Board Meeting Minutes 18-Nov-2021

Board Meeting Minutes 18-Nov-2021

 

Villages Hiking Club –Board Meeting Minutes 18-Nov-2021

 

  1. Called to Order: 9:34am by President Al Girolami at Cribari Forum Room

 

  1. Attending Board Members:

President – Al Girolami                                     VP Social – Michelle Breslin

VP Membership & Website – Jim Beyer        Secretary – Gordon Carbonetti

VP Hiking & Trails – Dan Kato (acting volunteer)

Excused Absence – Sandy Petrin

 

Also attending: Bob Bogdanoff, Bernice Capitano, Gary Lohr

 

 

  1. Reports

Secretary – GORDON CARBONETTI

  • Gordon presented the minutes for the October 21, 2021, Board Meeting.  A motion to approve the minutes was made by Jim Beyer with a second by Michelle Breslin, and the motion passed unanimously.
  • Gordon will send the updated 2022 Events Schedule to Jim for website upload.

Treasurer – SANDY PETRIN (Al Girolami reported in Sandy’s absence)

 

October 2021 Hiking Club General Fund

Beginning balance as of September 30, 2021                                           $5,002.22

 

Income – Oct 21 Cash Donation from the long-hikers for Champagne at the Cracked Crab in honor of Faye Swanson                                                             $160.00

 

Expenses –

-Oct   6 Chk#1681 – Cracked Crab (dinner at Pismo Outing).            ($1,785.00)

-Oct 20 Chk#1682 – Evergreen Villages Foundation (in memory of Bob Hunley)

($50.00)

-Oct 20 Chk#1683 – National Parks Conservation Association (in honor of Faye Swanson)                                                                                                 ($50.00)

Ending balance as of October 31, 2021                                                    $3,277.22

Note: Bank Balance is $3,327.22 as Ck#1683 ($50.00) is outstanding

 

October 2021 Hiking Club Hill Lands Project Fund

Beginning balance as of September 30, 2021                                          $2,801.82

No Income and Expenses                                                                                $0.00

Ending Balance as of October 31, 2021                                                   $2,801.82

 

  • The preceding Financial Report was approved by a motion made by Gordon, and seconded by Jim, and it passed unanimously.

 

2022 Budget – The 2022 Hiking Club Budget remains the same as the 2021 budget except for the addition of a planned $500 contribution in 2022 to the Hill Lands Account. A copy of the 2022 budget is attached to these minutes.

2021/2022 Donations Lists – For end-of-year donations in 2021, it was recommended to add a $100.00 donation to Big Basin (Mountain Parks Foundation – Big Basin Recovery Fund) for damage sustained in the fires of Summer 2021, and to reduce the donation to Greenbelt Alliance (by $100.00) to $100.00.  The total of all year-end donations of $1,200.00 remains unchanged from previous years. Checks will be sent out in December. The Board also recommended to carry over the same donations to 2022. The list of Donations planned in 2022 is attached to these minutes.

  • The Budget and Donations were approved by a motion made by Gordon, and seconded by Jim, and they passed unanimously

Sunshine Committee – No news was reported.

 

 

VP Membership & Website – JIM BEYER

  • Jim reported we have two new members (Stephanie Bogdanoff and Richard Schram) and the total current membership now stands at 308
  • Jim said the October memorial events for Faye Swanson went very well with up to 55 attendees. A special thank-you went to Dan Kato for his guitar work and songs he sang at the memorial in Foothill Center.
  • Al, at his expense, provided and installed on the bench on Buffalo Trail, a plaque honoring Faye.  Thanks go to Al Girolami.
  • Al said annual dues have been $7.00 for many years, and the new Board can decide if an increase is warranted.

 

VP Trails –Dan Kato (acting)

  • Hike information continues to be published in The Villager, and emails go out as well.  We should strive to publish hike information in the Villager newspaper two weeks in advance.
  • Dan suggested the new Board formulate the process in getting Hike information out to the members.  Perhaps such a process can be put into the club’s Standing Rules.  (The Board can approve updates to the Standing Rules, whereas By-Law updates need full membership approval.) Jim volunteered to write up a draft process for Standing Rules update and will share with Dan.  Jim Beyer volunteered to write up the first draft.
  • Outside people may join hikes but will need to sign liability releases.
  • Al suggested the new Board decide on what 2022 out-of-town outings to plan.
  • Dan offered his assistance in 2022 to the new VP Trails.

