Earthtides’ annual meeting was held at 2:00 PM on February 24, with eight members in attendance.

President’s Welcome: Fred thanked us all for coming, and got us right down to business.

Previous minutes: The minutes from the previous annual meeting were read and accepted as written.

The Treasurer was not present, and there was no report, but it was assumed that our finances were similar or better than last year, as there had been no large expenditures, and both the sales at the Common Ground Fair and the CD savings had provided income.

Rita gave an update on the CGF. We had two adjacent booth spaces, and felt that we should try the same thing again. After discussion, Rita agreed to inquire about ad rates in the MOFGA newsletter. The idea was to buy an ad, encouraging people to stop by to learn about EPN: “If you feel inspired by the sacredness of the Earth, and want to learn more about others who share your beliefs…” The dates for the fair this year will be September 21-23.

Fred represented the editorial board, as Marigold was not present. The newsletter continues to come out with a nice variety of contributions, in a timely manner. More contributors would of course be welcome. The submission deadlines for the next eight issues are: Beltane, March 20; Litha, May 10; Lammas, June 23; Mabon, August 10; Samhain, September 19; Yule, November 9; Imbolc, December 22; Eostar, February 8. Rita agreed to write a piece on staying in the political loop. She will also write on Pagans showing a presence at events that are not specifically Pagan, but would make nice inter-community connections.

Website discussion: Fred felt that he might not find time soon to update the website, which is somewhat out of date already. Brent offered to update, post events, etc. Brent and Fred will arrange the details for this soon. Eric will ask Forest Sanctuary and Temple of Brigantia about advance notices for open events, as they have posted schedules ahead in the past.

The Interfaith Coordinator was not present to report, but her continuing efforts were approved, nay, lauded. At the previous MPCA meeting she mentioned that she would be able to provide interfaith calendar events for inclusion in the Earthtides calendar.

T-shirt report: The t-shirts are not inventoried, but we have a fairly large number remaining from the previous printing. A t-shirt, and possibly a tote bag, commemorating the 25th annual Beltane on the Beach was discussed.

Other Events/Beltane on the Beach: Fred and Leigh noted that it has been difficult to make everyone aware of two things at that event. First, it is a pot-luck event, the idea being that sharing food builds community. Second, that, especially last year, there was a distressing amount of trash left behind, which took them an extra hour to clean up. It was noted that, as Pagans, we should certainly do better! A maypole, still with its many layers of ribbon, was left standing in the sand, and had to be taken home by somebody else. We have to take out whatever we bring, and that means all the ribbon. Finally, Fred and Leigh said that they are considering passing the responsibility of this event to somebody else, as they have been doing it for many years, and live further away than they did originally. Rita’s upcoming (no date set) workshop on Politics for the Overextended will be co-sponsored by EPNN and MPCA.

Officers Discussion: Rita suggested that we hold elections at the annual meeting, instead of the more complicated procedure outlined in the bylaws. After discussion mostly in agreement with this, Rita moved that the chair appoint a bylaws review committee, which will solicit input from members. Progress on this will be reported in the newsletter, and the possibility of giving required notice, and then allowing online discussion and voting, was considered, given the distances involved in meeting.

Respectfully submitted,
Eric Robbins (standing in for the Recording Secretary)