Lanark & District Chapter of the Ontario Woodlot Association
March 2024
Members of the L&D Chapter.
I hope everyone had a healthy and productive winter. With the unusually warm weather at the end of February, it looks like an early start for this year’s maple syrup season. Lanark County is the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario. Fortune Farms, Wheeler’s, Temple’s, Fulton’s, as well as other sugar bushes are all active, so get out there and enjoy the season.
Here are a few things that you need to know:
- It’s that time of year again where we gather for our annual information session and general meeting. This year’s meeting is scheduled for Saturday, May 11 at Watson’s Corners Hall, registration starting at 8:30 am. The draft agenda, although still fluid, is attached. As usual, lunch is included with your attendance, and did I mention the home-made pies the ladies make for dessert? Anyway, save the date. Since we’ve had a significant increase in members in the last couple of years, we would really like to see some of the newer members attend.
- I want to send out an urgent appeal to get some new members to the Board of Directors. The Board is currently down to four (4) Directors; Peter Usher, Bob Mingie, Richard Gore, and me. This is below the threshold of a legitimate Board according to our Chapter constitution, which states that the Board ‘.shall consist of five to nine Directors’. Also, Peter, Bob and I have been on the Board for 20 or more years and we’ll be the first to admit that we are long overdue for new blood on the Board and change in leadership. You should know that the constitution also states that the ‘term for a Director shall be two (2) years’, so don’t worry, you don’t have to hang around for 14 or 20 years if you don’t want to. Think about it and if you are interested, let us know by sending your expression of interest to info@lanarkowa.ca, before the May 11th meeting.
- Given our reduced Board and its limited bandwidth to organize events/projects for which members have expressed interest in the past, we have been discussing the idea of establishing some ‘volunteer’ run projects. Activities would be organized and run by one or two volunteers on a one-time basis, i.e. no long-term commitment. For example, there have been several requests for information on planting, thinning, and harvesting pine plantations. Project volunteer(s) would research experts in the field and set-up presentations and/or field trips to address the topic. We’ll talk about this more on May 11. If you have a topic that you would be interested in pursuing as a ‘volunteer’ on behalf of the membership, let us know (info@lanarkowa.ca).
- Finally, we had a limited response to the membership survey sent out last summer. Richard Gore’s summarized results are attached. Again, we will discuss this more at the meeting.
That’s it for now. Stay well and we hope to see you on May 11.
Fred Huszarik
President,
Lanark & District Chapter OWA.
2024 Spring Information Session and Annual General Meeting
May 11, 2024,
Watson’s Corners Hall
Agenda (Draft)
8:30 am. Registration opens.
9:00 Introductions & Stories from Your Woodlot Members Present
9:30 The OWA and Advocacy John Pineau
10:00 EOMF & Ontario Species at Risk (SAR) Glen Prevost
10:30 Break
10:45 A Brief History of the EOCFO/L&D Chapter Peter Usher
11:00 Member Survey results & Volunteering Richard Gore
11:30 Estate Planning for Private Woodlot Owners Holly Agnew
12:30 Lunch
1:30 Business meeting
– Treasurer’s report
– Board of Directors
– New business
2:00 The End
- John Pineau is the Executive Director of the Ontario Woodlot Association.
- Glen Prevost is the EOMF/FSC Program Manger.
- Peter Usher & Richard Gore are members of our Board of Directors
- Holly Agnew is a Lawyer specializing in Family Law, Wills and Estates. Holly’s practice is in Almonte at holly@hollyagnewlaw.com.
Location: The Watsons Corners Hall is located on the 3rd Concession, Dalhousie, just off the Watsons Corners Road/CR8 which runs eastward from Highway 511. Highway 511 runs from Highway 7 in Perth to Lanark Village and onwards to Calabogie.