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SEBS-NA Meeting Minutes from August 19

The second meeting of the SEBS-North America Executive Committee 2006-2007 was held on Saturday, August 19 from 4:35 to 6:40 pm EST.

The following members were present:

President: Bhupendra Pant (550B)
Vice President: Roshan Shrestha (002B) --absent
General Secretary: Yubraj Acharya (063B)
Treasurer: Laxman Pandey (328B)
Joint Secretary: Ekta Ghimire (402C)
Immediate Past President: Sagar Onta (477B)
Executive Member : Rahul Rauniyar (542B)
Executive Member : Rupendra Pant (766B)
Executive Member : Hari Sharma (353C)
SEBSonline Webmaster: Rajan Nepal (418B)

The following points were discussed:

1. Agreement with Thamel.com

• Bhupendra asked members to review the proposed agreement between SEBS-NA and Thamel.com regarding Thamel.com to be designated the official channel for fund transfer to Nepal. Rupendra to follow up. Details of the agreement will be posted once the final version of the agreement is circulated and signed by the President and the owner of Thamel.com.

2. Help sought from Nyaya Health

• Yubraj informed the board about the request from Nyaya Health for help regarding a health post project. Rupendra pointed that since Nyaya seems to be seeking just financial help and since SEBS-NA has already devoted its fundraising capabilities for other activities, it is not in the best financial position to help them out. Sagar and Ekta suggested that alternatively, SEB NA could arrange to occasionally provide Nyaya with skilled human resources/special medical practitioners currently practicing in the US if they are interested and to consult SEBSers actively involved in Public Health studies/services regarding this. Yubraj to follow up with SEBS and Nyaya Health.

3. School building project in Barabise

• Yubraj updated the team that Roshan (002B), Vice President of SEBS-NA, was visiting Barabise soon with Bijaya, the coordinator of the Nationwide Scholarship Program, and the two would make a suggestion regarding how we can proceed. He also updated that the SEBS-NA had earlier decided to provide NSP with the initial cost of sending volunteers to the site to see if the project is doable. Yubraj to follow up.

4. Undergraduates Networking

• Ekta informed how SEBS-NA is reaching out to its new SEBSers and undergraduate population, starting from introducing them as to what SEBS-NA is all about. She suggested that, since SEBS-NA is almost invisible to most undergraduates, we needed to intensify our outreach programs. Ekta informed that she had started on building a communication network with current students at Budhanilkantha and conceptualizing a mechanism to get more up-to-date information on the school to create a knowledge base for forthcoming SEBS-NA efforts and activities directed at the school (esp. regarding disbursement of SEBS funds for BNKS student clubs). She also informed that she had been in constant touch with the coordinator of the BNKS Education Audit Project. Ekta to follow up.

• On a related note, she informed that SEBS-NA had to publicize the Emergency Assistance Fund better. Yubraj said a FAQ would be placed in the newsletter. Rupendra, who directs the EAF, said he was working on refining the EAF procedure and would circulate the draft soon. Rupendra to follow up.

5. Website update

• Rajan informed that the annual cost of the sebsonline website, including site hosting costs was $530 per year. Bhupendra pointed out that the information regarding the cost of the Doko Dai project website was missing and that there was no record anywhere of SEBS NA’s commitment to pay for Doko Dai’s website. Sagar suggested that it would be wise to approach NSP for help regarding this cost instead.

• It was agreed that the new web interns for sebsonline would be solely working under Rajan’s supervision and direction. Only non-web related correspondences would be with the executive committee members. Rajan to put together a job description for the interns.

6. Update on EAF Funds

• Rupendra suggested raising initial funds as seed money to mobilize the Emergency Assistance Fund (EAF). He said he would finalize the application, acceptance and repayment procedures before proceeding further. Rupendra to follow up.

7. Proposal to add administrative charges to donations received.

• Bhupendra suggested that the administrative cost of transferring money from different transfer online agencies, including Paypal, had become a burden and suggested finding alternatives to meet these costs. Bhupendra to do more research on how this can be done.

8. Plans for SEBS endowment for BNKS

• Bhupendra said that SEBS-NA should do a massive fundraising for BNKS, SEBS/SEBS-NA and/or both. Bhupendra and Rahul to circulate a proposal after talking to advisors and other senior SEBSers.

9. SEBS Social events

• SEBS NA will be organizing area-specific social events for SEBSers living in the following places, hopefully on the same day: Dallas/Austin Area, Sanfransico Bay Area, Boston/New York area, Florida area. Bhupendra announced 3 weeks of time for planning out.

10. Proper website for BNKS

• Ekta suggested that SEBS-NA should extend help to BNKS by sponsoring and setting up a regularly updated and professional website for Budhanilkantha School such that it would have a deserved image in the world.

• Members agreed to officially discuss this with the BNKS admin. More work will be done to this end after the SMT comes up with the educational audit. Ekta to follow up.