Corporate Records
Meeting Minutes: April 2014
Bee Safe Neighborhoods -
Friends of the Earth Program – Friends of the Earth is conducting a survey of plant sellers to determine what percentage of plants available for sale are already treated with systemic poisons. Last year 60 percent of the plants sold at Home Depot and Lowe's were already treated. We have been asked if we want to participate in the press release, be affiliated with the project or other wise participate. There is a short time frame to decide.
My preference is that we not get involved in something over which we have no control and do not have time to vet. I would like to limit LSI's role to empowering individuals to create bee safe neighborhoods and to talk to their retailers about the existence of poisons in the plants they sell. (40 years of awareness raising hasn't gotten us anywhere. The chemical companies understand that it is not about what people hear in the news, it is about what the clerk at the store tells his customer, and the reverse.)
Cards, Signs, Door Hangers – We got a thousand cards listing the systemic poisons donated and I spent $100.00 on yard signs. See Attached. We are in process of designing a door hanger along the lines also attached. I want to print a thousand of those at $114.00 and start marketing a BSN coordinator starter kit. The kit would contain 50 cards, 50 door hangers and 2 yard signs for $25.00 plus shipping. Our cost is about $18.00 so that would be about $7 per kit to cover administrative expense.
Face Book Page – Nancy Griffith has set up a Face Book page for Bee Safe Neighborhoods. If you have not yet liked it you can see it here: https://www.facebook.com/beesafeneighborhoods
Food Cell Progress -
Oz and I finalized the application for the Slow Food Denver Cafe Grant and got it submitted. I think the next step is an invitation to make an oral presentation to the judges. I will keep you advised.
Ongoing Work of Developing the Message -
I am becoming very comfortable with the part of the message where integrated closed loop production systems are the key to a sustainable future. What we are missing is a way to convince people that the world they want is possible. We all want world in which every human has the food, clothing, shelter, education and health care they need to thrive. What it will take is ordinary people making an investment in integrated closed loop production systems for themselves and in cooperation with their neighbors. If you have any thoughts on this next step in developing the message please share them.
Oz as Board Member -
I would like to invite Oz Osborn to join the Board. Oz has been highly engaged in learning about our work and wants to participate in additional grant funding efforts. For those who do not know, Oz is the coordinator for the Slow Food Denver Crop Mob program and knows a lot of people in town. I will ask for your vote on this proposal at the end.
A Vote -
If any of you think we should focus on being recognized in conjunction with the Friends of the Earth project we can certainly talk about it further. Any comments or suggestions on what we are doing with the Bee Safe Neighborhood project will also be appreciated. As always, please feel free to raise any other issues you may have.
Please vote on whether or not we should invite Oz Osborn to be an eighth Board member. Pursuant to our procedures, the motion will be adopted if a majority of those voting by May 2 vote in favor of the motion and no Board Member requests a physical meeting by that date.
David Braden
The Board of Directors voted unanimously to add Oz Osborn to the Board.
Submitted May 12, 2014
David Braden