MCMGA Board Minutes for July 23, 2024

Attendees:
Cynthia Chase, Carole Hardy, Jen Hazen, Susan Marcus, Lorna Schilling, Mike Rutherford, John Jordan, Linda Goldser, Rich Becker, Angela Myatt, Marcia McIntyre

May 28th meeting minutes:
Motion to approve - Linda
Seconded - Carole
Approved by all

Discussions:
Treasurer’s Update. Donation to Metro MG Program - Jen asked if the board wants to make the $7,500 donation that was included in the 2024 budget. We didn’t contribute last year since there had been no training programs for years. Marcia described the new online reporting program for volunteer hours that they’re trying to launch and that they need funding. Srijana Shrestha is planning to reach out to the associations for support. Board unanimously approved the $7,500 contribution.

Certificate of Liability Insurance - we received a certificate from SE Uplift (relates to Sparrowhawk plant sale). Marcia said we are often asked to sign some kind of a certificate related to events like this, but we cannot sign them.
Banking - Jen & Christine are looking into Oregon based credit unions to replace Wells Fargo. Looking at Advantis/Rivermark, OnPoint & Unitus among others. Asked for input from board members (Lorna has negative things to say about OnPoint and likes Umpqua; Carole spoke highly of Unitus; Mike had positive feedback about Advantis/Rivermark). Jen will send summary of options to the board after it’s been reviewed by Christine and Cynthia.
Rena Hoefling Trust - MCMGA received legacy gift of $35,000 and there may be another very minor distribution as they wrap up the accounting. There were no specific instructions from the trust about how to use her gift and the board subcommittee is strategizing and will make recommendations about how to use those funds. Jen has been looking into CD’s as a short- term investment option (12 months or less). Lorna mentioned greenhouses that are being given away by Josephine County, but there are concerns about whether they would meet permitting requirements in Portland and a greenhouse seems to be lower on the board’s list of priorities.

Learn in the Garden. The first Learn in the Garden event last Sunday was about gardening for pollinators and included three learning stations. About 20 attended the event. The next event (winter gardening and cover crops) is August 25. Carole explained that the education program initially focused on the DG since we can hold events there, but she’d like to be able to package specific learning modules that are portable and can be taken to events. The planning group is currently working on how we package the Circle of Life program so we can take it into schools and communities. Carole needs additional funding to create these learning modules and has already paid for some print out of pocket. Cynthia asked her to submit receipts as we have money to cover these expenses. Marcia said Metro MG Program receives lots of requests for presentations which they usually refer to their speakers guild, but Carole’s kits/mobile program might fit in there too. Series of kits have already been developed and Marcia will send us the list. Corinne, Jack & Cheryl Brock were our county reps for “Calling All Pollinators” which was hugely popular at OMSI After Dark. Discussion about creating Facebook events so people can tag them and get reminders about events. Carole needs to write short promotional blurb and send photos that can be used in Facebook event post.

Joy in the Garden Conference. Carole, Rich, Lorna & Dolores Rains attended. Positive comments about the conference (better speakers) and Leslie Madsen who introduced the conference. Discussed that it’s important to communicate the difference between MG Program (volunteering) versus the other programs like Home Horticulture which doesn’t involve volunteering. Seems like many of the people who sign up for the MG training aren’t aware of the initial and on-going volunteer component.

Demo Garden Report & Open Garden event. Demo Garden - looks great and they are working to primp it up for the open garden event. There’s a squash bug epidemic. Carole wrote an article about squash bugs for ten-minute university. Need to hand pick squash bugs and eggs. Srijana visited DG and was very impressed. They’ve put 33 new volunteers through the orientation process this year. Open Garden - last year we had 140 guests. They’ve expanded marketing efforts this year and are pitching it is a family event. Hoping to have more kids and will have a kids activity table. Xerces, Multnomah County Vector Control, and EMWSCD will all have tables at the event. Pairing interns with MGs in the garden so they can expand their experience working with the public. Sent invites to Srijana, Leslie and Angela Santino.

Report on visit of Srijana Shrestha & Leslie Madsen. Srijana visited the garden last week and Leslie is going to visit next week. Please come meet Leslie Tuesday, Aug 6 at 1:30pm (time to be confirmed).

Harvest Fest. Saturday, 9/14. This is a chapter event, not a DG event. It’s a social gathering for MGs and their families as a thank you to our members. Linda, Carole & Cynthia had an initial meeting and requested help from other board members. Jen, John, Rich, Mike and Susan volunteered. Discussion about the general feel of the Harvest Fest - pot luck? awards? raffle drawing? There will be grilled sausages and tool sharpening, and the rest is up for discussion at the next planning meeting.

Miscellaneous. OSU Extension survey is going out metro wide so Carole doesn’t have to send it out to the chapter.

Next Board Meeting:
August 27th

Meeting led by: Cynthia Chase
Adjourned at: 7:19
Notes taken by: Susan Marcus
Minutes approved on: 08/27/24

MCMGA Board Minutes for June 25, 2024

This meeting was originally scheduled to take place at Susan Marcus’s house but was cancelled due to covid concerns.

Next board meeting is July 23, 2024.

MCMGA Board Minutes for May 28, 2024 (via Zoom)

Attendees:
Cynthia Chase, Carole Hardy, Jen Hazen, Susan Marcus, Lorna Schilling, Mike Rutherford, John Jordan, Heidi Nichols, Linda Goldser, Rich Becker, Jack Lazareck, Marcia McIntyre, Heidi Luquette

April 23rd meeting minutes:
Motion to approve - Carole
Seconded - Jen
Approved by all

Discussions:
Heidi Luquette. Cynthia introduced Heidi, Director of External Relations for OSU Extension. The brand-new position has three primary functions: legislative work (attending town halls, city council events, etc.); stakeholder relations (works with OMGA, grower groups, etc.); and advocacy expertise (works with extension agents and MGs and anyone else doing advocacy work to provide support and make sure they fully know what extension offers). Mike and Carole discussed their personal experience in testifying before local meetings.

Membership Directory. Voted and agreed that Heidi will include zip codes but not full addresses in membership spreadsheet. Directory will only include those MGs who said their data could be published. Mike will send directory to chapter members via email along with a statement that contact info is for MG use only and is not to be used for non-MG communications.

1. IE Sale. Unanimous agreement that IE Sale was one of the best in terms of organization, sales, volunteer experience, and vendor business. Expect about $11,000 in profit. Classes were well attended due to in large part to Carole’s efforts. We didn’t donate as many plants as we did last year because we sold more than expected. The ability to make late additions to our order will be improved next year. Extra plants were donated to OFB, Growing Gardens, Produce for the People, Arbor School, NE Emergency Food Bank, and Bybee Hope Center. Carole reported that 200 people opted in to give us their email addresses (through raffle) so we have expanded our contact list. Final attendance about 950 people, a little down from the IE Sales prior to the pandemic. Wrist bands worked well for timed entry. Rich suggests we review the existing contract with the church as there are some potential issues with it. Rich approached Carole and Linda about being co-chairs next year. HUGE thanks to Rich for all the work he’s done on the IE sale over the years.

2. Demo Garden Report. Heidi discussed that things at the DG are ramping up - most of the spring crops are finished, starting to put in the warmer weather crops, and the school tours have gone very well. Second big wood shed is up and dry farm almost all planted. The city finally removed the pine tree that was threatening to fall down; took half its height and left the snag. There was a 3” diameter hornet nest in a high traffic area where they were aggressive if disturbed. Some Wisdom of the Elders volunteers removed it for us. Question is what will we do going forward as we’re not allowed to use non-OMRI certified chemicals, but there’s a risk to our volunteers if we leave a nest on site. Cynthia asked the DG to discuss it and come up with a recommendation for next board meeting. Linda reported that 38 volunteers expressed interest in the DG and 14 of them have already scheduled their first volunteer shift.

3. Circle of Life education at the DG report. Carole said of the 7 classes that have signed up for tours, 4 have been completed and 3 are left to do. About 180 kids (2nd-5th graders) and 35 adults have participated so far. Teacher feedback is that the program is appropriate curriculum and might work for middle school kids as well. MG volunteers who are actively teaching Circle of Life program can record those hours as program hours; MGs working in supporting roles must list those hours are partner hours. Carole is going to follow up with a formal survey asking teachers for their input. Some of the adults who came with the tours have started volunteering at the DG.

