Attending: Chair Julie Faulkner, Past Co-Chair Michael Charnofsky, Secretary Jennifer Lyn Schall, Newsletter Editor Maggie Wolfe, State Coordinating Secretary Debbie Carraway, State Historian Janice Smith, Kathleen Mitchell, and Christine Wiseman.

The meeting was opened by Julie at 5:20 p.m. on Saturday June 3, 2000.

POST-CONFERENCE EVALUATIONS
Debbie handed out copies of the post-conference evaluations from our Spring 2000 state-wide conference. Excellent job everyone!!! Suggestions included a quiet zone esp. in camping area where drummers and noise were a complaint.

NEWSLETTER EDITOR REPORT
The Fall newsletter theme is At the Trailhead with a Sept. 15th deadline.
Please use Wrightwood.net for Maggie’s e-mail, with her yahoo.com for backup.
Maggie needs for next newsletter: Fall Conference information; welcome back / Word from the Chair; bio. information on Bruce Daub...Michael will call Bruce... & history on how Howard Bell Award got started (“Why did Bruce Daub receive the Howard Bell Award?”); and, a Song Column...Julie will track down astronomy song their group did at the Spring Conference...Janice will look for their group’s song...RT gave his group’s song to Dan Webster...Anyone is encouraged to send Maggie adapted or original songs.
Winter edition Water theme. Spring edition Bringing it all Back Home. Send in information or articles at anytime for Maggie to put together.
Maggie asked for $300 this year and for $1500 next year (She estimates $350 per issue of the newsletter). Julie motioned to give Maggie $1800 for the Newsletter budget. Michael seconded and the Board unanimously passed the motion.

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SOUTHERN FALL CONFERENCE 2000
Julie began discussion on planning for our Fall Conference 2000 scheduled on Oct. 27 - 29, with “At the Trailhead” as our theme. We were planning on Joshua Tree National Park, setting the attendance fee at $20, plus a $10 car entrance fee.

PRESENTERS: Send presenter ideas and names to Julie.
aboriginal skills...Jeff
astronomy walk...Dean (Michael’s cousin)
initiatives...Zayanne
hands-on teaching
environmental ethics
trail first aid...Kathleen
birding...RT
science experiments...Mike
contact Park Rangers...Debbie will talk to Karl Frank (birding)
story telling...Linda Ann Martin
story telling contest...Debbie
(Maggie suggested Acorn Naturalist to donate books for prizes in return for publicity.)
PREREGISTRATION: Kathleen
ON-SITE REGISTRATION: Debbie. Registration will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday.

BLURB: title of workshop session
blurb of what session is about
name of presenter, credentials, and job location
limits on session size

ADVERTISING: Michael, advertise in-- CREEC newsletter, NEST News of San Bernardino, NAAEE...Debbie

SCHEDULE: Debbie opening with ice breakers.
SAT 2 sessions in morning and 1 in afternoon
SUN 1 session in morning = 4 total workshop sessions
Ending at 11 p.m. on Sunday, followed by a Board meeting.
What time do we need to check out of site on Sunday? (page 1 of 2

ENTERTAINMENT: Julie
Kathleen will ask the blue grass group. Janice will ask Ken Wright if the Vulcan Mountain Boys are interested in playing.
Julie will check regulations for place where group can play and if there is a time limit.
Compensation for group will be free entrance to park, 1 year membership, and free conference attendance for up to five people.

T-SHIRTS: Kathleen will be in charge of the t-shirts. T-shirt design ideas were discussed with the howling coyote in front with “AEOEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee” howl printed flowing onto back side as a favorite.
ARTWORK: Christine volunteered : )

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AEOE FEDERAL NONPROFIT STATUS
Debbie summarized her investigation of AEOE federal nonprofit status (501 C3 status) for the Board. The feeling is that yes we have 501 C3 status but no records to document it. Southern AEOE should have a letter of tax exempt status and the IRS should have a copy but neither has it. When Maggie was checking this out, the IRS checked microfiche records but did not find anything. Donald Beaver does not know and there was nothing under a High Hill address. Debbie will try to contact Bernie Lem for more information. Kathleen has a non- profit handbook which she will loan to Debbie.
The first step is to fill out SS4 EINS. Debbie will fill out the EINS, then apply for recognition of exemption for 1023 (which may get AEOE statewide tax exemption). There is a time limit after forms are submitted for completion of the process. Debbie got the “tax #” from Zayanne, she needs the number from Northern. We may need to fill out 990 Easy Tax forms for the last 4 years.
Maggie motioned that we hire an accountant for AEOE statewide to get non-for-profit status figured out. Each section would send an annual treasury report to the coordinating secretary who would take it to an accountant. Julie seconded it. The Southern Board voted on Maggie’s suggestion and the Board passed it unanimously.
Our state status is ok for another year, then we will have to send in the paperwork and a fee of $10.
Northern AEOE is a club because they never filled out the forms when Northern and Southern split.

LOCATION FOR STATEWIDE BOARD MEETING
Julie led a discussion on the location for the statewide board meeting. Debbie will check out Hi Hill for us and then tell Julie the information. If not suitable, Julie will then check into other places.

AEOE REPRESENTATIVES TO NAAEE
Debbie and Julie are interested in going as our representatives to NAAEE, Oct. 17 - 22, with a travel grant to our organization for $300 - $500. Debbie will email Caroline if one representative can go to the NAAEE conference for free as an affiliate of NAAEE.

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Board discussed that we should have set criteria for the Educator of the Year Award with one award for Southern and another for Northern and be awarded, by committee rather than membership vote, for innovative teaching. Julie will contact and ask that the criteria used for the Inland Empire award at the Environmental Expo. be sent to her to be used for our reference. Discussion led to the decision that this was a statewide board issue and that we will continue thinking about it and discuss it at the statewide meeting in September. Good opportunity for a newsletter article by the recipient sharing their teaching techniques or vision with our members.

CSTA MEETING
Debbie e-mailed Jim Jones, the CSTA contact person. We need someone to go to the CSTA meeting next June. Kate and Lisa will be our CSTA liaisons, so Debbie will e-mail Kate and Lisa. Debbie will extend an invitation to Jim Jones to attend our statewide meeting in September, and say that we are interested in attending CSTA meetings if we are given more notice of dates.

NASA
Julie updated the Board that she received a call from Ken Barry that NASA would like to be more involved with AEOE. For example: doing presentations, offering their staff to do the training, moon rocks, plan a workshop for administrators to train them, traveling boxes kit, astronomy and geology. Kathleen and Julie are going June 7th.

MANUAL...HOW TO COORDINATE A STATEWIDE CONFERENCE
Michael is writing a manual on how to coordinate a statewide conference.
Dan Allison would like the budget information right away so Northern can start their planning. Michael told Dan to email Zayanne.

Julie adjourned the meeting at 8:40 p.m., Jennifer seconded.