Villages Hiking Club General Meeting Minutes
Monday, March 28, 2022, Foothill Center
- Call to Order: Bob Bogdanoff called the meeting to order at 7:33pm and introduced all the attending Board Members including: VP Social – Bernice Capitano, VP Membership & Website – Jim Beyer, Treasurer – Gordon Carbonetti, Secretary – Cheryl Allmen, VP Hiking & Trails – Gary Lohr and himself as President – Bob Bogdanoff. 38 members were in attendance.
- Reports:
*VP Membership & Website – Jim indicated he has been updating our website and recently added photos which included pictures of many volunteers who helped improving the trails from the Saturday March 26, 2022 Club’s Trail Maintenance Day. He also announced that the membership is now 306 individuals including three new members: Qi Huang, Pat Hubbard, and Carol Jacobsen. Terry Homand was also welcomed as a guest attending her first Club meeting.
*Secretary – Cheryl shared that copies of the February 28, 2022 Club General Meeting Minutes and the March 24, 2022 Hiking Club Board Meeting Minutes were available for review at the back table. She reminded the membership to visit the Club’s website frequently which includes hikes, events, activities along with the Club’s Board and General Meeting minutes and is consistently updated well by Jim. Lucy McProud moved to accept both minutes, seconded by Mary Stradner, motion passed.
*Treasurer – Gordon invited members to notify him or other Board members if a member has health, grief or other issues. On behalf of the Sunshine Committee, Terri Vivoli will make and send a caring, supportive card from the Club. He next shared screen shots of the General Club Financial Report indicating expenses and payments totaling a balance of $ $5,825.19. The Hills Financial Report received a transfer of $500 from the General Funds totaling a Hills balance of $2,215.89. Bob moved to accept the February Financial Reports and was seconded, motion passed.
*VP Hiking & Trails – Gary thanked approximately 30 individuals who volunteered at the Saturday, March 26, 2022 Trail Maintenance Day and were given a delicious lunch served at the Foothill Center. He indicated Dan Kato, chairperson of the project, did a terrific job planning, organizing and managing it which ended up successfully maintaining 5 different hill sites. Volunteers were provided rides up and down the hills to their assigned area. The last downhill mule ride returned a total of 7 workers ready to join other volunteers in celebrating completion of the trail maintenance.
Gary also asked members for feedback on Rambler hikes related to locations, timing, possible modifications and whether distances of 3-4 miles were preferred. He also announced the Club could benefit by adding a few new leaders and to contact him for additional information. He also reminded leaders to contact Jim Beyer weeks in advance of a hike. Jim will send publicity emails to the members for upcoming Rambler, Rambler Lite and Long Hikes and feature announcements in The Villager.
*VP Social – Bernice indicated we’d had a great turnout of 25 individuals who enjoyed the Club’s Game Night on Thursday, March 10, 2022 at the Foothill Center after 2 years of Covid regulations limiting public activities. Refreshments and beverages were thoroughly enjoyed by all. Bernice next thanked Rose Eagan, Loretta Carbonetti, Deb Siedband, Lucy McProud and daughter Stephanie for helping out with the lunches at the Trail Maintenance Day. She also announced that our next social, Variety Night, is on Thursday, May 12, 2022 and recommended thinking about talents you’d like to share with the audience. She encouraged members to announce this fun-filled opportunity to other clubs and talented individuals who would be interested in performing that night. Publicity will be announcing this event soon.
She mentioned more help is needed to support refreshments availability and coffee, tea beverage preparation at our Club events and asked members to contact her, signup on the sheet on back table or stop by the Club mail box in Cribari and leave a message.
*President – Bob gave an update on our upcoming May 4-6 Chico Hiking Club Trip indicating an announcement is already in The Villager and additionally, Jim has sent out an email to members describing the registration process and description of the outing. So far 17 rooms have been booked with close to 30 people planning to attend. He indicated Spring Outing fliers are available for pickup at the back table before leaving the meeting explaining the 2 step process. This includes #1: Register for lodging with the hotel. Members are encouraged to take advantage of the discounted Oxford reservation rates of $125 a king and $135 for 2 queens per room per night by April 4, 2022 by calling the hotel or contacting Bob for assistance with the registration. #2: Next, book your participation online with the Hiking Club which develops a contact list that will be given to the members attending to help them arrange for carpooling and support communications during the outing. The outing includes a private room Cinco De Mayo dinner at the Tres Hombres restaurant on the evening of May 5th for $48 to be billed to your residence. Alcoholic beverages are available at an extra cost. Contact Gary, Bernice and Bob if you wish additional information on this outing.
- Future Meetings. Bob also reminded the members that the next Club General Meetings are:
- Monday April 25 – RV Road Trip thru the American South – Jim Koski (professional photographer)
- No Meeting in May 2022
- Monday June 27 –Circumambulating Nepal’s Annapurna Mtns – Frans Spickhof
- Next Club Board Meeting is Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 9:30am-10:30am, Forum in Cribari.
Before taking a 10 minute refreshment break, Bob announced that Water Bakker was celebrating one of his senior birthdays with us and to enjoy the cookies and beverages.
- Presentation. Russ Glines was welcomed for the evening’s program on Hill Land Animals. Russ has taken over 5,000 photographs of animals he has located in the hills in the upper mountains of the Villages and reduced it to 250 for tonight’s presentation using new software by Microsoft, Sway. He shared a multitude of day and night photos of bobcats, cattle, badgers, mountain lions, foxes, skunks, birds, and snakes etc. indicating how he located them, how they were often hidden in nature, how some followed him, the timing of the photos and examples of animal tracks and prints . Presentation was thoroughly enjoyed by the members.
- Adjournment. At the conclusion of Russ’s program, Bob adjourned the meeting at 9:16pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Cheryl Allmen
Cheryl Allmen, Secretary
Hiking Club – The Villages Golf & Country Club
General Fund – Financial Report
March 2022
March 1, 2022 Beginning Book Balance: $ 5,825.19
Income:
New Member Dues – Paul Magruder $ 7.00
New Member Dues – Anne Brewer $ 7.00
New Member Dues – Qi Huang $ 7.00
New Member Dues – Carol Jacobsen $ 7.00
New Member Dues – Patricia Hubbard $ 7.00
Total Income: $ 35.00
Expenses: $. 0
Total Expenses: $ 0
March 31, 2022 Ending Book Balance: $ 5,860.19
Hiking Club – The Villages Golf & Country Club
Hill Lands Project Fund – Financial Report
March 2022
March 1, 2022 Beginning Book Balance: $ 2,215.89
Income: $ 0
Total Income: $ 0
Expenses: $ 0
Total Expenses: $ 0
March 31, 2022 Ending Book Balance: $ 2,215.89