4. Update - beginning partnership with Wisdom of the Elders for the land adjacent to the DG. Carole presented the attached power point showing drone footage of the plot and an excellent summary of the planned habitat restoration.

PPS Arboretum Transition School Restoration

1. Education. Carole agreed to lead the DG education effort. Started with the kids education (Circle of Life) and now would like to add community classes for adults. She suggested one Saturday or Sunday a month during the summer that we have a community class focused on a specific topic. Possible topics include bees (have a couple of stations that teach about importance of wild bees as pollinators and how to identify them) and water-wise gardening/dry farming/xeriscape gardening. Other people suggested classes on composting, fall/winter gardening, and the no-dig cover-crop method. Marcia suggested putting a mention in the Sellwood Bee and posting at the nearby community gardens.

2. Harvest Fest. Linda asked to confirm previous discussions about the board putting the event on, but still holding it at the DG. Cynthia suggested that Cynthia, Carole and Linda meet to discuss.

3. Training. Marcia said training is proceeding and 80 trainees have taken the plant diagnostic training so far. DG workshops are being promoted. The irrigation class has been very popular with about 20 people signed up so far. Info on workshops is sent out via Canvas and also email. Marcia reported that Extension received funds from OSU and a grant for a two-year state-wide initiative on climate change. The program will include a public relations campaign and information/tool kits. MGs are uniquely positioned to have conversations with the general public so she hopes we will get involved. It will also be publicized at OMGA’s Joy of Gardening.

4. Miscellaneous. Next board meeting will be held at 6:30pm at Susan Marcus’s house. Cynthia will bring food from Salvador Molly’s and Susan will provide beverages. Cynthia and Jen are working on a policy stating that any chapter related accounts are to be opened in the name of the chapter and must go through the bookkeeper and/or treasurer. Mike created a new email: inventory@multnomahcountymastergardeners.org which is to be used for communicating stuff like the old books, slide projector, etc., that we want to collect and donate. Discussed setting up an email address in G-Suite specific to the IE Sale which all IE Sale related emails should go through so that we can retain a chapter record of those communications.

Next Board Meeting:
June 25th @ 6:30pm at Susan Marcus’s house
Note: The June board meeting was cancelled due to covid concerns.

Meeting led by: Cynthia Chase
Adjourned at: 7:40pm
Notes taken by: Susan Marcus
Minutes approved on: July 23, 2024

MCMGA Board Minutes for April 23, 2024

Attendees:
Cynthia Chase, Carole Hardy, Jen Hazen, Susan Marcus, Lorna Schilling, John Jordan, Heidi Nichols, Linda Goldser, Rich Becker, Jack Lazareck, Marcia McIntyre, Annie LaVerdure-Weller

March 26th meeting minutes:
Motion to approve - Linda
Seconded - Jen
Approved by all

Discussions:

1. Membership Update. Heidi referred to her email sent earlier in the day: 164 total members, 4 lifetime members, and 3 trainees. Jan McNeilan, Joyce Oar, Jean Edmison, Claudia Groth are the 4 lifetime members. We’ll discuss the directory at subsequent meeting after new trainees info is entered.

2. Treasurer Report. Subcommittee met and discussed possibility of investing in a short-term CD. We have estate legacy gifts totaling $15k and another $20K earmarked as reserves - will possibly invest that $35k in a CD. Jen is looking at CD rates at various credit unions and will send that info to the board so we can make a decision. Might consider ladder CDs. Might do a six month CD to start - gets us to the end of the fiscal year and then we can incorporate investing strategy in next year’s budget. Bonfire merchandise sales are up and running. Different options in terms of getting the income returned to us (grants, etc.). Merchandise sales can’t be available all year - must be kept to a limited duration or else it generates Unrelated Business Income (UBI) and additional tax liability. Carole will announce merchandise sales in the next eNews which will be available through May 19. Might open merch sales again for a limited run to coincide with Harvest fest or another chapter event later in the year.

3. IE Sale. Carole - Excellent job done recruiting volunteers. Only 28 volunteer spots left open. Rich said they tried to recruit interns at the volunteer fair and thinks the remaining positions might be filled by interns. We have more volunteers signed up than we’ve had for any prior sales so we should be good. Annie volunteered to help with signs. Claudia will be on Hello Rose City on May 1st for a 5 minute segment. We have three food vendors and six great speakers lined - need to talk up speakers and vendors with customers during the event. All details are on the MCMGA website. Plant prices are competitive but took into account our expertise: six-packs are $4.50; 3.5” squares for $3.50; and 4” rounds for $4.50.

4. Volunteer Fair. Great event. Cynthia sold 19 shirts = $380. They signed up 32 interns to receive DG news/possible volunteers. 79 interns in total attendance. Great signage from Mike.

5. Dennis Brown. Secured grant from Portland Garden Club for irrigation at Bybee Lakes Hope Center.

6. Dr Lyles. Lorna recommended we donate $500 in Dr. Lyle’s memory. Approved by board. Not sure where we’ll make contribution but Cynthia will reach out to Andrew for a suggestion.

7. Restoration Project adjacent to DG. Carole talked about a possible project/collaboration in the arboretum area next to the DG. Land is owned by PPS and is a mix of native and non-native trees, with lots of invasive plants and little maintenance work done over the years. Project is to remove invasives and build native habitat. Carole contacted Xerces Society, Wisdom of the Elders, and Bird Alliance of Oregon about working together to restore the area. Lots of enthusiasm. Got the ok from PPS and started by working to remove the invasive (laurel, blackberries ivy, etc.). The partners will apply for a Portland Clean Energy grant fund to fund restoration and ongoing maintenance. The three groups (Xerces, Wisdom & Bird Alliance) and Carole jointly sent a proposal to PPS. Carole clarified that she has been acting in her capacity as a Forest Ecologist and instructor at Portland State University, not as a Master Gardener. MCMGA is not formally engaged in the project. Questions include: Does MCMGA want to partner in this project? Can MGs get partner hours for working on the project? Marcia suggested that Carole submit a Project Activity Form to OSU Extension which describes MG's involvement as educators, not maintenance workers. If it is approved as a project, then MG's could get partner hours for volunteering. Grant funding will be used to hire BIPOC workforce for the restoration and maintenance work. Rich and Jack discussed difficulties in working with PPS staff in the past. Annie discussed the difficulties/politics in dealing with some community organizations and suggested we focus on clear communications. Carole noted that her contacts at PPS, Monica Fleischer/Sustainability Program Manager and Rachel Hermansen/Principal of the Community Transition School, are very supportive. A formal project proposal to PPS is in review. Cynthia suggested that Carole contact Dennis Brown for info about collaborations with community partners. Jack said is in support of this project. Cynthia said she would like to look at the existing project proposal. 

8. Demo Garden. Drip irrigation system is up & running, and new shed is almost finished. Had first harvest last week of spring veggies. Soils Workshop on 4/13 very successful with 20 attendees. Planning an irrigation workshop in June. Earth Day: Gave away 50 mason bee houses made by Franklin High School students and hundreds of seed packets. Event wasn’t as well attended as in the past, but huge amount of enthusiasm from those who attended. Gave away many DG cards and IE Sale postcards. DG is open for volunteers Mondays & Thursdays from 9-12. Carole talked about wanting to have more community workshops at the DG. Mentioned the Oregon Bee Atlas handout re. pollinator meadows as a possible education opportunity.

Next Board Meeting:
May 28th @ 6pm

Meeting led by: Cynthia Chase
Adjourned at: 7:32
Notes taken by: Susan Marcus
Minutes approved on: 05/28/24

MCMGA Board Minutes for March 26, 2024

Attendees:
Cynthia Chase, Carole Hardy, Jen Hazen, Susan Marcus, Lorna Schilling, Mike Rutherford,John Jordan, Heidi Nichols, Linda Goldser, Rich Becker, Angela Myatt, Jack Lazareck, Marcia McIntyre, Srijana Shrestha

February 27th meeting minutes:
Motion to approve - Linda
Seconded - Jen
Approved by all

Discussions:

1. Introduction of Srijana Shrestha, Professor of Practice. Srijana gave a quick summary of her background. New cohort acceptance letters were sent out and training starts next week. Tons of work in a very short amount of time!

