Rocky Mountain Flycasters
Leadership Meeting Minutes
February 12, 2020

Attendees: Mickey McGuire*, Frank Bub (minutes)*, Jeannie Weaver, Lee Evans, Wil Heuet, Colin Glover*, Ryan Hogan*, Phil Wright, Mark Miller, Rick Musselmann, Ruthie Ketola*, Dave Beede, Ron Dickson*, Dave Haeusler, Paul Wehr, Dennis Cook
(* board members - quorum present).

Called to order at 6:03 PM

  1. President’s comments

    1. I will be traveling out of the country from February 20th through March 3rd. I intend to not monitor email during that time so please contact Colin for pressing matters.

    2. Bob Castner has the vises for Pub and Dub March 4. More importantly, someone will need to work with Mary Staab to advertise the event. I created a spreadsheet of attendees with their email addresses to help spread the word rather than using a blast to the Chapter. We had 27 last week.

    3. Vanessa at Cargill reached out to me about a donation. The local facility will donate $2500 with a potential full match from their headquarters. Working on the proposal with Conservation now; due in April.

    4. Thanks to Dennis Cook, we do not need to apply for an exemption letter from the Colorado Early Childhood Council for our Youth Fly Fishing Day Camp. It will no longer be called Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing Day Camp, just Youth Fly Fishing Camp to focus on one area only which excludes us from the need for an exemption.

    5. Poudre Headwaters Project video is very close to being done as is the written document. A new person has taken over the work and it is 98% done. Mickey, ROn, and Phil noted that it was very good.

  2. Board Business

    1. Consent agenda.

      1. There has been some decline in membership (but there are still over 950 members in RMF)

      2. Consent items adopted

    2. b. 2019 budget (Ryan)

      1. b.i. Changing website to squarespace. Need funds to subscribe (~$27).

      2. b.ii. Reimburse Paul for previous site ($127.50). 

      3. b.iii. Moved $200 into communications account. (WIl / Colin)

    3. 2020 budget (Ryan)

      1. Majority of budget is done

      2. Ryan working on classification in accordance with IRS - administration / fund-raising / program expenses.

      3. Comment - not much return on investment on some fund-raisers. Question - which should we continue or drop? Move loss items to another category (Xmas party - program expense).

      4. According to “Charity Navigator,”+ our expense ratio is good. Program should be 66%. Might consider some reclassification.

      5. Question - how do we categorize hat, etc. purchases? Ryan - general admin.

      6. “Constant Contact” is expensive. Can we use some % as programing. Ryan thinks we can separate the categories.

      7. VMS - $60/month. Worth it? Ron - thinks we need it but is this right tool? Estimate cost is about $13/event. Review again after new website in place.

      8. Ryan - no specific carry-over to next year so committees should rebudget.

      9. Dennis - how can we use admin $$ for picnic / party? Awards for recognition? Board suggested committees include $$ for awards.

      10. In kind donations - what spent on supplies / contributions? Budget your donations so you can cover in the future. Include postage/other expenses that the committee encounters.

      11. Due - end of this month. DIscuss / approve at the March meeting.

      12. Ryan created an “acknowledgement template” for the Fly Expo. Get the contributor's email to send thank you letters.

    4. Mickey summarized the status of RMF action on the Halligan expansion Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) update. Will be getting together with Ashley XXX to discuss her report that RMF and CTU funded.

  3. New Business

    1. Merchandise - Question - what is the purpose and who should take care of it?

      1. Shirts, hats, patches, & maps. Both a fund raiser and/or community building.

      2. Were donating a shirt to the raffle so a lost-cost but no longer.

      3. National TU - may have a program to order merchandise with discounts.

      4. Generally there is a 100% markup in commercial sales. RMF not doing this. For the shirts - buying for $35 / selling for $40.

