Seventh Annual Meeting & In-Service Training

MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 21, 2005

BUSINESS MEETING

The business meeting for the Seventh Annual Meeting & In-Service Training of the Horticultural Inspection Society, Southern Chapter, was held on September 21, 2005.  President Allen T. Whittington, III, LA called the meeting to order at 1:20 p.m. at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

PRESENT:
Sixteen members representing eight states were present:  Voting Delegate Richard Wingard, representing the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries; Secretary Beverly Bachus and Treasurer and Voting Delegate Steve Bostian, representing the Arkansas State Plant Board; Voting Delegate and President Allen T. Whittington, III, representing the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry; Rick Gregory, David Parrish, David Pearce and Voting Delegate Frank White, representing the North Carolina Department of Agriculture; Gene Brown and Voting Delegate Harley Holsten, representing the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and consumer Services; Voting Delegate Fred Singleton, representing Clemson University and South Carolina; Brick Bishop and Voting Delegate John Rochelle, representing the Tennessee Department of Agriculture; and Vice President and Voting Delegate Tom Finn, Beth McClelland and Mary Simms, representing the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 

States not represented were Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico 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
President Allen T. Whittington, III, LA called for corrections or additions to the minutes of the Sixth Annual Meeting and In-Service Training Business Meeting.  A list of typographical errors was submitted by John Rochelle, TN.  There were no other corrections or additions to the minutes.  Oklahoma made a motion to accept the minutes with the proposed typographical changes.  Tennessee seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

TREASURER’S REPORT:
Treasurer Steve Bostian, AR, gave the Treasurer’s Report.  Audit Committee Chairman Harley Holsten, OK, gave the report on behalf of the Audit Committee stating that the committee had reviewed the records of the income and expenses incurred by the Chapter up to June 30, 2005.  A copy of the Treasurer’s Report was given to the meeting attendees (see attached).  North Carolina made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report.  Alabama seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

OLD BUSINESS:
Secretary Bachus, AR, gave a report of her trip to the Southern Plant Board Meeting held in St. Augustine, Florida in April of 2005.  The 2006 meeting of the Southern Plant Board will be held in Georgia in April 2006.

NEW BUSINESS:
Education Committee Report: There were none of the members of the Education Committee present at the business meeting.  We were informed that the Education Committee Report would be emailed to the Chapter Secretary for inclusion in the minutes  of the business meeting.  This report has not been received.

Membership Committee Report: Membership Committee Chairman Frank White, NC, gave the report for the Membership Committee.  The committee suggested that HISSC ask the Southern Plant Board contact in each state that does not have 100% membership to encourage the state to pay for the annual membership dues for their inspectors.  The committee also suggested that the HISSC ask the administration from states that do not have 100% membership to provide the names and addresses of their inspectors to the Chapter Secretary for inclusion in the membership information materials.

Resolution Committee Report:
    Resolution Number Fifteen  was read by Brick Bishop, TN.  The resolution concerns Host State Appreciation.  Oklahoma made a motion to accept the resolution.  The motion was seconded by North Carolina.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

    Resolution Number Sixteen  was read by Richard Wingard, AL.  The resolution was intended to acknowledge the promotion, retirement of death of a member.  After the resolution was read, discussion ensued.  Changes in the resolution were discussed.  A motion to accept the resolution with the changes was made by Oklahoma and seconded by Tennessee.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

Award Committee Report: Rick Gregory, NC, Chairman of the Award Committee stated that the award committee was prepared to do their part in the selection of recipients of the HISSC Award and the Tavo Award in the coming year.

Nomination Committee Report: Committee Chairman John Rochelle, TN,  presented the following nominations:

    Editor Selection Chairman Rochelle stated that the committee nominated Guy Buford, MS for the reelection of his office of Editor.  Secretary Bachus stated that she had received an email from Mr. Buford and he had agreed to accept the nomination.  President Whittington asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no other nominations.  Alabama made a motion to reelect Guy Buford to the office of Editor.  North Carolina seconded the motion.  Vote was made by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

    Treasurer Selection  Chairman Rochelle stated that the committee nominated Steve Bostian, AR for the reelection of his office of Treasurer.  Mr. Bostian accepted the nomination.  President Whittington asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no other nominations.  Oklahoma made a motion to reelect Steve Bostian to the office of Treasurer.  Alabama seconded the motion.   Vote was made by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

