General Meeting Minutes 9/26/13

• Teach For America program presentation
• Teach in low-income communities to "close the achievement gap": get a good education no matter what your zip code is and have the opportunity to go to college
• Good gap-year service opportunity before law/med/grad school, work
• Cool Red Cross Facts
• 186 National Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies throughout the world, connected through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
• Won Nobel Prize 4 times: 1917, 1944, 1963, and Henry Dunant's award in 1901
• 1898 (Spanish-American War): Red Cross first formally supported active troops
• Red Cross sends personnel to the front lines: 18,000 nurses and 4,800 ambulance drivers in WWI; 104,000 nurses, 13.3mil units of blood in WWII; psychological support programs, emergency messages, comfort kits, calling cards, greeting cards, personal care items, canteen services, etc.
• 330 blood drives nationally per day by Red Cross
• Red Cross supplies 40% of national blood supply
• Single donation saves 3 lives
• 91% of donations go to aid, the rest to running the organization: one of the most efficient and best performing non-profit charities
• In 2010, there were 384,000 homes fires in the U.S. (1 every 1-2 minutes): Red Cross responded to over 70,000
• Disaster Relief: for Sandy Relief, over 8 million meals, 6 million relief items, etc. given
• Adopt a Soldier or Support Many?
• Soldiers' Angels: the soldier gets elected by his/her troop. Exchange letters, pictures, 6mo-1year. 
• Pro: You get to know a given soldier personally, more impact
• Pro: Concrete affirmation of appreciation.
• Con: You can use same money for many more soldiers
• Con: Less direct participation by club members
• Give2theTroops: takes monetary funds or requested items
• Pro: Benefit multiple soldiers
• Pro: More direct participation possible, more activities (fundraisers, item collection drives)
• Con: Spread it too thin? Not make that much impact 
• Adopt multiple? Multiple for shorter periods? Adopt a soldier and collection drives for general care packages? Anyone know of any other organizations?
• Vote: ADOPT A SOLDIER
• Dues Clarification: $5 and shirts are still available: to William Kim, treasurer
• Register on Volunteer Connection at redcross.org with your basic information to volunteer for Red Cross chapters everywhere--sign up after meeting
• Disaster Action Team: required: 2 training modules online and 1 "crash course" on campus (4 hours on a Saturday) --> talk to Michael after meeting if interested
• DAT: Chapter needs help renewing local hotel arrangements: sign up after meeting
• Firefighters & Police: Project SAFE: 1st Saturday in November, 3-4 hours in the morning, go out in teams of 2-4 to distribute fire safety information and smoke detectors to underserved communities in South Bend area
• USC Gameday Recycling Fundraiser
• via Office of Sustainability
• 9am-12pm: show up in main lot
• Free shirt and breakfast
• Distribute recycling bags (can put in aluminum, plastic, glass, everything) to tailgates
• OS will pay the club, which will pay for club activities
• Sign up after meeting
• SAO will also pay the club to staff Friday or Saturday night events
• Refugees: Chapter case worker left unexpectedly, will be replaced in a few weeks...brainstorming for the time being
• NEXT GENERAL MEETING: in 2 weeks