April 23, 2004
CALL TO ORDER. The Spring 2004 meeting of the Board of Directors of the Florida Ornithological Society (FOS) was held Friday, April 23, 2004 at the Holiday Inn, Tarpon Springs, Florida. President James welcomed the attendees and asked for introductions, including the name, hometown, and position of each attendee in FOS. Vice president King welcomed the group to the Spring 2004 meeting. Having determined a quorum was present, President James called the meeting to order at 2:08 p.m.
The following people attended the meeting or a portion of the meeting:
Fran James, President
Joyce King, Vice President
Pam Bowen, Secretary
Dean Jue, Treasurer
Peter Merritt, Immediate Past President and Fall 2004 Meeting Chairperson
Judy Bryan, Director
Judith Buhrman, Director
Terry Doyle, Director
David Stock, Director
Tom Palmer, Editor, Florida Ornithological Society Newsletter
Jim Cox, Conservation Committee Chairperson
Reed Bowman, FOS Records Committee Secretary
Katy Nesmith, Cruickshank Education Award Chairperson
Ted Below, FOS Honorary Member
Agenda: The agenda and meeting packet were mailed electronically to attendees prior to the meeting. A motion was made to accept the agenda with the addition of one item, posting the General Business Meeting Minutes on the FOS web site. The motion was seconded and the agenda was approved with the addition of this item.
Approval of Minutes of Previous Meetings: The minutes of the previous board meeting, held October 17, 2003 were distributed with the meeting packet prior to the meeting. Dean Jue identified a minor correction necessary in the section entitled “Treasurer’s Report” and Terry Doyle recommended a revision to the “Membership Committee” section. A motion was made to approve the board meeting minutes with the suggested corrections and revisions. The motion was seconded and approved. The minutes from the general business meeting held October 18, 2003 were also distributed in the meeting packet and discussed during the meeting.
President's Report. President James submitted a written report prior to the meeting. During the meeting, she discussed a request she had received from GeoCet regarding advice on conducting an Offshore Bird Census. She stated she will have Reed Bowman contact the organization regarding documentation of reports and she will also, possibly, have Andy Kratter contact them regarding bird skins. President James reported that the General Business Meeting Minutes are not posted on the web site for the membership. Dean Jue remarked that two-thirds of the membership have e-mail addresses and probably have internet access. Discussion followed regarding posting meeting minutes on the FOS web site. The board decided to make approved copies of the General Business Meeting Minutes, the Board Meeting Minutes, and the approved budget available to the membership on the FOS web site. Once the minutes have been approved, the secretary will send the minutes to the webmaster for posting on the FOS web site. No motion was made to take this action and no changes were made to the bylaws.
Vice President's Report. Vice President King provided a written report and she provided updated details during her verbal report. A total of 75 people had pre-registered for the Spring 2004 meeting. Andy Kratter coordinated the skins quiz for the meeting. It was difficult to find someone who could prepare and conduct the skins quiz. Peter Merritt reminded the board that a skins quiz is not required at each meeting. Dean Jue also suggested that photo and audio quizzes can take the place of the skins quiz. Vice President King reported Peter Merritt is coordinating the Fall 2004 meeting. Peter reported on details associated with the meeting. He had negotiated the best possible price he could for the hotel rooms and, although the price was higher than he wanted ($85.00 per night double occupancy), the Pirates Cove Resort is an excellent location for the meeting. Johnathan Dickinson State Park is partnering with FOS on the meeting. Peter is concerned about two items, the price of the hotel rooms and the fact that the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge Nature Center, where the scientific paper session will be held, can only accommodate 90 people. The resort will only hold the price of the rooms for 30 days prior to the meeting. As a result, it will be important to get the meeting announcement out early. Vice President King reported that a location had not yet been chosen for the Spring 2005 meeting. Potential coastal meeting locations were discussed and will be investigated. Pam Bowen has agreed to coordinate the Fall 2005 meeting which will be held in the Mount Dora\Lake Apopka area.
Secretary's Report. Pam Bowen submitted a written report. During her verbal report, she requested board meeting attendees submit their reports on time. Beginning with the Fall 2004 meeting, if a report is not submitted on time, the individual preparing the report will be required to e-mail it to the meeting attendees. Judy Bryan suggested reports be turned in to the secretary one week prior to being mailed to the board. Since the board meeting packets should be sent to the attendees one week prior to the meeting, all reports will be due two weeks before the board meeting.
Treasurer's Report. Dean Jue submitted a written report including an overview of the society’s current assets and the distribution of those assets among FOS funds. Two Cds, representing nearly one-third of the society’s assets, will mature at the end of fiscal year 2004. The Finance Committee needs to develop guidelines for financial diversification before December 2004. Dean also reported that he and Kurt Radamaker, the FOS webmaster, are evaluating using Pay Pal on the FOS web site. Pay Pal would allow the FOS to take credit card payments over the internet. Pay Pal charges $ .30 per transaction plus 2.2 % on the total transaction. The total cost for a $20.00 dues payment would be $ .74. Pay Pal could also be used to start an FOS Store on the internet and to receive payments for special publications. Dean moved that FOS accept credit card payments for FOS business through Pay Pal. Judy Bryan seconded the motion and the motion was approved.
