November 2005 Meeting Minutes

by Donna Franus

 

The meeting on November 3rd was called to order at 7:20 pm by President Roger Dougan.  New member Vicki Daye was welcomed.

 

Paula Johnson, our scheduled guest speaker, was unable to attend due to a death in the family.  While our sympathies are with her at this time, we hope to have her come talk to us about Habitat for Horses/Lone Star Equine Rescue and their efforts after hurricane Katrina and Rita in the near future.

 

Minutes from the previous meeting were approved as read by Roger Dougan.  The Treasurer’s report was approved as presented by Jenni Dougan

 

Committee Reports:

 

·        Scholarship: Scholarship packets were sent to 39 schools in the area via mail and internet.  Sandra would like to set up a committee to choose the 2006 scholarship winner.  Sheila Johnson and Jenni Dougan volunteered, with Gerri Snipes agreeing to join if her granddaughter does not apply for the scholarship.

·        Shows and Events: A gatekeeper and ring steward were appointed for the Nov. 6th show.  It was confirmed that Callie Maxwell, a 13 year old, will sing and yodel on Sally’s horse during lunch break at show.  More cones and 2 way radios will be needed for the show.  A photographer will be available for picture taking during the show.  A HAT member will also be appointed to take pictures during the show.  The 4-H Saddlebound club will work the concession stand with all proceeds from the stand going to them.

·        Adult Riders Clinic: 8 riders were in attendance at the clinic, which was held at Loy Lake Arena.  Fun and learning were had by all.  The proceeds from this clinic, which were smaller than hoped, went to the scholarship fund.  We may choose to use a less expensive/smaller arena for such clinics in the future, as the number of people who turned out was good but the cost of using this arena is becoming prohibitive.

 

Old Business:

 

·        Club Promotion: Discussion about flyers to be put up as advertising in addition to HAT Chat.  Three more months of the Shopper ad will start in January.  The ad is still drawing attention to our meetings.

·        Website – Mike Bernier updated us on the newest revisions to the website, particularly the recently added Photo Galleries containing pictures taken at HAT shows and events.  Mike brought a laptop computer with a copy of the website on it so that members could see the new additions.

 

New Business:

 

·        Scholarship Funding: According to the Treasurer’s report earlier in the meeting, our fund balance for the 2006 scholarship was $200.  A motion was made and approved that $300 from our general funds will be set aside now to guarantee we will have the full $500 available for the scholarship.

·        Show Staff Identification: Mike Bernier will make nametags for everyone working at the November 6th show.  We also discussed uniform shirts, name badges, etc for future shows and events to let people know who the members are.

·        Membership: Reminders are to be sent out after the November 6th show for annual membership renewals.  Mike Bernier also brought up the idea of developing a membership packet to be sent out to new and renewing members, and asked for suggestions of what to include in it – ideas included a welcome letter from the HAT President, a membership card, information sheets for how to access and use the HAT website and Yahoo group, a copy of the current newsletter, a HAT brochure to share with others, and possibly a HAT decal or bumper sticker (which would need to be designed).

·        Officer Elections: Elections for 2006 HAT officers were held.  The results are printed on Page 1 of this newsletter.

·        An Officers meeting was suggested to look at the club’s current and expected financials for the coming year, and to start making plans for next year’s events.  The date for this meeting is expected to be between December 10th and 18th.

·        Country Supply – When making a purchase from Country Supply (either by phone or at www.countrysupply.com), if you mention the Country Cares code “HAT” they will donate up to 5% of your purchases to HAT.

 

The December meeting will be held December 1, 2005, 7:00pm at the Grayson County Courthouse in Sherman.  It will be an Open House Holiday celebration with a short business meeting.  Each member is welcome to bring their families and a covered dish to share.

 

The meeting was adjourned and HAT Chats were passed out for distribution to the surrounding communities.