2. Membership Update. There have been 156 renewals to date. We had about 178 members at the same time last year. There are 111 members from last year who have not renewed. Heidi sent out another reminder and gave them 3 days to renew. Quick discussion about the need for in-person events as a way to shore up our membership.

3. Treasurer Report. Rena Hoefling - they have completed the estate taxes, will send out forms for our signature later this week, and mail disbursement checks after that. Cynthia wants a small ad hoc group to discuss possible use of the money. Rich and Cynthia are in favor of it going to the endowment fund. Heidi suggests we ask Jean Edmison if she wants to be involved in the planning committee as she was close friends with Rena. Auto insurance documentation - Jen sent emails to the board to solicit names of other people who might be driving on behalf of board business. Got a few more names.

4. Volunteer Fair - April 21st. Will be held at Sabin-Shellenberg Center. MCGMA will have 3 tables: general chapter table/merch, DG table, and IE Sale table. John and Carole will create a new or updated tri-fold sign for the demo garden and will look for tall signs that call attention to the chapter tables. Cynthia and Carole will be at chapter table; Linda, John, and Marilyn will be at DG table, and IE Sale table will be manned by Rich and Mike. Check out tablecloth selection - folks will scout around to see what they have and let Cynthia know. Sabin-Schellenberg campus is at 14450 SE Johnson Road, Milwaukie. They have a north and south campus so need clarification for address. Limited parking - please carpool!!

5. IE Sale. Rich sent out info earlier tonight. They have 98 filled slots (30+ of these are leads for all of the different positions) and 140 open slots for volunteers on sign up genius. Rich has secured Barbur Rentals for set-up, reserved and porta potty. He estimates our expenses will be about $3,900 more than last year (mostly due to higher labor costs for Barber Rentals). Rich is expecting that we’ll make $13,000 based on expected sales and could possibly make as much as $20k. He looked at Portland Nursery and other smaller nurseries for price comparisons and is raising prices - went with his gut on prices. Carole asked rationale for pricing and what our goal is in terms of pricing. She asked if we want to price plants more aggressively. Decided to discuss further at the IE Sale meeting on Monday. Lengthy discussion about whether or not people support the sale because the prices are favorable, if we can charge a premium based on MG expertise, or whether we want to price so things are more affordable to a range of demographics. Mike says they need help with marketing - to hand out flyers at farmers markets, canvass neighborhoods, distribute to shop windows and bulletin boards. Asked board members to help recruit volunteers for marketing. Jen has the nursery license which she'll give to Rich to laminate. Non-MGs can volunteer at the sale but cannot answer gardening questions. MG volunteers need to wear their badge. Cynthia will talk to Heidi about her son’s volunteering/experience with Square.

6. Fundraising. Cynthia and John met with Andrew Norwood. Foundation lunch w/Andrew Norwood is scheduled for Thursday 09/26/24 at the DG. Andrew will be able to answer all sorts of questions for people who might be considering donating to the foundation. Chris Elliot is the temporary vice provost filling in for Ivory Lyles. Cynthia will be meeting with Chris. Nadine (who works for Chris) has been setting up meetings with Multnomah County - laying the groundwork for future funding requests, Cynthia and Mike met with Susanne Vega Pederson. Julia Brimm Edwards is on the board of trustees for OSU and a county commissioner. We need at least one of the five county commissioners to be an advocate for us.

7. Demo Garden. Linda - DG has been open for two months and beds are either planted or close to being planted with spring crops. By the end of April they should be donating fresh produce to local food pantries. Plants are starting to come out of dormancy and native beds are beginning to show color. A new canopy was set up. Ground is being prepared for the new shed. Kit for the shed is due any day now. Will make them more efficient in terms of storage of office stuff, plant starts, etc. Just hosted a very successful propagation workshop. Soil workshop coming up on April 13. Earth Day celebration on April 20 will include Ask-a-Gardener, mason bee houses, and seed packet give away, and will promote the IE Sale. DG is now open every Mon and Thu 9-12.

Next Board Meeting:
April 23rd @ 6pm

Meeting led by: Cynthia Chase
Adjourned at: 7:12pm
Notes taken by: Susan Marcus
Minutes approved: 04.23.24

MCMGA Board Minutes for February 27, 2024

Attendees:
Cynthia Chase, Carole Hardy, Jen Hazen, Susan Marcus, Lorna Schilling, John Jordan, Heidi Nichols, Linda Goldser, Rich Becker, Angela Myatt, Jack Lazareck, Lois Moss, Marcia McIntyre

January 23rd meeting minutes:
Motion to approve - Lorna
Seconded - Carole
Approved

Discussions:

1. Membership Update. Heidi referred to her email from earlier in the day. We currently have 131 renewals - slightly behind last year at this time, but not too bad. Heidi will send out one more reminder and they’ll put it in the March eNews.

2. Treasurer Report. Jen sent the original auto insurance documentation email to the board, but hasn’t heard back from everyone yet and no one has sent her a list of other members who should also be contacted. Financial overview: we’re currently at about 3/4 of what we budgeted for membership renewals. The biggest expenditures so far have been for DG canopy and speaker series.

3. IE Sale. Rich confirmed that the plant catalogue is out and includes photos. He is working with WA County to share purchase of plant boxes, and is lining up other vendors for honey buckets, etc. Carole said the postcard and poster have been updated and are ready to be printed, and that Mike will provide an update of where we are with press releases. The Oregon Bee Atlas will have a table at the event, and Jacob Valentine from Feed the Masses will be there to do a cooking demo. They’ll put something in the March eNews about the sale and volunteer opportunities.

4. Communication Committee. Cynthia said we are moving slowly ahead on merchandise sales.

5. OMGA. Rich said the next OMGA meeting is scheduled for March 1st. He has several bits of info about Joy of Gardening which he’ll consolidate into one email for the board. Rich is continuing to look for other opportunities to collaborate with WA County.

6. Demo Garden. Linda said February 5th was the first 2024 workday at the DG. They had a couple of very productive workdays with good (10+) volunteer turnout each day as per Heidi. The canopy was taken down because of strong winds and won’t be put back up until they believe the stormy season has passed. Things have been trimmed and weeded. Some beds are ready to plant and they’re working on bed prep in the others. Starting March 4th, they’ll do site prep for the location of a new shed. New shed will be delivered 3/22. Carole will be working on Saturdays at the DG so they might be able to accommodate volunteers who aren’t typically able to work during the week. Carole hired Joe Wirtheim to create a sign for the DG education program. Upcoming events include Propagation Workshop for all MGs (3/16), Soils Workshop for interns (4/13), and Drip Irrigation Workshop sometime in June. DG will host an Earth Day event (in conjunction with Learning Garden Labs) on 4/20. Lois mentioned that two sets of MGs from Florida are coming to visit the DG in August.

7. Extension News. Marcia said that Extension opened applications for training on 2/23. Tremendous response since then. In 2022 they had 300 applicants and an interest list of over 3,000 - expect it will be similar this year. They are anticipating about 45 trainees for each county. They are tremendously busy getting details sorted out. It will be a hybrid class format with evening webinars once a week for 8 weeks. The chapters are helping with workshops. Corinne, Eddy and Cheryl will be teaching a class about gardening for wildlife. Dennis, Peg, and Jack will be teaching 4 classes at the Rigler Community Garden - 2 on problems in your veggie garden and 2 about fall vegetable gardening. Srijana Shrestha will be teaching a grafting melons class. Planning lots of in-person/hands-on classes rather than the traditional 3-6 hour classroom based classes, including drop-in plant diagnostic sessions. Classes will start in the first week of April. The volunteer requirement for trainees is now 40 hours. Rich suggested Beven as a support for workshops since she’s managed training classes with her team of volunteers in the past.

