General Meeting Minutes 4/2/2014

• New officers!
• Fact of the Day: South Sudan refugees in Uganda: everything from first aid and emotional support to hygiene promotion and reconnecting separated families
• Martin's Soldier Supply Drive: great success! Thanks to everyone who participated! We collected 120 pounds of items
• Delete Blood Cancer Apr 23 4-6 pm in the Sorin Room: 3 volunteers needed
• Collaboration with Takashi and a couple other students
• Blood Drive Apr 29, 10 AM - 4 PM: volunteers needed
• Global Health Week: an event on Thursday
• Potential topics: Refugees, blood donation, disaster relief
• Collect donations for the Measles and Rubella Initiative
• North vs. South dining halls competition?
• Tuesday 6-7 pm in Lafortune, probably Montgomery Auditorium: panel will feature 
• Club Budget: we have a good budget, so much that we're asking for a negative budget! So feel free to brainstorm for events without thinking about budgeting!

Officer Meeting Minutes 3/26

• Collaborate with Takashi and blood cancer organization on a drive to sign people up to donate bone marrow for bone cancer, maybe on 23 April, 3-6 pm? ~3 volunteers plus material distribution-->Facebook event
• Martin's Item Drive: went really well, $70+ in donations, filled the back of a truck with donated items, handed out 650+ slips-->photo(s) on Facebook
• Budget for next year: budget to Club Coordination Council will be submitted to Dr. Go by this weekend; any big events that might need budget considerations? The Superhero Run, concession stand, Fireman Foam event
• 3 General Meetings left!

General Meeting Minutes 3/19/2014

• Fact of the Day: East Harlem gas explosion on 3/12
• Shelter, food, vital relief services for hundreds (>70 residents overnight shelter, nearly 500 blankets and comfort kits, support for medical first-responders)
• Sign up please for the Martin's Item Drive MARCH 22, 1.5 hour-shifts
• Looking for linens, pillows, blankets for refugees
• ELECTION RESULTS
• President: Thomas Ridella
• Vice President: Danny Kerekes
• Secretary: Shannon Hogan
• Treasurer: Will Kim
• Blood Drives/Training Coordinator: James Mancino
• DAT Commander: Michael Hayes
• Military/Veterans: Allison Gormley
• Refugee/International: Jenny Diamond, Audrey McMurtrie, John McKeown
• Firefighter/Police: Petra Rantanen

Officer Meeting Notes 3/5/2014

• Refugee Items Needed: basic items such as blankets and pillows but cannot write checks due to regulations 
• start with listserv email for item donations (bring back from break!)
• Pillows, blankets, linens, bed frames (funds?)
• Neighborhood drive?
• Fundraiser: hot chocolate "Keep Refugees Warm"

• Officer elections: snacks/strawberries 
• Collapse positions: training coordinator + blood drive coordinator = chapter liaison
• DAT training: lots to do but coming up!
• Club Council Awards Banquet, Tue 4/28 5:30 RSVP by 3/21 

General Meeting Minutes 2/26/2014

• Fact of the Day
• H.O.M.E.: Helping Oklahomans Manage Emergencies, similar to Project SAFE but aimed toward tornadoes and severe weather emergencies
• Ukraine Red Cross emergency response teams: 360 people within 48 hours but lack of respect for humanitarian aid workers
• Valentines for Veterans: Thanks for your help! A huge success, including JPW parents and students; dropped off at VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)
• Military and Veteran Affairs: 
• Item Drive 3/22, Saturday after Spring Break 11 AM - 5 PM at Martin's
• Drivers? E-mail Danny dkerekes@nd.edu
• Another care package, thanks to Catie and David
• More letters this month from Lindsey
• Refugee
• Tutoring opportunities available: drivers needed, email Tori at vroeck@nd.edu
• English tutoring; afternoons
• Thanks to Thomas and Michael for doing snacks!
• DAT Training: required online courses through SABA>My Learning>pick classes
• DAT Fundamentals
• DA Fundamentals
• Disaster Mental Health
• Officer Elections 3/19 immediately following Spring Break during our usual General Meeting time
• Requirements:
• Be a dues-paying member (not too late!)
• Be committed to the club
• Perks:
• Work with a fantastic group of passionate ND students
• Work toward great goals that the Red Cross has set in place
• Exposure to great opportunities (ex. Mark's life-changing summer internship with the Red Cross)
• Expectations:
• Attend weekly meetings (alternating officer and general meetings)
• Meet with Dr. Go
• Collaborate with the Chapter and other student groups to coordinate volunteer opportunities
• How:
• Fill out online ballot (coming soon via listserv)
• Give a brief 2-minute 'speech' (prior involvement in club, why you want to run for this position, etc)
• Positions:
• President: coordinate events, meetings, communicate with the Chapter
• VP: loose ends, SAO, assistance as needs be
• Secretary: keep minutes, update blog and facebook, check/respond to/forward emails as necessary
• Treasurer: keep track of budget and expenditure, get receipts signed by Dr. Go, reimbursements from SAO
• Refugee: communicate with Chapter, coordinate tutoring, volunteering, culture school, collaborate with other clubs (humanitarian/service)
• Military/Veterans: letters, care packages, Adopt-a-Soldier, Veteran's Day
• Disaster Action Team: communicate with local Red Cross branches, keep track of members and trained members and schedules
• Blood Drive: communicate with the Chapter to set dates and get on-campus locations for the blood drives, coordinate volunteers and recruit donors
• Firefighters/Police Coordinator: Project SAFE (fire safety event), appreciation events (ex. make lunches)
• Training Coordinator: coordinate training events, work with DAT, CPR training
• Feel free to email any of the officers for questions!

