Date: 12 May 2026 18:50 (prior to general membership meeting the following night)
Attendees: Dan Morrison (President), Ralph Grant, Dave Brown (Field Committee), Stephen Adams (Secretary), Wayne Nenninger (Treasurer), Dave Harrington (Safety), Curt McIntyre. Steve Pokorny and Dustin Whitrock (VP) not present.
Location: Dave Brown’s house
Called to Order: Informal discussion-style board meeting.
1. Website Status (Stephen Adams)
• The website is now stable after switching hosting service plans. The previous plan with CDN caused instability; the new plan (without CDN) reduced costs and resolved issues.
• One ongoing glitch: Documents page — selected documents fail to print. Ticket opened with vendor (submitted yesterday after an earlier draft was not sent). Support response is typically prompt.
• Old posts (especially 2019 and earlier) occasionally have broken image links due to the GoDaddy-to-Hostek migration and photos being moved to Google Drive for space savings.
• A broken link checker plugin is used periodically (not left enabled). Most article images from the WordPress media library remain intact.
• Flight Lines archives (~2,000 issues) on Google Drive have some corrupted files (notably 2013–2014). Originals or additional backups may exist on personal drives (to be checked). Historical documents and meeting minutes are mostly in WordPress or on G Drive.
• Action: Review and tighten Google Drive permissions/security (multiple people have access; risk of unauthorized changes noted). Consider better archiving/backups of key documents.
2. Investment Committee & Edward Jones Account (Ralph Grant)
• Committee: President and Treasurer plus three life members Ralph Grant (chair) Dave Harrington, Steve Pokorney (target ~4–5 members for stability).
• Decision-making requires consensus/all approvals to prevent unilateral actions (e.g., in case of board turnover).
• Plan: Meet with Nick Wilson (Edward Jones, Mid Rivers/Spencer Road area) as soon as possible (target Wednesday or soon after) to open account, complete paperwork, and transfer initial funds. Bring club checkbook.
• Statements will route to a new club email (e.g., invested@spiritsofstl.com). Treasurer access for deposits (with oversight); withdrawals require full committee approval.
• Action Items:
◦ Stephen to create invested@spiritsofstl.com email forwarder.
◦ Ralph to contact Nick Wilson and schedule.
◦ Fund the account and establish routing for future transfers/donations.
3. Field Maintenance (Dave Brown)
• Appreciation expressed for Dave’s ongoing work and improvements. Members report positive feedback during renewals.
• New member orientation/safety: Emphasis on reading the safety rules (posted), proper taxiing, and start times.
• Flying rules reminder: Gas/glow engines no earlier than 9 AM per conditional use permit and noise considerations. Electric flying has some flexibility but follows county rules to avoid complaints.
• Mowing schedule: Provide notice no more than 48 hours in advance for member awareness. Longer-term planning (~11 days) for coordination (e.g., with helpers like Terry). Prioritize other club needs if conflicts arise.
• Motion: Support for Dave prioritizing personal/health needs over immediate mowing if necessary (passed informally with thanks).
4. Long-Term Budget, Equipment & Dues
• Dave plans to step back from mowing after turning 70 in 2027 (full exit spring 2028). Current costs ~$2,500/year; professional service estimated at ~$11,000/year.
• Kubota tractor: Board agreed to sell (little use, insurance/maintenance costs). Proceeds earmarked for investment account and/or new equipment.
• Options for 2028+: Purchase Dave’s commercial mower/equipment (club gets first right of refusal at favorable price of $10,000 for the complete lot) or hire professional service. Option for club-owned equipment with volunteer “volunpaid” (members paid or incentivized for mowing) to control costs.
• Membership: Current ~114 full-paying; total members higher with associates/duals. High annual turnover (25–30%). Need to grow active members and/or increase dues.
• Dues Discussion: Raise recommended (+$50). Explore recurring monthly payments via PayPal/subscription for better cash flow. Dual memberships (~6ppl) under review—possible grandfathering and/or phase-out.
• Donations have helped recently (~$1,800 last year).
• Actions:
◦ Discuss dues increase, and Kubota sale at tomorrow night’s general membership meeting.
◦ Gather detailed membership breakdown by tier (Greg). DONE
◦ Prepare communication to members post-meeting.
5. Upcoming Event – WBC (June 11–14)
• Large event expected. Need easy payment options on-site.
• Action: Set up PayPal QR code for donations/membership/ fees. Test and prepare signage for the event.
• Stephen to work with Wayne and set up a new PayPal business account with a nonprofit status.
6. Bylaws, Governance & Member Conduct
• Review of disciplinary processes (Article on termination/suspension). Past grievances not fully actioned per bylaws.
• Google Drive document access tightened; concern over unauthorized changes/corruption. ONLY ACCESS IS STEPHEN and DAN
• Proposal to update bylaws section-by-section: Improve clarity on “actions detrimental,” due process, retaliation, and record-keeping. Secretary to lead with board input, then member vote.
Other Notes:
• Emphasis on communication, member retention, safety, and long-term sustainability.
• Appreciation for volunteers and recognition that “brain power” + engagement can solve maintenance and growth challenges.
Next Meeting: General membership meeting the following night. Board meetings to be quarterly moving forward
Adjournment: Meeting concluded after broad discussion.
2026-05-14
