Agenda March 18, 2014

AGENDA
Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
March 18, 2014

1. Call to order

2. Accounts balanced at $10443.94.

3. BOARD ACTION: Please see and approve attached budget.

4. BOARD ACTION: Please vote for the board to retain the following positions:
Darryl Speicher president
Jackie Speicher treasurer
Lisa Schreffler secretary
Mildred Bernstein board member
John Leiser board member
Diane Wong board member
John Styk board member

5. Director Report: As I write this report, we are already three months into the New Year.  I would like to thank everyone who supports us each year both in the field and at the dinner. Plan are underway for fundraising and social events in 2014 including the annual snipe hunt and a series of Barrett Township birding walks.  I have e-mailed proposals to Shawnee and the Pocono Manor to provide educational programs and teambuilding events for their guests.  This will provide additional revenue to the center, and allow us to extend our reach in the Poconos.  The research center has also signed on as a presenter for the May Waterwaze Festival, and the Promised Land Eagle Watch.  Bluebird monitoring is set to begin soon at Buck Hill Falls and in the Stroudsburg borough.  Anyone who would like to spend the day exploring nest boxes should give me a call.  That invitation extends to any students we can generate from NCC and ESU.  I am grateful for all of your help and support as we enter our fourteenth year of research and education programs.  (Thank you also for not giving me too much grief for the tardiness of this report.)

6. Education Committee: We have already been invited to do programs for Pocono Environmental Education Center and Barrett Friendly Community Center in 2014.

7. Research Committee: Feeder Fidelity banding has been on hold due to the weather.  We will be reporting on our past findings later this spring.  We are again involved in the bluebird nest box project.  We do not have any interns lined up for the year so please pass on our information to any students who may be interested in bird banding this summer.  More information about the BioBlitz this summer will be forthcoming as we receive it.

8. Grants Committee: We are actively searching for grant opportunities for this year and next.

9. Audit Committee: Last year’s budget is completed.  Please take a look at our numbers. We had a surplus of $1372.03.  We have been able to keep our expenses down, and bring in good grant and education income throughout the year.  In 2013 we rented the office space for a few months and that cost us a few thousand dollars.  Finally, it became apparent that the office was not necessary.  We have moved back to the kitchen table indefinitely. I will be working on several projects and trying to connect with area businesses to extend our reach for education and research programs.  We have also relinquished our land line phone number in favor of a cell phone.  The only drawback is that we have no listing in the Yellow Pages. (I know what you’re asking…What is a yellow pages? That is exactly why I think this is a good move.)  send along any questions you may have about the budget.  I will answer any concerns you may have.

10. New Business

11.Meeting adjourned

Thank you for all your support.
Respectfully,
Jackie Speicher