August 10 Global Connections Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
Members in Attendance:
Voting members: Bob Persiko, Shannon Holliday, Bruce Truitt, Deb Leo, Sabrina Lima
Non-voting members: Melanie Miller Foster, Marco Damasceno, Wenjie Fu
Call to order at 7:08 PM. May minutes were approved with suggestion to add attribution of preparation and submission.
Reports of officers:
President – Bob
- Bob has begun working with Hidayatullah Noorzai, a refugee from Afghanistan, to help him improve his academic writing in preparation for applying to PSU for a master’s in journalism. He was a journalist in Afghanistan. This may lead to other ways that GC can provide support for refugees.
- A student from SCAHS wants to create a Global Connections-like organization in the high school. Bob will work with her and hopes that this leads to a closer affiliation between our two institutions. Outreach to schools is a goal for GC – to be discussed at the next EC meeting.
- Bob needs to appoint three people to the nominating committee to put together a slate of candidates for the 2023 Executive Committee. He asked for help identifying volunteers.
Vice President – absent
Treasurer – Bruce Truitt – Bruce reported on the status of the bank accounts: We have $7,786 in our checking account and $30,709 in our money market account. Bruce has identified a couple of candidate auditors to provide financial review services. (Action item for follow-up) Bruce has arranged for future distributions from the Centre Foundation to be transferred electronically instead of via check.
Secretary – Maryam and Maria Antonieta were absent.
Public relations, website, and social media – Sabrina and Marco – Sabrina suggested doing a profile for the newsletter on a US male member. Bruce was “volunteered” and accepted.
Penn State Global – Wenjie Fu –
- 167 students and scholars from 34 countries were served in the spring tax workshops.
- Conversation Partners – restarting; asked for names of anyone interested.
- Wenjie to submit an item for the August newsletter (action item)
- International speakers day in November
- International student orientation next week.
Reports from the standing committees:
Cultural luncheons Committee – Shannon Holiday –
- Regarding the September 18 general membership picnic (Luau): Members will attend free of charge; guests will pay $10 to become members. Shannon will estimate costs and then work with Bruce earmark necessary funds. Volunteers – Bob suggested contacting people who helped with the Brazilian meal to serve and clean up. Include a standing request for volunteers in the newsletter (action item).
- Multi-cultural Unity Fair, September 17, Municipal Building – will be mentioned in the newsletter. Rita and her committee are responsible for setting up the GC table.
Membership Committee – Rita was absent.
Small groups –
- Book groups haven’t met since May. Will be advertising for new members. Meetings will be in-person. Sabrina will work with Deb and/or Sharon about social media advertising.
- Bob said the discussion group and English class resume this week.
- Shannon mentioned the availability of the Launch Box for meetings.
Unfinished business:
- Nonmember contact list – It was clarified that this is for event attendees or are potential member candidates. Melanie reiterated that the Wild Apricot membership list is our main way of contacting members. Wenjie said that Mail Chimp and Survey Monkey are not viable alternatives. Bruce suggested having a sign-in sheet at all Nonmembers would get a follow-up email inviting them to become members (Membership committee responsibility). Wild Apricot will automatically purge people to a separate data file who are no longer active members – or list them as inactive. Bruce suggested prioritizing WA as the single source for member contact and keeping members and nonmembers separate.
New Business
- Should we amend the bylaws to delete the one-year term limit on the president? Bob clarified that he would be willing to serve one more year and feels it would otherwise be difficult to find a replacement for 2023. Melanie thought that an alternative might be to temporarily suspend the bylaw. Action: Melanie to check with Daniel (parliamentarian) on this and report back to the Executive Committee. (action item)
- Proposed changes to the standing rules – The matter was briefly discussed and then tabled to the September EC meeting to give members more time to review the proposal. Bruce said that “maintaining membership records” is listed in the bylaws as the responsibility of the treasurer; this should be changed to the membership committee or secretary and may possibly require an amendment in the bylaws. The treasurer should be responsible for maintaining financial records. Bruce to submit rewording, which we will run by Daniel (action item). Melanie clarified that changes in the standing rules can be decided by the EC.
- Change registration format for standing committee choices in the registration site – Maryam to be tasked with this (action item)
- Fall projects – We need members to take responsibility for new projects. Bruce estimated 30-35% annual membership turnover, so a written appeal is a good idea. Bruce suggested having regular events each year. We should ask ourselves if they serve not only the members but also the community. Advertising them would help us establish our identity in the community. Bob to draft an item for the newsletter (action item). Wenjie suggested arranging a guided tour of the Arboretum as an activity.
Meeting adjournment: 8:15
- Bruce to continue identifying candidates for for the financial review.
- Sabrina and Marco to work on the August newsletter with input from various people.
- Wenjie to submit an item for the newsletter on tax workshops, Conversation Partners, and a call for volunteers
- Shannon to recruit volunteers for the September 18 picnic; Bob to include an item in the newsletter.
- Shannon to coordinate with Rita and the membership committee on GC representation at the September Multi-Cultural Unity fair.
- Deb to submit an item on book groups for the newsletter; also work with the PR team on advertising through social media.
- Melanie to check with Daniel on temporarily suspending the limit on the presidential term and report back to the EC.
- Bruce to craft wording to change the bylaws provision on maintaining membership records – to consult with Daniel and resolve at the next EC meeting.
- Maryam to change the standing committee choices in the member registration site in Wild Apricot.
- Bob to draft an appeal to members for the newsletter on more active participation and new project development.
Summary of what should go into the August newsletter:
- Photo and brief description of the July 30 evening outing at the SC Spikes game
- Profile of either Kiyomi or Bruce
- Reminder of the September 18 member picnic and the need to register
- Mention of the September Multi-Cultural Unity fair
- Appeal for members to be active, participate in projects (Bob).
- An item that we are looking for members to serve in the Executive Committee.
- An item that Wenjie will write about Conversation Partners and the tax workshops that Penn State Global conducted in the spring.
- Item from Deb about reading group.
- Appeal for host families for local youth exchange organizations
Prepared and Submitted by Bob Persiko 8/19/2022