Master Gardener Meeting Minutes 2/10/11

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Attending: Freddi Steele, Loni Shapiro, Hattie Braun, Faith Brittain, Jim Mast, Jeff Best, Lee Lansing, Ann Eagan, Tess Wymore, Beth Dykstra, Linda Moriarty, Kerry Ronk, Ed Skiba, Debi Stalvey, Debra Crisp, Galen & Andre Guerrette, Linda Guarino, Dana Prom Smith

6:30pm-6:40pm Welcome – Agenda Jim Mast
Brief review of agenda for the evening
Introduction of speaker

6:40pm-7:30pm Continuing Education
Spiders of the Winter
Freddi Steele, former naturalist for the National Park Service and master gardener.
Freddi talked about the differences between insects and spiders. Spiders have jaws or fangs, no wings or antennae , young are similar in shape but not necessarily color. Other members of the family include ticks, mites, and scorpions. She also talked about some basics about their bodies and legs.
They have 2 main parts to their body and they have a hard shell, generally start with 8 legs but can have 2-8 later in life. Some have legs that can re-grow and some can drop off legs. Legs have tongues on their feet for sensing, and breathing organs with slits on the underside of their body. They have an extra set of hands near their mouth. They often have hair and are fuzzy and this is used for hearing and feeling. Their webs are spun of silk (liquid protein) and they create webs, egg sacs, draglines and snares. While spinning they can actually appear to fly (ballooning). The remainder of the program was about specific winter spiders. They are actually around all year but we generally only see them in the winter. Freddi provided details and photos on wolf spiders, daddy long-legs, cob web spiders, black or brown widows, jumping spiders, grass spiders, and the brown recluse. Black widows and brown recluse can be dangerous and most bites likely will require a visit to the Dr. Widows can cause tissue to die (necrotic) leaving a hole or indentation in the skin when healed. For more specifics about each spider checkout references on the web or at the library.

7:30pm-7:45pm Refreshments
Thank you to Ann Eagan and those who donated to the refreshment donation
jar.

7:45pm - 8:30pm Business Meeting – Jim Mast
7:45pm – 8:00pm Overview of recent Executive Meeting – Jim Mast
-Work on bi-laws changes with new membership. Revised bi-laws will be available for all to vote on next month. Major changes are in categories for membership. There will be 3 levels of membership:
- Member /certified MG up to date on volunteer & education hours
- Associate member / MG but not up to date on volunteer & ed. Hours for 2010
- Trainee / master gardener in training, not yet certified
All eligible for discounts if purchasing membership
Hattie working on revising Program Rules for initial MG certification and maintaining MG certification.
-Membership cards to be available beginning next month and Ed made collections the past two weeks. The cost is $10 and you will receive 10% discounts at Viola’s, Native Plant & Seed, and Warner’s. The discount will not apply for sales and they each have some restrictions which will be printed on the back of your cards. Jim suggested wearing your card or your MG badge to meetings so we can get to know each other.
-The committee also worked on a document to outline the differences between
volunteer and education hours. Jim reviewed a few of these such as adding travel time to volunteer
hours. The details will be provided at the next meeting.
-Repeat of calendar project for 2011 (May 4 deadline for photos) – see handout. Flyers are available that outline the requirements for entering. Calendars are still available for purchase for $5. Remaining will be given to the new MG class.
-Any ideas for other fundraising projects for 2011? Some ideas included a plant and garden sale, AV materials for the association, funds for MG projects for non-profits, speakers, and conferences. Hattie stated that her budget, because of state issues, is smaller and she cannot provide many of the things she used to, so we need to use this money to meet some of those needs. We also will be paying a $200 fee to the church for the use of their facility (utilities). The Executive committee needs to put spending on the agenda for the next meeting of the Executive Committee.

Finance Update – Ed Skiba
The checking account has been closed to avoid monthly fees. All monies are now in savings. Last month 16 signed up to be members ($160) and we sold 7 calendars ($35), $3 was given to the food donation fund. Current total in the bank is $1229.42. An issue to be addressed at next Ex. Mtg. – procedure for obtaining money for purchases, food donation jar (should we keep it aside to purchase needed food item to avoid withdrawls), ideas for funds for the year, pursuit of non-profit status.

8:00pm – 8:20pm Committee Reports:
Continuing Education – Dana Prom Smith (see schedule) Dana has about 6 weeks of articles but is always looking for people. Loni reminded people that there are many opportunities for the next couple of month to find CE. She circulated 2 - Gardens for Humanity’s week of lectures and a school garden conference in Tempe. Follow the blog for more details.
Community Programs
Community Markets- to continue in 2011. Schedules and sign up will not happen until the market is close to opening.
Speakers Bureau-need more to sign up as regulars for this program so Hattie has a pool to choose from when requests come in.
Home Show – Hattie Braun/Faith Brittain Faith & Hattie have a tentative schedule with people to set-up/take-down, man the booth, and speak. They are still looking for more speakers and people to man the booth. Hattie will send out a current list of sign ups. The Home Show is from 3/25-27. Call or email them if you are interested in helping. You will get free entry to the Home Show.
Coordination of MG Projects – Linda Guarino This is currently on the blog but will soon be revised with Riordan Mansion, Grand Canyon Project with Jan, Coconino Center for the Arts? Hattie stated there is a need for two types of projects (Non-profit initiated and master gardener initiated). Executive Committee and Project committee will look at this.
Volunteer Support/Social – Hattie Braun/Crys Wells
Crys reports that tallies for 2010 of hours reported include:
Volunteer – 3525.25 Continuing Ed – 539
For 2011 January thus far:
Vol. 70.75 CE 10
Reporting of hours is necessary to justify the master gardener program with those that care.
Board of Supervisors
U. of A
Reporting on the computer is recommended, but if you are unable to do this you can report on paper. A form is available. This should be done monthly so those that keep tally, don’t have to do it all in December. Those that are interested in the numbers don’t always work on a Jan-Dec budget, some are July to June, so numbers need to be up to date.

8:20pm – 8:30pm Garden questions?
Galen G – question on appropriate lights for use in indoor growing. Least expensive florescent lights are the best (Hattie & Ed).
Questions on watering due to dry winter. Hattie may reprint watering article in newspaper.

Next meeting: March 10, 2011
Shepherd of the Hills Church Chaa Organic Farm in Belize
1601 N. San Francisco Linda Neff, anthropologist