Sunday, January 25, 2009
January 25, 2009 Meeting Minutes
The general meeting began with the pledge, Karsten Kessler presiding.
Karsten began 2009’s first meeting by proposing several new Honorary Lifetime Members: Vince Morris, Bob Jude, Jerry Erikson, Bud Cole - all passed with unanimous votes.
Karsten then reminded the group that Ernie passed away. His belongings are in the ARC, Joe Sargent and some others are interested in continuing the Cavalier project Ernie had begun. The estate is still ‘up in the air,’ so we can’t do anything yet. Bill Jagust is making an inventory and a will provide a value estimate for Ernie’s family.
Treasurer Gary Kasten reminded us that it is time for dues. He will on post on the Yahoo board the names of all from whom he has received, if your name’s not on the list let Gary know in case you’re paynment was misdirected. Gary also warned that he is disabling the generic code for the lock, contact him if you need a code.
Gale spoke regarding our former accountant who paid an IRS penalty out of pocket. Because we solicit sales for food cards and make a return on the sale we are in a different category than if we’re just getting donations. IRS looks at receipts versus net profit, very different numbers, and the rule is not particularly clear cut. In the future we’ll be filing a form 990 every year and may
have a tax professional review our filings. Thanks go to Gary, who went through seven years of papers to help straighten out original mess. Motion was made to reimburse our original accountant, the motion passed.
Steve Morse presented our new chapter camera, picked up the day before the meeting. It will record from 7 to 37 hours of video that can be burned to to DVD. Steve will take care of this, and also has projector. Note he also has the TIG welder at his house but will need help to get it back to the ARC.
We collected the ballots for the new meeting date, Gary tallied them. Third Saturday at 10am wins, the next meeting will be February 21.
Meeting then adjourned, followed by a very informative presentation regarding aircraft coatings by Tom Chubb of DuPont.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
November 23, 2008 Minutes
Turnout was low for the November meeting, absentees we heard from were plagued by everything from flu to uncooperative automobiles. Members who showed up got a good look at Roger Moore's "Jolly Roger" biplane and the new paint job on Curt Smith's Cozy. Jim Hann was on hand with his father. Karsten treated us to hamburgers from Kilroy's, and after eating was kept busy answering questions about his 701 fuselage.
The meeting opened with the Pledge, Karsten Kessler presiding.
New business. Steve Morse proposed that the chapter purchase a video camera asked so we can record speakers and events. Motion was made and seconded to spend $300 on a camera. The motion passed with no votes against.
Next on the list is the proposed change of the meeting date. Currently the most popular option is the third Saturday of the month at 9:00 am. Because the meeting time is noted in the by-laws this will require two votes. Since this is a change with broad impact we discussed the importance of notifying the entire membership. While not everybody is in the Yahoo group Karsten noted that newsletter reaches everyone. Therefore we plan to include a ballot in the next newsletter. The ballot should offer alternates, the Yahoo poll suggests that the most popular options are Saturday mid-morning, followed by Saturday early morning, followed by leaving the time as is. A ballot may be mailed or delivered by hand, the deadline is the January 2009 meeting, which will be held at the regular time.
Karsten delivered the treasures report, reporting saving and checking balances. Next we talked about sponsoring kids to attend the Oshkosh air academy. First we'll need to identify some candidates, Scout Aviation Explorer post sponsored by Missouri Pilots Association might have some, as may local model airplane clubs. A list of scouts working on the aviation merit badge is yet another possibility. George reminded Young Eagles pilots that for every YE you fly you get a point that can be applied to a scholarship to send kids to Oshkosh. In the past we've given points to Alton and have never used them ourselves. Ron says this scholarship amounts to about $100. Karsten says the total cost is about $600 depending on age. We briefly discussed transportation to the academy, though we may leave that up to the parents. Gale guesses that getting them there less an issue than picking the kid. To select a candidate we will need some sort of application and require an essay, likely something similar to a scholarship application.
Ron Burnett has extra for Dierberg's and Shop & Save coupons, and reminded us about the Schnuck cards.
We are planning for around 60 at the Christmas party, the cost will be $15 per person. Gary will be handling attendance.
Motion was made to adjourn, then seconded. Afterwards I gave a brief presentation on my new airplane project, the Double Eagle.
