Sister Cities Lawrence

Governing Board Meeting

March 13, 2019 DRAFT minutes

MEMBERS PRESENT:                       Bill Keel, Ken Albrecht, Kelly Scholz, Diana Carlin, Melissa Johnson, Carol Shankel, and James Hilliard

CITY LIAISON:                                    Porter Arneill

MEMBERS ABSENT:                       Michelle Fales, Bob Schumm, Lisa Larsen

GUESTS PRESENT:                         None                                                                                                                                            

Chair Bill Keel opened the meeting at 5:37 and Scholz conducted the meeting when Keel had to leave.

Meeting Materials Provided:

Ÿ Meeting agenda

Ÿ February 9, 2019 draft minutes

Ÿ Financials and balances through February 28, 2019

Ÿ Standing committees list

Announcements and Guests

· None

Approval of Minutes

Ÿ Minutes of February 9, 2019 were approved with additions from Scholz. Moved by Shankel and seconded by Albrecht. Passed unanimously.

Review of Financials ‐ Scholz

• Total accounts are $109,882.03
• Scholarship account is currently $23,007.07
• Savings are at $14,414.59
• Funds were transferred to the CD
• Reserve account balances $37,500
• Hilliard asked about the credit card fees and what the fees will be for parents who pay by credit card.
• Scholz will follow up with Fales regarding the credit card fee collections and payment reports for the three trips.
• We need Fales to generate a membership list to determine who had not renewed for the April meeting.
• Albrecht asked if we needed a complete financial report monthly. Discussion ensued and it was determined that we needed monthly reports for transparency and for trip updates.
• Hilliard moved and Johnson seconded to accept the financial report as presented.

Committee Reports

Scholarships—Keel

• There was no report from the scholarship committee.

Membership on SCL Committee

• There was no meeting of the membership committee. The committee will meet in April.

Chaperone Committee

• We need the name of the chaperone for Iniades and need to coordinate with Hans Carttar. Background checks need to be done.
• Hilliard asked if they are to recruit all chaperones or just do the background checks. They have a format for recruitment. Scholz suggested that the Friends group continue to recruit and the committee assist with vetting and background checks.

Audit Committee

· Fales provided all of the background information and the audit will take place in April.

FOE (Friends of Eutin)—Albrecht

· Albrecht shared an e-mail that former Mayor Boley received after his trip to Eutin inquiring about the possibility of locating a sister school for a gymnasium in Beckum.

· Albrecht also reported on the new visa pre-screening process that will start in 2021 with the EU Schengen-zone countries. We will need to incorporate this into planning for trips starting in 2021.

FoH (Friends of Hiratsuka)—Johnson

• Scholz requested that Johnson send the name of the student who will receive the Central Rotary scholarship and the parents’ names.
• Johnson reported on meetings.
• During March and April they are transitioning in Hiratsuka in the city office and will have the names of the chaperones to Lawrence in April.  
• Hilliard reported that Hiratsuka is determining their delegation now. There was a discussion about 2020 when the Olympics will be in Japan and airfare will increase and that they might consider coming in the fall instead of July. They may change their date. The 30^th anniversary will be in 2020.
• Shankel indicated that the Hiratsuka mayor suggested that the Lawrence delegation go prior to the start of the Olympics.

FOI (Friends of Iniades)—Albrecht

Ÿ Nine students are going to Iniades. Albrecht met with the students and the sponsor.

Ÿ Arneill reported that the Depot and Carnegie are being booked for meetings for the group before their departure.

New Business

• Albrecht asked about the membership dues/donation form. There is a line for individual/family at $35 and a second for family at $50. It should be individual $35 and family $50. This will be corrected for 2020.
• Shankel said that she just saw the Douglas County Community Foundation has a line item for Sister Cities. However, our funds were removed from DCCF and they must have forgotten to take the name off of their list of charities. It is on their website. Scholz will check with them.

The meeting adjourned at 6:26 pm.

Next meeting:  April 10 ,  2019 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.