Officer Meeting Minutes 2/19/2014

• Refugee tutoring...need to get through some paperwork to do it at homes
• Elections
• Snacks at next general meeting: Michael & Thomas
• Wisam from the Chapter to speak at the meeting next week?
• Culture school to be set up in the next few weeks
• Contact info for Sue

General Meeting Minutes 2/12/2014

• Food!
• Fact of the Day: 
• over 200 people in Red Cross shelters in the south
• relief supplies and response vehicles
• Another fact: blood needed; 1000 drives canceled from the cold
• Meeting with Chapter Reps
• DAT is on!
• Regular volunteering at Chapter Building
• Transportation? Bus, bike, van through CSC
• Refugee/International Needs
• Finding affordable housing
• Weekly culture school
• Ideas from Sue
• Superhero 5K race
• Free Training Opportunities on campus
• Citizen CPR (1 hour)
• DAT Boot Camp (3-4 hours on a Saturday)
• Military Affairs
• Item Drive: hand out lists of items most asked for by soldiers to customers at grocery stores, ask them if they are willing to buy one or two of these items to donate: leaders for the weekends? email Danny
• Valentines for Veterans to be sent to Veterans of Foreign Wars (140 members)

Officer Meeting Minutes 2/5/2014

• Meeting with Dr. Go at our next officer meeting, 2/19
• Meeting with the new contact at the Chapter?
• Next week, Tuesday or Wednesday
• New refugee program manager: met on Friday at the move-in; new but qualified
• Meeting with him soon?
• Getting a professor mentor from CSC to get some authority on us in our discussions with the Chapter
• More tutors needed: email to be forwarded to listserv
• Move-in: thanks to the volunteers, sorry for the poor planning at the Chapter...
• Blood Drive: Chapter miscommunication, will be cooperating with the Army
• Veterans: "Valentines for Veterans" event? Write cards at general meeting and send to the VA/Veterans of Foreign Wars
• Speakers at general meetings? Contact professors
• Food at meetings to be notified in the meeting reminder email
• Facebook maintenance
• Getting a percentage of tickets for a show/movie/concert to be donated to a cause
• Prizes for getting to a certain level (# of hours of volunteering) on Volunteer Connection --> for later
• GET THROUGH THE CHAPTER TO BE MORE COOPERATIVE WITH US
• Veteran fundraiser at Martin's
• Training Sessions: CPR; collaborate with FAST if Chapter is unresponsive

