MEETING NOTES

01/13/2007
Louisiana Equine Council Second Annual Membership Meeting Minutes

January 13, 2007


A meeting of the membership of the Louisiana Equine Council (LEC) was held on Saturday January 13, 2007 at the Riverfront Conference Center, Alexandria LA. Vice President Daniel Lyons presiding; Grace Simcoe, Secretary.

The meeting was called to order by Vice President Lyons at 2:10 PM.

Board Members Present (14): John Boudreaux, Dixie Bunton, Julie Calzone, Jimmy Christmas, Deborah Devitt, Ruby Halter, Melinda Kennedy, Daniel Lyons, Ky Mortensen, Aleta Overby, Buddy Savage, Ginger Schouest, Daryl Schouest, Grace Simcoe.

Board Members Absent (5): Bonnie Clark, Tom Foshee, Hunter Lewis, Steve Meaux, Dianne Morrill.

LEC Advisors Present: Howard Cormier, Clint Depew.

LEC Advisors Absent: Dennis French, Ron Harrel, David Yount.

LEC Members and Guests: In addition to the above Board Members and LEC Advisors, 27 LEC Members and Guests were in attendance.

Introduction of Members and Guests/Senator Foster Campbell:
Members and guest introduced themselves; introductions were followed by a brief talk by Louisiana State Senator Foster Campbell of Elm Grove, LA. Senator Campbell described his lifelong interest in horses and farming and requested support for his bid for Louisiana Governor in 2008.

Annual Meeting 2006 Minutes Acceptance:
Minutes from the Annual Meeting of January 14, 2006 were distributed to members and had previously been distributed to LEC Board Members via email; therefore, reading of the minutes was dispensed with.
Motion by Daryl Schouest to accept the minutes.
Motion seconded and passed.

Annual President’s Report:
Due to the absence of President Bonnie Clark, there was no Annual President’s Report. Vice President Daniel Lyons gave an impromtu talk to welcome guests, describe upcoming LEC projects and encourage participation in the growing organization.

Annual Treasurer’s Report:
Annual Treasurer’s Report read by Treasurer Deborah Devitt.
Beginning Balance 1/12/06: $4,748.32
Income 1/12/06-1/13/07:
Memberships: $2495.00
Expo Admissions and Meals: $565.00
Expo Raffle: $805.00
Louisiana Hayride Donation: $800.00
NVCEO Katrina Donation: $6796.34
Total Income: $11,461.34
Expenses 1/12/06-1/13/07:
AHC Membership: -$350.00
2006 Expo Expenses: -1,029.93
SETC Fees/Travel Expenses: -$823.81
Louisiana Tech University: -$792.50
(Student worker)
P.O Box Rental: -$23.00
Total Expenses: -$3019.24

End Balance 1/13/07: $13,190.42

(Secretary’s Note: A written audited report as required by LEC by-laws was not available, the above is a summary of copied figures provided to the membership at the Annual Meeting.)
Motion by Daryl Schouest to accept the Treasurer’s Annual Report
Motion seconded and passed.

Annual Secretary’s Report:
The following report was prepared, submitted and presented by Secretary Grace Simcoe:
2007 Annual Meeting Secretary’s Report

LEC 2006 Membership Status:
At the close of 2006, LEC had a total of 126 paid memberships, consisting of:
1 Gold Corporate (Evangeline Downs)
2 Bronze (Camelot Wilderness Ranch/Schouest and Equine Wholesale Supply)
16 Business/Farm
3 Large Organization (>100)
3 Small Organization (<100)
38 Family,
62 Individual
1 Youth
Most of those memberships are currently up for renewal.

Board of Directors Status and Meetings:
The LEC Board of Directors met nine times in 2006, one of the nine meetings was considered “unofficial” as a quorum was not present. Three meetings were held in Baton Rouge; two meetings in Alexandria; two meetings at Evangeline Downs, Opelousas; two meetings via telephone conference. Many thanks are due to Ron Harrel of Farm Bureau who arranged for lunches at two Baton Rouge meetings and covered the cost of the phone conferences. The Board is also indebted to David Yount and Evangeline Downs for providing the board with delicious lunches and conference room space for meetings as well as sponsoring the well attended “Night at the Races.”

The current LEC board is composed of 19 members. Over the course of the year, three board members have resigned: Terry Fitch (elected in January/resigned in March due to job transfer), Steve McCain (appointed in Feb/resigned in August due to lack of time), Johnny Spears (elected in January/resigned in October due to job conflicts. Dr. Hunter Lewis and Darryl Schouest were chosen by the board to fill two of the vacancies until the seats could be voted on at the annual meeting.

