The meeting was held at the Sherwood Forest Presbyterian Church and ran from approximately 6-7:15 PM. About 18 people were in attendance, with Association President, Russell Jones, presiding.
Russell opened the meeting and explained the new Executive Committee structure, to consist of the four elected officers, plus three elected at-large members. Formerly the Executive Committee consisted of the officers plus all chairs of the working committees. We decided it was more appropriate to have all the Ex Com members be elected. The group that was present proceeded to elect Kirby Shealy, Bud Tibshrany, and Lewis Kirk as the members-at-large. All three have been very active in the association. Kirby heads the Legal and Zoning committee, Lewis manages our website, and Bud has attended almost all General and Executive meetings.

Russell also reminded us that we still need a Membership Enrollment Chair. This is a pretty easy job and would be a great way to get to know your neighbors! Email Russell if you are interested at southcarolinarealtor@gmail.com .

Larry Hembree, our Vice President, gave a long report on the progress of work at the Belser Arboretum. The City of Columbia awarded our association a CANDO grant of nearly $5,000 dollars for improvements to the entrances of the Arboretum. Many neighborhood members also have been chipping in, working on weekends mostly, to help clean up inside the arboretum and make it safe for visiting. The plan is to open it up for use at least once a month in the near future. Look for work groups on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons - and feel free to chip in! Email Larry with questions at lhembree@earthlink.net . The arboretum should become a real neighborhood asset! Our next neighborhood event may be at the arboretum.

Treasurer, Rhett Bailey, reported that we have a balance of $1,179. He also reminded us that dues run from July to June, so it's time to pay dues for the coming year. Member dues are set at $30 dollars per household, or $100 for corporate memberships Dues support neighborhood projects such as our match for beautification grants. Anyone in the neighborhood is welcome to join in Association meetings and events. Membership allows one to participate in votes at meetings. Please contact Rhett (787-5020 or mail to 511 Kalmia Drive) to pay Association dues.

We approved a logo at the meeting - a stylized winding road with trees. We voted to authorize the Executive Committee to spend up to $500 to have T-shirts printed up with the logo and our neighborhood website on them. A reasonable price will be set for the shirts and they should be for sale by our next meeting.

Bud Kinney, a guest at the meeting, spoke about the new homes being built at the corner of Kalmia and Yale. He said that all work is being done within city ordinances and zoning laws. He is happy to discuss concerns that anyone has.

Minutes and meeting announcements will always be posted on the website. We are also hand delivering meeting notices, with plans to also deliver a simple newsletter. We are looking for Block Captains to help do this. Please let us know if you are interested. Also, let us know if you are not getting information.