Lawrence Sister Cities Advisory Board
February 9, 2011
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MEMBERS PRESENT: |
Bill Keel, Linda Hyler, Jon Josserand, Ken Albrecht, Kelly Herndon, Gina Ross, Bob Moody, Lynn Ground, Kathleen Hodge, Darrel Ward, Bob Schumm |
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MEMBERS ABSENT: |
Michael Kennedy, Dennis Christilles, James Hilliard |
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STAFF LIAISON PRESENT: |
Cynthia Wagner |
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PUBLIC PRESENT: |
Ted Kuwana, Carol Shankel |
The meeting was brought to order at 5:30 pm in the Lawrence City Commission chambers by Chair Keel.
Review of Minutes (Josserand)
The minutes were approved for the January 2011 meeting as previously distributed.
Treasurer’s Report (Herndon)
Herndon indicated distribute she would be distribute end of year information when it is available, and that the first quarterly report for 2011 would be distributed at the April meeting.
Membership Development- (Josserand)
The board spent time addressing and mailing approximately 180 membership renewal reminders.
20th Anniversary Hiratsuka/Friends of Hiratsuka – (Hilliard)
Hilliard was not present. Ted Kuwana and Carol Shankel, made a report to the board regarding the 20th anniversary visit from Hiratsuka to Lawrence planned for the fall of 2011. A planning meeting will occur on February 27. Both Kuwana and Shankel have been in contact with local Hiratsuka officials, and made observations
Other logistical issues were discussed, including the difficulty of planning a visit needing accommodations in a time period where KU football games would make accommodations very difficult.
Ken Albrecht and Kathleen Hodge agreed to join the Hiratsuka 20th Anniversary exchange planning committee, which now consists of: James Hilliard, Ted Kuwana, Carol Shankel, Michael Kennedy, Bob Moody, Linda Hyler, Gina Ross, Ken Albrecht, Kathleen Hodge.
The board agreed that an appropriate letter of communication should be sent to the mayor of Hiratsuka at the end of her term this spring.
Appointments to the Board
A question has been raised about the why there is no two-term limit to service on the sister cities advisory board. One observation made by a board member who remembers this issue when discussed by a previous city commission, that the traditional two-term limit for city advisory board was specifically eliminated by that city commission because the primary goal was to develop ongoing relationships with officials from foreign cities, that continuity of contacts and personal relationships was very important, especially since the officials from these foreign cities also tended to be individuals with long-term responsibilities for these responsibilities on behalf of their cities. Another board member indicated he had also been informed that at some times previous to this decision, that there had been occasional difficulty in identifying individuals whom could make the needed meeting and time commitments necessary to advance the board’s goals.
Scholarship Fundraiser
Hodge indicated she would consider accepting the responsibility for the next fundraiser, assuming a co-chair could be identified. Discussion ensued about the best timing for the next fundraiser, with the idea that changing the date from fall to spring might be a better time. This is also a consideration because October, the traditional time for the fundraiser, conflicts with the Hiratsuka visit this year, as well as the presence of a dozen Eutin students.
Scholarship Committee (Keel)
Keel indicated that the scholarship committee needed to meet to consider clarifications to the scholarship form and process. A meeting will be scheduled soon for this purpose.
A question arose regarding to gifts to the scholarship fund made to honor recently deceased board members. Discussion occurred.
Friends of Eutin
The recent trip to Eutin by KU music faculty and students was reportedly a great success. As a result of this, the Eutin Opera Festival organization is arranging for as many as sixty KU students and faculty to travel to Eutin for an approximate six week period in the mid-July to mid-August time period.
The meeting was adjourned.