    Secretary Selection Chairman Rochelle stated that the committee nominated Beverly Bachus, AR for the reelection of her office of Secretary.  Ms. Bachus accepted the nomination.  President Whittington asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no other nominations.  Oklahoma made a motion to reelect Beverly Bachus to the office of Secretary.  Alabama seconded the motion.  Vote was made by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

    Vice President Selection Chairman Rochelle stated that the committee nominated Harley Holsten, OK to the office of Vice President.  Mr. Holsten accepted the nomination.  President Whittington asked for other nominations from the floor.  There were no other nominations.  Alabama made a motion to elect Harley Holsten to the office of Vice President.  Virginia seconded the motion.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.

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

HOST STATE FOR THE 2006 ANNUAL MEETING  Harley Holsten, OK, accepted the nomination to host the 2006 Annual Meeting and In-Service Training in Oklahoma, with a tentative date of September.  Mr. Holsten discussed some early planning ideas for the meeting and stated the tentative location as Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

DESIGNATE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE SOUTHERN PLANT BOARD MEETING  President Whittington stated that in the past, the Chapter President would attend the meeting and if they were unable to attend, another member of the Executive Committee who could obtain funding to attend from their state would attend the meeting.

OTHER BUSINESS:
President Whittington asked if there was any other business to discuss.  Secretary Bachus stated that there had been discussion regarding a constitutional amendment to include Kentucky into voting membership of the chapter.  Secretary Bachus presented the Proposed Constitutional Amendment in a resolution format stating the reasons Kentucky should be added.  The Amendment would read:

“Amendment No. 1:  Voting membership of this chapter shall be limited to those delegated Regular Members from the Southern Plant Board region previously named in this Constitution and shall furthermore include Kentucky.”

A motion was made by Oklahoma to accept the amendment.  The motion was seconded by Tennessee.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states with proxy yes votes from Immediate Past President Stacey Simmons, representing the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Editor Guy Buford representing the Mississippi Department of Agriculture.  Motion carried with a yes from ten member states.

Kentucky members Carl Harper and Joe Collins entered the room at the completion of the vote and expressed their thanks for inclusion into the chapter.

PASSING OF THE PRESIDENCY:
President Whittington stated that he had enjoyed his tenure as president of the chapter and passed the Presidency to newly elected President Tom Finn.

ADJOURNMENT:
President Finn called for a motion to adjourn the meeting.  North Carolina made the motion.  The motion was seconded by Kentucky.  Vote was taken by a roll call of the states.  Motion carried.  The meeting was adjourned at 1:50 p.m.

 Addition of Kentucky to Voting Membership

    WHEREAS, the Horticultural Inspection Society, Southern Chapter, at it’s Founder’s Meeting, set out the Voting membership of this chapter;

    WHEREAS, the Horticultural Inspection Society, Southern Chapter, was established in its nature to be involved with subjects and problems parallel with some of those considered by the Southern Plant Board;

    WHEREAS, the Horticultural Inspection Society, Southern Chapter was established to mirror the membership of the Southern Plant Board;

    WHEREAS, The Southern Plant Board has incorporated the State of Kentucky into Southern Plant Board membership;

    THEREFORE, the following amendment will be made to the Chapter Constitution of the Horticultural Inspection Society, Southern Chapter: Amendment No. 1 “Voting membership of this chapter shall be limited to those delegated Regular Members from the Southern Plant Board regions previously named in this Constitution and shall furthermore include Kentucky.”

    NOTE: The Constitution of the Horticultural Inspection Society, Southern Chapter states in Article VII: “The constitution may be amended at any regular meeting by a 3/4 vote of states representing a quorum, but is subject to ratification by a 3/4 vote of the chapter of the organization.”

    AMENDMENT PASSED: September 21, 2005

    AMENDMENT RATIFIED: 2005 Member States Date Ratified: Alabama September 21, 2005; Arkansas September 21, 2005; Florida September 21, 2005 (via proxy vote by Stacey Simmons); Georgia; Louisiana September 21, 2005; Mississippi September 21, 2005 (via proxy vote by Guy Buford); North Carolina September 21, 2005; Oklahoma September 21, 2005; South Carolina September 21, 2005; Tennessee September 21, 2005; Texas Virginia September 21, 2005; *Puerto Rico was intentionally excluded due to no 2005 membership.