March Executive Committee Meeting; March 9th 7:01-8:12pm

In attendance:

• President: Bob Persiko
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• Past President: Melanie Miller Foster
• Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Cultural Luncheon: Shannon Holiday

Location:

• This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion

Agenda

• Minutes of January meeting – action items
  1. Executive Committee members approved February minutes with change listed above
• President’s report
  1. Global Programs – Jennifer (if present)
     1. i) Jennifer will be moving on to another position at Penn State; Wenjie Fu will be new point of contact for Global Programs Office ([email protected])

• Membership Committee – Daniel verbal report

1. Membership committee meeting on third Thursday of every month
2. Goals set during committee meeting include: membership retention, recruitment, target population, and refining membership joining process

• Treasurer/Finance Committee – Bruce verbal report

1. Standardization of passwords
   1. Clean up list of passwords associated with accounts
   2. Find secure location to store password document
2. ROI on account at First Commonwealth
   1. Suggestion made to either split funds into higher yield with Commonwealth CD vs interest bearing account, or consider looking at broker account
   2. Finance committee to come up with proposal for account switching

• Program Activities – Kieran, et al. not present
• Public relations, website and social media – Lauren not present
• Unfinished business:
  1. Budget for 2021
     1. i) Bruce will compile questions and comments of responses and will be sending out list via email
  2. Update on airport sign – Melanie verbal report
     1. i) Susan and Melanie are working on airport sign; considering languages to feature on sign; will be working with graphic designer to design boh a static and digital display
  3. Committee restructuring and bylaws changes – Daniel verbal report
     1. i) Motion to postpone discussion on restructuring and reorganizing to next schedule Executive Committee meeting
     2. ii) No objections, motion passed

• New business:
  1. Digital Education programming update – Melanie verbal report
     1. i) Occurs on the third Monday of every month; provides information to international community; encourages person invitation for international community members to events
  2. WPSU digital series World Kitchen – Bruce verbal report
     1. i) A Global Connections member requesting Global Connections to promote ongoing WPSU digital series, World Kitchen
     2. ii) World Kitchen: Learn to make dishes from around the world while hearing from guest chefs about the cultures, history, and traditions each dish represents. WPSU’s new digital series, World Kitchen, is a free interactive cooking class presented on Zoom so that you can follow along to create the recipe with each guest chef.

• iii) https://wpsu.psu.edu/digital/worldkitchen/

• Miscellaneous

Action Items

• Bob to find contact information for Humphrey Fellow’s program coordinator
• Bruce and Sarah to go through password list to clean up unused accounts
• Bruce to risk assess accounts
• Sarah to email George re: securing password account
• Finance Committee to draft proposal re: switching bank accounts
• Lauren/Sarah to add Global Connections pitch to Google Drive
• Continue to brainstorm ideas for how to celebrate Global Connections 60th anniversary, May is the month of anniversary; Shannon suggests WPSU radio announcement, newspaper announcement, and proclamation from Mayor/Borough council recognition
• Bruce to compile list re: Budget and distribute to members

Adjournment 8:12pm

February Executive Committee Meeting; February 9th 7:03-8:24pm

In attendance:

• President: Bob Persiko
• Vice President: Kieran Holland
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• PR Officer: Lauren Newton
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Cultural Luncheon: Shannon Holiday

Location:

• This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion

Agenda

• Minutes of January meeting – action items
  1. Change annual report to monthly report
  2. Members approved January minutes with change listed above

• President’s report
  1. Outreach activities
  2. Bob will speak at the TIPS Club, a local networking organization, to exchange tips that affect business on Thursday, February 11th
  3. Survey of internationals (see summary attached below)
     1. Plan to implement survey data into Global Connections outreach resources/future community guidelines

• Membership Committee – (Daniel absent)

1. Membership committee meeting on February 25^th at 7:30pm via Zoom
2. UB Bakker elected as co-chair of membership committee
3. Purpose of meeting is to brainstorm ideas for what membership committee could do to generate more members; Global Connections currently has 46 registered members
4. Plans to have membership committee meeting every month

