What a wonderful world the computer is.
All virtual, imaginary would be a good term for it.
While miles apart we all sit down in the 'Board Room' of FAAP.
Will the meeting please come to order.
Everyone present, even if they presently are not!
It is virtual, our imagination,
the Board Room,
the Board Meeting,
the Founder and President (That would be me, hi there!),
On his Right is his 'Right Hand Man' Carol, who just happens to be a Woman (next thing she will want to be President [I hope]).
On his Left is his 'Cheif Activities Officer' Andrea (he's making eyes at her 
[hey, save that for NMs]).
Before them is the vast 'Round Table' where the meeting is held. The table is round so that everyone has an equal position to the cause.
At the Table are our Friends (those nearest us)
Then their Friends (Support group for our friends)
Beyond that the table becomes so huge that it is difficult to see who, how many, just people, soooo many people, spanning out as far as our imagination can see and beyond. It is so huge that we have little hope of seeing those at the far side of the Round Table, in our lifetime, and that may be ok.
The further away from the core the more likely those people are against us anyway, we may be lucky we cannot hear nor see them.
We should focus our efforts on those nearest us, and send out invites to those that, for whatever reason, are not associating with us. We can be friendly without losing to much time on people that do not care.
So that's it, if you want more, use your own imagination!
These are our 'Members Of The Board' or would that be 'Members Of The Bored'? That will be up to us. If we keep this Board Meeting active and moving ahead, none of us should get bored.
As President and present Chair of the Board, I will be bringing up issues for us to discuss till I run out of issues, or a 'FRIEND' convinces me to bring up an issue for them. When done with my issues, we will hear Carols issues, and then Andreas' issues.
If anyone here has an issue, they should contact Carol or Andrea. If anyone has an issue for me to bring up,... you should become friends with me. For more information on how to make friends with me, ask Carol or Andrea, they have both managed to get my attention.
This Topic will be closed to everyone. If anyone has an opinion or statement to make to the board, Carol or I can open the topic so you can post your opinion, and then it will be closed again. So, being present and ready would be a requirement for posting here. See Carol for more information on having your opinions posted.
With that, I am calling our first ever Forest Across America Project Board Meeting To Order.
Carol.
We need someone to receive, record and track money donated to FAAP. Would you be willing to take this position?
There is more to it then receiving money and or even running it to the bank. If people donate,... they may or may not want it known 'who' donated,... so we would develop an accounting system where each person can look up their donation, without naming them in particular.
This can be done by listing the time and day we receive each donation,... thus the donor can see their money has arrived and is accounted for,.... or we can assign people id numbers or names so they know it was their donation, yet others cannot id them.
Then there is the question of banking the money,... investing the money, spending the money or holding the money.
Let's start with 'Would you like the job of managing the money?'
I thought that since you were most active,... connected to a piece of Earth, you would be more dependable compared to any others I can think of.
Your thoughts?
I CAN KEEP ACCOUNTS CREDIT-DEBIT, IN ORDER..I WILL ALSO SEND OUT A THANK YOU LETTER WITH THE DONATION AND NUMBER ID. E-MAIL OR VIA-MAIL!
I THINK MEMBERS, ECSPECIALLY ME, COULD USE A REFERENCE, AND A MEMBERS CARD, THUS HELPING IN THE CREDIBILITY OF THE EFFORTS PUT THEREFORTH. IT WOULD ALSO ENSURE THAT MY DRIVERS NUMBER MATCHES MY MEMBERSHIP NUMBER TO MAKE THINGS A LITTLE EASIER ON ME, PLUS, MORE CREDIBLE. LET US FOCUS OUR THOUGHTS ON FLIERS(VIA-MAIL), E-CARDS, POSTCARDS, FREE(paid) ADVERTISEMENT. PLUS LOCAL CHAPTERS- WOULD ENHANCE OUR EFFORDS FURTHER, WHICH WOULD SEEM MORE LIKELY TO BE A LONG TIME DOWN THE ROAD--BUT THIS ROAD LOOKS GOOD TO TAKE WITH NO RED LIGHTS!
WOULD LIKE TO START AN OHIO CHAPTER, EVEN IF JUST ME, BUT CAN GET BACK-UP-HERE AND THEIR! OUR MORE ACTIVE MEMBERS, COULD START A CHAPTER IN THEIR STATE AND IT ALL BE CONNECTED HERE. I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO CLEAR MYSELF UP ON THAT-ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES. WHAT DO YOU THINK BILL?
Recently Andrea has indicated that she enjoys learning anything.
I was thinking that she could study up on the Care2 rules about fund raising for a cause.
