Meeting Minutes
Torch Club of the Fox Valley
13 February 2014
Atlas Coffee Mill & Café
Notes taken by: Jude Kuenn, secretary
Attendees: Jim Baumbach, Nancy Bodway, Al Button, Janet Wullner-Faiss Cloak, Dwight Easty, Paul Freiburg, Jean Jepson, Barbara Kelly, Bill Kelly, Jude Kuenn , Amy Oberg, Mary Poulson, Richard Schoenbohm, Webb Shaw, Jan Smith, Irene Strohbeen, Bob Swain, Peter Thiel, Scott Valitchka, Donna Weis, David Woods
BUSINESS MEETING
- Meeting called to order at 6:30pm
- There were no guests
- Minutes from 1/09/14 meeting had one correction – Elgin, IL. With this update, minutes were accepted, motioned and approved.
- Treasurer’s report: 1/31/14 balance remained unchanged from 12/30/13 at $2,042.69. Report accepted, motioned and approved.
- New Business -
a: New member application from Neal Gamsky was reviewed. Motion was made to accept Neal to the Club. Motion carried and was approved. Jude to welcome Neal via email and provide details regarding upcoming meetings. Jude will also submit application to IATC.
b. Upcoming important Torch dates are in March 2014. While current board is in place into 2015, 3/13/14 meeting will have to identify delegates to represent us at the IATC annual convention 6/19-22/14 in St. Catherines, (Niagara), Ontario, Canada. Interested members should contact Richard or Jude. We can have two delegates attend, with one being reimbursed by the Club.
c: Secret editor to The Torch Magazine is Jan Smith. Only three folks knew this fact, her name appearing under Editorial Advisory Committee, inside front cover page.
d: Other new business -
Dwight – Elizabeth Keggi would like to join, but cannot due to her evening tutoring schedule.
Mary – would like to evaluate the evening’s table arrangement. If tables could be placed in a wider U, or even in a square, with microphone use, all would hear better over background noise. Club met in this room at Sue’s suggestion, due to screen request. Comments were made that the other room was more intimate. Richard to share feedback with Sue.
Irene – didn’t mind the evening’s room, arranged for a power point presentation. She appreciates the historical photos and would be willing to give the room one more try, based on tables being rearranged. - Announcements included -
Jude – please vote 2/18/14.
Irene – Women’s Alliance Sex Trafficking discussions continue at February and March meetings. 3/19/14 features Mary Burke as guest speaker, 11:15am, at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel.
Jan – 3/12/14 is Arts Day. Area reps will meet at the Capital in Madison and PR the arts. Dave Hoffert, legislator, will sponsor entrepreneurial art in the community. Event offers $500m to Arts Initiatives.
Mary – enjoyed the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass 2/06/14 closing gala. Exhibit ends 2/16/14.
Mary - Noon Hour Philosophers 2/19/14 meeting topic will be the Wave of Aging; to be held at the Trinity Church.
Richard – League of Women’s Voters has a Non-Partisan Redistricting presentation at the Speakers Bureau available for loan. Contact Amy if interested in presenting topic to your other groups, clubs, or organizations.
Business segment adjourned at 6:58m for dinner.
Photos shared the beauty, majesty, size and habits of North American birds. Bird chasers go to great lengths and destinations, i.e. Brownville TX dump to the Amazon, in search of adding a sighting to their Life List. Paul’s own list is at 472 sightings, his life goal number is 700.
Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond 007 spy series, got the name from a bird book on his coffee table by author James Bond. But, Roger Tory Peterson was the real genius, writing field guides that helped differentiate sightings by pointing to birds’ characteristic differences, comparing for example beaks or tail feathers.
Threats for today’s birds are due to climate change, water quality, deforestation, invasive species and loss of habitat, creating a tension between environment and development.
Birds migrate for food. Some adapt to their changing environment better than others.
Citizen Science allows birders to support DNR studies with counting and sighting assistance. All citizens can support birds by: 1) voting, 2) writing letters to your editors, 3) conserving, and 4) participating in citizen science efforts.
Evening adjourned at 8:51pm.
Next meeting Thursday 3/13/14.