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Board Minutes 18Aug2011

Beaver Island Association Board Meeting Meeting Minutes August 18, 2011
Beaver Island Community School conference room, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

Board members present:  Peter Igoe, Bob Anderson., Ken McDonald, Bob Tidmore, Taffy Raphael. Present by Phone:  Pam Grassmick., Craig Schrotenboer, Beth Leuck., Jim Jones.

Report on results of postcard mailing & active membership                                                                      Bob Anderson
Status of legal/banking transition to new officers

  • 23 members joined: 21 renewals and 2 new members
  • We have about 80 members at this point
  • A letter is planned to go out to those who still have not renewed (i.e., former members).  Target date is after Labor Day, following some edits to the current draft.
  • The letter will also be recast to be published in the Northern Islander and Beaver Beacon, and Joe Moore’s News on the net, addressed to the Beaver Island Community Members
  • Update on accounts:  all have been changed to reflect Bob Anderson as Treasurer.
  • Bank account has $4491.51, plus $80 in checks.  CD was renewed for $7373.32.  Checking account is in both Bob Anderson’s and Pam Grassmick’s names.

 

Website update, including adding annual meeting. Presentations, minutes, and relevant website links. Jeff Cashman coordination.  The “Forum” and BIA email Address                                                                       Jim Jones/Bob Tidmore

  • Website
    • Waiting for the invasive species website:  MISIN to go online
    • BI invasive species form in a version that can be downloaded, revised, and uploaded or emailed back to keep the site current
    • Jim J. will send to Jeff Cashman
    • Suggested changes:
      • Move the Great Lakes Jewel link up so that it is more visible
  • Action Item:  Set up drop box for BIA at the Community Center (Bob Tidmore will take care of getting this set up)
  • Forum (Bob Tidmore.):  We have email and Forum set up.  Next steps are to lay out the protocols for how to use these.  The Forum is for open dialogue. Announcements would be passed by the BIA Board of Directors.  Following feedback, Bob Tidmore will take care of posting onto the Forum).  Email coming into the BI email address (gmail.com) will go to Bob T. who will forward to Board if relevant (i.e., not junk mail).

 

Outreach initiatives to expand membership  (See 7/14 board minutes).  Letter mailing?  Pam Grassmick, all

  • See information above about the sites for publishing the membership renewal letter
  • Seek opportunities for making our name more visible
  • Use the content of the membership renewal letter as a basis for creating the content of a tri-fold as well as visibility of ideas on the website.
  • Makes sure that the Township leaders receive the tri-fold and all mailings.

 

Education Initiatives with the Beaver Island Community School                                                               Taffy Raphael/Beth Leuck

  • Date set for May 29th, morning (2012) for kick-off of the first of an annual College and Career Day event.  Target is for 12 people a year to contribute time, 2 in each of the six formal career paths as designated by the State of Michigan
  • BIA will provide the school with a resource list of people who are willing to participate in College and Career Day, including their contact information, the age level of students they are comfortable working with, and the career path that they could represent.
  • A goal will be to include at least one CMU faculty member for the May 29th event, to begin to connect the CMU faculty with the school.  BIA Board members will each provide 4 names of those who have agreed to participate over the next three (3) years.
  • One “training” session will be held via conference call to help participants for 2012 know what will occur and how their participation will fit.

 

Township News (Liaison)                                                                                                                  Peter Igoe (St. James)

  • Nothing to report

Ken McDonald (Peaine)

  • Pam was approved for Human Services Commission
  • Craig is representative of BIA for the NRESC  (National Recreation and Eco-Tourism Steering Committee)
  • Phragmites is one of the foci for the Townships.  Permits are in process for the treatment.
  • Recreation Plan is being developed, building on prior versions, by the Townships.  Beth is able to send pdf  files of reports on the beaches and wetlands

Beach Cleanup organization & publicity plan                                                                                                               Ken McDonald

  • Reminder:  September 17th, 9:00 a.m. kickoff at the Community Center
  • Information sent to all media outlets
  • Flyers are in the works and will be emailed prior to the date and then posted on the forum.
  • Adam Richards, BICS liaison, will oversee the students who participate
  • Board approved funds for the chips, hot dogs, and other incentive related purchases, up to $100.00

Committee report of task force on endangered and invasive plant species.                         Bob Anderson, Jim Jones
Craig Schrotenboer, Beth                                                                                                                                                                  Leuck, Annette Dashiel

  • Invasive Species Summit:  June 14, 2012 at the Community Center.  Kickoff for many of the specific initiatives on-island for identification and eradication of invasive species.
  • Possibility of using one of the summer lecture series as a ‘field trip’ to practice identifying invasive species on the island, to increase accuracy
  • Fall/Winter:  Develop brochures to support the effort of identification/eradication
  • Developing a web-based and physical drop off of forms where sightings of invasive species can be left.
  • Have identified the ‘top 10’
  • Recruiting:  will build from the Summit activities
  • Funding:  exploring opportunities through Nature Conservancy
  • MISIN is the website that ours will link to
  • Pam will coordinate a grant effort to obtain GPS equipment, with letters of support from Townships and the NRESC

 

Island governance (township consolidation)                                                                 Bob Tidmore, Paul Glendon

  • Our role in exploring the possibility of combining to form a single township is to facilitate the discussion, not take a position or promote a course of action.  BIA recognizes that any change could affect many jobs and contracts that island residents fulfill.

