From SI Exco News

Contents 1 Servas EXCO Newsletter 1.1 OUR  MOTTO 1.2 MEETINGS 1.3 AGENDA 1.3.1 From our Statutes 1.3.2 In my research, 1.4 ANNOUNCEMENTS 1.5 FUTURE Newsletters

Servas EXCO Newsletter

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––----------------------- Volume I, No. 1                                                                                         August 23, 2004

• President Geoff Maltby,------------------------------ Vice President Bibendra Pradhananga
• General Secretary Honora Clemens,----------------------------------- Treasurer Omer Ozkan
• Peace Secretary Gary Sealey,----------------- Host List Coordinator Claudio Pacchiega

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––--------------------------–––––-

OUR  MOTTO

• Transparency and Trust
• as we work together
• in the spirit of Peace

MEETINGS

At the conclusion of the General Assembly in Spain, the new EXCO (as we seem to be called) held two meetings. Daily, myriads of messages are being shared with all six members so we will be informed and therefore more prepared to do our work.

====Where were you August 22, 2004 as we were holding an EXCO Teleconference ?====   At:

• 4:00 a.m. the General Secretary, Honora Clemens was in Western USA
• 7:00 a.m. the Vice President, Bibendra Pradhananga was in Eastern USA
• 7:00 a.m. the Peace Secretary, Gary Sealey was in Eastern Canada
• 1:00 p.m. the Host List Coordinator, Claudio Pacchiega was in Italy
• 2:00 p.m. the Treasurer, Omer Ozkanwas in Turkey
• 9:00 p.m. the President, Geoff Maltby was in Australia

the meeting lasted 1 hour 43 minutes of the 20 Agenda items we addressed 10 the next teleconference will be September 5

AGENDA

Due to the large agenda and extremely long discussions at the conference in Spain, committees and Area Coordinators were not elected and/or appointed.

From our Statutes

Each of the remaining may be elected or appointed by the General Assembly, or appointed by the Executive Committee, as determined by the  General Assembly.

The term of office for all officers ends no later than three months after a General Assembly.

so, for committee members we decided to:

• 1. ask Dafi (the current chairperson of the Nominating Committee) to obtain names of nominees, who were not elected, to see whether they would be interested in committee work.
• 2. ask the National Secretaries to gather nominees names for all committees.
• 3. contact each committee and invite their cooperation to identify nominees, which nominations could then be forwarded to the Nominations Committee.
• 4. suggest that those current committee members who wish to continue be invited to nominate themselves.
• 5. require that all nominations be sent to the Nomination Committee

• • • Dafi Gilad, Frits Sturrman, and Anita Kalbermann
• 6. request that nominations end by September 30 so elections may be held about October 30.

In my research,

I learned that the first Area Coordinators were appointed by a Vice President who felt he needed help with the work he was assigned. In 2001 some Area Coordinators were elected.

so, for Area Coordinators we decided:

• 1. to ask National Groups to seek AC nominees
• 2. that to avoid confusion we consider carefully the procedure for elections of the ACs.
  • • It was suggested a good resource person for advice is Michael Johnson who facilitated the meetings of ACs.
• 3. that it is probably the existing ACs who should conduct elections in their areas, then send the votes to the Nomination Committee.
• 4. that to ensure clarity, a follow up note on elections of ACs be sent after the next EXCO teleconference, September 5.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Claudio Pacchiega has retired his connection with the Hospitality Club and his position as Deputy in Servas Italy, which he began in 2000. He has voluntarily released these commitment to allow him enough time to do his EXCO work very well.

The new EXCO is pleased to acknowledge Julie Dotsch for providing Peace Secretary Gary Sealey with literature concerning dispute resolution, oath of office and partnership criteria. We appreciate her valuable assistance. Thank you Julie.

FUTURE Newsletters

To be transparent and to build trust, we plan to send frequent, short newsletters. They will be designed:

• for fast reading
• to disseminate pertinent information
  • • and
• to build a two-way communication between EXCO and YOU

• Please send e-mails you feel are important
• to the General Secretary@Servas.org

• Watch for more of the teleconference discussion
• in the next EXCO Newsletter which is now being prepared.