• Treasurer/Finance Committee – Bruce

1. Swiper for Affinipay payments
2. Ordered 2 swipers to process transactions remotely
   1. Global Connections to keep swipers in perpetuity
   2. Will require download of App from Affinipay website

• Total of $65 to purchase

1. Account cleanup: Continuing with clean up: closed out accounts that were associated with past paid employees
2. Centre Foundation 2021 distribution
   1. As of January 6, 2021 account has approx. $41,000
   2. 2020 distribution check deposited

• There will be another distribution in April: Centre Foundation will communicate when available (total of about $1,558)

1. Move to accept 2021 distribution monies and deposit into expense account
2. Motion approved

1. Budget planning process
   1. Proposes using budget document from last year as budget for current year; plan to distribute to members for input for changes/approval

• Program Activities – Kieran, et al.
  1. Met with Past President Melanie Miller Foster and collaborated on holding events virtually
  2. Proposes idea of a “take away” Cultural Luncheon event
  3. Plans to host Program of Activities member meeting: members to receive email last week of February to meet virtually with goal to brainstorm feasible events in light of pandemic

• Public relations, website and social media – Lauren
  1. Global conversations promotion
     1. Collaborated with Susan: encouraging book club leaders to promote Global Conversations events in groups
     2. There were 32 attendees at previous Global Conversations event

• Other ideas to promote Global Connections: promote upcoming Global Conversations event at Global Connections events (date at least); survey how people found out about event to check outreach strategies; promote events in other activities (ESL Classes, discussion groups)

1. Newsletter: using Wild Apricot email feature, establish timeline of newsletter publication: deadline one week after Executive Committee meeting have info sent to Lauren for newsletter (due by next Tuesday February 16^th)

• Unfinished business:
  1. Budget for 2021
  2. 1. Susan requesting Global Connections to budget $2,500 for annual book group to purchase books
     2. Executive Committee proposing book group members join Global Connections if organization agrees to sponsor booksBook groups request

• Executive Committee to approve book group budget item of $2,500 for book groups to purchase books with attached condition that all book group members must be Global Connections members; Global Connections will not pay for memberships
  • Motion for Global Connections to budget $2,500 to book groups; books provided will only be provided to members; book club members must be Global Connections members
  • Motion passed

1. Application for airport sign funding through 3 Dots Downtown Awesome Grant was approved & funded
   1. Currently in design phase, the welcome sign will feature different languages and will be placed in the University Park airport to greet visitors in multiple languages
   2. Will design be presented to Global Connections?

• New business:
  1. 2021 is the 60^th anniversary of the founding of Global Connections
  2. Think about how to advertise and present ideas at next meeting on how to celebrate this!
  3. Proposed changes to the bylaws (Daniel) – Postpone until March
  4. Shannon discussed the Community Diversity group Cultural Corners Bridge program and asked to include Global Connections events on the Community Diversity group listserv and vice versa; requesting Global Connections sponsor two Penn State Humphrey Fellow students at luncheon on February 25, 2021
     1. Bruce will divert money ($22/person total $44) from expenditures budget: Sponsorship budget to sponsor 2 students

• Miscellaneous

Action Items

• Bob and Lauren will collaborate on an outreach statement
• Bob will add survey on Global conversation on how viewers found out Global Conversations event
• Plan to create press release for advertisement of GC 60^th anniversary (newspaper article, etc?)

Adjournment

Summary of problems and concerns expressed by international residents surveyed

Renting an apartment or house – extras such as electricity; leasing terms (start/end dates)

Opening a bank account, applying for a credit card

Social contact – how to meet Americans (exacerbated by the pandemic, inability to work for spouses)

Communication – fear of making English mistakes; how to find an English class

Medical care system – insurance, in-network providers, copays, etc.