Permanent Address/PO Box:
A permanent address for correspondence has been set up at the Downtown Baton Rouge Post Office. Address is PO Box 567, Baton Rouge LA 70821

Other Actions:
As secretary I have provided the Board Members with minutes of each meeting, maintained LEC files, updated and maintained the LEC membership database (with the help of Jennifer Grafton of Louisiana Tech), and written correspondence on behalf of LEC.
I am currently working with Daryl Schouest on the tax status and by-laws revision that is being handled by Atty David Charlton.
A weak spot in my role as Secretary has been communications with LEC members. Reliance on emails has left some members out of the “loop” due to either no email address or spam filters which keep notifications from being received. To date, I have sent no “snail” mails to members.

While I have appreciated the opportunity to serve as LEC Secretary, I realize my limitations and worry that the lack of membership communications may have hampered the growth of the organization, if another Board Member would like to accept the Secretary role, I will gladly assist them in the transition.
Submitted by,
Grace Simcoe
(End of report)
Secretary’s Report Acceptance:
Motion by Daryl Schouest to accept the Secretary’s Annual Report.
Motion seconded and passed.

Annual Committee Reports:

Membership/Development Committee: The following report was prepared, submitted and presented by Chairman Aleta Overby:
Membership Development Committee Report
2006
The following are the objectives designated during the March Board Meeting in Alexandria:

Membership & Promotion
1. Website
2. Designated “Louisiana Equine” month
3. Advertising (focus on tourism funding?)
4. Tax Relief/ Insurance (two separate topics, tied in votes)

This is what has happened during 2006:

 Updated website
 “Louisiana Equine Month” has been approved
 Brochures have been printed
 Insurance for members is currently being sought after
 Member information has been entered into both Access and Excel files
 The Yahoo! Group for the LEC has been maintained, providing a message board for members
 The LEC brochure has been created and disseminated

Needs to be addressed in 2007:

 Continue with strides toward the aforementioned goals
 Smooth assimilation of new members to include printed materials and membership card with current logo (who collects info initially, who is responsible for the sending of collateral materials, etc.)
 Regional representatives to receive printed brochures, etc. on the LEC to post with local vendors
 Greater presence at regional events
Submitted by,
Aleta Overby
(end of report)

Education/Youth Development Committee: The following report was prepared and presented by Chairman Aleta Overby:
Education/ Youth Development Committee
2006
The following are the objectives designated during the March Board Meeting in Alexandria:

Education
1. Educational seminars
2. Scholarships
3. Trophies and awards


This is what has happened during 2006:

 A seminar on Disaster Preparedness for Horse Owners was conducted at Louisiana Tech University in April – the LEC was high-lighted at this event
 Scholarship -- Grace Simcoe and Deborah Devitt to the Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference in Roanoke VA on August 3-5, 2006 (funding provided by the Louisiana HayRide Competitive Trail Ride)
 A Louisiana Tech University student, Jennifer Grafton, has been hired to maintain communication with members (check information provided, make phone calls, etc.)
 “Horse in the Classroom” activities for teachers to use in elementary – high school classes are being created and will be presented at the National Ag in the Classroom Convention in June, 2007


Needs to be addressed in 2007:

 Continue with strides toward aforementioned goals
 Assist in sponsoring additional educational seminars in various regions in Louisiana
 Create scholarship funds for adults to go to continuing education courses
 Utilize talents within the Master Horseman program
 Assist with educational needs of the Horse Expo
 Investigate sponsoring a 4-H class at the State level
 Create a section on the LEC web-page for information/ education of horse owners
Submitted by,
Aleta Overby
(end of report)

Equine Welfare/Health : The following report was prepared and presented by Chairman Ky Mortensen: Committee
As this is a committee established to respond to welfare and health issues in the state, and no statewide welfare or health issues occurred this year, no action was taken.
Submitted by,
Ky Mortensen
(end of report)

Equine Slaughter Bill: Following the Equine Health and Welfare Committee Report, a question was raised by President Daniel Lyons regarding the equine slaughter bill currently before Congress.
Motion by Julie Calzone that the LEC membership be made aware of the slaughter bill and presented with the facts from both supporters and opponents of the bill. Following this, the membership could be polled to see what the general feeling is of the membership toward the issue. Until then the LEC Board would not give an opinion or “take a stand” on the bill.
Motion seconded and passed.

Trails/Land Use and Zoning Committee : The following report was prepared and presented by Chairman Grace Simcoe:
2007 Annual Meeting Trail Committee Report

“At the 2006 Annual Meeting, a long term project, an immediate “fun” activity, an immediate money making project and two immediate trail/work projects, and were proposed by the members in attendance.

The long term project discussed was the creation of a Louisiana Equine Trails Directory. Mr. Randolph Joseph of the National Resources Conservation Service has offered to print and publish the directory. I created and distributed a template of necessary information, unfortunately, although everyone thinks that the directory is a fantastic idea, riders have not participated in filling out the forms and getting involved in the process. A core committee should be formed to concentrate on this goal.

