Minutes of the Board Meeting of 3/12/2025

The Garden Club of Windham

 Minutes of Board Meeting 3/12/2025

Windham Senior Center

Call to order – 6:08 pm, Barbara Wright and Jay Osborne, co-chairs presiding

In Attendance – Faith Kenton, Jay Osborne, Ursula Roskoski, Patty St.Louis, Debbie Stoloff,

Carole Williamson, Barbara Wright.

Continuing the Conversation – Ursula began with drawing attention to the ongoing conversation about membership and culture change.  She proposed that for a smoother running meeting we adopt the following suggestions:  stay on the current agenda topic; each person speaks once on the current topic before anyone speaks twice; do not interrupt the speaker; no cross-talk or sidebar conversations.

Minutes of the Board meeting held on 2/12/2025 were unanimously approved as they had been posted on-line previously for members to access and read.  

Accounting/Finances

            Proposed Budget – Barbara drew attention to the updated Financial Report. This has been updated from our previous meeting and reflects only the whole Garden Club budget, not individual committee budgets.  Barbara also pointed out that the club did receive our $10K Pageau Grant check. Carole made a motion to accept the revised 2025 budget, Faith seconded, motion was unanimously approved.

            Accounting Practices – Jay spoke about our current, inherited accounting practices. These have included two different people cutting checks:  Barbara for Friends of the Garden on the Bridge (FGOB) and Patty Spruance, our treasurer for the Garden Club (GC) at large; and Jennifer, a volunteer who does bookkeeping and is not a GC member. Jennifer and Patty do not have access to the checking accounts to balance the checkbooks, thus the GC goes year to year without auditing the books, counting on the accuracy of the check writing and bookkeeping.  Every once in a while there are little mistakes, such as two checks for the same item, which may or may not get corrected. This needs to be fixed.

What are some recommendations:  find out who has access to the account, who can write checks, who sees the statements, who are the current signatories and how do we update this.  The bank has requested a board meeting that brings up, discusses and records this topic in minutes, noting that we approve who we want on board as signatories – we can say who we want on as signatories and all others will be removed.  Jennifer has recommended that we combine the check writing and the bookkeeping into the functions of one person, thus we need to find a person willing to do that.

Barbara has suggested that before we make a motion to decide who the signatories will be that we poll individuals who may be on the list and find out if they still want to be included.  Jay stated that a second step would be to unify the duties of check writing, recording the checks in the proper categories and balancing the checkbook.  Barbara believes that ideally in the end there would be only one person writing checks, recording them and balancing the account.

Faith asked whether the GC has ever explored having a professional bookkeeping service, Jay stated that possibly the bank would perform this service.  Ursula made a motion for Jay and Carole to explore the questions raised by this discussion of our accounting practices and report back with recommendations at the next the board meeting.  Debbie seconded.  Motion was unanimously approved.

Annual Meeting – Barbara noted that the Annual Meeting is currently slated for April 9, Faith moved that this date for the annual meeting be accepted, Debbie seconded, Barbara started the discussion by proposing that we might offer something at the annual meeting that would be educational and entertaining in addition to taking care of business.  Elizabeth Huebner has offered to do an exercise/workshop for the second half of the meeting.  The problem is that she will not be available on the April 9, but will be available on April 16.  Barbara proposed an amendment to the motion to change the date of the Annual Meeting to April 16 from 6 – 8 pm, Carole seconded, motion was unanimously approved.

Proposed Slate of officers for 2025 – Barbara noted that the proposed slate of officers will be as discussed previously with the changes that Jay will become President, Barbara will become Secretary, Ursula will become a Board Member at Large, all other positions will remain the same. Ursula made a motion that we accept the proposed, amended slate of officers for 2025, Barbara seconded, motion was unanimously approved.

Potluck Dinner – Faith presented a flier for the Potluck Supper to be held on March 29, at the Dugan Building of the Mill Museum.  Faith mentioned that we will make a donation of $300 to the Mill Museum for the use of the building.

Local Earth Day Celebrations – Barbara noted that there are two local Earth Day (April 22) celebrations that the Garden Club has been invited to participate in.  We will need volunteers to operate booths at these events, these are good opportunities to grow membership.

Plant Sale – Barbara mentioned that we need to choose a date for the annual plant sale.  Carole has suggested that we hold it earlier than in the past because, due to climate change, people become interested in gardening earlier in the spring.  Debbie suggested that if we hold it the week after Mother’s Day we could advertise at Third Thursday.  Barbara made a motion to hold the Plant Sale at Jillson Square on May 17, Ursula seconded, motion was unanimously approved.

Open Garden – Ursula stated that Jean de Smet has a lovely spring garden of primarily native plants and she has agreed to do an Open Garden.  Jean said that last year the Viburnums began to blossom and have a wonderful scent around May 10. Carole made a motion that we hold the first Open Garden at Jean de Smet’s house on May 10, Debbie seconded, Barbara opened the discussion by stating that May 10 is a weekend and we have tended to have Open Garden on a weekday evening.  Motion was unanimously approved with an amendment to leave the date flexible.

Other Points of Interest -

            Patty St Louis  – She stated that she would like to volunteer with the club in no fixed role but able to offer many administrative skills and a lot of availability to work in a support capacity.

            Faith asked whether it would work to ask Pam and Jean of Wildlife Committee to take the group around to Whitewater Park and the Riverside Trail, so show us the work they have done at these locations.  Barbara suggested that that would make a lovely Spring Outdoors event for The Last Green Valley.

            Faith brought up the topic of blight at Heritage Park. Jay stated that the land is federal property and the Mill owner is responsible for upkeep. Discussion ensued, highlighting that this is a complex problem that involves the federal ownership of the land, the state rental of the parking lot, the private management of the grounds, the neighboring tenants who are disgruntled with the lack of code enforcement in their residences, several town departments including Public Works and primarily Code Enforcement, the Town Council, and overwhelmed volunteers such as Garden Club members and the Friday Trash Mob.

            Carole asked if the GC is interested in continuing with the GOB Seasonal Lighting Project.  If so, she needs more plastic water bottles and more labor to expand the project.  This is something to think about, an immanent decision is not required.

            Carole brought up the fact that the new Town Manager has been leaning on Don Fascio, the Public Works director, concerning his academic qualifications.  She feels that because Don has bent over backwards to assist the Garden Club in our many projects that we might step up to the plate in offering our support of his position.  The Town Engineer is also being pressured concerning his qualifications.  That might involve attending town meetings and addressing the Town Council about altering what might be perceived as a “bullying” approach.

Next Meeting – TBD

Adjourned – 7:41 pm

Respectfully submitted by Ursula Roskoski