Winchester Frederick County Conservation Club Inc

WFCCC April 21, 2021 Meeting minutes Officers present – Eric Heflin, Steve Hunt, Rich Sankovich, Marshall Shiley 1. Meeting opened with prayer led by Eric Heflin 2. Secretaries minutes from March 17, 2021 meeting read and approved by membership. 3. Treasurers report: March 1, 2021 checking account balance $47,759. March 31 end of month balance $36,993. $12,000 payment made on 43 acre Zirkle Property, Land payment on loan $1994, Tractor payment $384, Orndorffs Trout payment - $998, $233 for Knifes for Scholarship raffle, $639 paid for utilities, trash and Johnny Blue. $2200 for dues deposited, $2816 for Shoots and Shelter donations deposited. Scholarship CD balance $16,875, Club CD balance - $502, Land Loan balance - $7295. Membership approved report. 4. Seven new members were sworn in at the meeting 5. Club Picnic set for September 5, 2021 – food served at 1 pm by Jordan Springs. Set up to begin at 9 am that day and any volunteers are welcome. Please bring an item or two for auction, No electronics or junk please! Cost is $8 per adult and children 8 and under eat free. 225 meals to be ordered at cost to club of $16 each. Bingo after auction as well as chilled watermelon. All shooting ranges closed that day. All drinks provided with meal. Bring a lawn chair if you want for auction or picnic seating. 6. Easter Saturday April 3rd Trout Derby and Easter Egg hunt went well this year. Lots of kids and adults at lake for the opener and 35+ children for the egg hunt. $200 of cash coupons were in the Easter eggs and over $200 was spent on Free Fishing Tackle Raffle items for the under 12 children at the lake. Lots of smiles were seen and thanks given to the club for the outings that day. A Bald Eagle was spotted fishing at the lake before the event began! 7. Large open Shelter repair quotes - $18,520 for a standing seam metal roof with a 50 year life, to repair roof to meet building code slope, place a new 2 x 6 facing board for gutter attachment, repair roof sag, and reinstall gutters. $14,404 to do same repairs, but install 30 year architectural shingles. Membership voted and approved the Standing seal metal rood quote. 8. Small Band shelter repair quote - $3447 roof, structural repairs etc. Membership voted to dismantle and remove this shelter as it has not been used but once in past 12-15 years. 9. Follow up made with Shenandoah County on installing some type of building on property owned there. Property would have to be rezoned, minimal acreage to be determined, Electric, Water, Sewer and building installed and a tax levi established. Membership decided not to pursue at this time. 10. Scholarship Raffle and annual Funding. Discussion and Motion to change to having the Scholarship fund self supporting moving forward to cover costs of prizes and raffle tickets that was costing $1250 to $1300 annually from the Club general fund. Membership voted and approved that the scholarship program will be self funding moving forward with the support coming from Raffle ticket sales, donations, designated from picnic auctions, and meeting and picnic 50-50 raffles. 11. Scholarship CD fund discussed – Bank CD only paying 0.25% on balance. The state of Virginia allows non-profit organizations to invest in Tax sheltered annuities that are currently paying 2.7 to 3.2%. Three providers will be researched for term limits and annual percentage rate paid and reported back to membership to possibly invest 75-80% of current Scholarship CD fund balance. 12. The statements on WEB site, News letter and Rules/Reg page for the Club were read to the membership. As each was different and the marketing/makeup of new tree stands, blinds, ladder stands has changed, a new club rule statement was presented to membership to update all 3 areas and pages. The club membership voted to adopt the following statement to be placed on Newsletter/Web Site and Rules/Reg page: No wooden/metal tree stands or ladders, manufactured wood/plastic or metal blinds, for hunting of any kind, are permitted on any Club Owned or Club Leased Land. 13. Tree limb reported on power line from pole to Electric meter at lake shelter. Electric company will be called to remedy. 14. Discussion over noise from Rifle shooting ranges as an annoyance to fisherman at lake. Discussion will continue as to planting some fast growing trees or installing some type of wooden barricade on lake facing side of shelters to reduce/redirect and or absorb rifle noise transfer. 15. Membership update – 1428 members as of 4/17/21 and dues collected total at $88,020 since June 15, 2020 for the 2021 memberships new/renewed. 16. Member made presentation to Club on Elk population in Virginia and viewing of same. DWR to issue 6 permits for hunting Elk in Virginia in 2021 and some will be by lottery to hunters in State. Possible cost of $10 for lottery registration. Go to DWR website to learn more about the Elk Herd location, viewing and management. 17. Some discussion concerning Scholarship applications among the 10 high Schools in membership area. Estimate of 2000+ students, 13 applications received for 2021 from 5 of 10 schools, dollar amount and number of Club scholarships and how to encourage more participation for applying. Winchester Star published in Club/Community News for 15 weeks in a row, the scholarship opportunity at no charge to club. More discussion in future as to how to reach a broader audience and encourage more applications. 18. Scholarship review committee spent entire meeting time and more reviewing scholarship applications and four $500 college scholarships will be awarded again this year. Thanks to our committee – Marshall Shiley, Barbara Gamble, Ken Morris and Gerald Hendricks. 19. Jeff Feltner turned in $1451 at meeting from Still Target Shoots. Thanks to Jeff for all his work and dedication to this club fundraiser. 20. 50-50 raffle $31 to scholarship fund, $31 to winner. Winner donated all back to Scholarship fund. 21. Meeting adjourned