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Quarterly Membership Meeting – 11 March 2008


            Updated 14 March 2008

 

Venue:

            The Abuja Horse & Country Club

 

Schedule:

            7:00 Start to gather, meet & greet non-members and existing members.

7:30 Drinks – compliments of the AGIS project, Roland K. – food and conversation

           

                        Reminiscences of past events / Description of planned future events

                        Volunteering to lead new events

                        Business:       Treasurer’s report

Election of officers:  Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary

Decision on Steering Committee

Volunteering for jobs:  Membership coordinator, Event coordinator, Webmaster, Steering Committee Member

 

            Later socialize

 

Report:

 

We had a very successful meeting.  17 new and existing members followed the schedule above. 

 

Jeff graciously agreed that our tiny, but growing library will be housed at the Australian High Commission, and will be curated by the Secretary. 

 

Roland kindly suggested that we may advertise to gain further membership.  He volunteered to have appropriate materials such as stands, etc., prepared for tables which may be set out at functions.  He also suggested that we prepare caps and T-shirts with the NFS logo, etc., for sale to the members in order to gain both a sense of unity and create a broader awareness of the Society.

 

Each of the various officers was nominated, seconded, and voted in unanimously by those in attendance.  Volunteers stepped up to fill the other positions and were accepted unanimously.  Those in attendance decided not to form a steering committee at the present, but let the 6 filling posts meet periodically, instead.  The positions are:

 

Officers:

Jeff Hart, Chairman – The person who will lead our chapter for at least one year and who will set the course and the tone of our chapter within the guidelines of the national Society and with the help of a possible steering committee (see below).  The person who will organize and preside over our meetings.  Communication, compromise, consensus building skills important.  Approximately 1 hour per month.

 

Peter Poulsen, Treasurer – The person who will take over management of our account; our funds, their collection from dues and any sales, and their distribution for any expenses we may incur.  This person is also responsible for reminding members when their dues are to be paid, and for collecting them.  Simple knowledge of spread sheets, or of balancing a revolving cash account, and ability to collect debt, and make ethical spending decisions.  Approximately 1 hour per week.

 

Diane Hammer, Secretary – The person who will keep notes at our meetings, keep in touch with the national Society and the national Secretary, and distribute any literature and information necessary to keep our members informed, distribute the Journal of the Society.  Good communication skills, editing skills, internet communication skills, some word processing skills.  Approximately 1 hour per week.

 

Volunteers:

Graham Chadwick, Membership Coordinator – works with the Treasurer and Secretary to help recruit new members, help and process new members’ applications, collect fees, keep the membership database current.  Decent knowledge of Microsoft Outlook or like, decent knowledge of internet-based groups.  Approximately 2 hours per week.

 

Yuliya Ryzhykh training under Roman Szlam, Event Coordinator – works with President (and any steering committee), Membership Coordinator, and Webmaster to spur members to lead events, help event leaders lead events, schedule events on the calendar, connect more experienced event leading members with those with less experience, help find other resources for prospective event leaders to lead good events, make sure each event is well-planned, collect information on past events and publish event write-ups.  Good knowledge of the abilities and experience of other members as well as other resources for event planning, ability to connect people with one another and to help them coordinate with one another, good writing skills, decent knowledge of word processing, ability to resize photos (in terms of the space they take up on disk, as well as their dimensions), ability to learn how to upload information via internet.  Approximately 2 hours per week.

 

Rob Miller, Webmaster – works with everyone above, as well as with the national Webmaster to keep our site updated and in conformity with national Society standards.  DOES NOT NEED TO KNOW HOW TO USE COMPLICATED WEB DESIGN TOOLS!  Good web-based communication skills, excellent knowledge of Word for Windows and its web page creation features, decent knowledge of internet-based groups, knowledge of how to update web sites on-line, good general internet skills.  Approximately 3 hours per week.

 

The 6 persons above will form an ad-hoc Steering Committee – this committee of 6-8 volunteers, each of whom serves a period of exactly one year (members stagger their terms so that the committee flows over time), comes up with ideas and helps the Chairman guide the chapter.  Good organization skills, good planning skills, imagination, good communication skills, good compromise skills. Approximately 1 hour per month.

 

 

Attendance:

            Lata, Peter, Glynis, Maria, Gabi, Alan, Baerbel, Douglas, Emma, Graham, Jeff, Kyle, Luis, Rob, Roland, Roman, Yuliya.

 

Directions:

From the Hilton Hotel, head north on Shehu Shagari past British Council to end at Ring Road (Nnambi Azikwe expressway)

Turn left on Ring Road toward Life Camp, Stadium, Airport.

At first flyover (overpass), turn right toward Life Camp.

Continue over first and second bridges over Jabi lake.

Just 100 yards (meters) past the end of the second bridge, look for a dirt track off the highway to the right and turn right, and immediately right again so you are heading back toward the lake on the dirt road.

Proceed to the end of the dirt road and look for a concrete sign AHCC.

Turn left into the AHCC and go to the roundabout.

Turn left at the roundabout and then right at the wall.

Continue to the parking lot and follow the others to the tables and chairs outside.

Bring mosquito repellent.