Meeting Date and Time: Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 7:00 PM

Location: Zoom

Officers Present

President: Bob Persiko

Vice President: not available
Public Relations Officer: Rose Sharp
Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
Secretary: Alexandra Persiko

Committee Chairs (not present)

Penn State Global Representative (not present)

Call To Order: 7:03 PM

February 18, 2025, EC meeting minutes were accepted as submitted.

Reports of Officers & Standing Committees

President – Bob Persiko

• Bob discussed that he received interest in the membership chair position. He will reach out to the person who contacted him.

Vice President – Ciara Halloran (written update)

• Ciara shared that Centre Lifelink has changed its schedule slightly due to other educational classes. The result is that we will have to schedule time slots for cultural events a few months in advance.
• Saturday appears to be the most available day of the week for the 12:00 to 5:00PM time frame. Ciara will follow up with the manager to firm up the next few dates in hopes of creating a regular event schedule. 
• The Persian cultural meal date has been confirmed, and space is reserved for April 26th from 12:00-3:30PM. Shannon will provide Ciara with the Persian contact in order to receive more details and promote the event. Subsequently, Ciara plans on contacting Liqaa Hamzawh to ask about her help with the event.
• Ciara raised the question whether to skip the month of April for the charcuterie social given the International Poetry Night and Persian cultural meal that month. The suggestion would be to offer the social in June instead.  Additionally, the board should decide whether to hold the Saturday space for monthly or bi-monthly events.  The cost for a three-hour period at Centre LifeLink amounts to $50.

Treasurer – Bruce Truitt

• Bruce reported that $5,998 is in the checking and approximately $18,285 in the money market account.
• We received a $50 contribution to GC from a member plus $100 from Donald Hahn for the driver training of a woman in the community in need of being able to receive her driver’s license. Bruce sent a thank-you note.  Donald Hahn is a long-time member of the organization and a strong supporter.

Secretary – Alexandra Persiko

• Alexandra reported that the uploading of documents to the GC website is going well and that she deleted some duplicative documents.
• She will work with Rose on uploading newsletters to the website and creating a category called “newsletters.”  

Public Relations – Rose Sharp

• International Poetry Night, April 3: Rose discussed the update on participation
  • 17 people have signed up to attend, of whom three are active members and the others from the community. So far, seven people have registered their interest to recite poems.
  • Rose sent the flyer to various groups, including Applied Linguistics at Penn State, and added it in the Global Gazette newsletter for a second week. This also provides for a QR code/RSVP.
  • Rose reported that there is also interest by a student in the Bellisario College of Communications.
  • Alexandra will share the event flyer with the Bolashak Kazakh scholars while a mutual colleague in Penn State Global has shared it with Fulbrighters and the Humphrey Fellows.
• Rose reported that she sent the press release for the Poetry evening to WPSU.
• She furthermore provided the team with information on a volunteer opportunity. See New Business below.

Penn State Representative – not present

Membership – vacant

• No news.
• Bob will continue to review the membership list and will send out reminders.

Small groups – Deb Leo (not present)

• Rose reported on the International Poetry Night (see above).

Small Group Discussion:

• Bob: no news this time.

Special Orders – None

Unfinished Business

• Automatic thank-you notes: Bruce continues to pursue this item to create a standardized note.
• Posting the newsletter: create a separate category on the website and add archived newsletters as well. The archived newsletters are on Wild Apricot and are publishable.
  • Bruce will review past newsletters in Google Drive and will compare these to Wild Apricot.
  • Alexandra and Rose will investigate placement of the newsletters, archived newsletters, and move old bylaws to archive.

New Business

• Student Backpack Project: Rose introduced a volunteer activity with the YMCA that involves filling backpacks with food for students in need. The activity, which takes 2-3 hours, is low-cost and can be organized with a group of 20-30 people. The YMCA provides the supplies, backpacks, and food, while the volunteers fill the backpacks. The activity can be scheduled on any day, other than Tuesdays, and the YMCA is willing to work with different group sizes.
  • Bob and Alexandra discussed the possibility of organizing this activity as an organization (potentially quarterly?).
  • Rose offered to reach out to Global Learning, IECP and Wenjie re the YMCA and to check on a suitable date for both the YMCA and the Pasquerilla Center for space. Working with other groups might be best to ensure a sufficient number of volunteers are present.
• Contribution for driver’s license training of members of community. This is a standing need: should we create a vehicle for regular contributions?
  • Bob suggested waiting to see how this first one goes and then reevaluate for the future.
• Centre Gives: this year’s event is taking place on May 14 and 15. The deadline to submit GC for eligibility review is April 7, but for anyone completing this step prior to March 24, the organization will be entered into a drawing for one of two $250 “Early Bird” prizes.

Action Items

• Ciara to provide information on the upcoming Persian cultural luncheon in late April and to contact Liqaa Hamzah for additional assistance.
• Rose:
  • to send out follow-up advertisement about the International Poetry Night and create and post flyers with QR codes.
  • to reach out to Global Learning, IECP and Wenjie re the YMCA backpack program and to check on a suitable date for both the YMCA and the Pasquerilla Center for space.
• Rose and Alexandra:
  • to talk about the newsletter placement on the GC website and create a separate category for newsletters.
  • to work on moving old bylaws to archive on the website.
• Deb, Ciara & Wenjie: to provide a photo to Rose for the website.
• Bruce: to complete the Centre Gives application by March 24 for early bird prize eligibility.
• Alexandra: to send the International Poetry Night flyer to the College of Education to share with the Kazakh Bolashak scholars.
• Bob:
  • to provide Rose with last year’s Centre Gives newsletter piece.
  • to follow up with members re their membership status.