Lack of transportation – without a car

Need for identification card other than passport    

Help finding a school for one’s children; children not knowing English, adjusting to US educational system

Resources – especially for spouses

January Executive Committee Meeting; January 12th 7:00-8:26pm

In attendance:

• President: Bob Persiko
• Vice President: Kieran Holland
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster
• PR Officer: Lauren Newton
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Global Programs: Jennifer Alison Theiss
• Past President: Melanie Miller Foster

Location:

• This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion

Agenda Items:

1. Minutes of December meeting – action items follow up
1. Lauren: composing Monthly Report
2. Global Programs – Jennifer Theiss
1. Global Programs is continuing Penn State First program
2. Jennifer will provide updated enrollment report of international students
3. Annual Tax Workshop will be in March virtually through Zoom

1. Included will be a recorded webinar about tax changes for international students and scholars
2. Contact person: Wenjie Fu ([email protected])

1. President – Bob
1. Reviewed Executive Committee officer goals for 2021
2. Membership Committee –  Daniel
1. Organization currently has 37 paying dues members
2. Encouraging Executive Committee (EC) officers and members to consider future of Global Connections (GC) in a physical and/or virtual context
3. Encouraging mobilization of organization programming: Kieran to reach out to Ten Thousand Villages volunteer base
3. Treasurer/Finance Committee – Bruce
1. Recommendation that the organization absorb the membership processing fee until our financial situation dictates that we can/should change this

1. Increase in membership dues to cover processing fee OR does GC absorb cost without change in membership dues?
2. Bruce motioned for GC to absorb cost for total of $59.00

• Motion passed unanimously

1. Account clean up

1. GC has a total of 87 accounts
2. Bruce to categorize accounts based on active/priority accounts

• Bruce to email Excel spreadsheet to EC with all listed accounts for discussion of which accounts to close and which to retain

1. Global Connections fund at Centre Foundation

914. As of 1/6/2021 fund has $41, 914.69 (does not include investment Q1 activity)
915. GC can receive 2020 distribution monies and 2021 distribution monies

• Do we want one, the other or both distributions?
  1. Bruce proposes taking 2020 distributions and revisit 2021 distribution in April
  2. 2020 distribution will be moved to spending account to be used for operating funds

1. Move does not need motion due to Bruce submitting in Treasurer report
2. Bruce to reach out to Centre Foundation on any restrictions of using funds

1. Program Activities – Kieran, et al.
1. Bob reports discussion groups continue and are active; English classes are virtual and are active; Global Conversations to continue into February featuring Mexico and Mexico border culture; March featuring Puerto Rico
2. Melanie reports on opportunity for partnership with Friendship Force for a virtual event and to expand audience, community and to share mission of organization
3. Kieran to pursue 3 international contacts to present for future Global Conversation events
2. Public relations; also website and social media – Lauren
1. PR Goal to focus on making the website organized in a way that targets the right audiences

1. Plan to direct website vision to have inclusive membership of local and international communities
2. Global Programs to promote GC to international community and those affiliated with PSU

1. New business:
1. Susan Steinberg’s request for $2500 budget for book groups

1. Bruce to draft Annual Budget, Executive Committee to facilitate
2. Daniel encourages membership meeting for membership to discuss and vote on budget

• Susan requests book group members retain books which would require change in policy

1. Discussion of paying members retaining books which would promote membership growth
2. Kieran to draft letter to Susan addressing:
   1. Annual budget request, book group members to become members-if there is a financial burden organization will and timing book group needs funds
   2. Will review letter with Bruce

1. Airport welcome sign (Melanie)

1. Propose sign at airport and on airport television-ad promoting GC
2. Plan to apply to Awesome Foundation grant to cover costs

• Melanie requesting to apply to grant

1. Executive Committee approved for Melanie to apply to grant

1. Question: Should we continue the monthly newsletter to our members? If so, what is the timing and how should we focus the content?

