July 2015 Board Meeting

OCTWS Board Meeting

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Groveport, Ohio

Attendees: Michael Enright, Andy Montoney, Geoff Westerfield, Jon Cepek, Caleb Wellman

Agenda items

1. Officer elections and notifications

  • Congratulations to Caleb Wellman, new Treasurer and Geoff Westerfield, new President Elect.
  • Executive Board Roster has been updated with TWS National
  • Financial audit for treasurer position transfer will be done by Executive Board

2. Last minute details on the upcoming Fall Workshop;

  • Verified Tree of Heaven, Joann Rebbeck and Feral Swine, Craig Hicks presenters
  • Room for 40 to sit at venue, Must RSVP
  • RSVP by 31 August, Geoff set up website, email account and PayPal
  • Discussed meal and catering, cost is $8 per meal, will provide bottled water, attendees can bring their own drinks if they want
  • Jon will send out email reminders to members AFTER RSVP is figured out
  • Divide member list and executive board will personally call
  • Mike will notify OPRA, Midwest SER, society ecological restoration Jon will do LEAP and will Andy will ask Kendra to send out notices (find out which groups she is reaching out to)
  • Mike will reach out to student chapters
  • Geoff will finalize working approval for DOW staff to attend
  • Questions about if there are chapter members that are not on the list, identify by name and let Caleb know and he will follow up with TWS HQ
  • Agenda needs to be developed

3. Upcoming TWS Annual Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba

  • Chapter committed $500 to National to sponsor conference
  • Consider sponsoring in state student chapter member in future

4. Website, newsletter, other internet items;

  • Ohio Chapter website can be accessed through TWS’ (main/international) site or directly at www.wildlife.org/ohio
  • Executive board needs to send in head shot to Amanda
  • Jon ask Amanda about setting up online conference or meeting with executive board about website

5. Student Chapter interactions/liaisons;

  • Mike contacting advisors and officers directly
  • Jon contact TWS about rules about student chapters, is there possibility to do a regional not specific to university chapter

6. Committee members: need to relook at duties of members and participation, will discuss at fall meeting and ask for commitment or new members at Feb meeting, ensure committees are in alignment with bylaws  and adjust accordingly

7. Planning upcoming workshops: forest, wetland, grassland rotation, 2016 will be wetland on September 14 (Wednesday before Farm Science Review) somewhere in central Ohio

8. Upcoming events: December 16 next exec board meeting (TBD), OFWMA February 5th and Chapter business meeting, spring workshop and meeting April 20, Fall workshop September 14th (planning always for the Wednesday before Farm Science Review)

9. Science Day winners

Andy working on obtaining abstracts of  State Science Fair winners to include in chapter communication, winners invited to OFWMA conference, request someone to take photos of recognition of winners at OFWMA conference

10. Digital scan of historic notes

  • Definite need, willing to pay to have this done vs carting boxes around every 2 years
  • Mike will look into this
  • Proposing that the historian (committee member) will oversee (be gatekeeper)

11. New by laws

Officially amended as of 6 May 2015 to allow for electronic voting, further revisions will be discussed at fall meeting and voted on if notice of intent is submitted 2 weeks prior to meeting, otherwise it will be electronic vote

12. Identified need to verify that only official chapter members vote during TWS chapter business meetings.  Anyone is welcome to attend but by-laws state only chapter memebrs can vote. Considering adding green colored ribbons that say TWS to name tags, similar to presenter ribbons on conference name tags, these can be added last minute at registration the day of conference if someone signs up for chapter.

13. Discussion about streamlining business meeting at OFWMA conference because ran out of time last year.  We could ask OFWMA for more time but that would mean people have to get there earlier.  Since most of the audience for OFWMA and TWS meeting are the same people and also Kendra and other committee members seem to have to repeat same updates for bot h meetings is there a way to combine OFWMA and TWS business meeting or portions of?