Lily Dallas Meeting – 19th October’08

 

Venue:  DFW Hindu Temple, Irving, TX

 

TIME:       2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

Agenda:

 

Feed the Needy in Nov’08 (target 2nd Nov’08)
Lily lunch in 2008 (event cancelled in Sept)
Lily dinner/Fundraisers for 2009
2009 other Fundraising Projects

Radio Antorik Ad

Disaster Relief

E-Newsletter

Smile Rule Change Discussions

Budget for 2009

New Projects

Attendees:

 

J. P Sarkar

Sraboni Lahiry

Basab Chatterjee

Chaitali Purkayastha

Ranjit Nandi

Amal Mukherjee

Rakhi Mukerji

Tapati Sarkar

Anirudha Maitra

 

Actions:

 

# Feed the Needy in Nov’08

 

  • Date confirmed for Sunday, 2nd Nov’08
  • Effort needs to begin at 9am to be ready for lunch.

 

# Lily lunch in 2008 - (event cancelled in Sept).

 

  • It was agreed by all present that the lunch for 2008 stands cancelled due to the short time span remaining to organize this.
  • Target date for 2009 – Sat., 2nd May’09 @ Fun Asia, Richardson. This would be similar to 2007 and 2006 dinners.  Meeting to be held by early March to plan this event.

 

# Lily dinner/fundraisers for 2009

 

  • Rakhi Mukerji’s proposal for a major fundraiser, as planned earlier for 2009, to be postponed to 2010.  
  • A letter to be sent out by 30th June’09 to all major non - Bengali Donors. This will be lead by Rakhi Mukerji.

 

 

 

# 2009 New Fundraising Projects

 

# Cricket Match in 2009

·         Organize this event for 2009. Ranjit Nandi to take lead on this.

·         Target date between 15March ~ 2April’09

 

      # US Artist Concert

·         Sraboni Lahiry & Chaitali Purkayastha to come up with a proposed plan by the next meeting.

·          

      # Radio Antorik ad

·         Antorik to discontinue the ad, since they are loosing money on this.

 

      # Disaster Relief

·         Do we send $1000/- to the Bihar Flood Relief even though it’s a couple of weeks after the disaster?

o        Yes ( Basab, Maya, Chaitali , Fulu, Amal, Prasad, Chaitali & Tapati)

o         No ( Rakhi , Anirudh)

o        Abstain - Nil

             Vote approved by majority decision

·         Amal Mukerjee to come up with the name of an organization in India to send the money to by 24th Oct’08

·          

# E-newsletter:

·         Need to ensure that we have another letter go out before Dec, 2008

·         Sraboni Lahiry to lead this effort.

·         Send e-mails to those who normally donate. E-mails to be sent out/phone calls to be made to Smile Scholarship sponsors to renew their sponsorships.

·          

# SMILE rule change discussions:

 

  • J.P.Sarkar proposed that all suspension of scholarship money is needed to be controlled by some one in Dallas. Sponsors need to be informed on any action taken.
  • 15 of the 19 sponsored students of Mrs. Sadhana Agarwal will drop out.  4 ex-Smile students should continue to receive scholarships.
  • 9 students out of 110 did not comply with obligations.  Need to be addressed by Lily India.
  • Basab and Anirudha presented their new proposal. This is still work in progress and need to be re-defined further.

                                                                             

                                                                                

  •  # Budget for 2009

 

       The oveall Budget proposal for 2009 with the recommended changes is approved

    • Yes (Amal , Prasad , Ranjit , Chaitali , Maya, Rakhi , Basab, Fulu, Tapati & Anirudh)
    • No – Nil
    • Abstain – Nil

      

  • Due to lack of time, any other queries about the finer details need to be e-mailed across to J P Sarkar.
  • Decision on relocation of Kolkata office has been dropped.

 

  • Aalo 29 (Nara) to be closed
  • Event sponsorships to be closed.
  • Dishari Book Banks to charge Rs.10/ per student
  • Proposed book bank in Balurghat
  • Competent coordinator needed in Balurghat
  • Multi-year wish fund – Mr. Gopal Pal’s left over money suggested to be used for Hotor.
  • 2007 net gains:  43,786/- approx.
  • India Budget is tracked by pie charts and is tracked very well. $48,000/- (instead of 41K) was spend as Smile scholarships went up. 

 

# New projects     

 

  • Community Work school – Prasad Sarkar presented a high level overview of the project based on his meeting with Sandy Cohen in Dallas and Azeen in Kolkata.

 

  • NGO in Delhi – students from 1st. through 3rd. Grades are taught for a small fee.  Parents getting vocational training can get loans.  This could become a self-sufficient project in 2 years. Needed: About an acre of land and 50K for 2 years.  20K go for micro-finance project.  Village will be provided with land, building, uniform, etc.  Govt. pays.  We need to send money to put in for infrastructure.

 

  • Education Centers: 

 

  • Dhulai – suggested spending 3 lakhs for construction of first floor.  Lily India needs 4 lakhs, 50,000.  Proposal put on hold.

 

  • Request for invertors/generators to be installed.  Lots of student drop-outs due to lack of electricity.

 

  • Women/Child Anath ashram in West Bengal. Chaitali Purkayastha to send an update on
  • this in Jan 2009.