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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Sister City Committee - 01/07/2008 r213147�,Sister City Steering Committee • �U44. , of Regular Meeting with Christmas Dinner at 5:45 p.n �1Ys ' 'd ,8 Monday 08, City Hal, January 6tFloor ConOferren eSRoom OFFCe ti MEMBERS PRESENT MEMBERS ABSENT STAFF _� titin Tim Dowling —6:10 Melissa Melendez Drue Combs-AE Chris Kallas Randy Farrar Javier Morin Westi Horn - AE Chris Semtner Almira Flores Ellen Murry —6:05 Ann Jaime - A Farley Frazier Willie Perez George Kopf- R Rose Gunji Flicka Rahn Jonathan Lancaster-A Brandi Williams H. Moretzsohn - A Danny Williams Sharon Phillips - AE Sukhbir Singh -AE Alfonso Trujano - A CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting of the Sister City Steering Committee was called to order by Committee member, Randy Farrar around 6 p.m. II. ROLL CALL: Chris Kailas called roll. A quorum was met with 10 of 19 members present. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Randy Farrar requested the minutes be amended by removing the names and amounts of donations in Judy Benkendorer's name. Brandi Williams moved the minutes be approved as amended. Farley Frazier seconded the motion. The motion passed. Ellen Murry came in at 6:05 p.m. IV. HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC: No one from the public was present. V. TREASURER'S REPORT: Chris Kallas reported that both the General Fund balance and PALS Fund had no activity last month and the balances remained the same. The General Fund current balance remains at $16,040.17. The PALS Fund remains at $2,598.89 VI. DISCUSSION ITEMS: A. DISCUSSION AND ACTION on starting an endowment fund using the contributions made in Judy Benkendorfer's name and other sources of funds, such as the PALS Fund. Ellen Murry noted that it costs to set up and manage an endowment fund. She suggested we should have a minimum of$10,000 to open an endowment. She suggested the Committee should leave the donated funds in the PALS Fund and table the discussion on setting up an endowment fund. She moved to leave the $260 donated in Ms. Benkendorfer's name in the PALS Fund, Danny Williams seconded the motion. The Motion passed. B. DISCUSSION AND ACTION on selection of students to Veracruz, Mexico and number of alternates to be chosen. The discussion started with the Committee discussing the fact that no one knows a contact in Veracruz, Mexico at this time. It was suggested that we might be able to get help from Humberto Dingier, the Sister City contact in Monterrey, Mexico. It was also noted that once we get a name and phone number, Ann Jaime said she would make a trip there to reestablish relations. There was a short discussion on whether or not the Committee would send 4 students then to Agen, France SCANNED since they expressed an interest in have 4 students again this coming summer. Danny Williams moved the Committee send 4 students to Agen, France this year and not send any to Veracruz, Mexico. Willie Perez seconded the motion. The Motion carried. Tim Dowling came in at 6:10 p.m. C. DISCUSSION AND ACTION on sending a number of Sister City Steering Committee members to the Annual Conference. Rose Gunji gave a short back ground and history of members attending the Annual Conference. She said that in the past, the Committee had funds enough to send two members paying their Conference fees. Recently, she said, members who attended did so at their own expense. Ellen Murry suggested we needed more information on where the Conference was to be held and asked to table the discussion and put it on next month's agenda. D. DISCUSSION AND ACTION on annual Sister City Planning Retreat; when, where, etc. It was noted that the where would be easy to decide on. Randy Farrar led a discussion on when to hold the annual planning retreat. The following dates were suggested; March 29, 2008; April 19 or April 26, 2008. After a short discussion and a show of hands, Tim Dowling moved to hold the event on April 19, 2008 contingent on whether or not General Chair Heather Moretzsohn could attend on that date. Almira Flores seconded the motion. The Motion passed. E. DISCUSSION AND ACTION on questions concerning student selection process. There were two opposing thoughts. Randy Farrar read the e-mail notes from Heather Moretzsohn and Randy Farrar. 1. Late registration for female student from Flour Bluff. Will the Committee accept this request? There was a good deal of discussion on the pros and cons of accepting this student's application. Willie Perez suggested we send a letter to cover the Committee's action. Randy Farrar called to a halt of the discussion. Willie Perez moved to accept the student's application late and Rose Gunji seconded the motion. The motion passed with one member, Farley Frazier, opposed. 2. Guidelines say the Committee can only accept students if they are recommended by the School. How does this affect those students that hear about the process from the newspaper or other sources and get their applications form other sources and turn them in, not using their schools counselor? It was noted that this question came about because the Committee is planning a mass media blitz about the program in future years. Members felt it was still important to go through the Counselor for control. One solution is that the Committee sends letters to the Principal and counselors early in the school year or even during Teacher Training days letting them know that the packet will be coming very soon and for them to be on the lookout for it. Brandi Williams moved to stick to the guidelines regardless where the application comes from and Tim Dowling seconded the motion. The motion passed. 