Minutes of the October 1998 Atlanta Group ExCom Meeting
Date and Time: 6 October 1998 19:30-21:30
Location: Alan Toney's home
Attendees: Mark Alexander, Herb Bastin, Ted Jackson, Alan Toney, Carolyn Weber, Janet Westervelt, Randall White
Agenda: There was no agenda.
Treasurer: Reported behind about $400 year to date due to low income (dues subvention down). The 1997 records for Atlanta Group will be audited and treasurer will present the results of the audit to Atlanta ExCom at the next meeting and later to the Georgia Chapter ExCom. Chapter required audits to be done for Chapter annually and each group once every three years. Chapter has yet to conduct an audit of itself. The next Chapter ExCom meeting is 24 October in Savannah and the budget committee is drafting the 1999 budget. Discussion then ran to Neil Herring's salary, at $6,600, which was considered a major concern. Atlanta ExCom is to look at 1999 Group budget at November ExCom Meeting.
Janet Westervelt has been appointed to Chapter ExCom as an At-Large member.
Nov. Program: The Utah Wilderness Coalition will be the topic of the November 10th meeting. Advertising will be aggressive: 4,000 person mailer for 60-90 person building capacity. Mentioned that Utah folks had higher turnouts in Boston and Denver (275-300 persons) and they wanted 2-3 hours for presentations with no questions. Chuck McGrady, SC Prez, will attend.
Good signs - Carolyn responsible Displays to be set up on the porch (no room inside) Need enough food - Janet and Jane Hon Need store setup - Herb Need projector and screen setup - Lee Thomas (??) Need to arrive at 6:30 pm to setup Need more chairs (70+) Call Garden Hills Community Center for additional chairs Need folding chairs brought in from homes Need PA & microphone - Herb Phone number and email address for information - Alan volunteered Map & directions to be sent to Ghatam Bhan (current map shows bldg across street) - Herb
Project: Peavine Creek adopt-a-stream adopted by Atlanta Group SC. Voted affirmatively to join Peavine Watershed Alliance for $35 annually. Monitoring Peavine at Old Briarcliff Rd, usually 4th Saturdays at 10:00 am. This month's monitoring will be 17 October. Need a chemical test kit at $300 cost; can borrow DeKalb county's but must restock chemicals if used. Last observation showed lots of life: frogs, fish, etc. Also need kick-seine net and 5 gallon buckets.
Randall White mentioned that a 60 acre woodland site in the Morningside area is at risk for development. He will make an announcement at the October meeting.
Mailing Lists: Bill Eisenhower, a SC member, wants to use SC mailing list to mail to members along watersheds of Peachtree Creek. The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper complained about SC position on sewer separation. A study committee has been formed to find the best alternative and are open to all alternatives to Atlanta's sewer problems. Bill wants to be able to contact Peachtree and Nancy Creek residents through a call list. Motion was proposed to allow Bill Eisenhower to work with Carolyn Weber to provide a zip-code list with the provision to remove no-appeal and no-mail marked fields in the database and the additional provision that this will be a one-time mailing. Motion was carried unanimously.
Membership: Carolyn Weber discussed the zip code list and maps. For a while, Atlanta Group would get 8-10 new member per month. Last year, due to US Post Office changes to zip codes in Atlanta, we are now getting 600+ members per month. Carolyn subdivided the lists and found the top 10 zip codes have 2,500 members; the top 20 zip codes have 3,500 members; the entire Atlanta Group has 4,500 members with Gwinnett and Cobb groups with about 900 members each. Carolyn is to get together with the other groups to work on a process to redistribute memberships more equitably.
Elections: Katie Ryle, Randall White, Jimmy Knight and Janet Westervelt will be out of ExCom within 2 months and re-elections for 2 seats on the ExCom are coming due. Members continuing in 1999 are: Larry Winslett, Mark Alexander, Alan Toney. Need 4 candidates to fill two slots: Janet Westervelt, Herb Bastin, Ted Jackson will put their names in for nomination; Randall White is undecided.
Oct. Program: Harold Harbert, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, will be the program for the October meeting.
Bookstore: Herb has purchased a bunch of books (25 @ $5.00 = $200-300). If items don't sell in store, discount 20-30% to get encouragement to sell books. There is a big format book on the Appalachian Tragedy. Plain bags that could have a logo imprinted on them could be sold, but lots of 100 or more would need to be ordered.
Cumberland Island: Randall White relayed that there is a convoluted story about Cumberland Island provisions in an appropriation bill in Congress. Appropriations stalled in Rules Committee. Approving a land swap was to be removed to allow bill to be passed out of committee, but use of the road is still in the bill. Proposal to take the historic sites out from the Wilderness design. SC strategy is to target moderate Republicans by calling them during business hours the following day.
Last updated: 29 Oct 98