01/26/2017 Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes January 26, 2017
City of Clearwater
City Hall
112 S. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
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Meeting Minutes
Thursday, January 26, 2017
4:00 PM
Council Chambers
Sister Cities Advisory Board
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes January 26, 2017
Roll Call
Present 5 - Vice Chair Terrence Gourdine, Board Member Hoyt Hamilton,
Board Member Candace Hays, Board Member Desaray Dilday, and
Board Member Pamela Gene Benton
Absent 1 - Chair Sallie Parks
Also Present: Christopher Hubbard - Cultural Affairs Specialist, Patricia O. Sullivan —
Board Reporter
1. Call To Order
The Vice Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily
discussed in that order.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approval of minutes from October 27, 2016 meeting
Member Benton moved to approve minutes of the October 27, 2016
Sister Cities Advisory Board meeting as submitted in written
summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda: None
4. New Business Items
4.1 2017 Young Ambassador Student Selections and Trip
Member/CSCI Clearwater Sister Cities, Inc. Representative Hays said 8
applications were accepted and approved for the 2017 Young
Ambassador trip to Nagano and Japan. The application listed estimated
costs and availability of a partial scholarship, two students withdrew their
applications as the partial scholarship was insufficient to meet their needs.
Four students applied for the partial scholarship. CSCI was continuing to
promote the trip to fill up the spaces. Orientation starts February 4, 2017.
In response to a question, Member Hays said the trip required at least 7
students but CSCI preferred 10. CSCI was awaiting airfare costs.
4.2 2017 High School Cultural Exchange Student Selections and Trip
Cultural Affairs Specialist Christopher Hubbard said the 13 applicants for
the High School Cultural Exchange program were well qualified, 6
candidates were interviewed and 4 were chosen. Selected students were
City residents and possessed maturity, knowledge of Japan, and interest in
representing the City. The trip was scheduled for June 25— July 4, 2017.
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board Meeting Minutes January 26, 2017
4.3 Election of Officers
Member Hays moved to reappoint Sallie Parks as Chair. The motion
was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Member Hamilton moved to reappoint Terrence Gourdine as Vice
Chair. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
5. Old Business Item
5.1 Nagano Middle School Visit
Mr. Hubbard reviewed the scheduled activities for the Nagano Middle
School student group. The 11 students and 3 chaperones arrive February
19, 2017, home stay hosts were needed. The sayonara party was planned
for February 23, 2017.
5.2 Panhellenic Federation of Florida Sister Cities Request Update
Mr. Hubbard said the City had received no response to several attempts
to contact Sister City Kalamaria, Greece. This Sister City relationship was
in name only. no exchanges had occurred.
Discussion ensued re Panhellenic Federation of Florida's request that the
City accept Kastellorizo, Greece as a Sister City, costs and staff time
required to maintain a Sister City relationship, and the conflict of having 2
Sister Cities in Greece. In response to a question, Mr. Hubbard said many
Sister City relationships were in name only. It was stated while the City's
relationship with Kalamaria, Greece may be dormant, it was a relationship
nonetheless.
Member Hamilton moved for Mr. Hubbard to craft a letter for
signature by the Chair of the Sister Cities Advisory Board to the
Panhellenic Federation of Florida expressing appreciation for being
considered for a Sister Cities relationship with Kastellorizo, Greece
and outlining why the City must decline the offer. The motion was
duly seconded and carried unanimously.
5.3 November Nagano Teacher Visit
Mr. Hubbard said with the help of Member Benton, Nagano Exchange
Teacher Atsushi Katsuyama had visited many middle schools and high
schools during his successful visit. Several Clearwater schools expressed
interest in reestablishing Sister City programs.
6. Director's Report
Member Hays said the CSCI end of the year membership party was well
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City of Clearwater
Sister Cities Advisory Board
Meeting Minutes January 26, 2017
attended and reviewed future events. She invited board members to
attend the February 21, 2017 CSCI meeting at the Main Library. She
recommended Member Gourdine revise his proposal to request City
funding for a Young Ambassador scholarship and submit it to the board
in April to review. She said students seemed hesitant to apply for the Young
Ambassador program and CSCI could not attract sufficient interest
now that the high school exchange program was reinstated.
It was noted CSCI had carried the student exchange program during the
years the City's high school exchange program was in limbo.
7. Board Members to be Heard
Member Benton said two Safety Harbor Middle School teachers were
preparing to travel to Nagano during the 1st week of June as participants in
the teacher exchange program; one participated previously. She said the
2 -page application required essays; the 2 program applicants went through
the interview process. Teachers seemed reluctant to participate in a working
trip to Japan in place of summer opportunities to teach summer school, work
on curriculum, or attend the national conference. While Nagano strongly
supported a 4 -week program, she said teachers preferred a shorter
obligation.
Discussion ensued. It was recommended that the Teacher Exchange,
Young Ambassadors, and High School Cultural Exchange programs
discuss coordinating their Nagano visits to overlap.
Member Gourdine suggested Clearwater explore another Sister City
relationship, perhaps with London, Paris, Berlin, Dublin, or other
European cities. He said the program could focus on a Mayor to Mayor
relationship rather than teacher and student exchanges. In response to
a question, Member Benton said Clearwater was the only Pinellas
County city with an active Sister City student and teacher exchange
program. It was suggested Clearwater could help Dunedin develop a
student and teacher exchange program with its Sister City in Scotland.
8. Adjourn
Attest:
Bo rd Repo
City of Clearwater
The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
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Chair - Sister Citi e Advisory Board