VSCAS-Minutes Dec 29 2013-English

(prepared by chú Kỳ)

MINUTES

                  

                    VIETNAMESE SICK CHILDREN AID SOCIETY

                   

     Date and Time: Sunday, December 29, 2013, 1:00PM

        Location: 509 Beecroft Rd., Toronto, ON

         Attendance: Châu, Doanh, Kỳ, Hoàng, Nguyên, Hùng, Đến, Phong

                   Đặng, Phong Trần,    

New members: Tuấn, Diễm Hương

          Reporter: Hùng

     Absence/regrets: Bình, Ước

ROUTINE BUSINESS

1.   Approval of agenda: All

2. Approval of the Dec. 22, 2013 meeting’s minutes, previously sent to all members by email: Ky moved, Nguyên seconded. Motion carried.

3.   Update on financial statement: Châu reported.

 Cash:  CDN $1,601.20 và USD $100.00 

Bank statement: period from Oct. 31 to Nov. 29, 2013

Checking account:    CDN$ 9,177.17

 GIC                     CDN$ 77,491.53 

Doanh wondered why the reported GIC balance is higher than in the previous report of $265.11 (previous period balance was 77,226.11), Châu explained the higher balance in this period was the result of interested earned on the period.  

We have paid $3,520.00 to Voyages Nikita (receipt received) for return airfares and health insurance premium for Đặng Hồng Phúc and his mother,

Two cheques have been issued to pay for Tet Festival, one of $110.00 for table fee and the other of $150.00 for safety deposit, the latter will be refunded after the Festival.

We have received receipt from Saigon Canada weekly newspaper of $100.00 for our Condolence to Mrs. Pham Thi Kim Dung  and her family at the passing away of her husband Doan Phan (1).

 Nguyên handed to Phong Đặng (treasurer) a cheque of $ 1,000.00 donation from Doctor VO HONG KHANH

In February/2014, Châu and Hoàng will go to the bank to transfer CDN$15,000.00 from GIC to  Chequing Account in preparation for our donation of CDN$ 10,000.00 to Herbie Fund at the fund raising dinner gala(2)

3.   Update on the application for charitable status:

Châu reported that Nguyệt is filing some additional essential documentations among which a letter of reference from Herbie Fund to the government.

Nguyệt contemplated that the delay in our application is due to the fact that, in 2003, we only applied for the not-for-profit status in lieu of the charitable status. Should this cause the delay, she will help us make a new application for Charity Status.

4.   Update on Dang Hong Phuc’s health conditions: Nguyên reported.

         General health condition of Phuc: very good.

Condition of the scar on his nose as of this date: much improved compared to after the operation and after the thread was removed

Next examination: January 8, 2014. This could be his last examination, after which date he might be allowed to return to Vietnam.

Discussion on the departure date from Canada of Phuc and her mother

Nguyên reported that Phuc’s mother (Mrs. Thảo) wishes to return to Vietnam soon after Phuc is allowed by the hospital doctors, if VSCAS agrees, so that she and her son could be home to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with their family.

Nguyên proposed that if Phuc and his mother could not attend the fund-raising and appreciation dinner gala, she would make a slide show on the condition of her son before and after the operation to be presented at the gala, and in which she will express her family’s gratitude to Herbie Fund,  VSCAS, Sick Kids Hospital’s doctors and the community for generous humanitarian help.

In fact, he said, this video has been sent to VSCAS’s members for review and edit via email and youtube.

After some deliberation, the meeting reached a unanimous decision: Nguyên was asked to explain to Phuc’s mother that their presence at the dinner gala is essential, because not only there will be the presence of community members who donate to VSCAS’s fund, of which her son is a recipient, but there will also be a great number of staff of Herbie Fund and team of Sick Kids Hospital’s doctors at the gala.

On the issue of return tickets for Phuc and his mother: Their existing tickets will no longer be valid as the expected return date will have been expired. The meeting unanimously passed a motion to pay for their new return tickets.

5.   Payment of expenses spent by the sponsors: Raised by Chau. The meeting agreed with Nguyen (the sponsor) to leave this issue to a later date to focus on the preparation for the upcoming fund-raising dinner gala.

NEW ISSUES

1.   Preparations for Tet Festival: Chau reported        

        

          Time of HCT: January 18, 2014-        

           Location: CNE

-         Set up: Phong Đặng.

-        On site: Hoàng, Phong Đặng,

-        Admission: As exhibitor, VSCAS receives 2 free tickets for on-site members. Other members who wish to pitch in help need to buy their own tickets. 

2.   Fund-raising and Appreciation Dinner Gala.

Organizing committee (OC)

Chair: Kỳ

 Coordinator: Doanh

 Vice Chairs: Hoàng, Diễm Hương (3)

Liaise with restaurant: Hoàng

+Date: February 22, 2014

+ Time: 7:00PM for guests, 4:00PM-12:00AM OC members

+ Location: Dim Sum King, 421 Dundas Street West (Spadina and Dundas)

+ Number of tables initially ordered: 35, 10 guests/table Cost per table: $270.00

+ Tickets: Regular: $40.00, VIP $50.00
+ Ticket printing: Hùng. Deadline of ticket availability for distribution: January 1, 2014. Hung to contact Binh to get VSCAS logo and Diem Huong to get printing quotes.

+ Number of tickets to be printed: VIP:100; regular: 500.

+ Poster printing: Diễm Hương. Printing deadline: January 26, 2014 (contact info: Diễm Hương: (905) 897-3853, email: diemhuong86@gmail.com)

+ Number of poster prints: 100

+ Advertisements criteria: Minimum $100.00; $200.00 up gets 2 free VIP tickets

+ In charge of ads sponsorship: All members: Members are to provide Diem Huong required information about the ads (name of individuals or business establishments, their addresses, telephone numbers...) on  or before Jan. 26, 2014.  

+ Community news: Châu. To send news to newspapers (Thoi Bao, Saigon Canada, Thoi Moi), radio and TV stations a month before the gala (around Jan. 22, 2014).

+ Send gala ads to the media: Diễm Hương. Two weeks before the gala.

+ Entertaiment and Auction: Diễm Hương. Audio equipment rent: estimate: $800.00. Entertainers are volunteers to be invited by Diễm Hương (or they may donate their fees to VSCAS)

+ Slideshow: Đặng Phong and Tuấn (4). Hùng to send photos of Phuc (before, during? and after operation) to Phong and Tuan, and to scan old photos of VSCAS’s past activities from Chau’s collection albums to send to them and to file those photos without digital files (contact info, Tuấn: (647)242-1215; email: minhtuanpham@gmail.com)

+ Video and camera: Phong Trần 

3/ Next meetings:

        Jan. 12, 2014, 1:00PM

        Jan. 26, 2014, 1:00PM

        Feb. 16, 2014, 1:00PM

     (Meeting Room, Beecroft) .

4/ Summary of major issues discussed.

5/ Adjournment: 3:30PM

_________________________________________________________________________

 Notes: Details not reported or discussed in the meeting (please refer to Chau’s and Hung’s emails):

     

(1)Châu forgot to report in the meeting.

(2)Date to transfer CDN$15,000.00 from GIC to checking account changed from “following week” to   “February, 2014”, in order to earn more interest

(3) Châu recommended to add Diễm Hương làm thêm Phó Banto the Vice Chair position to give her more cloud to negotiate with entertainers, advertisers, business establishments, donors,  if there is no objections.

(4) With Phong’s agreement, to  re-enforce this sub-committee due to time constraint.