[MassChestnutOrchards] MassChestnutOrchards Digest, Vol 130, Issue 1

[Anne Bobigian]

Just a historical note:

The chapter did have discussions with National about including RI within 
the MA chapter and this was approved at some level  in National, 
probably by Marshal (but not by a vote at the National Board Level).  I 
think this was in 2003-2004 (if you are trying to locate the minutes.).  
The reason it was discussed was to ensure that RI members chapter funds 
came to MA, e.g. the $15 membership share for RI members. 
We never pursued registering as a RI charity (separately) because it 
seemed it would complicate our yearly filing with MA as a MA charity.  
(You'd need to look at the yearly filing -- there's something in there 
that would be affected.)  We didn't see a need to go to the cost of 
creating a registered RI corporate entity.  We felt it was possible to 
solicit funds from members in RI since they were members of the National 
TACF and National had agreed to send us the RI membership share.  (The 
RI members just need to designate any chapter donations to MA on their 
annual membership.)

We have had directors from RI from almost the beginning, since Jim 
Garland was one of the first orchard Managers and became a RI director 
in 2002 (probably) and always included RI trees in our inventory.  I 
don't see a need to expand the number of directors or specify a certain 
number of directors from RI, since voting is "at large" 
(self-replicating board) and we've always had directors from RI (now 
Yvonne as an officer).  In addition, I don't think there have ever 
actually been a contest for being a director (you've always expanded the 
number of Board Members to include appropriate nominations.)

Hope this helps a bit in understanding how this came about -- we had 
people ready and willing in RI, and were always inclusive.  Then we 
wanted to get their share of the membership fee to the chapter to 
sustain our joint efforts and National agreed to create a joint chapter 
so as to allow that flow of funds. 

Anne Myers