A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Ventura County Rose Society was held at the Cowan Center, Camarillo on September 28, 2006. Those present were: Linda Banner-Bacin, President; Lynette Buchanan Roth, Vice President; Paddy Ruzella, Secretary; Jim Delahanty, Immediate Past President; Pat Moomey, Ken Kerr, and Jane Delahanty, Directors at Large; and Cindy Mastro, Ex Officio and Raffle Chair. Earl Holst, Treasurer, and Janet Sklar, Director at Large, were absent.
The meeting was called to order at 5:40 p.m. by Linda Banner-Bacin. Lynette Buchanan Roth was appointed Chairperson for this year's Nominating Committee. Cindy Mastro agreed to serve on the Committee and Lynette will pick another member from the general membership. All present Board members with the exceptions of Jim and Jane Delahanty have agreed to serve on the 2007 Board, if elected, and it was suggested that Kay Abbott and Cindy Mastro be asked to fill the two vacancies.
There was much discussion about the newsletter. A good printer has been found in Ventura. Approximately 50% of members have agreed to take the newsletter electronically leaving approximately 50 paper copies to be distributed. Jane Delahanty and Pat Moomey will proof future newsletters before they are sent to the printer and Paddy Ruzella will undertake distribution of the paper copies. Linda Banner-Bacin asked each board member (including non-voting members) to write at least one article for the newsletter. It was also suggested that an icon be placed on the home page of the VCRS web site so those seeking the newsletter can go straight to it. The next month's speaker and program should also be featured prominently on the front page of the newsletter and/or web site home page.
Bearing in mind that there is no editor for the newsletter after the January issue, the Board discussed alternatives to the present format should a new editor not be found by January. Production requires 3 basic tasks: editing, layout, and distribution. People are needed for both editing and layout. It was suggested that the newsletter might be cut down in size and scope, might be quarterly instead of monthly, that it might be strictly electronic with postcards as meeting/program reminders etc. No firm decisions were made except to continue the search for someone to edit (pull everything together) and someone to layout the newsletter for printing so it can continue in its present form.
Since Jim Delahanty will not be on the Board next year, the president asked each Board member to read and study the Society's By-Laws!
Jim Delahanty gave an updated report on the January 2007 Rose Auction. Bob Martin has agreed to be the auctioneer but cannot attend on January 20th as presently planned. Jim will seek to change the room booking to January 27th. At present there are 142 roses available with 127 different roses including a lot of polyanthas and Old Garden Roses. A motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously that Bob Martin be offered a life membership in the VCRS for his many years of work on behalf of the Society. This should be presented to him at the end of this year's auction.
It was further decided that the position of Program Chairman will be undertaken by the Board as a whole for the 2007 year and that Bob Martin be asked to present a program on hybridizing.
The meeting was adjourned at 6.50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Paddy Ruzella