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

 

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

Directors present (9): Edwards, Connor, Rogers, Meckes, Boeraeve, Clever, Sanders, King, Ramsay

Directors absent (4): Banks, Fox, Kohler, Pierce

Others present:

Danela Sheveiko

John and Michelle Tkach

 

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

– Dates and Location: 29 Oct – 1 Nov 2025 in Greenville, SC; Primary hotel is the Embassy Suites Riverplace.

– **All Board members are urged to make hotel reservations ASAP since rooms in Greenville for that weekend will fill up quickly (Clemson football game).**

– Biggest challenge is transportation. Buses are hard to obtain.

– Plan to start registration in April.

– Sponsors are sought; Rogers volunteered to help.

– Ramsay volunteered to research fundraising for individual donors.

 

(3) ABS 2026 Conference (All) –

– Meckes continues to pursue a site in Texas, with Waco a possibility. Cameron Park there has some unmaintained bamboo, possibly Henon.

 

(4) Membership and Web (Meckes) – 

– Current membership stands at 398.

– ABS has 2 new Guatemalan members.

– Link to Rivercane Alliance has been added.

– Upcoming events page has been updated.

– Ramsay asked about reactivating the tech committee, will assist Carole if possible.

 

(5) Species Source List – No news.

 

(6) Advertising (Edwards) –

– Edwards requests tutoring by Clever on procedures.

– Will obtain advertiser names from old issues of BAMBOO Magazine.

– 15 of 17 current advertisers have recurring automatic renewal payments scheduled.

 

(7) Arts/Crafts Competition (Pierce, not present) –

– Meckes has received only one video of a last year’s winner, no other updates.

 

(8) BAMBOO Magazine (Sanders) –

– Next issue is at the printer.

– The summer issue will contain a longer piece promoting the 2025 ABS Annual Meeting and have an international focus.

– There are a two new commercial members since the Fall 2024 Vol 45 Issue 3 was published.

 

(9) ABS Director Job Descriptions (Boeraeve) –

– Boeraeve will send around drafts to the Board.

 

(10) Chapter Activities – 

– (Edwards – LGCC) “Canopy Spirit”, a public bamboo craft workshop, opens 22.April in Louisiana.

 

(11) International Activities (Boeraeve) – 

– There has been an interesting bamboo tower constructed at the Zoo Planckendael in Belgium.

 

Next Meetings –

ABS Board: 27 April 2025 via Zoom.

 

Adjournment: 11:55 PDT.