Meeting Minutes- September 2012

​9/20/12 Online General AAZK Chapter
-          This was our 1st Web Ex meeting. We hope to hold more business meetings through the use of web conferencing tools. We also would like to continue having events held at our different facilities as well. If you are interested in holding a small or large event at your facility please contact your facility’s liaison or officer. Examples of past events are a tour of the Queens Zoo’s aviary, a shark training season teamed up with a presentation on pinnipeds at the NY Aquarium and Enrichment Bonanzas at the Bronx Zoo.
-          The Bronx Zoo’s wild animal keeper, Danielle Steele gave an engaging and informative summary of her work assisting in research on wild populations of spotted dolphins in the Bahamas. The flight was funded by The Chapter’s Travel Grant.
-          We are currently accepting applications for the next travel grant! The deadline to give in your application is Oct 1st. Members whose applications were accepted will have the opportunity to give a short presentation to attending members at the Oct 20th general meeting. Attending members will vote on who will receive the $500 travel grant. This meeting will also be held as a Web Ex online meeting so members from all facilities can attend the meeting easily. The travel grant application and guidelines are posted on our chapter’s blogspot at www.bronxzooaazk.blogspot.com
-          Attending members voted on spending chapter money to purchase an AAZK conference week registration for members to use. Members unanimously voted to spend the money. The cost of the week registration is $250. Members who will be using the registration will be responsible for their own transportation and accommodations.
-          We had a call for committees. Anyone interested in joining or assisting with the following committees, please contact any of the officers ASAP.
-Travel Grant Committee- Committee members will be in charge of managing the applications for the upcoming travel grant opportunity available for chapter members.
-Calendar Committee- Committee members will be responsible for coming up with a calendar theme, collecting photos, creating the calendar layout and printing calendars before the holiday season.
-Bowling for Rhinos- Committee members will plan the next BFR event with responsibilities including securing a location, soliciting vendors for donations and selling tickets.
-National Zoo Keeper Week- Committee members will plan events surrounding NZKW which takes place during the 3rd week in July. Past events have included keeper talks, collages, artist showcase, silent auctions, keeper appreciation awards, potluck dinners, a scavenger hunt, and keeper olympics.
        -     Here is a list of upcoming events for our chapter:
                                -Panel Discussion- November
                                -Holiday Silent Auction- We are looking for items for donation!! Contact an officer if
you would like to donate
-Holiday Season Casual Night out- December
-Elections!!!- December
-Chopsticks for Salamanders Sushi Night- February-March

Please Note: We are looking for officers for our chapter. Being an officer is a unique opportunity for personal professional growth as well as it is a unique opportunity to be an active facilitator of progress in our chapter and in WCS. If you are interested in becoming a chapter officer, please contact one of the current officers ASAP.
Also to note: We are hoping to lower chapter membership costs. The extent of a discount has not been decided yet, as we have to look over our expenses more closely. As soon as a decision is reached, we will take it to our members to vote on. We hold events periodically to help fund the chapter, giving us the ability to provide a travel grant twice a year and now to fund a conference registration.  Thank you to all of our members’ and supporters’ generous donations for our silent auctions. We hope our members and supporters continue this generosity so our members can continue to benefit by having opportunities available for professional growth.
In Attendance:  Michelle Medina, Robin Sutker, Amy Golden, Mary Gremler, Dawn Davis, Danielle Steele, Katelyn Massarone, Sara Koplish, Mike Wrubel, Cindy Maur, Sara Parker, Ronnie Thomas