1. Content should focus on: Highlighting membership activities, link for Global Conversation recordings, committee meetings
2. Consensus is to send out monthly newsletter

• Submit material to Lauren by January 18^th for monthly newsletter

Action items

• Add Amazon Smile account to newsletter, social media
• Kieran and Melanie to connect to discuss Global Conversations expansion

Unfinished Business

• Drafting of 2021 annual budget

Tellers Report
The 2020 Global Connections Election was conducted virtually utilizing Election Runner (www.electionrunner.com) to deliver secure ballot to the registered members with voting privileges. The ballot was sent on Monday, November 16th at 7:00amEST. The election was closed on Friday, November 20th at 11:59pm EST. Fraud analysis conducted via the digital platform evaluating digital fingerprints was unable to detect any potential voter fraud in this election.

There were 92 eligible voters provided from the executive team representing the 2020 membership roster. A total of 41 ballots were cast yielding a voter participation rate of approximately 45%. President
Number of Votes Cast
41
Votes required for Election
Majority
Number of votes required to elect
21
Bob Persiko Received
41
Write-In Candidates
0
Illegal Votes
0 Winner of Election: Bob Persiko Vice President
Number of Votes Cast
40
Votes required for Election
Majority
Number of votes required to elect
21
Kieran Holland
40
Write-In Candidates
0
Illegal Votes
0 Winner of Election: Kieran Holland
Public Relations
Number of Votes Cast
41
Votes required for Election
Majority
Number of votes required to elect
21
U.B. Bakker
9
Lauren Newton
32
Write-In Candidates
0
Illegal Votes
0 Winner of Election: Lauren Newton Past President
Number of Votes Cast
40
Votes required for Election
Majority
Number of votes required to elect
21
Melanie Miller Foster
40
Write-In Candidates
0
Illegal Votes
0 Winner of Election: Melanie Miller Foster Election certified on November 22, 2020 by Daniel D. Foster, Professional Registered Parliamentarian [email protected]; @FosterDanielD; 814.753.2102

October Executive Committee Meeting; October 13, 2020, 5:00-5:48pm

In attendance:

• President: Melanie Miller-Foster
• Vice President: Bob Persiko
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster
• PR Officer: UB Bakker
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Book Group Chair: Susan Steinberg
• Cultural Luncheon Committee Chair: Shannon Holliday; Anthony Sapia

Location:

• This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion

Agenda Items:

1. Wild Apricot (membership software)

• Future software for payments, fundraising, membership renewal
• Donations portal setup
• Members only website possibility

2. Upcoming election

• Via electronic platform (electionrunner.com)
• Form will be open entire first week of November; close on November 8th
• Candidates for President, PR and VP
• Each candidate will submit personalized mission of 1 sentence

3. Standing rules (see the revised document that Daniel sent around last night)

• Document different from bylaws; guide to discuss what the organization does, can be suspended or changed
• Motion to adopt standing rules; motion passed, none opposed, and Standing Rules approved
• Standing Rules will be published publically post Bruce modifications

Regarding associate memberships/business memberships: waiting for November drive

Future endeavors:

• Form committee for Revision of Bylaws
• Role of Past President in role of EC

September Executive Committee Meeting; September 8, 2020, 5:00-6:00pm

In attendance:

• President: Melanie Miller-Foster
• Vice President: Bob Persiko
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster
• PR Officer: UB Bakker
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Book Group Chair: Susan Steinberg
• Cultural Luncheon Committee Chair: Shannon Holliday

Location:

• This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion

Agenda Items:

• Online membership and application process
  • Bruce sent email detailing options for online payment
  • What do we want/need from the electronic collection software?
  • Admin tasks: processing membership fees, processing donations, processing payments, fundraising (additionally: ticket sales for cultural luncheons)
  • What platform will the membership base feel comfortable with?
    • Preference for automatic user input for database dump capabilities
  • Daniel: Membership Drive in October
    • Goal to renew members
    • Need ability to reach out and collect fees/donations digitally
  • PayPal vs Quikbooks: Bruce and Daniel decide on online system for membership drive in October
  • Credit cards and online payments may suffice for right now

