I was sifting through some old emails when I found these minutes from a meeting in 2007.
Thought some might be interested?
PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY, PITTSBURG, KS
Board Members Present: Edith Black, Alice Sagehorn, Kim Kreicker, Nan Wilson, Merrill Raber, Dave Schafer, Bob Carlson.
Board Members Absent: Melissa Birch, Arlo Kasper, Gene Ernst, Modesto Gometz.
Committee Chairs/Members Present: Bob Klemm, Peg Nichols, Steve and Lorraine Richards, John Poertner, Mary Miller, Charles Stansifer, Phyllis N. Carlson, Dave Wilson, Arla Jones, Boots Raber, Jay and Marcia Newton.
Guests: Victor Bernal, Representative of Paraguay Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Called to Order: 7 pm by President Nan Wilson. Nan was pleased to announce that Victor Bernal was attending as a representative of the Paraguay Embassy in Washington, D.C. Nan mentioned that earlier in the week Victor had met with Kansas Commerce Department representatives, John Watson and Bob Queen, in Topeka, and with Russ Smith.
Approval of previous minutes: Donna Shenck-Hamlin having resigned as secretary, Peg Nichols was appointed to fill the remainder of the term until March 2008.
Minutes of the September 9, 2006, and December 2, 2006 minutes were approved.
President’s Report (Nan)
Prior to the March 2 meeting, Nan spent two weeks in Paraguay, working with Partners’ members from Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay, along with Matt Clausen from the Washington, D.C., Partners of the Americas (POA) office, to develop partnership annual plans.
An active group has formed in Encarnacion, and will participate in cooperation with the Comite Paraguay Kansas. The group has a lot of ideas and will be working in conjunction with CPK.
Claudia Pompa Schaere will be coming to Topeka for six weeks in April on a Business Fellows program. She will be meeting with the Kansas Economic Development Council.
Theresa Jean Holderbach of Topeka, will leave in April to spend a year in Paraguay as a Rotary Scholarship student.
Cultural Arts
Kim Kreicker’s board position is scheduled to expire March 3. Cultural Arts chair, Arlo Kasper, will be spending the next ten months in Paraguay, and will not be able to attend KPP meetings during that time. Kim Kreicker was appointed to fill the remainder of Arlo’s term as a board member. Lynn Wilson was appointed to fill the cultural arts committee chair position.
Art Exhibit: Merrill Raber reported on proposed plans to arrange a Paraguayan Art Exhibit at the Mulvane Art Museum at Washburn University from January 25, 2008, to April 13, 2008. The exhibit will include Paraguayan art works and artifacts that have been collected by Kansas residents either as gifts or as purchases. Dr. Reinhild Janzen, art history professor and interim Director of the Museum, will be the curator of the exhibition. Additionally, Nan has conferred with Luis Fernando Meyer in Paraguay, and visited with Paraguayan artists; she was offered approximately twenty unframed paintings. The US Embassy in Asuncion agreed to be responsible for shipping costs of up to $2,000. A POA proposal of $5,000 will be used for photographs, catalog design and printing, publicity, banner, invitations and label printing. Other financial contributions of $8,175.00 will be provided by Mulvane Art Museum and Washburn University. In-kind contributions from KPP and CPK members will total $1,600. Total expenditures will be $14,775. It is anticipated that a similar art exhibition of Kansas art and artifacts will be offered in Paraguay at a future date.
A motion to approve the proposal was passed.
Treasurer: Dave Schafer said a full report would be made at the annual meeting the following day, and asked for a future discussion about how investment decisions are made.
Ag Committee Report: Dave Schafer reported that Norm Pittman has not been able to come to the meeting, but that efforts were continuing to promote the veterinary exchange program.
Education: Edith Black reported that the Special Merit Scholarship committee had received three very good applications, which were reviewed by seven KPP members. Recipient of the scholarship will be Amanda Heter, a student of Melissa Birch.
Nan asked for approval for Karen Hyde to go to Paraguay to investigate future high school teacher exchanges. Motion approved.
The Youth Ambassadors program and the Newton High School exchange will be highlighted at the Annual meeting so these reports were postponed until that time.
Steve Richards indicated that CPK Member Elena Sanchez is willing to help with orientation for high school students coming to Kansas. Elena accompanied the high school students who came to Newton in January.
Alice Sagehorn reported that Patricia Cuevas and Martin Burros had applied for a Fulbright study project and should have an answer by the end of March. Alice also requested that KPP be notified by Nov. 1 of any Paraguayan teachers and/or students coming to Kansas in January.
Emergency Preparedness: Lorraine Richards reported that various firefighting items had been collected, or would be available, and various shipping options are being explored.
Mark Sayler, Director of the Hutchinson Community College Fire Science Program, has expressed an interest in going to Paraguay with a special interest in studying the low fatality rates in Paraguayan Fire Departments.
Health: The current epidemic of dengue fever was discussed. Boots and Merrill Raber will consult with Dr. Couchonnal to ascertain what might be done to help relieve the problem. Victor Bernal expressed an offer on behalf of the Paraguayan Embassy to help ship any materials that might be purchased to Paraguay. A motion to provide $1,500 for the project, if needed, was passed.
International Trade: Victor Bernal, Paraguayan Embassy Secretary, will explore the possibility of a group of Paraguayan business peo0ple visiting Kansas upon the invitation of John Watson, Kansas Director of Trade.
Natural Resources: Bob Klemm reported that the designs for “Bioparque Ju’I Rupa,” which is being constructed in the Paraguayan Bioreserve set aside at the time of the construction of the Itaipu Dam, will not be ready until later in the year.
Mike Dealy, a hydrologist and geologist, has an interest in helping with the water project in the Chaco. A motion to approve his travel was approved.
Historian: Charles Stansifer continues collecting materials for the archives. Hard copies of previous KPP material are preferred.
Membership: KPP membership is at a new high, with a total of 144 members. Bob Klemm would like to send a postcard as a membership renewal, and would like to consider purchasing USPS “forever stamps” for future use as the stamps become available.
Reachout: Kim Kreicker described how the KPP newsletter could be produced more cheaply in a black and white version. Other discussion involved how a two-color newsletter, although more expensive, can also serve to fill KPP promotional needs. No decision was reached. Kim and Steve Richards will develop a long range plan for Reachout, specifically addressing the newsletter issue.
Merrill Raber announced that a former KPP president, Mary Porterfield, was nominated for the American Field Service prestigious International Galatti Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service.
Old Business:
Merril Raber displayed Paraguay plates which can be used in the future as gift presentations.
Alice Sagehorn announced the plans for the annual meeting on Saturday, which would include “goodie bags” of area promotional materials, and a breakfast in the atrium. Many Paraguayan students are expected to attend, and a special separate meeting, conducted by Edith Black, will be held at 1:30 p.m.
Nan announced that nothing further had been heard about the Paideia project.
Merrill Raber spoke about the proposed 2007 tour which will include Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Paraguay. The tour will be similar to the historical, educational and cultural tour of Paraguay in 2005. Cut-off date for reservations will be May 1.
New Business:
The Kansas Paraguay Partners/Comite Paraguay Kansas 2007-2008 Plan, including the Vision Statement and the Mission Statement (attached) was approved.
The Kansas Paraguay Partners, Inc. Annual Report for 2007 (attached) was approved.
The next board meeting will be June 9 in Lawrence with refreshments at 9 a.m. and the meet5ing to start at 9:30.
Other meetings: September 8, 2007, in Topeka; December 1, 2007 in Newton.
Meeting adjourned at 9 p.m.
Peg Nichols,
KPP Board Secretary