EDITORS REPORTS.
a. Florida Field Naturalist.
Editor Jerry Jackson submitted a written report but was unable to attend the meeting. Editor Jackson’s report included information on providing color illustrations in the Florida Field Naturalist (FFN). David Stock indicated concern over the high cost of printing color illustrations ($600 per plate). Dean Jue suggested that if an author insisted on having a color illustration, the author could pay for the full cost of printing that page. Editor Jackson’s report also highlighted concerns with regard to costs, organization, and space required to print the Florida Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data in the FFN. David Stock indicated the CBC data is available on the internet and including it in the FFN would duplicate efforts. Terry Doyle suggested the data could be synopsized and Pam Bowen suggested it could be submitted as an article. The board also discussed advertising in the FFN. President James will have the Editorial Advisory Committee draft guidelines for advertising in the FFN.
b. Newsletter.
Newsletter Editor Tom Palmer submitted a written report. Editor Palmer reported mailing costs had increased because the newsletter had been mailed separately from the FFN. Peter Merritt indicated that if he received the newsletter via e-mail or if he could access it on the FOS web site, he would not need a hard copy. Discussion ensued regarding making the newsletter available electronically. Peter Merritt suggested that Editor Palmer announce in the next newsletter that the newsletter will be going electronic. President James indicated that members could be given an opportunity to indicate their preference for either an electronic copy or a hard copy of the newsletter when they renew their membership. Dean Jue recommended starting the electronic newsletter in 2005 after the next dues renewal. Editor Palmer, Terry Doyle, and Dean Jue will coordinate this project.
c. Special Publications.
Glen Woolfenden did not submit a report.
d. Web Site.
Kurt Radamaker submitted a written report but was unable to attend the meeting. Webmaster Radamaker’s report outlined the extensive enhancements he has made to the FOS web site. Kurt has worked closely with the FOS Records Committee to establish an on-line Records Committee Submission Form. Reed Bowman, Secretary of the Records Committee, remarked that this has been a positive addition to the web site. The board discussed Webmaster Radamaker’s suggestion to create an On-line Membership Database. Dean Jue recommended establish the on-line database in 2005 after members have had an opportunity to indicate on the dues renewal form whether they wish to have their personal information published or not. A motion was made to include a check box on the dues renewal form that will allow members to indicate whether they wish to have their membership data posted or published on the FOS web site. Judy Bryan amended the motion to include a statement that the membership list would not be available for commercial use. The amended motion was approved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
a. Archives Committee.
Chairperson Walter Taylor sent an e-mail stating he would not be submitting a report as there had been no activity since the last meeting. President James reported she received a request from Tom Webber to remove several items that had no relation to FOS or birds from the archives. Tom provided a list of items he recommended removing from the archives. The board concurred with his recommendations. President James also reported Rex Rowan indicated Rich Paul no longer wants to keep the Breeding Bird Atlas (BBA) cards. Fran will make some phone calls regarding a possible place to keep the cards. Fran also reported the archives have quite a few Cruickshank items that are not related to the FOS. She suggested finding another place, such as a museum, for these items.
b. Conservation Committee.
Chairperson Jim Cox provided the board with a verbal report during the meeting. He reported that the committee had not had much activity since the Fall meeting. The committee is currently working on a survey to determine whether state lands are being burned frequently enough. At this time, very little action has occurred with regard to state listing criteria for endangered species by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A moratorium is still in effect on listing species.
c. Editorial Advisory Board
Jim Rodgers did not submit a report.
d. Field Observations Committee.
Chairperson Bill Pranty submitted a written report. In his report, Bill indicated that, with the Board’s approval, he would like to pursue posting scanned copies of all of the Field Observations Committee (FOC) reports that have been published in the FFN. President James and Reed Bowman indicated this would be good for the FOS membership. The board supports and approves taking this action.
e. Finance Committee.
Murray Gardler, the newly appointed Finance Committee chairperson, submitted a written report to the board. Murray was unable to attend the meeting due to a recent illness. David Stock, a Finance Committee member, discussed items included in the report. David reported the FOS will need to diversify its investments in order to earn a reasonable return in the future. The idea of promoting memberships as gifts was discussed. The board felt gift memberships were a positive way of promoting membership in the organization. However, the board did not think it was necessary to provide gift memberships at half price. Terry Doyle suggested FOS consider investing in mutual funds in the future. Treasurer Jue suggested that one quarter to one third of FOS funds should be kept in Cds or money market funds. The board recommended that the Finance Committee 1.) prepare guidelines for diversifying FOS investments and 2.) provide two alternative investments for the funds that will need to be reinvested in December 2004. The board recommended the committee present these items at the next board meeting.
f1. Helen G. and Allan D. Cruickshank Research Award.