General Meeting Minutes 1/29/2014

• Link to powerpoint presentation with steps to register on Volunteer Connect
• Military Update
• we have adopted Private Tony in Egypt, deployed for a year
• We've sent a care package every month
• Letters every week
• We have people signed up for the year
• Thank-you letter to veterans and a signed poster at Veterans Center in South Bend
• Item Drive for soldiers everywhere, possibly at Meier's
• Volunteers to stand outside, give out a list of items for soldiers, explain our cause and collect the items
• Volunteer Connection: A new, efficient way to volunteer; Benefits:
• Find volunteer opportunities, through the club or at home
• Keep track of volunteer hours, great for grad/med school!
• Possible reward system
• Stay organized as a club
• Sign up for Volunteer Connection!
1. http://www.redcross.org/in/south-bend
2. Click link to Regional Volunteer Site
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to the Become a Volunteer heading, click the link Click here to begin the volunteer process
4. Click on Adult Application
5. Fill in the appropriate information and select South Bend as your closest chapter
• Refugee Move-In: Friday, 1/31; 9 AM-12 PM
• e-mail nagbayan@nd.edu if interested ASAP
• Transportation provided
• DAT (Disaster Action Relief; first responders to local disasters) scheduling for this semester
• Upcoming Blood Drive in April 28th; volunteers will be needed
• General Elections in March
• Available positions: 
• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• DAT Commander: keep connected with the Chapter, organize training sessions, lead DAT squads and organize shifts
• Military/Veterans: Adopt-a-Soldier, assemble and send care packages, send letters, special events especially Veterans' Day and Memorial Day
• Firefighters/Police: volunteer and organize events for firefighters and police
• Training Coordinator: keep in contact with the Chapter, organize CPR/First Aid classes, etc.
• Refugee/International: help St. Joseph County Chapter with refugees: help with welcoming, assimilation process, English lessons, etc. 
• Blood Drive Coordinator: work with the Blood Drive person at the Chapter to set up blood drives on campus, recruit volunteers and donors
• Requirements: be a due-paying member, volunteer experience preferred
• Dues: $5 to William Kim, treasurer
• A few t-shirts still left over, $5
• Guest speakers for our future meetings? 

Officers Meeting Minutes 1/19/2014

• Geddes Wednesday 6-8 pm Social Concerns Clubs Fair
• Volunteer Connection: create club
• DAT: talk to Doug to get started for the semester
• Welcome to Thomas, the blood drive officer for the semester! --> Talk to Wendy, the blood drive person at the chapter
• Meeting with Dr. Go at the next officer meeting
• Meetings at Wednesday 8 PM?
• Refugees: got enough tutors but still need 3-4 volunteers for move-in on Jan. 31 
• Refugees: meeting with Fr. Grudy on Monday (Syria)

General Meeting Minutes 12/5/2013

• Last general meeting of the year!
• Facts of the Week: Red Cross deployed a field hospital to Ormoc, Philippines in the middle of the Typhoon Haiyan disaster zone
• Hot Chocolate Fundraiser for Haiyan Relief: success!
• Collaboration with AAA and FASO
• Donations for free hot chocolate yesterday in front of O'Shag
• Raised $80.86
• All proceeds going to NAFCON (National Alliance for Filipino Concerns) 
• Syria forum: TONIGHT 7:30 at Hesburgh Center Auditorium
• What life is like inside Syria
• Father Groody and Kenan Rahmani, human rights activist
• Feedback for this semester
• Favorite event?
• Any changes you'd like to see?
• Looking forward
• Blood drive in January in league with other ARC clubs in the Midwest
• Any events you'd like to do? (Refugee simulation camp to build solidarity when it's warmer, making lunch for firefighters, collection drive with stores for military)
• New meeting times
• Leadership changes

Officer Meeting Minutes 11/21/2013

• Military event ideas
• evening event with veterans, help out with PTSD
• sister club with overseas
• Blood Drive: we are in a league of university ARC clubs, and they want to have each school do a drive in January--talk to James and the new blood drive officer for next semester
• Typhoon Haiyan Relief hot chocolate: 
• order through catering
• after Thanksgiving: what day? possibly Wednesday
• DAT training for next semester
• Spoke with Dr. Go: meet with him early next semester
• December 5: speaker from Syria: A Look Inside Syria; with Father Groody (professor, Catholic Relief Services)
• Working on a video to spread throughout campus to raise awareness
• Met with new director at the St. Joseph chapter: 1 Arabic tutor and 1 French tutor; will inform us when she is more settled in and has more stuff for us to do
• Quarter-zip sweatshirts?
• Treasury: $45 in t-shirt sales, $185 in dues, $230 total 