Dave Deweese, Secretary
Sunday, October 26, 2008
October 26, 2008 Minutes
No visitor recognition this time, there were too many in attendance for the anniversary event.
Gary Kasten passed out envelopes containing the new six digit door lock codes to members in attendance. He notes that, when you enter your code, you should make sure you hear a beep with each number. The current code will work for another week or so. Be aware that the door locks automatically but you need to confirm that it has closed completely. The gas tank for our heater is refilled to the tune of approximately one thousand dollars.
Ron Burnett announced that he had a few food coupons available.
Karsten has new resolve for the water issue, having cleaned the toilet bowls. He also reminded us of the Christmas party and suggests sending formal invitations.
Steve Morse suggested that, following the rushed manner in which the office was moved up to the mezzanine, we should spend some time in November doing a good, organized job of moving everything back into place, maybe after the meeting in November.
November will also be a good chance to get the ARC decorated for Christmas, we’ll need volunteers for both.
For new business the idea of moving the regular meeting date was suggested, perhaps to the second Sunday of the month. In the interest of keeping the meeting short to make way for our speakers the motion was made and seconded to vote on this in November, the motion passed.
Next motion was to close the meeting, this passed and we went on to eat lunch prepared by Laurie of Kilroys. Special thanks to Dave McGougan for organizing this event, and to our speakers:
Bob Spooner, the first president of EAA32.
Gary Liming, our chapter historian.
Don Doherty, who spoke about his dad and an airplane he built, the SkyCoupe, the frame of which was on display for the meeting.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
September 28, 2008 Minutes
Meeting began at 2:00 pm with the Pledge, secretary Dave Deweese presiding and taking notes. President Karsten Kessler had a business obligation and was due at an out-of-town destination at 7:00 a.m., though he sent a report Saturday from the ARC reporting fine weather for mowing. Vice President Steve Morse was at Rough River Start Park attending the Annual Canard Gathering.
No guests or new members were on hand to be recognized during the official meeting, but we got to honor a new pilot: Bill Doherty, who just soloed. Prior to the meeting we had a rather important visitor, none other than Bob Spooner, first president of the original Chapter 32. With Bud Cole on hand we had two original members.
Steve Morse's fiberglass workshop is coming up October 11. Please note that all are welcome, members and non-members alike, though 9/28 was the deadline for signing up to build a part. Further details are in the newsletter.
Demoliton has taken place on the ramp at KSET, starting around two weeks prior to the September meeting. If the estimated construction time of six weeks holds true completion should take place in late October.
We discussed the need for volunteers to maintain the ARC. Jobs include exterior painting and scheduled mowing. Gale Derosier suggested designating one weekend a month for such projects.
The Christmas Party will be here before we know it and volunteers are needed for this as well. The speaker has been arranged and Lori will take care of food. People are needed for decorating and Karsten suggested sending out invitations to the membership.
Dave McGougan addressed the group regarding our 50th anniversary event, to coincide with the October 26 meeting. There was brief debate on the actual year the chapter was established: Gale thought it might have been as early as 1955 or '56, in which case EAA32 is a hair over 50. Dave invited Bob Spooner to attend, perhaps he'll recall the precise date. We'd like to have a static display of chapter projects, so if you have plane, completed or not, plan to bring it in. In addition to airplane projects please dig out any old photos you may have. We are planning to order food for the event and spouses, family, significant others, and friends are welcome. Please contact Dave McGougan with suggestions or questions.
On the topic of photographs we briefly discussed pictures taken at chapter events. Because we exist in an increasingly litigious society it is safest to limit pictures to aircraft and adults: keep in mind that photographs published on our website may be copied and show up elsewhere. While on this subject a reminder that all materials included in and donated to our library should be G-Rated.
Gary Kasten gave the Treasurer's report, detailing our checking and savings balances. Gary will also take over administration of the front door combination lock. If you have a particular six-digit code you'd like to use please contact Gary, otherwise you'll receive a randomly generated combination. The current code will stay in place until Gary is able to instruct the membership in use of the new lock. Bill Jagust has found the east door unlocked on several occasions so Gary will have the locks configured to automatically lock as soon as the door closes. Since it's only a short stroll back around to the front to let yourself back in this is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Leo Lang plans a trip to Sam's for supplies and asked for requests if anybody knew of additional needs.