8. Volunteer Fair - April 21st. Will be held at the Sabin-Shellenberg Center in Milwaukee from 1-3pm. Set up starts at noon. Each association will be given two tables but can bring more tables if they want. Cynthia confirmed that we’ll likely want additional tables for the DG (including educational outreach at the DG) and IE Sale. Extension will have a general table for farmers’ markets, help line, educational outreach and speakers, and they’ll likely have someone representing Oregon Food Bank and Growing Gardens. She mentioned the benefit of having tall signs which are easier to see as it will likely be crowded.

9. Mentoring/Social Events. Lorna suggests we focus on mentoring as part of training/resources. Marcia thinks that naturally occurring mentor-mentee relationships are more successful than arranged ones and thinks social events are helpful in that regard. Earth Day event at DG will occur one day prior to Volunteer Fair. Discussion about having more social events like the Leach Garden and Zenger Farms events, or a social hour following a workshop. Carole suggested that we have a get-together at the DG on May 18, possibly 12-2pm - tables and snacks and conversation under the pergola.

10. Monthly Speakers. Cynthia, Patty & Tony drove out to WA County Office to discuss the two counties joining forces with monthly webinars/speakers. WA County decided they want to continue to do their own thing, so we won’t be combining on speakers. Cynthia believes there are a lot of other areas/possibilities for us to coordinate/join forces with WA County in the future. We need more people on the speakers series committee. It shouldn’t be the president’s job by default. There’s a lot of work setting up and holding webinars, especially since it’s no longer just for chapter members but has become more of a community event.

11. Fundraising. John is working to find area coordinators for the bottle drop program so we can expand the number of members involved.

12. Miscellaneous. Marcia said there will be a welcome event on June 15th at the Beaverton library in the afternoon to welcome Srijana Shrestha. Cynthias will invite Leslie Madsen, the new manager of the statewide MGs, to come to one of our board meetings to introduce herself. Rich discussed other interaction he has with WA County - i.e. he’ll be helping them tamper down weeds with his flame weeder. We should only use flame weeders during wet season, never during late spring, summer or fall. Plants with deep tap roots may need to be hit more than once. Broad leaf plants with short roots die back quickly. Bark mulch is a huge fire hazard which should never be put against your house. Arborist wood chips absorb water and are much better for that use.

Next Board Meeting:
March 26th @ 6pm

Meeting led by: Cynthia Chase
Adjourned at: 7:17pm
Notes taken by: Susan Marcus
Minutes approved on: 03/26/24

MCMGA Board Minutes for January 23, 2024

Attendees:
Lorna Schilling, Cynthia Chase, Carole Hardy, Susan Marcus, Jen Hazen, John Jordan, Rich Becker, Linda Goldser, Mike Rutherford, Heidi Nichols, Jack Lazareck, Lisa Kirby, Marcia McIntyre, Angela Myatt, Nadine Menashe

January 2nd meeting minutes:
Motion to approve - Lorna Schilling
Seconded - Linda Goldser
Approved with correction

Discussions:

1. Introduction of Nadine Menashe. Nadine is working for Extension in Multnomah County in a new position created by Dr. Lyles. She started in Sept 2023. She works to raise awareness about Extension programs including Snap Ed, 4-H and Outdoor School. Her work is roughly 30% administrative/70% community engagement. Wonky funding situation but gets some federal funding for non-MG programs. Outdoor School is funded through the lottery.

2. Treasurer Report - auto insurance update. Jen discussed draft email and plan to send request first to board members and then to members identified by the board. Mike created a Google docs submission form and said trigger emails will be sent out based on expiration dates. Mike designed the Google form so it can be completed on your phone if necessary.

3. Membership Update. Heidi said membership renewals are trickling in, but so far we’re ahead of last year at this point. She will send reminders out next week which should result in a small burst of renewals. Most renewals are over the $30 suggested renewal amount.

4. Communications Committee. Videos from speakers series and demo garden are being added to our YouTube channel. The December speaker (kokedamas) got a lot of views after the fact. Susanne is working on merchandise through Bonfire. She will coordinate with Christine and Jen. Cynthia said ordering will probably open in February and then again around the IE Sale so people. The prices on Bonfire are high and our profits will be low - a $30 T-shirt generates 56 cents in profit. It’s less a fundraiser and more a marketing tool to get our logo out there. Might use the old logo on t-shirts again or give the old logo to OMGA. Jen will review how merchandise sales will impact our UBI, tax reporting, and our submission to OMGA for the annual report.

5. Demo Garden Report. Linda - General update: Very busy with planning for the 2024 beds. Removed the canopy that collapsed under last week’s snow and ice. It’s ruined but might be salvaged for parts. DG staff decided that the canopy will be taken down each fall and put back up in the spring from now on. There has been theft/vandalism on adjacent property to the DG. Carole - Education at the DG: Schools have already started requesting field trips to the DG (mainly 2nd-5th graders). A team of MGs has created a mini-lesson on ecology showing how all things in the garden are connected. Activities being planned include a scavenger hunt, older students might be asked to draw what they observe in the garden, and all students will receive seeds and cow manure pots. The Children’s bed will be replanted to attract more pollinators, to bloom longer throughout the seasons, and include both edible and non-edible plants. Carol asked if there’s a way to streamline the administrative approval process and was told by Marcia/Lisa that she is required to submit a 2024 Project Form to Extension. Once the project is approved, she can submit a Short Form for each class that requests to visit. Carol should work with Lisa and submit the Project Form as soon as possible and Short Form at least 24 hrs. prior to a school visit.

6. Education. Dennis Brown speaking at Washington County speaker's webinar Tuesday. February 6th @ 7 PM discussing Multnomah County projects (https://washingtoncountymastergardeners.org/event/growing-and-belonging-cultivating-community-partnerships). This is a 1-hour MG education credit, FYI.

7. IE Sale. Rich reviewed Westwind catalogue to determine what plants are not being continued from last year and what plants are new. Doesn’t look like they’re offering dwarf tomato plants this year, but there are a bunch of new and interesting varieties. The variety of plants we sell is a marketing plus - big selling point - gives us a competitive edge. Will start planning the plant selection over the next few weeks. Carol suggested we pick a few new and interesting varieties to highlight in eNews and other communications to generate interest. Claudia has agreed to be a spokesperson for the IE Sale. \We need a series of press releases to run over time to market the IE Sale.

8. OMGA Meeting. Angela attended her first OMGA meeting. Discussion of Joy of Gardening conference and the need for chapters to donate goods or cash for the silent auction. The conference is designed to break even while the silent auction is a fundraiser for OMGA. OMGA has grants that members can apply for.

Next Board Meeting:
February 27 @ 6pm

Meeting led by: Cynthia Chase
Adjourned at: 7:09pm
Notes taken by: Susan Marcus
Minutes approved on: 02/27/24

MCMGA Board Minutes for January 2, 2024

Attendees:
Lorna Schilling, Cynthia Chase, Carole Hardy, Susan Marcus, Christine Semeniuk, John Jordan, Rich Becker, Linda Goldser, Mike Rutherford, Heidi Nichols, Jack Lazareck, Lisa Kirby, Marcia McIntyre

Elected Officers for 2024 MCMGA Board:
Newly elected officers were introduced by past president Lorna Schilling.
President Cynthia Chase (key executive)
Vice President Carole Hardy
Treasurer Jen Hazen (key executive)
Secretary Susan Marcus (key executive)
OMGA Rep Rich Becker

Continuing Board Members and other appointed positions:
Past President Lorna Schilling
Historian Mike Rutherford
Fundraising John Jordan
Demo Garden Linda Goldser
Membership Heidi Nichols
Communications Susanne Cavicchi
Bookkeeper Christine Semeniuk (key executive)
OMGA Rep Alt Angela Myatt

November meeting minutes:
Motion to approve - Cynthia
Approved (all voted in favor)

Discussions:

1. Membership & Directory. Heidi said Kaz has the link running and it will be included in eNews. Cumbersome process getting payment info to Heidi. Heidi will send email reminders to MGs who haven’t renewed for the last two years.

2. Fundraising. BottleDrop program beat last year’s income by $20. We made $1235 for 2023 and over $5,000 since John started the program. Discussion about ways to increase participation in BottleDrop program. Carole suggested mentioning it at DG planning meetings. Lorna can buy bags and print MCMGA stickers at BottleDrop locations if she wants to participate. MGs can also donate the BottleDrop proceeds in their own account to MCMGA.

