December 11, Global Connections (GC) Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date and Time: Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 7:00 PM

Location: Zoom

Officers Present

President: Bob Persiko

Vice President: Ciara Halloran
Public Relations Officer: Rose Sharp
Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
Secretary: Alexandra Persiko

Committee Chairs

Deb Leo

Shannon Holiday

Penn State Global Representative

Wenjie Fu

Call To Order: 7:05 PM

August 14 EC meeting minutes were accepted as submitted.

Reports of Officers & Standing Committees

President – Bob Persiko

• Bob mentioned that minutes are not available for every meeting such as for September and October 2024, when the focus was on the revised bylaws.
• The vacancy for the membership coordinator has been posted on the Volunteer Centre County website.
• There are 71 active members. Bob will review the membership website (Wild Apricot) for potential renewals, but overall, we are in good shape.
• Bob asked for feedback on the program descriptions on the website and that the EC communicate potential updates to Rose.
• Deb was asked to find a description for the reading groups, and Rose was asked to update the email address on the website.
• Bob proposed that we add a mission statement on the landing page of the website and add the names of Executive Committee members with photos. Rose offered to look into the idea of headshots while Bob will draft a mission statement and circulate it for feedback.

Vice President – Ciara Halloran

Ciara shared her efforts to attract new Nigerian members.

Treasurer – Bruce Truitt

Bruce reported the current financial status of the group, with an operating account of $6,445 before posting of recent membership dues.  All bills have been paid, and GC is in good shape.

Secretary – Alexandra Persiko

• Alexandra reported on the GC website and familiarizing herself with the new layout and updates of WordPress. Rose has been instrumental in teaching her. 
• Alexandra posted the November general membership minutes. The challenge now is to ensure that prior minutes can be posted in sequential order, which Rose will further look into. 
• Per paragraph 5508 of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, GC is required to post all records such as minutes and make these available to its members. Global Connections became an all-volunteer organization in March 2019; thus, Bruce and Bob will try to retrieve past minutes.  Bruce emphasized the importance of minutes as the official record of the organization’s actions and decisions. 
• Once available, Alexandra and Rose will post all minutes. Bruce suggested using agendas as a backup if minutes were not found.

Public Relations – Rose Sharp

• Rose said she and Alexandra met to discuss the website. A bit of a cumbersome site. 
• We are making headway and will try to figure out minutes and agenda postings that do not interfere with the blog posting location on the website.
• Rose will furthermore work on cleaning up the website and looks forward to posting information on the next cultural event and creating media postings.
• She also proposes combining WordPress and Wild Apricot, using Wild Apricot for its capabilities. Bob and Bruce agreed, provided this does not require additional payment.

Penn State Representative

• Wenjie shared updates about her transition from the position of External Relations Coordinator at Penn State Global to Global Engagement Coordinator. She mentioned that her role would no longer involve providing tax workshops for students, as Penn State Global is working with experts from Vitam to support students. However, she will continue to manage the Conversation Partners Program and International Speakers Bureau.

Membership – vacant

• Sunny Yunjuan Jiang notified the EC after the general meeting that she would leave her membership chair position.

Cultural Events – Shannon Holliday

• Shannon noted that a cultural event is still ideally planned for January or February but will need to confirm the date with the host. Ciara offered to assist Shannon in arranging venues.

Small groups – Deb Leo

• Deb reported on the progress of the reading groups, mentioning that the beginner group, led by Becky Misangyi, meets on Saturdays and has 4 to 5 attendees. The intermediate advanced group, led by Sharon Hyde and Deb, meets twice a month and has 9 or 10 active members.
• Bob’s discussion group, which meets on Tuesdays, had its last session of the year and will resume in January. The Thursday English class has been suspended for now due to low attendance.
• Deb expressed interest in reviving the poetry night for the spring. She will meet with Elaine Meder-Wilgus at Webster’s Bookstore Café to arrange a date. Deb also suggested collaborating with the Career Pathways Program.

Special Orders – None

Unfinished Business

Covered above: GC website and Wild Apricot and WordPress website combination

New Business

• Automated messages: The EC discussed automatic thank-you messages for dues renewal as well as a tax deduction notification. Bruce will talk to Wild Apricot and inquire about options.
• Alexandra also suggested adding a direct link to the website in that same notification.