Bud Cole still has a large back-lit drafting table, a blueprint copier/printer, and some rolls of fiberglass available to anyone who wants to go and pick them up. He advises that the first two items are heavy: moving will require a pickup truck and at least two strong backs.
Paul Smith announced that he is selling his fifth share in the Decathalon. If anyone's interested they should contact him at 636-225-4361.
Meeting adjourned and we got to work bringing the library down from the mezzanine. Books, magazines, pictures, bookshelves, etcetera are now back downstairs. Thanks to all who helped, especially those who muscled heavy items down the ladder.
Dave McGougan is nearly ready to fly the Ridge Runner, and just prior to the end of the meeting he invited an open inspection of his plane and asked for any suggestions. After the library move several took up the challenge.
Secretary, Dave Deweese
Monday, August 18, 2008
August 17, 2008 Minutes
The meeting began at approximately 2:00 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance, Vice President Steve Morse presiding. Our thanks to Doug Killebrew for some expertly grilled pork steaks, and to all of those who brought side dishes.
In old business, Rich Emery voiced a need for some kind of maintenance committee to organize regular work sessions for the upkeep of our building. There were a lot of people involved while the ARC was being built, but they are scarce now, and besides grounds upkeep, things need to be done. The bathrooms are dirty and there is general cleanliness issues that must be addressed. There will be more on this subject at later meetings.
Thanks go to the Dohertys for installing the new door lock. Contact a chapter officer to get the current code to enter the building. Gary Kasten will be arranging for individual six-digit codes to be assigned to each member in good standing. If you want to specify your own code (if it's still available), come to the next meeting. If you do not renew your membership in a given year, that specific number will be disabled and you will no longer have access to the ARC.
We tabled the water issue until the September meeting when President Karsten returns. To date, two bids have been entertained for two different systems of handling potable water in the ARC. As of this writing, the intention is to detail those methods in next month's newsletter so all interest parties can vote intelligently at next month's meeting. In addition, some new bids will be sought.
In new business, John Teipen gave his report from this year's KidVenture in Oshkosh. This is the second year he has presented his material, and said it went very well. (A future newsletter article may be forthcoming.) John presented an award to mr. bill for his outstanding dedication to teaching and service to the EAA. He also thanked all the volunteers from our Chapter.
Laura talked about the open house (August 23 & 24), detailing the schedule, parking, pilot briefings, and other general logistics. Since there will no longer be a Fair and Airshow held at Spirit, the St. Charles County bigwigs have designated Smartt Field as the new venue for such an event.
Dave McGougan gave a short talk on the upcoming 50th anniversary of Chapter 32. He asked for volunteers to speak about their experiences, share old photos, etc. The 50th anniversary celebration will take place on October 26th, immediately following a BRIEF chapter meeting.
The composite seminar that was postponed due to the flood will be held on Saturday, October 11, at 9:00 am. Plan for a good time, including a bbq lunch. Please contact Steve Morse for details. If you expect to participate in the workshop, you must sign up. A signup sheet will be at the September meeting.
The 2008 Chapter 32 Christmas party will be held on Saturday, December 6. We voted to get catering from Kilroy's as in previous years. Times will be announced at a later date, as will the guest speaker Ron Burnett announced that he had some food coupons.
Gary Kasten gave the treasurer's report, and announced that a couple of people had donated money to the chapter in Dave Lucas' name. As a final thought, Gary is looking to hand over the treasurer's duties to somebody else as of the first of the year. If you are interested, please contact him.
New members were recognized and given new member packets.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:20 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Bower for Dave Deweese.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
June 22, 2008 Minutes
June's meeting began with the pledge, secretary Dave Deweese presiding. This month's meeting was sparsely attended as we were not sure if the rising waters of the Mississippi would allow access to the ARC. Fortunately Doug Killibrew was in attendance so we had a fine lunch of bratwursts and hot dogs. Robert Dooley made it, the water is at 31 feet near his home, the lower level is sitting in 5 feet. Laurie of Kilroy's is also innundated and commutes back and forth from work to home on a jet ski.
In Oshkosh news the chapter photo will moved from Saturday to Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Note that our own John Teipen has been heavily involved in KidVenture so be sure to stop by. Per Laura they can always use volunteers. Gale reminded us of the Memorial Wall ceremony for Jerry Geiger.
Dave Lucas and Al Lowe were mentioned as candidates for memorials. This is $350 per person, the deadline is March.
