Meetings

Action Items of WG-USA Board Meetings

Board Teleconference, December 13, 2010

1. The treasurer has prepared a statement regarding our privacy protection policies to meet the requirements of Massachusetts law.
2. We are negotiating with hotels for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held in Minneapolis, MN, September 16-18, 2011.
3. We plan to contact Caribbean independent members, where there are no NFAs, to offer them friendship, mentoring and support.
4. We plan to create an online resource/contact database to assist members with advocacy.
5. Anyone interested in helping with public relations or social networking, please contact a board member.
6. At present $2895 has been raised to assist the NFAs of Cameroon and Albania with their IFUW dues which are in arrears.  With the new dues structure and this assistance, it is hoped that their memberships can be maintained.
7. There will be fewer IFUW delegates at the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN in March.  Applications have been accepted.
8. We currently have 200 members.  Non-renewing members have been called.  Recruiting continues.
9. The program continues to work on trafficking, education and the program for the AGM. Thank you to Alice Dahle for her work on CEDAW.
10. Members may want to attend the Women’s World 2011 conference in July in Ottawa, Canada.

Board Teleconference, October 26, 2010

1. The following committee appointments were approved for 2010-2011
   1. Audit Committee: Barbara Carey, Carol Ann Council, Jeri Rhodes
   2. Communication Committee: Arlene Inglis, Bev Weiler, Amy Lancaster
   3. Development Committee: Florine Swanson, Maisha Britt, Jesutoyin Ajike-King
   4. Finance Committee: Carol Ann Council, Margery Sullivan, Carrie Gallagher

   5. Governance Committee:  Alice Bartelt, Sarah Harder, Kathleen Magill, Caroline Sedlacek, KrysWulff.  With Kathleen Magill as convener.
   6. Membership Committee: Susan Halstrick, Carlynne McDonnell, Janet Moses, Nicole Nelson , Pamela, Lynne Pommerenke, Esther Scher, Joan Thompson
   7. Program Committee: Myrna Brown, Alice Dahle, Bonnie Lincoln, Camille MacDonald-Polski, Linda Heibert Sekiguchi, Jeannette Westbrook.
2. Workshop plans for CSW 2011 (Commission on the Status or Women at the UN) are being developed by IFUW. We continue to have a goal to be actively involved.
3. Pencils for Pakistan, a program with the Pakistan national federation to provide school supplies for Pakistani school children affected by the floods, has been approved by IFUW. 
4. We do not have enough assets to have employee dishonesty insurance.  We will self insure for now.
5. Policy and procedures revisions and job descriptions were approved for working groups.
6. The date for the 2011 Annual General Meeting was set for September 16-19, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The AGM will be September 16-18. Committee meetings will be held before and a board retreat will be held after the AGM.
7. An art exhibit on human rights is being planned in conjunction with the AGM.
8. WG-USA will conduct a fund raising effort to support the national affiliates of Armenia and Cameroon who are having difficulty meeting their dues payments to IFUW. Members can give through Justgive on the website or by mailing checks directly to Sema Faigen, Treasurer.

Board Teleconference, September 7, 2010

1. Announced voting on line for slate of Officers and Board Members will be September 16, 9 p.m. EDT until September 23, 9p.m. EDT.
2. Appointed Carlynne McDonnell and Nicole Nelson to the Membership Committee.
3. Accepted the resignation of Diane Haney from the Governance Committee.
4. Accepted the resignation of Alex Keleman from the Communications Committee
5. Planned 60 minute program for the AGM:  presentation of the IFUW interview project, summaries from the participants in the Sustainable Multi-generational Approach Workshop, education of women around the world, trafficking, and CEDAW ratification.
6. Reported that the secretary will send a letter to all registrants to the AGM giving the access code and informing them that they can view the agenda and reports on the WG-USA website.
7. Announced that out of the 10 IFUW Fellowship Applications received,  3 are being selected by the WG-USA Fellowship Committee and submitted to IFUW.
8. Reported that the Program Committee Working Groups and resource persons will develop guidelines and suggestions for individuals and identify public policy issues to present to the WG-USA Board.
9. Accepted the Audit Committee Guidelines and Procedures.
10. Agreed to participate in the IFUW Resolution on Human Rights from the IFUW Conference.
11. Decided to consider possibilities for fundraising to support other IFUW affiliates.

