THESE ARE THE UNOFFICIAL MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE BOARD.

Board Members and Members Present:    
Scott Perry, Sue Wilson, Marijke Dollois, Pat Farmer, Bill McGroarty, Sally Newton

Scott Perry called the Meeting to order at 5:35 PM.

Show and Tell: 
    The following items were donated by Sue Tillitson of Richford Vermont:
-    2 photographs (one of them showing Sally Newton’s mother)
-    “Rhetorical Reader 1842” owned by and signed Chas. H. Clapp
-    “Fowler’s Blue Book of Selected Household Helps and guide to Household Economy 1920” owned and signed by Mrs. C. A. Gardyne

History Quiz:
    By the 1880’s what percentage of native-born Vermonters actually lived in Vermont? – 58%

Recognition of visitors:
    None

1.    Minutes of 10/15/08:
    Pat made a Motion, seconded by Sally to approve the Minutes of 10/15/08 as written; the Motion was unanimously.

2.    Treasurer’s Report of 11/19/08:
        Checking Account    $    3,169.75
        Stained Glass Window Fund CD    5,550.53 @ 3.45% - matures 09/24/09
        Capital Improvement CD    1,870.42 @ 1.74% - matures 12/10/08
        Lalia Pratt Hays Scholarship CD    6,866.35 @ 2.80% - matures 10/05/09
       
        Heaton House Mortgage     $23,573.80 @ 6.49% fixed until 12/20/10; matures 12/20/20

Marijke made a Motion, seconded by Bill to approve the Treasurer’s Report of 11/19/08. The Motion was unanimously approved.

3.    Membership Update:
    Marijke reported the following:
        209 members - $ 9,980.00

4.    Old Business:
A.    Pratt Hall/Heaton House – a group of volunteers cleaned out the tower and area above the main building. It was suggested to rent a heavy-duty shop-vac at a cost of $25 from Franklin Rentall next spring to finish the work.

    The second chimney in the Heaton House has been removed. Scott may have a lead to sell the woodstove.

    Rocky has reset the clock to daylight savings time and it appears to be ringing correctly and keeping time. The clock is due for service early next year.

B.    Stained Glass Windows Cards – flyers were mailed to current and past members and orders have come in regularly. Sets were sold to Trout River Traders and Sylvester’s and are being displayed and for sale at Lutz’s Automotive and Town Clerk’s office. Free sets were sent to Lois Lumbra, Rita Tatro and Suzanne Dollois. Currently about half our cost is covered by orders.

C.    Mortgage principal reduction – A discussion took place to use part of the Lalia Pratt Hays Scholarship CD towards paying down the mortgage. There are no provisions in the scholarship terms to keep this money in the CD. Every year the interest earned in the CD is supplemented by money from the General Funds to pay for the scholarships. The interest rate has declined drastically which means that most of the scholarship is paid from the General Fund (see the following additional information received from Sue Wilson by e-mail). The CD will be retained and can always be supplemented by funds.

Bill made a Motion, seconded by Sally to approve the distribution of $6,300.00 of the Lalia Pratt Hays Scholarship CD to the Heaton House Mortgage; the Motion was unanimously approved.

[E-mail information from Sue Wilson: We earned $275.71 interest on that CD from July 1, 2007 through May 31, 2008.  We were getting 4.89% interest.    Since June 1, 2008 to present we have earned $51.55 because the CD rates have dropped so significantly. Our general fund funded a little more than 1/2 of the scholarship awards (54%).]

    D.    Budget for 2009 – Scott and Sue will work on this.

    E.    Candles and Carols – Sue suggested we add two Hanukkah songs to the songbook as December 21 is the first day of Hanukkah. There will be no dancers this year due to conflicting schedules. The readers confirmed are Lisa Perry and Jackie Kaufman, with Bobby Anderson as a possible third reader. Sally will provide the cider and Parma the treats.

    F.    Holiday Party December 12 at 6:00 PM at the Dollois/Fichman house – Board members, past Board members and friends will be invited. It was suggested to send the invitation by e-mail “E-vitations”.

    G.    Things to keep on the radar scope – no action:
            New Board members / Nominees
            Butler Decorative Cloth
            Marion Towle Project
            Old Maps Project
            Archives and Accessioning
            35th Anniversary in 2009

5.    New Business:
Grant writing – this will be a priority project for the next year; possible grants were discussed such as TD Bank, Eastman Foundation, Dept. of Agriculture, Freeman Foundation. 

6.    Adjourn: 
        Bill moved and Pat seconded a motion to adjourn at 6:50 P.M.  Said motion passed unanimously.



Respectfully submitted,
Marijke M. Dollois