Southern Chapter

BUSINESS MEETING:  The business meeting for the Third Annual Meeting & In-Service Training of the Horticultural Inspection Society, Southern Chapter, was held on September 28, 2001.  President Jeanetta Cooper of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture called this meeting to order, at 10:06 a.m. at the Brazos Amphitheatre in the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in College Station, Texas.

PRESENT:  Sixty one members representing ten states were present:  Dennis Barclift, Tim Johnson, and Voting Delegate Richard Wingard representing the Alabama Department of Agriculture; Secretary Beverly Bachus, Steve Bostian, Voting Delegate David Fort, and Delbert Wisdom representing the Arkansas State Plant Board; Voting Delegate Stacey Simmons representing the Florida Department of Agriculture; Lester Cannon, Kenneth Champagne; and Voting Delegate Brett Laird representing the Louisiana Department of Agriculture; Michael Bayles and Voting Delegate Kenneth Calcote representing the Mississippi Department of Agriculture; Kenneth Stillwell and Voting Delegate Frank White representing the North Carolina Department of Agriculture; President Jeanetta Cooper, Larry Deviall, Lisa Dobson, and Voting Delegate Harley Holsten representing the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture; Voting Delegate Evangeline Lattimore and Gene Lucius representing Clemson University and South Carolina; Vice President Floyd Brown, Voting Delegate Octavio Garza, Val Garcia, Carl Froberg, Julian Longoria, Gaylon Amonett, Clay Stanford, Richard Rendon, Miguel Gonzales, Alfredo Montalvo, James Bell, Jesse Gutierrez, Tina Jackson, Yolanda Clay, Sherman Clem, Jesse James Torres, John Doty, Jr., Stephanie White, Kristi Cromeans, Guillermo Rosado, Juan Jimenez, Bobby Jackson, Rudy Ramirez, Marshall Land, Andy Anderson, Alan Peacock, Lance Shephard, Jimmy Hallmark, Jan Costilow, Angel Baez, Will Calcote, Martha Walters, Roy Hegefeld, Ricky Mellman, Tony Dooley, Awinash Bhatkar, Anthony Williams, and Eliza Alvarado representing the Texas Department of Agriculture; and Voting Delegate Tom Finn representing the Virginia Department of Agriculture.

States not represented were Georgia, Puerto Rico and Tennessee.  A quorum was declared.

ROLL CALL OF STATES:  Secretary Beverly Bachus, AR, conducted the roll call of states.

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING: President Jeanetta Cooper, OK, called for the corrections or additions to the minutes of the Second Annual Meeting and In-Service Training Business Meeting.  It was noted that Ray Jarrett, representing the Florida Department of Agriculture was omitted from the list of attendees.   It was also noted that the Old Business was a report from President Jeanetta Cooper of the Southern Plant Board Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, and that New Business should begin at the Education Committee Report.  Tom Finn, VA, made a motion to accept the minutes of the Second Annual Meeting & In-Service Training Business Meeting with the corrections noted.  Octavio Garza, TX, seconded the motion.  Vote was done by a roll call of the states present.  Motion carried.

TREASURER’S REPORT:  Committee Chairman Steve Bostian, AR, 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 the 3^rd Annual Meeting & In-Service Training.  Brett Laird, LA, made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report.  David Fort, AR, seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

OLD BUSINESS:  President Jeanetta Cooper, OK, gave a report of the Southern Plant Board Meeting in Huntsville, Alabama, which she attended in April 2001.  President Cooper asked if there was any more old business to consider.  Vice President Floyd Brown, TX, asked if the division of Editor duties was to be addressed as old business.  President Cooper said that it was a discussion before the Resolution Committee.

NEW BUSINESS:  EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT  Committee Chairman Gene Lucius, SC, discussed setting standards for an award for newsletter submissions.  The discussion was tabled until the next Committee meeting.  Chairman Lucius also discussed the need for beginning a Chapter Inspection Manual that would include pests and diseases relevant to the Southern Chapter as well as Inspection Guidelines.  Chairman Lucius noted that the Southern Plant Board did not have any inspection guidelines set as to date.

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT:  Lester Cannon, LA, gave the report for the Membership Committee.  The committee had discussed implementing a reduced cost incentive for States that paid membership for the entirety of their Inspectors, a “Refer a Friend” incentive, Membership Cards, a New Member Packet,  and a membership directory.  A copy of the Membership Committee Report is attached.

