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: