Villages Hiking Club, GENERAL Meeting Minutes
Monday, January 29, 2024, Foothill Center
Call to Order – Bob called the first meeting of 2024 to order at 7:10pm by announcing that John Trudeau will
be filling in for tonight’s presentation with foreign photos of European Countries and Awesome Hikes
since Jane Ruona is recuperating from Covid. He also indicated the following Board Members were in
attendance: President – Bob Bogdanoff; Co-VPs Social – Bibi Bruce & Linda Arbaugh; Treasurer – Bert Tang; and,
VP Hiking & Trails – Gordon Carbonetti. Absent were: VP Membership & Website – Jim Beyer and Secretary –
Cheryl Allmen who is on travel and will prepare the minutes from the meeting audio recording.
Officer Reports
Secretary – Bob announced that Cheryl previously forwarded the November 27, 2023 General Hiking
Club Meeting Minutes to the Club’s website for posting which can be approved later at the February 26 th
general meeting.
VP Membership & Website – Bob (substituting for Jim) introduced guests & new/potential members
(Sabrina Malcolmson, Nancy Mori, Penny Ortega, Abe Chen, Sarah Yang, Ned Hales, Mary Cruz, Rudy
Cruz & Eileen Skinner). He also indicated the Club has a total of 338 members, the membership
application is now available online and the website is functioning well.
Treasurer–Since Gordon was treasurer last year, he prepared the November and December fiscal
reports for 2023 and summarized them as follows: Our November General Fiscal Report started with
$3160 with expenses totaling $237 (September BBQ, Pt Reyes Outing, general meeting supplies and
Game Night) for an ending balance of $2921.
The December General Fiscal Report began with $2921 with an income check from the Villages covering
the Pt Reyes fall outing dinner costs which had been billed to each attendee resident’s HOA
($47/individual) totaling $2021 with a subtotal of $4942. $1703 in expenses included: the Club’s
Holiday dinner expenses along with $1200 in donations that had been given to our 12 different
charitable organizations which we have been donating for years which included: Bay Area Trail Council,
California State Parks Foundation, Green Belt Alliance, Non Parks Foundation, Peninsula Open Space
Trust, Portola and Castle Rock Foundation, Santa Clara County Open Space Authority, Santa Clara County
Parks and Rec Department, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, Sempervirens Fund, Sierra Club the
Loma Prieta Chapter and Pine Ridge Association. Ending balance in December totaled $3238.
The Hill Lands account which covers equipment and other expenses associated with our trails remains
the same: $2715.89. Bert will continue reporting the fiscal activities and balances starting in January,
2024.
VP Hiking & Trails – Gordon shared he is forming an ad hoc committee to help with sharing possible
location ideas, planning and coordination of the Spring 2024 Adventure Outing and Trip. Anyone
interested should notify him. Next, the Trail Maintenance Day is planned for March 23 rd with Dan Kato
as our manager to clean out and improve different trail areas. If interested in being a leader, connect up
with Dan. He also announced he is starting to compile a list of hikers entering one of the three trail
heads up the hill and asks them to sign in on the log sheet located in the mailboxes at the start of each
trail head, and also the log sheets at the top of the mountain trails. In the last 7 months (June-
December 2023) over 3,150 people actually signed in at the bottom of the hills and nearly 1000
individuals signed in at the top. He wants to have more realistic data to review on the hill trail system
assuming not everyone might be signing in and we are missing data from January through May of 2023.
VP Social – Linda started by thanking Sandy Petrin for supplying us with delicious brownies and cookies
for tonight’s break time. The next Club event is a Soup Supper and White Elephant Exchange at 5:30pm
on February the 9 th at Foothill. Signups are needed for those willing to provide a pot of soup serving 10
individuals and a clipboard signup sheet will be placed at the back of the room for those volunteering.
Attendees are asked to bring their own dinnerware, utensils and drinks. Hiking Club will provide coffee,
tea and desserts. Pam Thompson will be our mc so if interested bring your own gift to share and then
you’ll get to pick a gift, hopefully one that is not stolen away from you from another member. The next
event will be held on March 11 th as a Game Night at Foothill.
President’s Report- Bob announced that General Manage Theresa reported that the City has approved
the garden steps replacement in our Upper Trails area, we have our permits and she’s connecting with
King’s Grading to schedule the work. Her second update indicated the Cattle Grazing project is moving
forward however the 3,600 acres ranch adjacent to the Villages has sold again to a conservation fund
group and more information concerning it will be forthcoming about the open space expansion area.
Additionally, the Villages needs to add more fencing around the Horse Stables to protect the horses. He
indicated there was a calendar handout of our 2024 upcoming Club events and activities for pickup as
well as inclusion on our Club website.
Additionally the Villages Club Board initiated suggestions from all the Clubs of their interests so Bob gave
them three priorities and goals: Cows grazing in the hill lands, reduce water usage and improve fire
safety, and walker safety on main roads. Specific questions on initiatives and programs were also asked.
He provided: execute the long end process for hill lands and garden steps addition/replacement, add
“you are here” maps at the entrances to the hill lands once the trails are improved, replace existing
conference keys with remote controlled locks and add a ceiling mounted projector for conference rooms
with dropdown screens.
Next General Meetings – Monday, February 26, 2024 starting 7:00pm at Foothill Center, with presenter:
Andrea MacKenzie, GM, Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – “Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve.” Monday March 25
beginning 7:00pm at Foothill Center– Nancy Hooton, “Helicopter Hiking”.
A break was taken and the John Trudeau gave his outstanding presentation which was appreciated by
the attendees based on Traveling Italy in the Dolomite Area!
Meeting was adjourned at 9pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Cheryl Allmen, Secretary