GOHJA On-Line

Corresponding Secretary: Approval of minutes was postponed until next meeting.

Vice President/Hearings: No hearings. Jacque reported the accountant is reviewing our taxes for 2006. The accountant is also preparing the procedure to set aside money for the GOHJA gifting fund.

Treasurer Report: The treasurer report was approved with a balance of $34,043.40.

Recording Secretary: The points are finished and have been sent to the Banquet Chair and printer.

Membership Committee: The new membership application has been mailed to the membership. Patti suggested creating pony cards for ease of maintaining the pony list. She and Patty Maddox will discuss the feasibility of this in committee. The final membership report is 169 Junior, 119 Senior, 82 Family, 10 Organization, 2 Lifetime.

Horse Show Committee: No report.

Exhibitor Committee: The special awards have been decided and Jenelle has asked trainers to send her a small bio of the winners before the banquet. All of the medal participants will receive a frame thru Margaret Correy. For 2008, Jenelle is going to look into giving each medal winner at the show a GOHJA medal-she will prepare costs and ordering. Jenelle will continue polls at the December show on Marshall and Sterling classes, half day show on Sunday, and the possible alteration of the heights of the pony division.

Steward Committee: Patty suggested that in the Training Hunter class description it be written that the Training Hunter round is not aloud before any of the Medal finals. Patty is trying to set up a calendar of the Stewards for the year and is in dire need of Stewards. Please contact her if interested.

Publicity Committee: Jenni researched the cost of a GOHJA calendar. It was decided to produce an 18 month calendar beginning in July 2008 and ending December 2009. The cover will be raffled at the 2008 Benefit show.

Banquet Committee: All going as planned. There will not be a raffle this year.

Old Business: The slate has been approved. It is as follows: President: Melissa Vander Vennet Vice President/Hearings: Jacque Gellein Corresponding Secretary: Wendy Trocano Recording Secretary: Heather Bristol Treasurer: Charlotte Ray Publicity Committee: Pam Capers Horse Show Committee: Lauren Gurtis Steward Committee: Patty Maddox Rules and Regulations Committee: Debbie Bjerkstrand Exhibitor Committee: Jenelle Holmes Banquet Committee: Liz Medlock Fundraising Committee: Jennifer Medlock Membership Committee: Patti Kettler

New Business: None.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm. The next meeting will be January 14, 2008 at 7:30 pm., at the Winter Park Health Foundation

Corresponding Secretary: The September minutes were approved with the following correction:
Under Old Business: The estimate for all costs per year associated with computer software is less than $1000. This includes fees for the website and fees for the show office, points and membership software. Also, Pam clarified that she is not researching hardware, Maggie LeClair and Cindy Patz are looking into that.

Treasurer Report: The report was approved with a balance of $34,075.44. There are two outstanding membership checks which Patty Maddox is handling.

Recording Secretary: Points are up to date. Heather discussed difficulties with name changes and thus changes to the Horse Recording List. Heather, Patti, and Pam will continue to work on an easier way to handle this paperwork.
Wendy Trocano has spoken to all on the pony measurement list lacking their current measurement status. There are six people who have not completed measurement for their ponies.

Membership Committee: Patti reported the following memberships: 168 Junior, 114 Senior, 82 Family, 10 Organization, 2 Lifetime.
There was also much discussion on the verbage of the show releases and the difficulty of getting a parent and all responsible parties to sign. Committee heads will continue to work on this.

Vice President/Hearings: No Hearings.
Jacque reported that the attorney has reported that GOHJA is not tax exempt. Our incorporation status is Non-profit and we will pay taxes for 2006.

Exhibitor Committee: It was voted to send Lindsey Alvarado $500 to help with medical expenses from being injured while loading a horse.
It was moved to try to award similar items as last year for the medal, mini-medal, and pony medal finalist.
The first special awards meeting was held and the process has started to choose those recipients. The next meeting is October 15.
Jenelle is going to visit the Heartland Horse Rescue to decide on possible donation.