• Relationship with Penn State Global: The team discussed the ongoing connection between GC and Penn State Global, particularly concerning email addresses and website links. Bruce clarified that while GC has an active email address under Penn State’s domain, we have sought to direct traffic away from it.
  • Bob suggested that once the old Penn State email address is removed from the website and replaced with the new one, there should be no further connection.
  • Bob and Alexandra agreed to check the old email address to determine if there is still traffic on it. Rose raised a question about potential implications for GC’s rates on base rentals if the Penn State email address is still linked. Bruce clarified that the team is not discussing programmatic collaborations but rather administrative, technological, and financial matters. Wenjie confirmed that the only two Penn State-related elements currently in use are the website and email address.

• Updating Global Connections Contact Information: The team discussed the issue of outdated contact information for Global Connections, which has been causing confusion and miscommunication. Wenjie shared her experience of receiving calls and emails from organizations with old contact details. Alexandra and Bob helped a student who was struggling to find the Global Connections office.
• Ciara raised a concern about the lack of contact information on the website, suggesting adding a phone number or text line. Bruce and Deb argued against having a phone number due to rotating leadership roles. The group discussed potentially having a chat feature on the website or a transferable business line but recognized the need for consistent monitoring.
• Bruce proposed sending a press release or some form of communication to known channels to update the records. Bob agreed to double-check the postcard GC has been using for accuracy. Bruce committed to researching the list of communication channels and distributing it among the team for revision and addition.

• Effective Communication with the younger generation: The team discussed the need to effectively communicate with a younger generation who prefers text messaging over email. Bruce emphasized the importance of not losing track of this issue, suggesting it be revisited in future discussions such as using a link or information via text for events.
• The team also discussed the need for new flyers once the website and email issues are resolved

Action Items

• Rose to update the GC mail address on the website.
• Print new flyers with GC email address.
• Bob to review and update contact information on the GC website.
• EC team to review website entries for programs and check for accuracy and completeness.
• Rose to investigate combining WordPress and Wild Apricot functionalities.
• Rose to create a page for Executive Committee members’ photos on the website.
• Bob to review the membership website for potential renewals.
• Bruce to research and distribute list of communication channels for GC.
• Deb to organize the poetry night event for early April.
• Bruce and Bob to send all available meeting minutes dating back to March 2019 to Alexandra.
• Alexandra to post minutes to website sequentially.

Next Meeting: TBD

• Next meeting: discuss social media usage – communication to a multi-generational group. Best communication tools.

Meeting adjournment: 08:15 PM

Submitted By: Alexandra Persiko                                      Date of Submission: December 12, 2024

2024 Annual Membership Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date and Time: Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 7:00 pm

Location: Zoom

Officers Present:

President: Bob Persiko, Acting

Vice President: Ciara Halloran, Acting
Public Relations Officer: Rose Sharp, Acting
Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
Secretary: vacant

Number of members in attendance:  10

Call To Order: 7:11 PM.
November 2023 general meeting minutes were accepted as submitted.

Reports of Officers & Standing Committees

President – Bob Persiko

• Bob thanked the members present, the GC leadership team, and noted that the organization is financially very sound.
• Bob stated a dilemma – It’s hard to recruit new members and volunteers when we don’t have group activities to offer; and it is hard to offer activities without volunteers to manage them.
• He said leadership volunteers are needed – secretary, future president/VP. Bob said he served happily as president for three years, but then it was time to hand over the reins to others. The disappearance of the president elected in 2023 created a leadership crisis that made Bob feel he had to step back in.
• He noted that GC will offer a digital dialogue 11/20, 5:00 PM, in conjunction with International Education Week featuring two high school exchange students from Lithuania and Morocco.
• Bob said the GC English Literacy Fund established at the Centre Foundation is a success, and he deferred to the Treasurer’s report for more details.
• GC is continuing its partnerships with other community organizations: Penn State Global, Volunteer Centre County, Mid-State Literacy Council, SC Area School District, American Association of University Women, Community Diversity Group and the UN Association of State College.

Linda Barton suggested someone attend the OLLI/PSU Global International Social event on 11/14 at Innovation Park to see if it’s a good opportunity for outreach. Bob said he would register and attend.

Vice President – Ciara Halloran

Ciara said she is happy to be involved with GC and has a goal to focus on expanding membership. We might offer an incentive to members to bring a guest to the annual fall picnic. She also wants to bolster the cultural events in the coming year. Linda Barton suggested reaching out to the faith communities in the area. She also mentioned the annual international potluck at the high school that just took place as an occasion to reach out to families.

Treasurer – Bruce Truitt

Bruce reported on GC’s finances:  As of Nov. 1 all bills were paid; $7,279 in the checking account, which doesn’t include revenue from renewals of annual dues; $18,278 in the money market account; $45,000 in the Global Connections fund held by the Centre Foundation; and $25,000 in the Sub Fund, which is also managed by the Centre Foundation. GC made a decision to transfer this money from the bank account to improve earnings. It serves as an emergency fund, and money can be easily withdrawn as needed.

