The board met by teleconference the evening of Wednesday, January 2nd.
The results of the December election were announced, with President Lisa Rodenfels, and board members Kristen Barndt, Robina Koenig and Jolene Vezzetti all winning re-election to their second terms of office.
A treasurer’s report for the period of January to December, 2012 was submitted by treasurer Cindy Cieciwa for the board’s approval. The budget for 2013 was reviewed; the association is on good financial footing.
Secretary Kris Barndt presented the minutes from the previous meeting in August.
The possible venues for the 2014 show were reviewed. Three proposals had been received by the board. Each one had it strong points and weak points. Based on its larger attendance with more opportunity for BLU members to reach customers of both sheep and wool, and its proximity to more breeders who wish to exhibit their sheep, the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan MI was selected. The dates are August 16th and 17th, 2014. The website of the festival is http://www.michiganfiberfestival.info/
Please start making plans now to attend the show next year! There will be opportunity to assist on the planning committee, and to sponsor awards in the coming months.
The board approved the application for 501(c)(5) status for the breed association.
The board reviewed the reformatted registration forms and work order which were requested by ASR to make data entry easier and help avoid errors. There are a few tweaks to be made to the forms, and then they will be posted to the BLU website. Please watch for notification that they are available, and the print the new forms, discarding any old forms that you may have. The rules for registry as well as the procedure to register or pay annual dues remain unchanged.
A new program to benefit the membership was presented to the board for its approval. BLU has begun work on researching and reporting the US BFL flock’s micron statistics using Texas A&M AgriLife Wool and Mohair Research Lab and testing with the OFDA2000. This will benefit members by giving them an idea of the range of fleece characteristics within their own flock, and help them in selecting for those qualities they desire in their flock. And the data collected will be used in promotional materials used by BLU. This program was approved by the board, and information will be released to all members in the near future.
The next scheduled meeting of the board will be in April.