Minutes of General Meeting
April 7, 2009

Welcome

All in attendance were welcomed.

One item was added to the agenda:
- Acquisition of a sound system was added to the agenda.

Old Business

The next Amigos Fund Raiser will be February 6, 2010, the first Saturday of the month. We need the committee to be reactivated with an enthusiastic chairperson.

The 'Don't Throw Trash' signs we posted on the beach last year are sun/wind/sand damaged and need to be replaced. David Graff will check with the Riviera Nayarit Tourism Office, the group that previously provided the signs, to see if more are available. There are dumpsters at the end of Calle Principal and Calle Emiliano Zapata.

Werner Rohde reported a balance of $67,425 (pesos). Increases during the last month were Tshirt sales of $1,360 and $749 of donations. Expenses were $210 for spanish translations and $750 for website hosting.

Nestor was not in attendance. David explained the budget review meeting the Officers of Amigos had with the Delegado team. Their comments are as follows:

1.The garbage collection centers must be movable. Locations are undecided.

2.Nestor is requesting information on water testing so Amigos work is on hold.

3.Bahia de Banderas has been petitioned to repair the Senior Center septic tank.
Approval of Amigos work is delayed until May 1.

4.The Primary School fund raiser was a huge success. They received enough money to complete their first two tasks – the tasks for which Amigos offered to share expenses. The school has asked us to repair the bathrooms but Victor asked the principal for a prioritized list of all needs.

Committee Reports

FundRaising
Nothing to Report
Garbage
Ron Deschamps and Patrick Murphy will begin construction of a movable trash collection site on Monday at Ron's RV Park. It will be made of metal because one made of concrete and brick will break when moved. It will hold 10 barrels and be gated. Both Ron and Pat have extensive welding experience. The committee needs gas torches. If you have one they can borrow, please contact Ron at 327-275-0145 or Pat at 327-275-0012.
Recycling
'Got 'er done!' reported Vicki Schilling. A group of seven students and six adults built 14 plastic collection bins last week. They have been placed along Calle Las Minitas and Calle Principal. Teams of people are harvesting the plastic daily during the Easter Holiday. Vicki has bags for the teams.

Bins are also located at the primary and secondary schools. The students have been trained and are responsible for harvesting and cleaning the bins.
Membership
Amigos has ordered a banner and will be available on April 16, reported Jacque Graff. Designed by Rob Morton, it will feature the Amigos logo, name, and website. It is one meter tall and three meters wide.

Information is being gathered for the Plaza Socials. Because the first Social will be after rainy season and after the plaza remodel is completed, detailed planning has not yet begun.
TShirts
Rob Morton said a few Tshirts have been sold and more have been gifted. In fact, the students that built the recycle bins received Tshirts. More Tshirts will be ordered in the Fall. Werner and Dianna Rohde will store the Tshirts during the summer season.
Signs
Nothing to report.
Schools
The recent fund raiser at the primary school earned $21,078 (pesos), enough to pay for the installation of paving bricks and the construction of a temporary classroom. The bricks have been installed and the classroom is almost finished. The committee is working with the school on a prioritized wish list and it will be presented at the general meeting in May.

The tourist season is coming to a close and some people will not be present at the next general meeting. At the next officers' meeting, voting via email or on the website will be considered.
Website
Check out the new Calendar! It can be found under the News & Events tab. There are also a few new stories including one about the Senior Center Chauffeur, another about the Recycling Bin construction, and several updated committee reports.
Security

Nothing to report.
Drainage

Nothing to report.
Senior Center

Mitch Schilling said the septic tank project is on hold until May 1. The seniors continue to receive rides to and from the Center every Wednesday. Recently, Roy McLean and Pat Murphy have assisted the chauffeur service provided by Mitch.
Animal Protection

Ana Embury-Lewis reported the results of the most recent spay and neuter clinic. Details are listed in the committee report on the website. The June, 2009 clinic in Lo de Marcos has been scheduled for June 11 – 13.
Health Clinic

Hazel Turney reported successful completion of the Clinic's projects for the season. She is looking for a special typewriter ribbon (Kathleen Cook will assume the task) and Hazel plans to sew some sterile dressings for the Clinic before she leaves. Labor and materials were donated and the following were acknowledged:

El Refugio Trailer Park for the washing machine
Wiliam Bravo for the plumbing work on the machine
Juan Ventura for installing a platform and laminate roof for the machine

New Business

A sound system is useful at group gatherings and public events. They can be expensive so Amigos could purchase one in partnership with La Casa de Los Ninos. A problem with co-ownership occurs when events happen on the same day. To defray costs, Amigos could rent the system. A problem with renting equipment is no sense of ownership and less respect for the system. Pros and cons noted, agreement was reached that a sound system would be beneficial. Rob Morton will post a request on the website asking for one to be brought from the US or Canada in the fall. If we have no sound system next fall, either the Membership or the Fund Raiser committee will consider the idea.

Other Announcements

A baby boy has been born in Lo de Marcos who has a cleft palate. Surgery to repair his condition costs $70,000 (pesos). He requires four surgeries and the first one is free. If anyone would like more information, please contact Pat and Gladys Murphy at 327-275-0012. A suggestion was made to contact service organizations in the US or Canada (Lions, Elks, Shriners, etc) to see if the boy could be a special consideration.

Meeting adjourned

jg: secretary