My interest would be rather we could ask people to donate for a specific purpose, without breaking any of the rules.
Forest Project Shut Down For Fund Raising would not be a good headline on Care2 news!
I am thinking that since we would have Andrea doing the research which includes reading the established rules,... and then contacting Care2 officials to double check,...
That we could make one of our first fund raising efforts be to gain enough money so that Andrea can afford a Motorhome.
Right now her expenses use up most all her money,... and if she were mobile,... she would be so much more useful for us.
An example on how this would have a better effect for the project is that Andrea would be able to move into the Motorhome and the money she receives could be used for other things, with a large amount being saved for land to park on.
Additionally,... she would be able to travel to California and participate in the petition process and with a large amount of money could have better choices for properties to grow gardens, farms and forests.
What are your thoughts on this?
If anyone has any comments on what is said at the board meeting,... please send your thoughts to Carol by Network message,... or better yet
Talk to Carol on her topic:
RAISING FUNDS HERE-AGREE! ANDREA ON THE PROJECT-AGREE!
THE REASON I WAS WANTING A PROOF OF MEMBERS CARD, LETTER OF CO-HOSTING F.A.AP., FROM BILL.... BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO START SPREADING THE WORD AROUND HERE, MEETING PEOPLE WHILE IT IS STILL WINTER, BUT-NEED TO BE CREDIBLE-NOT EVERYONE HAS A COMPUTER TO LOOK YOU UP, OR WOULD TAKE THE TIME....LETS TALK ABOUT SPREADING THE NEWS, GETTING DONATIONS OTHER PLACES, AREAS AROUND ME! HOW DO YOU DO THAT? BUSINESS' WOULD HELP DONATE, THEN SEND A THANK YOU CERTIFICATE...
WHICH ONLY REQUIRES A STAMP, EFFORD TO MAKE THE LETTERS, AND AN ENVELOPE, AND THE TIME TO GO OUT AND SPREAD THE WORD. EVEN IF THEY DO NOT DONATE, IT WOULD BE NICE FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW, THIS IS WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU-AND I AM HERE TO START A PROJECT! WHAT DO YOU THINK? COULD LEAVE-I'M THE NEW KID (LOL.) IN TOWN FLYERS-AND THIS IS WHAT I DO AND WILL BE GOING ON IN YOUR TOWN!
COULD START GATHERING FUNDS-DONATIONS FOR THEM 5 TO 20 ACRES OF WOODS DOWN THE STREET(ABOUT 10-12 MINUTES AWAY) TO START THE FOREST, THEN ADD ON---THEY ARE SELLING A TOTAL OF THOUSAND OR SO!...THIS WOULD TAKE YEARS-MAYBE!!
CAROL AT ROUND TABLE (FUTURE RUNNER UP PRESIDENT-OR VICE.
) HAS IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR BILL-INBOX-ADICE?
BY THE WAY-WE NEED NEW CHAIRS AT THIS ROUND TABLE-NEED CHAIRS THAT SPIN! YEAS - 1 ..NO-ONE HERE MEETING ADJOURN.. CHAIRS WITH WHEELS WIN BY 1 VOTE!
WHAT ABOUT THEM SMALL PAPERS, LIKE CLASSIFIED WITH ALL THEM ADS-UPDATES ON TOWN MEETINGS AND EVENTS IN AREA--FOR DONATIONS? I PRICED THEM TODAY--ABOUT $3.00 TO $10.00 DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU SAY???? WHAT DO YOU THINK, BILL???
I do not know how many people live in your small town,... however,... I would think that fund raising in your local area would lead to an enormous amount of non cash support.
The back side on that,... if the people do not get excited about the project,... your nursury,... FAAP,... then you could expect people campaigning against you and that would not be so good.
However,... there are eight million members here at Care2 and if each one were to donate $10 each month,... that would give us $80,000,000 per month to do the project with.
Do you think that would be enough to buy up your entire county,... or at least your town? You don't need a town,... so let's be a little more realistic.
If we were to organize and do a structured fund raising effort here with the Care2 membership. There is real potential that we might get 10,000 Care2 members to donate $10 per month as long as we post what we do with their money. That would give us $100,000 per month to work with.
It may sound like a lot,... It is not. It is enough to help you get started, get a smaller greenhouse, and planters, dirt and other supplies in general.
When it comes to buying more land,... paying for housing and food for the volunteers,... it is enough for the startup.
Some people might give more then just $10 per month,... and you could expect that when you post your activities, more people will join in and donate $10 or more,... so as your needs grow,... so would the support,...
As long as you post your activities and how you used the money.
