Business Meeting Minutes
August 13, 2024
9-9:40 Social Time – Meet, Greet & Eat.
Hostesses – Leona McDonald, Roberta Mehta, Jennifer Buss
ATTENDEES: Pat Allen, Sandy Ahlquist, Karen Burmester, Mike Burmester, Jennifer Buss, Elizabeth Cathey, Diana Colvin, Barb Decious, Donna Endicott, Mary Lou Epperson, Shelley Fenton, Jan Ferguson-Bresee, Sheila Greer, Mary Horton, Yvonne Kochanowski, John Kochanowski, Julie Lund, Leona McDonald, Roberta Mehta, Carol Mohr, Janet Rasher, Hazel Sears, Donna Simonson, Claudia Taylor, Patti Taylor, Leta Wyler, Wendy Young
9:45-10:00 Welcome New Guests and New Members: No guests were introduced today.
10-10:50 am – Program: Oregon Climate Change – Erica Fleishman, OSU
Dr. Erica Fleishman, OSU professor, explained the organizational structure and scope of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (https:// https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/occri/). She described some lesser-known findings generated from the OCCRI biennial climate change assessments: Summer temperature increases have been more extreme than winter changes. Winter cold is less cold now, causing rain rather than snow at higher elevations, leading to “snow drought,” even though overall precipitation may still be high. Algae blooms and saltwater incursions can jeopardize agricultural, fishing, and public health.
We can help monitor precipitation at https://www.cocorahs.org/state.aspx?state=or
Changes in plant hardiness maps can be found at: https://www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
A map of Zone Changes for Oregon is attached.
11:00 am Implementation of Conservation Pledge: See Item 5 of Business Meeting Minutes
11:05 am Horticulture, Floral Arrangements, Garden Talk, Plant Specimens
Everyone can participate and bring from your Summer Gardens, Summer blooms, discovery of a new plant, a flower arrangement, a new garden book recommendation, favorite garden tool, nurseries you’ve been to lately, whatever suits your taste and time.
Jennifer distributed a sign-up sheet encouraging members to schedule bringing in items to share at meetings. Patti Taylor brought spider plant starts. Jan Ferguson-Bresee brought in houseplant starts. Wendy Young brought mini monstera starts. Donna Endicott brought an example of a new variety of cold-hardy Gardenia she found at Tony’s Garden Supply which has been thriving in her yard. Leona McDonald brought in a large basket arrangement.
Business Meeting Minutes
- Treasurer’s Report – Sheila Greer, Treasurer: As of July 24, 2024, balance is $4159.63. Donations were made to Blue and Gold Star Memorial Project, Leach Botanical Gardens Pollinator Club, OSU Ecology Research Fund, Elsie Skinner Design Guild, and the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs’s Book of Remembrance in honor of Evelyn Mell.
A copy of the Budget for Fiscal Year July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 is attached.
- Approval of Minutes: Since no amendments were submitted to the June 11, 2024 Minutes, they stand approved as distributed. Jennifer noted that the Minutes will be more concise to reduce workload, reading time, and to encourage members to continue volunteering for club positions that won’t be prohibitively labor-intensive.
- Committee Reports / Project Updates:
- Membership updates: Wendy Young reported that email delivery difficulties seem to have been resolved. New name tags on lanyards were distributed so that members can keep them handy to take to meetings.
- Programs/coffee chat updates – Shelley Fenton reminded members of hostess duties for the next three months. She also announced that the bookmarks to be made at next month’s craft project may be distributed to school libraries. New speakers scheduled: Harry Landers, Rose Garden Curator Emeritus, will be October’s speaker. Clackamas County Sheriff’s officer will discuss emergency services at November’s meeting. The Happy Valley City arborist has been rescheduled to speak at March’s meeting, and the owner of Roosevelt’s Terrarium will speak at April’s meeting.
- Coffee chat schedules: August’s coffee chat (Elka Bee’s) will remain scheduled for 9 a.m. September’s coffee chat (at Leona’s) will be at 10 a.m. Frequency will remain monthly, and a 10 a.m. time was suggested, but not yet confirmed, for meetings going forward.
- Garden Club Updates and Info to share: Jennifer Buss
- Fall District Meeting and Luncheon – not confirmed but tentatively Oct. 3.
- In honor of Evelyn Mell, her name is being entered into the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs’s Book of Remembrance.
- No January meeting is scheduled because of probable weather challenges.
- A February meeting is scheduled with a presentation by a club member so that any weather problems will not require cancelling an outside speaker.
- Sheila Greer reported that we have again been invited to the Kelso Garden Club’s Guest Day on October 18. The club’s invitation and details are attached.
- Implementation of Conservation Pledge:
As discussed at the last few meetings, a Website Committee was formed to use digital tools to reduce emails, eliminate printing costs, and conform with our conservation pledge to protect and conserve the natural resources of our planet. Yvonne and John Kochanowski are developing a website that will take the place of our books. The website will be password protected so that only members will have access to demographic information. For members who don’t regularly use internet or PC tools, updates will be provided in a pared-down paper format.
- Reminders:
- August Birthdays – 6th Jan Ferguson-Bresee, 29th Priscilla Robinson
- Coffee Chat – Elka Bee’s – 9:00 am August 27th
- Raffle – Donna Endicott brought a “mini fern table” which Diana Colvin won. Diana will provide next month’s raffle prize.
- The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 am
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Lou Epperson
