The New Orleans Food Cooperative Board of Directors will meet at the Healing Center (2372 St. Claude) on Tuesday, November 3, from 6-8:30pm. All are welcome to attend.

The NOFC Action Team will conduct a potluck-style meeting at the New Orleans Healing Center (2372 St. Claude Avenue, corner of St. Roch and St. Claude) on Monday, October 26, 2009. Potluck is at 6pm, meeting is at 6:30pm. We will be hosting our new accountant and the new board. We will be collaborating on all the exciting work we are doing to open our member-owned grocery store. This is an excellent time and place to meet others involved in the project, share your ideas, and find out how you can help out! Action Team meetings are open to the public.

In attendance: Mimi Dimassa (board member), Scott Galante (board member), Michael Smith (board member), Sheryl Golich (CPA), Elisa Miller (NOFC member), Darryl Ward (NOFC member).

Meeting called to order 7:45pm at the New Orleans Healing Center (2372 St. Claude Ave.)

The Annual Member Meeting will be held on October 21, 2009 at Holy Angels Convent at 3500 St. Claude, to begin at 6pm. Board of Directors’ elections will be held. All NOFC members are encouraged to run for the Board of Directors.

1. Bylaws revisions.

A member objected to the second amendment to the Bylaws at this particular time, as the Bylaw change concerns Board terms. The rationale behind the second amendment: Internal continuity on the Board is important to our external partners (and funding sources), as it retains institutional knowledge and Board training, knowledge and skills, as well as the professional relationships between organizations. Also, the mission of the cooperative is well served by keeping Board members on for a longer period of time.

The Board unanimously passed the Board Resolution stating “This Board recommends that the next Board consider the following amendments to the Bylaws:

     ARTICLE I, SECTION 7.  Quorum. The presence in person of five percent (5%) of the voting members or 35, whichever is lesser, shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the members. Only members in actual attendance at the meeting shall count toward a quorum.

     ARTICLE II, SECTION 2. Number and Term of Office. The number of directors shall be a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of nine (9). Directors shall be members. The directors shall be elected each year at the annual meeting of members, and each director shall be elected for terms of three years. Terms of directors shall be staggered so that one-third of the terms, or as nearly as may be practical, shall expire each year. To facilitate staggering of terms, some directors may periodically be elected for a one or two-year term.”

Elisa suggested that these amendments could be offered to the membership for consideration at the general member meeting. The Board agreed that this was a prudent idea.

2. Internal Financial Accounting Review.

Sheryl Golich, CPA came to pick up documents in order to perform a review and audit of NOFC accounts.  The CPA will begin immediately moving through NOFC documents.

3.   Action Team update:

The Action Team met on September 28, 2009 and October 12, 2009. The Action Team has been working to arrange the All Member Meeting, which will be held at Holy Angels Convent at 3500 St. Claude, to begin at 6pm on October 21, 2009.

The Action Team is also considering ways to improve communication between the Board of Directors, the Action Team, and the membership.

      Meeting adjourned at 8:57.

The New Orleans Food Cooperative Board of Directors will next meet at the Healing Center (2372 St. Claude) on Tuesday, October 13, from 7:30pm - 8:30pm. All are welcome to attend.

Friday Oct. 30, Parade @ 6pm Markey Park, Party @ 8pm - 4am, 2372 St. Claude

www.neworleanshealingcenter.org