GWAPA: February 2002

The first GWAPA meeting of 2002 was held on Saturday, Feb. 16 at the home of Francine Bethea. Persons present were: Alysoun McLaughlin, Andrew Blumhagen, Jack Smith, Sarah Brown, John Godbey, Francine Bethea, Bob Bock, John Mangan, Pierre Gagne.

All present paid their 2002 membership dues ($12).

A discussion was held concerning the proposed bylaws. This was followed by a unanimous vote of those present to accept the bylaws as written.

An election was held for GWAPA's 2002 officers. The results are:
President - Alysoun McLaughlin
Vice President - Jack Smith
Recording Secretary - John Mangan
Corresponding Secretary - Francine Bethea
Treasurer - Pierre Gagne

Committee chairs will start to be appointed at the next meeting.

It was decided that we will try to hold our meetings on the first Saturday of the meeting month to avoid schedule conflicts with the killie and cichlid groups. The next meeting will be April 6, 2002 at 1:00 pm at the home of Alysoun and Andrew. The June meeting will be held at the home of Ivo Busko.

After the business portion of the meeting was concluded there was an informal discussion on a variety of aquatic plant topics including saltwater macroalgae, lighting, growing vals,...

Following this Andrew lead the group in a "name that plant" game that he put together (after Alysoun came up with the idea). The game consisted of illustrations of 12 different aquatic plants which players had to identify by scientific or common name. Two points were given for each correct scientific name or one point for the correct common name. The winner, with 20 out of a possible 24 points was Pierre Gagne. Pierre received several bottles of aquarium chemicals
as a prize. A prize of a plant book was given to the person with the lowest score.

The meeting concluded with an aquatic plant auction which included: lace leaf java fern, watersprite, Bolbitis, Nitella, Crypt. affinis, Crypt. nevilli, Crypt. wendtii, hornwort, a "starter kit" of numerous plants, and two different "mystery" plants: Whattheheckisthis alysounae and Dontaskme francineae - both very interesting plants that no one present could identify.

John Mangan, GWAPA Recording Sec.