2012-07

MINUTES
July 3, 2012
The July meeting of the Hill ‘n Hollow Master Gardeners was held at 6:30 PM at the Neosho
National Fish Hatchery. The meeting was called to order at 6:35 PM by President Gordon
Spencer. There were 20 members and three guests present. Our speaker was club member,
Mary Ellen Mitchell. Mary Ellen attended a youth gardening workshop in Eureka Springs, where
she learned some exciting methods for getting kids interested in gardening, and reported to the
club on her experience. Mary Ellen attended seminars on honey bees, using the garden as a
classroom, and changing children's lives through teaching them about butterflies. She also
visited schools that are using gardening projects to educate children.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: June minutes were e-mailed to members and posted on the website.
A motion was M/S/C to approve the June minutes.
TREASURER’S REPORT: The bank balance as of July 3, 2012 was $3,823.52, excluding
outstanding receipts. A motion was M/S/C to accept the treasurer’s report.
OLD BUSINESS
COUNTY FAIRS: We passed around sign-up sheets for the MacDonald and Newton County
fairs. During the meeting, we learned that there will be large fans running in the building where
our booth will be located at the MacDonald County Fair. We discussed possible solutions to
keep our print materials and display boards from being blown away. Beth Persons will continue
to think about how we can adapt our display.
PLANTERS FOR FAIRS: Club members were reminded that if they intend to contribute plants
for the fairground barrels, they should deliver plants directly to the fairgrounds (if they didn't
bring plants with them to the meeting).
GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR FAIRS: Susan Woods from Golden Living Centers donated $25 to
the Hill ‘N Hollow Master Gardeners to purchase a gift certificate. We appreciate her generous
donation!
NEW BUSINESS
MONETT CATHOLIC SCHOOL: Cathy Sheehy has a work project for the club at the Monett
Catholic School. The project will probably take about 4 hours to complete. Members who would
like to help can contact Cathy for details.
CARVER DAYS: Sherry McBride has recruited a sufficient number of volunteers for Carver
Days on July 14 and mentioned that Channel 7 will be airing a report about the event.
GARDEN TOUR: On July 13 & 14, the Master Gardeners of the Ozarks will present their 2012
Garden Tour, "Home Grown In the Ozarks." Gardens will be open from 8 AM to 1 PM each day.
The tour costs $10 per person, and pre-registration is required. To register, go to https://
mgozarks.com by July 6.
YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPS: Ron Hoyez suggested sponsoring 4-H or FFA kids to go through the
next Master Gardeners course in order to introduce the club to a younger demographic. Beth
Persons suggested developing an application process, similar to the process applicants
complete for the scholarship to Crowder that the club offers. Ann Corkle suggested providing a
Master Gardener mentor for each younger gardener who completes the course. Jackie Hoyez
suggested setting an age requirement for applicants (16 and up, for example). It was decided
that a new committee should be formed to develop ideas for promoting Master Gardeners
among young people and developing a process for integrating them into the club. Beth
Persons will report back to the club at our next meeting with some ideas. Any members
interested in being involved with this initiative should contact Beth.
EXTENSION COUNCIL UPDATE
BUDGET CUTS: The Missouri state budget for higher education was recently cut by 7%. Our
local extension office will be affected by this cut and has slimmed their budget accordingly.
John Hobbs reported that they have been able to make adjustments but would be hard-pressed
if any additional budget cuts were made.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Hill ‘N Hollow Master Gardeners will take place at the Newton County
Extension Office in Neosho at 6:30 PM.
A motion was M/S/C to adjourn the meeting at 7:25 PM. Afterwards, club members enjoyed ice
cream and other goodies.
Submitted by:
Lynn Fleshman
Lynn Fleshman, Secretary