1. Call to order by President Doug Needham at 1:00 pm
2. Introduction of guests and new members since last meeting. Number present: 21 in-person and 2 online current members, 1 online guest, and 1 in-person guest. Welcome new members and guests!
3. Grower Tips: No grower tips this month.
4. Approval of meeting minutes: John Spencer motioned and Bill Parker seconded, to approve the February meeting minutes; unanimous approval.
5. Old Business:
a. The March GNTOS-SWROGA show, held 3/11-3/12/2023, at Texas A&M AgriLife – Water and Land Resources Building, was a success for OOS. Doug Needham informed members that the Society’s tabletop display won “Best Society Tabletop Exhibit.” Thank you, Jana and Doug Butcher, Catherine Chance, and Bill Parker for creating the exhibit!
b. The Tulsa Orchid Show “Orchids Wild and Wonderful” will be April 15–16 at the Tulsa Garden Center. Setup is April 14th. Bill Parker will be driving through Oklahoma City Thursday, April 13th and will take your orchid to the show if you would like to exhibit. He will arrive around 5:00pm. Please contact Bill if you would like him to take your orchid(s) to the show.
6. New Business:
a. Doug Needham was asked by the Kansas Orchid Society (KOS) for a tour of Jackie’s and his glasshouse. KOS meets on the same Sunday of the month as OOS does. Doug asked if OOS wanted to host KOS for a picnic and glasshouse tour as one of our summer meetings. Members selected May 21. The members-only event will begin with a potluck lunch at Noon, followed by glasshouse tour. (See OOS’s Calendar of Meetings and Events for details (members must log-in to see the event, as it is a members-only event.)
b. Doug introduced the following topic, stating that OOS Trustees met with the Investment Committee on March 3 and support the Committee’s recommendation. Jana Butcher, Chair of Investment Committee, reported that the Investment Committee’s recommends 1) to invest $15,000 in a Russell 2000 ETF VTWO fund, managed by OOS. This would be considered a long-term (15+ year) investment. 2) to invest $8,000 in two or three Arvest CDs, purchased in stair-step fashion over the next few months. The CDs will be reinvested as they mature. 3) to invest initial $5008.42 + accrued interest RROS/OOS Horticulture Scholarship Fund in Arvest 14-month CD at >4% interest to allow time for the Investment Committee to develop further how the Scholarship(s) will be awarded as well as supportive tools.
A motion was made by John Spencer and seconded by Briget Andoe to invest the monies as proposed. Approval was unanimous.
c. Catherine Chance knows of a vendor that will print the OOS emblem on any shirt from their catalog and asked if members would be interested in purchasing a V-neck style t-shirt. Doug asked if Catherine would send the cost of V-neck shirts to him, and he will distribute the information to the members. During the discussion Johnita indicated she has many of the black crew neck t-shirts in her trunk.
6. Treasurer’s report: Carol Ash gave the end-of-month February, 2023 Treasurer’s Report with total monies reported as $31,517.47. Visuals were presented of the finances. A motion for approval was made by John Spencer and seconded by Briget Andoe, with unanimous approval of report.
7. Committee Chair Reports:
a. Membership – Jessica Nelson: Jessica reported 1 new member joined in February, increasing the total active members to 59. OOS has 32 active individual memberships, 10 active family/household memberships (22 persons), 5 active honorary lifetime memberships, and 3 honorary annual memberships (non-voting), totaling 59 active members.
b. Programming – John Spencer: John reminded members of the Spring–Summer schedule. The April meeting is cancelled so members may attend the Tulsa orchid show. May 6-7 is the OOS show and sale, and May 21 is the date for hosting the Kansas Orchid Society. June 18 will be an “Orchid Repotting Clinic,” and July 16 will feature “Brassia Orchids by Eric Sauer of River Valley Orchids.”
Jana Butcher will be presenting “Promoting Orchid Health” as a Will Rogers Gardens public class on Saturday, June 3, 2023. See OOS’s calendar of meetings and events for details and registration information.
c. Show & Sale – Jana Butcher, Briget Andoe, and Marinel Kelley: Committee co-chairs indicated all is going well with organizing the OOS show. All plants for the OOS exhibit should be submitted by Noon on Friday, May 5th. Other plants for ribbon and AOS judging must be entered by Friday, 5pm. Jana reported that four vendors have committed to the show along with Renewal by Andersen. Marinel has organized meats and some sides to feed volunteers and will be reaching out to members for additional items soon.
d. Conservation – Mike Friday: Mike has added a new Conservation Blog article to the OOS website highlighting the species Phaius tankervilleae.
e. Website – Doug Needham: Doug thanked Mike Friday for having maintained the Society’s Facebook page for years, and thanked Bridget Andoe for taking over the responsibility and for creating a new public-facing Facebook page. Additionally, Doug welcomed Bridget to OOS’s Website Committee.
Doug gave an overview of his Orchid Collection Plant Records spreadsheet. It is available in both Microsoft Excel and Apple Numbers formats. The spreadsheet can be found on OOS’s website under Resources.
8. Affiliate Reports:
a. Great Plains Judging Center – Catherine Chance, Jana Butcher, or John Spencer: Catherine reported that 3 plants were entered for judging on 03/18/2023. One of the plants, Masdevallia regina ‘Long Live the Queen’, belonging to Doug Needham, was awarded a CCE (91 pts.).
b. AOS Representative – Carolyn McCabe: Doug reminded all of the AOS Spring Members Meeting, April 19–22 in San Diego, California.
c. SWROGA – Mike Friday or Bill Parker: Bill said the March GNTOS-SWROGA show was a success and mentioned the OOS tabletop award. Mike reported that SWROGA is updating language about its finances.
d. Orchid Digest Representative – Bill Parker: No report this month.
e. OKC Council of Garden Clubs – Carolyn McCabe or Johnita Turner: Johnita reported the Council will be electing officers soon. Council is busy preparing for the big spring Garden Festival in the Park. More information on the festival will be brought to OOS members soon.
9. Adjourned Business Meeting at 1:45 pm.
10. Refreshment Break – Thank you, Hospitality Hosts!
11. Program/Presentation: – Vice President John Spencer introduced OOS trustee, Dr. Mike Friday who gave a very informative talk titled, “SHOWTIME—Entering Your Orchid in a Show & Creating an Exhibit”. Thank you, Mike, for a great presentation!
15. Show and Tell Table – Many beautiful blooming orchids were brought to today’s meeting by members, as well as shown online by Claire. Thank you to those who showed their plants and described the plants’ culture.
16. Auction and Raffle – Doug Needham auctioned 2 donated plants, and Keith Warren followed with the raffle of additional plants brought by OOS members. Thank you to all who donated plants for today’s auction and raffle.
17. Adjourn – Doug Needham adjourned meeting at 3:45 pm.