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PSMLA EXECUTIVE COUNCIL = MEETING APRIL 22-23, 2006 = MILESBURG
President's Welcome / Introductions = The following members were in attendance on = Saturday: K.=20 Boykin, M. Boettjer, C. Dohmen, T. Fall, R. Hall, E. Irish, D. = Kinman, P.=20 Kolega, F. Mulhern, P. Rzodkiewicz, J. Stewart, T. White, K. = Williams, D.=20 Wills, and B. Youngs. The following members were absent on Saturday: = V. Burke,=20 L. Crum, C. Dotto, Sister M.H. Kashuba, D. Murphy, D. Prejsnar, = and D.=20 Richards.
The following members were in attendance on = Sunday: K.=20 Boykin, M. Boettjer, C. Dohmen, T. Fall, R. Hall, E. Irish, D. = Kinman, F.=20 Mulhern, P. Rzodkiewicz, J. Stewart, T. White, K. Wiliams, and B. = Youngs.=20 The following members were absent on Sunday: V. = Burke, L.=20 Crum, C. Dotto, Sister M.H. Kashuba, P. Kolega, D. Murhpy, D. = Prejsnar, D.=20 Richards, J. Stewart, and D. Wills.
Approval of Minutes The minutes were approved via e-mail after the = meeting in=20 September 2005.
Treasurer's Report (D. Wills) = An external review of the PSMLA books was = performed in=20 March 2006. Everything was found to be in order. Council decided = that an=20 external review of the books would be done every other year. In = the=20 spring, there will be an internal review of the books (This will = require a=20 change in By-law B12). The Finance Committee will meet at or = before the=20 spring meeting to perform the internal audit. P. Rzodkiewicz moved = and T.=20 Fall seconded that Council accept the Treasurer's Report. Motion = carried.=20
Business Manager's Report (K. = Boykin)=20 There are presently 578 regular memberships and = 25=20 Institutional memberships. Council discussed the need to have the PSMLA = Poster=20 Contest again. Many people have volunteered to serve on PSMLA = committees.=20 These people will be contacted and asked to take charge of the = Poster=20 Contest and some other tasks. Kathleen Boykin, Business Manager, prior to the = meeting,=20 investigated PSMLA being able to accept credit cards for = conference=20 registration and other PSMLA business. Kathleen will continue to=20 investigate this matter and council will continue to discuss this = matter=20 via e-mail. P. Rzodkiewicz moved and E. Irish seconded the move to = accept=20 the Business Manager's Report. Motion carried. President Youngs = will=20 appoint a committee to look at the job description of the Business = Manager.
Advertising Manager's Report = (R. Hall)=20 Bob Hall explained about the letter that he sent = to=20 potential exhibitors for the fall 2006 conference. He discussed in = what=20 ways he asked exhibitors to help defray conference costs by = sponsoring a=20 breakfast, paying for tote bags, badge holders, etc. Council = commended Bob=20 Hall for the job that he does as Advertising Manager. Bob's wife, = Denise=20 Hall, will be brought on, as Co-Advertising Manager and Cheri = Dohmen will=20 also help Bob when there is a need. Council approved this. It is = the=20 belief of Council, that as we continue to grow and make a bigger = presence=20 in the state, we will need to find additional persons to help. Deb = Wills=20 moved and Thekla Fall seconded that Council accept the Advertising = Manager's Report. Motion carried.
Organizational Representative Reports=20 Cultural Communications Alliance (CCA)=20 (D. Wills) Deb Wills reported that the Bayer competition = took place=20 in April. The charge by Bayer was to market fertilizer in Italy. = Deb=20 reported that the Heinz competition would be held on May 2. The=20 competition will be held at Heinz Field. She explained that a room = inside=20 will be opened and that a tour will be given. The charge by Heinz = for this=20 year was to sell a bottle of ketchup in Italy. Deb reported that a = third=20 company is coming on board.
JNCL-NCLIS (B. Youngs) Bonnie Youngs will take over the responsibility = as JNCL=20 rep. beginning in May.
