 Present): Meckes, King, Lewis, Comstock, Boeraeve, Connor, Banks, Pierce
Directors absent: Hollenback, Simmons, Edwards, Saporito
Others present: James Clever (PNWC, Advertising Chair), Michelle Tkach (SEC), Michael Bartholomew (Publications)

(1) ABS2022 –
(a) (Michelle TKach): The online auction will use Bidding Owl which charges 5% of the proceeds, subtracted before the funds are sent to the ABS. The Board recognizes this as an auction expenses which can be borne by the ABS.
(b) James Clever emphasized that a screen/projector showing auction plants during the meeting is a generator of higher bids since people can see more details on the plants available. Shanti will check on its availability.
(c) Kristen Comstock asked what the break-even number of attendees is to avoid FCC losses in holding this meeting. Shanti Pierce gave an approximate number of 100.
(d) Shanti is seeking publicity ideas. Facebook charges a varying amount for placing ads which point back to ABS Facebook groups. She will contact the fellow who administrates the ABS Instagram site, and requested ABS support for meeting advertising, which the Board thought could come from unused parts of the 2022 budget. **The ABS Tech Committee is charged with testing the Facebook ad option.**
(e) Shanti has redone the meeting website. An additional feature will include short videos of “bamboo around the world”.
(f) Kristen offered to share the experience from last year’s meeting with Shanti.
(g) James shared that the PNWC had contracts with speakers at the ABS meetings they have hosted and suggested that this avoids later disagreements. He also suggested that prior attendees be contacted to boost attendance.

(2) ABS2023 – No updates.

(3) Bamboo affliction involving running species in the Southeast –
(a) Daphne Lewis notes the disease is not as bad as earlier, and will be meeting with Kay Koppedrayer (SEC President) to thin the affected groves.
(b) Plant pathologists have said that the bamboo specimens dry out too quickly to be analyzed.
(c) James and Luc will contact Lynn Clark for advice on how to proceed with diagnosing the disease.

(4) BAMBOO Magazine –
(a) Michael Bartholomew showed the costs of adding color pages to future issues and explained the 11×17 format and options. A color cover is about 2x the cost of 2 internal color pages, but improves the eye appeal of the Magazine. A color centerfold in each issue seemed to appeal to the Board, but the ultimate decision would be up to Don Shor, editor. A motion (King, second: Luc) to have a color cover on every issue PASSED unanimously. A further motion (Carole, second: Luc) to have 2 or 4 internal pages in color in every issue PASSED.

(5) Website/Membership (Carole Meckes) –
(a) Membership as of today stands at 322 (Meckes).
(b) Kristen reports no progress by the Tech Committee on indexing previous issues of publications on the website.
(c) Carole requested to be informed about any regional or chapter bamboo events so they can be posted on bamboo.org.
(d) The ABS Species Source List (SSL) can be found through bamboo.org, but it is not searchable. No further news on when the next printed SSL will be published.

(6) Bamboo Flowering (James Clever) –
(a) Recommends an official informational statement on bamboo flowering be placed on the ABS website.
(b) James is involved in the preparation of an article prompted by the recent flowering of many varieties of Phyllostachys nigra. Included in the research will be a survey of large bamboo nurseries on how they are dealing with informing purchasers of nigra’s current flowering, in view of their potential liability.

(7) Ned Jaquith Foundation grants –
(a) Grant application deadline is 1.October. Carole has posted a link on bamboo.org.
(b) More applications are needed, especially domestic.
(c) Consider Facebook ads to solicit grants.
(d) Recommend the SEC apply for the project at Coastal Gardens (in case they haven’t).

(8) International news (Boeraeve) –
(a) Luc attended a Dutch Bamboo Society meeting during which they visited a bamboo garden in the Netherlands which in the past has had 450 varieties of bamboo.
(b) Luc is translating (from German) an article on Qiongzhuea (Chimonobambusa) tumidissinoda.
(c) James Clever and Luc will attend the 4th World Bamboo Workshop in Vietnam from 16-22.September 2022 which will be followed by a two day field trip to Than Hoa province.

(9) Topics tabled until the upcoming in-person Board meeting –
(a) A proposal by Daphne Lewis to discuss broadening the list of purposes of ABS: this could involve a Bylaws change.
(b) ABS participation in organization of annual ABS meetings: Ian Connor recommended ABS piggybacking on an already scheduled meeting (2023?) as a trial for future ABS-organized meetings. This may be increasingly needed, especially in areas not covered by an active ABS Chapter.
(c) Social media strategy.
(d) Further discussion of flowering.

(10) Next Board Meeting –
20.October 2022, In-person at the ABS2022 Annual Meeting in Sebastian, FL.

Adjournment: 13:30PM PDT.