 

Report on summer lecture series, thoughts for next year                                                                           Beth Leuck

  • Three held summer 2011 on birds and on plants.  All well attended (at least 20 people).
  • For Summer 2012, recommendation to combine one with Historical Society and CMU’s field trips re invasive species (BIA will sponsor the event, but proceeds will continue to go the other two groups, based on historical precedent).  This would occur in July given the growing patterns.  In addition, 2 lecture formats will be planned (by Beth L.).
  • Available for distribution:  A Home on the Shore.  Recommendation to use display at Community Center
  • Recommendation to schedule the lectures so that they do not overlap with other major BI events, as much as is possible.

 

A motion was passed: Beginning immediately, BIA Board Members are able to authorize up to $50.00 to support island partner initiatives that they are aware of through their partnership activities.

Next meeting: Thursday, September 15, 1:30 p.m. BI Community School conference room.
Articles to newsletter due to Peter Igoe, October 15.

 

 

Minutes of the Board of Directors meeting, July, 14, 2011

 

  1. The meeting was held at the Igoe home, 26145 Carlisle Road. Directors present were Beth Leuck, Bob Anderson, Peter Igoe, Pam Grassmick, Bob Tidmore, Taffy Raphael, Jim Jones, and Ken McDonald.  Craig Schrotenboer was absent on business.
  1. The meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m.

 

  1. The following board members were elected as officers for the current fiscal year:
    • President:                    Peter Igoe
    • Vice President:            Ken McDonald
    • Treasurer                    Bob Anderson
    • Secretary                    Taffy Raphael

 

  1. Legal/Banking. Peter Igoe will work with Bob Anderson and Annette Dashiel to organize the necessary documentation with the various legal authorities and the bank to effect the changes in directors.
  1. Communications Policy. The board adopted a policy statement that no board member should speak for the Beaver Island Association without the express permission of the board of directors.

 

  1. Website Update.  Jim Jones and Peter Igoe will take the lead in working with Jeff Cashman to maintain and enhance the Beaver Island Association website.  The web-site should be linked to The Beaver Island Forum and should be updated to include the presentations from the annual meeting on task group initiative dealing with endangered/invasive species and the property tax overview. Other enhancements/linkages were also discussed and these will be pursued.
  1. Newsletter.  Peter Igoe will coordinate submission of articles from board members for the twice yearly newsletter.  The articles should be submitted in MS Word format with copies to all board members.  Please think about articles for the newsletter now.  After review by board members, the final articles will be transmitted to Jim Jones who will format them for printing and transmit the file to Peter Igoe for printing and mailing.  The schedule for the newsletter is:

 

    • November 15, 2011 (articles are due to P. Igoe no later than October 15)
    • May 15, 2012 (articles are due to P. Igoe no later than April 15)
  1. Membership database. Peter Igoe will work with Annette Dashiel to update the membership database for recent payments and address changes.  Once updated, the Excel data base will be incorporated by Jim Jones into his Beaver Island Association files accessible by all board members.  The format of the file needs to be maintained because this is the source for mailing labels for membership communications.

 

  1. Township Consolidation.  The board decided to continue with the initiative to explore the benefits (or not) of consolidation of the St. James and Peaine townships into a single township. Bob Tidmore agreed to coordinate this effort.  He will speak with Paul Glendon to determine if he is willing to be involved.  In addition, Bob will talk to others from the Beaver Island Association membership and citizens from both Peaine and St. James asking them to join the exploratory group
  1. Outreach Initiatives.  Pam Grassmick will head up an initiative to increase membership in the Beaver Island Association.  This could include a booth (table) and posters at relevant events such as the beach clean-up and lectures sponsored by the association. One suggestion was to develop a tri-fold handout (similar to one that Marty Maehr created years ago) outlining the association’s efforts and accomplishments and including a membership solicitation card.  Beth Leuck will work on getting other photos for the poster/brochure/flier for the general public that will hopefully show characteristics of invasives that will allow people to tell them from similar natives. Pam will let the board know what she needs in terms of materials and board presence support.

 

  1. Township Liaison.  Peter Igoe will continue to attend and report on St. James Township supervisor meetings (Bob Tidmore will do this in the winter).  Ken McDonald, with backup from Pam Grassmick will do the same for Peaine.
  1. Education initiative.  There was a lengthy discussion of possible efforts to encourage students of the Beaver Island Community School to expand horizons.  Beth Leuck and Taffy Raphael will head this up starting with discussions with Kitty McNamara (and possibly with the school board).  Suggestions included:

 

    • Hosting a career day at the school to include presentations from various professions; and from graduates of the school who are involved in interesting careers.
    • A lecture (or several lectures) at the school by staff of the CMU Biological Station.
    • An initiative to have BICS students attend CMU summer classes (perhaps on scholarship provided by CMU).
    • Volunteer help for the students in preparing their college applications and essays.

  1. Future board meetings.  The next two board meetings are scheduled for Thursday, August 18 and Thursday September 15.  Peter Igoe will arrange for use of the Rural Health Center conference room. Meetings will start at 1:30 p.m.  Peter Igoe will ask Craig Schrotenboer to set up the conference-call/speaker phone facility for board members who cannot be physically present.
  1. The Board meeting was adjourned at approximately 3:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted:                      Peter Igoe

 

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