NPCA Annual General Meeting



NPCA Annual General Meeting

NPCA Annual General Meeting
Academy for Educational Development
Washington DC
September 15, 2006

Chair Ken Hill called the meeting to order at 8:37 AM.

A quorum was established.

Judith Whitney Terry moved to approve the minutes of the 2005 Annual General Meeting. Francis Alford seconded. Minutes were approved.

Chair’s Report

Chair Ken Hill reported that we have had successes and disappointments.

The disappointments are mainly on the financial areas.

The biggest success was disentangling the Peace Corps from military recruitment.

For the future, one of the most important things that NPCA can do is improve communication with the Peace Corps Community. We have taken some strides in the area, but we have a ways to go.

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Chris Glaudel thanked the other members of the Finance Committee.

NPCA continues to face financial challenges. We began the year in a net deficit position. Through the first six months we had budgeted to be in a net negative position per the history of the organization. We are again in that position today.

Staff has looked hard at finding ways to cut core expenses.

The Audit was completed. There were no notes on the Audit - just concern from the auditors on the general state of the finances.

The Board will be looking at a revised budget that will reflect the reduced revenue and expenses.

We are looking at membership revenue that will meet targets. The Peace Corps Cooperative agreement will be coming through.

President’s Report

President Kevin Quigley welcomed everyone to the meeting. Kevin expressed appreciation to Sandra Lauffer for hosting the meeting today at AED.

Kevin appreciated Ken’s work in the last two years as chair.

Kevin introduced his colleagues at the NPCA. Anne Baker, Vice President;
David Arnold, Director of Communications; Erica Burman, manager of our website and producer of the e-newsletter (the last issue went out to over 14,000 subscribers); Jonathan Pearson, advocacy director. Ellen Frierson organized the 10 Peace Corps Open Houses with over 1800 people participating.

There is a Dear Colleague letter in the House asking OMB to provide $485 million dollars for Peace Corps.

Emily Bello joined NPCA Sept 5th as Coordinator of Member Services and Operations.

Thanks to some great volunteers.

Ken added that we are an aging organization with volunteers who served in the 60s and 70s being the most active in the NPCA and groups. One of the opportunities for the future will be the 50th Anniversary of Peace Corps in five years. We should start the planning for the 50th and use it as a vehicle to tell the story of Peace Corps to the general public.

Question was asked on what support is NPCA is giving to the COS Groups and Geographic groups.

Kevin stated that the objective is to grow participation of people who have been touched by Peace Corps and help them connect. This goes along with the Virtual Community and work to become a big tent. The other issue is to lower the barriers to entry by simplifying the membership process.

Bruce Anderson reported that there has been a committee to work on the membership. The challenge is great; the results have been modest. The streamlining of the reaffiliation process has been modest.

Kevin recognized the RPCVs of Wisconsin-Madison group, who provided $1600 to help underwrite the advocacy cost yesterday. John Snow Inc. helped with some of the expenses yesterday. GEICO helps sponsor one event a year and advertising in the WorldView.

Clem Dinsmore from AG Edwards provided breakfast.

Question was asked about the Peace Corps Cooperative Agreement. Each agreement has different focus. The next cooperative agreement will involve providing a mentor program for recently returned Peace Corps Volunteers as well as to start doing research into what RPCVs do to work toward the third goal.

About the relationship in getting the names of recently returned Peace Corps Volunteers. There is no official agreement to get the names. We did not get the data from Peace Corps for two and half years.

Question was asked about Virtual community and a request for more specifics.

It was recommended that NPCA have a letter in each packet of COSing volunteers. The response was NPCA does provide a letter to the Peace Corps to add to the COS packets, but it is highly variable across countries as to whether PCVs receive it.

Sandra Lauffer thanked NPCA for allowing AED to host.

Motion to adjourn. Motion seconded.

Meeting Adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Deb Most

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: September, 2006; NPCA; Governance

When this story was posted in November 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

---

Election 2006: Results of RPCV Races Chris Shays claims victory in closely watched race Jim Walsh wins re-election to Congress in close race Tom Petri unopposed for re-election to Congress Sam Farr wins re-election to Congress Mike Honda wins re-election to Congress Jim Doyle wins re-election to Wisconsin Governorship Kinky Friedman loses in long shot bid for Texas Governor John Garamendi elected Lt. Governor of California

---

---

Harris Wofford to speak at "PC History" series Senator Harris Wofford will be the speaker at the 4th Annual "Peace Corps History" series on November 16 sponsored by the University of Maryland at Baltimore County (UMBC) and the Maryland Returned Volunteers. Previous speakers in the series have included Jack Vaughn (Second Director of the Peace Corps), Scott Stossel (Biographer of Sargent Shriver), and C. Payne Lucas (President Emeritus of Africare). Details on the time and location of the event are available here.

---

October 22, 2006: This Month's Top Stories The crisis over North Korea's nuclear bomb test 14 Oct Hill faced strong opposition for denuclearization agreement 8 Oct John Coyne writes: The first Peace Corps book 20 Oct Thomas Tighe moderates discussion with President Clinton 17 Oct PC announces Community College degree program 18 Oct Donna Shalala expresses dismay over football brawl 16 Oct Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley defends Lebanon policy 16 Oct Jan Guifarro elected Chair of NPCA Board 15 Oct Carl Pope writes: From the pump to the polls 13 Oct Ambassador Gaddi Vasquez Says Africa a Priority 12 Oct Chris Dodd opposes Bush terrorism bill 10 Oct Isaac Edvalson is founder of Africa's Tomorrow 9 Oct The Man who turned down Shriver 8 Oct Mae Jemison tells girls to reach for the stars 6 Oct Loren Finnell receives Shriver Award 4 Oct Matt Sesow paints onstage during opera 2 Oct Film examines anti-malaria drug lariam 29 Sep Blackwill dismisses Musharraf's claims 27 Sep Ron Tschetter sworn in as 17th Peace Corps Director 26 Sep Rape Victim Student Gets $1 Million From City College 26 Sep Ricardo Chavira narrates Public Service Announcements 25 Sep

---

The Peace Corps Library The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. FAQ: Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.

---

Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments.

---

He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

---

Meet Ron Tschetter - Our Next Director Read our story about Ron Tschetter's confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that was carried on C-Span. It was very different from the Vasquez hearings in 2001, very cut and dried with low attendance by the public. Among the highlights, Tschetter intends to make recruitment of baby boomers a priority, there are 20 countries under consideration for future programs, Senator Dodd intends to re-introduce his third goal Peace Corps legislation this session, Tschetter is a great admirer of Senator Coleman's quest for accountability, Dodd thinks management at PC may not put volunteers first, Dodd wants Tschetter to look into problems in medical selection, and Tschetter is not a blogger and knows little about the internet or guidelines for volunteer blogs. Read our recap of the hearings as well as Senator Coleman's statement and Tschetter's statement.

---

Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

---

The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace.

---

PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

---

History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

Read the stories and leave your comments.