• Review new member onboarding procedure
  • How are we orientating them to our organization?
  • Daniel to draft standing rules for membership onboarding procedure
    • Forward new members to UB or other members to welcome

• Book group budget and book policy
  • Book choices average $10/book (including shipping)
  • May be short on budget this year
  • Susan requesting no more than additional $500 until end of year
    • Bruce motioned
    • Bruce requesting numbers to consideration
    • Motioned to postpone this decision to next EC meeting to October meeting
  • To discuss policy at another time and change budget for next year
  • Motion made to allocated additional $500 until end of year
  • No objections to tabling until October EC meeting

• Officer elections
  • Elections in November
  • Process can be found in bylaws
  • Daniel: proposes electionrunner.com to create ballot
  • Send out open call to membership list for President, PR, and VP positions in separate email
• Welcome to our new Cultural Luncheon co-chairs!
  • Shannon Holliday and Tony
  • No in-person luncheon planned due to Covid pandemic

Other items:

• Global Conversation Events
  • Bob: Encourages members to promote event
  • Encourage use of Facebook (personal and GC page) to share events and increase audience
  • Two platforms available: Public can watch via Facebook; GC members via email link
• Standing Rules
  • Daniel emailed Standing Rules draft
  • Encourages reading and sending edits before October EC meeting

May Executive Committee Meeting; May 12, 2020, 7:30pm-8:30pm

In attendance:

• President: Melanie Miller-Foster
• Vice President: Bob Persiko
• Public Relation Officer: U.B. Bakker
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Book Group Chair: Susan Steinberg

Location:

• This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion:

Agenda Items:

• Financial items – irreconcilable transactions and assets requiring disposition
  • Bruce sent out email re: missing financial transactions pre 2019
    • Should we have an aging period for transactions?
    • Standing Rule: Any transactions pre August 2019 (start of current Global Connections), should we write off?
    • Secondary to business no longer operational, etc
    • Motion to write off transactions pre 2019, passed
    • Bruce to archive transitions
  • Material assets
    • Melanie has HP laptop
    • Salua has disposable items designated for Cultural Luncheons
    • Susan has disposable party goods from past events stored in own home
    • Bruce has PA gear
      • Will take HP laptop from Melanie and store
      • Will email Wenjie from PSU Global Programs re: other electrical devices and will create excel sheet listing items
    • Discussed liability insurance
      • Currently have $1,133.00 premium
    • How GC will proceed during COVID-19
    • Activities in the future
      • GC had 3 luncheons planned: currently postponed until further notice due to pandemic restrictions; church has payment which would be credited
      • Discussion groups on Tuesday are still taking place via virtual methods (Zoom)
      • Book Groups continue to operate via virtual methods (Zoom)
      • ESL classes: Bob will look into
      • Should we have a general membership meeting online?
        • How to we invite members?
        • What will be the speaker/event
        • General organizing logistics
      • Change scope of outreach to community
        • Global Connections can facilitate:
          • Encourage members to take action in the spirit of GC
          • Highlight members doing individual events
          • “Actions of Love” by GC
        • Membership Engagement
          • Survey
          • “What do you think GC should do during this time”
          • Online events, committee meetings, maintenance stage, promote individual actions, etc
          • Bob/UB to follow up with Community Diversity Group re: cook book, could GC be sponsor?
        • No online monthly meetings: postpone until Fall semester?
        • Make strategic plan for future
          • Annual general membership meeting and elections will be in November
          • Touch base with members in August/September?
        • Until next month
          • No special events
          • Communicate to membership
            • Send out newsletter via MailChimp
            • Survey members to see how GC should progress-Bruce will draft
            • Spotlight on things members are doing in spirit of GC-Susan (book groups) and Bob (discussion groups, etc) will provide Melanie information by Tuesday, May 19

April Executive Committee Meeting; April 7, 2020, 5:00pm-6:00pm

In attendance:

• President: Melanie Miller-Foster
• Vice President: Bob Persiko
• Public Relation Officer: U.B. Bakker
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster (for 30 minutes)
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Book Group Chair: Susan Steinberg