      5. Why - community building? Wear around town to get name out.

      6. Original intent to pay expenses and make a little $$.

      7. Wil - suggested we have person/committee in charge of merchandise

      8. Dave H - his last TU unit had a store at each meeting, with a manager.

      9. Mickey - suggest pass to financial development. They will need to add to their budget.

      10. Discussion -- add more product lines (Simms / Patagonia) and products.

      11. Add car stickers / water bottles / coffee mugs.

  4. b. CTU Gala - March 5 - have bought a table.

    1. b.i. Committed to Fred Ebert / Ron Kees

    2. b.ii. 8 more seats available. Volunteers - Mark / Colin / Dave H. / Ryan / Ron. Possible - Ben Swigle / Courtney Guttman / Matt Fairchild. Mickey will investigate.

  5. Old Business

    1. Financial development committee has met a couple of times (Ryan for Brian).
      Analyzing possibilities. Will put together a proposal in the future.

    2. Expo (Colin)

      1. 60 confirmed items.

      2. Will have a live auctioneer.

      3. Leadership asked to arrive at 4:30 to help set up.

      4. 22 fly tiers - full (Lee).

      5. Packet stuffing party - Sunday 6:30 / 215 Jefferson Street (Ryan’s office)

      6. Should packets include donation forms?

      7. Should packets include announcements of upcoming events (i.e., Volunteer NIght. Youth Camp, etc.)

      8. Jeannie / Ryan / Ruthie / Domingo (?) will collect $$

      9. Colin will send out an info / “to do” list.

      10. Bring extension cords.

    3. Coalition updates

      1. Mickey - Big Thompson Watershed Coalition. Courtney Gutman is now leader and Will Davis ¾ time project coordinator. Not having a lot of luck getting funding. Budget light. Want board members to give and recruit funds.

      2. Colin - Poudre Watershed Coalition. Fund raising also difficult. Ron still awaiting 2020 conservation projects. Working on bylaws, etc. Nothing new on NISP adaptive management. Jen will be out for the summer.

    4. Ron - Volunteer Open House.

      1. CB & Potts, Horsetooth. Max capacity is about 75.

      2. April 22, 7-9 PM.

      3. Paid $134 for room - 5 tables. Conference type approach - participants will rotate around the tables.

      4. Agenda - president 10 min. remarks, remaining time for mingling.

      5. Potts will provide 2 servers to purchase beverages.

      6. Education, membership, youth, conservation, XXX (I missed the other tables)

      7. Preregistration, check-in, committee members to follow-up.

      8. Has invited conservation contacts.

      9. Suggested contact CSU AFS and Fly Fishing Club.

  6. Meetings/Events

    1. Feb 21 - F3T - should we sell CTU raffle tickets? Board agreed that we will not sell CTU tickets at this event.

    2. Mickey will get CTU Gunnison raffle tickets for General Meetings.

    3. Feb 28 - Poudre River Forum. Table and one person as sponsor.

      1. $60 for others-- Colin, Ron, Ruthie want to attend.

      2. Board agreed to add $200 to adult education to cover $120 for 2 additional tickets and remainder of Pub and Dub expenses.

    4. March 5 - CTU gala (see above)

    5. March 21 - Scheels Fly Fishing demo (Frank). Volunteers to help solicited. Flyer will be distributed.

    6. March 22 - CTU NE regional meeting. More later.

    7. April 22 - RMF Volunteer Night (see above)

    8. April 24-26 - CTU Rendezvous - who wants to go? Ruthie / Ryan

    9. May 30 - Poudre River Festival - CPRW - Oxbow property near New Belgium. Want us to be a sponsor ($350). Big promotion of event planned. (Colin)

  7. Additional Agenda Items

    1. 2020 Benke Fellowship scholar (Wil) is CSU graduate student Rachel Jones. Suggested we schedule her to talk to the general meeting on her research.

    2. Ryan - added $50 to the raffle budget to cover costs. Passed.
      Suggested we add sign acknowledging donors on the raffle table table.

Adjourned at 8:05 PM.

Submitted
Approved

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