Chairperson Steve Nesbitt submitted a written report. As Steve was unable to attend the meeting, President James provided an overview of his report. She also reported Steve had indicated to her that he wanted to step down as committee chairperson. The committee submitted three potential applicants to the board for consideration as Helen G. and Allan D. Cruickshank Research Award recipients. Dean Jue reported $4,420.00 was available to be awarded for the Cruickshank Award and the Robertson Award. The board agreed $1000 would be used for the Robertson Award; the remaining $3,420 could be used for the Cruickshank research awards. Dean moved the following Cruickshank research awards be made:
$ 2,000 to Matthew Reetz, University of Florida, for “”Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater ater) expansion into Florida and interactions with native songbird hosts”
$ 1,400 to Lori Blanc, Virginia Tech University, for “Experimental study of the longleaf pine cavity-nesting bird community: the role of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker”
Judy Bryan seconded the motion to make these awards and the board approved it.
f2. Cruickshank Education Award.
Katy NeSmith did not submit a report.
f3. William B. and Mary J. Robertson Award.
Peter Merritt recommended the board approve awarding $1,000 for the 2004 William B. and Mary J. Robertson Award to Fernando Colchero, Duke University, for “Effect of sea surface temperature changes and North Atlantic Oscillation on Sooty Tern survival”. David Stock made a motion to approve the award; Judy Bryan seconded the motion. The motion was approved.
g. Membership Committee.
Terry Doyle provided a verbal report to the board. Doug Suitor has agreed to act as the FOS membership database manager. President James pointed out the bylaws do not require a Membership Committee. The committee was formed to meet a specific need to develop a new membership brochure. Judith Buhrman reported on the new brochure. Diane Pearce has agreed to let FOS use her art in the brochure; there will be a $30 charge to make it camera-ready. Judith has gotten a copy of the FOS logo from Tom Webber for the brochure. The brochure has been reviewed and a budget is needed for printing. Judith anticipates that brochures will be needed for the Suncoast Birding Festival and the Spacecoast Flyway Festival. Reed Bowman indicated FOS printed 1500 copies of the last brochure and all of those were given out quickly. Dean Jue recommended only one check mark be made on the application to indicate that the individual wanted all of their membership information published. President James and Dean Jue have additional revisions for the brochure that they will give to Judith. Dean Jue moved that $750.00 be spent to print 2000 of the new FOS brochures and that the board members be sent a draft for review prior to printing. The motion was seconded and approved.
h. Nominating Committee.
Ann Paul submitted a written report. Two director positions expire in Spring 2004. Judy Bryan, St. Johns River Water Management District, is willing to continue in her position as a director. Scott Robinson, Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, has accepted the nomination for the second director position. Based on the Nominating Committee’s recommendations, Dean Jue moved the board approve the appointment of Judy Bryan and Scott Robinson to the director positions. The motion was seconded and approved. Judy and Scott’s director terms expire Spring 2007. The third position that expires in Spring 2004 is editor of the FFN. Dr. Jerome Jackson, has agreed to continue his work in this position. Judy Bryan moved that Dr. Jackson be re-appointed to the position of editor of the FFN. The motion was seconded and approved.
i. Records Committee
Chairperson Reed Bowman submitted a written report and gave the board a verbal report. Reed thanked the board for its support of the committee’s budget request. The committee has never had a budget, although it has had expenses. Including these expenses in the formal budget will provide better financial planning. The Records Committee has decided to use CD’s to archive Records Committee data. The committee has a goal to establish procedures to archive the data. The committee is now meeting two times a year. This has provided a better balance in the committee’s workload and a faster response on decisions regarding submissions. Reed reported that he worked with Kurt Radamaker, the FOS webmaster, to establish an on-line Records Committee Submission Form. The committee is getting excellent photographs now documenting records. However, the committee is attempting to improve the written documentation on records. Reed also discussed exotic bird species in the state. Bill Smith wrote the original rules regarding classification of exotic species in the state. Bill Pranty started a list of exotic avian species in the state that the committee is using as a base list. However, some species may need to be removed from the list, like the European Starling which has been naturalized. Jon Greenlaw has agreed to fill the position of Record’s Committee Secretary when Reed’s term expires.
NEW BUSINESS.
a. Cynthia Plockelman reported Grace Iverson, a long-time FOS member, recently passed away. Grace’s husband mentioned she would have wanted donations to be made for Scrub Jay research. Reed Bowman reported Grace was very involved in Scrub Jay research in Palm Beach County. President James suggested individuals could make donations to the research fund in Grace’s name. However, the FOS could not assure the funds would be spent on Scrub Jay research. President James stated FOS is interested in helping and suggested she and Cynthia discuss the matter further when more details are available about Grace’s wishes and her husband’s plans.
b. Terry Doyle reported Charlie Ewell is considering establishing a list serve for FOS members to discuss a variety of avian topics. The board was interested in this idea and asked to hear more about Charlie’s plans.
ADJOURNMENT.
Judy Bryan made a motion to accept the submitted reports. The motion was seconded and approved. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:37 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Pamela J. Bowen
FOS Secretary