Amended Minutes of the Canada Community 2008 Meeting

NCSS Canada Community 2008 Meeting
Friday November 14, 2008 / 9:00 —10:00 AM Room 332A George Brown Convention Ctr., Houston Texas

Attendees: Betsy Arntzen, Kim O’Neil, Anton Schulzki, Bill Belsey, Tim Coates, Alan Player-Mason, Mike Clare, Stephen Marcotte, Ginette Chenard, Ashley Johnson, Ruth Writer, Jan Hamilton, James Rooney, Dean June, Brian McClean, Tina Storer.

After introductions, NCSS BOD representative Kim O’Neil asked the Canada Community to visit the NCSS position statement “Preparing for a Global Community” and offer potential revisions. Tim Coates will spearhead the task.

NCSS is building a database of members with different areas of expertise as a prelude to establishing an Online Resource Center. The goal is to establish a message board where teachers can leave requests and an automatic referral system that will connect new teachers with experts in content, grade level or pedagogical areas. Kim asked for persons who feel they have expertise that NCSS members could call upon, to make themselves known to NCSS. Contact excellence@ncss.org to be included in this database.

There was discussion of potential changes to the NCSS website to make it more accessible and easy to navigate.

Agenda Items:
• Polling Attendees
• Atlanta 2009
• Sessions in Atlanta
• Canadian Government Funding

Tina distributed a sample of a survey she is administering at the conference to see how aware attendees are regarding “Canada is Coming to the NCSS!”

Tina is invited to attend planning meetings for Atlanta.

Betsy welcomed Ginette Chenard from the Government of Quebec

Anton Schulzki from Colorado Springs talked briefly about the Denver 2010 NCSS conference

Ruth Writer encouraged Canadian attendees to propose sessions for the Atlanta conference. She offered numerous ideas for session topics. Attendees were advised that the deadline for proposals for Atlanta falls very early in the new year. Ashley Johnson, Canadian Consulate Houston advised the group of other potential organizations that may be able to work in liaison with the Canada Community to prepare/provide/contribute to presentations.

Brian McClean raised the issue of Canadian Government Funding for resources that would introduce them to Canadian history. Brian proposed the handing out of materials to attendees in Atlanta. Ashley suggested that selling the idea would be enhanced if there was the idea introduced that American students would be encouraged to attend post-secondary institutions in Canada and/or seek employment.

Ginette reminded the group that provincial/territorial Ministers of Education from across Canada could be valuable allies in an effort to raise the Canadian profile. Betsy proposed, seconded by Anton to maintain Canada Community officers as currently exist.
They are:
Prime Minister (Chair) Tim Coats
Deputy Prime Minister (Co-Chair) James Rooney
Minister of Cyber-Affairs (web manager) Betsy Arntzen
Speaker of the House (delegate to House of Delegates) VACANT POSITION - PLEASE APPLY
Minister of Foreign Affairs (committee member, House of Delegates) Anton Schulzki
Clerk of the Privy Council (newsletter editor) Tina Storer
Governor General (conference session coordinator) Ruth Writer
Solicitor General (Bylaws chair) Dean June
Members of Parliament Any and all members not holding other offices

Tim offered a collective vote of thanks from the Canadians present in Houston to the American participants in the Canada Community for their support and efforts, particularly Ruth, Tina and Betsy.

End of meeting 10:15
Respectfully submitted,
Tim Coates, Prime Minister