DUCK SOUP COOP
Board Minutes
April 17, 2006
Present: Peggy James, Judy Krajewski, Ann Mueller, Cynthia Nelson, Tania Nezrick, Ruth Peterson, Mary Helen Polensky
Absent: Kathy Stelford (illness)
The meeting was called to order by President Nelson at 7 p.m. Polensky moved and Nezrick seconded that minutes of March 20 be accepted as circulated. The motion passed. The agenda was accepted as presented.
Manager’s Report
The financial reports for the first quarter will be ready soon. In general, the Coop is in excellent financial shape. The past month there have been sales in about the $75000.00 range.
The annual Health Department inspection gave the coop 99 points out of 100, an excellent rating. The Illinois Department of Agriculture also came this past month for egg inspection and found all to be in good order.
Assistant Manager Loreen Stravers and the staff have performed well when Manager Peggy James had to be gone in recent weeks for personal reasons. James is very grateful for their diligence.
Continuing Business
James answered the questions asked at the previous meeting and also handed out a recommendation from the Hyde Park Coop that uses the point of sale supplier that she has been working with. Positive results from such a system include savings on staff and member work time in pricing all items, a direct interface with the accounting package that will simplify much book work, and insure fewer errors in inventory making ordering simpler.
Peterson moved that the coop purchase the POS system and service contract from Integrated Store Systems of DeKalb. The motion was seconded by Krajewski and passed.
James estimated that the system should be in place some time in June.
There has been no response from Mr. Carpenter regarding the purchase of the building. The coop needs to continue to think about options for the future. All members should be thinking about what might be the best decisions to make. We need to be willing to think creatively and outside our current way of functioning. Plans will go forward for a reset in incremental steps including the POS purchase and portable check out counters to accommodate this new hardware.
Committee Planning
The committees and their convenors have set goals and made plans for this year.
The Finance Committee convenor, Polensky will meet with James and our accountant to discuss possible goals. The Personnel Committee will work on a manual. The Outreach Committee is planning some in-store activities to highlight our new coupon book and other sales periodically. DSC will have a booth at the Women’s Health Symposium at the Farm Bureau April 26 from 8-2:30p.m. The Executive Committee has been meeting thirty minutes earlier than the board each month to prepare the agenda and discuss directions for the board. The Ad Hoc Committee will be planning a sequence for the reset. The Membership Committee will work on brochures to educate and identify the benefits and process of joining DSC.
Polensky moved and Nezrick seconded a motion to adjourn at 8:09p.m. Motion passed.
THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE MAY 15TH.
Ruth Peterson
Secretary