Bruce further reported that the GC English Literacy Fund established in the Centre Foundation has $29,058, an increase of $4,000 in a short period of time. We are sponsoring 3 scholarships this fall and can sponsor four more in the spring with the balance of available distributions from the Fund and what was donated through the Centre Gives campaign. Given the financial health of the fund, it is reaching the point where it can be self-generating.

Public Relations – Rose Sharp

Rose said she posted an item and photos of the fall picnic. She likes how GC is both multi-cultural and multi-generational. She would like to post phots of the Executive Committee leadership team and all members. We could have someone take photos of members and events.

Membership – Sunny Yunjuan Jiang

We have 213 “Contacts” and 75 active members in the membership website Wild Apricot. There are no associate members following the withdrawal of Ten Thousand Villages.  She has archived one inactive member and will continue to cull the contacts list. Sunny reported on her attendance at the UN Association of State College annual dinner. There wasn’t much opportunity there to promote GC.

Cultural Events – Shannon Holliday

Shannon has developed three potential meals for early 2025: January for a Scottish/Turkish theme; a Dominican theme on February 22, which is Dominican independence day; and one on an Iranian theme in April. They are contingent on the availability of venues

Small groups – Deb Leo

In Deb’s absence, Bob reported that the reading groups are active. He said that he is continuing to lead the discussion group every Tuesday on Zoom. He had to suspend his English class due to poor turnout. This may be due in part to the abundance of ESL programs in our area.

Special Orders

Election of 2025 Officer Team

President – Bob Persiko

Vice President – Ciara Halloran

Public Relations- Rose Sharp

Secretary – vacant

All attendees voted in favor of the proposed slate of candidates.

1. Subsequent to adjournment, Alexandra Persiko volunteered to serve as Secretary. The meeting attendees were polled, and all voted for her to fill that office.

Proposed amendments to the Bylaws and Policies and Procedures

The proposed revisions, including elimination of the Standing Rules, were unanimously approved. Thanks to Bruce and Deb for their hard work on this task.

Unfinished Business

None

New Business

None

Next Meeting: TBD

Meeting adjournment: 08:00 PM

Submitted By: Bob Persiko                                   Date of Submission: November 15, 2024

August 14, 2024, Global Connections (GC) Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Minutes

Members in Attendance:
Voting members: Bruce Truitt, Debbie Leo, Sunny Jiang, Shannon Holliday, Marco Damasceno,

Non-voting members: Bob Persiko, Wenjie Fu, Rose Sharp (following their formal appointment, Bob and Rose were granted voting rights)

Call to order at 7:11PM.

 July meeting minutes were accepted as submitted.

 Appointment of Officers

 The Executive Committee voted unanimously to appoint the following people to officer positions ad interim for the remainder of the calendar year:

            Bob Persiko, president

            Ciara Halloran, vice president

            Rose Sharp, public relations

 Reports of officers:

 President, Bob Persiko

• Bob thanked the committee members for their vote of confidence in him. He said that in the long run it is important for GC to develop new leadership, so we should continue to encourage people to volunteer for the leadership team.
• Bob told the members that a year ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome and that he is in the early stages of the disease. He hopes that the development will be slow and said he will continue to work and volunteer as long as he is able.
• Bob said we should have a goal to hold a cultural event (meal) this fall to revitalize this traditional GC activity. He asked the members to help Shannon identify people willing to cook a meal representative of their culture.

 Treasurer, Bruce Truitt

• Bruce proposed dedicating an EC meeting to reviewing and discussing the proposed revisions to the bylaws and other procedural rules. The committee agreed to make this the principal topic of the September 11 EC meeting.  Bruce will circulate the documents to the members for review.
• Bruce said the EC needed to vote on the disposition of the $1116 in annual distributions from the English Literacy Program fund being managed by the Centre Foundation. Bob proposed the following motion: (1) Use the $1800+ received from the Centre Gives campaign to fund 4 scholarships per semester (8 in total) for ESL classes for immigrants at the MidState Literacy Council under the GC English Literacy Program; (2) supplement whatever additional amount is needed for the 8 scholarships from the GC general operating funds; and (3) have the Centre  Foundation leave the $1116 in the Literacy Program fund until such time as it is needed. Shannon seconded the motion. The vote to approve as unanimous.   
• Giving Circle – The members authorized Bruce to complete the application for funding through the Giving Circle.