If I manage to make it there,... I can help you with the reporting because I think that reporting your activities will help your efforts way more then your activities will accomplish without the reporting.
People just want to know their money is actually making a difference. You might do great things with their money,... but if you do not tell them, they wont know.
If you do tell them where every cent went,... they will send more if they like what you are getting done.
We can easily agree to plant a tree for every $10 donated.
Having the money to get the land and secure the land with trusts,... we could easily plant 10,000 trees each month.
So,... let's talk about whether Care2 will allow us to fund raise to plant trees.
You might find out from Andrea if she has read the rules about fund raising on Care2. Kinda need to know before we get FAAP canceled and thrown out for trying to make the world better.
ABOUT THE COST OF TREES..
YOU CAN GET A 2 OR 3 FOOT TREE FOR ABOUT $10.OO TO 15.OO DEPENDING ON THE TREE LABEL, NOT JOKING!
A WHITE BIRCH TREE OVER 10 FEET TALL-THAT YOU KNOW WILL MAKE IT, COST IS OVER $100.00 TO 200.00 HERE? WEIGHT WITH BALL--FIGURE A TRUCK AND ABOUT 300 LBS. OR SO-NOT JOKING!
IF BOUGHT TREES IN BULK, CHEAPER FROM ANOTHER NURSURY--GET IT??????-----THE NURSURY IDEA, IT TAKES YEARS TO GET A TREE TALL ENOUGH TO NURTURE IT ENOUGH, TO PLANT IT AND WALK AWAY WHEN IT IS STABLE TO GO ONTO THE NEXT ONES!
PINE TREES IN WINTER-CHEAP.. BUY ONE IN THE SPRING 6 OR 8 FOOT OVER 100.00--NOT JOKING...YOU HAVE NO IDEA, BUT I FIGURE WITH ALL THE PLANTS AND TREES I HAVE PLANTED SO FAR IS AROUND 800.00 TO CLOSE TO A 1,000.OO...NOT JOKING!!!... THUS, MY IDEA OF A NURSURY..MAKES SENSE...
ARE TREES CHEAPER WHERE YOU ARE AT--PROBABLY...THIS IS OHIO AND CITIES, PEOPLE MAKING A BUCK, SO MY IDEA--WAS TO UNDER BID THE COMPETITION AND MAKE IT A TOWN FRIENDLY NURSURY--LIKE FREE FLOWER WITH EVERY TREE AND MAYBE A MAGNET FOR FRIDGE!!!... ABOUT FUND RAISING IN SMALL TOWNS, NOT ALOT OF MONEY FROM 1-PERSON, BUT MORE WOULD GIVE TO THEIR TOWN--THEY SEEM TO HAVE THIS SENSE OF PRIDE IN THEIR TINY TOWNS--KINDA NEAT...THE BIG CITY I LIVED IN--DID NOT CARE WHAT THEIR TOWN LOOKED LIKE, THUS, BRINGING GRAFFITIE, TRASHING OF BUILDINGS FOR NO REASON, BURGLARIES, - JUST NO BOUND WITH EACH OTHER...
HERE-IN THESE SMALL TOWNS--
THEY BOUND WITH THE TOWN--DO NOT KNOW WHY??? SO IT WOULD BE FUNDS-LOTS OF LITTLE, BUT I DO NOT SEE ANY DANGER OF ANYONE WANTING SOMETHING POSITIVE IN THEIR TOWN--THEY ARE PAYING THE HIGEST PRICES TOO FOR PLANTS-TREES, REALLY HIGH-1-STORE TAKES ALL ABOUT...
BUT WHAT DO I KNOW--I AM THE NEW COMER??
WILL CHECK ON ANDREA AND SEE ABOUT THE WEBSITE HERE..
WOULD BE NICE IF EVERYONE DONATED NOT SOO MUCH 10.OO A WEEK-MONTH...BUT EVEN 5.OO PER MONTH OR 25.00 A YEAR OR 10.00 A YEAR IS WHAT THEY CAN DO...THAT WOULD BE IN THEIR INCOME AND IT WOULD HELP THE CAUSE, AND TO NOT MAKE THEM FEEL STRAINED ON GIVING, SOME WOULD DONATE MORE TOO...TIMES ARE HARD RIGHT NOW FOR ALOT OF PEOPLE, WE ALL HAVE BILLS AND CAN DO LITTLE AMOUNTS AND THEN BIG ONES WHEN ABLE...WHAT DO YOU THINK ON THAT???...PLUS OTHERS WOULD GIVE ALITTLE TOO MORE OFTEN--DON'T YOU THINK??? (excuse spelling-up all night).