Next Meeting: TBD

Meeting adjournment: 07:52 PM

Submitted By: Alexandra Persiko                                      Date of Submission: March 19, 2025

February 18, Global Connections (GC) Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date and Time: Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 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

Small Groups: Deb Leo

Penn State Global Representative (not present)

Call To Order: 7:05 PM

December 11, 2024, EC meeting minutes were accepted as submitted.

Reports of Officers & Standing Committees

 President – Bob Persiko

• Bob discussed the upcoming two-factor verification on Wild Apricot, set to start on March 31st, and the need for members to ensure their phone numbers are listed in their profiles.
• He reported on the lack of progress in filling the vacant Membership Committee chair position despite some initial interest.

 Vice President – Ciara Halloran

See information under “Cultural Events”

 Treasurer – Bruce Truitt

• Bruce reported that $6,200 is in the checking and approximately $18,000 in the money market account.
• Bruce also discussed the number of scholarships for the Mid-State Literacy Council
  • He proposed sponsoring four scholarship recipients based on GC’s ability to sponsor them. Those present agreed.
  • Bruce will coordinate the effort with Bridget Schell, Executive Director of the Mid-State Literary Council.

 Secretary – Alexandra Persiko

• Alexandra reported that she uploaded all annual and EC meeting minutes in chronological order on the GC website going back to November 2019.
• She plans on deleting archived minutes that are duplicative for a cleaner look.
• Alexandra also offered help to Rose should she need any.
• She mentioned that Bruce and she monitor the email channel for any inquiries.

 Public Relations – Rose Sharp

• Rose discussed her work on a mock flyer for GC that can be used as a table stand and the flyer for the International Poetry Night on April 3. Additional photos should be available on the Google Drive.
• She will release the newsletter, which will include the annual and financial report, by the end of February and plans on having a spotlight interview featuring Alexandra Persiko as GC Secretary.
• The team discussed the need for updating contact information on their website and creating a page for executive committee member photos. The executive committee is asked to send their photos to Rose.

 Penn State Representative – not present

• The team discussed the challenges of the integration of Penn State’s WordPress site and the functionalities of Wild Apricot. They considered the possibility of having one website to manage but encountered limitations due to the connection to Penn State.
• Ultimately, this has not posed a real problem, and no action is currently required.

 Membership – vacant

• Bob has reviewed and will continue to review the membership list, noting that there are 203 contacts and 48 active members (i.e., those who have paid their dues).
• He also mentioned the need to focus on the contacts list and will send out reminders to those who have not paid their dues.

 Cultural Events – Ciara provided information in lieu of Shannon

• The Persian cultural event is scheduled for April 26 at 12:30.
• Two spaces are available:
  • Center Lifelink (East College Ave), a large space where food, however, has to be cooked prior (i.e., not a full kitchen). Space is available for $50 for a three-hour time slot.  In summary: convenient at a great price. 
  • Alternatively: Boalsburg Fire Company: space available for 50+ attendees, with a full kitchen at $100. The location is a great “event location.”
  • Additionally, the Bridge of Hope space is a possibility for smaller events.
• Ciara proposed to create a regular schedule of events and book four dates in advance. Cancellations are possible without any penalty.
  • Would Liqaa Hamzah consider helping/facilitating this event and maybe others? Ciara will reach out to her.
  • Overall: create a regular schedule for cultural luncheons/events. Ciara will sketch out a schedule/dates.  Center Lifelink sounds like the more opportune and conducive location.  It can also be used for other social events (e.g., one-hour meet and greet/social events).

 Small groups – Deb Leo

• Deb reported that she and Rose have worked on the organization of the upcoming Poetry Night to be held at Webster’s on Thursday, April 3, at 7PM. Bruce will be handling the audio, as in years past.
• The flyer looks great and is similar to last year’s.
• Rose will create the event on Wild Apricot for sign-up and post the flyer on Instagram, Facebook, the Global Gazette and other platforms. She aims to have the link ready by February 21.
• We will follow the same process as in the past by having presenters read a poem in their native language, provide a translation, and the rationale for having chosen the poem.
• Bob and Debbie will start reaching out to their groups for volunteers.

 Small Group Discussion:

• Bob will meet with his group on the last Wednesday of February for a social gathering. While 20 are on the list, usually six participate.   

 Special Orders – None

 Unfinished Business — None

 New Business

• Enhancing Community Engagement: The team discussed strategies for engaging their community and enhancing membership. These could include hosting regular events, such as game or cultural nights, to foster a sense of community and encourage participation. Other ideas include the following: combining a membership meeting with a cultural tasting event, where members could bring and share dishes from their respective cultures; partnering with existing university clubs and organizations to host events, such as a tea ceremony or a cheese tasting night. The goal is to create a more consistent and accessible way to engage with members, reducing the burden of organizing large-scale events like cultural luncheons.
• Ciara suggested she meet with mayor Nanes re Ukrainian events given the partnership with the city of Nizhyn.

 Action Items

• Ciara to send list on regular event suggestions – to be discussed at the next meeting in March
• Rose:
  • Send out information about International Poetry Night via social media, news outlets and listservs and to send the press release to the board.
  • Update the GC mail address on the website.
  • Create a page for Executive Committee members’ photos on the website.
• Bob and Deb to recruit volunteers for International Poetry Night.
• Bob to review and follow up with members from the contacts list.
• Bruce to develop and circulate a draft of automatic thank you notes for dues renewal.
• Alexandra to clean up duplicative archived minutes on the GC website.
• All:
  • Send a photo to Rose for the executive committee member page.
  • Check profiles on Wild Apricot to ensure phone numbers are listed for the 2-factor verification.

 Next Meeting: TBD

• Discuss regular event suggestions, cycles, and venues.

 Meeting adjournment: 08:05 PM

 Submitted By: Alexandra Persiko                                Date of Submission: February 20, 2025

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