Texas Master Naturalist Brazos Valley Chapter
Minutes of Meeting Held Thursday, May 8, 2008

Attendees:  Bruce Abbitt, Jim Anding, Kitty Anding, Jo Anne Bates, Pat Davis, Kerry Fillip, Paul Fillip, Kenneth Hasson, Lourdes Hasson, Shari Hilding-Kronforst, Brad Julson, Terry Junek, Kate Kelly, Phil Kronforst, Leo Lombardini, Charlene Lusk, Madge Luquette, Mark Ojah, Jean Paul, Jerry Taylor, Manuelita Ureta, Betty Vermeire, Jim Waldson, Ginny West, Mary Dabney Wilson

The business meeting was called to order by Jim Waldson at 6:43 pm.

Business Meeting

Dues:  Reminder that $15 dues are due today.  Checks or cash to Lourdes Hasson (treasurer).  Checks should be made out to TMN Brazos Valley Chapter.

Treasurer’s Report:  Lourdes has opened a new TMN account at Wells Fargo.  Our current balance is $2,048.00.  

Cottonwood Branch Project:  Jim W. reports that the next step is to identify plants and then remove invasive species.  He asked for plant specialists/botanists to volunteer.  Suggestions were made that graduate students might be very interested in helping id plants.  Also, the College Station Forest Department might help, as well.  Experts such as Mark Tjoelker and Barron Rector might be asked to assist.  

State TMN Meeting:  The annual state meeting will be October 24-26, 2008 at Mo Ranch in Hunt, Texas.  The organizers are currently asking for suggestions for advanced training topics.  Submit suggestions by 5/23.

Cloth Grocery Bags Fundraiser:  No report.

Committee Reports

Membership:  Kitty Anding reported that we need to get the word out for the fall training session.  If you know of anyone interested in becoming a Master Naturalist, get their name and email address to Kitty.  She also wants to set up a spot on a morning tv show if anyone is interested in being interviewed.  

Outreach:  The Outreach Committee, and especially Jean Paul, was commended for the outstanding job they have been doing this year. 

The first Recycling Extravaganza will take place 5/17 in the Post Oak Mall.  We are scheduled to have a table and two chairs from 10-3pm. to answer questions, advertise the fall training program, display brochures, and have the bird board for kids.

Training Committee:  Jim Anding said the fall program looks great and is set up as follows:
Classes are Tuesdays 5:45-8:45pm from 9/9 – 11/18.  Field Trips are Saturdays from 9/20-11/8.

Advanced Training:  Mark will double check with the committee to see if we (those who are already certified) can receive advanced training hours for attending fall training classes in areas which we have not previously had training.

Continue to send in suggestions to Mark about what you’d like to see for advanced training programs.  

Approved for AT hours:
5/29 David Gwin will give a presentation on Butterflies and Butterfly Gardening at 7pm at the Brazos Center.
5/31 Douglas Steen of the USDA will present “Feral Hogs” at Producer’s Coop from 11-12 with Q&A afterward in the new building, right corner.
6/12 Mark Tjoelker, PhD, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, will present a talk on the effects of global warming on Texas at our June TMN meeting.

Volunteer Services:  Upcoming opportunities:  
A Junior Master Naturalist program planning meeting will take place 5/29 at 6pm at the Blinn Aquatic Center.

Beginning 6/3 the Blinn Aquatic Center will be open on Tuesday evenings for kids.  Dwight needs four people to help per night.  This year the plan is to have four repeating topics on consecutive evenings:  Texas Coast, Rivers, Streams, and Ponds, Post Oak Prairie, and Your Big Backyard.  Volunteers are needed for the tables, perhaps under the topics of show and tell, hands-on touch, crafts, and activities.  Dwight will do a workshop for volunteers.  At the end of the series of four topics he plans to have the parents and kids take a field trip.  This may be a way to develop the Junior Master Naturalist Program.

Web Site:  Nothing new to report.  

Newsletter:  Kate asked members to send stories to Jimmie Killingsworth.  She reminded us that, “Everyone has a story.”

Historian:  No report.

Social Committee:  Jo Anne Bates announced a plan for a fall canoe trip to The Big Thicket National Preserve either in mid-October of the first part of November.  

Publicity: Kerry Fillip volunteered to coordinate publicity for the fall training class.  Next year, we may need a committee to handle publicity.

New Business and Announcements

Summer schedule:  A majority of members plan to attend meetings in June, July, and August, so meetings will take place as usual.
  
Chapter Patch:  Mark showed some preliminary design ideas for a 3-inch patch.  We would need to order a minimum of 50 at a cost of $2.50-3.00 per patch.  It would need to be digitized and would be an iron-on or sew-on patch.  A motion was made by Kerry (seconded by Shari) to form a committee to come up with three designs with three colors on which the membership would vote at the next meeting.

It was later determined that we are restricted to using the cyrano dragonfly as the symbol of the Brazos Valley chapter.

The business meeting adjourned at 7:30pm.

Guest speaker Dr. Ken Johnson and his son, Curt Johnson, gave a presentation on Texas crawdads from 7:45 until 9pm.  This was approved for Advanced Training.