3. Demo Garden. 2024 bed plans are being worked on now and will be presented to DG group at the end of January. Seed starting and bed prep starts in February. Regular workdays scheduled starting in March and plan to add two Saturdays a month for the volunteers who work during the week. Starting to plan 2024 events and program workshops.

4. Treasurer Report. Nothing notable other than the estate donation which we expect to receive sometime this year. January is busy with membership renewals and OMGA annual report.

5. Insurance. The annual cost is $2,845. Of that amount, $600 is for officers and directors’ insurance and $600 is required to meet PPR requirements. Lengthy discussion about auto insurance verification needs and how we’re going to roll out the program. Concern that volunteers may not be happy to provide personal data. *action item

6. Communications Committee. Susanne will still chair the committee but doesn’t want to sit on the board/attend meetings due to time constraints. She is interested in selling merchandise.

7. Merchandise. Lots of interest in selling merchandise. Need to figure out how to do it without endangering our non-profit status. Cynthia doesn’t want to have an inventory - wants it all sold through Bonfire. Discussion about how to market the merchandise - perhaps at an in-person event?

8. OMGA. OMGA is attempting to document chapter procedures - look at the way individual chapters handle specific tasks/projects, etc. Considering offering a one-day Joy of Gardening conference option in 2025 and possibly moving the conference out of Corvallis. Poor turnout for the 2023 mini-college means they are looking at online options and considering going to regional in-person conferences vs. a state-wide conference.

Housekeeping/Miscellaneous:

• Lorna will take notes at the 1/23 board meeting.

• Time of board meetings - meetings will begin at 6pm starting on January 23.

• We have a chapter zoom account now so people don’t need to use the OSU zoom account anymore. Contact Cynthia or Mike for info.

• Discussion about alias email accounts. *action item

• Possible board retreat sometime in the spring.

Action Items:

Susan to check with insurance agent about non-owned auto insurance requirements - do we need actual copies of insurance cards or can we collect summary data only?

• Mike will update email accounts (currentboard@multnomahmastergardeners.org and generalboard@multnomahmastergardeners.org).

• Mike will copy email sent to secretary@multnomahmastergardeners.org to the president.

Next Board Meeting:
January 23

Meeting led by: Cynthia Chase
Notes taken by: Susan Marcus
Minutes approved on: 01/23/24 (approved w/revision)

MCMGA Board Minutes for November 28th, 2023

Present: Present: Lorna Schilling (President), Cynthia Chase (Vice President), Marcia McIntyre (Programs and Speakers), Rich Becker (OMGA Chapter Representative, IE Plant Sale), Christine Semeniuk (Bookkeeper) Mike Rutherford (Administrator G-Suite and Historian), Linda Goldser (Co Director Demonstration Garden), Jack Lazareck, Susan Marcus, Carole Hardy Alternate OMGA Chapter Representative) Lisa Kirby, Jen Hazan, Shuju Wang, Heidi Nichols (membership), Angela Myatt (Secretary)

Approval of Minutes
Cynthia moved to approve the October 2023 Minutes with two amendments. Linda seconded the motion. The motion was passed.

Chapter Membership Directory
The history of the Directory was discussed. At present there is no Directory. Hard and email versions have existed in the past. There was agreement that there should be a Membership Directory in some format to be made available to members.

Chapter Membership
Heidi opened a discussion on membership dues. The timing of membership dues was discussed at length. It was noted that $7 goes to OMGA. It was decided that if dues are received by March 1st then the member’s name will appear in the directory.

Heidi moved that the membership dues scale be from $7 and up. Anything over $20 is tax deductible and $30 is a suggestion.

Cynthia seconded the motion which was passed.

Linda asked that information on members’ interests, specifically interest in the Demo Garden be forwarded to her. Discussion followed.
Heidi asked that the format of information received from Square be more compatible with her Excel spreadsheet. Heidi will talk to Mike about possible solutions.

Heidi then left the meeting.

Sparrowhawk Monies
Cynthia asked that it be noted in the Minutes that the Board voted by email on April 4th 2023 that money from Sparrowhawk be given to the Demo Garden.

Demo Garden Report
Linda reported:

• Demo Garden

  • You all know that gardening never stops, it just takes on different tasks due to the time of the year

    • The edible beds have been closed down & prepared for over-wintering

      • Last month I reported that we donated 1910 pounds of produce to local food banks and we are proud to be able to help those in need while maintaining an educational demonstration garden

    • The perennial beds have been prepared also by pall pruning and planting

      • We leave lots of our plants with seed heads over the winter for the wildlife

  • We added 21 new volunteers this past year

    • 10 current MGs who have never worked at the garden before, 7 (2020,22) interns & 3 community members

  • Our events have wrapped up and have had their year-end reporting turned in to the program

    • We had 11 events this year which used an additional 732 volunteer hours (in addition to the 3,095 garden maintenance hours)

  • Behind the scenes, the Bed Design Teams are

    • Recapping the 2023 beds with results and lessons learned

    • Designing the 2024 beds with edible varieties, perennial developments and demonstrations planned for the coming year

  • At the same time we are beginning planning for our 2024 year with the development of two groups to handle activities at the garden

    • One group will plan & execute events & workshops

    • One group will handle school field trips & garden tours and will continue to develop community outreach

  • Even though we have stopped our regular garden open days, we continue to work at least one day a week on various projects

    • Our current project is continuing the growth of the garden at the south end which entails lasagna mulching a huge area for spring development

      • Lots of schlepping of large amounts of cardboard, steer manure, leaves and arborist chip mulch

      • If anyone is in the mood for garden exercise, just let me know and I will hook you up with a work party at the garden.

Chapter 2024 Budget
Christine initiated a discussion on the proposed Chapter budget for 2024.

Cynthia moved that $7500 be given to the MCMGA Garden Legacy Endowment.
Rich seconded the motion. The motion was passed.

Christine noted the Chapter’s insurance runs out on January 2024. Susan is investigating coverage. OMGA may also be able to provide coverage. More information will be available following a meeting with Janet Magadenz, the OMGA Treasurer.
Funds for attorney’s fees will be retained in the budget.

Cynthia moved that the budget as discussed be presented to the membership for approval.
Susan seconded the motion. The motion was passed.

2024 Board Positions:
Lorna: Past President
Cynthia: President
Carole: Vice President
Susan: Secretary
Jen (Hazen): Treasurer
Rich: OMGA Representative
Mike: Historian ( to be appointed by the President)

Cynthia noted there will be a committee to co-ordinate the monthly Chapter speaker program. This will continue to be virtual in 2024.

Cynthia announced that Lorna has been elected President of Coos County MG Chapter.

Voting on Board positions will occur in mid December 2023.

IE Plant Sale
Rich reported on progress of the 2024 IE Plant Sale. Rich is working with Carole and Beven Peters. He noted that Westwind Nurseries will be able to accommodate changing needs due to weather and other factors. He reported that the 2023 revenue was impacted by the need to develop new technology and by the ordering of too many plants.

Brainstorming Review of October 17th meeting
Lorna lead the discussion on the submitted suggestions from the meeting of the Board on October 17th 2023.
The role of Lisa Kirby and other OSU personnel in implementing suggestions was discussed at length.
There followed discussion on several of the suggestions, including how to solicit more suggestions from Chapter members.
This will continue to be addressed at the January Board meeting.

The meeting closed at 8.40pm. The December Board meeting be on January 2nd 2024.

Minutes submitted by Angela Myatt (Secretary) November 29th 2023, revised November 30 2023

MCMGA Board Minutes for October 24th, 2023

Present: Present: Lorna Schilling (President), Cynthia Chase (Vice President), Marcia McIntyre (Programs and Speakers), Rich Becker (OMGA Chapter Representative, IE Plant Sale), Christine Semeniuk (Bookkeeper) Mike Rutherford (Administrator G-Suite and Historian), Linda Goldser (Director Demonstration Garden), Jack Lazareck, Andrew Norwood , Director of Development, Scholarships and University Initiatives OSU Extension, Brenda Hein, Angela Myatt (Secretary)

Approval of September 2023 Minutes
The September Minutes were approved. Lorna moved to approve the Minutes and Mikeseconded the motion. The motion was passed.

