Attending: Co-Chair Kate Mahon, Co-Chair Michael Charnofsky, Chair-Elect Julie Faulkner, Secretary Jennifer Lyn Schall, Newsletter Editor Maggie Wolfe, Activities and Election Coordinator Debbie Carraway, Treasurer Zayanne Gardner, Membership Helen de la Maza, Kathleen Mitchell, Dwight Vieira, and John.

Michael called the meeting to order at 12:20 p.m. and read through the agenda.

NEXT FALL CONFERENCE Maggie suggested the Joshua Tree employee campsite near Hidden Valley. Schedule for Oct. 20-22, 2000, so as not to conflict with CSTA Oct. 12-14, 2000. At the trailhead of a new school year theme...The Abiotic World, Rocking out at Joshua Tree, geology, astronomy, ideas you can use next week. Advertise: Joshua Tree as site, Oct. 20-22 dates, and At the Trailhead of a New School Year theme, and Watch Southern Fall newsletter for more information.

OUTREACH Harbinger File...Michael sent out 120 letters. This is part of the Coordinating Secretary’s job.

TREASURY Zayanne reported that we currently have a balance of $ 5,098.74. The rest of the payments for our Fall Conference came in. Last year Maggie received $ 800.00 and had left over funds for the newsletter. Michael did get Vision paper for Conference packets, which is more expensive.

NEWSLETTER REPORT Maggie asks please e-mail articles, in the e-mail message rather than as an attachment. Dwight will look for his Thousand Pines map or come up with something to send to Maggie.

NON-PROFIT STATUS Two types: State of California and Federal status. Maggie looked for a cheaper newsletter bank account (her current one charges $4 per month) but needed a letter of non-profit status designation. Federal status could result in airline discounts. Michael is working on it.

NAAEE AFFILIATION We are now affiliated with NAAEE and we need a contact person. Hoppy is doing this now. It should be the State Coordinating Secretary. Michael proposal make it the State Coordinating Secretary.

NOMINATIONS/ELECTIONS Elections process should be consistent with both sections, and handled at the same time. Michael asked for an Election Coordinator and Debbie Carraway volunteered. The Chair-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary are elected each year. All other Board positions are appointments. Maggie has put in an election form in the last newsletter and this one, and will include in the registration form. Handle ballot with ballot and background information of Board members on a place mat at a meal. Or vote while standing in line for meal.

LOGO At registration have 2 examples shown, either vote there or better yet have logos printed on place mat (with election choices).

ACTIVITIES The Bird Watching trip is on Feb. 25-27. Debbie updated the Board that she has reservations at a group campground with the confirmation number 644982 for Fri. night and is still trying to get into contact with the site for Sat. night. For each Board member, please make copies of the newsletter page advertising the trip to post at work and let Debbie know general numbers of who is planning to attend. Dogs allowed only on a 6 ft leash at the one campground.

WEB MASTER Dan Allison and Hoppy started the AEOE web site (through Hoppy’s site via Sacramento). Dan Allison has been maintaining it and stated that he had put in 250 hours on it last year. Northern Board agreed to pay Dan Allison $250.00 per year, suggesting that Southern Board do the same to total $500.00 per year. Discussion followed: Zayanne asked as a non-for-profit, and with our by-lays, is it ok to pay Board members for services? Kate suggested that as the web site was a product given to our members it is ok to “pay”. Agreement that for 250 hours work, $500.00 was not “pay’, but a “stipend” meant as a thank you. Zayanne stated that continuous work like web master or newsletter editor ok to give a stipend, but is a different situation from a member volunteer, such as a conference volunteer. Dwight made the suggestion that we should make it a condition in posting job announcements on the AEOE web site that the organization must be an institutional member of AEOE, and that we would use this money to fund a stipend for the AEOE web master. Michael made the motion for Southern Board to agree to give Dan Allison a one time stipend to match Northern ($250.00), looking at possible future stipends funded through institutional memberships, and that we will discuss later the amount of stipend for each section being prorated by number of members. Kate seconded. Motion passed.

DAN ALLISON O.E. SITE GUIDE All new members will receive one, if wanted. Normally $4, we purchase for $2. Northern has had 100 printed and Michael will ask Dan to print 100 to 150 copies for us also.

HOWARD BELL AWARD Dwight will get a nominee form in for Bruce Daub and will be presenter of Award if Northern agrees. Maggie is planning a late spring newsletter article on the Howard Bell winner.

JOIE MEMORIAL FUND Ask Northern if Maggie should publish (availability of fund money for those who need financial assistance to attend conference) in newsletter.

********** ********** ********** ********** **********
SPRING STATE WIDE CONFERENCE APRIL 7-9, 2000

CONFERENCE COST FOR BOARD MEMBERS State-wide Board voted at Sly Park to take hours per conference worked off of conference cost and after the Fall Conference sent “credit” back to those who wanted to claim it. Kathleen reminded us to watch our budget, one paying person covers two people at half rate. Zayanne warned that we should not attract people to the Board because they will get free things. Maggie motions: Southern Board members volunteer that we do not take more than half price service credit hours. For Northern Board members, we have to check what was decided at Sly Park and since voted on by State-wide Board, we have to go by that agreement. Second Kate. All Southern Board agree. Michael will talk to Northern Board.

VOLUNTEERS Get volunteers who want to volunteer, no service credit hours...maybe a free t-shirt.