NECTFL (E. Irish) Ellen Irish reported that the annual Meeting of =
the States=20
at the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages =
took=20
place on March 30, 2006 at the Marriott Marquis in NYC. Each state =
set up=20
a poster display for their state organization that allowed the =
states to=20
share ideas and network with one another. Bill Yotive from the =
United=20
Nations did a presentation about the UN resources available for =
foreign=20
languages, including the Cyber School Bus. Members are encouraged =
to visit=20
(
PaCIE It was decided that Sister Mary Helen Kashuba = would take=20 over as PSMLA's rep to PaCIE. In the fall, PaCIE will be assigning = a new=20 rep to PSMLA.
PDE (P. Kolega) Pam pointed out that the standards have been = removed from=20 the State Board web site. Since they don't want them for all = students,=20 they had them removed from the site. Pam explained about the Ecuadorian Sister School = Program=20 in which three public schools have been selected to participate in = an=20 international outreach program. Students from Ecuador will be = attending=20 regularly scheduled classes in three high schools. PA students = will go to=20 Ecuador in June and July where they will attend classes and do a=20 =93service-learning project.=94 Pam reminded council that the PA Governor's = Institute for=20 World Language Educators would again be held at Villanova = University from=20 July 16-21, 2006 and that registration is available online. The = theme this=20 year is =93Assessment in Light of the Standards, which will allow = previous=20 participants to attend.
Standing Committee Reports Advocacy/Business-Outreach (T. = Fall and=20 T. White) The committee met and determined that, in view = of the fact=20 that the web site will be revised, new headlines will focus on 5-6 = key=20 issues that teachers are dealing with right now. The areas of the = new=20 website will include: advocacy, professional development, = publications,=20 membership, awards, etc. Each area will link to supporting world = language=20 programs, etc. Each area will create the contents for their = category and=20 these will be forwarded to Karen to place on the web site.
Awards (P. Rzodkiewicz) Phyllis Rzodkiewicz explained that the awards = committee=20 had been reconfigured with all of the following now under the = Awards=20 Committee:
2005 PSMLA Conference (V. Burke = and E.=20 Irish) The 2005 conference committee did a wonderful = job in=20 Lancaster. It is the hope of council that Millersville University = will=20 again work with PSMLA and help sponsor a conference in the future. = The rotation schedule for conferences across the = state=20 will be: Erie, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Lancaster. Council = felt that=20 the 2005 PSMLA Conference that was held in Lancaster, co-sponsored = by=20 Millersville University was very good. Council was very much in = favor of=20 having the conference there in the future. Everyone on council = agreed that=20 we should continue to work with Millersville. A motion was made by = Ellen=20 Irish and seconded by Phyllis Rzodkiewicz to donate $1,000 to = Millersville=20 University for the benefit of teaching and learning of foreign = languages=20 due to their generosity of time and money during the = PSMLA/Millersville=20 Conference. Bonnie Youngs agreed to investigate how to do this. =
2006 PSMLA Conference (C. = Dohmen, P.=20 Rzodkiewicz, and K. Williams) The 2006 PSMLA Conference will be held in Erie, = PA at the=20 Ambassador Conference Center on October 20 and 21. The theme of = this=20 year's conference is =93Connections.=94 The session proposals have come in and deal with = a variety=20 of topics. The proposals will be of interest to teachers from = elementary=20 through the university. Registration forms have been mailed to all = members=20 of PSMLA. This year for the first time, a Pre-conference Workshop = will be=20 held on Thursday (the day prior to the actual conference). = Participants of=20 this workshop will be presented with an overview of he ACTFL = Integrated=20 Performance Assessment (IPA) at the Novice and Intermediate = Levels. Bonnie=20 Adair-Hauck, presenter of the pre-conference workshop, will = instruct=20 participants in how to actualize the Connections Standard by = developing=20 IPA tasks grounded in authentic texts. A dinner Friday evening will be held at the = Safari Grill=20 which is connected to the hotel. Those who attend will have the=20 opportunity to network with teachers from other schools as they = practice=20 their second language.