Public Relations – Marco

Bob welcomed Marco back from Brazil, thanked him for his outstanding service to GC, wished him well with his graduate studies, and thanked him for his willingness to train Rose. Marco said he will be nearby whenever we need him. He and Rose will get together next week. They will also put together the August newsletter, which will include a spotlight on Rose.

Membership Chair, Sunny

 The members thanked Sunny for all she did to help Jan Jaekel, the German Visiting Scholar, secure an apartment for his two-month stay in State College. Bob noted that this may be a new service GC can provide, and he is putting together a list of possible resources for housing needs. Sunny said she will participate in the October 27 UN Day dinner, where GC will have a table with promotional materials. Bob said he will take an inventory of materials in his possession. Bruce offered to make additional copies of the “postcard.” Shannon also plans to participate. Bob said he would forward the email with the details to Sunny and Shannon.

Cultural Events – Shannon

 Shannon still hopes to have a Scottish theme event this year.

 Small Groups – Debbie Leo

Deb reported on the status of small groups during the summer break. She noted that Bob’s discussion group

Penn State Global – Wenjie Fu

1. Conversation Partners Program is looking for Native English-speaking volunteers. (Big thanks for Sunny for connecting Wenjie with Juniper Community @State College. Wenjie is working on providing further information for their members). 
2. Conversation Partners Program will provide 2 in-person free events in the Fall semester:

• Ice Cream Socialon Sunday, September 8^th at Penn State Creamery from 2 – 4 pm.
• Movie Timeon Sunday, November 18^th at Business Building Room 110 from 2 – 4 pm. 

1. Our office is recruiting volunteers for the 2025 Spring tax workshops. Please refer any questions to Wenjie Fu ([email protected])
2. Community Engagement Programs and Penn State OLLI are hosting 3^rd International Day Social this fall on Thursday, November 14^th, from 1:30 – 3 pm at Innovation Park. Any international individuals who are interested in representing their home cultures are welcome to connect to Wenjie for further information. 
3. CEP is tabling events in August (Fall Involvement Fair, LION Bash, School of International Affairs Resource Fair).
4. United Nations Day Celebration event (Norma Keller: 814-327-9247; [email protected]) 

 New Business

• Bob proposed sponsoring the annual catered fall general membership picnic and the members concurred. Bob will ask Ciara if she would be willing to organize the event, as she did last year.

 Action Items

• Everyone will think of and suggest names of individuals who might be willing to prepare a cultural event/meal to Shannon.
• Bruce will circulate revised bylaws for review.
• Bruce will correspond with the Centre Foundation on the disposition of various funds for the Literacy Program.
• Bruce will prepare an application for the Giving Circle.
• Marco will train Rose.
• Bob will forward the email with details on the UN Day dinner to Sunny and Shannonn.
• Bob will write an item on the appointment of officers to include in the August newsletter.
• Bob will ask Ciara about organizing the fall picnic.
• Shannon will follow up on the Scottish theme event.

 Announcements

Shannon mentioned the Community Diversity Group potluck on August 15 and said everyone is invited. She followed up with an email giving the details.

Meeting adjournment: 8:10 PM

Minutes prepared by Bob Persiko

July 10, 2024, Global Connections (GC) Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Minutes

Members in Attendance:
Voting members: Bruce Truitt, Debbie Leo, Sunny Jiang, Yagmur Turker

Non-voting members: Bob Persiko, Wenjie Fu 

Call to order at 7:04 PM.

June meeting minutes were accepted as submitted.

Reports of officers:

Acting Vice President Bob Persiko

• Bob mentioned his wife is reaching out to contacts at the Bellisario College of Communications to recruit a PR officer.

Treasurer, Bruce Truitt

• Bruce reported he is almost done with the revision of bylaws and plans to finish them soon. He will circulate the revised bylaws for review.
• Bruce reported receiving communication from the Center Foundation regarding an expected EFT transfer into our account for Centre Gives campaign, but he hasn’t seen the check yet.

• Following Bob’s question, discussing the allocation of funds for the literacy project is to be carried out after the check is received.
• Bruce shared details from discussion sessions at the Schlow Library indicating sessions are currently scheduled through August, with potential for extension based on community interest. He explained the sessions are intended to enhance English language skills through community-based discussions. Bruce suggested monitoring attendance over the summer and considering promotional efforts through social media, newsletter, and website if sessions continue into the fall. Deb expressed interest in attending but noted the evening timing might be challenging.
• Bruce mentioned a new interest in the Vice President position from the Volunteer Centre County, where Bob posted vacancies.

