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Email Newsletter for August 2009Greetings from the West Cascade Peace Corps Association!
In this edition of our electronic newsletter, you'll find:
September 5: Eugene Celebration Parade
Please join our entry in the parade on Saturday morning, September 5th. We will gather at #81 at 11th and Mill Streets between 9:00 and 9:30 am. We ask also that you wear an item of clothing from your country of service. For more information, see the article below.
September 5 - 6: WCPCA's Booth at the Eugene Celebration (More info below)
September 17: WCPCA Board Meeting
October 7 - 9: UO Street Faire's Peace Corps Booth (More info below)
October 9: WCPCA Fall Welcome Potluck (More info below)
October 10: Food for Lane County's Empty Bowls fundraiser (More info below)
November 13: Annual Meeting
A little note about calendar features
On our website, it has been possible for a while now to download files that allow you to import an event into an electronic calendar program on your computer. You can use this feature with wireless devices, like iPods or PDAs. The newest feature takes this convenience one step further by allowing you to subscribe to our calendar. In each of the following, the address you will enter is: "http://westcascadepca.org/calendar-subscribe.php"
- You can do this in Google Calendar: http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=37100
- In iCal on a Mac, in the Calendar menu, click Subscribe.
- Instructions for Outlook are here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA101673251033.aspx#2
Hopefully, this will make it even easier to keep up to date with the WCPCA. If you need a little help, feel free to contact info@westcascadepca.org.
October potluck
Our fall welcome potluck will be on Friday, October 9th, 6:00 to
8:00 pm, at the Many Nations Longhouse, University of Oregon campus,
1630 Columbia Street. We'll be especially pleased to welcome new
members to WCPCA, students who are newly returned volunteers, and
those students who will be there to learn more about Peace Corps
service. These groups plus our continuing membership should have
both information and questions to exchange.
The program will reflect the full range of our interests. Justin
Overdevest, the U of O Peace Corps recruiter, will give a brief
overview of the current status of Peace Corps operations. He'll also
arrange for a newly returned volunteer to give us a power point
presentation about his or her PC project. These presentations are
always interesting and very often inspirational. Come to enjoy and
be informed!
We ask WCPCA members (who are not current students) to bring a salad
or dessert to share. Current students are exempt from this request.
WCPCA will purchase pizza for our main dish. There will be ample
dinner for all.
We look forward to a good turnout. Elections for the 2010 board are coming up:
It's time to put together a new slate for the new board that will
serve in 2010! Jim Beyer (email:jimbeyer@comcast.net) is head of
the nominating committee and is actively looking for members to
serve on the board. Several of the officers may continue but there
are at-large positions available. This is a great way to begin and doesn't have to take tons of time. If you are pressed for time, you only need to attend our monthly, two hour board meetings and share your thoughts.
Please read the summary of the minutes (item #9) in the newsletter
to learn what is involved and also consult our bylaws which are on
the website. Email or talk to Jim or a current board member for more
information. New members to the organization are especially invited
to join and thus take part in the business of the organization.
Nominations will be made this month and the names of the nominees
will appear in the late September newsletter. The election will be
at the potluck/annual meeting in November. Saturday, October 10th, Food for Lane County hosts its annual Empty
Bowls fundraiser and silent auction at the warehouse on 770 Bailey Hill.
WCPCA has participated in helping to clean up after the event for several
years now and the time has come once again to recruit volunteers. Join us at
8:30 pm, share a bite to eat provided by the caterers, and then get ready to
clean so that the warehouse can be fully operational on Monday. Dress
comfortably and stay as long as you can. There is no limit to the number of volunteers needed...the more the better!
Please RSVP by October 1st by emailing Shannon Micheel at smicheel@gmail.com UO Street Faire
Peace Corps Booth
October 7, 8, & 9th
10am-5pm
Volunteers Needed! Share your Peace Corps stories and talk to an
entering generation of Peace Corps applicants. The UO Street Faire takes
place at the beginning of the school year and offers students the opportunity to
speak directly with RPCVs. Email Justin Overdevest, the UO Peace Corps
representative, at pcorps@uoregon.edu to sign up for a two hour volunteer
time block. Blocks run from Wednesday the 8th thru Friday the 9th.
10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm, 2pm-4pm Membership directory and membership:
All members recently received an updated membership directory as a
.pdf. The directory, dated August, 2009, includes only paid up
members and is distributed only to those individuals. We're very
pleased to be able to update it frequently due to this format.
WCPCA now has 110 members including 25 new to the organization since
January. Our members have worked in 62 different countries starting
in 1963. Quite a record! Welcome to our new members and many thanks
to our renewing members for their continued support. Eugene Celebration, September 5-6:
The Eugene Celebration is coming and will provide an excellent time
and place for WCPCA to show its colors in the parade and at our
booth to sell our wares and provide information about the Peace
Corps. Join us to make a strong statement for peace! You'll see a
summary of our plans below.