Our immediate fun activity was a Trail Ride and Camping Weekend held on April 1-2, 2006 at the Ahtus Melder Horsecamp area in the Kisatchie National Forest near Melder Louisiana. Approximately 20 LEC members and friends gathered for a fun weekend of trailriding, delicious food and comraderie.

Our immediate money making project was the Louisiana Hayride Competitive Trail Ride sponsored by the North American Trail Conference and chaired by Grace Simcoe. The ride was held on April 8-10, 2006 in the Kisatchie National Forest. This was the second year of the ride and it was another successful event with forty-seven riders from five states competing in the ride. An $800.00 donation from the proceeds of the ride was made to the Louisiana Equine Council.

Two trail projects were proposed: one concerned marking the trails at the Sandy Hollow WMA near Amite and the other was to establish a relationship with the authorities at the D’Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, neither of these projects have advanced past the original planning stages.

SETC Conference:
On August 3-5, 2006, Board Members Debbie Devitt and Grace Simcoe were sent by the LEC Board of Directors to represent Louisiana and the LEC at the Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference (SETC) held this year in Roanoke Virginia.
The yearly SETC conference is the premiere trail symposium in the country and the
opportunity to attend with expenses paid was invaluable to our vision of how to make the trail committee within LEC function in cooperation with various public agencies and private groups.

The Trail Committee is currently partnering with the Bodcau Buddies to improve the equestrian campground and equine trails at the Bayou Bodcau Wildife Area. This project is currently being considered for federal grants.

As chairman of the Trail Committee, my personal goal for the year is to help set up an official trail committee, composed of LEC members who will meet at least 4 times/year as a small group in order to make progress on our attempts to expand trails within the state and maintain the trails that are currently available.”
Submitted by,
Grace Simcoe
Trail Committee Chairman
(end of report)

Legislative/Governmental Affairs Committee: A formal report was not presented or submitted. Chairman Jimmy Christmas spoke about a meeting held with members of his committee and the Louisiana Rural Caucus. May has been designated as Louisiana Equine Month.

Marketing/Promotion Committee : A formal report was not presented or submitted. Remarks concerning the mission of the committee and how the upcoming Expo and the Horseman’s Resource Guide will showcase Louisiana horses was given by Chairman Daniel Lyons.

Facilities Committee: A report was not presented or submitted.

Equine Assisted Programs Committee: A formal report was not presented or submitted. Remarks concerning the mission of Equine Assisted programs and therapeutic riding were given by Chairman Dixie Bunton. The Louisiana Therapeutic Riding Association Annual Meeting, hosted by the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine will be held on January 27 & 28, 2007, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There will be a demonstration/seminar on therapeutic riding at the 2007 Horse Expo.

Finance/Budget/Grants Committee: A report was not presented or submitted. Members were reminded that a grant from the Louisiana Department of Economic Development enabled the development of the LEC website.

Newsletter/Website Committee: The following report was prepared and presented by Chairman Ginger Schouest:
“The Newsletter and Website Committee has taken great steps forward in 2006. They are as follows:
A new website was designed and established as well as the official LEC logo. The website is kept up to date with upcoming events from around the state, helpful information, and now has a member directory. It is also being utilized to advertise the annual LEC expo and to solicit new members as well as participants in the expo. Every effort is being taken to keep it an exciting place to visit and THE PLACE to find information. A new LEC brochure was also designed by this committee featuring the same look as the website with a membership application on one side. The brochures are made available at all LEC events.
The LEC Newsletter began going out to members via email in January of 2006 and has done so each quarter. The goal of the newsletter is to deliver timely information to our members and to give them an added benefit for their membership dollars. Another goal of the newsletter is to also let them see the work and progress their board members are achieving as well as committee accomplishments. It has been difficult however, to extract information from the committee chairs so the newsletter has not yet been realized to its fullest extent.
This committee also acquired an LEC plastic banner with our new logo on it. The banner is displayed now at all LEC events.”
(End of Report)
Nominations/Board Development: A formal report was not prepared or presented. Chairman Daryl Schouest stated that he and Grace Simcoe had worked on nominations for the election which would happen immediately following the committee reports.
Annual Meeting: The following report was prepared and presented by Chairman Ky Mortensen:
“As the true nature of the Annual Meeting has evolved into the Equine Expo, much of my work has simply been working with Ruby Halter and the Equine Expo Committee in organizing, planning and working toward a successful inaugural Louisiana Equine Expo to be held at Lamar Dixon this spring.

