Crystal Smith presiding.

Treasurers Report - Angela Shaver reporting. No changes from report presented at the opening business meeting.

Committee Reports:
Constitution - Joyce Watts reporting. The following were recommendations from the committee. Suggested changes for the job responsibilities for committees:

* Constitution - Chair will summarize and update all relevant documents annually.
* Recognition - Add that committee members need to be an association member for 3 or more years Committee members may not serve more than 3 consecutive years.

Point of Clarification - Committee members may attend Board meetings, however they are not considered Board members and may not make motions or vote. It is recommended that the President remind those attending the Board meeting who is eligible to make motions and vote. Under by-laws IV Committee Section 7 - there is one vote per district. It is recommended that that committee chairs and chair-elects familiarize themselves with governing documents, especially the suggested job description.

Finance - Angela reporting. Finance Committee recommendations are:
1) The Finance Committee recommends that we move $753.48, plus any overage
from the Northwest District's hosting of the 2007 Winter Professional Meeting, from the Money Market Account be moved to the Endowment.

2) The Finance Committee recommends that if an auction is held at the Youth & Families Summit, that the NCAE4-HA participate by donating one quality gift from each district valued at least $100. The proceeds from this auction will be placed in the endowment.

3) The Finance Committee recommends that the Treasurer and Executive Director of the 4-H Development Fund talk with Richard Freeman about the history of the endowment. From this conversation, it is requested that these individuals write a 1 page summary overview of the endowment and the purpose of the 4 budgetary accounts that the NCAE4-HA operates.

4) The Finance Committee recommends that NCAE4-HA donate $1,000 to the NC Agricultural Agents Association designated to support the Sons and Daughters activities for the 2008 National Agricultural Agents Conference.

5) The Finance Committee recommends that we issue a Centennial Challenge to the District Associations to help raise the endowment to $100,000 by the 100th anniversary of 4-H in 2009. This challenge will ask the district associations to contribute $1,000 to the endowment by the Winter Board Meeting of 2009.

6) The Finance Committee recommends that donations received from the Extension Foundation and the Ag. Foundation be placed in the endowment.

Diversity - Nakoma Simmons reporting. Committee is exploring ways to expand the number of diversity awards. Recommended reviewing the option of utilizing past diversity winners to conduct workshops, share teaching tools, modules, other resources during annual conference. The membership was challenged to review the diversity award criteria and apply.

Membership - Jennifer Brewer reporting. New member orientation was held. The committee met their goal of not only maintaining but increasing the number of agents registered in the district, state and national associations. They committee recommended the need to work on getting A&T staff more involved in the association. They recommend that the state Vice President contact A&T staff and encourage their participation in the association. They may work with the NW VP, since the college is located in that district.

Nomination - Spring Williams reporting. Slate of officers presented for 2007-08:
President - Danielle Barco

President- Elect - Barb Dunn Swanson - Northwest
Natalie Rountree - Northeast

Vice President - Lori McBryde -North Central
Tara Taylor - Southeast

Secretary - Meg Perdue - Southeast
Sandy Hall - North Central

Treasurer - Ellen Owens

Treasurer-Elect - Ken Burgess
Linda Gore - South Central

Federation Vice President - Janine Rywak - South Central

Candidates will submit picture, bio. and info. to Summer edition of Rapport.
Elections will be held at the 2007 NCAE4-HA State Meeting in Charlotte.
· Candidate Speeches will be at the close of the Opening Business Meeting.
· Voting will be held during breakfast the following day.
· All members will be notified of absentee voting policies prior to meeting.

Professional Development - Dale Safrit reporting. Shared results of professional development survey with appropriate committees. Committee will work with the Annual Conference to plan workshops. The committee recommends sending a similar survey every 2 years and modify committee work based on survey; 2) collaborate with annual conference committee. The committee will reviewed scholarship applications and will make suggested changes for the board to review at the spring meeting. There is a need to simplify and clarify what is needed. National meeting scholarship (a scholarship valued at up to $150 is available to members who present at national meeting) applications are due in Jan. but at that time you do not know if you are accepted to present. The committee proposed that this deadline be moved from Jan. to July 1. The committee will review and announce winners at the annual meeting and scholarship will be paid from the next year's operating budget. It was recommended to seek additional funds for additional scholarships. Professional Development applicants were recognized and they were:

* National Presenter - Joyce Watts
* National Conference -April Bowman and Karee MacKey. Priority given to agents who have not previously attended.
* Chester Black Scholarship - Brandi Boaz and Wallace Simmons

Programs - Shea Ann DeJarnette reporting. The committee is collecting summer program information and it will be compiled in a notebook and given to districts. Hope to get information on the web. Morgan will chair committee for next year.

PRI - Jeannette Schuszler reporting. Committee recommended that 1) their role remain the same but update committee work with respect to new technology 2) work with recognition committee to publicize award winners in local areas; 3) contact marketing specialist at NCSU to make an offer to work with her. The committee would like the share fair to feature some items from communicator awards.

Rapport - Sarah Kotzian reporting. Terri Bost will be chair-elect. Next issue is due in March. The committee reviewed the draft for the March issue and encouraged each district to submit articles and news. The committee thanked to Carolyn Langley for posting Rapport on the web.

Recognition - Lesa Walton reporting. 94 award applications in 35 categories. Robbie is chair-elect. All 92 applicants were missing some pieces. Need 2007 national award application and 50 word abstract by March 15 sent on-line. Applicants need to get the form from national web site, which will require the use of a password. Jennifer Brewer shared how to set-up account. There must be a separate abstract for each application. Not needed for Mike Davis or Dalton Proctor award. Communicator awards - limit your piece to 1 category rather than doing 1 program submitted in multiple categories.

On the new evaluation system, there is a section where applying for awards is considered in your ranking.

In the future, other association committees may be asked to judge some of the award categories. Applications will come to awards chair, given to each committee, and then returned to awards chair who will submit it to the national chair. Communicator awards become property of the association. Award recipients will receive a letter indicating they are receiving an award so they can invite guests to come to the Awards Dinner, but the letter will not say what they have won. Letters will also be copied to district and county director.

Constitution committee suggested that you need to have 3 years experience to serve on the Awards Committee. Rebecca questioned if members on other committee can judge based on this criteria. Lesa responded that this will be OK because the award applications being given to other committee do not require extensive 4-H experience. If someone from the committee submits an application, they will not vote. Sharing the work will also let others learn from the awards application process.

District reports:
NC - no report.
NE - no report.
NW - Hope you enjoyed winter board. Remember to sign-up for Discover and Explore. Complete Winter Board evaluations.
SC - no report
SE - no report
SW - presented the invitation for the Annual Conference which will be held in Charlotte in August.
W - no report

Unfinished Business
Crystal will be contacting FCS officers and will be forming ad hoc comm. to look at the possibility of holding a joint meeting sometime in the future.

Travis Burke announced that NC will be hosting the national Ag. Agents meeting in Greensboro in 2008. If you have talented 4-H'ers that want to audition for the Talent Showcase, there is an application. Deadline to apply is March 15, 2007. The suggestion was made to connect the event to 4-H Entertains at Congress, but Travis said this could not be done due to the need to select acts before that time.

Motion to adjourn meeting.

Respectfully Submitted,
Donna Mull
Secretary