General Membership Meeting Minutes
January 22, 2007
Attendance:
Jennifer Tempest Bova, JoAnn Carpenter, Lisa Daniels, Jim Gagne, Pat Garrity, JoAnn Jakubowski, Lien Huynh, Bruce Johnson, Susie Kuruvilla, Theresa Loerch, Sali Martin, Peggy Miller, Del Parra, Mary Penich, Michelle Ricker, Kathy Ryg, Lisa Sheppard, Connie Willegal
I. Meeting called to order at 8:45 a.m.
II. Officer Reports
A. Co-Presidents – Kathy Ryg announced that Alex Marx will be retiring from the Mundelein Park District after 36 years of service. She and Representative Ed Sullivan, Jr. will be presenting Alex with a resolution from the Illinois General Assembly which includes his involvement with the Lake County and Mundelein After School Coalitions. Kathy also reported that they are now in a new legislation session with a political charged atmosphere. The Illinois After-school Alliance is currently putting together their FY08 Legislative Priorities.
B. Co-Vice Presidents – Connie Willegal reminded everyone that each board member should sign up for one of the committees. Kathy Ryg mentioned that she was asked if the LCASC Special Needs Committee was going to host another conference because the conference held in 2005 was so valuable in furthering professional development. Mary Penich suggested the possibility of partnering with SEDOL.
C. Secretary - Theresa Loerch reported the LCASC website was continuously being update. She is waiting to hear from the Strategic Planning Committee as to whether the goals were current. Theresa also mentioned that if an organization is interested in forwarding a message to the coalition, they should address the message as if it were coming from themselves and she would then forward it on to the 400+ names on the distribution list.
D. Treasurer – Lisa Sheppard reported that membership applications and dues are steadily coming in.
III. Committee Reports
A. Youth Advisory – Pat Garrity reported that the Youth Advisory Committee set the date for the 2007 Youth Summit for Tuesday, April 10 at the University Center of Lake County, on the campus of College of Lake County. The program will be called “Be the Change” and is a youth empowerment summit offering 7th and 8th graders an opportunity to join with their peers throughout Lake County to recognize the significant role they can play in making their community a better place to live. The plan is for students to engage in a series of activities that will assist them in recognizing strategies teens can use to address adolescent issues and develop organizational and leadership skills to motivate other teens to join them in proposing and advancing healthy choices. Attendance will include 100 - 7th and 8th graders and 40 - high school facilitators. Mary Penich mentioned that this would be a good opportunity for the Advisory Board members to see what was going on with the LCASC and suggested a possible breakfast before the Summit with an invitation to the Youth Summit. The coalition agreed that this was a good idea. It was also discussed that the coalition did not plan to ask for fees from the students so that every school and youth development group in the county can send interested teens. The coalition will seek corporate sponsorship to underwrite the cost of the summit’s keynote speaker, food costs and supplies. Peggy Miller from the College of Lake County offered to help sponsor some of the lunch costs. The next YAC will be held on Tuesday, January 30th at the University Center to check out the facility. For more information regarding upcoming meetings, please contact Sharon Sanders-Funnye at ssfunnyebgclc@aol.com
B. Underage Drinking Prevention – Bruce Johnson (on behalf of Liz Nelson) reported that he and Liz Nelson will be attending the Illinois Coalition to Stop Underage Drinking on February 2nd in Bloomington. Liz had provided Bruce notes from the last committee meeting and reports that Avon Township, Barrington area (youth), Deerfield/Highland Park, Antioch/Lake Villa/Lindenhurst, Lake Forest/Lake Bluff, Vernon Hills and Zion/Winthrop Harbor/Beach Park all either have task forces or are creating task forces to address underage drinking issues in their communities. So far, these efforts complement what we are doing at a county level and she thinks there will not be any duplication of efforts. Liz is also scheduling focus groups with several high schools in Lake County; ie., Stevenson and Carmel High Schools. The questions to be asked relate to availability of alcohol, types of alcohol the youth are drinking, perception of the problem, parental attitudes related to underage drinking, etc. Bruce reminds everyone that the committee meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 9 a.m. at the Girl Scouts-Illinois Crossroads Council facility in Vernon Hills.
Bruce Johnson reported that The Lake County Chiefs of Police Association created an underage drinking committee that had met on Monday, December 4th, 2006. About 40+ people attended representing almost every police department in Lake County. Four subcommittees were developed; Legislative, Enforcement, Public Relations, and Membership. The enforcement committee enlisted the support of eight departments in Lake County to do underage drinking enforcement compliance checks, which were successful. Eighty-five liquor establishments were targeted and 32 arrests were made. The next meeting will be scheduled at the end of this month so more information will be forthcoming.
C. Strategic Planning – Mary Penich reported the committee will be meeting on February 1st to review the coalition’s goals.
D. Membership - Lisa Sheppard reported that for the year 2007, there are currently 58 organizations and eight individual members.
A. Michelle Ricker announced the Girls-Wise program will be hosting a fundraiser on February 9th; an e-mail will be sent out to the coalition with details. This event will benefit the 4th Annual Girls-Wise program to be held on April 21st at the College of Lake County.
B. Peggy Miller and Lisa Daniels announced their proposal to offer the National Safety Council’s Alive at 25 course in conjunction with Carmel High School’s parking permits. The College of Lake County and the National Safety Council are committed to help our teens be safe and responsible drivers through this important time of their lives. More information regarding this course can be found at: www.nsc.org/train/ddc/student/alive25.cfm
C. Pat Garrity announced the Lake County Health Department’s Family Life Education and InTouch programs were chosen to be one of five state pilots for the “Ready by 21” program. This six-month pilot program will introduce the Ready by 21 framework which encourages communities to assist youth in being ready for work, college, and life by the age of 21. A community in Lake County will be chosen to map already established services, enhance community networking to maximize these services, identify potential gaps, and develop action plans to identify needs using the Ready by 21 process. Information from the five pilot sites will allow the Illinois Department of Human Services to evaluate the potential of using this model throughout the State.
D. Kathy Ryg announced that David Kuriniec is now working in her district office and will be focusing on disabilities issues. David is currently working with Heather Barcal from the Lake County Center for Independent Living on bullying issues.
V. Meeting adjourned at 10:00 a.m.
Upcoming Meeting Dates:
General Membership
w Monday, March 19th at 8:30 a.m., Mundelein Police Department
w Monday, April 16th at 8:30 a.m., Mundelein Police Department
Underage Drinking Prevention Committee
w February 20th (Tuesday) at 9:00 a.m., Girl Scouts – Illinois Crossroads Council
w March 20th (Tuesday) at 9:00 a.m., Girl Scouts – Illinois Crossroads Council
Youth Advisory Committee
w January 30th (Tuesday) at 4:00 p.m., University Center of Lake County
w February 13th (Tuesday) at 6:30 p.m., Boys & Girls Club of Lake County
w February 27th (Tuesday) at 4:00 p.m., Boys & Girls Club of Lake County
w March 13th (Tuesday) at 6:30 p.m., Boys & Girls Club of Lake County
w March 20th (Tuesday) at 4:00 p.m., Boys & Girls Club of Lake County