Laura will have a sign-up sheet for August's Young Eagles event. Be sure to sign up so you can get a parking pass. This event will span two days, will start at 8:30, and keep in mind this will be August and most likely rather hot.
Vince Meyer brought in an article from the Journal regarding the flood by reporter Steve Poken. Steve Miles was interviewed. Rich Emery and Steve, using a laser level and using the water in the ditch as a baseline, estimated that the flood would have to rise to 31.5 feet to reach the ARC.
As usual our July meeting will be held at Oshkosh. We voted to move the August meeting up a week to 8/17, the week before the airport open house.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
May 25, 2008 Minutes
David Davis is a new member who had joined up earlierbut has not been to many meetings as he has beenbusy working on his Sport Pilot certificate. He announced that he had accomplished this feat in April atMuni after about 32 hours of instruction.
With large doors open some avian guests elected tojoin the meeting, providing several interruptions andleaving before we officially adjourned.
On to outstanding business. We have bought a newYoung Eagles laptop and printer for approximately $650,helped out by an anonymous donation of $150 towardsthe purchase of Dell hardware.
Gary Kasten attended an official airport meetingconcerning KSET’s August 23 and 24 open house anddebriefed us on the proceedings. He reiterated that the airport will run this event so we need only concernourselves with Young Eagles. As this will span two days we plan to limit registrations to the first 100 attendees per day. If enough pilots show up we willplay it by ear, perhaps flying another 20 or 30. The airport has assigned us a space near Skylink. Since this is some distance from the ARC we’ll set up our tents. Skylink has power available so we can plug in ourlaptop, fans, etc. The area near our building is designated space for vendors, of which there will be 15 to 20,including such organizations as the Shriners. This is shaping up to be quite an event, flyers will be available shortly so please be prepared to take a few and postthem at work. Parking for YE volunteers will be at the ARC, but will becontrolled by others. The local Sheriffs will be on hand, and most likely the CAP will perform traffic and crowd control as at some other events. More details will follow, however parking passes will be provided for our pilots and volunteers. We’ll still be responsible for our own ramp safety. We discussed the possibility of possibly doing educational displays and/or registration at the ARC. An additional concern is confirmation from Herman at Skylink that he’ll be available both days in case our pilots need to refuel, since the CAF may not be an option: much of the ramp will be closed for vendors anddisplays. Steve Miles, Bill Jagust, and Laura Million are on the airport advisory board and will attend further aiport meetings to look out for our interests.
In our immediate future is the International YE Day on June 14. (The CAF will be available for gas at this event.) Once again we discussed how we might helpout our pilots with the ever-increasing cost of fuel. Since they are all volunteers we cannot, as a chapter, pay for gas. At the Alton event the airport pays for fuel, so Gary will pass this on to the advisory board who will ask if the county would be willing to help out. Steve will contact EAA national regarding the do’s and dont’s of paying for fuel as well as for creating ways ofhelping with this expense.
Chris spoke concerning the new lock, which Bill Doherty has in his posession. He’s holding off on installation until we can decide on the best means of generating and distributing pass codes. The last 4 digits of an individual’s EAA number was proposed,but since this is fairly easy to find we decided it wasnot a secure solution. Steve will work with the Executive Committee to set up the lock and codes.
Gary again addressed the group, this time on financialmatters. We received a check in the amount of $1.46 from the IRS, and have another registered letter waitingin the Portage Des Sioux post office. Gary is checkinginto the status of the last payment we sent to the IRS as it did not appear to have posted as of the meetingand he has not been able to get in touch with the man who helped us with that issue.
At our last YE event a CPA left his card, Gary got in touch with him, and hehelped to file our most recent form 990 along with taxesowed. Incidentally the money owed is a consequenceof the IRS’s interpretation of how we earned some ofour funds. Since the food coupons do not deal directlywith aviation, unlike hangar rent or the B-17 event, thegovernment feels we owe taxes on such earnings. Thisdespite the fact that the dollars are spent on aviation-related expenditures. Leo suggested that it might beworth contacting Schnuck’s since they promote their fund raiser as tax deductible. Gary is going to seek asecond opinion from another CPA, and Steve Miles may have a contact there. Tax preparation is not themain business for our current preparer. The importantpoint is that we have filed our form and submittedpayment and are current with the IRS. After the tax discussion Gary announced our checking and savings account balances.