1. Call to order by President Doug Needham at 1:00 pm
  2. Introduction of guests and new members since last meeting. There were 32 members present, including four members online via Zoom, and six guests. Welcome new members and guests!
  3. Grower Tips: Vice President John Spencer asked a question about how members quarantine their orchids when they first purchase them at shows or online and when returning orchids that have been on exhibit to their collections. The answer was to isolate the orchids 3–4 weeks from the general collection and away from fans to avoid spreading any pests or diseases. The second question was asked if there is a simple to use app to catalog and record orchid collections. No known simple app is available, and the use of a spreadsheet or word-processing application, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Word, was recommended at this time. Doug added that an added benefit of storing one’s orchid records in the cloud is access to the document when away from home.
  4. Doug thanked OOS Show Co-Chairs, volunteers, judges, and vendors for making the Society’s one-day bench Show & Sale such a great success. Additionally, he thanked OOS Exhibit Teams, consisting of Bill, Catherine, Jana, and Janice for the KOS Show, and Gerry, Catherine, and Jana for the TOS Show, and orchid contributors for the beautiful OOS exhibits at the Kansas Orchid Society’s Show & Sale and the Tulsa Orchid Society’s Show & Sale, respectively.
  5. Old business:
    a. Approval of meeting minutes for April 24, 2022. John Spencer motioned and Johnita Turner seconded, to approve the minutes; unanimous approval given.

    b. Tax-Exempt Charitable Organization: Effective March 31, 2022, OOS is exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3), and is further classified as a public charity under IRC Section 509(a)(2). Donors can deduct contributions they make to the Society under IRC Section 170. The Society is also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers, or gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522.

    OOS is now a registered charitable non-profit organization in the State of Oklahoma for the period June 1, 2022–May 31, 2023. Registration must be renewed annually. All charitable fundraising must be coordinated with the OOS President and Treasurer, and all charitable gift receipts must be sent by the OOS Treasurer, only.

    c. Vacant Trustee Position: No nomination of Elected Trustee for vacant 2022–2023 term was received by the deadline. This fall’s Nomination Committee will work to identify two Elected Trustees, one for a one-year term and one for a two-year term.
  6. New business:
    a. Honorary Annual Memberships: In recognition of Frank Merrick, President of Foundation Management, Inc., for his assistance with the Society’s pursuit of 501(c)(3) status, the OOS Trustees nominated Frank Merrick for Honorary Annual Membership.

    In recognition of Linda Vater and her videographer, Stewart Perryman, for their promotion of orchids and OOS’s May Show & Sale, the OOS Trustees nominated Linda Vater and Stewart Perryman for Honorary Annual Membership. John Spencer motioned and Marinel Kelly seconded; unanimous approval given.

    b. Honorary Lifetime Membership: In recognition of Dr. John Salmeron’s passion for orchids and Dr. Lois Salmeron’s commitment to advancing the Society’s mission through memorial donations in his name, the OOS Trustees nominated Dr. Lois Salmeron for Honorary Lifetime Membership. John Spencer motioned and Brian Truong seconded; unanimous approval given.

    c. New Accounting Structure: In order to align OOS’s accounting with IRS and Oklahoma Secretary of State guidelines, Doug and Carol reorganized the Society’s accounts into the following four. The accounts and line-item categories were reviewed by Cecil F. Strande, licensed CPA and Retired Internal Auditor, OSU Board of Regents.

