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MEETING OF CHICO GRANGE # 486
July 16, 2007
Meeting opened by President Chuck Voss at 6:30 p.m. 15 members and 2 guests were present.
Pledge of Allegiance and prayer
New applicants elected and obligated to membership
Joseph (Joe) Rogers of Chico
Motion to allow open Grange meetings: On a motion by Nancy, seconded by Kim, the members voted to keep our meetings open to visitors, in accordance with California State Grange policy allowing open meetings. (See Grange policy attachment.) Only Grange members will be allowed to vote. (* See attached copy of State Grange recognition of local open meeting practices.)
Secretary’s Report
Secretary Jon Luvaas presented members with a copy of the minutes, which were approved as written.
Jon reported that he has submitted a quarterly report and updated our membership records with the state Grange, and that he has requested a refund of dues paid for past members who are deceased or have not paid dues. Jon was asked to provide members with other members’ phone numbers and addresses. Nancy agreed to assist in preparing a database membership list to distribute and also to prepare name tags identifying members, with a different color for guests.
Jon requested secretarial assistance and Nancy and Kim agreed to help.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Paul Suhey reported on expenses (including $624 for building repairs, within the amount previously approved by the members) and receipts (including $968 from our yard sale and sale of the unused antique tables and chairs). (Report attached)
Paul reported that he has found that we do have a savings account, with a balance of over $8,000. Therefore, it is not necessary to withdraw funds from the $6,000 share account for building repairs. Altogether, our accounts have a total of $14,739 at this time. Motion/second/agreed to accept Treasurer’s report and approve the expenses (attached).
Paul reported that loan papers for repayment of the $3,000 roof loan to the Paradise Grange have been prepared and will be submitted for the agreement of the Paradise Grange. He’ll report further next month on the status.
Committee Reports
Maintenance Committee:
Bob LoFaso reported that the maintenance committee (the 6 people who have volunteered so far to work on the building) has completed all fire department requirements and begun repairs on the floor (damaged by heavy objects) and the outer walls of the building (damaged by weather and lack of attention). His report of work and expenses is attached. Much more volunteer help will be needed and much of what remains may need to be hired out, especially to assure exterior painting before it rains. Bob requested authority to spend up to $2,500 for essential repairs, if our volunteers cannot complete the work before fall. Since several very skilled members plan to do extensive work in September, it was agreed to further consider progress in August and September before hiring any work.
Motion/second/agreed to authorize up to $600 plus any permit costs to replace a damaged storage room window with a better window and the other damaged window with a wide door and an outside ramp to create a legal handicapped escape route.
Delmar has resigned as groundskeeper and new member Joe Rogers has been hired as an independent contractor to replace Delmar. Members enthusiastically thanked Delmar for all his years of work for us.
Rentals Committee:
Yoshiko reported that the Asian Bible Church has rented the hall for 4 hours every Sunday morning at a month-to-month rental rate of $15 per room per hour. The other church also wanted Friday and Saturday nights, which was not acceptable. She has received a $500 cleaning and security deposit from the new church.
A new rentals committee was appointed, consisting of Yoshiko Harter, Delmar, Marty Dunlap, Chuck Voss, and Joe Rogers. They will meet soon to review an updated draft of our short and long-term rental agreements and our rental rates, compared with other halls in Chico, including varied rates by day of the week and for short-term, long term and regular renters. They will report back with their recommendations in August.
The members agreed to allow the Rentals Committee to recommend conditions under which renters may serve alcohol on the premises, including requiring licenses or permits, cleaning and damage deposits, special insurance if needed, clearly spelling out renter responsibilities for security and cleaning, and careful screening of renters. All recommendations will be brought back to the members for approval. Alcohol cannot be served during business meetings of the Grange.
The committee was asked to define and designate an appropriate and safe outdoor smoking area.
The committee will also research the adequacy of our liability insurance.
NEW BUSINESS
Mission statement: Based on the request of members for greater clarity about the goals and direciton of our Grange, President Chuck appointed volunteers Mike Walden, Lee Altier, Richard Roth, Nani Teves, and Nancy Pyle to a committee to meet and recommend a mission or purpose statement for the Chico Grange, to be adopted at the August meeting if possible. All members were asked to contribute to committee members their ideas for our Grange’s mission.
Dues increase: The need for a dues increase was discussed, since the State Grange receives $24 of our $25 annual dues and their dues will increase by $1 each January through 2012.
A membership committee will be appointed at the next meeting to consider dues and membership recruitment. The committee will also discuss the possibility of setting up a Friends of the Grange or similar effort to bring in volunteers, smaller dues, and donations by non-members.
Announcements:
We need a larger dumpster and curbside recycling bins. Yoshiko and Chuck were authorized to order them.
Delmar would like us to consider asking the county to change our street name to reduce confusion.
The possibility of a Grange sign on East Avenue was mentioned.
Members in Need or Distress: None
Next meeting’s agenda will include:
Maintenance reports and recommendations, rent schedule increase, modified rental agreements, mission statement, and appointment of committees (Membership, Legislative, Family Health Services and Community Services). Members were asked to consider what committee involvement they would prefer, since we hope to assign many of our tasks to committees.
Note: The October meeting will be changed from the usual 6:30 time to 7:30 and we will not hold a potluck that night, due to a rental conflict.
Respectfully submitted,
Jon Luvaas, Secretary
See Attachment next page
* From the California State Grange website, under “About Us”, “Organization,” page one:
“Historically, our ‘closed door’ policies in our business meetings made some perceive the Grange to be a ‘secret society.’ The images elicited by this term are far from the true nature of the Grange.
“The ancients found that when they invented or discovered something of general value, others could and would divert that discovery to their own use and profit. Thus were the ‘Mysteries’ conceived. In the Middle Ages, European stone workers banded together in a mutual help and benefit organization. They, too, found benefit in conducting their business in private, and the Masons have maintained that confidentiality for well over a thousand years. In its battle against the monopolists between the 1870's and 1940's, confidentiality was a big factor in the success of the Granger Movement.
‘Today, many Granges conduct their business in open meetings where the public is invited to observe, even comment, but only Grange members have the right to vote on what will become Grange policy.”
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