National Committee Minutes for January, 2000

January 9, 2000

Minutes of National Committee Conference Call - January 9, 2000 - 7:45 PM Eastern time

Members present - Katie Kruse, Kimesha Winn, Adam Clay, Katie Grote, Dierdra Faherty, Eileen Fitzgerald

Agenda Item #1 - Application of New Schools
The committee reviewed the applications of Glen Ridge High School & All Saints Catholic School and decided to approve both applications. The committee also decided that since things are getting very busy, it would only hold formal e-mail votes on items that the committee members on the call were not in complete agreement on. So, if there are five committee members on the call, they can vote unanimously on a given item.

Agenda Item #2 - Trip to DC
The committee discussed the trip and asked Paul to send letters to parents and schools to help get members excused. Paul said that he would send letters to parents about the trip logistics with a letter to the schools and permission slips for parents to sign.

The committee also asked for a draft agenda of business to be conducted in DC. Paul said he would send a list of items to be discussed so that committee members could give ideas and input for an agenda.

Agenda Item #3 - Other business
Paul told students about an e-mail he had received from an elementary school teacher who taught a gifted program and wondered if they could join ODW even though their school did not meet the grade level requirement. The committee discussed it and decided to suggest to the teacher that they pair up with a local high school or middle school to mentor each other and work on ODW.

Committee members asked that a list of member schools be put on the public portion of the web site. Paul said he would do so.

The committee members also asked that pictures of students involved in ODW be used on the web site. Paul let them know that ODW pictures would be in a photo gallery in the members section. We will also plan to take pictures in DC. Paul asked that any schools that have pictures to contribute to the photo gallery send him copies by mail or e-mail electronic versions.

Committee members asked if there were extra posters available for the schools. Paul informed them that the printer had initially made a mistake on the poster so we have 15,000 of them that we got for free that have the street sign part of the logo without the words Operation Day's Work. Paul will send 200 of them to each pilot and to new schools as they join.

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January 16, 2000

Minutes of National Committee Conference Call - January 16, 2000 - 7:45 PM Eastern time

Members present - Rhonda Humphries, Kimesha Winn, Adam Clay, Katie Grote, Eileen Fitzgerald

Agenda Item #1 - Application of New Schools
The committee reviewed the applications of Maria Carrillo High School & Leatherwood Elementary and decided to approve both applications.

Agenda Item #2 - Application Deadline
Paul Austin informed the committee that he had received a number of calls from schools who want to join ODW but need more time for meetings to put together their applications. The committee discussed this problem and the general problem that schools may hear about ODW after the deadline. The committee decided to do two things: 1) the committee moved the application deadline to January 28 which is the last day the committee will be together in Washington, 2) the committee decided to establish an "Associate Membership" for schools that apply after the deadline. The Associate Membership will allow schools to take part in ODW this year, help raise money, and learn about El Salvador. It will also help schools get a good understanding of the program before becoming full members. Associate Members, since there will be little time for them to learn about El Salvador before the project vote, will not be eligible to vote on this year's project.

Agenda Item #3 - Trip to DC
The committee discussed the trip in general and reported that they had received packets from USAID. Rhonda Humphries packet will be sent this week.

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January 31, 2000

Minutes of National Committee Conference Call - January 31, 2000 - 7:45 PM Eastern time

Members present - Kimesha Winn, Adam Clay, Katie Grote, Katie Kruse (not enough members to hold votes)

Paul told the group that he will be on vacation on Feb. 4-12. Therefore he asks the committee's help in getting a number of things done this week!

Item #1 - Project proposals
USAID has received nine project proposals for El Salvador. Paul will send them via FedEx to National Committee members so that they can review them and make sure that all of them are suitable to be disemminated to schools. Paul will send them to the National Committee on Tuesday and, if he has heard no objections from the committee, to all member schools on Thursday at 5 PM.

Item #2 - DC Trip
USAID would like to host the National Committee on March 8-10 in DC. (I checked on the March 1-3 dates this morning, and we have conflicts.) At that point congress will be back in town. Everyone please check these dates, and let Paul know if they work and whether you will have the same chaperone!

Item #3 - New School Applications
Paul will forward the remaining new school applications that were received before the deadline for full membership in the morning. Please review these and send Paul a yes or no e-mail vote by Thursday at 5pm so that all new members can receive proposal packages.

Item #4 - Web Site
Paul gave National Committee members an address to preview the members-only section.

There are a number of areas in the web site that Paul will add info to by the end of the week. There are also a number of areas that pilot schools will be asked to send in information for. Paul will send out a list of those areas to pilot schools by the end of the week.

Furthermore, Paul will send usernames and passwords (with instructions) to all member schools by the end of the week.

Item #5 - Conference Calls
Since Paul will be on vacation, the committee will take one week off from conference calls. The next call will be on February 13. Katie Grote will send out a reminder and agenda.

Item #6 - El Salvador Materials
In addition to the materials on El Salvador that will be housed on our web site, the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Milwaukee will be sending out resource packets on El Salvador to every ODW school. These packets will include 1) copies of their free-loan AV catalog (they will give lending privileges to participating schools); 2) a descriptive listing of other national outreach programs and their resources/services (such as the lending collection at Tulane); and 3) a bibliography of other sources, including Internet sources such as Retanet at the University of New Mexico and LANIC at Texas.

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