21 Jan 2020

OKIAAI Board Minutes 1/21/20

Date: January 21, 2020
Time: 10:21 a.m.
Location: Oklahoma Farm Bureau / Tulsa, Oklahoma

Call to order by President

Made by President Bill Hollander.

Roll Call

Present: Bill Hollander (Pres.), David VanBuskirk (Past Pres.), Ashley Stephens (2nd VP), Fred Henderson (3rd Yr.), Tim Reeves (2nd Yr.), Todd DeSmet (2nd yr), (by phone), Jonathan Wilk (1st Yr.), Renee Southerland (Secretary)

Absent: Absent: Chris Woodall (1st VP), Jeremy Robbins (3rd yr), Jim Wilhelm (1st Yr.), Neal Moore (Treasurer)

Reading and Approval of Minutes

Ashley Stephens made the Motion to forego the reading of the Minutes from December 2019, seconded by Tim Reeves. Motion carried and approved.

Membership

No new memberships for December.

Treasurer’s Report

Bill Hollander called Neal Moore about needing a bank statement for the January meeting since Neal was going to be absent. Neal provided a bank statement which was passed out showing a balance of $17,076.23, which is an increase of $19.12 from last month’s balance of $17,057.11. A discussion was had about needing a monthly financial report to include outstanding checks that had not been deposited and any outstanding bills that are still owed. A Motion was made by David VanBuskirk to table the financial report until the next meeting when Neal could be present, seconded by Fred Henderson. Motion carried and approved.

CFI

No information for this month.

Website

Dan VanBuskirk advised David VanBuskirk that in order to make really good changes to the website it would be several thousand dollars to fix the issues we have and a programmer would need to be hired. Dan can make certain changes to make our website run a bit smoother for this year and the upcoming conference by making some wording changes to help out Renee when she gets notified of new conference members or just those to renew their dues. Dan also advised if a programmer is used, there would be a yearly fee to keep the website upgraded and updated.

David VanBuskirk checked with the National organization and they stated if we were an “enhanced chapter” they would take care of all of our billing and registrations each year for $500.00. Scott advised David that they were having software issues and trying to fix those with their programmer, so they are not taking on any new Chapters as enhanced members at this time but hopefully they will in the next couple of months. If being an enhanced member would solve our registration problems, David suggested we needed to raise our dues from $20.00 to $25.00 to help cover the $500.00 cost. David will check with Scott at International about adding us to the list to be a future enhanced member. Jonathan Wilk questioned whether or not the increase in dues needed to be brought up at the annual conference meeting for a vote of the members. David advised the additional $5.00 can be voted on by the Board and then it is voted on at the annual conference, but we can have an additional discussion at the February meeting.

Old Business

Burn camp has not been paid yet as Neal was not present to write the check for $5,200.00. Discussion was had to provide that check by the next meeting, either by mail or in person, to the burn camp. Jonathan Wilk made a Motion to give the check to burn camp by the end of February, Tim Reeves seconded. Motion carried and approved.

David VanBuskirk indicated that Dan’s bill for work on the website from last September and October has still not been paid.

Renee paid to renew the post office box and needs to be reimbursed as well.

Tim Reeves requested a dollar amount for our give-aways for the next conference as Corbin with Ivars could help get promotional items monogrammed and labeled for our next conference. A discussion was had concerning a $40.00 to $60.00 amount and that any items given need to be good quality. Tim Reeves will look up items and provide information at the next meeting from a place that did the national conference. Ashley Stephens made a Motion to accept that amount range, Fred Henderson seconded. Motion carried and approved.

Brian Zalewski and Teeter both need a 3 XL on the promotional shirt that was given away at the conference. We did not have their size and Renee Southerland will order.

David VanBuskirk discussed the need per the By-laws to have a financial committee and handed out verbiage from the By-laws concerning how we are to handle this. If a member asks, we have no accountability right now and the By-laws state what we are to do, such as the Treasurer’s report, for example. When a Treasurer’s report is submitted it needs to be approved by the financial committee, and David is proposing the need for a Treasurer’s report each month.

Ashley Stephens and Jonathan Wilk stated Neal does give financial information, but if he is going to be absent we do need a more detailed report in writing concerning the checks that are outstanding and any bills that are due and any other financial information that needs to be provided.

Fred Henderson suggested providing Neal what financial information needs to be in writing if Neal is going to be absent from a board meeting.

Jonathan Wilk suggested changing banks with a remote deposit feature for checks. Bill Hollander stated he had already checked with RCB Bank and Arvest as they have branches all over the state and that RCB has mobile deposits. He will bring more information next meeting about them and Arvest.

David VanBuskirk will check with RCB to see if there is a fee to use them for mobile deposits and so forth.

Jonathan Wilk suggested Chris Woodall be on the bank account and not the 1st Vice.

Ashley Stephens took the checks that Renee received in December to deposit for Neal which included the following: 

  • Heather Cropper conference fees $200.00
  • Mike Hatchett/Stan Spradlin conference fees $380.00
  • Jeremy Robbins dues $20.00

Fred Henderson gave a disk of photographs to David VanBuskirk to give to Dan to put updated pictures from the conference on the website and to provide the International with the arson and accidental photo winners. (We only had two accidental winners)

Since Jeremy Robbins was absent, so it is unknown whether he has found out whether or not the Reed Center in Midwest City could be used for the 2020 conference.

Since Chris Woodall was absent, he sent an email prior to the meeting stating he had secured the Edmond Fire Training Center off Covell Road for this year’s conference, but at this time we do not have any speakers.

It was requested that a mini blast be sent out in February for just the date and location and then another blast can be sent in mid-summer with more details

New Business:

None.

Next Meeting

Thursday, February 13, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. at the Farm Bureau Board Room in Stillwater, located at 4721 West 6th Avenue, Suite, 200.

David VanBuskirk made a Motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jonathan Wilk. Motion carried and approved.