Source attachment: 2019_5_17_MSBA_BOD minutes.docx

Minutes of the Executive Board Meeting

May 17, 2019

USDA/ARS Beltsville Bee Lab, Building 306 BARC-EAST, Beltsville, MD

MSBA President, Jim Fraser called the meeting to order at 7:06 PM.

Attendees: In room: Jim Fraser, Kim Mehalick, Toni Burnham with proxy for Ben Cooper and Crystal Lehmanking, Carl Guerci, Allen Hayes with proxy for Brenda Klaunberg, David Clark, Pam Hepp, Maureen Jais-Mick, Stefanie Ottenstein, Susan Warner.
On phone: Jan Day, Deborah Hewitt, Clyde Strang, Patti Wong, Jerry Worrell

Review and Approval of the Minutes of the May 2019 BOD Meeting. Motion to approve by David Clark, seconded Susan Warner, the motion passed.

Reports by the Officers
President – Will report activities when we get to Honey Harvest Festival item. A good agenda, let’s move on with the meeting.
Treasurer – Statement of profit and loss for this year versus last year circulated (included at end of minutes). Biggest change is surge in license plate requests. All expenses for February meeting not yet represented. $68,000 in cash on hand this year as opposed to $48,000 this time last year. Revenue is up in part due to license plates, memberships, t-shirt sales, splits class. Apiary Inspector Fund is separate, donations are slow.
Secretary & Editor – Newsletter inputs sought. New online newsletter design will be tried. Instead of link to MSBA website, BeeLine announcement email will include more usable layout.
Vice-President – June meeting will feature Dr. Boncristiani, Suzy Spencer on Honey Tasting and Black Jar Competition. David Morris on honey show prep, Mark Dykes on SHB tool use in Texas. Wants board approval to award prizes. Costs for meeting total about $2,200. Engraved hive tool as prize with $100 gift certificate. Will send out rules. Will be in new/larger room at UMD this year.
EAS Report – Has been presenting to a few clubs. Has emailed clubs to set future dates, as well as circulating information from the BeeInformed Partnership Survey. 2020 EAS Conference will be in Maine. Queries re expenses for South Carolina, Maine.

Upcoming Programs

Spring Meeting June 15, as above, sounds good.
Fall Meeting, November 16 or 2, depending on Gene Robinson (keynote) schedule. Possible talk from Dr. David Golden (insect sting allergy specialist) as well.
February 2020: keynote Kim Flottum
June 13, 2020: keynote David Tarpy
June 12, 2021: keynote Jamie Ellis