Andrew introduced himself. In this new OSU Extension position he will be focusing on fundraising for several OSU Extension positions. He will supply the Board with a job description.

Andrew asked for suggestions of folks who might like to talk more with him. His email is andrew.norwood@osufoundation.org, phone:503 313 2777 Brenda Hein is attending the meeting because she is interested in the position of Board Treasurer.

Meetings with County Commissioners
Laura noted that the goal is to mail out letters to all the County Commissioners. Discussion followed on the strategy of arranging a meeting at the Demo Garden, to include County Commissioners and Dr Lyles. Andrew noted the goal was to get County funding back to the level before funding was cut i.e. approximately 20 years ago.

Following a meeting with Dr. Lyles, Cynthia reported that the Chapter will now have administrative support . Nadine Menashi will be helping the Chapter in her role as Multnomah County Administrative Manager. She will report to Angela Sandino.

At this point Andrew Norwood left the meeting.

Board Positions
Cynthia reported that Brenda is interested in the position of Treasurer. This will require Brenda to be a certified Master Gardener. Cynthia is in the process of ‘sounding out’ potential Board members for 2024. Voting will be in December. The December Board Meeting will be on January 2nd 2024.

Financial Check In
Christine lead a comprehensive review and discussion of the Draft Budget for 2024. Including, but not limited to, the projected Demo Garden expenses, OMGA Annual conference scholarships and the Chapter Insurance policy which is due to be renewed in December.

Meeting with Attorney about Chapter Insurance Policy
Mike met with Stuart Jones who is an attorney. Here is what they discussed and Stuart’s advice:

Stuart said the Chapter should strongly consider having Directors and Officers Insurance. Board members can be sued individually if, for example, neglect, unreasonable behavior or events occurs against the existing Chapter policy. The risk exists.

On the question of who is insured, Stuart said Board members are insured at meetings and for their actions and decisions that pertain to their job as board members and volunteers at the Demo Garden are covered as well as at other MCMGA sanctioned events like the IE Sale. Coverage for an individual claim is up to $2 million and an annual aggregate of $4 million.

He suggested that basic training programs be offered to all volunteers instead of requiring waivers to be signed. This is termed “benign intent” i.e. an intent to care.

He also suggested the Board look at the Chapter Charter and change wording in order to more closely match our mission and intent thereby covering eligibility.

On the questions about sale merchandise, he said that is not his area.

For event insurance, exceptions to coverage are sports, animal related events, construction and traffic congestion (such as occurred at the IE sale this past summer)
Musical events are covered as long as any performer(s) are not advertised as the main event and can be considered incidental.

He questioned whether the City has any responsibility for liability as the Demo Garden is on City land. (Christine said no this was not the case.)

He suggested a policy checkup with the insurance company, to include the question of Directors and Officers insurance. If the insurance company does not offer this, then pursue acquiring a separate policy.

Discussion followed, centering on the question of whether more insurance is needed for 2024.

Demonstration Garden Report
Linda reported the following update for the time period 10/1/22-9/30/23

• We donated 1910 pounds of produce to local food pantries.

• We had 271 visitors to the Demo Garden (this number does not include any big event)

• We used 3095 volunteer hours with 72 volunteers.

  • we noted that 43 of those volunteers gave under 20 hours each while the remaining 29 volunteers gave us between 20 to 250 hours of their free time to maintain work the Demo Garden

Meeting with Dr. Lyles
Cynthia requested a meeting with Dr. Lyles to discuss administrative support for the Board’s extensive efforts to reinstate funding at the County level. Cynthia duly met with Dr. Lyles and Andrew Norwood. As a result, the Chapter, as reported earlier, will now have administrative support from an Administrative Manager who reports to Angela Sandino.

Endowment
Cynthia reported that Sheri Sheng, a Clackamas County Master Gardener, has asked for financial support for an Endowment designed to fund a Garden Ecology Laboratory. This project is not affiliated with OSU Master Gardeners.

Fundraising
Nothing to report

Activities and Future Planning
There will be a Board retreat in January 2024

The meeting closed at 8.05pm

The next meeting of the MCMGA Board will be on November 21st 2023, at 6.30 pm

Minutes submitted by Angela Myatt (Secretary) November 17th 2023

MCMGA Board Minutes for September 26th, 2023

Note: These minutes incorporate August 2023 vote as there was no quorum for August meeting.

Present: Linda Goldser, Lorna Schilling, Cynthia Chase, Susan Marcus, Rich Becker, Mike Rutherford, Christine Semeniuk, Carole Hardy, Marcia McIntyre, Lisa Kirby, John Jordan, Patty Mizutani

Patty Mizutani from the Speaker’s committee talked about the work of the committee and asked for interest in exploring combining our presentations with Washington County via Zoom to combine resources to attract speakers. Board expressed interest and she will bring that back to the committee.

August meeting didn’t have a quorum. A later email vote was taken re: merchandise and sales. A motion was made to declare all merchandise as “surplus” and to discontinue sales of inventory. Merchandise that is useful for the Demo Garden will be reserved and donations of the rest to gardening organizations we support will commence in the spring. This motion passed via email. (This did not include T-shirts as they are branded.)

Demo Garden report: 3100 hours of volunteer labor was reported as well as over 1500 pounds of produce donated. Learn in the Garden via Zoom will begin again 10/16.

Harvest Fest was attended by about 63 people and awards were handed out.

Discussion of future goals for Board via a retreat was discussed and we decided to have an open forum discussion on 10/17/2023 via Zoom to talk about goals, wishes, and plans for the for the upcoming year.

MCMGA Board Minutes for July 25th, 2023

Present: Lorna Schilling (President), Cynthia Chase (Vice President) Marcia MacIntyre (Programs and Speakers), Rich Becker (OMGA Chapter Representative, IE Plant Sale), Susan Marcus (Acting Treasurer), Mike Rutherford (Administrator G-Suite and Historian), Linda Goldser (Director Demonstration Garden), Carole Hardy (eNews Chapter, Alternative OMGA Rep.), Jack Lazareck, Lisa Kirby, John *Jordan, Margaret Coholon, Angela Myatt (Secretary)

*Approval of May Minutes
Mike Rutherford moved to approve the Minutes, Rich Becker seconded the motion. Angela Myatt abstained as she was absent for May meeting). Minutes were passed.

Treasurers Report
Susan reported there was nothing notable to report. All the information is on Google Docs.

Demo Garden Update and Open Garden
There was discussion on how best to publicize the Open Garden on August 12th. Flyers are in English and Spanish and will also have a QR code. Three District commissioners have been sent flyers. There will be water but no food. More volunteers are needed.

Linda reported a heavy harvest of berries which will be donated to food pantries. Watering is needed to supplement existing irrigation.

Cynthia noted that the Harvest Fest on September 23rd was a Chapter event and asked for suggestions for a co-chair for the event.

There was discussion about creating an Events Committee. Carole will ask in the next Chapter eNews if anyone is interested.

IE Sale Review
There was a meeting this morning on the IE Plant Sale. The report to the Board is not ready yet. There was discussion about changing the date of the event for 2024 in order to attract more volunteers. It was decided the *committee needs to decide such changes, not the Board. Cynthia suggested an ongoing discussion immediately following the meeting. The first planning meeting will be in September.

Zoom Account Plan
Marcia explained that the existing meeting Zoom account will stay but the Zoom account for webinars will no longer be funded by OSU, after the end of the year. Support from Marcia and Lisa for webinars will continue but funding will not.  Discussion followed on alternative platforms to Zoom e.g. Google. Rich will see what OMGA uses. Carol will help with related budget issues. The meeting closed at 8.05pm

MCMGA Board Minutes for May 23rd, 2023

Present: Linda Goldser, Lorna Schilling, Jack Lazareck, Cynthia Chase, Susan Marcus,
Rich Becker, Mike Rutherford, Marcia McIntyre, Susanne Cavicchi, Christine Semeniuk, Carole Hardy, Marcia McIntyre

Minutes for April were approved.

June meeting to be at a place TBD as a social event and only business as necessary.

IE sale discussed and celebrated. More information on a debriefing to come.

Demo Garden report: Workshops and work were reported.