Parade: We are entry #81 in Saturday morning's parade, September
5th. We'll gather at this number between 9:00 and 9:30 am at 11th
and Mill Streets. The parade will begin at 9:30 but we won't start
until a little later since we're near the end. We'll carry our Peace
Corps banner, propel our colorful, cardboard, never-full taxi, and
also carry flags from at least 22 of the current or former Peace
Corps countries. Children are welcome!
We ask you to wear an item of clothing from your country of service.
This makes a strong statement. If you need a generic such item, or
have a question please contact us at info@westcascadepca.org.
WCPCA has flags from 22 of the 62 countries in which our members
have served. These are tied on plastic pipes so that we can carry
them easily. You are welcome to bring a flag from your country of
service to be certain that it is displayed. See photos of our
entries in the parades of 1988 and 2008 on the website at
www.westcascadepca.org.
WCPCA has flags from the following countries. See if yours is among
them.
- Afghanistan
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Czech Republic
- Costa Rica
- Dominican Republic
- Fiji
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Pakistan
- Paraguay
- Philippines
- Russia
- Seychelles
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Uzbekistan
- Uganda
If would like to buy your own flag you might contact Salem Capitol
Flags and Flagpole in Salem, OR at www.capflagusa.com, or (888)
869-6477. Eugene Celebration Booth:
WCPCA will have an information booth on Saturday and Sunday,
September 5th and 6th, in the area for nonprofits near the usual
site of the Saturday Market. We'll sell tee shirts and international
calendars to raise money for grants that we make to humanitarian
projects, and answer questions about the Peace Corps. We'll have the
latest literature to hand out. Let your PC experience shine!
We have a sign up sheet to staff the booth. If you have a couple of
hours to volunteer during the day, please send an email to
info@westcascadepca.org to let us know. Someone will contact you. Saturday Market Booth:
WCPCA had a booth at the Saturday Market in Eugene on August 8th and
22nd. Several members staffed the booth to answer questions about
the Peace Corps and sell calendars and tee shirts. We attracted the
interest of shoppers, sold some items, and answered
questions. Thanks to those who took part! Many thanks to Rolly and James for organizing this activity. Hi there,
I'm looking for RPCVs who trained at UCLA during the 1960s. I'm
working on a 50th anniversary project and hope to put together an
exhibit about what took place on campus and how UCLA was a part of
this very unique part of American history.
Specifically, I'm looking for (1) photos or film of training, (2)
information on which groups trained there and when, (3) "mug books"
of the volunteer groups, and (4) anecdotes/accounts of your overall
impression of the training, where you stayed, etc.
Please contact me if you were a trainee at UCLA -- even if you don't
have the items above, I'd still like to know exactly which groups trained there.
Many thanks,
Kate Kuykendall
Public Affairs Specialist
Peace Corps, L.A. Office
China 1999-2001
310-356-1106
kkuykendall@ peacecorps. gov PEACE CORPS FELLOWSHIPS
IDCE at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, actively
recruits RPCVs to its programs and provides generous fellowship
opportunities. If you are looking to bridge your practical
experience with theory, IDCE could be the right place for you. Our
graduates are effective professionals who can work with activists,
civil society organizations, government policy makers, business
people, academics, scientists, technical experts, as well as
ordinary people. IDCE alumni are the decision makers in
environmental, development, and social service agencies,
consultancies, businesses, and non-profits in the U.S. and abroad.
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Fellowships: IDCE provides partial
tuition fellowships (at least 40% tuition remission = to at least
$20,000) to all RPCVs admitted to one of IDCE's graduate programs.
Additionally, each year, IDCE awards at least one full tuition-free
competitive fellowship for a RPCV of extraordinary merit. To apply,
please check the appropriate box on the IDCE application to be
considered for these fellowships. Applicants can also provide some
form of verification of service at the time of their application in
order to waive the application fee. Aaron Williams Sworn in as Peace Corps Director
August 24, 2009, Washington Post
"I am deeply honored to be the director of the Peace Corps, and I want
to thank President Obama for the trust that he has placed in me. I
look forward to making his call to public service a reality for more
Americans."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2009/08/aaron_williams_sworn_in_as_pea.html?hpid=politics Not Your Father's Peace Corps
August 21, 2009, The Wall Street Journal
"While most people associate the corps with, say, Uganda, Ukraine is
now home to the largest Peace Corps contingent. These days, in fact,
Morocco, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala all host more
volunteers than any sub-Saharan African country..." Get Paid to be a Do-Gooder
August 13, 2009, Forbes
"Young people have grown more interested in considering public service
jobs, and employers have increasingly come to view a stint with the
Peace Corps or Habitat for Humanity as a plus on a job-seeker's
rŽsumŽ, says Joseph Du Pont, who runs the career center at Brandeis University
in Waltham, Mass..."