VP Social – MICHELLE BRESLIN

  • Michelle reported Game Night was held November 11, 2021, at Vineyard with about 10-15 attendees and with several desserts and hot beverages provided. The hot holiday cider was a hit.  Two very spirited games of “Sequence” took place followed by a challenging trivia test about National Parks.  A good time was had by all.
  • Russ no longer wants to do the coffee at the events.  A discussion about coffee strategy took place and cutting back on coffee at certain events seemed agreeable.
  • The annual Holiday Party will be held December 9, 2021, at the Cribari Auditorium. To keep the cost down, the current plan is to scale back the dinner menu from previous years to a lasagna/pasta dinner with salad and bread with the possibility of members bringing desserts to share. Estimated cost is $25 per attendee and was agreeable.
  • Michelle will get a room for the Holiday Lights Walk and will advise details to the membership.

 

 

  1. Old Business

Cattle Grazing – Michelle Breslin, Committee Chair

  • Michelle attended the recent Villages Board Meeting with Bill Johnston. She learned there is a new process in place to review club projects, and the Grazing process has been accepted for review in 2022. A Villages Board member will be assigned to oversee the review process, which she said could take a year or more.
  • One HC member issued a written opinion to the Villages Board objecting to Grazing in the Hill Lands. One alternative is to bring goats onto the property, but the cost is prohibitive at $800/acre.
  • Support for Grazing was lost from the Equestrian Club due to the fear cattle could spook the horses.
  • We lost Sustainability Club support too with concerns of cattle’s methane production.

Performance Fabric Long Sleeve Shirts – Michelle Breslin

  • She is still working on a logo and could use help from other members, or we can consider hiring a graphic designer to assist.
  • This subject should be raised at a future Membership meeting for suggestions.

Hill Lands Projects – Dan Kato

  • Upper Meadow Trail re-route should be done Spring 2022
  • Garden Steps bypass trail should be done Spring 2022
  • New picnic table at the NE corner of the Hill Lands property is purchased and will be installed before year-end 2021 at a not-to-exceed cost to the HC of $1300.
  • Upper Bay Trail re-route is to be worked in 2022.
  • Putting ski resort type signage at each Hill Lands trailheads is to be worked in 2022

 

Keys for The HC Storage Cage in the Corporation Yard – all

  • Keys are with the President, VP Social, VP Trails, VP Membership and Hill Lands Project Leader, and should be passed on to the appropriate incoming Board members.

Slate of Officers for the 2022 Hiking Club Board – Al Girolami

  • The following HC members have volunteered to run for the 2022 Board and they comprise the current slate.  At the November General Membership Meeting, Al said he will ask for any other volunteers to step forward to be added to the slate. The final election by the General Membership will follow.

President – Bob Bogdanoff

Vice President for Hiking & Trails – Gary Lohr

Vice President for Socials – Bernice Capitano

Vice President for Membership and Communications – Jim Beyer

Treasurer – Gordon Carbonetti

Secretary – Cheryl Allmen

  • Al also said that before the end of January 2022, the current Treasurer along with the new President and Treasurer should meet with USBank to transition those two new officers to the hiking bank accounts.

 

  1. Next Meetings
  • November General Membership Meeting – Monday November 29, 2021, at 7:30pm in the Foothill Center (please bring your mask). Program: Sara Barth of the Sempervirens Fund to discuss California Redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
  • January Board Meeting – Thursday, January 27, 2022, at 9:30am, in the Forum Room in Cribari.
  • January General Membership – Monday, January 31, 2022, at 7:30pm in the Foothill Center (please bring your mask). Program: Michelle Breslin speaking about Grazing in The Villages Hill Lands.
  • February Board Meeting – Thursday, February 24, 2022, at 9:30am, in the Forum Room in Cribari.
  • February General Membership – Monday, February 28, 2022, at 7:30pm in the Foothill Center (please bring your mask). Program: TBA.

 

  1. Meeting Adjourned – The Board meeting adjourned at 11:05am. There will be no Board or General Membership meetings in December.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Gordon Carbonetti – Secretary