An attorney has agreed to meet with us at a reduced cost for any board questions.

June 4th Metro celebration of M.G.’s discussed. We’ll have 2 tables to showcase Demo Garden and to sell T-shirts and merchandise.

Upcoming OMGA Conference: Board approved an expense of $100 to send to OMGA as support of the scholarship fund fundraiser. Merchandise will also be sent from our stash for gift baskets.

MCMGA Board Minutes for April 25th, 2023

Present: Lorna Schilling (President), Cynthia Chase (Vice President), Marcia McIntyre (Programs and Speakers), Rich Becker (OMGA Chapter Representative, IE Plant Sale), Christine Semeniuk (Bookkeeper) Susan Marcus (Acting Treasurer), Mike Rutherford (Administrator G-Suite and Historian), Linda Goldser (Director Demonstration Garden), Carole Hardy (eNews Chapter, Alternative OMGA Rep.), Jack Lazareck, Lisa Kirby, Angela Myatt (Secretary)

Approval of March 28th Minutes
Minutes were approved with the correction of Marcia’s last name.

Susan asked for clarification of the phrase “sliding scale” in reference to OMGA annual fees. Rich explained each member pays for what they choose. The Chapter pays what OMGA requires per individual.

Dam Proud Day
After a short discussion, Cynthia proposed a motion to donate $150 to Dam Proud Day. Mike seconded the motion which was passed. Cynthia encouraged all the Board members to contribute $50, as requested by Gail Langelotto.

Incredible Edible (IE) Sale
Rich reported that pre-sales were going well. Discussion followed on how to “get the word out” about the sale. Rich suggested sharing the QR code on the IE post card at several venues e.g., plant clinics, Farmers Markets etc. Other suggestions included distributing posters at Community Gardens, posting to Neighborhood Associations, NextDoor, Facebook and eNews. Several Board members volunteered to spread the word in their neighborhoods. For example, Mike will distribute the poster he printed in his SE neighborhood. Marcia clarified how many IE post cards were still available.

The pre-sale site will close on May 10th. Pre-sale pick up will be from 10 am to 2pm with the last time slot being 1.30pm. General admission will be from 2-3pm.

Rich confirmed an email had gone out asking for volunteers for the IE Sale.

Merchandise Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT)
There was discussion on selling merchandise and how UBIT is related to MCMGA as the latter is a nonprofit. Christine clarified that it is legal for a nonprofit to have a for-profit subsidiary running the website and selling merchandise. If such activities are conducted exclusively by volunteers, then the organization is not subject to UBIT.

Oregon Master Gardeners Association (OMGA)
Rich reported there has not been another meeting since the March Board meeting.

Grapevine
There were differing opinions about Grapevine. Marcia reported that Grapevine and the Washington County newsletter get the highest hits from the Metro Master Gardener newsletter. It was decided the Communications Committee were most qualified to investigate the longevity of Grapevine. Carole said it will be on the May agenda.

Demo Garden
Linda gave a detailed report of all the activities in the Demo Garden. For example: 3.5 lbs. of lettuce and Asian mustard were donated to the St. Francis Center and the ornamental cherry and Oregon grape are in bloom. They are now waiting for the City to turn on the water. The Soil Workshop was over two days, with 23 attending on Saturday and 20 on Sunday. There were several events on Earth Day, partnering with PSU, giving away Mason bee houses (made by Franklin High School students) and seed packets donated by Marcia. Evening “Come Learn” sessions will now be on the third Monday of every month. Marysville Elementary will be visiting on May 25th.

Lorna asked when the video of the Demo Garden Team would be available. When it is, it should be Google Drive and also You Tube.

Rich confirmed the Pergola construction is presently “under wraps”.

Social Activities
There was discussion on how to ensure a good turnout at events like the Soil Workshop and the visit to the Leach Botanical Garden. It was decided that Linda will work with Mike re: the timing and number of reminders for future Demo Garden events. Several factors come into play e.g., absences due to inclement weather and cases of Covid.

Lorna reminded everyone that ideas for social activities are encouraged.

Advocacy: Multnomah County Commissioners
Cynthia reported that Mike and she had met with a staff person of Diane Rosenbaum’s and another meeting is planned. Meetings with Sushila Jaipal, Jessica Vega Pederson, Lori Stegmann and Sharon Meieran are also expected to be scheduled.

Of the five Multnomah County Commissioners the goal is to find one who is interested and willing to engage with constituents representing Multnomah County Master Gardeners.

Cynthia noted that in twenty years no constituents have been promoting or advocating for Master Gardeners to the County Commissioners until now. Due to Dr. Lyles this is now changing. Lorna observed that until now, the Commissioners have been unaware of any funding needs/issues.

MCMGA Insurance
Lorna asked Angela to give an update on MCMGA Insurance as it relates to liability issues associated with construction of the pergola in the Demo Garden. The Chapter’s Insurance policy has a general liability clause of up to $10,000. There was discussion about individual Board members being personally liable. Christine suggested finding out if other Chapters have taken out Directors and Officers Insurance. Susan suggested hiring an attorney. Angela will investigate further and report back.

The meeting closed at 8.05pm
The next meeting of the MCMGA Board will be on May 30th, 2023, at 6.30 pm
Draft Minutes submitted by Angela Myatt (Secretary) May 4th, 2023, corrections incorporated March 8, 2023

MCMGA Board Minutes for March 28th, 2023

Present: Lorna Schilling (President), Cynthia Chase (Vice President), Marcia McIntyre (Programs and Speakers), John Jordan (Fund Raising), Rich Becker (OMGA Chapter Representative, IE Plant Sale), Susan Marcus (Acting Treasurer), Mike Rutherford (Administrator G-Suite and Historian), Claudia Groth, Linda Goldser (Director Demonstration Garden), Carole Hardy (eNews Chapter, Alternative OMGA Rep.), Susanne Cavicchi (Director Communicate!) Marilyn Frankel, Angela Myatt (Secretary)

Approval of February 2023 Minutes:
Motion: Cynthia proposed a motion to approve the February 2023 Minutes with the correction to the spelling of Susan Marcus’s name.

Mike seconded the motion. Minutes so approved.

Membership:
There was discussion on how many clicks were necessary to renew membership via the website. Kaz will be asked to investigate the issue. There are currently 121 perennials and 26 trainees. Membership is down from 180 since Covid. Heidi will continue to check on membership renewals.

Incredible Edibles:
Rich reported there will be a general call for volunteers soon. He is currently looking at how to track pre orders when the email address is entered incorrectly. There followed discussion.

Information on the Sale will be in the April eNews.

Oregon Master Gardener Association (OMGA)
Rich reported there will be an increase of dues, but this will not significantly impact the Chapter because unlike other Chapters. the Chapter has implemented a sliding scale. Discussion followed on OMGA administration and funding issues. Comparisons were made with other similar organizations.

OSU DAM Proud Day April 26th 2023
Marcia reported on DAM Proud Day which is an annual day of giving, featuring programs at OSU. This year Master Gardeners are one of the five selected. Master Gardeners are encouraged to contact Gail Langelotto and LeAnn Locher with their experiences. Discussion followed on whether, and if so, how much, the Chapter should contribute. A decision will be made at April’s Board Meeting. DAM Proud will be featured on the Chapter Facebook and in the Chapter April eNews.

Logo and Merchandise
500 stickers with the new MCMGA logo have been purchased. There was discussion on how to make the logo available and to whom. There was general agreement that the Chapter should oversee the distribution of the logo on any/all merchandise. Now the logo is only accessible to the Communications Committee. Discussion continued on how and to whom, the logo, be it as a sticker or on merchandise, be distributed.

Motion: John proposed a motion to order 300 static cling stickers. Susan seconded the motion; it was passed unanimously.

Pergola
Rich said construction of the Pergola will continue after the IE Sale.

Social Activities
Cynthia reported on the trip to Leach Botanic Gardens on Sunday March 26th. Lisa Kirby led the tour. There was discussion on locations for further such activities, for example, Zenger Farm and the Chinese Garden. Cynthia will remain responsible for arranging social activities until someone else can be found. Carole will ask for interested parties in the next eNews.