Board Teleconference, July 26, 2010

1. Appointed Jeannette Westbrook as a member of the Program Committee.
2. Planned presentation of the IFUW Interview Project and updates on the foci on Education of Women and Girls, Trafficking, and CEDAW Ratification along with the business meeting during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will be a September 25 teleconference open to all members.
3. Approved Florine Swanson sending out the Annual General Meeting (AGM) agenda to all attending the AGM with an invitation to send any additions to the agenda by a certain date.
4. Approved sending out the first discussion question by the program committee following the IFUW Conference.
5. Announced that the Membership brochure has been updated.
6. Agreed to clarify the membership categories:  general, student, and concurrent.
7. Reported that the two teleconference calls for those attending the IFUW Conference were appreciated.
8. Decided  to research dues levels required for joining the United Nations Association Council.

Board Teleconference, June 14, 2010

1.  Annual dues to IFUW were paid by Sema Faigen, WG-USA Treasurer.
2.  WG-USA members can become rappoteurs, persons interested in researching and collecting information about education of women and girls, trafficking of women and girls, or CEDAW ratification.
3.   A blog is coming soon to our website so all members can discuss our three program priorities:  education of women and girls, trafficking, and CEDAW ratification.
4.   An Interview Project will be available for those attending the IFUW Conference in Mexico City in August.
5.  Sue Halstrick and Pamela Pommerenke are new members of the Membership Committee.
6.  The Voting Delegate for WG-USA at the 2010 IFUW Conference in Mexico City will be Florine Swanson and the Alternate Delegate will be Louise McLeod.
7.  The WG-USA Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 25, 2010 will be one and one half hours long and will include an annual business meeting and a participatory program.
8.  The WG-USA AGM will be set up so members who wish to participate can join by calling in to a conference call.
9.  Pre-registration for the AGM will be suggested so that information can be emailed to participants.
10.  WG-USA members can submit resolutions to be voted on at the AGM.  Deadline is July 25 for submission.
11.  The resolutions committee is Jeanne Clarke, Convener, Jeri Rhodes, and Susan Stein.

Board Teleconference, April 15, 2010

1. Approved the Program Committee’s use of rapporteurs as short term researchers for the Program Priorities:  education of girls, trafficking, and passing CEDAW.
2. Agreed to appoint a task force to develop a process to vet issues on which we wish to take a position.
3. Extended membership at half the regular dues to full time undergraduate students giving them all privileges except serving on the Board and IFUW membership.
4. Agreed to apply for membership in the Civil Society Network, a United Nations affiliate available to NFA groups around the world.
5. Set up a task force to develop policies for social networking in the name of the organization.
6. Approved a Vision Statement:  WG-USA believes that the cornerstone for a peaceful world will be women and girls empowered by universal education and economic security to advocate for themselves and their communities.
7. Revised the Mission Statement to read:  Women Graduates-USA empowers women to secure a better world through education, advocacy, friendship, and mutual support.
8. Developed the following Core Values:  communicate transparently, maintain high standards of performance, include and  respect diverse views, be ethical and honest.
9. Agreed to the following Operational Criteria:  operate virtually, think flexibly and resourcefully, focus on international women's connections and issues.
10. Appointed Pamela Pommerenke to the Membership Committee.

11. Appointed Bonnie Lincoln as our candidate to the International Special Projects Committee.

Board Teleconference, March 15, 2010

1. Decided to select a delegate to represent WG-USA at the IFUW Training Program “Towards a Sustainable Multigenerational Approach” at the IFUW Conference.
2. Learned that our resolution entitled “Human Trafficking Violates Human Rights” will be voted upon at the IFUW Business Meeting.
3. Adopted the policy that an Audit Committee Report be conducted annually and reported at the following Annual General Meeting.
4. Accepted the Audit Report finding our finances in order since the founding of WG-USA.
5. Launched Members Meeting Place on www.WG-USA.org.
6. Planned individual notes to members who have not continued to pay their dues.
7. Updated the Policies and Procedures Manual and the Job Descriptions Manual.
8. Set September 17-24, 2010 as the dates to vote on candidates for office for WG-USA.

Board Teleconference, January 19, 2010

1. The 2010 WG-USA Budget was approved.
2. The mission statement of WG-USA will become the direction for program activities and criteria for selecting program emphasis were approved.
3. The president was given permission to sign on to those documents stating our established policies.
4. Joan Thompson was appointed to the Membership Committee.
5. Janet Heinicke was nominated for the IFUW Fellowships Committee; Louise McLeod was nominated for the IFUW Status of Women Committee; Kathleen Laurila was nominated for the IFUW Resolutions Committee.
6. Florine Swanson will contact AAUW for possible promotion of the IFUW Conference with AAUW.
7. The University of Iowa Archives for Women has been chosen as the site for the archival records of WG-USA.
8. The WG-USA credit card has been approved with Bank of America.