RESOLUTION COMMITTEE REPORT:  Eliza Alvarado, TX, presented the following resolutions to the attendees:

Resolution Number Five: concerning the division of the duties of Editor to include Chapter Assistant Editor and Webmaster to be appointed by the Executive Committee.  The Assistant Editor and Webmaster positions would not hold Executive Committee privileges of voting on executive matters.  Duties of Assistant Editor and Webmaster are included in the resolution.  Stacey Simmons, FL, moved to accept Resolution Number Five.  Brett Laird, LA, seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

Resolution Number Six resolves that any check to be written in the amount greater than three hundred fifty dollars ($350.00) would require approval of the Chapter President and Treasurer.  Frank White, NC moved to accept the resolution.  David Fort, AR seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

LOGO/MERCHANDISE COMMITTEE REPORT  The committee report was given by Chairman Sherman Clem, TX.  Chairman Clem discussed finding merchandise with the logo included.  A price sheet was handed out for shirts and other merchandise to the membership for consideration.  A logo pin was discussed for membership.

ARCHIVE COMMITTEE REPORT  President Cooper, stated that the Archive Committee was not assembled during this meeting of the membership.  Secretary Bachus, AR, stated that the archives were currently held in a vault at the Arkansas State Plant Board, #1 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT  Chairman Kenneth Champagne, LA, presented the following nominations:

Vice President Selection Chairman Champagne stated that the committee recommended Richard Wingard, AL for the position of Vice President.  Mr. Wingard accepted the nomination.  President Cooper asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no nominations from the floor.  Stacey Simmons, FL, made a motion to accept Richard Wingard, AL for the office of Vice President.  Kenneth Calcote, MS, seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

President Selection  Representing the Nominating Committee, Chairman Champagne recommended the nomination of Lester Cannon, LA, for Chapter President. Mr. Cannon accepted the nomination. President Cooper, OK, asked for other nominations from the floor.  Larry Devaill, OK, nominated Sherman Clem, TX. Mr. Clem accepted the nomination. President Cooper, OK, again asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no more nominations from the floor. 

A motion was made by Evangeline Lattimore, SC to cease nominations.  Brett Laird, LA, seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

Tom Finn, VA motioned to vote by anonymous ballot.  Richard Wingard, AL, seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

Each candidate was given the opportunity to state the reasons that they wanted to be president.  President Cooper gave the voting delegates an opportunity to confer with their states before voting.  Vote was taken by anonymous ballot.  Vice President Brown, TX, and Chairman Champagne, LA, counted the ballots.  Sherman Clem, TX, was declared the winner.

Stacey Simmons, FL, moved to accept the votes.  Harley Holsten, OK, seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

Secretary  Selection  Chairman Champagne stated that the committee nominated Beverly Bachus, AR, for Secretary.  Ms. Bachus accepted the nomination.  President Cooper asked for other nominations from the floor.  Brett Laird, LA, motioned to accept the nomination of Beverly Bachus to the office of Secretary.  Harley Holsten, OK, seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

Treasurer Selection Chairman Champagne stated that the committee nominated Steve Bostian, AR, for the office of Treasurer.  Mr. Bostian accepted the nomination.  President Cooper asked for other nominations from the floor.  David Fort, AR, made a motion to accept the nomination of Steve Bostian to the office of Treasurer.  Octavio Garza, TX, seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

Editor Selection  Chairman Champagne stated that the committee nominated Tom Finn, VA, for the office of Editor.  Mr. Finn accepted the nomination.  President Cooper asked for other nominations from the floor.  Harley Holsten, OK, made a motion to accept the nomination of Tom Finn to the office of Treasurer.  Stacey Simmons, FL, seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

HOST STATE FOR THE 2002 ANNUAL MEETING  Richard Wingard of Alabama accepted the nomination to host the 2002 Annual Meeting in Alabama, with a tentative date of September.

DESIGNATE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE SOUTHERN PLANT BOARD MEETING  President Cooper stated that in the past the Chapter President would attend the meeting, and if they could not attend, a current member from the host state (Louisiana) would attend the meeting.  Evangeline Lattimore, SC, made a motion to send the Chapter President, or, if he could not attend, a current member from Louisiana to attend the SPB Meeting.  Brett Laird, LA, seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

OTHER BUSINESS: There was no other business discussed.

PASSING OF THE PRESIDENCY: President Cooper, OK, passed the gavel to new President Clem, TX.

ADJOURNMENT: President Clem called for a motion to adjourn the meeting.  Octavio Garza, TX, made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  David Fort, AR seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.  The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a.m.