3. Does the Committee want to keep all the fees paid or return the fees of the applicants not chosen? Rose Gunji moved to keep only the fees for those students chosen. Javier Morin seconded the motion. The motion passed. VII. COMMITTEE REPORTS: A. Fund Raising Committee — The Chess Tournament will be held on March 1 , 2008 at Oveal Williams Senior Center. Ms. Murry will try to have a quick meeting on the week of January 23, 2008. She said she will need some volunteers to help plan and work the event. Ms. Murry has a friend that will help with the event. Ellen Murry will be working on a couple of sponsorships for the event. The Senior Citizens are prepared to do the food again. At the next meeting we will have the mock up of the flyer. B. Publicity Committee, Brandi Williams, Danny Williams — The next publicity event is on January 19, 2008 at the Corpus Christi International Airport. A letter was sent on December 14th to all the Council members and the Mayor. They will be followed up with a phone call. Amy Gazin is doing the news release for the event. Chris Kailas was asked to do a news release, too. Ms. Williams asked the proper line up of the flags. She suggested that the Texas flag would be best placed on the other side of the podium from the American flag and all the other countries flags could be lined up separately. Chris Kailas will get another easel from the Science and History Museum for the world map Zdansky Map Store donated. Chris Kailas told the Committee that David Springer aka, Father Christmas, will be building two new easels to take the place of the loaned easels. C. EXPO Planning Committee — No report. It was noted that a group would be going to the Laredo EXPO January 26, 2008. D. Art Competition Committee, Rose Gunji and Sharon Phillips — Sharon Phillips and Ms. Gunji will be following up their original letter with each of the art teachers. E. Selection Committee, Randy Farrar and Brandi Williams — Mr. Farrar and Ms. Williams will call each of the students to confirm their interview times for this Saturday, January 13, 2008. The interviewers will arrive at 8 a.m. to review the applications and prepare for the interviews which will begin at 9 a.m. Chris Kailas will have coffee and breakfast as well as lunch on that day. The interviews with the boys is planned to end just before lunch. They will join the interviewers for girls for lunch. Those interviewers will continue till about 3 p.m. Students' grades will be averaged and the Committee will have the selected students at the end of the day, Saturday. The two chairs will call each student on Sunday or Monday to let them know if they were selected or not and invite them to the publicity event at the airport on Saturday, January 19, 2008 F. Agen, France, Ann Jaime — No report. G. Keelung, Taiwan, Tim Dowling — No report at this time. H. Monterrey, Mexico, Almira Flores and Willie Perez — No report. I. Toledo, Spain, Flicka Rahn, Javier Morin, Melissa Melendez and Ann Jaime — Tim Smith sent an e-mail for the Music Exchange and requested a reply but have yet to hear from them. Ann Jaime responded to that e-mail saying that Spain was still undecided as to whether or not they could afford the trip. There was a question as to where they would perform once they arrive. The answer was that there are a lot of locations in Corpus Christi; one could be at the Church of the Good Sheppard. The church members would also feed and house the Spanish choir. J. Veracruz, Mexico — No report. K. Yokosuka, Japan, Westi Horn and Drue Combs — No report at this time. L. Curriculum/Training Committee, Sukhbir Singh and Brandi Williams — Sukhbir Singh was sent an e-mail concerning plans for the curriculum training for this year. He has not responded. The last training is set for June 8th. Hopefully we can all talk about this next month. M. Evaluation Committee, Ellen Murry and Ann Jaime — a. Playa del Carmen — This is in the works. A meeting is to be held next week. b. Bethinda, India — No report. Chris Kailas will call Nandu Dalvi, a friend within the Coastal Bend India Association. c. Netanya, Israel — Ellen Murry said she received a letter concerning this City becoming a Sister City to Corpus Christi. Ms. Murry plans to talk to Phillis Roseman, wife to the Rabbi. She is beginning to check out the process with potential support groups for this Sister City relationship. N. Activities Committee, Danny Williams, and Westi Horn — No report. O. Pen Pal Program, Danny Williams — Mr. Williams had no report but asked if he could contact other schools about the Pen Pal Program. The answer was yes. VIII. GENERAL CHAIR'S REPORT— No report IX. STAFF REPORT— Chris Semtner asked staff to find out when the Annual Conference would be held and where. Ms. Gunji said it would be held in Kansas City, MO this year and the time would be July 16-19, 2008. X. CURRENT CONCERNS — Brandi Williams noted that she could use two or three more people on the Publicity Committee. Also, she could use another person on the Curriculum Committee with Sukhbir Singh and her. XI. ADJOURNMENT: Farley Fraizer moved to adjourn the meeting and Danny Williams seconded the motion. Motion passed. Chris Kailas, Sister City Recording Secretary Cultural Services Division Parks & Recreation Department The following guide explains the attendance code: AE —Absence Excused for those who were absent due to illness or Sister City Travel R— Resigned Examples of arrival or leaving times—arrival, 6:07 p.m.; or leaving, L7:00 p.m.