New York Mills, MN

Team members present:  Kevin Cederstrom, Todd Cameron, Connie Warner, Lori Rothstein, Denise Peltier,Victoria McWane-Creek, Lynn Kasma, and Julie Adams.

Meeting started at 12:05 pm.

Since this was our first meeting since establishing the Horizons Team Work Plan, selection of Chair and Secretary was necessary.  Lynn volunteered to be chair and Julie volunteered to be secretary.

Todd explained the Barrier Elimination Funds in which we have $2,000 right now.  This money will be spent to recruit participants, action planning teams, implementing ideas generated by Future Squads.  Categories in which they can spend the money include:  office supplies, child care, mileage, food, photocopies, space rental, marketing/recruitment, and other.  Must be spent by June 30, 2008.   In order to request funds, submit form to ISD #553 (our Fiscal Agent) that has been signed off on by the Chair and the Secretary.  Todd will bring a spreadsheet that explains our Barrier Elimination Fund totals as well as the remaining $8,500.00 from the initial $10,000.00 that we have received.  

Discussion on how to start marketing the Horizon’s Program as well as the Future Squads. 
Trade Show—will be held Saturday, March 29.  Horizons team members will man booth.  Booth will include information, surveys, computer showing blog site, and a door prize drawing.  Lynn will organize this.
Tri-fold brochure—to include basic information about the Horizons Program and contact information for Future Squads.  Victoria and Denise will work on this.  Presentations to local organizations and businesses—Discussed the need to talk informally to local organizations to give basic information about the Horizons Program as will as to recruit members to the Future Squads. 
The list of contacts are as follows:
School Board/Teachers/Student Groups—Todd and Denise
CAC—Victoria and Connie
C&C/Thursday Morning Meeting—Julie and Kevin
Fire Fighters—Kevin 
New Horizons—Connie
Lions—Todd
St. Peter’s—Denise
Trinity—Julie
UCC—Kevin
Elder’s Home—Bill Warner
Cultural Center—Lynn and Todd
Finn Creek—Kevin
Sr. Center—Julie
Girl Scouts—Victoria
County Building—Julie
Other marketing tools include the Blog, newspaper articles, radio, etc.  Kevin will do an article soon.  Todd (and maybe one other person) will do Talk of the Town in February.  Lori stressed the importance of blogging all activities. Discussion of evaluation and monitoring methods.  Lori has examples of evaluation forms we could use.  She will email them out to us soon.

Update & Reports from Future Squads:
Quality of Life:  (Report from Lynn and Kevin)  They have met several times and have decided to focus on implementing a Community Garden.  Many details were discussed including possible locations and people to try to get involved.  They hope to emphasize “Green information”. 
Volunteerism:  (report from Connie and Victoria)  Victoria has blogged some information.  They hope to support other future squads.  Ultimately they would like to compile a list of organizations who need volunteers, a phone tree, and service days.
Leadership:  (Report from Denise and Julie)  They hope to meet soon to organize another round of Leadership Plenty.  Ideas pertaining to youth mentoring were discussed.
Economy:  No members of the Economy group were present.  No report given. 

The next Horizons Team meeting will be held in conjunction with all four future squads meetings in a break-out sessions.  The meeting will be held at the school with a meal catered from one of our local restaurants.  Todd will check the school calendar to see what date in February will work.   

Meeting concluded at 1:35 pm.

The Great American Think-Off releases the 2008 question “Does immigration strengthen or threaten the United States?” The 2008 Great American Think-Off question asks “Does immigration strengthen or threaten the United States?” One of the most heated questions debated in all corners of America today needs more light and less heat. And so the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center asks Americans and people from around the globe to address this question in the 2008 edition of the Great American Think-Off.We commonly note that we are a nation of immigrants, but today more Americans seem frightened of immigration and immigrants than at any time in memory. We build a fence to keep undocumented persons out. We worry about losing even more jobs to the forces of globalization. Yet we all honor the emblem of our immigrant nation: the Statue of Liberty.

A panel of judges will select four finalists to come to New York Mills, Minnesota, for the final debate to be held June 14, 2008. The names of the four finalists, who each receive $500 plus travel, food and lodging expenses, will be announced May 1, 2008. A parade down Main Avenue to honor the finalists will be held in New York Mills on June 14th. The winner is decided by the audience attending the debate and she or he will be named “America’s Greatest Thinker”.Celebrating its 16th year, the Great American Think-Off is a national philosophy competition providing an opportunity for ordinary people to voice their opinions on some of life’s more perplexing questions. Last year’s question, “Which Should You Trust More, Your Head or Your Heart?” encouraged the submission of hundreds of essays nationwide. Previous year’s questions included “Which is More Valuable to Society: Safety or Freedom?” (2005), “Is the Pen Mightier than the Sword?” (2002), “Is Democracy Fair?” (2000), “Is the Death Penalty Ethical in a Civilized Society?” (1997) and “Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?” (1998) one of two years the debate was broadcast live on C-SPAN.Submitted by: Jamie Robertson, Executive Director, New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

24 North Main AvenueNew York Mills, MN 56567(218) 385-3339