May 17 , 2026 Member Meeting

  WCOW General Membership Meeting Minutes

DATE:   May 17, 2026 at The Speckled Alder, hosted by Sara Dutton


Quorum:   11 needed for quorum (28 voting members/40%) Quorum met with 2 proxy votes


Call to Order. Steve M called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm


Secretary’s Report. The minutes of the February 15, 2026 Membership Meeting were presented for approval.  Steve M made a motion to approve the minutes dated February 15, 2026, and Kim K seconded the motion. Vote called; all in favor. Motion carried. 


Financial Report. 

  • The changeover to Wells Fargo Bank is complete, however, $1000 has been left in the original Bank of Alma account in case our accountant needs to write a paper check. 
  • We have not yet received an invoice for the Traveler’s publication costs

Denise P made a motion to approve the financial reports ending April 30, 2026, and Erin W seconded the motion. A vote was called, and all members were in favor; the motion carried.


Bylaws Committee. Sue F will prepare the proposed Bylaws edits and present them at the August membership meeting. 


Operations Report 

The membership committee, consisting of Mike G, Aaron G, and Steve M, operates under Operations. Still seeking town leads to represent each village and promote the benefits of membership. 


Marketing & Events Committee Report

  • The purpose of the website is to provide an overview of the area for visitors, so we have included information for non-members’ businesses to give people a true sense of what is happening in the region and to position ourselves as the top source for all things related to this area. 
  • Our marketing plan includes weekly and monthly emails. Weekly emails will feature news about events, while monthly emails will focus on larger content stories. Members are encouraged to submit their events and photos.
  • Open rates on emails have been great
  • Need to find ways to get a fresh group of email listers
  • Using AI to search relevant local business websites for events that will be automatically added to our Calendar of Events.
  • Consider allowing membership payments to be spread throughout the year for easier payment. Another suggestion is to offer one free year of membership to encourage future paid memberships.
  • QR code on posters, POS, or in front window to make it easy for people to see what else is going on in the area. 
  • Will post a marketing content calendar. 


Wisconsin’s Great River Road Committee (Wiersma-Pepin Co. Commissioner for WiGRR).

  • The planner is out and being distributed.
  • WiGRR’s new website will be online at the end of May. 
  • The Wisconsin segment of the GRR begins in Prescott and goes to Genoa. This span includes 7 counties and 33 communities. 


Other business. 

  • The Spring Fresh Art Tour is upcoming on the weekend of June 5-7
  • 900 bike riders are expected for the Tour du Pepin on the first weekend in June. There are rest stops in Pepin at Villa Bellezza and at the Stockholm Park. 
  • There will be a Season Kick Off Social at Stockholm Haus on Jun 1, starting at 5:30 pm


Village Updates

  • Bay City. 
  • Maiden Rock. 
  • Stockholm. Lavender Bluff has a feature in the summer 2026 issue of Minnesota’s Northern Gardener Magazine. The Trillium Festival was well attended. 
  • Pepin. A journalist from the London Times is coming to do interviews for an article that’s gearing up for the new Netflix show, Little House on the Prairie. Home at Laura’s Place got off to an excellent start in May. The event had many visitors and the museum was busy. Construction on the exterior façade of the Laura Museum is scheduled to begin soon. The fourth annual Pepin Crazy Days will be July 16 & 17. This is the same weekend as the Stockholm Art Fair. There will not be a Pepin Days event this summer, but there are plans for it to return in 2027
  • Nelson. 


Adjourn. Steve made a motion to adjourn, and Paul seconded the motion. Vote called; all in favor. Motion carried. 


Submitted by Sue Fedie, Secretary


Next Membership Meeting: Sunday, August 9 – 5:30 pm – Lavender Bluff in Stockholm

Next Annual Meeting:  Tuesday, November 10, 2026 – 9 am – Location TBD