General Meeting Minutes 11/14/13

• Solidarity with Syria movement: raise awareness for refugee crisis in Syria: 
• $10 dinner December 5th, Syrian alum and speakers who have hands-on experience
• Red Cross's club event for the movement next semester: experience refugee camp overnight in South Quad with speakers from Red Cross
• Other ideas? 
• Refugees: met with Chapter refugee program coordinator! In process of setting up programs for this and upcoming semester: teaching English as a Second Language in homes (Arabic experience especially needed)
• Fact of the Week: Red Cross collaborating with online mapmakers to map out effects of Typhoon Haiyan, most effective routes for aid, etc., find what happened to people in other areas (looking for family, etc.)
• Typhoon Haiyan Relief through Filipino-American Student Organization + AAA: 
• Acousticafe Nov. 14 TONIGHT: listen to great music and donate for the cause
• Sunday Nov. 17: Five Guys 6 pm-10 pm: up to 25% of sales can be donated
• Sunday Nov. 17 at 11 pm: Rosary Vigil at the Grotto
• Also, working on hot chocolate fundraiser for next week
• Military Affairs:
• Veteran's Day event Monday: Notre Dame Thanks You poster signed by students, now hanging in the Veterans Administrations office in South Bend; they are very grateful! Thank-you cards, on Monday and later in the meeting today
• Operation Gratitude
• Soldiers' Angels: Tony stationed in Egypt as part of peacekeeping forces; 20 years old; sent him a letter and care package today! --> care packages every month, letters every week: if you're interested, please sign up! You can do it with friends and it's a lot of fun! You will be reimbursed by the Club
• Letters: monthly sign-ups: sign up to write 4 letters, 1 per week for a month: a Google Doc to be put together
• Write a card to a veteran
• Fill out a form to help raise money for the local chapter

Officer Meeting Notes 11/7/13

• Change meeting days? Surveys
• New soldier: Tony from Kansas, stationed in Egypt, 20 years old
• Veteran's Day Monday 11/11: Poster where people can sign with simple thank-you messages in Dooley Room 
• Care package needed for before Thanksgiving
• New executive director of Red Cross for South Bend, Elkhart, Mishawaka: Sue Gully
• Nominate South Bend chapter for donation prizes --> send out to listserv
• DAT Training on Saturday 11/9: coffee and bagels! (take pictures for the yearbook!)
• Winter reallocation of funds: any new big events for spring semester?
• Project SAFE rescheduling...kind of out of our hands, but suggest February while people are still using heating? Meet with intern Katina Moss at the Chapter?
• Yearbook: we got a story! Mark got interviewed yesterday. They'd like some photos of the club at action
• Refugees:
• new coordinator at the Chapter
• meeting with overall director at Indianapolis
• joined coalition with ND Human Rights, Syrian awareness group, etc.
• dinners by coalition
• lectures by professors
• maybe a lecture by a refugee through St. Joseph Chapter, but there are lots of issues to work through with that
• Red Cross's 3 refugee officers working on refugee simulation camp

General Meeting 10/31/13

• Tuesday meetings instead of Thursday?
• Recent Red Cross News
• Hurricane Sandy housing
• Chicago: provided shelter for 24 families displaced due to apartment fire
• Colorado: working with those affected by flooding
• Ongoing: Veterans Crisis Line/Military Criss Line to support military members in times of personal/professional need
• Gameday Recycling Recap
• Blood Drive: went pretty well
• Syrian Solidarity Lunch: good turnout, good discussions
• Project SAFE: cancelled for now; we will let you know if it gets rescheduled
• Soldiers' Angels: The first guy we had has been in army for 20+ years, in an air field in Iraq, lost his whole family while he was away (no mail), loved and elected by his soldiers. Because of the treaty pulling back soldiers, he's going home to be deployed elsewhere later. So, we're adopting a new soldier and updates coming soon!
• Veteran's Day event: Monday, Nov 11: Dooley Room 2-5 pm
• Poster for the VA outpatient facility for people to sign their names with a brief "Thank you" or "God bless," etc. Maybe for the elevator lobby?
• Writing letters?
• DAT basic training on November 9th: need to sign up on Red Cross Volunteer Connection and take two basic courses online on Sheltering and Disaster Services Orientation; email to be sent out soon

Officer Meeting Notes 10/17/2013

• USC Recycling Day: 15 people signed up = $315!
• University American Red Cross Clubs Conference Call: good suggestions
• Social media: Facebook pages for blood drive competitions, etc.
• Contract with Zorch: all ARC t-shirts from now on should be with this company
• Lecture/speaker: disaster, refugees, etc. Collaboration with another club? or residence hall? Movie vs. documentary? (Syrian refugee crisis, work with the Syria awareness club)
• January: National Blood Donor Appreciation Month
• Next conference call will be about military affairs (November 19)
• Holiday Heroes Letter Writing to veterans, policemen, firefighters, etc. at general meetings: end of October for Thanksgiving, end of December for Christmas
• Get people on VolunteerConnect for chapter volunteering opportunities especially Project SAFE
• Syria lunch: good turnout. Will keep collaborating with human rights clubs, especially since there is no refugee personnel at the chapter
• Adopted a soldier!!! --> Dennis in Afghanistan
• Reviewed confidentiality issues
• The organization will pass over packages so we don't have to worry about coinciding with the end of school year
• Big poster people can sign to hang locally for Veterans Day
• DAT: crash course getting planned 

