Board Blurb: October 2026
10/14/2026
Prepared by Laurel Watt (2026 RCMG Secretary)
Summary for the October RCMG Board of Directors Meeting
The RCMG Board of Directors Meeting was held on October 13, 2026 on Zoom. The next Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom. All volunteers are welcome to attend.
Committee Updates
Finance Committee Update – Julie Bechtold
The committee continues to work on policies and procedures for cash management and levels of risk. We are still waiting for a response from Extension to our proposal to fund our program activities with a lump sum grant to the University. Because the program activities must remain separate from the nonprofit, and because the nonprofit will continue as a separate entity, processes for funding our programming will change. Next year, all money that we raise for program activities will flow through the University accounts, but the nonprofit expects to continue to fully manage fundraising (i.e., the Plant Sale and glove sales) and Project Grants pending our receiving a signed confirmation of our proposal from Extension. We will fully fund our program activities, but volunteers will no longer be purchasing supplies for programs directly and submitting reimbursement requests. Instead, the nonprofit will fund a year’s worth of program costs based on the proposed budget by sending the lump sum to the appropriate University account.
This means that if you are a project lead, you will need to work with the Program Coordinator in 2027 to obtain your supplies. The Finance Committee is also working on project lead training for purchasing policy for those purchases that the nonprofit is funding directly, namely those associated with the Plant Sale and Project Grants. Questions? Please talk to any of the nonprofit Board members listed below.
Leadership Updates
Treasurer Update– Kathy Passe
Highlights of Kathy’s report included the news that we received an employee-directed corporate grant from Cargill for $2000 and that gardening gloves for children will be added to our inventory for sale at the Plant Sale and at the Friends Sale. They will also be available for member purchase at the November membership meeting. Kathy noted that we currently have $206,118.93 in assets.
Project Grant Funding continues to be available. Please consider applying for some of this grant money for your RGEV projects! Contact Julie Bechtold, Finance Chair, for your project grant requests.
Chair Report– Beth Fritcher
Elections
Major bylaws changes and Board officers will be on the ballot this month. A revision of the bylaws was necessary this year because of Extension’s request that we have a clear separation between the 501(c) (3) nonprofit and the RGEV Program. It is critical that our members, all active RCGV’s who have completed their internship requirements, consider these changes and cast your vote. Without a quorum, we will be unable to proceed.
Also, three of the current Board members have agreed to continue to serve in their current positions given the challenges a transition of this nature presents. They are Beth Fritcher, Chair, Maggie Maggio, Vice Chair, and Laurel Watt, Secretary. In addition, Nanette Boudreau will also be on the ballot to serve as the Marketing/Communications representative on the nonprofit Board.
2026 Board Leadership: Beth Fritcher (Chair), Maggie Maggio (Vice-Chair), Laurel Watt (Secretary), Kathy Passe (Interim Treasurer), Julie Bechtold (Finance Chair).
