2018 Business meeting

MIDDLE EAST OUTREACH COUNCIL
MEOC Business Meeting Minutes
Friday, November 16, 2018, 4:00-5:30 PM CST
Grand Hyatt San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
 
Participants: Craig Cangemi (QFI; President), Christopher Rose (University of Texas at Austin; Past-President), Katie Aslan (University of Texas at Austin; Board Member), Betsey Coleman (Colorado Academy-Retired; Board Member), Susan Douglass (Georgetown University; Board Member/Book Awards Committee Co-Chair), Emma Harver (Duke University-University of North Carolina Consortium; Board Member/Book Awards Committee Co-Chair), Joe Stanik (Anne Arundel Community College; Secretary), Lisa Adeli (University of Arizona), Jean Campbell (Portland State University-Retired), Julia Chovcair-Vizoso (U.C. Berkeley), Robert Hardmond (Brooklyn Tech High School), Rima Hassouneh (University of Michigan), Corinne Hughes (Portland State University), Larry Michalak (U.C. Berkeley), Maggie Nassif (Fulbright Commission Egypt), Barbara Petzen (Middle East Connections & CSIS), Jessica Hill Riggs (University of Michigan), James Ryan (NYU), Cristin Siebert (Yale University), Renee Spellman (University of Arizona), Hannah Weitzer (NaTakallam), and Zack al-Witri (Stanford University-Abbasi Program).
 
Welcome:
President Chris Rose brought the meeting to order at 4:04 and welcomed all attendees.
 
Minutes of 2017 Business Meeting:
Secretary Joe Stanik distributed copies of the minutes from the business meeting, held November 19, 2017, in Washington, DC. The attendees reviewed the minutes. There was a motion to approve the minutes, the motion was seconded, and the minutes were approved.
 
Treasurer’s Report:
Chris reported that, as of November 11, 2018, MEOC has $8,156.90 in checking and $48,390.80 in savings for a total amount of $56,547.70. There was a motion to approve the treasurer’s report, the motion was seconded, and the report was approved.  
 
Election Results:
Past President Barbara Petzen, chair of the nominations and election committee, thanked Chris and Greta Scharnweber for their service as president and president-elect, respectively, and Michael Freydin, Bram Hubbell, and Angela Williams for their service on the Board. She announced that Craig Cangemi was elected president; Susan Douglass and Emma Harver were re-elected to the Board; and Betsey Coleman, Jacqueline Vidal, Julie Wakefield, and Pren “Dunn” Woods were elected to two-year terms on the Board.
 
MEOC Lifetime Achievement Award:
Chris presented Barbara with the MEOC Lifetime Achievement Award for her many years of outstanding service to MEOC and the field of Middle Eastern studies.
 
Instillation of new President:
Chris transferred to Craig the office of MEOC president.
 
Membership:
Craig reported that MEOC currently has 10 institutional members, 64 paid members, and more than 700 access members. He pointed out that institutions pay $150 in annual dues and that the benefits of institutional membership are a page on the MEOC website, where they can describe their center’s activities and embed a link to their official websites; co-sponsor status at NCSS and NCTE; and two votes in MEOC elections.
 
Travel Awards:
On behalf of Angela Williams, travel awards committee chair, Chris announced the following awards: Corinne Hughes (Portland State University), Renee Spellman (University of Arizona), and Trisha Van Wagner (Baltimore City Public Schools).
 
Teachers’ Workshop:
Katie Aslan announced that the 2018 MEOC Teachers’ Workshop will take place Sat., Nov. 17, 9 AM-3 PM, at the Mission Branch of the San Antonio Public Library. The topic is “Global Connections Through the Five Senses.” Beforehand, attendees can participate in a guided tour of historic Mission San José. An authentic lunch will be provided. At 4:30 PM, the 2018 MEOC Book Award winners will be announced. Twenty-three people have signed up for the workshop.
 
Conferences:

• Barbara announced that the 2018 NCSS conference will take place Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Chicago. She and Chris will lead a pre-conference clinic on cooking Middle Eastern cuisine.
• She reported that MEOC did not participate in the 2018 NCTE conference in Houston (Nov. 15-19), because it overlapped with this year’s annual meeting of MESA.
• She suggested that MEOC investigate participating in the National Council for History Education annual meeting.    

 
Global Read Webinar:
Emma Harver, book awards committee co-chair, highlighted the Global Read Webinar Series, sponsored by the World Area Book Awards. Every month, the organization will sponsor a 60-minute webinar on an award-winning book and facilitate a discussion with the author on how teachers can incorporate the book into their classrooms. The books are appropriate for students in grades 7-12. 
 
MEOC Book Awards:

• Susan Douglas, book awards committee co-chair, reported that Emma’s office at the Duke-UNC Consortium contacted the publishers of nominated books, who agreed to provide copies for each reviewer, who are welcome to keep the books. The three book-award subcommittees will be limited to five members (a chair plus four reviewers).
• The 2018 MEOC Book Awards will be announced following the Teachers’ Workshop.  

 
New Business:

• The new MEOC website (www.meoc.us) is up and running. Please visit.
• The MEOC board meeting will take place Sun., Nov. 18, 9-11 AM, in room 2-Mission A of the Grand Hyatt San Antonio Hotel.

 
Outreach Activities Reports:
Attendees reported on their interesting and diverse outreach activities.
 
Craig adjourned the meeting at 5:36 PM.
 
Respectfully submitted,
 
Joseph T. Stanik
MEOC Secretary