2007 PSMLA Conference (E. = Irish) The 2007 PSMLA Conference will be held at the = Crowne Plaza=20 Valley Forge in King of Prussia. The dates will be October 19 and = 20.=20 Possible themes are being explored. There is a mall within walking = distance from the hotel. Some members of the conference committee = have=20 already been selected.
Conference 2008 Discussion Council voted that the 2008 PSMLA Conference = will be held=20 in Pittsburgh. The co-chairs will be Deb Wills and Bonnie Youngs. = Possible=20 conference sites in Pittsburgh that will be considered are the = areas of=20 Oakland and Station Square. They will investigate and report back = to=20 council. Finance Committee Report (P. = Rzodkiewicz)=20 There was much discussion about PSMLA accepting = payment=20 via credit card. Kathleen Boykin presented information on each = company=20 that she had researched. On a Rzodkiewicz/Fall motion, council = voted to=20 commence accepting credit cards and that the finance committee = will=20 determine which company will be used as the processor. This will = be=20 helpful as many people request to pay with a credit card, from = members to=20 exhibitors, etc. Membership Committee Report (J. = Stewart)=20 Kathleen distributed a sheet comparing dues for = other=20 state organizations. After examination of these numbers, it was = decided=20 that PSMLA would keep the dues at $30. PSMLA dues have not been = raised=20 since 1997. Council discussed the idea of a lifetime = membership. On a=20 Stewart/Irish motion, council decided that, in any given year, the = fee for=20 a lifetime membership would be 10 x the price of a one-year = individual=20 membership or $300 until a dues increase is implemented. Lifetime=20 memberships for a joint membership will be $400 and for a retired = teacher=20 would be $150. This information will be posted on the web site and = will be=20 offered beginning with the dues renewal notices that will be sent = in the=20 fall for the membership year commencing January 1, 2007.
Nominations / Elections Report = (M.=20 Boettjer) Council felt that the elections ran very well = last year=20 and that it was great to have the new members invited to and = introduced at=20 the council breakfast, which is held during the fall conference.=20 Therefore, the elections for executive council positions will be = held at=20 the beginning of the school year as they were last year. Council = members=20 need to realize that being on council is a three-year commitment. = There is=20 also some financial obligation in attending three meetings per = year (two=20 council meetings and the fall conference), although some financial = support=20 is offered to council members. Thomasina White will run again for = council.=20 Cindy Dotto will be contacted to see if she is willing to run = again for=20 council, Those members who expressed an interest in running for = council=20 will be contacted by M. Boettjer who will explain the = responsibilities and=20 the time and financial commitment to verify they are still = interested.=20
Professional Development (F. = Mulhern and=20 P, Rzodkiewicz) The professional development link on the web = site will be=20 completely redone. Some categories which will appear on the web = site in=20 the future are: Assessment, Classroom Management, Curriculum = Development,=20 Diversity in the Foreign Language Classroom, Instructional = Activities that=20 Use the Target Language, Standards, and Technology. Members of executive council will be surveyed to = see if=20 there is a particular type of workshop they would like to provide = to our=20 membership should the need arise. Council felt that the need to = encourage=20 each presenter who does a workshop for PSMLA should hand out an = evaluation=20 form to participants. A specific form will be developed and all = future=20 workshop presenters will be required to submit the necessary = paperwork to=20 the PSMLA Treasurer and the competed evaluation forms to the = Co-Chairs of=20 the Professional Development Committee prior to being paid for = conducting=20 the workshop. Council feels there is a need to offer more = workshops to=20 our membership and felt there was a need to develop a guide for=20 establishing a workshop. Bonnie Youngs would like to see PSMLA = offer at=20 least two workshops per year to our members, as a starting point. = Kathleen=20 and Phyllis will create a form that will take people from the = =93ground up=94=20 on how to organize a workshop .
