The Garden Club of Windham
Minutes of Board Meeting 9/11/2024
Windham Senior Center
Call to order – 4:08 pm, Barbara Wright and Jay Osborne, co-chairs presiding
In Attendance – Faith Kenton, Jay Osborne, Daniel Phipps, Ursula Roskoski, Debbie Stoloff, Carole Williamson, Barbara Wright, Pam Wright.
Minutes of the Board meeting held on 7/24/2024 were approved by seven votes and one abstention as they had been posted on-line previously for members to access and read.
Fundraising Policy – Barbara presented a fundraising policy draft to be incorporated upon
approval into the larger policy document. A brief discussion ensued.
1. Carole suggested that person/persons who wish to begin a fundraising campaign get approval by the board in advance in writing. Barbara moved and Pam seconded that the board approve this addition to the language. The change was approved by unanimous vote.
2. Barbara drew attention to an addition to the draft, which is that when a person is fundraising, they can do so for a specific project or funds may be shared with the Garden Club as a whole, and that whatever the donor wishes in terms of recognition, i.e., reports, public acknowledgement, etc., be provided (bolding represents the changes talked about).
3. Dan believes that the language should be altered to ensure that payments be made to the GC, because the way it is worded now, it only states that they be deposited to the GC account. Jay moved to accept the new fundraising policy as amended, Pam seconded, draft was accepted as policy by unanimous vote.
Pageau Grant 2024 – Barbara presented the new Pageau Grant that she wrote to be
submitted by September 12 to the Pageau Foundation. After brief discussion Deb moved to approve submission of the grant application, Jay seconded, motion was carried by unanimous vote.
Garden on the Bridge Seasonal Lighting Project – Barbara explained that this item is about the $2000 that the town granted after she responded to their call to civic organizations to submit requests for money from the town budget. Barbara had asked for $5900 for GOTB lighting, for the Jack-O-Lantern jaunt, and for water. Because the GC received one third of what was requested, we now have to decide how to use the money.
Due to the amount of rain we have received this year we won’t need to spend it on
water, and Dan has pulled back on the Jack-O-Lantern jaunt, so we are left with the GOTB lighting project. Barbara emphasized that, as seen in the Pageau grant application, to do this project properly will require ~$8600. She suggested that the $2K would be enough to put some lighting around the arch to the bridge as a beginning, an investment in being able to eventually do the full project.Pam moved that the GC spend the $2K in putting lighting around the arch to the bridge. Dan seconded the motion, motion was carried by unanimous vote.
Partnership with ECSU and the Campus Climate Action Corps – Ursula moves that the
Garden Club of Windham formally endorse a partnership with the ECSU/Americorps Campus Climate Action Corps, wherein the Garden Club of Windham agrees to allocate $500 to the project and, in return, receives 4 student helpers for 4-5 hours per week for one year to assist with removal of invasive plants along the Willimantic River Trail and with other possible projects of ecological value, such as pollinator pathway mapping, in our community gardens. Pam seconded the motion. Discussion ensued concerning whether it was school year or calendar year. Ursula clarified that from the meeting they had with Patty Szczys at ECSU it was assumed to be an academic year and it is renewable for two more years. Motion was carried by unanimous vote.
UCONN-DEEP Grant/Willimantic Urban Forest Equity Project – Faith had received and
forwarded to the board an email describing this grant and partnership with the Town of Windham. It was clarified that the town is the community partner of this grant and it is informational for the GC. Faith intends to work with them as a community member and not as a GC representative; she will act as liaison and agreed to share information with the GC.
Other –
1. Deb announced that ECSU will be showing Cooked: Survival by Zipcode at the Betty Tipton Room on campus on Sunday, 9/15, at 1:00 pm. It is a film about environmental issues in poor urban settings.
2. Deb announced that her synagogue has cardboard that can be used as weed suppression, available for the asking.
3. Faith announced that she received an email from Anna Kirschmann of the Mansfield Garden Gate Club to invite us to a joint meeting on October 17 at the Mansfield Sr. Center that will feature Dr. Richard Cowles speaking on Exotic Invasive Pest Species.
4. Faith announced that the new Heritage Park Peace Pole has been installed by Yves Kraus.
5. Carole announced a new product on the market by Vigoro: old tires ground up to be used as mulch.
6. Ursula announced that there will be a Stormwater Management workshop at UCONN on October 15 given by the Natural Resources Conservation Academy in conjunction with the grant that she is involved with. Interested GC members are invited and can register through her.
7. Ursula announced a Cultural Intelligence workshop that will be held at Mashantucket Pequot Museum on October 12 from 1 – 4 pm. This should assist us to develop multicultural competence in recruiting new members to the GC. She will forward an application. Admission is free.
Next Meeting – TBD
Adjourned – 5:30 pm
Respectfully submitted by Ursula Roskoski
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