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