MCTA
Meeting 12/02/2024 @ 7:00 pm
via Google Meet: MCTA Meeting
MCTA Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, December 10, 2024 -· 7:00
– 8:00pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/hyr-
Or dial: (US) +1 413-779-5361 PIN:
929 320 278#
Next Meeting: 01/14/2025 @7:00 pm
President: Merrilyn Ratliff
Co-Vice Presidents: April La Barre,
Ellen Kelly
Secretary: Melissa Fieldhouse
Treasurer: Chris Donovan
1. Committee Updates
2. Membership (Ellen)
3. Consider raising
membership rates effective in early 2025; need to have a decision by summer
2025. The proposed bylaws state the family membership 2-6 individuals in the
same household; handbook states up to 6 family members. This is inconsistent
and should be clarified.
4. We can run a promotion to
renew before the rates rise.
5. Consider having a junior
board
6. This requires further
investigation to determine what this group would do, and we haven’t yet gauged
interest. This would require an adult advisor. We may take a look at this later
in the year since there are so many other things we’re working on now.
7. We have 28 active
memberships, 11 new members, and 66 members who should renew.
8. Membership auto-renewal
was proposed; an automatic email could be sent to remind people that their
membership will renew automatically and they have a chance to elect not to
renew. Auto-renewal can’t be by the calendar year; it would be by the original
join month.We would have to consider the impact to year-end awards.
9. Education (April/Ginger)
10. Studs clinic is slated for 02/09/2025. Non-members will
have to pre-pay.
11. The March clinic/challenge is pending. If necessary, we may
change the clinic/challenge.
12. April clinic is the Judge’s View at C at Graham Equestrian.
13. A second quarter mark clinic is set for 6/29/2025 at Willow
View Farm.
14. There is interest in a CPR clinic.
15. Sponsorship (Holly) – not discussed
16. Treasurer’s Report – not discussed
17. Interscholastic & Adult Rider teams – not discussed
18. Competition Committee Updates – not discussed
19. Pop Up Members at MD Breeders Association Library
20. We only see members at the banquet. A suggestion to host an
informal gathering at the library on a Saturday in February/March was made,
with something like a tack swap or raffle. People would have to be present to
win. We could have ice breakers for members to meet. We should avoid dates on
which we are running clinics.
21. Year-End Awards/Banquet
22. Silent Auction Results
23. We raised $5369.83. This is slightly less than last year.
We received feedback that the bid increase rate should be $5, not $1; this
would increase the amount raised. The group believes a $5 bid increment is too
high.
24. The banquet was fabulous; the room looked great. Our guest
speaker Cricket Goodall was very impressed.
25. A suggestion to hold the banquet later in the year was
made. The awards are determined at the end of the year and it’s difficult to
get embroidery and engraving done so soon before the banquet in early January.
The board will consider alternate dates.
26. We want to have a banquet committee chaired by a non-board
member. Holly LaBarre will participate.
27. Setting up the banquet 2 hours before it begins is
challenging. We can get in a day early to set up; what do we need to have ready
a day before?
28. We will create a task list to identify banquet preparation
so we can be ready to set up a day before the banquet. The task list will be
shared with he banquet chair/committee.
29. Let’s engage a guest speaker now for next year. One idea is
to have Gretchen Butts speak about the Classic 3-Day.
In Attendance
Ellen Kelly, Ginger LaBarre, April LaBarre, Sarah Perrell,
Ruth Frey, Holly LaBarre
