The board of directors meeting of the Friends of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve

was called to order by Vice President Chuck Hatfield at the Kickapoo Valley

Reserve Visitor Center, Dec. 18, at 4 p.m.

 

The secretaryÕs report was read-two corrections were noted- and approved.

Patti Knower/Paige Baumgartner.

 

The treasurerÕs end-of-the -year report was read and approved. Brian

Turner/Patti Knower.

 

The 2009 Budget was read and discussed. There was a motion to approve. Patti

Knower/Brian Turner.

 

Election of officers:

Nominated for President - Fritz Cushing; Vice President – Brian Turner;

Treasurer – Chuck Reynolds; Secretary – Bonnie Sterling.

A motion was made to elect by unanimous acclamation. Patti Knower/Paige

Baumgartner.

 

Non-stock corporation annual report and fee will be done. Brad Steinmetz

will file online with the IRS.

 

Chuck addressed the board regarding a change in the by-laws to bring the

past president in as a nonvoting part of the board. He also said the board

needed to help Fritz and fill in the gaps. There was also a question of how

many people were on a business membership. The consensus was two passes.

 

Old Business

1. Spaghetti supper – The Reserve may go to Friday night registration for

the Dam Challenge, which will mean more people at the spaghetti supper.

There is a possibility that DiSciascioÕs may handle the food, all the

Friends would have to do is serve.

2. Dam Challenge – The West family did the concession.

 

3. The Cookie Walk/String Ties – There were approximately 135 people for

String Ties. There was a discussion of how to best use the space available

and how to rearrange the space.

4. Photo contest – There was only one-half of the entries we had last year.

Carol Nelson will not be heading this project next year. It was suggested

the contest has a purpose, such as a calendar. The winners would be

featured. Brian Turner and Patti Knower will look into this with the Sales

Committee. A theme needs to come out in February.

5.

6. "PearlsÕ – Chuck Hatfield estimated $25 per book in a 100 run. He is

going to get together with the coalition that produced the original "Pears."

We could also look at pre-sales.

 

7. Collectors plate – A motion was made to donate a plate to Zach Reynolds,

whose photo is on the plate. Bonnie Sterling/Patti Knower.

Patti suggested a winter scene for the next collectorÕs plate.

 

8. Nuzum Grant – We need to spend it by June 30, 2009 - $11,700. Chuck

Hatfield will refine the totals for the next meeting and it will include

Digital Archival Storage Software (Past Perfect), computer and related

equipment, "Kickapoo Pearls" project. Bonnie suggested looking into a

graphic program so we could do our own publishing in the future. She will

bring information to the March meeting.

We would also have to look into furniture, and interaction with the Reserve

staff.

A motion was made to pursue the grant for Past Perfect. Chuck is to have the

budget at the March meeting. Patti Knower/Bonnie Sterling.

 

8. Brad Steinmetz said the Nuzum committee expects the money to be spent.

The board discussed another book "The People Remember," which canÕt be

completed by June. Bonnie suggested "The People Remember the Valley" at a

later date. She also suggested a coffee table book using pictures from the

contest and asking schoolchildren to write about the pictures.

Brian suggested three books to be reprinted "Rockton Memories," "Valley

Centennial" and "Life on the Kickapoo" by Chloe Neprud. These will not fall

within the perimeters present grant but could be another Nuzum grant.

 

9. Corps of Engineers – Mark Nelson called Chuck Hatfield. The archiving,

movement and pritoritizing of the files should be done Dec. 29, 2008. All

material should be sorted and checked against inventory and organized. We

hope to go St. Paul to finish scanning the files in February.

A motion was made to make arrangements for this trip. Brian Turner/Patti

Knower.

 

New Business

1. Winter Festival – There is an issue about liability for those

representing the Reserve. Which is still on going. Brian asked that some of

the FriendÕs money be used for the horses/history tour.

 

2. Country Fair – there were complaints about how the food stand was handled

by Organic Valley. Organic Valley said they were going to rewrite the rules

and will do right by us. We can sell what we want. We need to let Organic

Valley know we want a food stand. Marcy will check and follow through. A

motion was made that the Friends be a part of the Kickapoo Country Fair.

Chuck Reynolds/Patti Knower.

 

3. Other New Business – Brian suggested a History Day on Saturday, July 4,

similar to the first one but expand it into different areas and advertise it

as a "Homecoming at the Reserve." Maybe make available to FriendÕs members a

booklet of pictures.

A motion was made to authorize Brian to bring a detailed plan for Heritage

Days to the March meeting. Patti Knower/Paige Baumgartner

 

Committees

Membership/Recruitment/Volunteers

Patti Knower and Paige Baumgartner

Patti will chair the membership and recruitment part and Paige will chair

the volunteers.

Chuck asked committee chairs to define the duties of their committee at the

March meeting.

Communication – Chuck Reynolds will ask Janet Kruk to take over the

responsibilities of the FriendÕs newsletter. Brad Steinmetz will continue to

update the website a couple times a week.

 

Marketing/Sales – The committee needs to do an inventory and look at new

products. Chuck Hatfield, chair, Brad Steinmetz, Bonnie Sterling, There will

be a subcommittee to handle the publishing duties.

 

Finance-Budget – Chuck Reynolds

It was suggested that a subcommittee handle and track the grants. Marcy

could help with on-going projects. Bonnie will help track grants.

 

Project/Event Management – After a discussion it was felt this committee was

needed to over see the projects and events of the Friends from grant

writing/tracking to on-going projects and events. Fritz Cushing and Brian

Turner.

 

Fritz noted that we need to spread the work and volunteers will be critical

to the success of the committees.

 

Complimentary memberships will go to Karen Hermsen and Bernice Schroeder.

 

Other Business

The board needs to update by-laws and copies need to go to board members.

1. Officers lapse between annual meeting and board meeting. It needs to be

changed to say term will carry through to the first board meeting after the

annual meeting.

2. Have the past president available for a year of transition. Be a

nonvoting member of the board.

3. Discuss the term limit – clarify.

 

The Friends will donate a basket of articles and books to Winter Festival

auction. Brian will donate a print of Blackhawk Rock.

 

The Oden quilt is still in the Friends care. We need to think about what to

do with it.

 

The next meeting of the board is Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m. at the Visitor

Center.

 

A thank-you was sent to Jack Hill and Chuck and Gwen Hatfield for donating

their prize money from the photo contest to the Friends.

 

There was a motion to adjourn, Chuck Reynolds/Fritz Cushing.

 

Respectfully submitted, Bonnie Sterling, secretary