Secretary, Yagmur Turker

• Yagmur reported on a meeting with Marco before his departure, where he briefed her on website management responsibilities during his absence.
• Yagmur noted upcoming visa-related travel to Turkey in August and the possibility of not returning. She mentioned that October might be her family’s last time in State College due to her husband’s impending graduation.

Membership Chair, Sunny

• Sunny provided membership updates, noting a total of 81 members, with various renewal dates for active members.

• Bob discussed the new membership policy where renewal dates are staggered throughout the year based on registration date rather than a universal December deadline. He clarified the distinction between active members and contacts, noting the need to manage the contact list to stay within a 200-contact limit to avoid excessive charges.

• Sunny sought clarification on the process for handling inactive memberships. Bob explained members are moved to an archive list after one year of lapse, and he offered to review and manage the current list of lapsed members.
• Sunny proposed a potential partnership with a local senior home for conversation partners, which received positive feedback from Wenjie, who manages the Conversation Partners program. 

Small Groups – Debbie Leo

• Deb reported on the status of small groups during the summer break, noting no new developments except for uncertainties regarding Becky’s involvement.

Global Programs – Wenjie Fu

• Wenjie provided updates on the Conversation Partners program, having matched approximately 40 volunteers with international participants recently. An in-person event is scheduled for September 8th, with plans for an ice cream social at the Creamery. Additionally, Wenjie mentioned the potluck signup progress and the need to reconcile registrations from different platforms.
• Wenjie highlighted Penn State Global’s participation at the Arts Festival, setting up cultural tables for community engagement, featuring Bolivia, Peru, Philippines, and Malaysia. She discussed the event’s impact and engagement with children through cultural education.

Removal of Kieran from Presidency

• Bob raised the issue of scheduling a membership meeting to vote on removing Kieran from office, requiring 15 days’ notice and a quorum of 10 people. July 31st was proposed as the meeting date, with plans to post the notice on the website and conduct the meeting via Zoom.
• Bob agreed to draft a meeting notification for review, and Yagmur volunteered to post it on both Wild Apricot and the website.

Unfinished business

• Bruce is nearing completion of the revisions to the bylaws and standing rules, with plans to distribute them soon for executive committee review.

New Business

• Discussion of allocation of funds for literacy project at September meeting.
• Monitoring attendance at discussion sessions at Schlow Library; consider promotional activities if sessions extend into fall.
• The need to fill vacancies in the leadership team: vice president, public relations officer, and soon-to-be vacant secretary.

Action Items

• Bruce will circulate revised bylaws for review.
• Bruce will monitor the receipt of the EFT and report back.
• Bob will follow up on Vice President interest from the Volunteer Centre County.
• Bob will check on inactive members and update the archive list.
• Bob will draft a meeting notification for July 31st to vote on removing Kieran.
• Yagmur will post the meeting notification on Wild Apricot and website once reviewed.

Meeting adjournment: 7:49 PM

Minutes prepared by Yagmur Turker

June 12, 2024, Global Connections (GC) Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Minutes

Members in Attendance:
Voting members: Bruce Truitt, Debbie Leo, Marco Damasceno, Sunny Jiang, Yagmur Turker

Non-voting members: Bob Persiko

Call to order at 7:05 PM.

May meeting minutes were accepted as submitted.

Reports of officers:

Acting Vice President Bob Persiko

• Bob noted that he should be listed as a non-voting member due to his roles as past president and current interim acting president. He emphasized that he is a proposer and not a voter.
• Bob announced Kieran’s intent to resign, received via a brief message from Brazil. Details are scarce, but his letter of resignation is anticipated.

Treasurer, Bruce Truitt

Bruce highlighted significant financial contributions:

• A donation of $358.68 from the Center County United Way, attributed to Penn State employee deductions.
• An unexpected donation of $848.33 from a partnership involving Give Local and Kish Bank, related to credit and debit card processing fees at State College International Market. Bruce mentioned that the Give Local initiative might continue to provide similar donations annually unless there are changes in the partnerships or agreements.

• Bruce highlighted the significant financial outcomes from the recent Centre Gives campaign. There was an 80.22% increase in average per capita donations compared to the previous year. Total contributions increased by 65.2%, rising from $885 last year to $1,462 this year. The campaign also received stretch funds from the Hamer Foundation, which were distributed on a proportional basis among all participating organizations, leading to a total gift of $1,858.98 for the campaign.

