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DAIRYLAND WALKERS MONTHLY MEETING (AND HOLIDAY PARTY) AT THE SPARKS' HOUSE DECEMBER 8, 2002  Officers Present:  Bob and Jo Sparks (Co-Vice Presidents); Russ Crane (Treasurer); Karen Reger (Secretary); Barbara Borde (Board Member at Large)  In Attendance:  Approximately 25  Holiday Party  Geocaching  At approximately 2:00 p.m., the people present were divided up into three groups, with Bob, Jo, and Angie Sparks individually helping each group.  Each group decided which of three walks they were going to do first, and then they had to decipher some instructions.  After going outside and activating the GPS (Global Positioning System) unit, off they went in search of a coffee can with some trinkets in it.  After finding the can and exchanging trinkets, the groups returned to the house and warmed up with some cider, and then off they went in search of the next can, until all three had been found.    Buffet  There were pots of chili, various other foodstuffs, and beverages waiting for us after being out in the cold afternoon.  Karen Reger and Russ Crane had brought a cake with a map of the U.S. on it, congratulating the Sparks on completing their 50-state walking odyssey.    Door Prize  Pat Morgan was the winner of the door prize (a coffee mug) donated by Karen Reger.    Meeting  Since the Wilsons were not present, Bob Sparks called the meeting to order at 6:25.    Election of Officers  On behalf of the Nominating Committee, Bonnie Hamer gave the list of candidates, which is also the current roster of officers:                President – Jerry and Pam Wilson             Vice President – Bob and Jo Sparks             Secretary – Karen Reger             Treasurer – Russ Crane             Member at Large – Barb Borde  There are other people who have various duties and responsibilities, but they are not elected.    Bonnie asked if there were any nominations from the floor, and there were none.  There were no questions or discussion, and the slate of officers was re-elected.  Secretary's Report  (Karen)  Karen had brought several paper copies of the minutes of the last general meeting for anyone who wished to read it or take a copy.    Treasurer's Report  (Russ)  At the last Board meeting on November 14, the club had a balance of $3,010.67.  Since that time, there has been income in the amount of $182.00.  The only expense was a check for $25.00 to Wayne Pauly, who spoke at our last general club meeting.  Our present balance is $3,167.67.  The report was accepted.    Picnic Point Walk Box  Bruce Dewey apologized to anyone who wanted to do the Picnic Point walk after October 31.  He removed the box and then saw in the Starting Point that the walk officially ended on November 30.  If anybody did do the walk, they will be able to stamp their books in the spring, when we get the stamp back.    Membership Dues  The question was raised as to how someone would know when they have to renew their membership.  A notice will be sent out with your newsletter when it's time for you to renew.    Website  Russ indicated that the club now has a new website with a domain name of dairylandwalkers.com.    Credit Fee  Due to the national organization needing more funds, they have decided that the maximum amount that a club can charge for credit will be $3.00 instead of the present $2.00, so our Board has decided to raise our credit fee to that amount, starting January 1.  Out of the $2.00 fee, the AVA took $.50 and we kept $1.50.  Now, out of that $3.00, the AVA will take $1.25 and we will keep $1.75.    The frequent walker coupons will also increase in price.  They are now $1.50 each, which is $15.00 per sheet, saving $.50 per walk.  Starting January 1, they will now be $2.00 each, or $20.00 a sheet.  Using these, you would now save $1.00 per walk.  These can be used only for our club's year round and seasonal walks, and not for special event walks.    Tom Doyle indicated that at the upcoming national meeting on January 18, one of the items up for discussion will be the elimination of free walkers and having a minimum fee of $1.00 or $2.00.  This is something that should be discussed at the next Board meeting and the next general meeting.  Our club has always had the opportunity for free walkers to participate.    Bank Account  The question was raised as to why we have so much money, over $3,000.00, in the club's treasury.  It was explained that it's a cushion for future expenses, such as buying Starting Points, paying sanction fees, walk expenses, etc.  For each walk, we have to pay the AVA a sanction fee.  There's also the cost of printing newsletters and brochures and the necessary postage.  Although we haven't spent much on awards recently, there's always the possibility of having some awards in the future.  The question was asked – do we have any left-over awards.  Yes, there are various ones in the walk boxes and occasionally a few are sold.  Thank Yous  The Sparks were given a round of applause for hosting the party and for giving us a taste of geocaching.    The program coordinators, Jo Sparks, Gwen Kraemer, and Barb Borde, were also given a round of applause.    Walk Brochures  Russ asked when the walk brochures for 2003 and the flyer for the snowshoe event in January would be available as he would like to add that information to the website.  No definite date was given.    The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m.    Submitted by Karen Reger, Secretary