University of Illinois Extension

Bond Unit Council Meeting

December 8, 2008

The quarterly meeting of the University of Illinois Extension Council – Bond Unit, was called to order by chairperson Bryan Marcoot. Members present included: Russell Cripe, Susan Wall, Dennis Backs, Pat King, Esther Henry, Cindy Burge, Rosalie Thiems, Brad Grotefendt and Lynn Weis. Not present: Jan Woker, Jim Nusbaum, Kelcie Woker, Lauren Gall, Cheryl Sponsler, Scott Workman and Shelly Albert. Prior to the meeting, members and their guests enjoyed a soup and sandwich holiday meal.

Minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed. Susan Wall moved to accept the minutes, and Brad Grotefendt seconded. Motion passed.

Financial Reports (In & Out Account and Trust) were reviewed. Review of the Trust Account showed that all money from the County Board has been received, but the Unit has not received any of the matching funds. Lynn reported that the salaries expense will be reduced by approximately $6,000 to date, as a result of her working in two counties. Cindy Burge moved to accept the report, and Russell Cripe seconded. Motion passed.

Lynn reported that the local County Board has approved the 2009 budget. However, at the State level, the University of Illinois has not received any state dollars, and all hiring in the University system has been frozen.

In Old Business, orientation for new Council members was held on September 17 and September 30, 2008, with 6 new members attending.

Results of the Program Planning survey completed in October 2008 were reviewed with the council members. Items receiving the highest number of responses in each category were:

· Family & Consumer Science - - Diet and Disease; Managing Family Challenges and Changes

· Community & Economic Development - - Leadership Development; Community Development; Business Development

· Ag, Natural Resources & Horticulture - - Farm/Business Profitability & Sustainability; Human Resource Development

· 4-H & Youth Development – 4-H Community Club Development & Delivery; Life Skills

Lynn provided a review of the meeting which members of the Bond Unit Council had with the Extension Council in Clinton County. This meeting served as an initial discussion regarding opportunities the two counties may have to partner on programming and sharing of resources. Lynn felt the outcome was positive, and that both councils had expressed a spirit of cooperation. One of the most obvious differences between the two counties is that Clinton County's budget is totally funded by County Board money, and their budget is approximately $70,000 greater than Bond's. There are also differences in the programs that are offered in the two counties. During the November meeting, Clinton County Council members expressed concerns regarding partnering with Bond county on extension programs. This concerns included: how much could Bond County afford to share in the cost to put on an event, the distance that Clinton County residents would have to travel to attend an event, opportunities for parents while their children attended events, and the level of time commitment that would be involved.

After discussion of the survey results and the meeting with Clinton County, Dennis Backs made a motion to agree to prioritize Bond County program planning based on the October 2008 survey results. Cindy Burge seconded - - motion passed.

A delegation of Bond County council members will continue to meet with Clinton County members on at least an annual basis. Susan Wall moved that the initial delegation be composed of Lynn Weis and the officer team. Russell Cripe seconded - - motion carried. Lynn will work with the Clinton County unit leader to determine the date and time for the next meeting. The goal will be to meet again during the first quarter of 2009.

New Business

Development of Local Funding - - A priority over the next six months will be for the local unit to become more financially independent from state funding. Lynn stated that if the county receives the January disbursement, the unit could run through December 2009, as long as she continues working part-time in Marion County.

A number of fund-raising options were discussed. These included: seeking private donations, estate planning, benefit dinner with auction of unique items and services, naming Extension as life insurance beneficiary, donation box at all Extension and 4-H events, alumni night at the county fair, mail campaign for donations to former members, auction commission or buyer's fee. The suggestion was made to invite a specialist from the University to present a community education session on planned giving. The individual could meet with the Council to address specific issues, and then make the education session available to the general public.

Future Programming/Marketing of Programs - - Lynn provided information on events planned during the first quarter of 2009. Ideas for marketing extension programs included: making the information available wherever young adults meets, such as the local MOPS meetings. The use of blogs was also discussed. Using more technology-oriented marketing techniques (such as Facebook or MySpace) would make the information available to a younger and more diverse audience.

Extension Awareness - - Lynn indicated she is looking for volunteers to assist her with making presentations to other groups to publicize awareness of Extension. Anyone wanting to assist with this effort should contact Lynn.

Unit Staffing - - Karen File retired from the unit, effective 12/01/08. Lynn reported that she still plans to help with Ag in the Classroom programming, either as a paid staff member or as a volunteer. Becky Debatin is now serving as part-time help with Family Nutrition Programming.

Retiring Members – Lynn presented thank-you gifts to Pat Paine and Esther Henry in appreciation for their years of service to the Council. Other retiring members include Brenda Yurs, Bob Wade, Brenda Mollett and Amy Tompkins.

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Cindy Burge, and seconded by Susan Wall. Motion passed.