• Bruce noted that these contributions broke the previous year’s record and expressed satisfaction with the results.
• Bruce mentioned that the campaign’s earnings represent between 25% to 33% of GC’s annual budget, which typically ranges from $5,000 to $7,500.
• The funds are critical for supporting the scholarships under the English Language Literacy Program.
• Bruce also informed the committee that the distribution of funds from the English Language Literacy Program set up at the Center Foundation is expected to occur in August. This timing aligns well with funding scholarships for the fall semester.

Public relations – Marco Damasceno

• Marco reported that he was finalizing the newsletter and coordinating with Bruce and Bob for content review and proofreading.
• Bob reported on the unsuccessful attempt to recruit a potential candidate for a PR position, noting that there had been no response to his efforts.
• Marco discussed another potential candidate he had considered for the position. She eventually declined the opportunity, citing inability to commit. Marco expressed his intention to remain proactive in seeking suitable candidates and to keep the recruitment process active. Consequently, the search for this position continues.
• Bruce proposed seeking an internship collaboration with Penn State’s marketing or advertising programs to attract social media and marketing volunteers.
• The committee discussed utilizing personal contacts and local educational institutions to recruit interns.

Small Groups – Debbie Leo

• Deb reported that book reading groups will have their last meeting on June 13^th before summer break.
• Bob noted that both English class and discussion group are going to have summer break, too. They will resume in August.

Unfinished business

• Bruce is nearing completion of the revisions to the bylaws and standing rules, with plans to distribute them soon for executive committee review.

New Business

• Discussion on managing the transition after Kieran’s resignation, focusing on maintaining leadership continuity and filling vacancies.
• Bob shared plans to draft an announcement for the general membership about the leadership vacancies and the process for filling them.

Action Items

• Bob will share the flyer of July 27^th
• Bruce will finalize and distribute revised bylaws for executive committee review.
• Marco will complete and share the newsletter.
• Marco will promote the July potluck event through the website and social media.
• Bob will prepare the announcement about leadership vacancies and recruitment strategy.
• GC will continue monitoring Kieran’s situation regarding his formal resignation.
• Deb will look into the possibility of a second poetry evening this year.

• The EC will further discuss a possible GC role in the July 10, 2024, Arts Festival Children and Youth Festival events five (5) different cultural performances and five (5) cultural tables from 10 am – 3 pm).

• Shannon will report back on her efforts to find a cultural event date acceptable to Ciara, Laura, Sunny, and her.
• Shannon will pursue and provide additional information on a Dominican, Iranian, and Scottish cultural event and on available dates at the Unitarian Brotherhood Church.

The next meeting was scheduled for the second Wednesday of the following month at 7 PM.

Meeting adjournment: 7:43

Minutes prepared by Yagmur Turker

June 14, 2023:  Global Connections Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

Members in Attendance:
Voting members: Bob Persiko, Bruce Truitt, Melanie Miller Foster, Anna Borisova de Valdez, Deb Leo, Shannon Holliday.

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

Reports of officers:

President – Bob

Bob reported:

1. Kieran attended a luncheon offered by the borough in which GC was honored. Moreover, GC got a $500 donation from the Borough for its excellent work. 
2. Bob has so far not succeeded in getting an Iranian team to cook at a possible Iranian luncheon. He’ll keep trying.
3. Rita stepped down from being the membership committee chair. Bob will be looking for a replacement. There are 96 members in WA, and 91 of them are active members, 188 contacts (250 is the limit).
4. Anna is going to step down from being the secretary in August/September 2023. Bob will be looking for a replacement.

 Vice President – Kieran – absent

Treasurer – Bruce

Bruce reported:

1. GC’s current balance in the checking account is $5,009 and $31,000 in the money market.
2. Major bills of GC have been paid.

Public relations, website, and social media – Marco – absent

Penn State Global  – Wenjie Fu – absent

Cultural Luncheons Committee – Shannon Holiday

Shannon has a negotiation with Unitarian Fellowship Church to utilize their facilities for GC luncheons with a feasible discounted rate.

2-3 luncheons are planned to be organized in 2023. The dates are still to be determined.

Possible luncheons:

1. Scotland: the executive director of Hope Center County (Scottish) is willing to host, cater and provide a presentation.
2. Japan: the pastor’s wife of the United Methodist Church has agreed to host it in their facility and cater a Sushi bar.
3. Africa: working on

Small Groups – Debbie Leo

1. The book groups (beginners and intermediate/advanced level) are on summer break till the end of August.
2. Number of members this year increased, and each group will try to attain ten members.

Unfinished business:

Centre Gives: Bob proposed that GC will use the money received during the Center Gives to sponsor scholarships for English classes for immigrant family adults through the Mid State Literacy Council. GC will make those recipients members of GC. If this pilot is successful it could become an annual project.