General Meeting Notes 10/10/2013

• Game day recycling Saturday, 10/19 (USC Game Day)
• 2 shifts
• 10 am - 1 pm
• 1 pm - 4 pm (Amazon gift card!)
• Meet by lamppost 9 in Joyce lot and distribute single-stream recycling bags to tailgaters
• $7 per hour per volunteer paid to Red Cross Club
• Volunteer Connection: Please do this if you would like to participate in events with the chapter (e.g. Project SAFE)
• Blood Drive Competition
• Sign up after meeting for hour-long shifts or email James at jmancino@nd.edu
• Monday (Lafun Ballroom), Thursday (Bloodmobile), Friday (Pasquerilla Center)
• Tell your friends!
• Syrian Solidarity Lunch Thursday, october 17, 12:30-2:30 @ Geddes coffeehouse
• Partnering with Peace Fellowship, Arabic Club, Human Rights ND
• Also, if you would like to help raise awareness for Syria and Syrian refugees, contact Syria Working Group and/or Tori at vroeck@nd.edu
• Rave for the Brave at Stepan Center 10:30pm-2am Friday night!!!!
• Unlimited pizza and Red Bull
• $10 per ticket
• Operation Gratitude for Veteran's Day: write letters to send to veterans
• Where? Lafortune Center
• What time? Late afternoon after 3 pm, 3pm-5pm
• Letter ideas? Markers, construction paper
• Incentives? Some candy on the tables
• Sign-up lists to be sent out
• Adopt a Soldier: right now, trying to get a soldier whose deployment ends in May or beginning of June, should be set up by next general meeting
• Project SAFE: next Saturday or early November, 2-3 hours giving out smoke detectors and fliers on people's doors, get a free T-shirt and juice!
• Yearbook photo--Facebook like competition on the ND Yearbook FB page: Top 10 clubs with most likes get special feature: VOTE TONIGHT!!

Officer Meeting 10/3/2013

• Recycling on USC game day: Katie/Daniel set up sign-ups
• Yearbook competition: take photos, post it to Yearbook FB page, club to get most likes wins a special feature; due Oct. 11
• Open general meeting with "What did the American Red Cross do this week?" 
• Michael, Daniel: DAT Training--pizza, etc.
• Sign up people on Volunteer Connect
• T-shirts: out of smalls; go through M & L
• James: Blood Drive
• T-shirt template approved
• Alumni Association to call to talk about paying for them
• Blood Drive Competition NEXT WEEK 
• Oct. 14: Lafortune Ballroom
• Oct. 17: Mobile blood drive by stadium
• Oct. 18: Pasquerilla Center
• Get the word out! ND Observer, Week @ ND
• Refugees: mock refugee camp? --> segway into a lecture or talk at the mock camp?
• Refugees liaison at chapter to be hired in 2 weeks
• Trick or treat on Eddy Street: Businesses come up with deals and club volunteers fundraise

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

Officer Meeting Minutes 9/24/13

• SAO raised the club dues to $10 --> pay dues and get a T-shirt for free at next general meeting
• Semesterly SAO meeting Wednesday 5:30-6:30, 7:00-8:00; Thursday evening
• Two officers: Katie and Mark
• Meeting with Doug delayed
• Volunteer forms for Chapter for next meeting
• Sign up members for volunteer database? -TBD after Mark talks with Doug
• Game Day Recycling - walk around tailgates handing out recycling bags, $7/hr/person and free T-shirt and snacks! --> sign-up at general meeting
• General Meeting Thursday 7 PM at Dooley Room
• Blood Drive: Oct 14 & 18 (day before USC game) for competition
• T-shirts
• Posters at general meeting
• What Red Cross worldwide did this past week/Quick questions about what Red Cross does
• Sign ups for veteran projects
• Adopt a soldier or general care packages? TBVoted
• Teach For America or Alliance for Catholic Education short presentation
• Bring change for dues
• Red Cross Club nationwide conference call Friday 3-4 p.m.
• USC Blood Drive Competition t-shirts coming soon