City of Lawrence

Lawrence Sister Cities Advisory Board

February 8, 2006 minutes

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Nancy Bjorge, Stuart Boley, Lynn Ground, Linda Hyler, William Keel, Graham Kreicker, Gina Ross , Karen Swisher, Andrew Tsubaki, Schumm, LHS Student Youth and Local Govt. Club Representative:  Alyssa Lorenz

MEMBERS ABSENT:

Kathleen Hodge, Sheila Immel, Jon Josserand, Michael Kennedy

STAFF LIASION PRESENT:

Lisa Patterson

PUBLIC PRESENT:

Dr. Charles Stansifer, Professor Emeritus from KU's History and Latin American Studies Dept., Mary Miller, from the Kansas-Paraguay Partners Program. 

Five students from Paraguay, some with their Lawrence hosts: Alejandra Britez with Nancy Burt; Juan Carlos Calderoli; Tania Mindikowski; Gabriel Valdez with Steve Lopes; Carina Livieres with Kelly Cline.  Kelly also represented Half-Price Book Store.

Miriam Silva, their teacher at San Ignacio Loyola School, with her hosts,  John Poertner and Edith Black

Arla Jones, LHS librarian and Dr. Kim Kreicker with the Kansas-Paraguay Partners

Prior to the meeting Gina Ross introduced Dr. Stansifer who gave an overview the Kansas- Paraguay Partners Program.  LHS staff made a presentation about the Kansas Paraguay Partners.  Students from Paraguay were invited to make comments.  They are in their fourth week of a five-week exchange program.  The shipment of used books to Paraguay was explained.

 

The meeting was called to order at 5:55 by Ross.

 

Kreicker moved and Ground seconded that the minutes of the Jan. 11th meeting be approved.  Motion passed.

 

Kreicker moved and Swisher seconded that the bookkeeper’s/treasurer’s report be approved.  Motion passed.  Ross also reported that letters were sent to 15 people who donated $100 or more to the Sister Cities Scholarship Fund during 2005.

 

The first Sauer –Danfoss scholarships were awarded, with a $750 merit scholarship going to each of the high schools for a student to participate in the Eutin, Germany, exchange program, as specified by Sauer-Danfoss.  The Scholarship Committee selected Evan Hunter from LHS and Cori Allen from FSHS to receive the awards in 2006.  We anticipate a continuation of this Sauer-

Danfoss scholarship program for at least another two years.  Suitable publicity and photos of the winners with a Sauer Danfoss executive will be obtained.

 

 

 

The purchase of Kansas landscape books for gifts will be assigned to the Gift line item of the budget..  Several books will be offered to the Hiratsuka and Eutin groups to take as gifts – perhaps to the school libraries.

 

Ross reported that she had made the formal request for our annual funding from the city.  The funding will soon be sent to the SCAB.

 

Ross reported that the first newsletter from the SCAB will focus on Eutin as that group had supplied the requested information.  Ross requested that Kennedy and Tsubaki gather information for the Hiratsuka group.  The newsletter is being done by Joy Simpson who is a volunteer member of the friends of Eutin.  She is volunteering her time to the Board because she is so pleased with the experience her family had with the program this past year.

 

Ross presented the list of subcommittees.  An addition to the subcommittee list was the Japanese Cultural Exchange Committee.  Tsubaki is the chair.  Hyler and Bjorge will temporarily co-chair the Fundraising Subcommittee.  Ground will send Hyler and/or Bjorge information about our membership number for obtaining information from Sister Cities International.

 

Ross reported that she has all the documents that we need to file our 2005 taxes and that they have been turned in to our accountant.

 

Tsubaki made a presentation about the possibility of a performing artist coming to Kansas to perform at the Greater Kansas City Japan Festival on October 7 and 8 and perform prior to those dates in Lawrence.  Schumn moved that we allocate $1,000 for this exchange and that the money come from the “New City” five-year reserve.  Swisher seconded.  Motion passed.

 

Boley moved that the board consider the status of the reserves and reflect the reserve balances in the on-going report to the board.  Kreicker seconded. Motion passed.

 

Kreicker reported that KU is going to have a Confucius Institute opening in May 2006 at the Edwards Campus.  This is a cooperative project with the Chinese Ministry of Education.  This is one of only one hundred such centers in the world and of four in the U.S.  A breakfast informational meeting is being held February 10 at 7:30 at Alvamar.  Reservations can be made through the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.   In addition, the Chinese government will provide a full time teacher of Chinese to Lawrence High School.  Live interactive TV to other schools in Kansas will carry the classes taught there. We will need to find home stay hosts for the teacher.

 

Schumn reported that Jim Reagan is still working on the Irish Sister City.  Schumn reported that Ronda e-mailed and wants to start the official paperwork to become our sister city. 

 

Meeting was adjourned at 6:45 by Ross.