CONFERENCE PACKETS latest out by the 18th of February.

PRESENTATIONS Update by Maggie: Need only 15 or so workshops more. Need another plant focused workshop...now have ozone layer and damage to pines. Need more teaching methods workshops. Workshops divided by strand, not session time slot. Need to list times so attendees don’t sign up for mutually exclusive events. Maggie will call Janice for description of her workshop. $5 fee for Writing Nature Songs with Children with Walkin Jim Stoltz. Anything with an extra fee will need to be preregistered for. Sunday: 1 regular session; project day. Child’s Place in the Environment & Leopold Education Project.

REGISTRATION Registration Form:
1) Northern or Southern member;
2) Interest survey...top 5 workshops you are interested in...;
3) Tent / Cabins;
4) State vegetarian options with each meal, any other food needs/concerns supplement with your own food that you bring. Michael will call Thousand Pines for menu.
5) Nominations to Board;
6) Pre-purchase t-shirts.
7) Preregister for these workshops: Walkin Jim Stoltz $5; Project Wet $20; Leopold Education Project $25; Susan Strauss $15; High Ropes Course; Project Learning Tree; Project Wet; Project Wet Aquatics.

Wait on final sign up system for workshops until March 19th Workday/Southern Board meeting. Updated membership list for both Northern and Southern sections: Northern should send two copies of the Northern updated membership list to Helen. Southern should have two copies of the Southern updated membership list in separate cars.

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY Registration 6:00 -
Susan Strauss 8:30 - 9:00
Band (Helen) 7:00 - 8:30

ENTERTAINMENT Helen will contact the Rosewood Ramblers for the 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. time slot with $ 250 max. payment. Helen will e-mail information-- new name?.

TALENT SHOW Helen is in charge of the skits.

T-SHIRT SWAP Julie in charge, held after a meal.

PHOTO CONTEST Michael and Janice. Vote by signing name under photo. Location figured out on Workday.

SILENT AUCTION ?

ICE CREAM Kate is working on it.

SNACKS Michael.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDIT Kathleen. Through CAL State.

PROMOTION Michael updates the Board...he sent out information to other organizations.

PLANE TICKETS Debbie found a plane ticket for Dr. Cliff Knapp at $ 284.00. Zayanne has paid for Cliff Knapp’s plane ticket and still needs to pay for a bus ticket. A plane ticket has been reserved for Susan Strauss, which will need to be paid for, after Susan approves the ticket. Maggie was locating other schools for her to perform at, but Susan will probably be in and out given her new baby. Discussion was held on arrival and departure times for Susan and Cliff and scheduling someone to pick them up, possibly leaving together on Sunday...

NAME TAGS Zayanne will do the name tags as a card with: number for check-off sheet at meals; conference site and date; name & site from; schedule; and, ordered a t-shirt.

T-SHIRTS In progress. Kathleen will sell Fri. evening and Sun. morning. Will order three weeks before conference.

TRANSPORTATION Zayanne will drive up early and staff will drive in the van. A staff person will drive back to airport for pickups. $5 each way for pickup. If attendee planning on being picked up at airport, must contact Kate beforehand. Ontario airport to site will take appx. one hour in van. Ask Dan Allison to put up a ride bulletin board on AEOE web site.

RADIOS Kathleen and Julie will bring radios for communications during conference.
********** ********** ********** ********** **********

NEXT SOUTHERN AEOE BOARD MEETING

There will be a Workday/Southern Board meeting at Thousand Pines on March 19th, Sunday. Michael reminds the Board that there is a group booked for that weekend.

Michael moved to adjourn the meeting at 4:30 p.m. Kate seconded.

CONFERENCE JOBS (&Mac195; completed)

Janice:
--AEOE logo vote coordinator
&Mac195; send an old logo copy to Maggie
&Mac195; Selects a photo contest judge and will send photo contest criteria to Maggie
--history coordinator

Michael:
&Mac195; outreach
--kitchen/snack
--exhibitor coordinator
&Mac195; promotion with Maggie
&Mac195; with Maggie & Kathleen, will design, order, and get t-shirts

Zayanne:
--send confirmation letter
--registration & name tags
--t-shirt numbers from registration forms to Kathleen
--meal check-in coordinator

Maggie:
&Mac195; registration packets
&Mac195; presenter packet
&Mac195; design flyer for O.E. sites
&Mac195; presenter coordinator
&Mac195; with Michael & Kathleen, design and get t-shirts
--Conference Packet

Kate:
--concierge
--housing
--entertainment
--travel agent & transportation
--prize coordinator
--cleanup coordinator
--ice cream
--silent auction: by meal, put in newsletter that we would like items donated

Kathleen:
--building coordinator
--questions contact
&Mac195; assist Maggie with coordinating presentations
--talk to Orange County
&Mac195; Instructor of Record (1 unit Professional Development Credit)
--help Zayanne if needed
--with Maggie & Michael, design and get t-shirts. Sell t-shirts.

Dwight:
--discuss volunteers and a volunteer coordinator with Bruce
--ditto for parking
--ditto for camping
&Mac195; Thousand Pines map to send to Maggie

Helen:
--talent show
&Mac195; name and information of band

Julie:
--sign coordinator (a work day project)
--T-shirt swap
--bring radios
--Workshop sign up with Debbie Carraway

Debbie Carraway:
--job/resume table
--post conference evaluation
--Election Coordinator
--Workshop sign up with Julie