FORIM Meeting Minutes — 20 February 1999

1. Welcome
2. Administrative Issues
   1. Articles of Incorporation
      1. $50.00 fee
      2. A tax i.d. number will be filed for next week (Terry O’Leary)
   2. Membership Database
      1. Approximately 130 good addresses/429 names
      2. 94 paid members
      3. The April Newsletter will be sent out to all non-paying members, the next will be sent to only paid members
   3. Newsletter
      1. Sent approximately 460 newsletters out
      2. $235 for copying and distribution costs
      3. Article idea brainstorming
3. New Business
   1. Web Space
      1. FORIM will be getting its own domain (Larry Sampas) www.forim.org
      2. Add Revised By-laws (Kyung Endres send to Larry Sampas)
   2. Goals Setting
      1. Focus on social, educational, and developmental areas
         1. Social = meetings, fundraiser, get-togethers, membership expansion, more involvement of members outside the DC area.
         2. Educational = annual scholarship support to Mauritanian students studying in the US, quarterly newsletter distribution, orientation of (Peace Corps) groups traveling to Mauritania
         3. Developmental = limited support to special developmental projects in Mauritania on a rolling submission basis
      2. Movement towards goals
         1. Establish special projects committees for scholarships and developmental project guidelines
         2. Publish the guidelines in the newsletter and on the web page
         3. Disseminate information of the scholarship to relevant parties
         4. Collect dues
         5. Plan a fundraiser for April/May 1999
         6. Put more consistent effort into the newsletter
         7. Look for cooperate sponsors to financially support the special projects
4. Closing

Next Meeting: 20 March 1999 4PM at Ghana Café