Sister Cities Meeting

Thursday, May 7, 2009 @ 4:30 p.m.

City Hall, First Floor Conference Room

AGENDA

Call to Order

Roll Call

Agenda Approval

Financial Report

Approval of Minutes:  April 2, 2009

Continuing Committee Reports

         Miyazu

• Student Exchange
• Student’s visit Board Meeting

Moshi

• Safari Dinner
• Ambassador’s Visit

Sister Schools

Young Artist Competition

New Business

Non-Agenda Items

• Next Meeting:  Thursday, June 4, 2009 @ 4:30PM, First Floor Conference Room

Adjournment

  Delray Beach Sister Cities

May 7, 2009

Regular Meeting Minutes

Location:  City Hall, First Floor Conference Room

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order at 4:35 p.m. by Vice President Oz Mensah.

Roll Call:  As listed above.

Agenda Approval:  A motion was made to approve the agenda by Bill Wilsher and seconded by Charlotte Durante.  All voted aye.

Financial Report:   The financial report was given by Donna Beldowicz in Becky O’Connor’s absence for the month April 2009.  Donna reported revenue of $17,164 and expenses of $16,500 with a net income of $664 to date.  The cash bank balance was reported as $45,700 with $15,220 of the balance reserved for Moshi and $30,480 for Miyazu as of April 30, 2009.  Becky is still waiting on information from Mark Vincent on Hatsume.  Becky also prepared an income statement for the Safari Dinner; with the $5,000 grant from the County, the net income was $4,296.  A motion to accept the financial report was made by n’Detenga n’Gurumo and seconded by Bill Wilsher.  All voted aye.   

Approval of Minutes:  A motion to accept the April 2, 2009 minutes was made by Nancy King and seconded by Bill Wilsher.  All voted aye.

Continuing Committee Reports:
Miyazu:

• Student Exchange: There will be 7 students instead of 6 now going to Japan, June 12 – June 20, 2009.  Jacqui Lowell, the student with the seafood allergy, is now able to go on the trip.  Tony Durante, along with Yoshiko Shiratori assistance, has been regularly holding classes since last September for the students so they can learn what is needed for the trip.  Reiko Nishioka and Nancy King also helped.  Yoshiko will make a contact book again this year for the students with all pertinent information for the trip.  May 19, 2009 at the City Commission meeting, the students will be given a proclamation naming them as our student ambassadors.  June 7th, there will be a send off party for the students.
• Student’s visit to Board Meeting:  All 7 exchange students, Danielle Trubow, Robert A. Weil III, Jacqui Lowell, Matthew Kondziela, Matthew Feldman, Sofia Ellingworth and Chelsea Brandt came to the meeting to share some of the things that they have learned in preparation for their trip to Japan.

*Tony speaks Japanese only during their lessons
*Students can write their names in Japanese
*As our student ambassadors, they had to learn about Delray Beach and interview someone at a place they visited in Delray
*Visit the Morikami Museum; Hatsume and a tea ceremony
*Learned about the Japanese religion and cultures
*Designed their uniforms for the trip; khaki pants & shirts, blue polo shirts

Moshi:  

• Safari Dinner:  The dinner went well and attended by Addie Greene and the Ambassador and gifts were given to both.  A request was put in for next year asking for an earlier date on a Saturday in March. The net income for the dinner was $4,296.  Also, Ted Marshall spoke with Terry Stillman from Feet First; Terry donated 10 pairs of tennis shoes to send to Moshi.  Terry said if he gets good feedback he would be willing to donate more shoes.  A motion was made by n’Detenga n’Gurumo and seconded by Bill Wilsher to send the shoes to Moshi, to the attention of Miriam at the Library, and that the shoes are given to the performers that were at the Library Internet Café dedication.  All vote aye.  Oz will contact Miriam on this.
• Ambassador’s Visit:  The ambassador and his wife enjoyed their trip and had a good visit.  He wrote a thank you letter to the Mayor and to Sister Cities.

Sister Schools:  A proclamation will be made for Sister Schools at the May 19th Commission Meeting.  Oz reported that schools here are very interested in getting started but they have not been given the names of the schools to link up with yet.

Young Artist Competition:  Nancy King reported that the winner was Cole Garner from Unity School.  The exhibit will be at the Crest Theatre until Monday, May 11th.

New Business: 

• Beverly Ouckama sent an email reporting that American Heritage mailed off 2 entries for the Young Authors Competition.  
• Mr. Harden forwarded an email that he received from Sister Cities International that Sister Cities International was awarded a $7.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to launch a major program to support urban communities in Africa.  Donna will forward this email on to the Board Members.

Non-Agenda Item:  Next meeting will be the Thursday, June 4, 2009 @ 4:30 p.m., in the First Floor Conference Room.

Adjournment:   Motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:18 p.m., was made by Bill Wilsher and seconded by Charlotte Durante.  All voted aye.