November 2003 Meeting

Sunday, November 30th, 2003 at 5:24 pm

November 22, 2003

The meeting was held at the home of Francine Bethea. We enjoyed her hospitality and her many aquatic gardens.

I. Business Discussions

A. Web-based forum for our website.
After much discussion, the majority voted to switch the current GWAPA web page to a web-based forum, effective immediately.

The benefits of a web-based forum include our ability to organize our data better, advertise, build our own storefront, and have e-mail pushed to us. The primary negative issue was the web-based format does not allow us to receive and respond to our e-mails automatically as we are accustomed to via the yahoo.com.

The administrators of the new web page will be Ghazanfar Ghori and Jonathan Kalmes. The moderators are Robert Ricketts, Francine Bethea (for fish), and Sean Murphy (for plants).

B. Hosting the 2004 AGA Convention.
The majority voted to prepare a bid proposal to host the 2004 AGA Convention. The bid is due on January 15, 2004.

Background: At the October GWAPA monthly meeting, the members discussed the possibility of hosting the 2004 AGA Convention. Since that meeting, Ghazanfar Ghori, Rick Dotson and Sean Murphy attended the 2003 AGA Convention, held in Dallas-Ft. Worth in November 2003. They found the event exciting and educational. The Convention provided field trips, auctions, a banquet and speakers The attendance was about 113 persons and registration was $67.00 per person. At the conclusion of the event, the sponsoring club made a profit.

Proposed GWAPA bid: The GWAPA bid would include, but not limited to, field trips, speakers, an auction, sponsors, and a banquet. Suggested speakers included Mr. Amano, Jim Bastermieur (sp), and Klaus Christianson (sp). Copies of the official “Aquatic Gardeners’ Association Convention Information for Prospective Hosts: Requirements” were given out. It outlines all the requirements for the Convention and Items to be addressed in the bid proposal.

There was much discussion about the Maryland Inn (Laurel, MD) as a possible hotel site. It’s centrally located between Washington, D. C. and Baltimore, MD, in terms of possible
field trip locations. The rates for the guest rooms, meeting rooms and the banquet rooms were reasonable if we sell at least 50 guest rooms each of the two (2) nights of the Convention. One of the challenges of having the Convention at the Maryland Inn was that it does not provide lunch unless it’s banquet style. Another hotel possibility was the Marriott Hotel, which Ghazanfar Ghori agreed to investigate via his contacts.

Steve Zabo agreed to speak to Dave and Jean Banks about helping us with workshops. Currently, they run the North East Council (NEC) workshops.

It was suggested that we keep our registration fee under $50.00 to increase the number of participants. The greater our attendance, the more likely we will reach a wider audience and increase our profit.

The following persons volunteered to work on the bid: Alonita Vannoy, Cristy Keister, Ivo Busko, Robert Ricketts, Francine Bethea, Sean Murphy, Marshal Finley, Martha Neave, Andrew Blumhagen, Archie Christian, Liz Mehok, Michael Milliner (wants to chair a committee), Alysoun McLaughlin, Ghazanfar Ghori, Rick Dotson, and Jonathan Kalmes, Ben Belton (lives in VA), and several visitors from New Jersey.

We will need approximately six (6) committee chairman and 2-3 additional members on each committee.

C. Membership Drive
It was suggested that this would be a good opportunity to bring in new members, especially those who are empty nesters, students and apartment/condominium residents, by advertising on a regular basis. No action was taken.

II. Club Activity

Rick Dotson demonstrated how to retrofit a light kit.
Ivo Busko discussed the comparative benefits of different types of lights.

III. Treasurer’s Report

A. New Membership
2 members registered via the mail.
3 members joined at the meeting.
1 member renewed at the meeting.
$85.00 = total membership dues collected.

B. Auction Results
39 items in the auction
10 sellers
$135 proceeds from the auction
$101.25 paid to auction sellers
$ 33.75 paid to GWAPA from auction split

C. Total Receipts
$118.75 Total added to GWAPA account – (Membership $85.00 + Auction $33.75)

D. Summary

Money in Bank Account 1495.38
Change/petty cash 60.00
*Oct. Meeting Income 107.00
Total 11/22/03 1652.38

*October breakdown = $107 (from $75 membership & $32 from auction split)