Motion: Bob

Seconded: Shannon

Discussions: none

The Motion passes. Bob will negotiate terms with the Literacy Council and report back to EC members.

New Business

1. Bruce said that the Google Drive of GC needs to be put in order. Decisions need to be made: Who should have oversight of the site? Should we delete old documents? Should we limit what gets posted? Should we share links with EC/publish on GC Website? Bob offered to go through the documents and delete old ones. Melanie said that a previous secretary had culled a lot. Bruce said that it’s important to make one person responsible for maintenance. It could be a responsibility of the Secretary. Melanie cautioned that we not overload too much on the Secretary. Anna agreed that this could be assigned to the Secretary, but she noted that a new Secretary would not know what is important. It was decided to assign this as a secretarial responsibility. Access to all documents needs to be given to all EC members. Make the Drive a repository of all key documents. The Bylaws and Standing Rules only provide vague guidance on such responsibilities. Bob will draft a list of duties and responsibilities of the secretarial position and circulate it to the EC members for consideration. Bruce will review the Standing Rules to see how they can be amended to reflect what the Secretary should do.
2. Discussion on Membership Picnic was tabled to a future meeting.
3. State College Spikes baseball home game on June 21. Need an event reminder to be sent to all members.

Meeting adjournment: 8:15

Prepared and submitted by Anna Borisova de Valdez 06/25/2023 with edits by Bob Persiko, 6/26/23.           

The following GC EC meetings will be in August.

May 10, 2023: Global Connections Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

Members in Attendance:
Voting members: Bob Persiko, Kieran Holland, Bruce Truitt, Marco Damasceno, Anna Borisova de Valdez, Deb Leo, Shannon Holliday.

Call to order at 7:10 PM. April minutes were accepted as submitted.

Reports of officers:

President – Bob

Bob reported:

1. Discussion group (members + families and friends) held a picnic and went hiking on Saturday, May 6, at Stone Valley Recreation Area/ Lake Perez; around 30 people attended the event. Marco will post pictures in GC’s social media after the Centre Gives campaign ends.
2. Bob is regularly receiving and responding to emails with requests for help with translating and other services.
3. There was a meeting of the ad hoc committee (Bob, Bruce, and Kieran) working on archiving inactive members in Wild Apricot. WA:188 contacts, 96 members with 91 active members. They have been emailing many of them, asking them to renew or let the GC know that their membership can lapse. Then, as the committee gets their answers, decides their status. Some remain active, some stay non-member contacts, another 100 or so are archived, and others have been deleted altogether. The committee is still defining criteria for these categories and is working on recruiting a person to help monitor members’ status as their circumstances change.
4. In the summer, GC EC meetings will be in June and August.

Vice President – Kieran

Treasurer – Bruce

Bruce reported:

1. GC’s current balance on the checking account is around $4,600.
2. Saudi Arabian Cultural Luncheon resulted in a $530 loss.
3. “Central Gives” $260 (6 donors) – as of that moment.

Public relations, website, and social media – Marco

1. Marco launched an advertising campaign for “Centre Gives” and will reinforce it before the end of it.
2. Sabrina posted a newsletter with the information “CG.”
3. Bob passed the Penn State Global newsletter to Marco.

Penn State Global  – Wenjie Fu – absent

Cultural Luncheons Committee – Shannon Holiday

1. Shannon met with new GC member (Ciara Halloran), who expressed an interest in being on the committee and assisting with organizing future cultural luncheons.
2. After the Saudi Arabian Cultural Luncheon, GC needs to reconsider the parameters of the next luncheons (additional discussion is pending!)
3. Cheaper venue (work on cost efficiency in general; think about Borough Building as a venue)
4. Time (evenings?)
5. Day (weekends?)
6. Advanced advertising/marketing budget. Kieran offered to print flyers for luncheons (2 weeks prior) to distribute at Ten Thousand Villages.
7. Separate payment of membership and payment of attending the luncheon at the luncheon itself (see new business).
8. Themes being considered for next luncheons:
9. Scotland
10. Japan (Shannon is exploring the basement of United Methodist Church)
11. Iran

Membership – Rita– absent

Small Groups – Debbie Leo

1. The book groups (advanced and intermediate level) will have a summer break.
2. Number of members this year increased.
3. Bob said the discussion group and English class will meet periodically in June and August and likely take a break during July.

Unfinished business:

Centre Gives (see discussion above)

New Business

Proposal:  Increase the price of membership for 2024 (January 1^st of 2024) from $10 to $20 per regular member.