Steward Committee: Patty and Wendy will do the final cross reference on the current pony measurement list.

Rules and Regulations Committee: The following rule change was approved:
Rule 3.4 Measurement: Prior to showing in any division restricted to ponies, the pony's height measurement must be on file with GOHJA. Ponies may be measured by a Show Steward at any GOHJA sanctioned show or the owner/representative may present the pony's USEF Pony Measurement Card for review by any Steward. Ponies must be re-measured each show year until the age of six, at which time they are permanently added to the GOHJA Pony Measurement List. Proof of age is also required for any pony being measured. Acceptable proof of age includes a statement of age from a veterinarian or age listed on a breed registration certificate.
The GOHJA Pony Measurement List will be maintained by the Head of the Stewards Committee and will be published to the general membership at least annually.

Banquet Committee: There will be 400 invitations sent for the banquet. Liz will speak with printer on deadline for ads. Liz reminded everyone to return trophies.
Liz asked the board to allocate monies for next year to replace and repair perpetual awards.

Publicity Committee: Jenni discussed an idea for a yearly calendar with the monthly picture being purchased possibly by raffle. She will research costs and feasibility of this raffle at the banquet.
Jenni also informed the Board that there is a new horse magazine being published in Central Florida and that they approached her about an article about GOHJA to be published in an upcoming issue.

Horse Show Committee: At the meeting before the board meeting, the committee added names to the staff and judge's lists.
Jenelle will poll the general membership on the feasibility and attendance of having Marshall and Sterling classes on a half day show on Sunday.

Old Business: The 2008 slate was presented and approved for mailing/voting. Wendy requested a short bio for each candidate. The slate is as follows:
President: Melissa Vander Vennet
Vice-President: Jacque Gellein
Corresponding Secretary: Wendy Trocano
Recording Secretary: Heather Bristol
Treasurer: Charlotte Ray
Publicity Committee: Pam Capers
Horse Show Committee: Laura Gurtis
Steward Committee: Patty Maddox
Rules and Regulations Committee: Debbie Bjerkstrand
Exhibitor Committee: Jenelle Holmes
Banquet Committee: Liz Medlock
Fundraising Committee: Jennifer Medlock
Membership Committee: Patti Kettler

New Business: Donna asked Pam to update the website's horse show calendar. The date of the December Fox Cry show is November 30/December 1.

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 9:05 pm. The next meeting will be November 12, 2007 at the Winter Park Health Foundation at 7:30 pm.

Corresponding Secretary: The August minutes were approved with the following amendments: Under Fundraising Report: Cindy Patz will serve on the Fundraising Committee. Eliminate "co-chair" Under Vice President: Jacque reported the trademark work has been concluded. It is legally our trademark. We have paid the attorneys to research it and establish our right to use it and claim it as our own. TM can be put on our logo. Eliminate: "we can buy it"

Treasurer Report: The report was approved with a balance of $34,211.81.

Recording Secretary: Much discussion was held on how to handle and assign numbers to recorded horses thus eliminating problems with horses with the same name and/or horses that have name changes. Pam and Heather are continuing to look at how to assign numbers when horses are recorded to eliminate this problem for 2008.

Membership Committee: Anne Wilson reported there are the following memberships: 158 Junior, 112 Senior, 77 Family, 10 Organization, 2 Lifetime. Anne reported that the 2008 Membership Applications will be mailed mid-October. Thru discussion, Melissa decided to present a President's letter with the membership application that will also be put on the website. It will include some of the items we have been discussing at the Board meetings including the association incorporation and the possibility of changing division fence heights.

Vice President/Hearings: No Hearings. Jacque reported that the attorney is working on the liability release wording to be printed on the membership application for 2008. The wording and matching signature will include a release of liability as a member of GOHJA and a release of liability in participating in all GOHJA horse shows and functions. Jacque suggested to the Board that the GOHJA Constitution may have to be slightly altered to match "The Purpose" stated by the attorney in the incorporation application. Jacque will update the Board at the October meeting. Jacque reported that she has also met with an accountant on defining our yearly monetary needs. The accountant will be looking at how to structure our operating needs, developing a community gift fund, and maintaining our non-profit status. The accountant and attorney will propose the percentage of income we need to put into the gift fund.

