Organizing Committee

Meeting Date: 10/04/2011Meeting time: 7:00 EasternLocation: web conference with Anymeeting and audio via telephoneRecorded: Yes

10/04/11 Agenda

• Review of previous meeting• What to call ourselves (friendly

name/acronym) (10 mins)• Wrap up domains (10 mins)• Discuss website (10 mins)• Membership dues? (10 mins)• Discuss Membership/audience (20 mins)• Sharing the status of our work

Review of 9/20/11

• Minutes Review and accept

Name

• What to call ourselves (friendly name/acronym) (10 mins)

• United States Lavender Growers Association• US Lavender

Domains

• Wrap up domains (10 mins)• 18 domains purchased• Additional domains suggested– TUSLGA.org,net,com,info– US-LGA.org,net,com,info– USLA.org,net,info– USLGA.net (available)

• Additional purchases?

Website

• Discuss website (10 mins)– 2 phases – 1) one page, 2) full design– Designers– Wordpress– Godaddy/hostgator/dreamhost– Vote on design

• Move forward?

Dues

• Membership dues? (10 mins)• Spent on websites ~$160• What are foreseeable expenses?

Membership/Audience

• Discuss Membership/audience (20 mins)• Who should join this organization?• Levels of membership ideas• Groups to model

Why should they join?

Membership• Some ideas include:– Primary producers looking for diversification– Small scale farmers– Hobby farmers– Bed and breakfast owners– Tourist attraction operators– Retail outlets– Wholesalers– Manufacturers and producers of lavender essential oil and

lavender products– Those planning on retirement– Persons enthusiastic about lavender

Membership• http://

www.nebraskawines.com/images/nwgga%20membership%20form.pdf

• Sequim Farmers– Academia - includes professor, educator, botanist,

horticulturalist, extension agent, and others in an educational environment

– Grower - includes gardening enthusiast, hobby farmer, and large-scale farmer

– Artisan - includes anyone who uses lavender to make products for resale

– Practitioner - includes aromatherapists, massage therapists, and other similar professionals

– Sales - includes wholesalers and retailers of lavender and its byproducts

Membership• New Zealand

– Full Members (Voting Members)Any person who grows or intends to grow lavender in New Zealand for the production of lavender oil and related products.

– Life Members Life membership may be conferred to recognise some outstanding contribution to furthering the objectives of the Association. Entitled to all the privileges and benefits of a Full Member.

– Associate Members Any person not involved in the growing of lavender in New Zealand for the production of lavender oil or related products. Not entitled to voting rights or to serve on the Executive Committee.

– Partner Members Any person involved in the growing of lavender in New Zealand for commercial purposes in partnership (formal or informal) with a Voting Member. Entitled to all the privileges and benefits of membership of the Association.

Membership

• Australia Level Cost GST Inclusive Details

Member Aust $160 Voting rights for 1. A person/persons actually involved in the production of lavender plants for commercial useage. (Incl: growers, propagators )

Affiliate Aust $40 Voting rights for 1.A Member may nominate a partner, or another person from their company or business as an Affiliate member

Associate Aust $100 1 Member.Voting rights for 1. A person/persons who contribute to and benefit from the promotion and expansion of the lavender industry in Australia (Academia , manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, associations etc)

International Aust $90 1 Member.Nil voting rights. A person/persons, non-resident in Australia , interested in the Australian lavender industry and the promotion and education of the genus lavandula.

Membership comments• Would regional lavender associations have a reason or need to join the national association?

Would they be considered “corporate” members? Would they have a vote on national association matters? From my point of view, I think it would be very good to have our association as a member of the national association. We can represent growers, researchers and retailers from our association as a whole even if individuals choose to join the national association.

• Its hard to think what each group might get from the ‘association’. Again, I think this is an area where other lavender groups might share what their groups do.It could be possible that as a ‘national’ organization that we encompass smaller organizations such that a membership in a regional group is also a membership in the national group. I am thinking here of what the Herb Society of America does; you can be a member of a regional group or a member at large without being a member of a regional group. As a business group too, we might want to consider membership fees being based on income/sales as many business groups do. This would encourage those just starting out to join at a lower fee than larger businesses who have been around while.

• Cindy, I used to be a member (business) at large with the Herb Society. They still assigned me to the South Region. Each region does it’s own thing (and always in Texas) in addition to the national events. I hadn’t thought of that for us, but maybe. However, I do thoroughly enjoy meeting lav farmers from all over the country and getting their take on things. It could be some regions would have very little and some a lot, such as it kind of is now for us. The Southwest & Northwest (and now Western Colorado) have really been the only thing on my radar.

Why join?

• Benefits

Sharing our status

• What can we share with others• Consistent language

Next Steps

• Discuss/vote on Membership• Introduce Bylaws• 10/18• 11/1• 11/15• 11/29