http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/13/jobs-employment-charity-leadership-careers-volunteer.html Manila's Hobbit House bar: Full of little people and a big love
August 10, 2009, Los Angeles Times
"Ex-Peace Corps volunteer Jim Turner rescued dwarfs from the
Philippine capital's harsh streets and gave them a place to call home. Now they
can't imagine life without him..."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-hobbit-house10-2009aug10,0,7657518.story Worldview Magazine
Summer 2009
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/worldview/summer09/#/0
The full text of the minutes is available on the website.
Attending: James Cloutier, Evangelina Sundgrenz, Bob Watada, Rose
Watada, John Hofer, Wayne Thompson, Rolly Thompson, Maggie Keenan,
Dorothy Soper; we met at Dorothy's home.
The minutes of the previous meeting had already been circulated and
approved by email. James conducted the meeting.
The board voted to pay the registration fee of $15 for Bob Watada
to represent the organization at a workshop sponsored by the Oregon
Community Foundation on September 10th. The topic will be "Making
the Case for Endowment." Jack circulated the treasurer's report via email. The board
reviewed it and accepted it. There were reports from the Financial Planning and the
Communications Committees both of which the board accepted.
The Financial Planning Committee, after extensive conferring by
email, recommended the following, "Assuming that the Principal Life
bond can be sold for at least $18,750, we recommend selling the bond
and investing at least $25,000 with the Oregon Community
Foundation."
Jack is the committee chair and wrote a history of the gift of money
that led to the creation of the Beryl Brinkman Memorial Fund, the
purchase of the bond, and the recommendation above. The history is a
good reference and is available from Jack.
Members of this committee in addition to Jack are Jim Beyer, Rob
Dwan, Deb McLauglin, Dorothy Soper, and Evangelina Sundgrenz. Dorothy reported for the Communications Committee that it had met
and welcomed Mary Meacham as a new member. The four committee
members are Felicia Kenney, Maggie Keenan, Mary Meacham, and Dorothy
Soper. They share the communication responsibilities for the
organization which include responding to the general email address
listed on the website. A complete listing of these responsibilities
is available from Dorothy.
Felicia reported via Dorothy that the updated membership
directory will be ready for distribution via .pdf within a few days.
The board thanked Felicia for her work to update the directory. The board decided to cancel the bluegrass concert that we had
planned as a fundraiser for August 21st since we haven't received
more than a dozen reservations. We felt that the format for this
kind of fundraiser should be revisited.
The board thanks Shannon and Michael for being willing to host the
event and Felicia for her role in taking reservations and work done
by all three. The board voted to cancel the message telephone service that we
have had for two years due to our receiving very few calls. The board will follow up on a suggestion from Jack that we
develop a page on the website that will have information about Beryl
Brinkman and the memorial fund that we are setting up in her name.
James will work with Artis to write a biography and identify two
photos to include. We talked about the logistics for our participation in the Eugene
Celebration parade on September 5th and the operation of the booth
to inform the public about the PC and sell tee shirts and calendars
on both the 5th and 6th. We talked about preparations for the November elections of a new
board that will begin its service in January, 2010. The board
appreciates Jim Beyer's agreement to be the nominating committee. We
agreed that each board member will contact Jim by email or phone in
the very near future to let him know if she/he wants to continue on
the board and, if so, in what capacity.
We also agreed that we should all work to recruit new board members,
especially at-large members. We need the help and also we need for
other people to learn the business of the organization. We
especially would like to see one or two new members join the board.
We also have several long time members who might be interested.
Calls or other contacts should be made in the next two weeks.
We talked about the basic requirements of a board member. The
specific responsibilities of the officers are in the bylaws. No
requirements are listed for at-large members. There is no limit to
the number of at-large members that can be on the board.
We accepted the idea that officers attend the monthly board meetings
regularly and that at-large members attend at least half of the
meetings. We would also like at-large members to be active on at
least one committee. Note that there are five standing committees:
fund raising, financial planning, activities, membership, and
communications.
Dorothy and Jim had already met once to talk about the nominating
process and she'll let him know of the above decisions. The board
noted that the nominations have to be in the newsletter that goes
out in late September. The election will be in November. The board designated Dale Dow and Vern Delk as official
representatives of the organization at the regional meeting that
will be held at the campout later in August. They'll let us know
what takes place.
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