Reasoning: economic situation, inflation, insufficient revenue from other sources, etc.

Motion: Bob

Seconded: Kieran

Discussions: none

The motion passed unanimously.

Discussion on incentives and discounts related to GC activities was tabled to a future meeting.

There’s a State College Spikes baseball home game on June 21. Bob will write the note for the May newsletter, website and social media posting.

Meeting adjournment: 8:02

Prepared and submitted by Anna Borisova de Valdez 05/12/2023 with edits by Bob Persiko, 5/14/23

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, 25^th

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.

2. 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.
3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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 Groups – Deb 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 [email protected]

Reports from the standing committees:

Cultural luncheons Committee – Shannon Holiday –

1. Luau party

Expenditures and incomes

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

2. 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  

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  

April 13, 2022, Global Connections Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

Members in Attendance:
Bob Persiko, Kieran T. Holland, Shannon Holliday, Sabrina Lima, Rita Graef, Bruce Truitt

Call to order at 7:03 PM. March minutes were approved with no correction.

Reports of officers:

President – Bob praised the success of the poetry event, and the close collaboration GC has with Webster’s Bookstore Café. He expressed satisfaction with planning for upcoming in-person events that mark our return to “normal.” He mentioned that the newsletter for this month will reflect how active our members are in contributing to the organization’s mission.

Vice President – no report.

Parliamentarian – absent. 

Treasurer – Bruce reported that all major bills have been paid, including the annual liability insurance premium. There are $4,178 in our checking account and $30,000+ in the money market account.

Bruce said the EC needed to make a decision on whether to take the $1905 return on the Centre Foundation investment or have it reinvested. When asked, Bruce suggested that the organization could use the money since GC has relatively few revenue-generating activities. Kieran moved that GC take the distribution; Shannon seconded the motion. Approved unanimously.

Past president – absent

Secretary – absent 

Public relations, website, and social media – Sabrina noted the activation of an Instagram account. Bruce suggested that in the future the EC should approve any new account. He noted how many accounts opened over the years he has recently closed that were no longer active. Bob thanked Bruce for handling that time-consuming task.

Penn State Global – Wenjie Fu was absent.

Reports from the standing committees:

Cultural luncheons Committee – Shannon and Kieran shared details of planning for a cultural luncheon on a Brazilian theme on May 5 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. They hope for a minimum of 30 attendees. Brazilian Munchies will be the caterer. In the ensuing discussion the following was approved:

• $100 donation to St. Andrew’s for the use of the facility to be taken from the admission fee. (Shannon made the motion, Bruce seconded; unanimous approval.) The church could become the new regular venue for cultural luncheons.
• $18 admission fee to cover $12 per meal cost (caterer), donation to the church, water bottles, and paper/plastic ware
• Registration for the event will be handled through Wild Apricots.
• The event is an occasion to recruit new members.
• Advertising through our normal channels. The timing is probably too late for ads in the press.
• Someone will be recruited to give a brief cultural presentation on Brazil.
• Bruce will provide live musical entertainment.

Bob expressed hope that in the future we can return to our previous model for cultural luncheons wherein an international member and the CL committee prepare and serve the meal for a larger audience. Shannon noted her success in recruiting members to volunteer for set up, serving, and clean up. An active committee can work out event details for future luncheons without the EC needing to debate and decide them.

Membership Committee – Rita had to leave prior to this point in the meeting.

Program of activities committee (Kieran)- no report

Unfinished business:

Planning for the April 21 general membership meeting:

• Kieran will do the administration of the Zoom meeting.
• Bob will give introductory remarks
• Daniel will lead the discussion on the bylaws amendments
• Bruce will give a brief financial report
• Japanese member Kiyomi Masamune will speak for 10 minutes on her experience with cultural adjustment to our area, followed by Q and A.

Action: Bob will prepare an agenda to distribute to the membership.

Centre Gives – Kieran offered to craft a marketing plan with Sabrina. (action item)

New Business

Spikes game – Bruce said that the Spikes baseball team management is marketing opportunities for groups like ours to attend a game as an event. The EC members agreed that this is worth pursuing and then seeing if a sufficient number of GC members are interested. Bob said he thought that a minimum of 20 is needed to get a $1 discount on the usual $13 admission charge. Bruce to follow up. (action item)

Non-member contact list – The members agreed that having such a list would enable us to track people who attend events who are not members in the interest of expanding community outreach and recruitment. Perhaps this is something the membership committee could work on.

Meeting adjournment: 8:05