September 14 Global Connections Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

Members in Attendance:
Voting members: Bob Persiko, Bruce Truitt, Shannon Holliday, Melanie Miller Foster

Non-voting members: Marco Damasceno, Anna Borisova de Valdez

Call to order at 7:09 PM. September minutes were accepted as submitted.

Reports of officers:

President – Bob

Bob suggested organizing more:

  1. In-person activities with members, like the picnic + hiking on October, 8.
  2. Revenue-generating activities for the organization (indoor events).

Annual meeting will consist (45 min):

  1. General report – Bob
  2. Finance report – Bruce
  3. Election
  4. No cultural presentation this time

Melanie suggested to use agenda from the previous year annual meeting because that meeting was organized well.

Melanie asked to put a specific call to show members what needs are and how can people contribute. Bob suggested to ask members to join committee and committee will divide rolls.

Bob commented that small groups work very actively. There are two new members who came from English group.

 

Vice President – Kieran Holland – absent, doing the telephone duty at WPSU for fundrising

Treasurer – Bruce Truitt

Bruce reported:

  1. $6 000.00 in a checking account
  2. Paid annual subscription of WA – $648.00+around $5-$10 per month of transaction fees
  3. Bruce asked about the disposition of several gift certificates and gift cards. There are three certificates (2017) from the Rey Azteca Mexican Restaurant, which are still valid. Two of them were presented to one member and Marco for their great help during the work at the Multicultural Unity Fair. There is one more certificate is available and 3-4 gift cards. Shannon suggested using it as a present in some ruffle.
  4. Bruce announced the need of making a decision about increasing the plan of contacts in WA due to Rita’s concerns. Were decided that Rita should be present to clarify the situation. Melanie thinks that WA makes easier for volunteers doing administration work and cheaper in comparison with the salary of an employee. To make a decision it should be a quorum. Melanie noted that GC should think about to opportunity to share tools for taking responsibility and rights to some members, who want to be more active. Bob suggested arranging a meeting with Bruce and Rita to discuss some unclarities about WA and after to organize a vote with executive members, probably via E-votes between meetings.
  5. Bruce submitted request: one member requested assistance with CHIP application for the child. Bob will try to ask help of
  6. Membership renewal notice will go automatically to the members on WA in December and be affected on January 1st, 2023.

Secretary – Maryam – absent. Anna Borisova de Valdez

Public relations, website, and social media –Marco

Will be a post about the picnic and the hike of the discussion group. Marco will photoshop a person, who asked to not publish him on social nets. Information about candidates for election is prepared. Need to be ready before October, 25th

Anna suggested using statistical information of contacts from WA making a post with numbers: how many men, women, nationalities, and how many languages members speak to show how GC is global. 

Bruce noted that Wenjie could provide this information about the university and Rita could clarify do we have this statistics on WA.

Penn State Global  – Wenjie Fu – absent, submitted report

Here are the updates from Penn State Global, and please let me know if you have ay questions.

  1. Penn State community is invited to a conversation with Qatari energy minister on Friday, Oct. 14, 12:00 – 1:00 pm at HUB 132 Flex Theater.
  1. Community Engagement Programs – Book Group Discussion (virtual) on October 19, 4-5 pm. This month’s theme is Memoirs! Bring your favorite memoir to join our virtual roundtable book group discussion.
  2. Conversation Partners Program – Pumpkin Decoration and Craft on Wednesday, October 26, 4:00 – 6:00 pm at State College Borough Building, Room 201.

Decorate pumpkins and make your garlands to celebrate the fall!  Come join us to have a fun time with your assigned conversation partners and other CEP participants. Friends and family members are welcome to join too! Bring your own pumpkins! We will provide all the necessary supplies and baby pumpkins (while supplies last.

  1. Global Sustainable Action: It Starts with Us!

Penn State Global is currently looking for volunteers to join our planning committee and to help on the day of the conference. The conference will be held at University Park on November 5, 2022, as part of International Education Month. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the form : https://forms.office.com/r/avgqHKxTik

  1. Join OLLI at Penn State and Penn State Global for culture and conversations from around the world on Thursday, November 3, 1:30 – 3:00 pm at Penn State Outreach Building, room 121 G&H.

Small GroupsDeb Leo,  absent, absent, submitted report.