Exhibitor Committee: Jenelle is developing a committee to pursue the parameters of the gift fund. There will be a Special Awards meeting October 1 at the Health Foundation at 6:30. Jenelle is preparing a survey to ask the general membership their opinions on the fence heights of the small/medium ponies and the possibility of including Marshall and Sterling classes at the GOHJA shows.

Rules and Regulations Committee: Attached to these minutes is a clarification of the requirements for pony measurement to be voted on at the October meeting. Debbie will be calling a committee meeting before the October Board meeting to review the fence heights of the current divisions.

Steward Committee: Patty reported on the review of the August and September shows discussed in the horse show committee meeting held before the Board meeting. A problem was noted at the shows where the public rides on the grounds without helmets and are not cooperative when asked to dismount or put on a helmet. Patty asked Laura to discuss this with Clarcona Horseman's Park and obtain a statement showing GOHJA is leasing the facility and their rules must be followed. Patty moved that a recommendation to the Special Awards Committee be that the committee choose one winner for each of the Special Awards. The recommendation was passed.

Banquet Committee: Liz reported the banquet invitations will be mailed on October 1. She is working with the printer to include a notice for banquet program ads. Liz mailed a request to last year's perpetual award winners to return their trophies at the September and October shows. Liz Medlock, Liz Allen, Jenni Medlock, and Cindy Patz will look at the perpetual awards and report to the Board as to what needs replacing. Cindy Patz and Liz Medlock are investigating the possibility of a jewelry raffle held at the banquet and will report to the Board next month on its feasibility.

Publicity Committee: Jenni is writing up the requirements for the poster artwork contest (to be donated to Gleason's Grille). Jenni's ideas will be presented at the October meeting.

Horse Show Committee: Laura reported on the committee meeting held before the September Board meeting. The following was discussed: The August and September shows were reviewed. The small and medium pony fence heights were discussed and recommendations were sent to Exhibitor and Rules and Regulations committees for review. The possibility of holding Marshall and Sterling classes was discussed and it was decided to have Exhibitor's Committee survey the membership about the desire of having these classes. The 2008 Horse Show Applications for Wendover Place and Barrett Farms were accepted. An update was given to the horse show managers for their guide regarding the correct equitation tests. The tentative 2008 Clarcona schedule was distributed with the correction of the Fox Cry Farms date being November 30-December 1. A pony measurement time was established. Ponies will be measured from 4:30-5:30 on Friday afternoons and from 10:00-11:00 Saturday mornings. Wendy volunteered to phone the owners of the ponies listed on the website that have not been measured. Laura reminded all attending the meeting that these ponies must be measured in order to maintain their 2007 points. It was decided that the Training Hunter card does not count towards the USEF rule pertaining to holding more than 4 cards at one time. Eric Lavin's name was added to the Staff List under Jump Services.

Old Business: Pam has inquired with no luck on getting an individual to write a program for the GOHJA secretaries, horse shows, and points. Consequently, she has obtained on trial the "OrgPro" software and is looking into "ShowPro" for the association to use at the shows and for points. The estimate to purchase this software is less than $1000.00. Pam and Cindy Patz are investigating the prices of hardware and will present the costs to the Board at the October meeting.

Jenni and Wendy are working on the slate for the 2008 Board of Directors and Officers. The notice for nominations has been posted on the website and has been e-mailed to all known member's addresses. The deadline for nominations is September 28. There will be a meeting of the nominating committee October 1 at 5:45 pm., at the Winter Park Health Foundation. The committee members are Jenni Medlock, Wendy Trocano, Melissa Vander Vennet, Lesli Isaacson, and Molly Sewell. The completed slate will be presented at the October Board meeting and then mailed to the General membership for voting.

New Business: none

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 9:45 pm. The next meeting will be October 8, 2007 at Gleason's Grille at 7:30 pm.