Demo Garden
Linda reported on the many planned activities at the Demo Garden starting with the previous evening’s “Come Learn at the Demo Garden”. Six new volunteers have now joined those working in the Garden.

There was discussion on the best way to sign up for classes, including managing the wait list and no shows. Mike will investigate using Google forms. CERVIS (the Master Gardener Volunteer Console) remains an option.

Video Equipment
Cynthia offered to store the video equipment, taking over from Jack.

MCMGA Website
John gave a shout out to Corinne for all her work on the website, now including information on the Bottle Drop and Fred Meyer.

Contacting Multnomah County Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners
Lorna, Cynthia and Mike reported on progress to date. No meetings have been arranged so far. Cynthia noted that Angela Sandino is to be told of any meetings so that she can attend if possible.

Tri County Master Gardeners Meeting on June 4th
Marcia reported that with Lisa Kirby and Amy Espinosa she is working on arranging a meeting on June 4th to which all TriCounty Master Gardeners will be invited. It will be a fun event to cultivate community and an opportunity to meet Lisa and Amy. Possible locations were discussed.

Monthly Communications Committee meetings
Carole reported that the monthly Communications Committee social events at the Kennedy School will be replaced by outdoor events for the foreseeable future.

The meeting closed at 8.10pm
The next MCMGA Board meeting will be on April 25th at 6.30pm.
Minutes submitted by Angela Myatt Secretary MCMGA

MCMGA Board Minutes for February 28th 2023

Present: Lorna Schilling (President), Cynthia Chase (Vice President), Marcia McIntyre (Programs and Speakers), John Jordan (Fund Raising), Rich Becker (OMGA Chapter Representative, IE Plant Sale), Marilyn Frankel, Jack Lazareck, Lisa Kirby, Claudia Groth, Heidi Nichols (Co Chair Demonstration Garden, Membership) Angela Myatt (Secretary)

Approval of January 2023 Minutes
Christine asked for the Minutes to be amended to remove “Co Chair of Demo Garden” from Susan Marcus’ responsibilities. Minutes were approved with that amendment.

Request For Funds
In an email to Lorna, Corinne, on behalf of the Education Committee, asked for input from the Board on the “MCMGA Project Idea Form and the Metro Extension Proposal for the Community Education Project with the All Families Welcome Preschool". As money is already in the budget it was decided there is no need for the Board to discuss further.

Insurance and Liability
It was decided that everyone who works in the Demonstration Garden needs to sign a waiver. There was discussion on the narrative of the waiver.
Later in the meeting Rich reported the foundation for Pergola has now been poured.

Membership
Heidi reported on the status of membership renewals. Discussion followed on possible incentives for renewing and it was decided that those who renewed would be entered into a raffle for one of two books or an MG vest. Agreement was reached on how many reminders to be sent out and when.

MCMGA Stickers
There was discussion on how and when to distribute the new MCMGA stickers. There were several suggestions on where it would be best to use the stickers/logo, for example, on selected Chapter merchandise. John agreed to order the stickers, liaising with Marcia.

Membership Cards
There was discussion on Membership cards and effective distribution thereof.

Rena Hoefling Bequest
There was discussion and many ideas on how to utilize the bequest from long time MCMGA member Rena Hoefling. This led to a general discussion on bequests and donations to the Chapter. No decisions were made at this time.

Multnomah County Budget and Election Update
John gave an update on the current status of both. At the time of the meeting no decision on the budget had been made.

Oregon Master Gardeners Association (OMGA)
Rich gave an update on OMGA membership.

Social Activities
Following on from reports of recent social events in the Washington and Clackamas County Chapter, there was discussion on possible venues and dates for Multnomah Chapter social activities, with emphasis in inclusivity. There were many suggestions including visiting the Leach Botanic Gardens.

2023 Incredible Edibles (IE) Sale
Rich reported he is exploring software which will meet the needs of pre-ordering plants to then be picked up at the event. Discussion followed regarding payment by credit card, checks and cash. The Board agree that the former is preferable for the IE sale.

Fund Raising
John applauded Corinne’s work on the website and suggested that, if possible, the Donate button be more prominent. He also noted the potential for Chapter funds being generated by Bottle Bank donations.

The meeting closed at 8.10 pm
Next meeting is Tuesday March 28th 2023 at 6.30pm (Zoom)
Minutes submitted by Angela Myatt (Secretary) March 24 2023
Approved, with correction, at March 2023 Board meeting.

MCMGA Board Minutes for Jan. 3, 2023 (December meeting)

Present: Linda Goldser, Lorna Schilling, Cynthia Chase, Susan Marcus, Rich Becker, Mike Rutherford, Christine Semeniuk, John Jordan, Jack Lazareck, Carole Hardy, Marilyn Frankel, Heidi Nichols

Minutes from 11/2022 were approved with a correction/update for losses at Demo Garden which have surpassed $5000.

John Jordan discussed future fundraising efforts. More publicity for Fred Meyer donations need to be publicized as that is underutilized by members. Amazon Smile program has been $5 per year (update: that program has been cancelled by Amazon).

Update of IE Sale

Budget was approved to be sent to Membership for an approval vote.

Discussion of meetings with OSU Extension staff and plans for 2023 training and future funding.

MCMGA Board Minutes for Nov. 29, 2022

Present: Linda Goldser, Lorna Schilling, Jack Lazareck, Cynthia Chase, Heidi Nichols, Susan Marcus, Rich Becker, Mike Rutherford, Christine Semeniuk, Marcia McIntyre, John Jordan, Susanne Cavicchi, Tom Ralley

Minutes for June and September were approved.

Mike Rutherford is working on our G-suite and will start suspending inactive accounts as a security precaution. Accounts can be reinstated easily if necessary.

Linda Goldser reported on the end of the Season at the Demo Garden and also reported on the unfortunate burglaries at the DG. Insurance claims are pending and losses are at least $3800.

New fundraising chair John Jordan reported on plans to modify website to allow for donations not related to membership. He is also looking at an email letter for fundraising.

Rich Becker reported on OMGA including a new advocacy group formed to advocate for MG funding with the State. They are updating goals and bylaws.

Discussion of upcoming meeting with Dr. Lyles Vice Provost of Extension.

Corinne is putting together a presentation of our 2022 activities to showcase our accomplishments.

Heidi Nichols discussed membership dues.

Board voted to maintain membership dues structure as a no minimum dues with $30 suggested and anything above $20 as a donation.

MCMGA Board Minutes for Sept. 27, 2022

Attendees: Lorna Schilling, Cynthia Chase, Mike Rutherford, Rich Becker, Christine Semeniuk, Carole Hardy, Jack Lazareck, Linda Goldser, Susan Marcus, Marcia McIntyre, Susanne Cavicchi

August meetings were approved.

Communication Committee presented the latest iteration of logo as designed. General consensus is that it's on the right track.

Advocacy committee of OMGA is looking for more volunteers to support its goals statewide.

Future locations for in person meetings were discussed. Tentatively we are looking at April, May and June in person meetings. Locations under consideration are SMILE in Sellwood, Multnomah Arts Center in SW, and Multnomah County Building.

Budget was discussed.

Demo Garden report included the Harvest Festival report. Because of rescheduling, there was a smaller attendance of 36. Giveaway of Vesuvius tomato seeds and presentation of 2022 and 2023 awards. Great food was shared including a watermelon from the dry farming bed and newly churned ice cream.

Linda also shared some numbers about the DG. As of 9/27, 82 volunteers volunteered for 3300 hours, 33 of whom were new to the DG. 2400 Ibs. of produce was donated mostly to the All Saints Food Pantry in the Woodstock area.

MCMGA Board Minutes for Aug. 23, 2022 - no quorum so no votes were taken.

Guest speaker Clackamas County MG Sherry Sheng attended to discuss the need for local and statewide MG Boards to recruit advocacy volunteers in our chapter.

Demo Garden report on Open Garden event which was a big hit. Discussion of upcoming Harvest Fest and Sparrowhawk native sale coming up. The sale is a fundraiser and because there was not a quorum, it was agreed that a poll of the board would go out to decide where the proceeds would go in the chapter.

Poll went out to voting board members. Vote was 7 yes and 1 no to allocate the proceeds from the sale to the Demo Garden fund.

Harvest Fest plans were discussed.