Location:

• This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion:

• What can we do now to serve our community?
  • Global Connections provides:
    • Tuesday Conversation groups: held via virtual methods (Zoom)
    • Book Groups: held via virtual methods (Zoom)
    • ESL classes: chatting through Epic
  • Connect with FSA-Foreign Student Associations
  • Provide community resources through Facebook, Mailchimp
    • Hang messages/signs around local international communities
      • Melanie to send out email to membership re: create, design, and implement posters/ideas to stay sane during this time
    • Information on local restaurants providing free food, food deliveries
    • Information on how to DIY face masks
  • Reach out to Penn State Global Programs: what are they doing for international students/community during the pandemic?
• List of Assests: What do we own?
  • Location of specific things, create paperwork
• Website details
  • List of officers
• Membership survey
  • Ask for top 10 priorities
  • Provide ideas for activities in coming months
• Membership engagement
  • Committee meetings via virtual methods (Zoom)
• No formal membership meeting for next month

Agenda Items:

• Develop a plan for GC functions over the summer months (MJMF)
  • Due to ongoing Coronavirus pandemic: There will be no formal general membership meetings in person until further notice
• What is the process for articulating and documenting standing rules? (BET)
• Revise the process flow and controls for simultaneous membership and cultural events (BET) – I either did not understand our solution or we didn’t finish the discussion or document it.
• Resolving in policy or procedure the gift card issue (BET) – As above.
• Specification in the record or a rule storage location of and maintenance responsibility for PA system (BET) – As above
• Development of written rule for PA system accountability (BET) – related to above
• Google Document for messages that are not of immediate attention (sk)

March Executive Committee Meeting; March 10, 2020, 7:30pm-8:30pm

In attendance:

• President: Melanie Miller-Foster
• Vice President: Bob Persiko
• Public Relation Officer: U.B. Bakker
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster

Location:

• This meeting was held at the COG Building at 2643 Gateway Drive in State College, PA

Topics of Discussion:

Agenda Items:

February Executive Committee Meeting; February 11, 2020, 7:30pm-8:30pm

In attendance:

• President: Melanie Miller-Foster
• Vice President: Bob Persiko
• Public Relation Officer: U.B. Bakker
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster
• Cultural Luncheon Chair: Salua Kamerow

Location:

• This meeting was held at the COG Building at 2643 Gateway Drive in State College, PA

Topics of Discussion:

• Possible creation of committee specifically for editing Bylaws/Standing Rules
• Membership Records

Agenda Items:

• March meeting program (see attached draft agenda)
  • Salua will be sending out Global Connections Cultural Luncheon announcement
  • Daniel will be sending out Global Connections General Meeting announcement
• Clarifying membership records roles
  • Treasurer, Bruce Truitt, will take money and membership cards
  • Membership Committee Chair, Daniel Foster, will input information from membership cards
  • Secretary, Sarah Knorr, will store membership cards
  • Global Connections will retain membership cards for 1 year
• Development function in GC for 2020
  • Focus on 2020 revenue neutrality
  • Ideas:
    • Donation can at every Global Connections event
    • Create committee dedicated to fundraising
  • Developing a policy on complimentary admission to GC events
    • Standing Rule: Not provide complimentary admission to Global Connections events; add line item under PR role: Allocate discretionary funds up to $250 to use for admissions as PR sees fit—would need budget amendment
    • Standing Rule: Volunteers are provided free meal and admission to Global Connections events-provide them with shift hours
    • Charity Rule/Scholarship: for those members with limited funds to participate in Global Connections events
  • Process of referring ideas to a committee (ArtsFest/Lion Bash as an example)
    • Referred through committees
    • Email blast

• Agenda items for meetings
  • Please place on Parking Lot on Google Drive
  • Blue highlighted items are for next meeting
  • Dump completed items into separate document
• Next EC meeting
  • Vice President, Bob Persiko resides over next Executive Committee Meeting