Meeting Minutes
March 7, 2010
Opening:
The annual meeting of the Vermont Horse Council was
called to order at 1 PM on March 7, 2010 in UVM Extension Meeting Room,
Berlin, Vermont by Mike Benoit, President. Welcome and introductions
around the room were completed. Motion was made and accepted to
suspend the normal Annual Meeting rules of meeting warning time so that
the meeting could be conducted on time. The motion was unanimously
passed by the membership.
A. Approval of Agenda
The agenda was unanimously approved as
distributed. See Attached.
B. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the previous meeting of January 31,
2010 were read with the following corrections: 1) Trail Maintenance
Fund – should be corrected to say, Morris requested a sharing of the
Tunbridge Ride funds between scholarship and trial maintenance
accounts. 2) Farm Bureau – on item #3 should read, Law requiring
additional sheltering of animals….; 3) NEKET – Item #2 should read…and
will be funded as needed by current procedures; 4) Horse Person of the
Year is for 2010. After these corrections the minutes were unanimously
approved.
Treasurer’s Report attached was unanimously
approved.
C.
Committee Reports and Agenda Items
Membership - Attached
AHC - If members do not have internet
availability and they contact Ilene, she will send updates to them via
snail mail. The AHC meeting will be held in Washington DC in June.
A motion was made to fund Ilene Douglas to attend the meeting on behalf
of the VHC provided she submit and estimate of funding to the board for
approval prior to the event. The motion was unanimously approved.
NEKET – A workday at the end of May will be
scheduled. It will be a one day event to help freshen up the trails.
Look at the web page for updates. A new map is in the works and will be
mailed to the paid NEKET members.
Collaborative Trail Initiative - A meeting
of the Landscape Management subgroup was held on Feb 4th.
Leslie Chadwell attended and encourages all horse persons to be involved
in multiuse trails else equestrian voices will not be heard.
Greenway’s Council - October 16&17, 2010
will be the date of the Trail Collaborative Meeting at the Northwoods
Stewardship Center in East Charleston, VT. Bring a “toy of choice”. An
effort is underway to put a trail ride together for 10/17.
Annual Ride – No updates at this time.
Safety – A final draft of the safety posters
were presented. A motion was made to allocate up to $2000 for
editing and printing of safety flyers and posters to be spent by March
7, 2011. Unanimously approved by the membership.
By-Laws – Morris Lasell, Mike Benoit and
Roger Morin were appointed by the membership to review and recommend
updates to the VHC by-laws.
Trail Maintenance – A discussion of allowing
matching funds up to $500 was held. Motion was made that 20% of the
net income of the Tunbridge Ride be earmarked for the trails fund. The
motion passed unanimously.
Scholarship Fund – Three scholarships in the
amount of $300 were awarded. Due to confidentiality laws, the
recipients can not be publicized. A motion was made that 10% of the
net income of the Tunbridge Ride be earmarked for the scholarship fund.
The motion was unanimously passed. Sue Altland was appointed as the
chair of the scholarship fund committee for 2010. There was a
discussion of the Horsin’ Around Fund allocation. A motion to formalize
allocation of these funds was in progress, but more research needed to
be conducted regarding the Horsin’ Around proceeds before any motion
could be made. Terri Rose volunteered to conduct the research.
Farm Bureau – The Land Use bill is going
back and forth in the Legislate.
Groton State Forest – Several initiatives
underway, 1) permission to redo the corrals at New Discovery has been
received. Member will need to coordinate with the camp ranger after May
15, 2010; 2)Jeannette Cole is investigating setting up a 401-3-C
nonprofit group called THE FRIENDS OF GROTON FOREST so that additional
fundraising can be earmark specifically for Groton Forest; 3) Meeting
with the state was held regarding the construction of a horse shelter at
New Discovery. State wants to do a feasibility study prior to any
construction. 4) The trail blitz is planned for May 01 and all trails
are currently sponsored for this day of work.
VHC Website - Jeannette will continue to do
web content for the VHC web page. Please forward any information to her
at jkcole@trans-video.net
LATR – Cindy gave a proposal or funding to
the membership (attached). A motion was made to fund LATR in the
amount of $2500 for compliance training in the Northeast and Northwest
portions of Vermont. Motion was passed unanimously.
Lamoille Valley Rail to Trail- Still on hold
Newsletter – June 10th next
deadline
Parade Group - Nothing to report
Riding and Driving Program – One new member
from NH.
Everything Equine- Terri to organize the
members in the booth this coming week. Betsy needs volunteers for
Sunday Horsin’Around. Heidi went over the outline for the Trails
Presentation. Jeannette to send form in to secure a spot.
D. New Business
Horse Person of the Year - Brenda Lasell
Nomination & Election of Officers – slate of
candidates presented to the membership were: President – Mike Benoit,
VP – Roger Morin, Secretary – Leslie Chadwell, Treasurer – Terri Rose;
There were two nominations from the floor, Cindy Cross – Greenia for
President and Roger Moran for President. Roger declined the
nomination. The original slate of candidates was elected by majority
vote.
Amendment to By Laws, membership fee structure
change – see above Bylaws
Discussion of adequate time of warning - see
motion at opening of Annual Meeting
Date of next meeting for membership at large
– at the Victory Ride in September.
Adjournment:
Meeting was adjourned at 4:30 PM by Mike Benoit.
Minutes submitted by:
Jeannette K Cole, Secretary
|
DATE |
WHAT |
WHO |
BY WHEN |
Jan 31
|
Final report of cash generated after expenses
will be made at the annual meeting. |
Morris Lasell
|
Annual Meeting
OPEN |
|
March 7 |
By –Law review and updates |
Roger Moran, Mike Benoit, Morris Lasell |
Victory Meeting |
|
March 7 |
Allocation of Horsin’ Around Funds |
Terri Rose |
Victory Meeting |
January 31st Action Item List
DATE
|
WHAT
|
RESPONSIBILITY OF WHOM
|
COMPLETION DATE
|
Jan 31
|
Membership decision on whether
to send delegate to the AHC convention in Washington DC.
|
VHC motion and voting
|
Annual Meeting
COMPLETED |
Jan 31
|
Request for swapping of funds
from trails to scholarship was made by Morris Lasell
|
VHC motion and voting
|
Annual Meeting
COMPLETED |
Jan 31
|
Final report of cash generated after expenses
will be made at the annual meeting. |
Morris Lasell
|
Annual Meeting
OPEN |
Jan 31
|
Contact Ken Hoppner regarding
work with Groton State Forest on shelter
|
Jeannette Cole
|
Annual Meeting
COMPLETED |
Jan 31
|
Web page templates
investigation
|
Martha Benoit
|
Annual Meeting
COMPLETED |
Jan 31
|
Web page master – ask Ilene’s
husband
|
Ilene Douglas
|
Annual Meeting
COMPLETED |
Jan 31
|
Determine number of passes
issued to member clubs for use on the NEKET system.
|
Membership
|
Annual Meeting
COMPLETED |
Jan 31
|
Compile roster of volunteers
for table and booth at Everything Equine
|
Terri Rose
|
April 15, 2010
COMPLETED |
Jan 31
|
Nomination and election of
Horse Person of the Year for 2010
|
Membership
|
Annual Meeting
COMPLETED |
