Mohawk Valley Community Grange
Minutes November 21, 2011
Welcome: Tom Barattta-in for the Chair: ‘Thanks all for being here at the monthly meeting. We are here to give the best of our collective talents to the good of our community.’
Flag was present.
Bring to order: Assist Chair: ‘Let’s please bring this meeting to order.’
Reader: Teresa Hill read an inspiration message.
Assist Chair: ‘Our meeting will begin with a moment of silence.’
Present: Tom and Joan Baratta, Wendy Kimball, Heather and Jim Madras, Lance Lindsey and Hillary Schloss, Laurie Smart, Julia Mooney and Teresa Hill.
Guest: Alan Hansen-Marcola Elementary Holiday Program
He is here to ask for help for the program at the Grade School for our local kids. He gave a brief run down on how the program works. Dec 15th starts at 3:45-6:00 PM. The children are paired up with an adult. They get pizza, picture with Santa, they do crafts, the adult helps them shop and wrap their presents.
Lance suggested the 2012 Harvest Fest collect cans for this program.
Standing Items:
Roll Call of Officers: Chair, Assistant Steward and Membership/Recording Secretary, Facilities Manager, and Greeter.
Minutes: Joan motioned October 2011 meeting minutes be accepted, Hillary 2nd no discussion and passed.
Check and approve calendar for November:
• 12/3: Pre Grange Meeting Holiday Party at Wendy’s
• 12/19: Grange Business Meeting 6:30-8:30 at Grange
• None: Sustainability group meeting 7:30 PM at Grange
• Yoga every Wed PM and Thurs AM at Grange
Announcements/Acknowledgements:
Linda asked for any articles for ‘Watershed Council Newsletter’.
New website…up for all in early 2012.
Officer Elections:
Co-Chair Lance Lindsey
Lecturer Heather Gardner-Madras
We voted Lance Lindsey as Co-Chair and Lecturer Heather Gardner-Madras.
Reports from Committees:
* Art Committee (Cindy): No update
* Community/Elder care committee (Wendy & Julie Connell) No update.
* Membership Community: (Joan, Baratta Bob Russell, Julia Mooney & Wendy Kimball) * Joan spoke to Salem about changing some of our membership to ‘Friends of the Grange’. She explained how we can do this. Joan motioned a category for ‘Friends of the Grange’ with the same local privileges and members. Jim Madras 2nd. Discussed. Passed. Joan will make up the new form. These people also have to have the 10 hours.
* Sustainability: Laura is planning an Emergency Preparedness February 11th. Details to follow.
* Facility: Lance working Neighbor Watch sign for the Grange to advertise. He has the lock box for the sound system will be in place tonight. Gutters are the next project.
* Treasurers Report: (Julie Connell/Teresa Hill) Teresa gave report. See attached for details. Tom & Lance want to make a separate column for kitchen fund. Teresa will set up a separate line item. Linda motioned to set this up and move $162 to this line item Lance 2nd discussed passed.
* Vision Committee: Lance announced first meeting 6:30 PM Dec 8th,
Old Business/Unfinished Business:
* Teresa asked we remove all the old signers on the bank account. The bank has to see this on the minutes on letterhead. Lance motioned to remove all the old people Lon Laughlin, Janice Mackey, Tina Forgey and add Julie Connell and Teresa Hill as co-Treasurers. Hillary 2nd. Discussed. Passed.
New Items:
• Words for Thirds: Joan will deliver the dictionaries to the Grade School and there are too many and we will keep the extras for next year.
• Rental Policy: The current policy that was set up in 2009 all members get 1 free rental and any community committee that gave a service to the Valley could get free rentals. Lance suggested a yearly vote for what is a service community. Joan will write a policy.
• Contacting Green Granges: Tom wrote to several Green Granges and has not heard back from them yet. He would like to have an event that we can all work together.
• Resolutions for the state convention: Linda spoke with someone in Salem on how to write resolutions. They have to be submitted to them by June. That means our Grange needs to have them done by April.
• Chair sales-fund raising: Joan gave 6 chairs to an artist group and they painted them and would like to sell them.
• Road Clean-Up: After holidays Tuesday Dec 27th @ 10:00am.
• Teresa crashed into the reader board. Lance and Teresa are researching fixing it or replacing it.
• Joan motioned to help the Local Holiday Program by purchasing the cookies and plus $150 for gifts. That is a total of $210. Linda 2nd. Passed.
For the good of the order:
Closing: The Board meeting is ended. Displayed items are stored.
Minutes submitted by Wendy Kimball.