9/13/23
Summary for the September RCMG Board of Directors Meeting
The RCMG Board Meeting was held on September 12, 2023 on Zoom. The next Board Meeting will be on October 10th. Board meetings are open to all volunteers.
Committee Updates
Plant Sale Committee Update
The Aldrich Arena contract was signed and the committee is working on obtaining an insurance policy to cover the day of the sale (required by the venue).
Still undecided is whether we will be able to sell our own “landscape divisions” due to the concern about jumping worms. The committee will talk with other counties about their experiences and, if we move forward, we will be taught how to prepare plants for sale (washing roots and repotting).
Education Committee Update
The September monthly meeting speaker will be Heather Benson on the topic of therapeutic gardening.
Our October monthly meeting will focus on recycling and composting with a speaker from Ramsey County.
"Bud, Bloom, Thorn” is the theme for the November meeting, which will showcase experiences from members with their gardens. The committee is still in need of more submissions so if you have photos and a story (“good, bad, and/or ugly”) please share. Here is the link to the submission form: https://forms.gle/UB6Efiycf8oq9WBr7.
The final Garden Gate Tour for the year will be this Sunday afternoon, September 17, with an “extra.” Scott Lore will be at the garden to give a tutorial on using your phone camera to take garden photos. This is our first attempt to add a bit of variety to the Garden Gate Tours. Come out and see how it goes!
New Member Committee Update
To date 25 individuals have applied for the 2024 program. The deadline for applications is October 1st, and we expect (based on previous year’s results) that many more will apply toward the end of the time period. We are likely to have another large group of interns!
Darren and several board members are reaching out to interns who have fallen behind to help them complete their course work and volunteer hours.
Communications Committee Update
The committee has added three new talented members to assist with their extensive work. Sadly Chris Beal, who has been such an integral member of the group, has moved out of our county. He will be missed!
Banners have been created to attach to tents at events, making us much more visible.
Two new blog articles have been added to the site: “Planting Bulbs” and “Bringing Houseplants Indoors.”
A featured project article on the Children’s Peace Garden has been published in the newsletter.
Leadership Updates
Secretary Update
The August Board Minutes were approved.
Treasurer Update
The August Treasurer’s Reports (Transaction Report, Bank Statement and Fidelity account) were approved.
Program Coordinator Update
Darren has been working with Ramsey County on a Land Use Agreement for the Extension Office and the land surrounding the office. There will be much more oversite by the County, and we’ll need to be pre-approved for any projects we’d like to add to the site or hold at the site. This is a bit of a change from how we’ve worked with the County in the past! Extension will also be involved in reviewing future projects we might want to host at the Barn.
Chair and Vice-Chair Report
Bylaw Revision
Julie created a Power Point document which outlines the next steps needed to update our Bylaws. Sandy will share this information with the general membership next week. There will be opportunities for member comment and input with a final version available in October. Voting will be done online over a period of about two weeks following the meeting, with results announced in November.
Old Business
Annual Board Retreat
A retreat for new and outgoing Board Members and Committee Chairpersons is scheduled for Saturday, December 2nd at a site to be determined. Karen will facilitate as she did such a marvelous job at our July retreat!
New Business
Project Funding
The Board authorized spending up to $80 for décor and/or door prizes for the Mentor/Intern celebration, scheduled for Sunday, October 1st at the Roseville Library. A SignUp Genius invite has been sent. There is no fee for the facility and Darren is covering the cost for refreshments.s.
2023 Board Leadership: Sandy McDonald (Chair), Julie Bechtold (Vice-Chair), Gretchen Hesli (Secretary), Kathy Passe, (Treasurer), Jane Carlstrom (Education Chair), Simba Blood (Education Co-Chair), Judi Ginter (Membership Chair), Karen Randall (Membership Co-Chair), Stacy Sola (Communication Chair), Nanette Boudreau (Communication Co-Chair), Darren Lochner (Program Coordinator).