Old Business

From the treasurer:
• Treasurers, Directors and Officers Insurance: New treasurer Stephanie Ottenstein, has contacted our existing (liability) insurer, The Hartford, and is submitting an application for coverage. Has also contacted MontCo’s insurer in Florida to request an application. With two quotes, Board can decide in future on which to accept. Number of volunteers per year is key data point: BOD suggests 100 volunteers per year for MSBA officers, event/class volunteers, and honey show.
• Treasurer Transition Update: Still working to get bank account issues resolved. Bank of America is balking at complete turnover in names of those with account ownership/access. Stefanie suggests that in the event of another Treasurer transition it might be most efficient to just switch to a different bank.
• Old records: Historic annual reports and quarterly statements transferred to Treasurer now in UMD Library. Would like to get digital copies and place on www.mdbeekeepers.org as well. There may be some additional material later.
• Maryland Registration as Nonprofit: We are registered with MD State Division of Assessments and Taxation and the IRS as a nonprofit. We are not registered with MD Secretary of State under the Attorney General’s Office to oversee charities. There is a form to fill out for charities receiving less than $25,000 per year (MSBA received $24,000 in 2018) and pay $25 registration fee. For more than that, there is a graduated fee structure. We will appear as a charity on their web site. Annual report required, like a form 1099EZ. Jim will sign needed registration forms.
• Club tax return: Form 990N was due May 15 and has been filed.
• Annual report for division of taxation: due April 15, extension received, since filed.
MSBA Splits Class: Kim Mehalick ran with Mark Dykes. Demand outstripped available seats many times over. $25 fee for one day. Original class size planned for 45, took it to 50, sold out in one morning. Feedback highly positive. Made a small profit. We should raise price, offer again in January and March 2020, get a bigger room. Expanded class size would not have decreased quality. Complaints that not enough folks could get in. Attendees averaged more experienced (10 years).
Return of Honey Judging Class: Allen was nominated to lead but did not receive communication in time for Spring 2019. Will take up for future, will create a committee. Kim volunteers on logistics. Jim also volunteers. Feedback from previous class was strong: gave them exposure to the judging process and helped in entry prep. Hope is that students will assist judges in future honey shows and pursue judging training. Cybil has been training two new honey judges a year, each year. It is important that MSBA continue to produce volunteers for honey judge training in order to ensure that honey at fairs is always judged by folks familiar with the process, not from other fair departments.
T-Shirt Sales: Handout. Long sleeve t-shirt sale experiment was small, successful. Near sell out at February meeting, interest much greater than short sleeved t-shirts. Jim authorized re-order, but BOD instruction needed. Alternative club ordering process from CustomInk would be more expensive, not much easier to organize. Sales have paid for expenses to date. BOD believes long sleeves will continue to sell in summer. BOD authorizes purchase of much larger batch to reduce cost and keep inventory for future meetings. Kim moves to approve a purchase of 100 long sleeved t-shirts to take advantage of bulk discount and do better than break even. Stefanie seconds. All approve. Motion carries. (Sales summary at end of minutes)
Honey Harvest Festival in Chestertown, May 25: Part of Tea Party Festival for this first year. They will not support bee tent or honey harvesting on site for 2019. Three spots reserved, observation hive, one thousand give away bag, new MSBA flyer, photo op stands, interactive display, coloring books, posters, volunteers from both state and local. MSBA will have some expense, not much.
Honey Cottage Food Requirements: Honey is not subject to special label regulation. Legal trend on cottage foods is loosened regulation. There is info on Maryland Extension web site. Other labelling and fee requirements may come from sales venues, sampling fee, sampling license from County Health Departments (not consistent across state).
Website Update: Phil not present. Content and maintenance receive positive feedback.
New Business
• UMD Bee Squad: “Afternoon in the Apiary” Programs have begun. Slots going unfilled because on weekdays and Friday afternoons, working on changing dates in future. Space available in next three classes. Make sure to include in BeeLine.
• Change to BOD Meeting Day and Time? Saturday or Sunday, or Tuesday evening? Pushback on weekends, off limits for most. There were some on Thursdays in the 1990s. With conference calling and only three meetings per year, successfully making quorum, benefit to change not clear. Finding rooms would become more difficult. Board demurs on a motion.
• Support for Samuel Ramsey research: based on discussions at February meeting. Looking to raise $25,000, still needs $6,000. We need to show support to keep him in Maryland. Stefanie suggests writing a check rather than GoFundMe/fee. Newsletter article encouraging folks to bring donations to meeting. MSBA to make donation of $2,500 and allow members to bundle along. Phil can put on website. Toni moves that MSBA immediately issue a check for $2,500 in support of Samuel Ramsey’s current research effort. Susan Warner (and everybody else) seconds. Motion passes unanimously.
• Future classes: Kim suggests polling master beekeepers for topics. “Queen Handling” (Marking, etc.) with Zac Lamas suggested. “Bring a Queen Home?” Winterizing/Overwintering Nucs. Shooting for intermediate and higher-level courses not accessible to local clubs, master speakers and researchers. MSBA BOD can reasonably staff only about 3-4 per year. Can we encourage clubs to take some on? Coordinate with Bee Squad. Kim suggests contacting Bee Squad with attractive topics (microscope, pollen analysis, comb honey production, treatment course, more). Mission of classes should be to keep people in beekeeping. Better to have repeat of same classes every year so people can plan, include people from every Maryland club.

A motion to adjourn was made by Allen Hayes and seconded by David Clark, the motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 8:34 PM.

MSBA Long Sleeved T-Shirts

Size
Stock
Sold
Inventory
Speaker gift
Small
5
3
2

Medium
10
8
0
2
Large
10
9
0
1
XL
10
7
2
1
2XL
4
4
0

3XL
2
2
0

4XL
1
0
1

42
33
5
4

$660.00

MSBA Short Sleeved T-Shirts

Size
Stock
Sold
Inventory

Small
9
0
9

Medium
12
2
10

Large
22
0
22

XL
12
0
12

2XL
10
3
7

3XL
12
7
5

4XL
1
0
1

78
12
66

$180.00

Total Sales: $840.00

Total cost: $832.99