The intermediate/advanced Women’s Book Group that Sharon and I lead is up and running with 5 new members and new interest every week. We have begun in-person meetings on Wednesdays at noon, and the participants are so happy to meet in-person. We are still welcoming new members so please refer any interested to Susan at suelewst@gmail.com

Reports from the standing committees:

Cultural luncheons Committee – Shannon Holiday

  1. Luau party

Expenditures and incomes

Revenues

 $  120.00

Permit

 $  (60.00)

Food

 $(691.00)

Cake

 $  (74.99)

Decorations/Beverages/Other Food

 $(253.19)

Total

 $(959.18)

 

Was received good feedback from the attendees. Anna suggested to organize payment for the next for all participants: members with discount, other – full price.

Bob will share with Shannon information from previous years events

  1. Shannon asked to send her any suggestions/ideas of the cultural lunch of the next year. Bob offered to think about the organization earlier this year: to recruit more people, etc. To think again maybe to cooperate with Nittany Methodist church, to have more volunteers (not members), but who can help during the event (who will serve, who will clean).
  2. There is a opportunity to take part in the Boalsburg farmers market on Tuesdays (from State College community Land trust) with no cost (indoor in winter). They provide table and chairs. GC can stand there with it’s information. Bob offered to discuss with member committee.

Anna suggested thinking strategically about the goals of the organization and from that to decide in what promotion activities GC should take part.

  1. Shannon noted about opportunity to be present GC at WPSU kids fair.

Membership – Rita absent, submitted report

  1. Below is an overview of our membership/contacts in the Wild Apricot system:

– current total contacts: 250

-current members: 85

-new members in last 30 days: 4

  1. I am very concerned that we have too small a plan in WildApricot for our most basic needs. Comparing our numbers to the limits of our WildApricot plan I would like to ask the team to consider and approve increasing our Wild Apricot plan to allow upto 500 contacts. Pricing can be found here: https://www.wildapricot.com/pricing-na
  • We have maxed out the number of contacts at 250 total contacts…no new contacts may be added to the system at this time
  • recruiting and converting interest in the organization into membership necessitates keeping a larger list of contacts than actual members, so we can capture interested prospects and send them info about upcoming opportunities that have them signup and become members.
  • We have the interest that would warrant a “Community” plan option and our prospects look very promising:

  . 250 contacts

  . 192 event attendees

  . 132 email opens (of 220 sent)

  • Though we do have some old/expired/no longer active contacts, I am not convinced that deleting a few will [delete “not”] provide enough “space” for managing our active and potential contacts.…in other words: we need to do this and there is no short term fix

 

Unfinished business:

List or action items from the August meeting and action taken or still pending:

  • Bruce to continue organizing a team for the financial review. (Still pending).
  • Wenjie to submit an item for the newsletter on tax workshops, Conversation Partners, and a call for volunteers (submitted for the September newsletter)
  • Shannon to recruit volunteers for the September 18 picnic; Bob to include an item in the newsletter. (completed)
  • Shannon to coordinate with Rita and the membership committee on GC representation at the September Multi-Cultural Unity fair. (completed)
  • Deb to submit an item on book groups for the newsletter; also work with the PR team on advertising through social media. (completed)
  • Melanie to check with Daniel on temporarily suspending the limit on the presidential term and report back to the EC. Daniel Foster said that he can write a proviso with an expiration date, which can be adopted by the membership in order to allow for an extension for the next year. 8/11/22
  • Bruce to craft wording to change the bylaws provision on maintaining membership records. (pending)
  • Maryam to change the standing committee choices in the member registration site in Wild Apricot. (Maryam/Anna to confirm)
  • Bob to draft an appeal to members for the newsletter on more active participation and new project development. (completed)

There was a brief discussion about the proposed changes in the standing rules. A motion was made by Kieran and seconded by Shannon to accept the changes. The members present voted unanimously to approve. Bob noted that this is a work in progress and can be amended any time there is a need. Bob will put the document in final and distribute it.

New Business

The members agreed on Wednesday, November 9, for the annual membership meeting and election (via Zoom). Melanie noted that the slate of officer candidates needs to be sent to the members by October 9. Bob will write an item for the September newsletter (action item).

Meeting adjournment: 8:09

Prepared and Submitted by Anna Borisova de Valdez 9/14/2022 with edits by Bob Persiko