Horticultural Inspection Society

Sixth Annual Meeting & In-Service Training

MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 14, 2004

BUSINESS MEETING: The business meeting for the Sixth Annual Meeting & In-Service Training of the Horticultural Inspection Society, Southern Chapter, was held on September 14, 2004.  Vice President Allen Whittington III, LA, called the meeting to order, at 8:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Convention Center Hotel in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

PRESENT: Twenty members representing seven states were present:  Voting Delegate Tim Johnson and Immediate Past President Richard Wingard representing the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries; Secretary Beverly Bachus, David Blackburn, Treasurer Steve Bostian, Vernon Griffin, Marvin Johnson, James Neely, Larry Sims, and Voting Delegate Delbert Wisdom representing the Arkansas State Plant Board; Voting Delegate J. Brett Laird, Vice President Allen Whittington III representing the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry; Voting Delegate Guy Buford and Wally Cade, representing the Mississippi Department of Agriculture; Voting Delegate Rickey Gregory, Daniel Overcash and Frank White, representing the North Carolina Department of Agriculture; James Branham and Harley Holsten representing the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; and Voting Delegate Tom Finn representing the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

States not represented were Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

ROLL CALL OF STATES    Secretary Beverly Bachus, AR, conducted the roll call of states.  A quorum was declared.

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING: Vice President, Allen Whittington III, LA, called for corrections or additions to the minutes of the Fifth Annual Meeting and In-Service Training Business Meeting.  There were no corrections or additions to the minutes.  North Carolina made a motion to accept the minutes as written.  Arkansas seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

TREASURER’S REPORT:Committee Chairman and Immediate Past President Richard Wingard, AL, gave the report on behalf of he Audit Committee stating that the committee had reviewed the records of the income and expenses incurred by the Chapter up to July 31, 2004.  A copy of the Treasurer’s Report was given to the meeting attendees (see attached).  Oklahoma made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report.  Arkansas seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

OLD BUSINESS: Secretary Bachus, AR, gave a PowerPoint presentation put together by President Stacey Simmons, FL (not present), on President Simmons’ trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia and the Southern Plant Board Meeting held in April 2004.  The 2005 meeting of the Southern Plant Board meeting will be held in Florida in April of 2005. Vice President Whittington, LA, asked if there was any other old business to consider.  Secretary Bachus, AR, stated that Central Chapter HIS member Carl Harper, KY, had agreed to take over the Chapter website.  Ms. Bachus reminded the membership that Resolution Number 11, adopted September 12, 2004 addresses the matter of hiring out to a separate entity the operation of the Chapter Website and that the amount to be spent on the website shall not exceed an amount equal to 15% of the membership dues collected each year.  Ms. Bachus stated that based on 2004 Chapter Membership, this amount would be equal to $288.00 for the current year.  Mr. Harper discussed with the group some issues regarding the website such as moving it from its’ existing location and the filtering of information to him from the Executive Committee.

Vice President Whittington, LA, asked if there was any more old business to consider.  No other old business was addressed.

NEW BUSINESS:

EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT: Committee Chairman Guy Buford, MS, gave the report for the Education Committee.  Mr. Buford stated that the committee wanted to keep the website maintained as a main source of information for the Chapter and to utilize email for specific concerns.

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT: Wally Cade, MS, gave the report for the Membership Committee.  The committee discussed ways to boost membership by encouraging a list of new employees from the Director’s of our agencies.  The committee also discussed the Chapter President taking the opportunity at the Southern Plant Board meeting to stress the continuing education aspect of the Society and encourage membership.  Vice President Whittington, LA, added that it would be beneficial to encourage the administration from the hosting state to attend the annual meeting.

RESOLUTION COMMITTEE REPORT: Resolution Number Fourteen was read by Committee Chairman Marvin Johnson, AR. The resolution concerns Host State Appreciation. A motion was made by Alabama to accept the resolution and was seconded by North Carolina.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

AWARD COMMITTEE REPORT: The committee report was given by Chairman Vernon Griffin, AR.  Mr. Griffin stated that the committee had reviewed the guidelines for the Tavo Good Spirit Award and the HISSC Distinguished Achievement Award and proposed no changes to the guidelines.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT  Chairman J. Brett Laird, LA, presented the following nominations:

Editor Selection  Chairman Laird stated that the committee nominated Guy Buford, MS, for the office of Editor.  Mr. Buford accepted the nomination.  Vice President Whittington, LA, asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no other nominations. Alabama made a motion to elect Guy Buford to the office of Editor.  North Carolina seconded the motion.  Vote was made by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried with Mississippi abstaining from the vote.

Treasurer Selection: Chairman Laird stated that the committee nominated Steve Bostian, AR, for the office of Treasurer.  Mr. Bostian accepted the nomination.  Vice President Whittington asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no other nominations.  Oklahoma made a motion to elect Steve Bostian to the office of Treasurer.  Arkansas seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

Secretary Selection: Chairman Laird stated that the committee nominated Beverly Bachus, AR, for Secretary.  Ms. Bachus accepted the nomination.  Vice President Whittington asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no other nominations. Oklahoma motioned to elect Beverly Bachus to the office of Secretary.  Alabama seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

Vice President Selection: Chairman Laird stated that the committee nominated Tom Finn, VA, for the position of Vice President.  Mr. Finn accepted the nomination.  Vice President Whittington asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no nominations from the floor.  North Carolina made a motion to elect Tom Finn to the office of Vice President.  Mississippi seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

President Selection: Chairman Laird recommended the nomination of Allen T. “Buster” Whittington III, LA, for Chapter President. Mr. Whittington accepted the nomination. Vice President Whittington asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no other nominations.  Mississippi made a motion to elect Allen Whittington to the position of Chapter President.  Oklahoma seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

HOST STATE FOR THE 2005 ANNUAL MEETING: Tom Finn, VA, accepted the nomination to host the 2005 Annual Meeting and In-Service Training in Virginia, with a tentative date of September.  Mr. Finn discussed a tentative location of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.

DESIGNATE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE SOUTHERN PLANT BOARD MEETING: Vice President Whittington stated that in the past the Chapter President would attend the meeting, and if they could not attend, another member of the Executive Committee who could obtain funding to attend from their state or a current member from the host state (Florida) would attend the meeting.  Mr. Whittington stated that he was looking forward to attending the meeting.

OTHER BUSINESS: Vice President Whittington asked if there was any other business to discuss.  Discussion ensued about thanking former Editor John Rochelle, TN, (not present) for the excellent job done as editor in the past year.

PASSING OF THE PRESIDENCY: Vice President Whittington stated that without President Simmons present, he would pass the Presidency to himself.