BYA: October 2009

Dear All,

Thank you everyone for your patiently waiting for the meeting minutes. Here it is:

BYA 2^nd Years Anniversary Meeting Minutes

Saturday, October 10, 2009.

272 Capp Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

Attendees:

Ko Kyaw Kyaw

Ma Myat Soe Mon

Ko Zarni Tun [MC of the meeting]

Ko Kyaw Kyaw Soe

Ko Nay Lin

K Cheng

Ah Chan

Wai Phyo

Nelson Than

Carolyne

Ma Khin Thiri Nandar Soe

Ko Zarni Min Lwin

Ko Han Htun

Thinn Wit Yee

Htet Htet Khine

Tin Nandar

Daw Tin Thiri

Ma Kalyar Htoo

Htoo Htet

Johnny

Phyo Sandi Aung

[Please forgive me if I forget some names :)]

The meeting was started at 6:00 pm.

Proposal by Ma Myat Soe Mon:

· there is refugee helping group in Oakland who request BYA assistant for language training

· Mainly English language teaching to Refugee from Burma

· To consider this project as BYA ongoing project

· Contact Ko Zarni Maung and Ma Myat Soe Mon for more information

Proposal by Ko Nay Lin

· HELP FOR BURMA event on Nov 22^nd , requesting BYA for entertainment programs coordinating

· Event info: Nov 22^nd , Sunday 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, 13 of Burmese organization from Bay Area will participate

· Ko Nay Lin will send the flyer in near future

Proposal by Ko Wai Phyo and Ko Zarni Tun

· Red Panda awareness

· Event info: Dec 5^th, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at De Anza

· To support Red Panda awareness and promote Burma by booth and presentation

· Ko Zarni Tun is volunteering as contact person of BYA

Recap of Proposals:

· How to help refugee’s project will be ongoing topic of BYA for future meetings

· For Nov 22^nd event: since most of BYA entertainers will not be available on that day and many of the entertainers for Aug 9^th event was from different organizations; BYA could not help with the entertainment programs on this event. However, up to the discussion we have in meeting ; BYAers who available on that day will be helping in different programs as individual participant. There might be future discussion on this topic in November BYA meeting.

· Red Panda event: Ko Zarni Tun will be the contact person to coordinate BYA present in the event. Ma Myat Soe Mon will help too. Whoever interested in the event, please contact above persons.

Announcement

USBMA Kathina event

October 18, 2009

Time: 10:00 to 2:00

Address: 1102 Kelvin Road, El Sobrante, CA

Note: The president of USBMA personally invites all of BYAers to come and enjoy their Kathina event. There will be loads of delicious Burmese food.

Asian Art Museum

October 25, 2009

Time: 10:00 to 4:00

Address: 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco

http://www.asianart.org/familyfestival.htm

Note: BYA is in charge of Burmese Cultural Show room. Here are BYA programs for that day

* Burmese Music Instrumental Presentation and Burmese Dance

* Burmese Traditional Costumes

* Burmese Natural Make-up show [Thanakha]

* Burmese food Demonstration [Tea leaves salad]

BYA will receive 20-30 free entrance tickets for the show. Please contact Ko Wai Phyo with the name of the people you want to invite to reserve the tickets. We also need many volunteers to participate.

Recap of the announcement

Ko Wai Phyo will set up the phone conference to discuss detail plan for October 25^th Burmese Art Show. Remember: Please wear Burmese dress and costumes when coming to Asian Art Museum to show our beautiful culture. [This event was combination show of Thai and Burmese arts]

501 (c) 3

Presentation by Ma Myat Soe Mon

If we were planning to apply for the 501(c)3 status

· require to have by-laws, organization structure

· there are many paper work and legal understanding requirement

· amount of volunteer commitment is crucial for the status

· cost $500

If we can’t commit right now there are other option to get tax refund ID for the donor : like Fiscal sponsorship

Fiscal Sponsorship

Presented by K Cheng, Director of Program and Development, Cambodian Community Development Inc (CCDI)]

· BYA will able to use their tax ID when applying for grand without 501 (c) 3 status

· CCDI will take 10% of the grand when we receive it as a service charge. If we do not get grand we do not need to pay CCDI

· Other service will be available after talking with Board of director if we really need to use it such as : help us to get 501 (c) 3 status, writing for grand proposal

K Cheng also shared his experience of CCDI

· For the organization diversity of Board of Directors[BOD] is essential for success

· Diversity mean set of skills that BOD will bring to organization such as lawyer, accountant, marketing

By-Law Draft and processing

Leaded by Ko Kyaw Min Oo

BYA’s by-law was drafted by BYAers who communicated by multiples conference call due to the nature of detail discussion. On the day of meeting: BYA discussed

· Main point of BYA’s bylaw

· Mission statement wording

· The process of Drafting By Law

After that BYAers approved the Draft bylaw by majority votes. Ko Kyaw Min Oo will be setting up By-Law conference call discussing. Whoever wants to get By-law draft, please contact Ko Kyaw Min Oo. It is mandatory to read the final draft sending by Ko Kyaw Min Oo before next meeting for all BYAers. Please make a notes of the changes that you would like to make and present in next meeting. There is going to be time line for BYA organization restructured by the By-law. This is the time to illustrate what BYA really is and you all can put your voice in the future of BYA.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 pm.

Next monthly meeting will be held in Fremont, CA on November 7, 2009.

Time : 5:00 to 8:00

Place : TBA (FYI: Nelson Than has offered his place for our meeting.)

Thank to Ko Nay Lin and Ko Toe Lwin for delicious food.

Thank you very much everyone for your time, your discussion, your participating in celebrating our 2nd Anniversary. There were many enthusiastic BYA new bloods encouraged us to keep on going.

See you next month.

Nandi

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