City of Lawrence

Lawrence Sister Cities Advisory Board

October 11, 2006 minutes

MEMBERS PRESENT:	Stuart Boley, Lynn Ground, Kathleen Hodge, Linda Hyler, Jon Josserand, William Keel, Michael Kennedy, Graham Kreicker, Gina Ross, Bob Schumm, Andrew Tsubaki
MEMBERS ABSENT:	Nancy Bjorge, Sheila Immel, Karen Swisher
STAFF LIASION PRESENT:	none
PUBLIC PRESENT:	none

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Meeting called to order at 5:35 PM by Ross.

Boley moved Kreicker seconded that we table the minutes from September 13, 2006 until next meeting in November 8, 2006.  Motion passed.

Boley moved Kreicker seconded that we accept the financial report from September 2006.  Motion passed.

Hodge reported on the annual fundraiser that this year was wine and appetizers at Pachamama’s.  Hodge distributed reports from this event.  Total income from this event was $4,390 of which $750 came from operating funds from the SCAB.  Expenses to date total $2,192.94.  The net profit from the event including the $750 from the SCAB is $2,197.06 without the $750 donation from the SCAB operating funds the profit is $1,447.06.

$2197.06 will be deposited into the scholarship account and includes $750 from the Events line item of the SCAB operating budget.  From the total amount collected, bills will be paid.  Donations continue to come in.  There were sixty-seven paid attendees and several who were invited guests.  Three students gave reports about how the scholarships they received helped them be able to qualify for a student exchange trip to either Hiratsuka or Eutin.

The following information was distributed by Hodge:

SCHOLARSHIP FUND RAISER		Rev 2
FINANCIAL REPORT
Event Date 9/28/06
	Amount	Vendor
INCOME
RECEPTION	$1,765.00
CONTRIBUTIONS	$1,875.00
ADVISORY BOARD	$750.00
TOTAL INCOME	$4,390.00
EXPENSES
Invitations	$408.71	Pro-Print
Postage	$87.36	Postmaster
Pledge Cards	$26.29	Pro-Print
Name tags/markers	$32.92	Office Depot/KH
Food & beverage	$1,637.66	Pachamama's
Other	$0.00
TOTAL EXPENSES	$2,192.94
NET PROFIT	$2,197.06

Schumm moved that the $750 approved on June 14 from the event line item be moved to the scholarship fundraiser.  Boley seconded.

Kreicker moved that we waive our standard policy for determining scholarship monies available in September and include our net from our fundraiser for use by the scholarship committee in 2007.   Schumm seconded.

There will be a subcommittee meeting with the Friends of San Lorenzo on October 30 at 5:30 at LHS.

The board reviewed the “Policy for Funding Cultural Exchanges.”  Changes have been noted and will be sent out for review again and consideration at a future meeting.

Kennedy, Kreicker, and Hyler along with the Friends of Hiratsuka group will continue to work toward getting a newsletter out focusing on Hiratsuka.

Tsubaki made a report on our recent Japanese visitors to Lawrence.  Yukiko Iwasaki presented a recital of Japanese songs at KU in cooperation with the SCAB.  She and her accompanist were at the Train Depot for our annual membership event.  At that event, members enjoyed her musical ability as she performed a song.  These guests enjoyed their tour of Lawrence while here and their stay with Ross.  Tsubaki passed out small gifts to the board members.

Ross reminded Kennedy and Keel that the trip organizers need to submit budgets for their upcoming trip by the next meeting.

October 17 there will be a meeting of the Friends of Eutin at 7:30 at the Max Kadda Center.

Schumm moved Kennedy seconded that the meeting be adjourned.  Motion passed.  Meeting adjourned at 7:00.

The following guideline policy proposal reflects the changes made by the Board at the meeting.

Sister Cities Advisory Board

Policy for Funding Cultural Exchanges

Original Draft July 2006 as modified by Jon Josserand September 2006

last update made by Gina Ross October 11, 2006

Sister Cities Mission: The purpose of the Board is to seek, support, coordinate, foster and develop sister city exchange programs of an educational or charitable nature. Source:  Sister Cities Advisory Board Bylaws, Article I. Section 2.

Policy Purpose: The Sister Cities Board strives to foster educational exchange programs focused on cultures native to our Sister Cities and to empower the friends groups to pursue additional programs and exchanges related to these purposes. 

Policy Guidance: The purpose of this policy is to establish the guidelines to be used by the Sister Cities Board in providing financial support for these programs through its several Friends Groups.

The Sister Cities Board supports and encourages the ongoing functioning of the Sister Cities Friends Groups in executing the educational exchange programs as well as creating, prioritizing, and underwriting requests for related exchanges and ancillary requests. Friends Groups will be the primary group responsible for responding and funding these requests.  Friends Groups should conduct public meetings on a regular periodic basis, have regular officer elections, keep and maintain a membership list, and provide minutes to the Sister Cities Board.  It is anticipated that the Friends Groups will maintain the closest working ties with many individuals in the Sister Cities programs and therefore should be the entities to receive and make determinations of request for support for educational exchanges and related and ancillary programs, within the amounts available to them.

Process: The Sister Cities Advisory Board will make an annual allocation of operating funds to the Friends Groups for the purpose of supporting their exchanges of programs and activities native to the cultures in our Sister Cities and in Lawrence, KS.  The allocation will be made once during the year during the board’s budget process in November.

• The friends groups will have the responsibility to submit recommended expenditures to the Board's Chair or Vice Chair for authorization from the annual allocations.
• The Friends groups should keep and remit appropriate receipts, bills, and related documentation to the Sister Cities Board Treasurer for prompt payment.
• Friends groups must engage interested parties in discussions of proposed programs and activities.
• In order to promote stewardship of limited resources and allow accumulations for particular larger programming, absent extraordinary circumstances it would be the intent of the Sister Cities Board to carry forward unexpended balances to the Friends Groups from one year to the next. 
• The Friends Groups shall promptly communicate to the Sister Cities Board President any commitments made in response requests for financial support for exchanges, ad-hoc programs or exchanges, and any similar supportive programming.  The President shall report these commitments to the Board no later than its next Board meeting.
• To assure for coordination with other groups, and to assure for compliance to city and federal requirements, fund-raising efforts should be coordinated by approval of the Sister Cities

Principles:  In responding to requests for exchanges, similar supportive programming, and other ad-hoc requests for support, the Friends Groups should be guided by the following principles and priorities:

1. Sister Cities is supported by appropriations from the City of Lawrence.  In turn, programs must primarily benefit individuals and groups who are residents of the City of Lawrence, or have an especially strong nexus to the City of Lawrence, or are individuals and groups from the cities of our Sister Cities.

2. Secondarily, programs may benefit individuals and groups in Douglas County and the State of Kansas, and the analogous local regions (county and region) of our Sister Cities.

3. Individuals and groups showing past support for Sister Cities programs, as demonstrated by dues membership and volunteer efforts, should receive higher priority and consideration for funding than those not showing such support.

4. Promotion of long-term dues paying membership relationships to Sister Cities programs should always be promoted in an effort to continue programming benefits.