by Gale Burrus
Ozark Chapter ExCom, Secretary
Well, many things. We have two different meetings during the same weekend. At the Conservation Committee meetings we discuss and make decisions on a whole range of conservation issues. At the Executive Committee meetings we discuss and make decisions on the administrative matters of the Chapter.
For example, at the Executive Committee meeting we held in July, we received our regular committee reports. We heard from the treasurer on our current financial status. This was a detailed report by Donna Clark Fuller including such things as the amount of money we’ve received from our March fund–raising appeal and how much we’ve spent on the newsletter, staff and various conservation efforts.
We also received reports from the Membership, Conservation, Political, Newsletter, Web Page, Annual Reunion, and Staff Management committees. The Membership Committee reports on the membership numbers for the Chapter and Groups, and works on Chapter membership issues. Currently Ginger Harris is working with a subcommittee to survey members in the White River Group area regarding their interests and activities, and she is planning a follow up get–together with interested members.
Carolyn Pufalt reported on a recommendation from the Conservation Committee for the Chapter to take a position in the club–wide debate on grazing on public lands. As recommended by the Conservation Committee, the Chapter Executive Committee voted to support the Grazing Reform policy option and to communicate this position to Debby Sease, who is collecting the opinions.
A recommendation for a particular state office endorsement was made by Tom Moran, Political Chair, for the Political Committee, and passed by the Executive Committee. We also discussed where we are in the process for other possible endorsements for the General Election in November.
Articles and who would write them were discussed for the Ozark Sierran. The information was then passed on to Bob Sherrick, our Newsletter Editor. Another way we communicate is through our web site. The Web Page Committee, chaired by Wallace McMullen, presented information on additional content and the updating of content on the web page.
Keet Kopecky, who is organizing the Chapter Camp–Out and Reunion this year, advised us of who has volunteered to coordinate the various activities and where volunteer coordinators are still needed. We still need people to volunteer to coordinate the team who will arrive early to put up signs and get the cabins ready, a volunteer to coordinate the camp clean up and a volunteer to coordinate the silent auction. Roy Hengerson is chairing the committee in charge of the Chapter Awards we give out on Saturday night at the Camp–Out.
During the Staff Management Committee portion we discussed the environmental voice that our Chapter Program Director, Ken Midkiff, has in his column in the Columbia Tribune, and about possibilities of electronically distributing or linking to the column so more people can read it.
We then had administrative reports from the Groups. Herschel Asner reported on a walkathon fund-raiser that the Eastern Missouri Group held that was successful and their formal backing of the proposed revised Master Plan for Jefferson County, Missouri. Tom Moran reported on the formation of a Growth and Development Task Force in the Osage Group. The Thomas Hart Benton Group reported on working at a concession stand at the Blues and Jazz Festival in Kansas City for fund–raising. Trail of Tears also reported they had a recent fund–raising success with their garage sale, and all Executive Members present thanked them for hosting our July meeting.
Other reports followed; Ken Midkiff, our Chapter Program Director, indicated the office move went smoothly, and he talked about a grant proposal we’ve been asked to submit to a foundation. Gale Burrus, Council of Club Leaders Budget Officer, spoke about some national issues, including the One Club meeting involving group, chapter and national entity representatives occurring in August. Roy Hengerson, lately of the Board of Directors, spoke about some other national issues, including the new Board officers including Robbie Cox as president. He also mentioned that the grazing policy will probably be finalized at the September Board meeting, the policy on land exchange at the November Board meeting, and that a Biotechnology policy was passed by the Board at its May meeting.
We then reviewed and updated the Chapter calendar and clarified task assignments that came out of this meeting.
So, all–in–all it was a typical productive Executive Committee meeting.