Publications Report (B. Youngs) = Bonnie Youngs is stepping down as co-editor of = the Forum.=20 Karen Williams and Elisabeth Donato will continue as co-editors. = It was=20 the recommendation by the Publications Committee and council = agreed that=20 starting with the spring of 2007, there would be one edition of = the Forum,=20 a spring edition. The publications committee will consider having = a=20 newsletter or some form of desktop publishing document, which will = be used=20 in the fall to remind members of what is happening with PSMLA. = Articles=20 for the fall Forum are due by May 30 and ads are due by August 1. = The Publications Committee will take charge of = contacting=20 university professors to encourage their students to send articles = for the=20 Forum.
Service Position Report Website Manager (K. Williams) = Council agreed that Kudos go out to Karen for = the=20 excellent job she does with the web site. Karen requested that = items that=20 need to go on the web site should be sent, if possible, in PDF = format.=20 Thekla Suggested putting the PACE lessons up on the web site. As = the=20 various committees update the information for their committee, = they will=20 send it to Karen so she can update the site.
Parliamentarian Report (F, = Mulhern) Frank reminded council members that they have a = commitment=20 of three meetings a year (spring and fall executive council = meetings) and=20 the fall membership meeting. Council feels that it is very = important that=20 PSMLA Executive Council members realize that they must attend 2 of = the=20 three meetings during a calendar year unless they have a health = concern,=20 family emergency, etc. They should discuss this with the PSMLA = President=20 prior to the meeting date. Non-compliance with this by-law = requires the=20 elected member to step down. During the meeting, it was evident that we need = additional=20 persons on council to help with certain tasks. A list of PSMLA = members who=20 have expressed a willingness to help on council has been created = and=20 Bonnie Youngs will contact some of these persons to see if they = are still=20 wiling to help. Project Manager Reports ACE / PDE Certification (T. = Fall) Thekla pointed out that she needs contacts to = continue to=20 promote the ACE Certification. They need to see there is something = in it=20 for them. It was pointed out that universities may already be = doing this=20 for other subjects and just don't know what it is. Thekla will = send out=20 information so everyone knows what this is all about. Basically = through=20 ACE Certification, students can earn college credit without having = to take=20 the AP exam. Frank suggested working with PaCIE on this. Teachers = at=20 colleges and universities will be invited to attend a session on = this=20 topic at the PSMLA Conference in October 2006.
Act 48 (B. Youngs) Bonnie will step down as the person who inputs = the names=20 in to receive the Act 48 credit. Phyllis will assume this = responsibility=20 and has been given the necessary materials. Council was reminded = that this=20 service is for PSMLA members only.
E-Flash Council decided that we would use a couple of = the people=20 who volunteered to help on executive council to find and send out = the=20 e-flash. Bonnie Youngs will contact some of the people on the list = of=20 volunteers and will give their names to the chairs of the various=20 committees.
New Business Discussion focused on two topics: A. The Finance Committee will look into possibly = having a=20 portion of the hotel paid for executive council members while they = are=20 attending the fall conference. The reason for this is that the = third=20 council meeting that council members are expected to attend occurs = during=20 the conference. B. Council feels that we need to continue to = support JNCL=20 and to continue to network with other organizations. Council also = feels it=20 is important that PSMLA have a representative present at the JNCL = sessions=20 because this is our national presence and perhaps we can have some = control=20 over what we need professionally. On a Dave Kinman / Thomasina = White=20 motion, council voted to fully pay the expenses for the JNCL rep = for this=20 year. The vote was not unanimous and the Finance Committee will = discuss=20 this and bring a recommendation regarding reimbursement for the = expenses=20 for the JNCL representative to the fall executive council meeting. =
Council set the date for the fall Executive = Council=20 meeting: September 9 and 10 at the Ramada Inn in State College. =
On Saturday, April 22, the council = meeting began=20 at 10:10 AM and was adjourned at 5:15 PM. On Sunday, April 23, 2006, the council = meeting=20 began at 8:05 AM and was adjourned at 10:45 AM.
Phyllis Rzodkiewicz, PSMLA Secretary, = respectfully submits=20 the PSMLA Minutes.
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