    1. Management & General Administration — costs not identifiable with a specific program or fundraising activity, but normally indispensable to the Society’s continued existence.
    2. Investments — income, expenses, and transfers associated with the Society’s investment account(s).
    3. Fundraising — costs associated with soliciting others to contribute money or other property, time, or the use of facilities or other property for which the contributor will receive no direct economic benefit.
    4. Program Services — direct and indirect costs related to providing the Society’s activities that form its basis for exemption from tax.
  7. Treasurer’s Report: Carol Ash presented the April 1–May 31, 2022 Treasurer’s Report with total monies reported as $25,500.08. Visuals were presented of the finances and categories. Unanimous approval of report given.
  8. Committee Reports:
    a. Membership – Carol Ash, Chair, reported 38 Active Individual Memberships, 12 Active Family/Household Memberships (27 persons), 2 Active Honorary Lifetime Memberships, totaling 67 Active Members (13 new members from May’s Show).

    b. Programming – John Spencer, Chair, reported on upcoming programs for July “Orchid Culture by Windowsill and Lights: Gardening Indoors”, August “Invasive Species: The Dark Side of Orchids”, September “Orchid Record Keeping” and “Virtual Tour of the Smithsonian’s Blooming Orchids”, October “Winterizing Your Orchid Collection”, November “Tour of the Crystal Bridge” (members-only), and December “Christmas Party” (members-only). For more information, see OOS’s Calendar of Meetings and Events.

    c. Show & Sale – Jana Butcher, Co-Chair, reported 410 attendees at OOS’s one-day bench Show and Sale. There was a broad diversity of visitors and excellent engagement with the bench show plants, OOS members, and vendors. Vendors did well; two nearly sold out of plants. The show personified OOS’s mission “to educate and foster the appreciation of orchids and their culture.” Financially it was a break-even event; cost of the show was $1,980. Thank you to all who contributed to the success of this year’s Show and Sale. Discussion of possibly doing a “hybrid” show, combining bench display with exhibits for the public to see orchids up close and to promote interaction with the different types of orchids.

    d. Conservation – Mike Friday, Chair, reported that a friend of Zach DuFran discovered a population of Epipactis gigantea (Stream Orchid), growing in Murray County, OK. Zach’s friend is planning to monitor these plants and ensure they are not impacted by development. Mike has some E. gigantea from a gentleman in Michigan, and is trying to grown them, also.

    e. Website – Doug Needham, Chair, reported that Google notified him that the Society’s website had 400 clicks in the month preceding our Show and Sale — a new record for the Society.
  9. Affiliate Reports:
    a. Great Plains Judging Center – Carolyn McCabe reported that they judged ten orchid plants yesterday, and two were awarded. Lowell will be posting photos of the awarded plants to the OOS website’s GPJC Recent AOS Awards blog.

    b. AOS – Claire Garrett reported on the AOS Spring Members Meeting and Centennial Event. The meeting and event sounded fabulous. Many sessions were presented for members to attend. The AOS is setting up an archive program for stored books, and it is being developed for members at this time. Carolyn McCabe reported that the AOS Fall Members Meeting is October 26–30, in Sacramento, CA. More information is available on the AOS website.

    c. Southwest Regional Orchid Growers Association (SWROGA) – Directors Mike Friday and Bill Parker reported that the next show is in Fort Worth, TX, November 11–12. See the SWROGA website for details.

    d. Orchid Digest – Bill Parker reported that the newest issue is on Paphiopedilum.

    e. Oklahoma Council of Garden Clubs – Carolyn McCabe reported that Festival in the Park was successful and that the Council is on recess until September.
  10. Adjourn Business Meeting at 2:00 pm
  11. Refreshment Break: Thank you to Hospitality Hostesses Mary Early, Linda Lawson, and Carolyn McCabe.
  12. Show and Tell Table – Many beautiful blooming orchids were brought to today’s meeting. Thank you to those who showed their plants and described the plants’ culture.
  13. Auction and Raffle – Thank you to all who donated plants for today’s auction and raffle. Two Dendrobium nobile and a Cattleya were auctioned, and many plants were raffled.
  14. Program /Presentation – Vice President John Spencer introduced OOS member Brian Truong of Okie-Orchids. Brian presented a very interactive and interesting presentation on repotting orchids. Topics were “when to pot and when not to pot,” differences in media, physical findings of orchids in distress, etc. Brian facilitated members helping one another repot orchids they had brought or won at the day’s raffle.
  15. Adjourn – Doug Needham adjourned meeting at 3:50 pm.