North
Bethesda Middle School PTO
Minutes
of March 21, 2013 Meeting
Invitation
was sent out via the NBMS PTSA listserv on 3/15/2013 as a reminder for the
meeting.
Attendees: Joanne
Forbes (President), John Seabreeze (Secretary), Peter Walter (Treasurer), John
Morgan, Gretchen Gibney, Kevin Canavan, Kathy Jan, Geoff Piemme, Brian Lee,
Annette Nahin, Margaret McGhee
Opened at 7:35pm
Treasurer Peter Walter reported that the previously
received Notice of IRS Penalty for late filing of the PTO’s 2010-2011 taxes,
which were filed at the same time we applied for non-profit status, was
nullified by the IRS. Peter also
reported a balance of $15,300.46, an increase over the beginning of the Fiscal
Year of more than $3,000. This gain was
due to buses costing less than budgeted.
A suggestion was made that a Return Check Fee be added to next year’s
Ski Club application.
President Joanne Forbes entertained nominations for
the Nominating Committee. Three
individuals were nominated – John Morgan, Kevin Canavan, and Annette Nahin –
and unanimously elected. The Nominating
Committee sought initial nominations for the three offices, and three
individuals were nominated:
·
Secretary
– Brian Lee
·
Treasurer
– Peter Walter
·
President
– John Seabreeze
The Nominating Committee will entertain other
nominations between now and the next PTO Meeting, at which they will present a
slate of officers for election. Joanne
finished this section of her report by describing the history of the PTO and
PTSA, particularly their memberships and officers.
President Joanne Forbes opened a discussion on Ski
Club Wrap-Up.
Kathy Jan gave a report on Ski Club Registration,
describing the differences between online and manual registration, preferring
the latter due to the size of the Ski Club.
She also described the Care Card program, with 3 to 4 winners per year
for 3 years. Lastly, she gave a report
of First Aid coverage at the Ski Club nights, reporting no trips to the
hospital for participants and only minor injuries. Keys to this success were identified as an
increased focus on safety pre- and at ski club events. A suggestion was made that participants
should be incentivized to take lessons, thereby increasing their ability to ski
safely within their ability.
Peter Walter gave a report on the POD, which he
said went well this year. He suggested
that more non-chaperone parents volunteer, so as not to do double-duty. The few remaining items were given to NBMS
lost and found.
Gretchen Gibney gave a report on
Communications. She has been managing
the club’s gmail account for 3 years, with several hundred e-mails between
September and March. She also described
the process, including pros and cons, of contributing to the NBMS PTSA
listserv. She suggested a Ski Club
listserv be set up for next year. A
suggestion was made that we get Ski Club stuff out earlier before the first
trip. Lastly, she provided a report on
the Parker Award for the past 2 years.
John Seabreeze gave a report on Ski Club
Activities. He reported that 247
students registered, with an average attendance of 223 (or 91%) at each of 5
nights (ranging from 237 on first night to 209 on last night). He reported that we had 15 Adult Chaperones,
3 Teachers, 8 Junior Chaperones, and 2 Drivers for the year. We averaged 23 Total attending per week, or
an average of 1 chaperone per 10 students.
Lastly, he reported on feedback received from chaperones this year:
·
Ideas to improve experience for students:
color-coded ID tags by bus number, helping students group themselves by ability
level, and more help for first-year members.
·
Ideas to improve experience for chaperones:
separate volunteers for POD and night chaperones, buses need to carry more
paper towels and TP, and buses with seat belts.
The police presence at pick-up on the last two
trips was discussed and the general consensus was that it helped parking lot
safety and order.
Joanne Forbes gave a report on the Junior Chaperone
program. The first year there was 3;
this year there was 8. A good extra set
of eyes, and helpful in all aspects of the trip. The program will continue next year.
The meeting ended with an open forum, with a
collective thank you to Joanne, Gretchen, and Kathy for their years of service
to the PTO and Ski Club. Also, a
collective thank you to all the volunteers from this year.
The next meeting is May 16, 2013.
No other business was presented.
Meeting adjourned at 8:33pm.
Signed, John Seabreeze, Secretary