The annual meeting itself was simply a matter of scheduling to have a room provided by the Louisiana Cattleman’s Association wherein the Council might discuss matters of the past year and plan for the years events to come. The events scheduled for the annual meeting were simply that of a ‘board meeting’ nature.”
Submitted by,
Ky Mortensen
(end of report)

Horse Fair/Expo: The following report was prepared and presented by Chairman Ruby Halter:
Horse Expo - 2006 Annual Report

“The Expo Committee has been very busy this year gearing up for the First Annual Louisiana Horse Expo. We have quite a few members working on the Expo including Ky Mortensen and myself as Co-Chairpersons. At this time we have a tentative schedule (see attached) for the expo which will include: Barrel Racing, Ranch Horse Competition, Demonstrations of Equine Chiropractor, Equine Massage, Hunter/Jumper. Reining and Dressage. Mr. Howard Cormier and Grace Simcoe will have a presentation on Camping with your horse and Trail Riding dos and donts. There will be vendors and speakers during the entire event. Horse training tips by Todd Meche, Louisiana’s Tallest Horse, LSU Horse Health Center, Parade of Breeds and Stallion Showcase.

Resource Book will be available at the Expo. This resource book will contain valuable information for the “Everyday Horseman” and a list of farriers, feed stores, etc in your area.

Expo details are available on the LEC website for our membership and others.

Our Target Market – Horse Enthusiasts and Potential Horse Enthusiasts in Louisiana
Demographic: 6+ years of age, men and women
Goal: Maximize attendance and Revenue for Horse Expo”
Submitted by,
Ruby Halter
(end of report)

LEC Bylaws Committee: The following report was submitted and presented by Chairman Daryl Schouest:
“At the direction of the Board of Directors, the bylaws committee has been working on updating the current bylaws and recommending changes be implemented to facilitate the functioning of the organization. In addition to some procedural clarifications that need to be made, 501c non-profit status requires a review of the bylaws.
The Board authorized the hiring of David Charlton, attorney, to review our existing articles of incorporation and bylaws for adherence to IRS rules and procedural deficiencies. The Secretary of LEC has been working with Mr. Charlton in getting revisions made in a timely and cost effective manner. The bylaws committee and the Secretary have reviewed preliminary drafts of the new articles and conferred with Mr. Charlton in the revisions.
It is expected that the new documents will be available for board action, then general membership action, early in 2007. As soon as Mr. Charlton completes his work, the recommendations will be forwarded to the entire Board of Directors.
Submitted by,
Daryl Schouest
(End of report)

Committee Report Acceptance:
Motion by Howard Cormier to accept all committee reports.
Motion seconded and passed.


Election of 2006 Board of Directors:
Nominations Committee Chairman Daryl Schouest presided over the election.
Following a clarification of who was eligible to vote by Secretary Simcoe, Schouest explained the elections process and nominations presented by the committee.
Report of the Nominating Committee: The nominating committee presented the following recommendations to serve on the LEC Board of Directors:
District 1: (No recommendation) Seat currently held by Tom Foshee
District 2: Dr. Hunter Lewis DVM (Dr Lewis is currently holding the seat through Board appointment)
District 5: (No recommendation) Seat currently held by Jimmy Christmas

At-Large Members (4 to be elected):
Howard Cormier: Recommended by Nominating Committee to fill seat vacated by Debbie Devitt
Tom Foshee: Recommended by Nominating Committee to fill seat vacated by Bonnie Clark.
Daryl Schouest: Recommended by Nominating Committee to fill seat vacated by Johnny Spears.
David Yount: Recommended by Nominating Committee to fill seat vacated by Buddy Savage.

Motion to Defer Elections from Districts 1 & 2: It was established that there were no members of either Districts 1 or 2 present in order to conduct elections.
Motion by Daryl Schouest that the elections for both of these vacancies be deferred until such a time as members from the areas could be notified and be present to vote. An attempt will be made to have this election at the 2007 Horse Expo.
Motion seconded and passed.

Election of District 5 Board Member: Jimmy Christmas asked to be recognized and introduced Ruby Collins of Bastrop LA (Morehouse Parish).
Motion by Jimmy Christmas to elect Ruby Collins as the Board of Directors District 5 Representative.
Motion seconded and passed.

Election of At Large Board Members:
Recommendation of the Nominating Committee was heard that Howard Cormier, Tom Foshee, Daryl Schouest and David Yount be nominated as candidates for Board Member positions serving “At Large.” No further nominations were heard from the floor.
Motion by Daryl Schouest that Howard Cormier, Tom Foshee, Darryl Schouest and David Yount be elected to the Board of Directors as “At Large” positions.
Motion seconded and passed.

Adjourn meeting:
Motion by Ruby Halter to adjourn the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Equine Council.
Motion seconded and passed.
Meeting adjourned at 4:00PM.